Knocked Loose, the Grammy-nominated hardcore band hailing from Oldham County, Kentucky, took the stage on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Tuesday night in a rare spotlight for heavy metal music.
Joined by genre-blurring artist Poppy, they performed recent fan-favorite Suffocate from their new album You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To, sending shockwaves through the late-night television audience.
Known for their raw vocals and crushing riffs, the band is no stranger to the limelight, but their appearance marked a significant step for the hardcore and metal scene on mainstream television.
With nearly 40 million Spotify streams of their breakout hit Counting Worms—an anthem famous for its concise lyrics and the iconic “Arf arf” battle cry—the band has cultivated a dedicated following that continues to push the boundaries of their genre’s visibility.
The performance was a polarizing event. Fans of the band and heavy music at large celebrated the spotlight on a genre that rarely gets such high-profile attention. Bryan Garris, the lead of the band, took to Instagram to celebrate the iconic moment.
While the performance sparked debate, it also proved that hardcore and metal are capable of captivating a broader audience, even if not everyone is ready for the genre’s intensity. For those within the scene, it was a victory—an affirmation that heavy music has a place on a global stage.
“PS if it scared you, good,” Garris said in his Instagram post after the show.
See the performance below:
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This article appears in Nov 20 – Dec 3, 2024.