The Browning: Fusing Music Into A New Sound

The Browning is a very unique band that has been bridging a strange hybrid of hardcore and electronic into something that you really haven't heard before. Well, they got the attention of Korn, who asked them to open for them, so I guess you can say that they're doing something right. I caught up with lead singer Jonny McBee and we talked about the history of the band, where they've been and where they're going:

http://rockrevoltmagazine.com/Magazine/September2013/RockRevoltIssue6.html#p=2

Korn Go back To The Basics On New Album With Head

Korn are about to unleash a brand new studio album with returning family member Brian "Head" Welch back in the fold. I caught up with drummer Raly Luzier before their headlining gig at the 2013 Rock on the Range and talked to him about what it was like having Head back. You can read all about that interview with Rock Revolt Magazine at:

http://rockrevoltmagazine.com/Magazine/July2013/RockRevoltIssue5.html#p=1

Carolina Rebellion 2012 Interview With Korn's Ray Luzier

Korn has been on the music scene for almost twenty years. There are a lot of bands who emerged with them in the early 90s who have fallen by the wayside. Korn’s popularity did falter a bit, but the last two years has seen resurgence in popularity. They second on the bill at this year’s Carolina Rebellion and we caught up to drummer Ray Luzier before their set.

Music Is My Drug Of Choice: Hey Ray, I appreciate you taking the time to sit down and talk with us on this crazy day. Let’s jump right into the questions because I know your set is coming up soon. The band seems to have caught its second wind in popularity in the last few years. I know you’ve only been in the band for five years, but you’ve probably noticed a difference in the crowds.

Korn:  It’s really cool to see a lot of younger kids showing up at the shows. Yeah, I’ve been with the guys for five years and the attendance has always been pretty decent but in the last couple of years we’ve seen different generations coming to the shows. I was talking to Nicko McBrain from Iron Maiden about this and he was saying how many different generations were going to Iron maiden shows because they have been around for so long. It’s a great thing to see that and to have a diehard fan base and have them introduce their kids to us is a pretty cool thing.

MIMDOC: The band doesn’t seem to want to depend on its past to get them by and you seem to have reinvented yourselves with the new album Path of Totality. That took a lot of people by surprise because of it being dub step and yet, it ended up winning the revolver Golden God Award for Album of the Year. How did that whole thing come about?

Korn: Korn has always had elements of hip hop and rap so to me, this is just them taking it to the extreme. Jonathan’s been a big dub step fan of the last couple of years, so it didn’t surprise me when he told us we were going to head in that direction. I didn’t know we were going to be doing a full blown album. Initially, it was only going to be a five song EP. He met with Skrillex and we were blown away with the sound that they made. You can’t do that with a guitar and a keyboard. From there, it just kind of snowballed.

MIMDOC: So, what’s up for you guys after today’s show? Are you still going to be on the road supporting the new album?

Korn: We finish this part of the tour on the 11^th and then we have a couple of weeks off. In June, we’re doing a resurgence of US dates of markets we haven’t hit yet. Then, we start doing crazy places like India and Budapest and Tel Aviv. It gets really gnarly around there. It’s cool to have a fan base like that. It’s definitely a worldwide thing. My very first tour with them was 35 countries in 4 months! I just learned that Korn has never been to India, so that’s going to be nuts because so many people have been waiting a very long time to see us.

MIMDOC: Ray, I know we need to wrap this up so that you can hit the stage, but I just wanted to ask if it was too early for you guys to be looking ahead to the next album.

Korn: Oh no, we’re always writing. Jonathan is like a mad man sometimes. We finish playing and get off stage and as soon as he hits the bus, he starts writing. We have a few songs already worked out, but it’s too early to know what direction we will take. We have three that sound kind of between Korn 3 and Path of Totality. Right now, we’re not on any kind of time frame, so we will have to wait and see.

