Louder Than Life 2023: Day Two Recap

Following a day of energy-packed but largely punk-oriented music to go alongside the huge smorgasbord of culinary and alcoholic delights that was the primary day of the Louder Than Life competition in Louisville, Kentucky; a reasonably totally different sort of storm can be brewing to in the end carry the day. Fortunately, this may solely be a downpour of the metallic type, because the day can be mercifully freed from any inclement climate situations gumming up the works on this longstanding annual celebration of sound and sustenance.

Ushering on this extravaganza of raucous, unapologetic heaviness by way of the Loudmouth Stage on the earliest crevice of the afternoon can be newly minted fashionable steel upstarts Flat Black. Being the brainchild of ex-Five Finger Death Punch guitarist Jason Hook, the parallels between the pummeling riff work that might pour out onto the group of early attendees have been little question acquainted to current followers of stated American steel outfit, although in some ways far much less restrained and chock stuffed with youthful vigor, significantly on the a part of vocalist Wes Horton, whom typically channeled the identical robust man shtick one may need anticipated from Ivan Moody, however with a extra expansive character and extra versatile clear vary. It goes with out saying that the viewers was gained over instantaneously by the metallic fury of entries like “Every Time I Win (I Really feel Defeated)” and “Halo”, and the superb guitar work of Jason, that actually made me notice how a lot I miss him in his former band. Evidently their rendition of Five Finger Death Punch‘s “Wash It All Away” would draw the loudest cheers.

Simply previous to the stroke of 1 PM, the calendar can be dialed again to extra of a retro-70s model of heavy vibes with an epic mustache as arduous rock revivalist Austin Meade introduced his mixture of previous and new to the House Zebra Stage. The punch of the guitars, the stable rooting of the drum and bass work, and the prospers of peripheral atmospheric detailing have been all artfully executed, although one could not assist however discover a extra laidback and nonchalant method taken by Meade and his cohorts in comparison with the livid metallic rage that had simply preceded them. Nonetheless, the allure of hit entries like “Dopamine Drop”, “Happier Alone”, and certainly one of his newest entries “Blackout” weren’t misplaced on the ocean of onlookers, and whereas Austin could have moved his 70s-inspired garb concerning the stage in a extra measured style in comparison with a few of his prior performances, not a observe was skipped nor a second handed that wasn’t on level.

The flavour of at the present time of sonic stew would take an much more eclectic and distinctive flip with the arrival of UK digital rock duo Wargasm to the House Zebra Stage. Having typically been a fixture of those marathon festivals, they effortlessly plowed their means by way of a concise and techno-steeped set of their varied modes of minimal, S&M impressed apparel, trying like a extra ferocious offspring of The Lords Of Acid and enjoying the half all however to a fault. Amid the acquainted faces of stay help musicians which were accompanying the stage antics precept members Milkie Means and Sam Matlock can be newly recruited touring DJ and vocalist Adam Crilly, who would reduce the need of pre-recorded backing tracks and in addition present an additional layer of punch to an already forceful show. Acquainted entries like “Pyro Pyro”, “D.R.I.L.D.O.” and “Spit” naturally stole the present, and although the entire show was largely an train within the acquainted for many who frequent rock festivals on the East Coast, the vitality issue was removed from missing.

Not long gone the hour of two PM over on the House Zebra Stage, the rap rock contingent gained its earliest consultant of the day by way of Palm Seaside, Florida’s personal Fame On Hearth. Although not an unfamiliar face for rock competition concertgoers, this may be their debut displaying on the Louder Than Life competition, and they’d deliver their A-game to go away a long-lasting impression within the minds and vertebrae of all in congress with their mix of infectious melodies and emo rock with a facet order of steel and hip-hop. At each attainable second lead vocalist Bryan Kuznitz was an animated impresario, routinely stomping and leaping concerning the stage whereas encouraging the viewers to maintain the noise flowing as the remainder of the band pummeled the stage and their devices. Every entry on their set record was an authorized banger, although it was robust to not discover the off-the-hook crowd response that got here when favored stay entries like “Ketamine”, “Welcome To The Chaos” and “Reduce Throat” crammed the open air.

