Big Time Rush --------------- Song Selection 8/10 - They had some good beats. If I was all into the club scene they had a few that would fit for that occasion.
Stage Presence 8/10 - Their dance routines and on stage banter was pretty good. It was entertaining, and didn't come off too gay.
Crowd 0/10 - The crowd pissed me off. like 1/10 of them brought fucking signs to hold up! you idiot, they can't see jack shit up there but your fucking sign is blocking the view for everyone behind you. I also thought it was a little ridiculous that 15 year old girls are standing up on their chairs... like Christ. get the fuck down so people can see the show. Oh and the fans tastes in fashion? holy crap... everyone makes their own shits out of glitter and hearts and shit. I didnt see one god damn skull. I was embarrassed for 95% of their fans.
overall, not a bad show. had a good time and wouldnt mind seeing them again.
The center stage did take up the whole floor in Philly too, but I was fine with that...sort of. I got close as fuck. But whatever. That night and last night were both the best 2 shows I've been too. Fuck it, I'm still tired from Slayer and Metallica and my ribs hurt like hell. . I'm going back to bed.
Awesome review Brit. Glad you had a great time. I loved the square centre stage when I saw Metallica last year as it meant more people could get up close. I was on the rail all night thru Lamb of God and Metallica Scored a pic and huge black beach ball too!!!
p.s I hope you had the opportunity to force yourself into Alex in the mad crush of the pit If that didn't grab his attention then the boy is clearly gay
p.s I hope you had the opportunity to force yourself into Alex in the mad crush of the pit If that didn't grab his attention then the boy is clearly gay
Slayer pit separated us. ) Shit was insane.
Also, there wasn't a center stage in Wednesday. Hah. That was in 2009.
So me and my pals arrived at the venue at 7:30, time it started. Before we went in, I met up with a ol'e pal of mine and sold him a 2 shirts for $15. Got rid of my ASP and MFH shirts. So we went in and we walked around for a bit. This was one of my friend's first time at the Phoenix, so I showed him all the sick artwork and all of the tales of this amazing venue. After all that, we talked to Arthur Von Nagel of Cormorant. Again, he approached me and said hello. Also talking with him was some bro by the name of Travis. He moved from Montana to Nor Cal in May and this was his first show. He was a pretty chill dude but smelled of tobacco. I informed Arthur that I purchased the ultimate bundle of Dwellings and he thanked me. I also told him that I got him some radio play in NJ thanks to our lovely Britt. He then told me the following: The reason the haven't played A Dance Of Elk Entwined Recently was because they "forgot" how to. [-( , the hoodie that comes with the Dwellings pre-sale will feature the Cormorant logo in a chest pocket area, while the shirt will feature the logo just straight across the chest. Both will have the album art work on the back. Also, he has yet to receive the innards of the album, because the artist is still working on 'em. After our chat, he went back to the Cormorant merch booth and the first band started.
The first band was Motogrüv. They sounded like a female fronted Led Zeppelin. They provided us with some good ol'e rock 'n' roll. The singer was probably what impressed me most. Their second to last track threw me off because it the intro sounded like some fucking Ahab and the rest of the song was just your standard Doom Metal. So that was chill...
After Motogrüv, we went over to Cormorant's merch booth. We then talked to lady Von Nagel (Arthur's lady), who was maintaining the booth. She told us stories of how she, Arthur, Aaron Gregory and Jackie of Giant Squid were total bros. She has actually sewn a plush squid for Aaron and Jackie's child AKA, Baby Squid. She's currently working on a shark. Once Cormorant were about done setting up, we went over to the stage to go see the band we (well, me, my two friends and Travis) had come to see.
[fanboy] OMG CORMORANT WERE FUCKING AMAZING, HNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNG [/fanboy] But for rizzle, Cormorant were SO cash. Their sound/tone was the best of the night. They just absolutely fucking rocked the place. While they only had a 30 minute, 4 song set, that was easily one of the best sets I've see all year. I hate it when I enjoy something this fucking much because I have such a hard time putting my feelings into words. Basically, their set were 30 minutes of pure ecstasy and some of the happiest I've had in quite some time. I went apeshit during Two Brothers and ULTH. As far other stuff goes, Matt and Brennan provided the clean vocals during Junta and the chanting vocals during Uneasy Lies The Head.
Cormorant The Purist Land Two Brothers \m/ Uneasy Lies The Head \m/ =P~ Junta
So next was the lobby band, which didn't even play in the fucking lobby, Miles of Machines. They sounded like Iron Maiden worship with terrible scene vocals and breakdowns. No thanks. I went outside during their two sets.
Next band was Solaria, the first of two Power Metal bands to finish off the night. They were Symphonic/Tech-Power Metal. They were from LA so they traveled quite a distance to play to a crowd of the 30, tops. They were pretty good though. All of 'em were good musicians and the singer had some awesome pipes. They had some gear issues the whole set pretty much, and most of the time either the keyboard or the guitars were too low. The vocalist and drummer were my favorite parts of the band, well to watch at least. The singer was sorta awkward, spastic and clumsy. He did these awkward dances when he wasn't singing and when people took solos he'd get behind 'em and pretend to play their instrument with them, which was quite lulzy . The drummer was a robot. He was some Asian guy (he looked like Chew, actually), and he had the same facial expression the whole fucking time. He was just there and it was funny. They had a good set, even with all the tech/gear issues 'n' shit.
