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Burning Questions from Mayhem 2009
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After a successful second year, with a near sellout crowd at DTE Energy Music Theatre, the Rockstar Mayhem Tour continued on and provided a far heavier lineup than last year. But instead of giving you a blow by blow account of every band on the lineup, it’s probably better if we answer some burning questions left in the wake of this year’s edition of Mayhem. So, here we go….
1) Who is most ready to headline a summer shed show on their own (besides Slayer and Marilyn Manson)? Answer: Killswitch Engage definitely had the crowd going with their anthematic tracks “The End of Heartache” and “A Bid Farewell”, they definitely showed how big metal could very well get in the future. On a side note, did lead singer Howard Jones know what state he was in? An OSU hat on stage in Michigan? Really? One small blemish on a great performance.
2) After Killswitch, who could find themselves on a bigger stage? Answer: All That Remains, who has convinced this reviewer after performances on stages at Rock on the Range and Mayhem that they might have it as well. Coming from the same vein as Killswitch, lead singer Phil Labonte is commanding more of a stage presence over time and the songs keep getting catchier over time.
3) Was Behemoth the scariest thing at Mayhem? Answer: No, Behemoth looked evil but if you really wanted evil- the Mayhem show (the Norwegian black metal band, not the tour) back in June was as pure evil as you can get. Mushroomhead’s new masks were scarier and more sadistic looking than anything Behemoth did on stage.
4) What was up with the dude in the gorilla suit during the Black Dahlia Murder’s set? Answer: Hell if I know, but it was entertaining as hell. The fans gave the hometown boys all they had, and the guy in the gorilla suit became the unofficial mascot for the band, and provided to be the best hype man of the day.
5) Has Marilyn Manson lost some of his luster? Answer: Somewhat. Manson was best when he was pissing off security guards at DTE, as well as a lot of the general public. Manson’s last two records have been ho-hum and his stage shows have suffered as well. I don’t believe Manson’s fiery on stage persona is gone- he’s still got that. But just bringing back Twiggy Ramirez isn’t going to bring back the feeling of “Antichrist Superstar” again- the new music has to have that same venom.
6) Has Mayhem become a worthy follow-up to OzzFest? Answer: Yes and No. Mayhem has become a great outlet for metal and to show some fan favorites and new bands that are coming up. Keeping ticket prices low and access to the bands is Mayhem’s strongest suit- something that Ozzfest had a hard time doing. But Mayhem lacks the danger element of the first few years of Ozzfest- the sod fights, the fires on the lawn. Most traveling festivals are just an excuse for people to spend 8 dollars a beer and load up on all the free corporate stuff. But the music is what it is all about and for metal fans, Mayhem is a great place to find your fix.
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