Mayhem Festival II is tomorrow. I'll be making the trip up to Comcast Theatre with seven of my bros, and it's sure to be a killer time. I still remember every moment of last year's festival; naturally, I'm expecting a lot from tomorrow's concert. I was lucky enough to catch the Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival on its inaugural run last year, at Nassau Coliseum. When that night ended, I vowed with my friends that we would come back next year. Looking forward, we're pumped, and ready for more mayhem!
At Mayhem Fest, fans get the chance to see over a dozen excellent musical groups, walk around and check out merch booths, meet and greet all of their favorite bands, grab some second-rate food at premium prices, and sweat out a few pounds and get a neck tan in the over-90 degree heat. Think Warped Tour, but a lot more metal. It's not a bad comparison, considering both tours were masterminded by the same dude: Kevin Lyman. Out of all the touring festivals this year, though, Mayhem is the one you've gotta go to, trust me on that.
Who's playing? Glad you asked! This year features a vastly superior lineup, spread across more genres. The three-stage setup from last year is retained. The Jagermeister and Hot Topic stages are outside, next to each other, but neither has two bands playing simultaneously. This works in the favor of efficiency, as one band exits one stage, and another band is expected to start their set on the other stage within seconds. No wait time between bands? It's a concertgoer's dream come true! The Main stage still has breaks between sets, though, and is located in the stadium, to accommodate the masses of metalheads who will be gathering for the headliners.
The names attached to this tour command some serious attention: Marilyn Manson and Slayer. Crazy that they would unite for a co-headlining gig so soon, but definitely a package that appeals to a broad audience. For those who don't know, get familiar with the acts: Marilyn Manson is a shock-rock performer who plays industrial metal. Slayer is a famed thrash metal band who've been shredding since the 80s. Joining them on the Main stage are Killswitch Engage, an emo band full of metal posers, and Bullet for My Valentine, a metal band that blends old-school instruments with new-school vocals.
On the Jagermeister stage are: Trivium, All That Remains, and God Forbid, a trio of metalcore bands turned thrash, as well as a Jager opening band. Each stop on the tour features a different band, so fans of Mayhem nationwide will all have different Festival experiences. The Hot Topic stage features: Cannibal Corpse, 90s progenitors of brutal death metal; Behemoth, Polish blackened death metal titans, also the only foreign band on the tour; Job for a Cowboy, a popular deathcore act; The Black Dahlia Murder, a dynamic and talented band that incorporates a diverse range of death metal styles; and Whitechapel, a new deathcore band that is quickly making waves within their scene.
That's the gist of it. Come back in a few days, and you can read all about how it was, the bands' sets, any random weird stuff that happened, the whole deal. I have a damn good feeling about tomorrow!
Long live the mayhem!
-Psychotic Pulse
