Metal and hip hop are no strangers to each other, especially in a concert setting. From Anthrax and Public Enemy’s “Bring the Noise” collaboration to the 1998 Family Values Tour, the crossover remains alive and well. Persistent rain on the eve of October did not stop Louisville hardcore legends Knocked Loose and Miami Gardens rapper Denzel Curry from bringing their hard-hitting Hive Mind Tour to the outdoor fairgrounds at The Salt Shed.
Accompanied by Boundaries and Superheaven, the heavyweight bill headlined by Knocked Loose braved the rain and brought the heat to the cool Chicago night.
Back in February, Knocked Loose and Denzel Curry released the single “Hive Mind.” Admittedly, I did not enjoy it. Albeit unique, something about it did not click with me. Despite that, I was still excited to attend their show. I have seen both Knocked Loose and Denzel Curry several times (read my Denzel Curry at The Salt Shed from 2025). Both artists have insane crowd control, and their fans are rowdy. It is a perfect recipe for beautiful chaos. With the day’s rain refusing to let up, it was unclear what the vibe would be.
Kicking things off at 6 p.m. was Boundaries, a Hartford-based metalcore band. Their deep vocals and even deeper riffs got the crowd fired up. Mini mosh pits and walls of death formed at the band’s almost-irritating insistence. Fans seemingly enjoyed themselves before the energy switched from heavy to dreamy. Superheaven brought a ’90s grunge sound and aesthetic. They combined it with the wonderful blissfulness of shoegaze. It complemented the progressively heavier rain and gave the place a levitating sense.
The crowd was warmed up by the time Denzel Curry took the stage. By the time he finished, the venue was a blazing inferno.
It is a miracle to witness Denzel Curry expel as much energy as he does during his set. Opening with “HIT THE FLOOR,” he set the bar sky-high. For roughly 45 minutes, he did not disappoint. Curry brought out “BLACK FLAG FREESTYLE,” “Walkin,” and “SUMO.” He turned the initially mild crowd all the way up with his untouchable charisma. His epic screams would leave the metal bands on the bill jealous.
Curry is also no stranger to metal. He ended his set with his “Bulls on Parade” cover. It created an even bigger explosion than the first beat drop of his 2015 hit “Ultimate.” His undeniable swagger and astounding confidence made the perfect precursor to the metal behemoth to come.
Knocked Loose has toured their 2024 album You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To for the last two years. Yet that forest-like stage and LED cross prop have not gotten old. Shrouded by blinding backlights, Knocked Loose opened with their most definitive track, “Deep In the Willow.”
What better way to make your presence known than with the track that announces you in the most badass way possible: “Knocked Loose, motherfucker!”
Vocalist Bryan Garris gave Chicago a huge shoutout. He said it has always been a “second home” before naming local venues like Subterranean and Bottom Lounge. Chicago must feel the love, because the crowd did not let up all night. A chaotic water-and-oil mix of pit-pushers and hardcore dancers made the Salt Shed Fairgrounds the place to be.
In the midst of this pandemonium, crowd surfers flew across the sea of fans. Crowd killers made their presence violently known, all out of love for one of hardcore metal’s most successful groups.
From their latest 2024 effort to their first album, Laugh Tracks, the setlist celebrated a short-yet-powerful career. They played “Billy No Mates” and the hard-hitting “Mistakes Like Fractures.” They also played the tumultuous “Where Light Divides the Holler.” Isaac Hale lovingly instructed everyone to push the person next to them.
Hardcore was alive and well on a grand scale in Chicago. The mosh pits were an amazing performance alone. I could have stared at them all night, had it not been for the band’s blazing fire cannons and garish lights.
From the back of the venue, the Knocked Loose spectacle showcased one of the most exciting live metal acts around.
From within the pit, their power hit with an exciting, threatening force. Double bass, chugging riffs, and filthy breakdowns drove the point home. “Don’t Reach for Me,” “God Knows,” and “Blinding Faith” were standout moments. Each song showed exactly what the band could do.
Before closing out the night, Denzel Curry came out to perform “Hive Mind” with the band. All of a sudden, I became sweet on the song. Curry’s magnetism brought a fresh flavor to the stage. He proved that his rapid flow fits well with their Louisville hardcore style. Evidently, it was a crowd favorite. Fans enthusiastically rapped, “Fuck your favorite band and your favorite rapper.”
As the band closed with their (arguably) most famous song, “Counting Worms,” they opened the floor for their grand finale: a wall of death.
This ritual normally happens at the end of “Everything Is Quiet Now.” The band played that song second in the set. They then brought back its coda for one final moment of controlled violence. Hale instructed crowd members to knock the phones out of participants’ hands and truly live in the moment.
And live the fans did. Contrary to the song’s title, the floor became a loud disaster. Sweaty bodies collided in celebration. Knocked Loose had once again conquered Chicago. They brought a new and exciting flavor that added some spark to their continuing tour. Knocked Loose is a definitive live metal act. Their shows are the kind that fans survive with a hell of a story to tell.
All photography by Oscar De Leon
