The 2022 Louder Than Life festival boasts one of the strongest lineups of any rock gathering in the United States this year. Led by legendary acts such as Nine Inch Nails, Slipknot, KISS, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and more, the four-day extravaganza is sure to bring a memorable experience to Louisville, Kentucky.

Taking place September 22nd through 25th, Louder Than Life is absolutely jam-packed. Thursday’s lineup will see NIN joined by Bring Me the Horizon, Evanescence, Tenacious D, Ministry, and more.

On Friday, Slipknot tops a bill that features Lamb of God, Shinedown, Mastodon, Meshuggah, Clutch, GWAR, and several others.

Saturday will see the iconic one-two-three punch of KISS, Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie, not to mention Body Count, Chevelle, Ghostemane, Sevendust, and more.

And Red Hot Chili Peppers will close out the fest on Sunday, topping a bill that includes Alice in Chains, Incubus, The Pretty Reckless, Papa Roach, Bad Religion, and more.

With there’s dozens of can’t-miss acts across the four days, we’ve picked 10 absolutely must-see bands to check out if you’re heading to the Highland Festival Grounds at the Kentucky Expo Center for the four-day event.

See our list of 10 Must-See Acts to Catch at Louder Than Life below, and pick up last-minute tickets to the festival here. See the daily lineups in the poster below and at the official festival website.

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Alice Cooper (Saturday)

Alice Cooper will be making the stop in Louisville as he continues his extensive fall North American tour. A showman and veteran performer, Alice has been putting on one the most iconic stage shows in rock music going on 50-plus years now. Each song has its own set pieces and props, almost like a Broadway theater performance — albeit with Cooper’s twisted sense of shock-rock humor. The man also knows what his fans want to hear, as the setlist is stacked with all the crowd-pleasing hits such as “No More Mr. Nice Guy,” “Elected,” and “School’s Out.” — Jon Hadusek

Amigo the Devil (Friday)

Louder Than Life is true to its name: These bands push some serious air. Thankfully artists like Amigo the Devil are on the bill to provide some quieter (yet no less compromising) tuneage. While he might play acoustic, Amigo’s macabre ballads can still get a circle pit going. And he knows how to work a crowd. It was his live shows in particular that shot him up the ranks of the underground and onto major festival lineups. As a Consequence Artist of the Month alum, Amigo the Devil gets our full endorsement. Take out those earplugs and enjoy. — Jon Hadusek

Body Count (Saturday)

Saturday offers a rare chance to see Body Count in the flesh. Between pandemic cancellations and Ice-T’s Law & Order SVU commitments, the rap-metal thrashers haven’t been able to perform much over the past three years. That also means they haven’t been able to play the songs from 2020’s Carnivore in the live setting. With the recording for follow-up album Merciless already underway, fans should hear a slew of fresh cuts alongside Body Count classics. — Jon Hadusek

GWAR (Friday)

Pre-game with some Bud of Gods CBD and pack a plain-white T-shirt, ‘cause GWAR’s set will be a blood-spewing thrash metal throwdown. The scumdogs are fresh off the release of a new album, The New Dark Ages, and their Louder Than Life appearance falls amidst their ongoing North American tour. The great thing about GWAR is that their sets are equal part satirical performance and headbanging metal show. Bohabs should expect a visual and aural feast of the highest order. And maybe a few fake blood stains if you decide to get close. — Jon Hadusek

Halestorm (Thursday)

The powerhouse vocals and charismatic stage presence of Lzzy Hale combined with her brother Arejay’s beastly drumming make Halestorm a must see among Thursday’s loaded slate. It’s been a banner year for the band, which has dropped a new album and toured extensively — not to mention Lzzy’s recent collaboration with Gibson for a signature model Explorerbird electric guitar. We anticipate that she’ll be wielding some of those beautiful Gibson axes when the band takes the stage. — Jon Hadusek

KISS (Saturday)

KISS’ farewell tour is seemingly never-ending, but you don’t hear us complaining. Gene Simmons has insinuated that it might never end, with new members putting on the makeup when the current lineup is no longer able. That said, you better not waste time if you plan on catching a KISS show with original members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. While there’ll be more to come in 2023, Louder Than Life marks one of the band’s last appearances of 2022. — Jon Hadusek

Nine Inch Nails (Thursday)

Industrial legends Nine Inch Nails have mostly played select headlining shows and festival dates throughout 2022. Earlier this year, they headlined Boston Calling, playing two sets after filling in at the last minute for The Strokes, who were forced to drop due to COVID. As Heavy Consequence witnessed during NIN’s recent show at the famous Red Rocks Amphitheatre outside Denver, Trent Reznor and company’s recent concerts have been absolutely electrifying. — Jon Hadusek

Red Hot Chili Peppers (Sunday)

With guitarist John Frusciante returning to the fold, the most beloved Red Hot Chili Peppers lineup rides again. After waiting out the pandemic, the band has been busy in the studio and is set to drop its second LP of 2022, Return of the Dream Canteen, which follows the release of Unlimited Love back in April. It’s encouraging to see the classic lineup writing new material together. The Frusciante era of RHCP is rife with hits and setlist shoe-ins, but it also will be interesting to hear them play the first songs they’ve written together in over a decade. — Jon Hadusek

Slipknot (Friday)

A Slipknot set is never to be missed, especially with the masked marauders set to release their new album, THE END, SO FAR, at the end of the month. Fans should expect to witness new songs such as “YEN” and “The Dying Song (Time to Sing)” as well as plenty of staple cuts from the band’s back catalog. The festival set is also a good chance to glimpse the latest generation of Slipknot masks and costumes if you haven’t been able to catch them on a recent Knotfest Roadshow date. — Jon Hadusek

Tenacious D (Thursday)

Why not throw some laughs into your festival weekend with a little Tenacious D? Jack Black and Kyle Gass are probably the greatest comedy rock duo of all-time (and in their minds the greatest band ever), and they’ve been charming audiences from the stage and screen for nearly three decades. But don’t let the acoustic guitars fool you, as Tenacious D always bring the thunder! — Jon Hadusek