MIMDOC: Fair enough! Ray thanks again for taking time out of this crazy day to talk to us. I know you have to gear up for your set. We look forward to seeing you guys out on stage winning this massive crowd over.  

Over 30,000 Rock All Day Long At The 2012 Carolina Rebellion

The 2^nd annual Carolina Rebellion moved its stomping grounds to the Rockingham Speedway in North Carolina this year and the masses showed up to rock. It may have only been May the 5^th, but it felt like it was in the middle of July on the day of the show. Over 30,000 people showed up in the blistering heat and humidity and they were treated to a day of rock that they will long remember.

The gates opened at 9:00am and the people started rolling in by the carload to claim their spot in front of the three stages used. The smaller stage which was sponsored by Jagermeister showcased a lot of the newer bands on the bill including Ghosts of August who kicked off the day at 11:00am , New Medicine, Red, Redlight King and P.O.D., who are poised for a big comeback with a new album due out this summer.

The two bigger stages included the Carolina Stage and the Rebellion Stage, bet you would have never guessed that. These stages were sponsored by Monster Energy Drink. The crowds in front of stage went back further than the human eye could see. As the masses rocked out all day, they managed to stir up a small dust storm that slowly covered everyone who was there. Let’s not fail to mention the huge amount of crowd surfing that went on too. Those security guards definitely got a workout that day.

Weaving the Fate kicked off the bigger stages as they performed second on the bill, but it wasn’t until later when Halestorm took the stage that the crowd truly got fired up. Lzzy Hale and her boys kicked off their set with their #1 song “Love Bites (So Do I)”. Their set was heavy on new songs off of their new album The Strange Case Of. The only complaint being heard was that their set was too short.

I would have to say that Five Finger Death Punch got the award for lighting a fire underneath the crowd. The crowd erupted in a fury of energy when they hit the stage and lead singer Ivan Moody fed off of that energy. Their set saw the crowd surfing increase at least 100%. What an energetic and over the top set these guys put on.

Recently inducted Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Slash brought his right hand man Myles Kennedy with him to perform. He performed some of his solo material, but the biggest crowd reactions and sing-along’s came when he broke out the Guns and Roses classics such as “Sweet Child O’ Mine”. Myles has such a powerful voice and sounded amazing. He had many asking “Axl who?” As the sun went down, Evanescence took to the stage. Amy Lee has been somewhat of a stranger to North Carolina since the band’s debut album came out in 2003. Amy sounded great and treated the fans to a hit filled set.

Korn took the stage as the air began to cool, but they turned up the heat on-stage and delivered one of the best sets of the day. The mixed new songs with older classics such as “Falling Away From Me” as well as their cover of Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall”. A surprise treat was when Brian “Head” Welch took the stage with the band for the first time in seven years and performed the classic track “Blind”.

The night ended with a stellar set from the band Shinedown. Brent Smith and the band took the stage and delivered in a big way to the crowd. “Sound of Madness”, “If You Only Knew” and “45” were just some songs from their hit heavy set. Newer songs from their latest album included the title track “Amaryllis”, “Unity” and the hit “Bully”. A powerful acoustic version was performed when Smith took center stage with guitarist Zach Myers. They closed with their smash “Second Chance”.

Several bands did meet and greets where the purchase of their CD was required to meet them. FYE had a tent set up to help out with this aspect of the day. Monster Energy Drink also had a tent set up and a few of the bands did a meet and greet where the band signed a promo 8x10 photo for the fans. It was a rare treat for many to get up close to some of the people that they adore and idolize.

Overall, it was a great show! The people who put the show together listened to the complaints from last year’s show and tried to remedy all of them. There was a lot more room for the fans to move around, there were plenty of water and plenty of food vendors. There was even a hint that it may move to a two day show next year, plus the Friday night campground show. This year’s show seems to be regarded as a success and the expansion to another day next year just seems inevitable.