Last was In Virtue. The shared the same singer was Motogrüv. They too were Power Metal. It was their pre album release show, meaning that they were selling their album at this show, which was set to be released in January of next year. They were pretty fun and the most involved with the crowd that night. Their second to last song was about witch hunts, so they handed out pitchforks and torches(cardboard) out. Arthur joined them for that track, providing some kvlt as fvck vocals 'n' shit. Their last song was about shark attacks, so they handed out pool noodles and towels that had shark bites on 'em that were covered in "blood" and had their logo on 'em. I got a pitchfork and noodle, so I put my pitchfork in the noodle and made and epic trident. Also during this song, a pit broke out when the guitarist/growl guy went into the crowd. I ended up bumping into Matt of Cormorant, literally. In Virtue were really fun.
After their set my friend (dreamtheater) bought both of In Virtue's albums and got a sticker, and my other buddy got a Cormorant poster. SWAG. Outside of the venue, a guy who caught one of the In Virtue towels offered to trade it for my pitchfork. I obviously had the better end of the deal, because by the time I had crossed the street, they had already broken the pitchfork, because it was cheap as fuck. After that I went to my bro's house and hung out with him and some bitches. It was chill.
Motogrüv: 7.5/10 Cormorant: 9.5/10 Miles of Machines: 2/10 Solaria: 7.5/10 In Virtue: 8/10
I wanted to go to this last year but couldn't because it was on a tuesday, so i knew i had to go this year and it helped that sevendust and three days grace and seether were there.
Hell or Highwater these guys were decent just a straight up cock rock band. The vocalist is brandon the drummer from atreyu. they had a lot of energy on stage which really made the music sound better. I would go see them again for sure.
Art of Dying These motherfucka's were fucking sweet. They know how to put on a show they played all my favortie song's of their i picked up there cd after the set i liked it so much. I would love to see them again
Black Tide They were alright kinda of a boring set. They played one old song and the rest were all new song's That fire was the best part of there set. I'd like to see them again in a club setting.
Sevendust Best band of the fucking day. One of my all time favorite bands i own all of there cd's and have been listening them forever. The new song's were great . The best song they played was the end is coming. This was my fourth time seeing them live and i can't wait to see them next time.
Escape The Fate These guys fucking suck and try way to hard to make music. The band look's like a much of emo's and they try to play emo rock music. I hope i never have to see or hear them again.
Bullet For My Valentine These guys impressed me great set. The only problem is they only played one song off the first album. I would go see them again if they come around here.
Seether Wow these guys were excellet live . The set kicked some serious ass I'd love to see them in a smaller venue.
Three Days Grace Second best band of the day killer setlist. I wish they would of played world so cold, or just like you. next time i see them it will be ever better. best part of there set was they played never to late one of my favorite tdg song's
Ax7 I saw them in feburary so we left early from what i heard they sounded good.
top five bands were 1. Sevendust 2. TDG 3. Seether 4. Art Of Dying 5. BFMV
uproar hartford, ct 9/11 this was my first non metal show so it was a shock when the crowd was so calm on the side stage. not even any pushing up front. it was 9/11 at a place about 150miles from NYC so bands all day were shouting out to the FD/PD/soldiers. only band n the side stage i wanted to see was blacktide. huge fan of their first CD so i was dissapointed they only played warriors of time off it and he half assed the solo. highlight of the side stage was a wall of death during them which i got punched in the nose.
sevendust was solid. not really fmilliar with their stuff but a solid hard rock band.
escape the fate-opened the main stage. not as bad as i thought. not really my style but whatever. cool sections of songs at times
bullet-heaviest band on the bill and had a solid set. at this point i was getting kinda bored just standing there so there was a pit that opened up on the lawn that i went down to. tons of fun. got jabbed in the mouth a couple times and almost lost a shoe.
seether- awesome set. not really familliar with them except what on the radio. highlights of the set were broken and remedy. the singer gave me a very kurt cobain vibe. the tone of his voice, his guitar playing style and style in general. it was cool
3 days grace. i was looking forward to seeing them. another band i know from the radio but am more into. there set was a blast. pretty much all there hits were played including my favorite "animal i have become"
avenged sevenfold- the band everyone came for and for good reason. my second time seeing them and it was awesome. surprised that they played chapter 4 instead of second heartbeat and that they played MIA that i was psyched about. also during the ending of unholy confessions they went into the the opening riff of crossroads and i almost shit my pants but then they finished confessions. cant wait to see them again. the new drummer is great live hopefully they decide to record with him in the future. too bad they arent coming near me for the buried alive tour.
I had been looking forward to this tour ever since darkest hour spilled the beans to me about the lineup a month before it was released. This was my first summer slaughter so I didn't really know what to expect. I live in Cincinnati and took the hour and a half drive down to lousiville at noon. Ticket said doors opened at 2pm. I arrived at quarter til 2 and lined up. It was hot outside but not as bad as it had been the last couple weeks either way they didn't let us in until 2:30pm which pissed a lot of people off just because of waiting in the heat. I had never been to this venue either and after looking up pictures I was very intrigued. The venue is a metal domethat runs along side a flea market. They had all the merch booths set up outside the venue where they were grilling burgers and hot dogs, which were very good by the way. The venues sound was very good, they had tvs along the walls in the venue showing the stage and crowd, and they had another room that had a small stage and pool tables where local bands played all day. I think this is now my all around favorite venue despite some sound issues that happened with a few of the bands.
Within the ruins I was pretty pissed when they won the spot to play summer slaughter over revocation and augury. This band actually surprised me a bit and were much better than I expected. I wouldn't go out of my way to see them but ended up enjoying the opening set.
Fleshgod apocalypse I was very excited to see them play and in all honesty they should have been playing higher up on the bill. When they went into their first song there was some issues hearing guitar and vocals but as the set went on everything got fixed and they finished out amazing. I look forward to seeing them again playing more than 4 songs. They also ha the new cd available for sale when I first got into the venue but I thought i would wait until the end because I didn't want it to get broke. By the time they finished playing they were sold out of it and I was one sad person.
