In a year that has seemed to pass by in a blur, 2021 is now officially transitioning into the holiday season and it is unreal how fast that came about.
In an effort to ensure that our audience is best prepared for the season of giving, for the second consecutive year, Knotfest has corralled a concise curation of gift ideas that check off the boxes with the metalheads in your life.
Assembling a diverse list of options, this year's collection ranges from limited edition vinyl box sets to Satan-loving lipstick, from state-of-the-art earplugs to artist-inspired apparel, from coffee to coffee table books and band collaborative consumables like booze and hot sauce.
From the hardcore fan to the casual listener, this year's KNOTFEST Holiday Gift Guide is the kind of well-rounded rundown that ensures each entry is something everyone would be stoked to see in their stocking.
EARGASM HIGH FIDELITY EARPLUGS || PRICE: $39.88
Boasting sleek design and quality materials to ensure maximum comfort, Eargasm High Fidelity Earplugs are revolutionizing hearing protection. The High Fidelity earplugs come with two shell sizes for an ideal fit for most ear sizes. Molded from hypoallergenic soft silicone, the brand's stylish approach to the practical accessory affords a discreet option for a normally clunky piece of protection. Already a fixture among festival professionals and patrons, the modern look and feel of Eargasm's earplugs provide a premium barrier of protection that allow the music and conversation to be heard, without compromising the health of your hearing.
Enterprise Earth - The Chosen Deluxe Edition Box Set || Price: $175
Deathcore cult champions Enterprise Earth unleash their fourth full length assault via eOne Heavy, The Chosen One on January 14th, 2022. Ahead of the highly-anticipated release, eOne is launching a deluxe edition box set of the album designed with the collector in mind. With only 500 copies worldwide, the box set includes Chosen Cobalt and Emerald Burst vinyl, The Chosen Long Box CD, The Chosen Light Blue Cassette Tape, The Chosen Wall Flag, The Chosen Album Art Patch, The Chosen Enterprise Earth logo pendant, album branded Tarot Cards and hand-drawn lyric sheets. The entire collection comes packaged in 12x12x2 metal case emblazoned with the album artwork.
Head on a Pike: The Illustrated Lyrics of Matt Pike Signed Hardcover || Price: $20.00
Spanning more than two decades of heavy music mastery, Head On A Pike is a career-spanning retrospective of High On Fire's Matt Pike, bookended by 1998 Art of Self Defense and 2019's Grammy Award–winning, Electric Messiah. Every chapter features original artistic interpretations from a venerated roster of illustrators, tattooers, printmakers, and painters Pike has recruited to depict his vision. Arik Roper, David V. D'Andrea, Santos, Brian Mercer, Skinner, Jondix, Stash, Tim Lehi, Jordan Barlow, and Derrick Snodgrass aren among the contributing visionaries delivering new works inspired by each High On Fire album, including one large illustration to define the chapter ahead and two additional vignettes that are directly inspired by the songs. Creating an extension of Pike prolific thematic landscape of ominous Lovecraftian entities and esoteric darkness, each work bridges the music with the artists' own stylistic signature. The visuals, paired with the written word of Pike, make for an important addition to the lexicon of underground Doom Metal. Signed copies of this collector's item are extremely limited.
Slipknot Iowa Anniversary Whiskey - Limited Edition || Price: $59.99
Marking the 20th anniversary of Slipknot's seminal sophomore album, IOWA, the band have teamed with Cedar Ridge to offer a limited edition whiskey in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the band’s groundbreaking second album, IOWA.This selection of blended straight whiskies is 60 percent rye and 40 percent bourbon. Get yours now.
Kramer Guitars || Price: $179-1,149
Featuring the iconic Kramer designs that were ubiquitous in the streets of Southern California's hard-rocking, big-hair metal heyday of 80s era excess, the Kramer Original Collection guitars embrace the timeless stylistic signature with modernized upgrades. That combination ensures a classic look and feel, with no compromise of power and performance for maximum shread. Boasting eye-catching custom graphics, Kramer Original Collection models like the Baretta, Pacer, SM-1, The 84, and NightSwan are high-decibel designs that not only earn style points, but offer all of the quality and durability that comes requisite with Kramer.
Carcass 'Torn Arteries' Box Set || Price: $119.99
Celebrating the lauded return of the extreme music pioneers Carcass, Torn Arteries marks the seventh full length studio album from the legends and the first since their triumphant 2013 return on Surgical Steel. The 'Torn Arteries' box set is limited to just 2,000 units worldwide via Nuclear Blast Records and includes the album on CD as well as veggie splatter double vinyl. Also included is a 24-page booklet of art and liner notes as well as porcelain plate with stainless steel flatware to tie in the definitive artwork of the album that gave us gems like "Kelly's Meat Emporium" and "The Scythe's Remorseless Swing".
Mortus Viventi Tarot Card T-Shirt Holiday Bundle || Price: $100
Special Offer - (3) T-Shirts + Free Shipping for $100 use code "knotfest100" at checkout
Mortus Viventi is a brand forged with a vision to invest in local musicians on a grand scale. Intent on creating the first music venue that directly allocates its profits back into the musicians that perform on it's stage, the ethos of community is at the core of the brand. Functioning more like a non-profit record label all proceeds provide resources for local bands' music videos, photo shoots, merchandise, studio time, and other expenses that would normally require artists to incur debut. Mortus Viventi is working to create a space where local music venues, promoters, and festivals galvanize to nurture emerging talent. For this Holiday Gift Guide, Mortus Viventi has teamed with Knotfest to offer an exclusive deal of (3) Tarot Card T-Shirts for $100 including shipping. Please be sure to add all three t-shirts into your cart in order to redeem the promotion.