Over 30,000 Rock At The 2012 Carolina Rebellion

The 2^nd annual Carolina Rebellion moved its stomping grounds to the Rockingham Speedway in North Carolina this year and the masses showed up to rock. It may have only been May the 5^th, but it felt like it was in the middle of July on the day of the show. Over 30,000 people showed up in the blistering heat and humidity and they were treated to a day of rock that they will long remember.

The gates opened at 9:00am and the people started rolling in by the carload to claim their spot in front of the three stages used. The smaller stage which was sponsored by Jagermeister showcased a lot of the newer bands on the bill including Ghosts of August who kicked off the day at 11:00am , New Medicine, Red, Redlight King and P.O.D., who are poised for a big comeback with a new album due out this summer.

The two bigger stages included the Carolina Stage and the Rebellion Stage, bet you would have never guessed that. These stages were sponsored by Monster Energy Drink. The crowds in front of stage went back further than the human eye could see. As the masses rocked out all day, they managed to stir up a small dust storm that slowly covered everyone who was there. Let’s not fail to mention the huge amount of crowd surfing that went on too. Those security guards definitely got a workout that day.

Weaving the Fate kicked off the bigger stages as they performed second on the bill, but it wasn’t until later when Halestorm took the stage that the crowd truly got fired up. Lzzy Hale and her boys kicked off their set with their #1 song “Love Bites (So Do I)”. Their set was heavy on new songs off of their new album The Strange Case Of. The only complaint being heard was that their set was too short.

I would have to say that Five Finger Death Punch got the award for lighting a fire underneath the crowd. The crowd erupted in a fury of energy when they hit the stage and lead singer Ivan Moody fed off of that energy. Their set saw the crowd surfing increase at least 100%. What an energetic and over the top set these guys put on.

Recently inducted Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Slash brought his right hand man Myles Kennedy with him to perform. He performed some of his solo material, but the biggest crowd reactions and sing-along’s came when he broke out the Guns and Roses classics such as “Sweet Child O’ Mine”. Myles has such a powerful voice and sounded amazing. He had many asking “Axl who?” As the sun went down, Evanescence took to the stage. Amy Lee has been somewhat of a stranger to North Carolina since the band’s debut album came out in 2003. Amy sounded great and treated the fans to a hit filled set.

Korn took the stage as the air began to cool, but they turned up the heat on-stage and delivered one of the best sets of the day. The mixed new songs with older classics such as “Falling Away From Me” as well as their cover of Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall”. A surprise treat was when Brian “Head” Welch took the stage with the band for the first time in seven years and performed the classic track “Blind”.

The night ended with a stellar set from the band Shinedown. Brent Smith and the band took the stage and delivered in a big way to the crowd. “Sound of Madness”, “If You Only Knew” and “45” were just some songs from their hit heavy set. Newer songs from their latest album included the title track “Amaryllis”, “Unity” and the hit “Bully”. A powerful acoustic version was performed when Smith took center stage with guitarist Zach Myers. They closed with their smash “Second Chance”.

Several bands did meet and greets where the purchase of their CD was required to meet them. FYE had a tent set up to help out with this aspect of the day. Monster Energy Drink also had a tent set up and a few of the bands did a meet and greet where the band signed a promo 8x10 photo for the fans. It was a rare treat for many to get up close to some of the people that they adore and idolize.

Overall, it was a great show! The people who put the show together listened to the complaints from last year’s show and tried to remedy all of them. There was a lot more room for the fans to move around, there were plenty of water and plenty of food vendors. There was even a hint that it may move to a two day show next year, plus the Friday night campground show. This year’s show seems to be regarded as a success and the expansion to another day next year just seems inevitable.