As blood runs black I admittedly like this band and have seen them a few times before this with multiple singers. I saw them back in march as well. They were far and away better than the other times I had seem them play. They were the first band to really get the crowd going and keep them going setting the tone for the rest of the day. They did a wall of death and finished out strong. I very much enjoyed them.
Oceano Hurt my ears, I went and got a burger.
Dying fetus I think they are a very good band however I seem to get bored listening to them for some reason not to sure why. I had never seen them live and looked forward to what they were like. I enjoyed them way more live, but still found myself bored at times. Try had the crowd going pretty good most of the time. I probably won't go out of my way to see them but if they play with another band I like I will watch and pay attention again.
Kingdom of sorrow Very very fun set it was the first time I've seen them and I was on the barrier for them. It was pretty awesome seeing Jamey away from hatebreed. I look forward to seeing them again on Sunday when I go to mayhem fest. I met the guys and talked with them until six feet under went on. All really nice guys.
Six feet under I'm not a big fan I like songs of theirs here and there. The crowd was definitely going crazy for them I stayed around the edge of the pit and towards the end moved to the barrier where I would stay the rest of the night. Their set was fun. I wouldn't say they are anything special but I definitely had fun during the set. They played a couple songs longer than they had been I think for a reason you'll find out at the end of this. Couldn't tell you the names though. Hopefully they tour around here again and play with some other bands I dig.
Darkest hour Long time fan of this band. One of my favorites. They were good but unfortunately mic issues plagued them. The first mic John Henry had would cut out so they gave him a new one. Then the new mic was too quiet. All this going on during my favorite song the sadist nation. So at the end of the song they tried to figure out the problem until John Henry said fuck it and used both mics at the same time to finish out the set. They were clearly frustrated by this. Shit happens. I still loved the set.
Whitechapel All haters wishes come true! Actually no they probably didn't they are still playing music, but they had two guitarists today yes only two. The third guitarist ate jimmy johns and got food poisoning. I like some whitechapel haven't listened to anything since this is exile. I found their set to be incredibly boring and finding myself counting down the minutes until they were done. I guess I shouldn't be too hard on them though one of my favorite bands was up next.
The black dahlia murder Simply amazing. Sound and everything was spot on. It had been two years since I had seen them. They did not disappoint. I loved the setlist, which I checked a couple days before the show and screamed like a school girl when I saw what they were playing. Pretty much all my favorites. The setlist I looked up was from early on in the tour so I don't know if we were the first or not but instead of blood in the ink to close they closed with funeral thirst. Crowd was fired up entire set quite a few crowdsurfers and several circle pits. I was told they may do a B market tour in October if not then it would be in spring. The time in-between they will be in Europe.
Now I bet you're saying you forgot one, but I didn't. Powerglove had a tire blow out on the way and I guess wrecked. Not exactly sure what happened. If they made the show it would be very late. Well they made the show but they played the same time black dahlia murder played on the little local stage. I was sad because I was very excited to see them, what can I say I am a nerd. I did manage to catch their last song but it was the one I don't care for gotta catch em all. I can't wait to see an actual set from them.
At the end of the day I loved it. Such a great show.
My take home items. -darkest hour drum stick - whitechapel pick I found on the ground - as blood runs black pick - black dahlia murder t shirt with summer slaughter dates ($15) - black dahlia murder set list I caught one of brians picks but it was not marked with their logo and I already had one with the logo I caught a couple years earlier so I gave it to the girl next to me.
You tryin to be a hero fool? You wanna see badass mother fucker?! I'll show ya a badass!!!
Let me start off by saying I have been to all four years of mayhem fest and always look forward to it. In 2008 I went to chicago for it, 2009 Cleveland, 2010 Cincinnati, and this year decided to go to the one outside of Indianapolis. The main reason we chose this one even though I live 10 minutes from the Cincinnati venue was that hatebreed would be playing. And we would get to see hatebreed and machine head back to back on the side stages. Unfortunately of the four years I have gone this was the worst thanks to lineup and venue.
The set up of the venue sucked. The side stages were a good distance away from the main stage and since in flames dropped off machine head was opening up the main stage after hatebreed finished so it would be challenging to make it to the main stage before machine head started. To get to the main stage from the side stages you had to navigate your way through a small corridor that of roofed areas where some vendors were that opened into a small area where all the merch booths were then an even smaller path out on the other side of the merch until it opened up into where all the concessions were then to the main stage. Shouldn't be difficult but when you have that many people leaving the side stages at once it causes for slow foot traffic. The way the times were set up after hatebreed finished there should have been a good 10-15 minutes before machine head went on but due to bad weather things got pushed back on the side stages causing some over lap. From side stage to main stage. The side stages had a pretty small area for the crowd as well not near as big as other venues I went to. In front of the stage it was all gravel. Which didn't bother me except when you would attempt to get in the pit or be anywhere near it there would be a dust cloud to blind you or choke you. If you were 30 feet from the stage good luck seeing the ground sloped down a little hill. Awesome placement mayhem and verizon wireless! /sarcasm.
So onto the bands
The surface Jag band from Dayton two singers. Did not like them. Can't tell you much about them except they tried their hardest to get people to move and a few did which brought me entertainment when they fell in the gravel trying to mosh with 3 other people.
straight line stitch Not as bad as everyone says but still not my cup of tea. The song laughing in the rearview was alright.
Red fang Was looking forward to them but lost intrest real quick. The vocals were barely audible and I found myself bored.
All shall perish I like this band. They were the first to get the crowd moving but I stopped having fun when I was having trouble breathing in the dust cloud mosh. I wish they would have played when life meant more.
Kingdom of sorrow Saw them Thursday. Enjoyed them a lot then enjoyed them this time. Three songs in though nasty weather moved in and they told everyone to either go to their cara or go to the pavilion. 20-30 minutes later they were back on and finished the set.