The individuality issue of the day would take an auspiciously theatrical and visually gripping activate the Loudmouth Stage at 2:40 PM courtesy of Swedish melodic dying steel turned heavy steel titans Avatar. To the uninitiated, the signature method pioneered by this outfit will be finest described as a nightmarish carnival of horrors led by a demented circus ringmaster in lead vocalist Johannes Eckerström, who will be finest described as an amalgam of The Crow and Alice Cooper, however with an imposing presence and peak that might rival any villain within the Highlander movie franchise. Suffice it to say, the steel issue was at no level missing as this 5-piece outfit preceded to mix traditional Gothenburg melo-death tropes with quirky nu-metal and carnival-like musical hooks, with the technical show of all 4 instrumentalists being extraordinarily apt in comparison with most American nu-metal outfits. “The Eagle Has Landed” and “Hail The Apocalypse” have been the clearest standouts, however from begin to end, their truncated set was an unrelenting show of sinister and excessive octane vitality that had this American viewers begging for extra.

Again on the House Zebra Stage a bit later within the afternoon, the assortment of quirky bands that had been ridding stated stage gave strategy to one thing a bit extra predictable, specifically the uncompromising fury and aggression of certainly one of metalcore’s heavier hitters and Ocala, Florida natives Wage Conflict. True to the no nonsense, straight-for-the-jugular model of recent metallic viciousness pioneered by Hatebreed, this quintet wasted no phrase in raining a hurricane of earth-shaking grooves and rage-steeped shouts upon all inside earshot, inspiring a seemingly limitless succession of mosh-happy maniacs and crowd-surfers that rivaled the pandemonium that was beforehand impressed by Avatar. Certainly, as vocalist Briton Bond preceded to shout his lungs out and gallivant concerning the stage with the ever-animated quartet of guitarists Seth Black and Cody Quistad, and bassist Chris Gaylord miraculously not crashing into one another, the concise sonic explosions of “Enamel”, “Gravity” and “Excessive Horse” would stand the tallest amongst 9 colossal shows of auditory demolition.

Because the later afternoon began to flirt with night, the metalcore issue would prevail as soon as extra over on the Loudmouth Stage courtesy of Los Angeles natives Bad Omens. Although their model of recent, American grown steel was a bit much less overtly brawny and thudding in its percussive character than that of Wage Conflict, they appeared to encourage even better throngs of mosh-obsessed maniacs to their finish of the competition, coming into the fray with a towering rendition of “ARTIFICIAL SUICIDE” decked out in ski masks and continuing to ship a efficiency adorned with sufficient elaborate pyrotechnics to rival that of Beartooth‘s insane show at Sonic Temple some time again. To those that weren’t acquainted with their specific model of pulsating metallic splendor, comparisons to the likes of Bring Me The Horizon and Periphery have been the more than likely go-to examples, and as this manic quartet frolicked concerning the stage to the resounding roar of the group, brooding entries with a melancholy melodic overtone like “Glass Homes”, “Damaged Youth” and “Simply Faux” managed to shine by way of the brightest.

At 1 / 4 to 5PM over on the House Zebra Stage, at the present time of heavy music, meals, and drink took on a extra up shut and private character with the arrival of famed Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor. For all current, it might be a uncommon second catching a glimpse of him minus the masks, although it did nothing to reduce the influence of the efficiency that he’d deliver, ditto that of his touring band which included Stone Sour guitarist Christian Martucci and Dorothy bassist Eliot Lorango. At occasions the decibels flowing forth from Taylor‘s mic have been so intense that they have been in all probability was pain-inducing even for these all the time outfitted with earplugs, however that was a minor gripe as Taylor proved carried out because the ever-consummate entrance man and completely owned the set, continuously tossing water from bottles after which the bottles themselves to the group and revving issues up with strains of encouragement like “Hey Motherfuckers, how are you all doing?” and “Motherfuckers, that is Louder Than Life, so I want you to be fucking louder!”. The corresponding assortment of unique materials naturally went over famously, although true to the day all the time being carried by the acquainted, his rendition of Slipknot‘s “Snuff” and a closing cowl of Motörhead‘s “Ace Of Spades” ended up stealing the present.