Music as a Weapon Tour Assaults Winston Salem, NC

It may have been a cold and windy day in February, but it was about to heat up as the Music as a Weapon 5 tour pulled into Winston Salem, NC. A sea of black t-shirts congregated in front of the Lawrence Joel Sports Annex as the fans began to line up to claim their spots when the doors opened. The tour, consisting of co-headliners Korn and Disturbed along with Sevendust and In This Moment, has been drawing impressive numbers along the way so far and tonight’s show looked to follow suit.
Monster Energy Drink, the sponsor of the tour, was on hand for the show with their mobile unit parked out front. Their crew was giving away free drinks to anyone who ventured up too their tent outside. There’s nothing like getting a bunch of anxious head bangers all jacked up on energy drinks before a show! The doors opened at 6:30 and a mad dash ensued for not only the general admission floor spots, but also for the bathrooms!

In This Moment were first to hit the stage. The band, fronted by Revolver’s Hottest Chick in Metal Maria Brink, have been touring relentlessly since 2005 and establishing a very loyal fan base. Their five song set, focusing solely on their newest CD “A Star Crossed Wasteland”, was a full on assault. Maria seemed to be having some audio problems at the start, which did prove to be distracting for her, but she managed to keep it together like a pro. The crowd was definitely full of new recruits into their Iron Army. Their set closed with “Welcome to The Gun show” and a full moshpit erupted as bodies started to fly everywhere. This was my first time seeing In This Moment on a big stage and I have to say that they seemed right at home.

Sevendust were up next and fed off of the energy that In This Moment drummed up in the crowd. Lead singer Lajon Witherspoon took the stage with a vengeance and from the opening notes of “Splinter”, he had a chokehold on the hungry fans. The band sounded tight and marched through staples such as “Driven” and “Black”. Their short, but intense, 30 minute set ended with “Face to Face” and left the crowd hungry for more.

This proved to be the perfect set-up for Disturbed, who had a strong following in the building by turnout of t-shirt support alone. David Draiman, lead singer, may not prove to be the most charismatic person on stage, but he knows how to deliver the goods to the crowd of followers. The band, who’s last four CDs have debuted at number one, sounded great and the lightshow was top notch. They blitzed through their hour long set with very little interaction with the crowd. “Remnants” followed by “Asylum” followed by “Stupify”, one hit right after the other. It barely gave the crowd time to catch its own breath. The kamikaze style set closed with their signature hit “Sickness”. One argument heard about the band is that their sound has definitely been well crafted, but it’s beginning to sound a bit repetitious. It may be time to freshen up things just a bit.

It was Korn’s turn to close out the show, as they take turns with Disturbed alternating that coveted spot. The originators of the “nu-metal” sound, Korn has seen a lot of wannabes pop up in their career of almost 20 years. Their showing tonight proved why they have lasted for so long and earned the respect of many in the crowd. Lead singer Jonathan Davis may not look the part of the traditional front man, but the man has got the skills to fill the shoes and get the job done.

Davis, along with Munky on guitar and Fieldy on bass, controlled the stage front with their unique presence. Munky, looking somewhat like a cross between Prince and Adam Ant with his face paint and attire was a beast on guitar. Fieldy wielded his bass more as a weapon than an instrument of sound as he pounded away on it. Davis came out dressed more for a run at the gym than a rock show, but that’s the beauty of this front man. He doesn’t need all the props and fancy gimmicks used by some; substance over style.

I admit that a lot of people that I spoke with before the show were not very interested in seeing Korn perform. I heard a lot of comments such as “They use to be good”, “They suck” and “Maybe 10 years ago, but not tonight” when I talked to some of the crowd before the show. Well, Davis and company made believers out of these doubters with their high energy hour plus set of old and new songs. Most of the staple songs were there, “Freak on a Leash”, Twisted Transitor”, “Ya’ll Want a Single” and “Blind” kept the rabid crowd head banging along. Davis even brought out the bagpipes for “Shoots and Ladders” which turned into a mash-up of sorts with Metallica’s “One”. Are Korn closet Glee fans?