Suicide silence Sucked something terrible. I was by the soundboard for them. Mitch couldn't do any of the lows and his highs sounded atrocious. I like 3 songs by them all of which they played. Unanswered, you only live once, and no pity for a coward. Like usual they opened with one of the worst songs I have ever heard wake up. This band needs to take a break or something because what I saw was one of the worst vocal performances I've seen.
Unearth I have seen this band so many times at this point I find myself getting bored with them but they were one of the few highlights of the day. Good job all around and enjoyed the song choices.
Hatebreed Awesome as usual. Like unearth I have seen this band a ton of times but never get bored with their set seeing as they are my favorite. Had a ton of fun during their set. It was jameys birthday the crowd sang him happy birthday and bubbles (kingdom of sorrow bassist) brought out a birthday cake. Jamey wouldn't let him destroy it though because he wanted to eat it. I can't wait to see them again but it would be at that stupid five finger death punch tour.
Machine head Thanks to the weather and shitty venue layout I missed a good chunk of their set. We got to our seats by the end of locust. Saw aesthetics of hate and halo and that was it. I was pretty pissed. They sounded good though.
Megadeth First time seeing them. I must see them again they were really good and better than I expected. I enjoyed sweating bullets and headcrusher was awesome live.
After megadeth and being frustrated by the way the day had been so far we cut our losses and headed home. The headliners this year are not any good in my opinion and there was no need to stay. I saw a lot of empty space in the lawn so I imagine they did not sell out. I know I will not be returning to this venue for mayhem fest and the organizers of mayhem better come up with a better lineup for next year. I know it made a lot of people happy but I was not impressed this year. By the time I got home I felt like I had wasted my time and money. Had hatebreed not been there it would have been a total loss. So here is to hoping the lineup is better next year.
You tryin to be a hero fool? You wanna see badass mother fucker?! I'll show ya a badass!!!
Had been looking forward to this show for months, I'd never seen Kamelot before and I'm a huge fan of the 3 openers. Got to the venue pretty early expecting a decently sized crowd but it turned out that not as many people were as excited as I was. Oh well, the less people the better in this case as far as I'm concerned. Got right in the venue and had myself a good ole' PBR while standing around with a friend of mine waiting for the first band to come on.
The Agonist - This was one of the main reasons I came to this show, I absolutely love them. I gotta say first that I'm incredibly biased when it comes to this band and as far as I'm concerned their performance was awesome. The crowd didn't seem too familiar with them but I was getting into every song. The sound was much better tonight than it had been at the previous concert I went to at this particular venue, and the band did their part as well. Good stage presence from the band, all members moving around trying to get the crowd involved. Granted, it really can't be that tough when you have Alissa as your vocalist. They got 30 minutes I believe which they made the most of, good set list even for a 6 song set that included The Tempest, Business Suits and Combat Boots, and of course Thank You Pain. Can't wait to see this band again, hopefully higher on the bill next time now that they have a new album coming out. 8.5/10
Blackguard - If you've been actively going to concerts within the last couple years, chances are pretty damn good that you've seen this band, probably multiple times. The first words out of the vocalist's mouth as they started their set were "Hey! It's like we're here every other week!", I agree. Thankfully though I actually really enjoy this band, their stage presence is awesome and their songs are fun as hell. The drums seemed a bit off key at times, but who really gives a shit cause it's a Blackguard show, you're not exactly there to see great musicianship AMIRITE?!. Anyways, due to time constraints they were only able to play 4 songs, the first 3 of which were new and the final being Allegiance. I really miss the live keyboard player. 7/10
Alestorm - I fucking love this band. I don't know what there is to be said that hasn't been said before, these guys are funny as hell and their songs are friggin catchy. They played all of my favorites including Wolves of the Sea which the singer described as "gay as fuck pop music". On a side note the singer was wearing a Swashbuckle t-shirt and what appeared to be flowery swim trunks, don't know why I'm mentioning this but it cracked me up. During Nancy the Tavern Wench the crowd all put their arms around each other and swayed side to side as we sang along which may have been the best moment of the night other than the fact that I got to yell out "with a bottle of rum and a yo-ho-ho" during Keelhauled without looking like a complete moron. If you haven't seen this band before, do yourself a favor and go to one of their shows, you better friggin not be disappointed. I do have one regret though in that I didn't buy their "get drunk or die" t-shirt. That thing would have been total PIRATE-SWAG. 9/10
Kamelot - I've never honestly listened to this band much before the show, but I had a good idea of what they sounded like. I gotta say though this band really blew me away, amazing lighting, stage presence, as well as a good instrumental and vocal performance by all the members. They were spot on throughout the set as all I could do was just stand in awe of what I was watching. While I can't compare the new vocalist to the old one, as I honestly couldn't tell you how Kahn sounded, I will say the new guy is great. You'd think he had been in the band for years, and he seemed very well accepted by the crowd. I was also extremely excited to see the lead singer of Epica come out during one song as well as Alissa for the final song of the set, didn't expect either of those moments. I wish I had been more familiar with this band prior to the concert, but oh well, now this gives me a reason to listen to them more often. I'd likely go see them again for another headlining tour if they were to do that any time in the near future. Oh and I got myself a sweet guitar pick to add to my small collection and also bought a singed tour poster for $5. Overall it was one of the better concerts I've been to this year and I can't wait to see literally any of these bands again. 8.5/10
Last night I went to see foo fighters and rise against. I had been looking forward to it for months. I planned to take Friday off because the show was in Columbus ( 2 hour drive) and I wouldn't get home until real late so a 7 am start time wasn't happening. I left work early to make sure I would get there on time. Thanks to our piece of trash president that got ruined. It took me 2 hours to make a 10 minute drive thanks to grid lock from his visit. Once I got out of traffic I did about 90 the rest of the way. I got to the venue right when the lights cut out before rise against.
