KNEBWORTH HOUSE has long played host to many rock heavyweights, so it is fitting that one of the most legendary and influential bands of all time make their entry in its guestbook. MOTÖRHEAD make their debut appearance at SÖNISPHERE UK this summer, giving fans their first chance to see songs from the recently released “The Wörld Is Yours” album in a festival setting. The embodiment of all that is Rock’n’Roll, despite playing what Lemmy describes as “raucous, arrogant, paranoid, speedfreak rock n roll”, MOTÖRHEAD are a household name the world over, with successes too numerous to count across their 35 year career. MOTÖRHEAD are more than just a band - MOTÖRHEAD are a mindset, a belief, a way to live your life, and fitting governors for the society of tens of thousands that will dwell KNEBWORTH’S grounds in search of a loud, party weekend July 8th - 10th. With classics such as “Overkill”, “Bomber”, Born To Raise Hell” and “Ace Of Spades” providing the soundtrack,

MASTODON return to KNEBWORTH this summer, having played at the inaugural SONISPHERE back in 2009. Their progressive take on metal has seen them become one of the scene’s biggest names in recent years, with both critics and fans alike heaping high praise on their outstandingly skilled musicianship and songwriting skills. Such is their appeal their hard work has resulted in fans in the mainstream turning their heads, making MASTODON one of those rare metal bands that everyone seems to agree on, resulting in platinum records, Grammy awards nominations and high profile fans. But on stage, plugged in and ready to rock out is where MASTODON truly shine. With majestic offerings like “March Of The Fire Ants”, “Blood And Thunder” and “Sleeping Giant”, MASTODON’s set at KNEBWORTH this summer will be one that all who witness will remember, and one you do not want to miss.

Festivals are always a great opportunity to catch up with old friends, and there’s no reason why the stage should be any different to the campsite in that respect. SONISPHERE is delighted to reveal the return of IN FLAMES to the UK, who will make their first appearance on these shores since 2009’s Taste Of Chaos tour. Breaking out of the 90s Swedish Death Metal scene, IN FLAMES have gone on to become one of the country’s biggest musical exports, selling millions of albums around the world, receiving numerous awards and achieving an impressive list of chart positions. Currently working on their next release, the band checked in to tell us: “We have been in the studio since October recording our new album and we can’t wait to come out and play the new song live. The UK has always been very good to us and we love coming back so this is something we really look forward to” - In Flames

Making the long journey over from Down Under, Australia’s PARKWAY DRIVE pay their first visit to SONISPHERE, bringing with them an arsenal of mosh-inducing metalcore. Consistently delivering fierce and energetic live shows, PARKWAY DRIVE have earned a reputation for unforgettable performances, through hard work and heavy touring with the likes of Killswitch Engage, As I Lay Dying, Bleeding Through and many more. Hot off the back of a UK tour, the promise of PARKWAY DRIVE’s exclusive festival appearance at SONISPHERE is one that is bound to excite the fans as much as the band: “Holy crap they’re actually letting us play this thing!!!” shouts vocalist Winston McCall. “Sonisphere 2011!!! I don’t think we can really describe how excited we are to play, and I think Jeff will probably die when Metallica play!”

Flying in from Los Angeles, California, Alt-Rock Superstars WEEZER make their KNEBWORTH debut at SONISPHERE this summer. WEEZER are one of the biggest, most popular bands to emerge from the alternative rock scene of the 90s, with more Gold, Platinum and Silver (records) under their belts than Fort Knox, a string of notable awards nominations - including the prestigious Grammy - and an impressive list of chart positions. All this will come as no surprise to anyone who has had the pleasure of hearing frighteningly infectious power-pop classics like “Buddy Holly”, “Hash Pipe”, “Undone - The Sweater Song”, “Beverly Hills” and “Pork and Beans”, and it is with great excitement that we look forward to hearing these at WEEZER’s only English festival appearance of 2011.

Next up, coming in from Warrnambool, Australia, AIRBOURNE return to KNEBWORTH to deliver a raucous set of potent rock and roll fury. “We love playing the Sonisphere festivals!” States Frontman Joel O’Keeffe. “It’s always a great line up of bands and it’s always a great crowd!” He should know; in 2009, AIRBOURNE tore SONISPHERE a proverbial “new one”, running wild and free across the SATURN stage, even scaling it at one point so Joel could hammer out a lead on the scaffolding. One can only wonder what AIRBOURNE’s only UK festival performance of 2011 holds in store as they belt out fist-pumping anthems such as “Too Much, Too Young, Too Fast”, “Diamond In The Rough” and “No Way But The Hard Way”.

Making the somewhat shorter journey from Brighton, homegrown heroes ARCHITECTS make their first festival appearance in this country in support of new album “The Here And Now”, which was released one week ago today. Never has an album been more aptly titled, with the band currently on the cover of Metal Hammer magazine while their latest single enjoys daytime play on national radio, and the album receives rave reviews across the rock media, earning it a top 75 chart position (57) in its first week. Frontman Sam Carter enthuses: “UK festivals are always a massive deal for us because it’s basically the biggest gathering of Architects fans we can play to, and this year you know it’s going to be special because the line up for Sonisphere is INSANE. It’s also a big deal because it’ll be our first UK festival since our new record ‘The Here And Now’ came out and that record was built for festivals! We’ll see everyone at Sonisphere 2011!!!”

Heavy metal pioneers DIAMOND HEAD come to KNEBWORTH for the biggest and most exciting show of their thirty-five year career. Hugely influential, to the point that it’s doubtful there would be a BIG 4 without them, DIAMOND HEAD’s appearance will be a special one. When METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX made metal history at SONISPHERE BULGARIA last year summer, they chose DIAMOND HEAD’s “Am I Evil” to jam with all seventeen members, a testament to what a unifying force their music is. Founding member and guitarist Brian Tatler says of the upcoming appearance: “Diamond Head have been given the fantastic opportunity of opening for the BIG 4 at this years Sonisphere festival, Knebworth Friday 8th July. This will be Diamond Head’s biggest ever show and myself and the other band members are very excited and looking forward to what will be an historic event. Knebworth is one of those venues you only dream of playing. I saw Led Zeppelin there in 1979 and never imagined that one day I would be on that stage, it proves the saying ‘anything is possible’! It also means I get to see my friends in Metallica and Megadeth once again which is always fun; I owe both Lars Ulrich and Dave Mustaine a beer”