The band ended the show by coming out to center stage and tossing shirts, guitar picks, drum sticks and drum heads out into the audience. I will admit that I was highly impressed with their set. Yes, it could have been a little longer so that a few more of their signature songs could have been included. That being said, the entire show was a treat. The Music as a Weapon Tour focused this year n smaller markets that may not necessarily get shows of this caliber. Here’s hoping to its continued success in bringing music like this to the masses.

Super bob......Different Name, Same Rock And Roll Attitude

Washington, DC. What’s the first thing that comes to mind? President Obama? The White House? Politics? Probably alot of negative stuff involving the government is the first thing that comes to alot of people’s minds. Yet, there is something refreshing coming out of DC that just may take the country by storm.

They go by the name of Super bob, although they played under the name bob for many years. That story will come later. I discovered these guys by accident one night when I went to a club in North Carolina to see another band and I happened to get there early. You know how sometimes you want to go late so that you don’t have to sit through some lame group while waiting for the good stuff to begin? Boy, was I about to be pimp slapped into paying attention to who this band was setting up their equipment.

Four young guys were up there and two were pretty average looking while the other two consisted of a guy with very long dreads and another with shorter, multi-colored dreads and tats. Ok, that did catch my attention a little bit. Then, the sampled music began to play over the PA system and their first song began. It was shaking up a hot soda and then letting the lid off. The guys just erupted on the stage and began jumping all around and slinging instruments and totally killed it. They grabbed your attention and refused to let you go. Their sound is like a hybrid of Korn and Rage Against The Machine and early Red Hot Chili Peppers, yet they do it in a way that makes it their own, not like they are imitating another.

That was over a year ago and I finally caught up with these guys shortly after the release of their new CD “Rock n Roll” at a small venue in VA before their show.

JP: “Hey guys, first off thanks for taking the time to talk to me. I saw you last year at the Somewhere Else Tavern in North Carolina and you totally blew my mind. I had never heard of you guys before, but you won me over that night. You were amazing. I was trying to find some stuff online about you and how things got started. Can you catch me up to speed?”

Adam: “Well, Matt and I have been friends since we were really little and we always knew that this was what we wanted to do. In our first band, Matt played bass and I sang. I didn’t like the sound of my voice for what we were attempting to do so we switched.”

Matt: “Yea, I didn’t really think that I had a great voice but it just worked. Drew, he used to be our sound guy, but he sucked at it. He was the world’s worst sound guy! So, we needed a drummer and he learned the set in like a week and a half. Then Carl came in and this lineup has been together since 2004.”

JP: “The name bob, which of course is now Super bob, how did you guys decide on that for a name?”

Matt: “Well, we just wanted something simple. You know, a name that everybody would get. You see the name and you have no idea what we will sound like but after hearing us, you always associate our sound when you see that name.”

Adam: “Yea, kinda like Korn, plus we wanted it to look good on a sticker. As far as the name goes, it was something that we decided to do because another artist had a similar name and we just went ahead and instead of waiting, we decided to change it. We wanted to keep our logo and just add an adjective. So far, it has been a smooth transition.”

JP: “So, tell us about the early days of the band.”

Adam: “Oh, we sucked! Well, musically we did. We went to see Korn and we knew that’s what we wanted to do. I high energy type show, not just stand around.”

Matt: “Yea, the fans were always commenting on how great we were on stage and how they loved the show. We are always pushing each other on stage to be better.”

JP: “With the way you guys are always jumping around on stage, there have got to be alot of accidents.”

Adam: “About every month and a half, we usually have some sort of accident. Carl has gone through several stages. Matt’s back has been sliced open with a guitar before.”

Matt: “Six seconds before a sold-out show at the 9:30 Club in DC, I blew my ankle out. I tore the tendon off the bone and proceeded to do the rest of the show on one foot.”

JP: “I am amazed that nothing worse has happened to you guys with the energy that you bring to the stage. Let’s hope tonight’s show is accident free.”