Rise against I had not seen them in about 5 years when they were on warped tour. I am a big fan so I was very excited. They played about 40 minutes. Spread the songs out over their entire catalogue pretty well except only one song off of siren songs of a counter culter. But that happened to be my favorite rise against song. Give it all. It was played second to last and I was excited and ready to run around but the crowd was pretty weak no movement just some bouncing every once in a while. They played everything great and I was happy with the set. I can't wait to see them headline a show.
Foo fighters Simply amazing. Everything they played was done perfect the stage was awesome looking the light show was spectacular the crowd sang louder than any other show I have ever been too and Dave worked the crowd really well. They played 2 hours and 45 minutes. Longest set I had ever seen. I cannot wait to see them again. Even if you just know of them from the radio and somewhat like them you should go see them they will not disappoint.
I caught 2 picks and a drumstick from foo fighters and got a tour shirt for 25. I will post pictures later.
You tryin to be a hero fool? You wanna see badass mother fucker?! I'll show ya a badass!!!
Comments
Glad you had a great time.
I loved the square centre stage when I saw Metallica last year as it meant more people could get up close.
I was on the rail all night thru Lamb of God and Metallica
Scored a pic and huge black beach ball too!!!
http://emob1083.photobucket.com/albums/j396/Heavymetalgnome/image-4.jpg?t=1314954887
If that didn't grab his attention then the boy is clearly gay
Also, there wasn't a center stage in Wednesday. Hah. That was in 2009.
So me and my pals arrived at the venue at 7:30, time it started. Before we went in, I met up with a ol'e pal of mine and sold him a 2 shirts for $15. Got rid of my ASP and MFH shirts. So we went in and we walked around for a bit. This was one of my friend's first time at the Phoenix, so I showed him all the sick artwork and all of the tales of this amazing venue. After all that, we talked to Arthur Von Nagel of Cormorant. Again, he approached me and said hello. Also talking with him was some bro by the name of Travis. He moved from Montana to Nor Cal in May and this was his first show. He was a pretty chill dude but smelled of tobacco. I informed Arthur that I purchased the ultimate bundle of Dwellings and he thanked me. I also told him that I got him some radio play in NJ thanks to our lovely Britt. He then told me the following: The reason the haven't played A Dance Of Elk Entwined Recently was because they "forgot" how to. [-( , the hoodie that comes with the Dwellings pre-sale will feature the Cormorant logo in a chest pocket area, while the shirt will feature the logo just straight across the chest. Both will have the album art work on the back. Also, he has yet to receive the innards of the album, because the artist is still working on 'em. After our chat, he went back to the Cormorant merch booth and the first band started.
The first band was Motogrüv. They sounded like a female fronted Led Zeppelin. They provided us with some good ol'e rock 'n' roll. The singer was probably what impressed me most. Their second to last track threw me off because it the intro sounded like some fucking Ahab and the rest of the song was just your standard Doom Metal. So that was chill...
After Motogrüv, we went over to Cormorant's merch booth. We then talked to lady Von Nagel (Arthur's lady), who was maintaining the booth. She told us stories of how she, Arthur, Aaron Gregory and Jackie of Giant Squid were total bros. She has actually sewn a plush squid for Aaron and Jackie's child AKA, Baby Squid. She's currently working on a shark. Once Cormorant were about done setting up, we went over to the stage to go see the band we (well, me, my two friends and Travis) had come to see.
[fanboy] OMG CORMORANT WERE FUCKING AMAZING, HNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNG
[/fanboy]
But for rizzle, Cormorant were SO cash. Their sound/tone was the best of the night. They just absolutely fucking rocked the place. While they only had a 30 minute, 4 song set, that was easily one of the best sets I've see all year. I hate it when I enjoy something this fucking much because I have such a hard time putting my feelings into words. Basically, their set were 30 minutes of pure ecstasy and some of the happiest I've had in quite some time. I went apeshit during Two Brothers and ULTH. As far other stuff goes, Matt and Brennan provided the clean vocals during Junta and the chanting vocals during Uneasy Lies The Head.
Cormorant
The Purist Land
Two Brothers \m/
Uneasy Lies The Head \m/ =P~
Junta
So next was the lobby band, which didn't even play in the fucking lobby, Miles of Machines. They sounded like Iron Maiden worship with terrible scene vocals and breakdowns. No thanks. I went outside during their two sets.
Next band was Solaria, the first of two Power Metal bands to finish off the night. They were Symphonic/Tech-Power Metal. They were from LA so they traveled quite a distance to play to a crowd of the 30, tops. They were pretty good though. All of 'em were good musicians and the singer had some awesome pipes. They had some gear issues the whole set pretty much, and most of the time either the keyboard or the guitars were too low. The vocalist and drummer were my favorite parts of the band, well to watch at least. The singer was sorta awkward, spastic and clumsy. He did these awkward dances when he wasn't singing and when people took solos he'd get behind 'em and pretend to play their instrument with them, which was quite lulzy . The drummer was a robot. He was some Asian guy (he looked like Chew, actually), and he had the same facial expression the whole fucking time. He was just there and it was funny. They had a good set, even with all the tech/gear issues 'n' shit.
Last was In Virtue. The shared the same singer was Motogrüv. They too were Power Metal. It was their pre album release show, meaning that they were selling their album at this show, which was set to be released in January of next year. They were pretty fun and the most involved with the crowd that night. Their second to last song was about witch hunts, so they handed out pitchforks and torches(cardboard) out. Arthur joined them for that track, providing some kvlt as fvck vocals 'n' shit. Their last song was about shark attacks, so they handed out pool noodles and towels that had shark bites on 'em that were covered in "blood" and had their logo on 'em. I got a pitchfork and noodle, so I put my pitchfork in the noodle and made and epic trident. Also during this song, a pit broke out when the guitarist/growl guy went into the crowd. I ended up bumping into Matt of Cormorant, literally. In Virtue were really fun.