The Loudmouth Stage can be the location of true steel mastery and gravitas with the looming presence of nightfall and the entry of thrash steel pioneers Megadeth into the equation. True to kind, this typically token traditional steel addition to the rock competition circus proved to be exactly the factor wanted to ramp issues up even additional after a day of largely fashionable steel ferocity, handing over a swift, precision-based sonic assault that is as potent because it was again within the mid-80s when Dave Mustaine fashioned the band. As a consequence of scheduling conflicts and household issues, virtuoso axe-wielder Kiko Loureiro was absent from the stage, however in his place was an equally certified surgeon within the effective artwork of shred in Finnish-born and Wintersun‘s personal Teemu Mantysaari, whom traded leads with Mustaine like he’d been touring with the band for years on finish. Naturally one can be remiss to not point out the huge battery of sound beneath the guitar riffs and noodling solos offered by bassist James LoMenzo and Dirk Verbeuren, preserving the heavy find yourself for a band that has hung their hat for 30 years on by no means taking any prisoners.

Barring some occasional tough patches in Mustaine‘s voice, which naturally go with out saying for a man who simply beat most cancers, it was practically inconceivable to tell apart every music that flowed from Megadeth‘s devices this night and what was initially devoted to recording between 1985 and now. The acquainted torrents of traditional thrash mayhem which can be “Twister of Souls” and “Peace Sells” traded blows seamlessly with groovy 90s entries like “Symphony Of Destruction” and “Sweating Bullets”, and even the rock-oriented “Belief” and up to date entries like “Dread And The Fugitive Thoughts” and “We’ll Be Again” drew a boisterous response from all in attendance. Many cheers have been likewise elicited from an auspicious addition of traditional jab at Tipper Gore and the PMRC “Hook In Mouth”, a music that had been off Megadeth‘s set record for a couple of decade, however within the typical style, the kinetic fury with solos brimming over which can be this outfit’s compulsory opener and nearer “Hangar 18” and “Holy Wars…The Punishment Due” left no unconverted head-bangers of their respective wakes.

The weirdness issue of the day would come by the hand of nü-metal impresarios Limp Bizkit, in a efficiency that began in a comical means and progressed to weird territory.

The band got here on stage with Fred Durst yielding a guitar, Wes Borland – this time round along with his face coated in corpse paint and an enormous mustache – holding a microphone, Sam Rivers standing behind the turntables, and John Otto with a bass of their fingers, whereas DJ Deadly sat on the drums, and so they launched right into a butchered model of Korn‘s “Blind”. The gang was caught in some form of stupefaction at first, earlier than they stopped and swapped again out to their typical devices as if nothing had occurred. Should you peeked by way of the picture gallery on the backside earlier than studying this, now you perceive the explanation for the unusual images. 

Then they began enjoying “Present Me What You Bought”, however the normalcy did not final lengthy. In a controversial transfer, that sparked the fad of half the group and a whole bunch of bashing on-line feedback, throughout and after their set, Durst approached the 2 cameramen on the sides of the levels and repeatedly held their cameras down, stopping them from videotaping the efficiency, till they have been informed by a member of the band’s crew to step apart and cease filming. Not pleased with that, Fred addressed the viewers – whereas the band stayed jamming – and stated: “We can’t proceed our present till the entrance of the home cameras are off. We did not come right here to be on TV”. Finally, the cameras have been turned off, leaving the 2 big screens by the edges of each the Zebra and Loudmouth levels in black, and successfully impairing the power of a whole bunch of attendees who weren’t near the stage, and most of these within the ADA part, from having fun with the set given the space to the stage. 

Their set progressed, enacting the rowdiest crowd-surfing response I’ve ever witnessed in any of the DWP festivals, with safety sweating bullets –  and at occasions trying actually overrun – whereas they did their finest to catch the limitless sea of our bodies coming to the barricade. Classics like “My Means” and “Nookie” turned the grounds into an oven, with the climax coming with the set nearer “Break Stuff”, preceded by Durst telling the group: “I used to be informed I could not come to a present with a buttoned up shirt. I used to be informed I could not be on stage carrying a tie, or a purple wig. And I used to be informed we could not play this music! However right here we’re!” Evidently this Limp Bizkit set will probably be talked about for some time. 