Black Label Society - Doom Crew Inc DELUXE EDITION || Price: $125
Commemorating the arrival of one of metal music's most celebrated units, Black Label Society's Doom Crew Inc. serves as the 11th studio release from the trailblazers. The deluxe edition box set of the November 26th LP is available via eOne Heavy and is limited to 2,000 copies worldwide. The Doom Crew Inc box set includes a Deluxe Edition exclusive, Doom Crew Inc Album Art Picture Disc Double LP as well as the Doom Crew Inc Long Box CD and Cassette Tape. There is a plethora of soft goods including a Doom Crew Inc Iron Cross die cut sticker, Doom Crew Inc Iron Cross enamel pin, Doom Crew Inc Doom Coin, album artwork flag and drink coaster. There is also a Zakk Wylde autographed 6"x8" lyric post card of the track, "Set You Free" for the ultimate collector. The deluxe edition Doom Crew Inc collection is housed in a custom 12x12x2 metal box with pressed with the album's artwork. A must have for any cut-wearing BLS crew member.
Deftones x Belching Beaver Phantom Bride IPA || Price: $14 (6-pack)
Arguably the most enduring band collaboration beer, Deftones Phantom Bride IPA is named after the ethereal song from the band and boasts a blend of Amarillo, Citra, Simcoe and Mosaic hops delicately balanced for the perfectly drinkable mix of citrus and hoppy goodness. A truly original Deftones and Belching Beaver collaboration envisioned by Chino Moreno and skillfully crafted by Thomas Peters, the beer has changed the landscape of band branded brews in a way that bridged cultures - going from a special one-off to one of the brewery's core offerings. It's the granddaddy of craft beer collabs and one crack of the can clearly suggests why.
Suncult Apparel || Price: Various
Bridging the subcultures of heavy music and surf/skate, veteran frontmen Dez Fafara of Devildriver and Randy Blythe of Lamb of God have quietly cultivated their rank in the world of streetwear with Suncult. Fashionably merging the esthetic of metal music with their shared passion for skating and surfing, the brand presents something both unique and authentic in an often oversaturated space. With soft good ranging from tees, hoodies and headgear to essentials like skatedecks, grip tape, an made-to-order surfboards all under the banner, SunCult is less a brand than it is a statement.
Corey Taylor 'CMFT' Private Coffee Blend || Price: $25.00
Leave it to Corey Taylor to kick your morning in the ass with his own private blend of coffee. This single origin, Arabica bean, small-batch dark roast is for caffeine-fiends that take their cup of Joe seriously. With flavor notes of smoky raspberry, dark chocolate, and anise, the quality of the hand-crafted artisan roast is evident in every bag.
PUCK HCKY Collaboration HoHollickey Jerseys || Price: $124.99 - $139.99
For those in the know, the parallels among hockey enthusiasts and metal fans run deep. That fact is precisely why PUCK HCKY and their series of collaboration jerseys are such a killer combination. Among the most recent offerings from the brand include drops with Motorhead, Alice In Chains, Pantera, and their tribute to Godzilla in addition to their System of a Down capsule - all of which tout premium hockey jerseys you won't find anywhere else.
Hollister Cannabis Co. X Heavy Grass CLOWN Cannabis || Price: $38.00
Further exploring the positive benefits of the flower, M. Shawn Crahan, better known as clown of Slipknot, teamed with Hollister Cannabis Co. and Heavy Grass to launch his own strain. Clown’s signature HashBone line features a blend of 75% indica flower (Blue Zkittlez) and 25% Paradise Citrus bubble hash with a lab-tested THC level of 40%+. The premium pre-rolls come with original artwork and matches all tastefully packaged in a matte black, soft-touch case.
Alice Cooper Hot Sauce (3-Pack) || Price: $29.95
The pioneer of shock rock has emerged as a new player in the hot sauce game with a trio of bold flavors designed for those that aren't afraid of some heat. With all three varieties playing off of Alice Cooper essentials, even the entry level option in 'Welcome To My Nightmare' delivers a kick with Serrano chiles. 'No More Mr. Nice Guy' amps up the heat with habanero peppers while the 'Poison' option kicks your ass with the intense heat of the Reaper chile. Much like his music, Alice Cooper's hot sauce is not for the casual consumer.
DC Shoes x Black Sabbath Capsule || Price: Various
Skate culture and apparel giant DC recently celebrated the 1971 metal opus in Master of Reality with a Sabbath-themed collection showcasing the iconic artwork and unmistakable aesthetic of the Black Sabbath classic. The collection features both apparel and some of the brand's signature footwear silhouettes all adorning the timeless art from the forefathers of distorted darkness.
'LUCIFER' Liquid Lipstick x Twin Temple || Price: $22.00
From the diabolical doo-wop duo of Twin Temple comes a bold red liquid lipstick that dries to a matte finish for a rich, long-lasting color. The collaboration with Vinyl Cosmetics is 100% cruelty-free and Vegan, ensuring a quality product with piece of mind. Packaged in a sleek black case with gold foil print and secured with a black velvet sleeve, no detail is left unattended in presenting the perfect red lipstick.