The guys are touring no win support of their second CD entitled “Rock n Roll”. The stage to them is their ring and they dare you to step in. They are on a crusade to save rock and roll and they will not take no for an answer. Powered by a diet of crack and steroids, they let you know who they are and that they mean business from the start. Just listen to track one of their new CD. The song, “Pleasure To Meet You”, lets the listener know that they are not just “another played out radio song”. Carl’s pounding bass and Adam’s crunching guitar riffs combined with Drew’s amazing back beat has created am amped up sound for them that is very contagious. One listen and you cannot help but to bob, no pun intended, your head long with it.

“Push” is an awesome song that is more in the vein of one of their influences Korn. One of my favorite songs on the CD is entitled “Coffee and Guns” and is both lyrically and musically one of the standout tracks on the disc.

The guys told me that they tried different things on this CD because they wouldn’t have to be performing them in their live set. They experimented with acoustic guitars, like on “Lonely as It Takes” and “El Chupacabra” as well as some new electronic tricks of their own.

Their set that night in Roanoke had the crowd in that tiny club on their feet the entire time. No matter the size of the venue, these guys bring it 110% each and every performance. They tour up and down the East coast doing 120 dates last year and looking to surpass 150 this year. It’s that old school mentality of bringing it to the people live and proving themselves that is making believers out of people. Check them out on Facebook or at www.myspace.com/bobband or www.superbobmusic.com.

If these guys hit a club anywhere near you, then drop what you are doing and take the time to check them out. If you are a fan of Rage Against The Machine or Korn, then their sound will be right for you. It is an addictive combination that they have put together. Carl lets his bass do the talking as he pounces around on stage. Adam is very energetic and likes to snarl out at the audience and get the crowd involved and feel like part of the show. Drew, hide behind his drums is always working up a sweat providing the back beat for these guys. Matt, what can we say about Matt that hasn’t already been said. A guy who is more energetic than a daycare class on a fieldtrip to the zoo! His unique multi-colored dreads make him stand out and his unique voice is insane. These boys are old school believers in hard work, blood, sweat and tears...well, not sure about the tears part. Check out their crusade to keep rock and roll alive.

Mayhem Tour Tears Through Raleigh, NC

They’re several definitions of Mayhem in the dictionary. A state of disorder or riotous confusion, havoc. That may be the best of them to sum up this year’s successful Rockstar Mayhem Tour. It made a stop on August 3 on a blistering Tuesday afternoon. The Raleigh venue was one of, if not the, smallest venues and crowds on the tour which has pulled in some impressive numbers in this summer’s dismal touring season.

The gates officially opened at 2:15 with a steady stream of black t-shirts, piercings and tats roaring through. Ah, the summer outdoor concerts, you have to love them. You see so much that you never expected to see and that usually has nothing to do with the artists performing. The crowd is like the show before the show!

Going to a show like Mayhem requires a few things from those in attendance. Sunblock is important as the temp that day was in the upper nineties with minimal shade to be found. Another is stamina and the consumption of lots of water. Lastly and probably most important is money.....lots of money. Every band was selling merchandise and almost all were doing meet and greets. Most of them required you to buy their CD and you got an autograph and picture with them. This is a great marketing move, especially with the industry being in such a downward spiral because of downloading. The mucho dinero also comes in handy considering beer was $9, Gatorade was $6 and hotdogs were $5 each.

The band’s schedules on the two secondary stages, the Silver Stage and the Jagermeister Stage, were staggered. One band would play their set on one stage and within minutes of finishing, another started playing on the other stage. Get the picture? Each band’s set was roughly thirty minutes in length but an intense thirty-minute set. All killer with no filler!

3 Inches Of Blood kicked off the day with a loud set that got alot of the hungry head bangers going but just wetted their appetites for more. In This Moment’s set saw lead singer Maria Brink go out into the crowd to the soundboard for their final song, “Daddy’s Falling Angel”, to get a circle pit going around the board. The fans were game and started a huge dust storm that looked like cattle being herded to their slaughter as their circled her.