After their set my friend (dreamtheater) bought both of In Virtue's albums and got a sticker, and my other buddy got a Cormorant poster. SWAG.
Outside of the venue, a guy who caught one of the In Virtue towels offered to trade it for my pitchfork. I obviously had the better end of the deal, because by the time I had crossed the street, they had already broken the pitchfork, because it was cheap as fuck. After that I went to my bro's house and hung out with him and some bitches. It was chill.
Motogrüv: 7.5/10
Cormorant: 9.5/10
Miles of Machines: 2/10
Solaria: 7.5/10
In Virtue: 8/10
I wanted to go to this last year but couldn't because it was on a tuesday, so i knew i had to go this year and it helped that sevendust and three days grace and seether were there.
Hell or Highwater
these guys were decent just a straight up cock rock band. The vocalist is brandon the drummer from atreyu.
they had a lot of energy on stage which really made the music sound better. I would go see them again for sure.
Art of Dying
These motherfucka's were fucking sweet. They know how to put on a show they played all my favortie song's of their
i picked up there cd after the set i liked it so much. I would love to see them again
Black Tide
They were alright kinda of a boring set. They played one old song and the rest were all new song's
That fire was the best part of there set. I'd like to see them again in a club setting.
Sevendust
Best band of the fucking day. One of my all time favorite bands i own all of there cd's and have been listening them forever.
The new song's were great . The best song they played was the end is coming. This was my fourth time seeing them live and i can't wait to see them next time.
Escape The Fate
These guys fucking suck and try way to hard to make music. The band look's like a much of emo's and they try to play emo rock music. I hope i never have to see or hear them again.
Bullet For My Valentine
These guys impressed me great set. The only problem is they only played one song off the first album. I would go see them again if they come around here.
Seether
Wow these guys were excellet live . The set kicked some serious ass I'd love to see them in a smaller venue.
Three Days Grace
Second best band of the day killer setlist. I wish they would of played world so cold, or just like you. next time i see them it will be ever better. best part of there set was they played never to late one of my favorite tdg song's
Ax7
I saw them in feburary so we left early from what i heard they sounded good.
top five bands were
1. Sevendust
2. TDG
3. Seether
4. Art Of Dying
5. BFMV
this was my first non metal show so it was a shock when the crowd was so calm on the side stage. not even any pushing up front. it was 9/11 at a place about 150miles from NYC so bands all day were shouting out to the FD/PD/soldiers.
only band n the side stage i wanted to see was blacktide. huge fan of their first CD so i was dissapointed they only played warriors of time off it and he half assed the solo. highlight of the side stage was a wall of death during them which i got punched in the nose.
sevendust was solid. not really fmilliar with their stuff but a solid hard rock band.
escape the fate-opened the main stage. not as bad as i thought. not really my style but whatever. cool sections of songs at times
bullet-heaviest band on the bill and had a solid set. at this point i was getting kinda bored just standing there so there was a pit that opened up on the lawn that i went down to. tons of fun. got jabbed in the mouth a couple times and almost lost a shoe.
seether- awesome set. not really familliar with them except what on the radio. highlights of the set were broken and remedy. the singer gave me a very kurt cobain vibe. the tone of his voice, his guitar playing style and style in general. it was cool
3 days grace. i was looking forward to seeing them. another band i know from the radio but am more into. there set was a blast. pretty much all there hits were played including my favorite "animal i have become"
avenged sevenfold- the band everyone came for and for good reason. my second time seeing them and it was awesome. surprised that they played chapter 4 instead of second heartbeat and that they played MIA that i was psyched about. also during the ending of unholy confessions they went into the the opening riff of crossroads and i almost shit my pants but then they finished confessions. cant wait to see them again. the new drummer is great live hopefully they decide to record with him in the future. too bad they arent coming near me for the buried alive tour.
I had been looking forward to this tour ever since darkest hour spilled the beans to me about the lineup a month before it was released. This was my first summer slaughter so I didn't really know what to expect. I live in Cincinnati and took the hour and a half drive down to lousiville at noon. Ticket said doors opened at 2pm. I arrived at quarter til 2 and lined up. It was hot outside but not as bad as it had been the last couple weeks either way they didn't let us in until 2:30pm which pissed a lot of people off just because of waiting in the heat. I had never been to this venue either and after looking up pictures I was very intrigued. The venue is a metal domethat runs along side a flea market. They had all the merch booths set up outside the venue where they were grilling burgers and hot dogs, which were very good by the way. The venues sound was very good, they had tvs along the walls in the venue showing the stage and crowd, and they had another room that had a small stage and pool tables where local bands played all day. I think this is now my all around favorite venue despite some sound issues that happened with a few of the bands.
Within the ruins
I was pretty pissed when they won the spot to play summer slaughter over revocation and augury. This band actually surprised me a bit and were much better than I expected. I wouldn't go out of my way to see them but ended up enjoying the opening set.
Fleshgod apocalypse
I was very excited to see them play and in all honesty they should have been playing higher up on the bill. When they went into their first song there was some issues hearing guitar and vocals but as the set went on everything got fixed and they finished out amazing. I look forward to seeing them again playing more than 4 songs. They also ha the new cd available for sale when I first got into the venue but I thought i would wait until the end because I didn't want it to get broke. By the time they finished playing they were sold out of it and I was one sad person.
