By Josh Bicknell
For well over a decade, Outbreak Festival has been a haven for all things hardcore, but in recent years its increasingly diverse line-ups have transformed it into a celebration of bleeding-edge alternative music. This year, the juxtaposed headline sets of Knocked Loose, Slowdive, and Alex G brought fans from across the alternative spectrum together under one roof at Manchesters B.E.C. Arena.
Kicking off day two with a bang were XweaponX, a band rarely seen live in the ÜK due to it being a side project for most of its members, including Isaac Hale and Bryan Garris of Knocked Loose, who would later headline. Their vision is to take hardcore back to its roots, drawing heavy inspiration from straight edge and grassroots sounds. People showed up early and in force, and the set quickly descended into chaos. Limbs were flying, the pit was wild, the day was off to a phenomenal start.
Next up were Big Boy, who wasted no time keeping the momentum going. For such an early set, the pits were massive, and Isaac Hale was spotted hanging out at side stage, grinning as someone lobbed a stuffed animal towards the microphone. Outbreak veterans Chamber followed with a set that was jam packed with thick, stomping riffs, and the pit crew took full advantage of a spacious Third Stage as most people were off watching Pest Control. Up next were Gods Hate, who delivered yet another brutal set. What stood out most about them were their thunderous drums and rich guttural vocals, though the set did start to blur together after a while.
Looking back toward the main stage, Drug Church brought a welcome shift in tone. Their bouncy brand of post-hardcore radiated infectious energy, and according to vocalist Patrick Kindlon, the Manchester crowd did a far better job of keeping crowd-surfers afloat than their London counterparts the day before. Pain Of Truth then rounded off this chaotic run with classic New York flavour. While the songs themselves didn’t leave a huge impression, the crowd’s reaction spoke volumes, people went HARD for them.
Moving into the middle of the afternoon, it was time for Outbreak’s secret set, something that there had been plenty of buzz about throughout the day. Fans traded bets and theories while queuing for food, with popular guesses including local heavyweights Guilt Trip and the recently reformed God Complex. But when Loathe stormed the main stage, the atmosphere shifted from anticipation to awe. Their crushing, atmospheric set quickly established itself as a weekend standout, elevated further by a surprise guest appearance from Static Dress frontman Oli Appleyard.
Right after, Speed kept the energy sky-high with their signature brand of fast, heavy hardcore. Between the heartfelt speeches, the infamous flute breakdown, and a wheelchair-bound fan surfing the crowd, it was a celebration of everything this scene stands for. To round off what was arguably the best run of the weekend, Terror took over Stage Two, striking fear and nostalgia into the room with a ferocious set that reminded everyone exactly where this chaos came from.
After a nonstop barrage of heaviness, Superheaven offered a much-needed moment to breathe. Their grungy, mid-tempo sound was the perfect backdrop for catching your breath and resetting after the chaos.
Following them were Deafheaven, who brought a much more intense kind of calm. Their shimmering blackgaze sound drifted across Stage Two, washing over the crowd with sweeping atmosphere and emotional weight.
Then came Denzel Curry, kicking off his main stage slot with a delayed but electrifying set. A broken stage pushed his start time back, but it didn’t stop him from tearing through a mix of hits new and old.
Having attended Korn’s massive Gunnersbury Park show last summer, where Curry was originally set to perform before pulling out on the day, this felt like a long-overdue payoff. Spotting him casually wandering through the merch area earlier for a quick chat only made it that much sweeter.
His energy rocked the main stage, and while he swapped breakdowns for beats, it was every bit as exhilarating. He even closed with his cover of Rage Against the Machine, a deep cut that he brought back in the spirit of Outbreak. This sent the crowd into one final frenzy, while bridging the gap between hip hop and hardcore perfectly teeing up the night’s headliner.
After a day packed with unforgettable performances, adding Knocked Loose to the lineup felt almost illegal, as if the bill was simply too stacked to be real. But it was. Tearing through fan favourites from ‘Laugh Tracks’ and deep cuts from ‘Pop Culture’, they showed exactly why they are the definitive hardcore band of the moment.
Masterfully woven into their violent groovedowns were a number of surprise guest spots from the vocalists of Boston Manor, Speed, Deafheaven, Loathe and Static Dress. This transformed their set into more than just a headline performance. It was a celebration of the scene and a victory lap for all that Knocked Loose has achieved since they last played the festival in 2022.
Right as the intensity had seemingly peaked, the bar rose one final time as they closed out two days of utter mayhem with an XweaponX track, a full-circle moment that tied the day together in the most brutally poetic way possible.
If you’re searching for a festival that perfectly captures the spirit of hardcore and its many offshoots, Outbreak is absolutely the place to be. Whether you’re a diehard fan or just curious about the scene, Outbreak 2025 offered something for everyone, delivering an explosive weekend of unforgettable performances along with a sense of community that’s hard to find anywhere else.
- PHOTO CREDITS: Photos by Eddy Maynard/Natalie Wood. Courtesy of Outbreak Festival.