Alex Lopez, drummer, & Mitch Lucker, singer, of Suicide Silence

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Mayhem Festival

July 30, 2008
Cruzan Amphitheater - West Palm Beach, FL

Slipknot, Disturbed & many more...

Article and Photos by Liana Minassian

The first annual Rockstar Mayhem Festival (RMF), co-headlined by Slipknot and Disturbed, promised nine hours of sensory assault from some of the best hard rock acts around. The lineup included Dragonforce, Mastodon, Machinehead, Underoath, Five Finger Death Punch, Black Tide, Walls of Jericho, Suicide Silence, Airbourne, 36 Crazyfists, Jäger Band, and the Red Chord.

In the same vein as the Vans Warped Tour, RMF featured motocross demos and sponsor booths from Rockstar energy drink and Jägermeister. While some lavishly-dressed audience members competed for attention, the fans managed to maintain their focus on the diverse group of acts that pummeled eardrums and incited circle pits throughout the day.

Steven Spence, drummer, of Black Tide

Particularly noteworthy were local poster boys Black Tide, who represented their home state of Florida well. The four-piece hard rock outfit, in which all members are under 21, took the stage with a confidence unseen in musicians their age.

They continued to surprise with their raw, focused energy and fierce stage presence that could have easily rivaled more experienced bands in their genre. Paying homage to their influences, singer Gabriel Garcia asked the audience to decide which band they should cover – Metallica or Iron Maiden? They burst into an invigorating rendition of Iron Maiden’s “Prowler that would have made Bruce Dickinson proud.

Gabriel Garcia, singer & lead guitar, Zakk Sandler, bassist, of Black Tide

Also from Florida, Underoath proved to be one of the most energetic bands playing the festival, truly redefining “mayhem. Storm clouds gathered over a crowd already wet with sweat. Singer Spencer Chamberlain demanded, “Let me see your fists in the air, just as lighting struck the stage, momentarily blowing the equipment. Unfazed, Underoath continued their rowdy set anyway, pleasing the rock gods who expressed their gratitude with a crack of thunder.

But let’s not forget the main stage acts that dominated the mayhem during the second half of the day – starting with Mastodon, a progressive metal band from Atlanta. Heavy on the double bass with headbanging riffs, Mastodon’s complex style is hard to pin down. While their energy was no match for some of the younger bands, their tight set showed their experience, having played together almost 10 years.

Robb Flynn, singer/guitar, & Phil Demmel, bass, of Machinehead

       Dragonforce highlighted their epic sound with their outlandish image, which included a large fan on stage blowing their long locks behind them like supermodels. The members spat water at the audience and joked around with each other while feeding hungry fans their signature double guitar solos.

       Next came Disturbed, who erupted on stage with the title track from their new album Indestructible. Immediately afterward, singer David Draiman had to ask, “Are you still alive West Palm? to the hundreds of fans still recovering from embracing their new anthem.

       Clearly the energy didn’t cease as the infamous Slipknot revealed themselves, masks and all, to deafening hoots, screams and applause equal to the level of fury the band pumped from their instruments. If it was eye candy the audience was after, they were not disappointed by the pyrotechnics, hydraulic drum sets and the band’s crazy antics –thrashing about onstage like the maggots they so lovingly nicknamed their fans.

       All in all, the RMF brought the mayhem as promised to metal fans across South Florida and left them wondering if this was the first of many RMFs to come

Let us know what you think, email us at: outloud@outloud.com.