The rap rock contingent would get a large increase over on the Revolver Stage courtesy of the punk/hardcore infused, politically charged music of Californian rabble-rousers Fever 333. A band that’s naturally no stranger to controversy, they donned the stage with reckless abandon, now comprised of largely new members apart from helmsman Jason Butler (the character of how this got here to be naturally differs relying on who one talks to) and sporting all the standard fervor one would count on from an outfit bent on pummeling the world into altering its methods by way of aggressive music. Butler‘s traditional act of piling two audio system on the fringe of the stage, ascending on high of them and continuing to leap nearly 10 toes within the air after singing for a bit was on full show, and was naturally rivaled by the insane actions of the viewers. Newly recruited bassist April Kae additionally moved concerning the stage and turned heads like a professional, as angst-driven odes to political discontent like “Made An America”, “Prey For Me” and “Searching Season” shattered eardrums and dislocated necks aplenty. Naturally, Fred Durst‘s aforementioned diva described above induced this outfit’s crowd to be even bigger, and so they too would get their cash’s value.

With the night sky now hung over the continuing festivities in Louisville, the headliner lineup would shift over to the Loudmouth Stage with the entry of Massachusetts-born and post-grunge/nu-metal mainstays Godsmack. True to their life’s mission to rock as arduous because the Seattle icons that offered their namesake and put their very own extra optimistic twist on it, they introduced the heaviness as a lot as ever and have been frequently taking time to maintain all in attendance at peak elation. Following a blistering rendition of “Crying Like A Bitch”, lead vocalist Sully Erna took a second to thank the group for coming to the present, commenting additional that that they had a brand new album out and in addition that they have been within the rock ‘n’ roll enterprise, ergo they really play their devices with out counting on “a fucking click on or something like that”, which naturally drew loads of laughs and cheers. The same old assortment of traditional entries like “Awake” and “No matter” traded blows with new bangers like “Give up” and “What About Me” with no single ounce of enthusiasm being misplaced in all quarters, although the closing hurrah of “I Stand Alone” would reign supreme, per typical.

With the black of the sky now firmly affixed and the hour of 9 PM, all eyes turned to the House Zebra Stage for the closing headliner of the day and fashionable progressive rock titans Tool. Kicking issues off with one thing of a curveball with “The Grudge” (a deviation from their typical set for the continuing tour which arrives on the sound of “Worry Inoculum”), a lot of what would comply with can be the standard train in eccentric, non-conformist, brooding but excessive contemplative rock fronted by one of many best helmsmen within the enterprise. Maynard was, from begin to end, a singular but well-balanced mix of quirkiness and uncooked energy, and he together with guitarist Adam Jones, drummer Danny Carey and virtuoso bassist Justin Chancellor exemplified the very idea of an influence quartet. Continuous cries of utter pleasure blended with reciprocation of the darkened moods exemplified in every music have been one of the simplest ways to explain the group response, being equal in fervor to the heavier bands within the previous hours of the day, although expressed very in a different way.

It was, in each respect, a becoming but extremely uncommon strategy to shut off a day that was largely adorned by songs conforming to typical buildings and being usually brief in size. One could not assist however observe the eccentricities that exuded from the band within the type of prolonged odes like “The Affected person” and “Jambi” as they intermingled with abruptly brief entries just like the peculiarly dubbed “Eon Blue Apocalypse”. But these days the place there’s a precedent for nearly each trick within the musical e book, the unusual twists and turns that Maynard and firm threw to the group have been handled with the identical familiarity {that a} traditional rockhound would possibly give to certainly one of Led Zeppelin‘s radio hits. Certainly, the roar of the group that adopted their closing rendition of “Stinkfist” might effectively have rivaled the form of rowdy response one would hear at an enviornment efficiency of “Free Hen”. It was a grand fruits of a day the place rock and steel reigned supreme amid a celebration of meals, booze, and dwelling life as loud as attainable, therefore the very identify of the competition.