On November 27, 2024, a special metal moment happened on American National Television, Knocked Loose performed Suffocate with Poppy on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Knocked Loose
They are an American hardcore punk band formed in 2013 with 3 studio albums. Their most recent work, You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To, was released on May 10, 2024 (you can read my review here).
The band combines hardcore with metalcore in their music.
Band Members
- Bryan Garris – lead vocals
- Isaac Hale – lead guitar, vocals
- Kevin Otten – bass
- Kevin Kaine – drums
- Nicko Calderon – rhythm guitar, vocals
Poppy
She is an American singer who goes from pop to industrial and lately has done more heavy collaborations with bands like Bad Omens (song: V.A.N.) and Knocked Loose (song: Suffocate). Also, recently this year, she released a heavier album, Negative Spaces.
Jimmy Kimmel
He is an American television host, that has his late-night talk show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, since 2003.
So, What Happened?
In November 2024, Knocked Loose (ft. Poppy) song Suffocate was nominated at the 67th annual Grammy Awards in the category of Best Metal Performance, and on November 27, 2024, the band performed it with Poppy on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and the divided opinions didn’t wait.
Jimmy Kimmel and his show are no strangers to rock and metal bands, his viewers shouldn’t be surprised by that. In the past, many metal bands like Metallica, Slayer, and Lamb of God performed in his show.
The people in the audience were moshing in the pit, and it was pouring rain, a perfect setup for what was going to come.
The current kings of the hardcore/metalcore scene, screaming vocals and distorted music, Knocked Loose unleashed hell, then came Poppy into the scene and started yelling her parts. Bryan did a magnificent and very satisfying pig squeal breee on American National TV. Insane!
As I said, the negative comments didn’t take long to appear, and the regular audience started to comment on social media that that wasn’t music, it was only yelling, that some kids were scared, and things like that. Then some of them even demanded a formal apology from Jimmy Kimmel.
What surprised me it’s that I know most people don’t like this kind of music, but it’s 2024. If you don’t like something that is going on TV you can change the channel, put on YouTube, or do other things. It was not an obligation to see the band performing, plus this show has presented heavier acts in the past, then, what’s the problem?
But I want to end this reflection on a positive note. Millions of people watched this moment on American TV, and not only that but many more of us watched it later on YouTube. I’m sure that there are people who after seeing this, especially kids felt curiosity and started listening to these bands or others and discovered metal music. A definitive moment that changed their lives, just as happened to me when I was 12, and I listened to Iron Maiden for the first time and fell in love to this day with metal music and everything related to it.
This 2024 hardcore/metalcore moment on TV was as epic and controversial as Gojira’s performance at The Olympics, earlier this year (here’s my review of that beautiful moment).
If these epic moments bring more people to our music world, I’m beyond happy and all I can say to them is welcome!