As blood runs black
I admittedly like this band and have seen them a few times before this with multiple singers. I saw them back in march as well. They were far and away better than the other times I had seem them play. They were the first band to really get the crowd going and keep them going setting the tone for the rest of the day. They did a wall of death and finished out strong. I very much enjoyed them.
Oceano
Hurt my ears, I went and got a burger.
Dying fetus
I think they are a very good band however I seem to get bored listening to them for some reason not to sure why. I had never seen them live and looked forward to what they were like. I enjoyed them way more live, but still found myself bored at times. Try had the crowd going pretty good most of the time. I probably won't go out of my way to see them but if they play with another band I like I will watch and pay attention again.
Kingdom of sorrow
Very very fun set it was the first time I've seen them and I was on the barrier for them. It was pretty awesome seeing Jamey away from hatebreed. I look forward to seeing them again on Sunday when I go to mayhem fest. I met the guys and talked with them until six feet under went on. All really nice guys.
Six feet under
I'm not a big fan I like songs of theirs here and there. The crowd was definitely going crazy for them I stayed around the edge of the pit and towards the end moved to the barrier where I would stay the rest of the night. Their set was fun. I wouldn't say they are anything special but I definitely had fun during the set. They played a couple songs longer than they had been I think for a reason you'll find out at the end of this. Couldn't tell you the names though. Hopefully they tour around here again and play with some other bands I dig.
Darkest hour
Long time fan of this band. One of my favorites. They were good but unfortunately mic issues plagued them. The first mic John Henry had would cut out so they gave him a new one. Then the new mic was too quiet. All this going on during my favorite song the sadist nation. So at the end of the song they tried to figure out the problem until John Henry said fuck it and used both mics at the same time to finish out the set. They were clearly frustrated by this. Shit happens. I still loved the set.
Whitechapel
All haters wishes come true! Actually no they probably didn't they are still playing music, but they had two guitarists today yes only two. The third guitarist ate jimmy johns and got food poisoning. I like some whitechapel haven't listened to anything since this is exile. I found their set to be incredibly boring and finding myself counting down the minutes until they were done. I guess I shouldn't be too hard on them though one of my favorite bands was up next.
The black dahlia murder
Simply amazing. Sound and everything was spot on. It had been two years since I had seen them. They did not disappoint. I loved the setlist, which I checked a couple days before the show and screamed like a school girl when I saw what they were playing. Pretty much all my favorites. The setlist I looked up was from early on in the tour so I don't know if we were the first or not but instead of blood in the ink to close they closed with funeral thirst. Crowd was fired up entire set quite a few crowdsurfers and several circle pits. I was told they may do a B market tour in October if not then it would be in spring. The time in-between they will be in Europe.
Now I bet you're saying you forgot one, but I didn't. Powerglove had a tire blow out on the way and I guess wrecked. Not exactly sure what happened. If they made the show it would be very late. Well they made the show but they played the same time black dahlia murder played on the little local stage. I was sad because I was very excited to see them, what can I say I am a nerd. I did manage to catch their last song but it was the one I don't care for gotta catch em all. I can't wait to see an actual set from them.
At the end of the day I loved it. Such a great show.
My take home items.
-darkest hour drum stick
- whitechapel pick I found on the ground
- as blood runs black pick
- black dahlia murder t shirt with summer slaughter dates ($15)
- black dahlia murder set list
I caught one of brians picks but it was not marked with their logo and I already had one with the logo I caught a couple years earlier so I gave it to the girl next to me.
The set up of the venue sucked. The side stages were a good distance away from the main stage and since in flames dropped off machine head was opening up the main stage after hatebreed finished so it would be challenging to make it to the main stage before machine head started. To get to the main stage from the side stages you had to navigate your way through a small corridor that of roofed areas where some vendors were that opened into a small area where all the merch booths were then an even smaller path out on the other side of the merch until it opened up into where all the concessions were then to the main stage. Shouldn't be difficult but when you have that many people leaving the side stages at once it causes for slow foot traffic. The way the times were set up after hatebreed finished there should have been a good 10-15 minutes before machine head went on but due to bad weather things got pushed back on the side stages causing some over lap. From side stage to main stage. The side stages had a pretty small area for the crowd as well not near as big as other venues I went to. In front of the stage it was all gravel. Which didn't bother me except when you would attempt to get in the pit or be anywhere near it there would be a dust cloud to blind you or choke you. If you were 30 feet from the stage good luck seeing the ground sloped down a little hill. Awesome placement mayhem and verizon wireless! /sarcasm.
So onto the bands
The surface
Jag band from Dayton two singers. Did not like them. Can't tell you much about them except they tried their hardest to get people to move and a few did which brought me entertainment when they fell in the gravel trying to mosh with 3 other people.
straight line stitch
Not as bad as everyone says but still not my cup of tea. The song laughing in the rearview was alright.
Red fang
Was looking forward to them but lost intrest real quick. The vocals were barely audible and I found myself bored.
All shall perish
I like this band. They were the first to get the crowd moving but I stopped having fun when I was having trouble breathing in the dust cloud mosh. I wish they would have played when life meant more.
Kingdom of sorrow
Saw them Thursday. Enjoyed them a lot then enjoyed them this time. Three songs in though nasty weather moved in and they told everyone to either go to their cara or go to the pavilion. 20-30 minutes later they were back on and finished the set.
Suicide silence
Sucked something terrible. I was by the soundboard for them. Mitch couldn't do any of the lows and his highs sounded atrocious. I like 3 songs by them all of which they played. Unanswered, you only live once, and no pity for a coward. Like usual they opened with one of the worst songs I have ever heard wake up. This band needs to take a break or something because what I saw was one of the worst vocal performances I've seen.
Unearth
I have seen this band so many times at this point I find myself getting bored with them but they were one of the few highlights of the day. Good job all around and enjoyed the song choices.
