For the first time at Reload, but no longer an insider tip: NOTHING MORE from Texas bring a sound to the stage that oscillates between alternative metal, progressive rock and postmodern wrecking balls – always unpredictable and with full force.

Frontman Jonny Hawkins is literally at the center of this band – barefoot, well-trained, wild. Instead of a classic rock pose, you can expect a performance that is more reminiscent of a cathartic ritual than a metal show. Always in his luggage: the self-made monster instrument Scorpion Tail, with which Hawkins triggers, controls and destroys synth parts live.

Musically, NOTHING MORE are hard to categorize – and that’s exactly what makes them so exciting. Hard riffs, intricate grooves, anthemic choruses and lyrics that deal with psychological abysses, society and identity meet craftsmanship and a genuine obsession with the stage. Songs like This Is The Time (Ballast) or Go to War show what happens when musical ambition meets raw energy.

Since their self-titled album in 2014, NOTHING MORE have become an integral part of the US metal avant-garde. Three Grammy nominations later, it’s clear that this band has more to say than many others – and they do it loudly, intensely and absolutely thrillingly.

Anyone who wants to be thrown out of the classic genre comfort zone during a reload should not miss out on this.