Shadow’s Fall had a great crowd for their set which included a great cover of Ozzy Osbourne’s “Bark at The Moon” that got the crowd singing along. Lead singer Brian Fair pulled a little guy on stage, maybe 7 or 8, who could barely see over the barricade but had been head banging their entire set. He let this little rocker watch the last song from the side of the stage. Talk about a Mayhem memory!

Norma Jean and Chimaira, who had just played a club date the night before with In This Moment in Charlotte, NC, got some of the best crowd reactions with their ear splitting sets. There was lots of crowd surfing going on. Hatebreed closed out the Jager stage showing that after sixteen years of doing what they love, they still have what it takes to teach some of the younger bands how to rock out properly. These guys are an excellent example of true hardcore and always believing in what they are doing.

The band’s kept a tight schedule and right at 6:30, as shown in the program, Five Finger Death Punch took to the main stage. Vocalist Ivan Moody has assembled a tight unit of guys who, although were not friends to begin with when formed, have grown into a vital band in today’s scene. Ivan is great with the crowd too. At one point asking who in the audience had bought their new CD and then asking who had illegally downloaded it. Well, a question like that made some shy away from answering but there were quite a few who admitted to it. Ivan said that, even though it took fifteen cents out of his pocket for every copy downloaded illegally, the main thing was that it brought them out to the show. Their cover of Bad Company classic song “Bad Company” got a great response from the crowd.

Richmond, Virginia’s Lamb of God took the stage next. They are celebrating their fifteen years of slaying audiences this year. These guys are another example of never straying from your beliefs and compromising. Their aggressive forty minutes set had very little banter with the crowd and they simply gave the audience what they came for, the music. A set of all substance and very little style. Don’t get me wrong, these guys don’t depend on props or a fancy stage to make their point. They have a great light show but no fancy distractions to take away from the fact that they are here to thrash your faces off. These guys weren’t nominated at Revolver’s 2010 Golden Gods awards for Best Live Band because they sit on barstool and sing.

Next up was Rob Zombie, who definitely puts on a show. Almost the complete opposite of Lamb of God, Rob is over the top with his stage show. You know for a fact that two of his influences growing up were KISS and Alice Cooper when you see his show. There were flames and robots and smoke everywhere and that was before Rob even came out on stage! His set mixed in a few White Zombie songs along with his solo material. “Dragula” and “Never Gonna Stop” had the crowd on their feet. He paid tribute to his idol Alice by doing a cover of “School’s Out” which was awesome. His guitarist John 5 has been playing dates on a broken foot and teased him about it. He asked him if he wanted to play something softer that would hurt as much and he went into “Sweet Dreams” which he covered when he played with Marilyn Manson. Rob said that he was going to play a classic to get the older people in the grass seats up and played a hyped up version of his White Zombie classic “Thunderkiss ‘65” that went over great with the crowd.

At most venues on the tour, after Rob leaves so does most of the crowd. It almost seems as if he should have headlined. For those who left early, they missed a great performance by Korn. After some ups and downs the last few years, it seems as if they have returned more to what got them established back in 1994. That heavier, kind of edgy sound that you remember Korn having back then and less electronic. They played a few new songs from their latest CD and went old school with the rest of their set list. Their show was also full of pyro and a great overall stage show. Lead singer Jonathan Davis seems to have the boys back on track and their set at mayhem showed that they haven’t lost a thing.

So, after almost twelve hours of being in the blistering sun, the day had come to an end. Well, except for fighting all the traffic out. This year’s Mayhem Tour has been operating with ticket sales averaging a little over 20% above last year’s tour, which is good news for all of us metal fans. I cannot wait to see what tour producers Kevin Lyman and John Reese will have in store for us next year. I hope the smaller turnout doesn’t discourage them from coming to Raleigh, NC again. For those who were there, it was an awesome day full of rip your face off metal and for those who missed out, maybe next year! Horns high metal heads!