Hatebreed
Awesome as usual. Like unearth I have seen this band a ton of times but never get bored with their set seeing as they are my favorite. Had a ton of fun during their set. It was jameys birthday the crowd sang him happy birthday and bubbles (kingdom of sorrow bassist) brought out a birthday cake. Jamey wouldn't let him destroy it though because he wanted to eat it. I can't wait to see them again but it would be at that stupid five finger death punch tour.
Machine head
Thanks to the weather and shitty venue layout I missed a good chunk of their set. We got to our seats by the end of locust. Saw aesthetics of hate and halo and that was it. I was pretty pissed. They sounded good though.
Megadeth
First time seeing them. I must see them again they were really good and better than I expected. I enjoyed sweating bullets and headcrusher was awesome live.
After megadeth and being frustrated by the way the day had been so far we cut our losses and headed home. The headliners this year are not any good in my opinion and there was no need to stay. I saw a lot of empty space in the lawn so I imagine they did not sell out. I know I will not be returning to this venue for mayhem fest and the organizers of mayhem better come up with a better lineup for next year. I know it made a lot of people happy but I was not impressed this year. By the time I got home I felt like I had wasted my time and money. Had hatebreed not been there it would have been a total loss. So here is to hoping the lineup is better next year.
Had been looking forward to this show for months, I'd never seen Kamelot before and I'm a huge fan of the 3 openers. Got to the venue pretty early expecting a decently sized crowd but it turned out that not as many people were as excited as I was. Oh well, the less people the better in this case as far as I'm concerned. Got right in the venue and had myself a good ole' PBR while standing around with a friend of mine waiting for the first band to come on.
The Agonist - This was one of the main reasons I came to this show, I absolutely love them. I gotta say first that I'm incredibly biased when it comes to this band and as far as I'm concerned their performance was awesome. The crowd didn't seem too familiar with them but I was getting into every song. The sound was much better tonight than it had been at the previous concert I went to at this particular venue, and the band did their part as well. Good stage presence from the band, all members moving around trying to get the crowd involved. Granted, it really can't be that tough when you have Alissa as your vocalist. They got 30 minutes I believe which they made the most of, good set list even for a 6 song set that included The Tempest, Business Suits and Combat Boots, and of course Thank You Pain. Can't wait to see this band again, hopefully higher on the bill next time now that they have a new album coming out. 8.5/10
Blackguard - If you've been actively going to concerts within the last couple years, chances are pretty damn good that you've seen this band, probably multiple times. The first words out of the vocalist's mouth as they started their set were "Hey! It's like we're here every other week!", I agree. Thankfully though I actually really enjoy this band, their stage presence is awesome and their songs are fun as hell. The drums seemed a bit off key at times, but who really gives a shit cause it's a Blackguard show, you're not exactly there to see great musicianship AMIRITE?!. Anyways, due to time constraints they were only able to play 4 songs, the first 3 of which were new and the final being Allegiance. I really miss the live keyboard player. 7/10
Alestorm - I fucking love this band. I don't know what there is to be said that hasn't been said before, these guys are funny as hell and their songs are friggin catchy. They played all of my favorites including Wolves of the Sea which the singer described as "gay as fuck pop music". On a side note the singer was wearing a Swashbuckle t-shirt and what appeared to be flowery swim trunks, don't know why I'm mentioning this but it cracked me up. During Nancy the Tavern Wench the crowd all put their arms around each other and swayed side to side as we sang along which may have been the best moment of the night other than the fact that I got to yell out "with a bottle of rum and a yo-ho-ho" during Keelhauled without looking like a complete moron. If you haven't seen this band before, do yourself a favor and go to one of their shows, you better friggin not be disappointed. I do have one regret though in that I didn't buy their "get drunk or die" t-shirt. That thing would have been total PIRATE-SWAG. 9/10
Kamelot - I've never honestly listened to this band much before the show, but I had a good idea of what they sounded like. I gotta say though this band really blew me away, amazing lighting, stage presence, as well as a good instrumental and vocal performance by all the members. They were spot on throughout the set as all I could do was just stand in awe of what I was watching. While I can't compare the new vocalist to the old one, as I honestly couldn't tell you how Kahn sounded, I will say the new guy is great. You'd think he had been in the band for years, and he seemed very well accepted by the crowd. I was also extremely excited to see the lead singer of Epica come out during one song as well as Alissa for the final song of the set, didn't expect either of those moments. I wish I had been more familiar with this band prior to the concert, but oh well, now this gives me a reason to listen to them more often. I'd likely go see them again for another headlining tour if they were to do that any time in the near future. Oh and I got myself a sweet guitar pick to add to my small collection and also bought a singed tour poster for $5. Overall it was one of the better concerts I've been to this year and I can't wait to see literally any of these bands again. 8.5/10
Rise against
I had not seen them in about 5 years when they were on warped tour. I am a big fan so I was very excited. They played about 40 minutes. Spread the songs out over their entire catalogue pretty well except only one song off of siren songs of a counter culter. But that happened to be my favorite rise against song. Give it all. It was played second to last and I was excited and ready to run around but the crowd was pretty weak no movement just some bouncing every once in a while. They played everything great and I was happy with the set. I can't wait to see them headline a show.
Foo fighters
Simply amazing. Everything they played was done perfect the stage was awesome looking the light show was spectacular the crowd sang louder than any other show I have ever been too and Dave worked the crowd really well. They played 2 hours and 45 minutes. Longest set I had ever seen. I cannot wait to see them again. Even if you just know of them from the radio and somewhat like them you should go see them they will not disappoint.
I caught 2 picks and a drumstick from foo fighters and got a tour shirt for 25. I will post pictures later.