Written by It’s the final day of Ohio’s Sonic Temple and the sun has come out to play. Across a weekend that’s seen returning legends (My Chemical Romance), next-gen stars (Bring Me The Horizon) and even new acts stepping up to headline status – on both main and smaller stages, thanks to Shinedown, Slaughter To Prevail and Lorna Shore – it feels like there’s no shortage of excitement as we hit the final stretch.
Over on the Altar Stage, Jesus moshes with a blue wizard and a giant dancing banana. It’s a suitably bizarre image that perfectly matches the odd assemblage of Castle Rat, the New York fantasy doom sensation putting on a brilliantly theatrical performance to mark the final day of Sonic Temple. It says a lot about the band’s rapid development that this show features new props alongside favourite set pieces, including a giant winged rat that dances to the group’s triumphant trad metal riffs on the surprisingly thrashy Siren.
P.O.D. might not be the youth of the nation anymore, but their veteran status means we’ve got plenty of massive tunes to sing along to. Kicking off with Boom, the set offers up juddering, chest-beating riffs aplenty and it’s no surprise both Youth Of A Nation and Alive receive big sing-alongs.
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Swedish melodeath beneath the blazing sun just feels right. In Flames aren’t taking any prisoners with a set that includes anthems old and new in Cloud Connected, Meet Your Maker and Take This Life, Anders Friden commanding that bodies keep flying over the barriers throughout.
“You are on fire!” Avatar’s Johannes Eckerstrom might not be talking figuratively as temperatures soar on the main stage. It doesn’t slow the Swedes’ carnival of oddities down though, and their short-but-sweet set feels like the perfect justification to give them a longer slot next time, a crammed setlist of big tunes like The Eagle Has Landed, The Dirt I’m Buried In and Hail The Apocalypse still omitting bangers like Colossus and Captain Goat.
You’re never truly safe during a Suicidal Tendencies set. While the band bound around on-stage like they’ve had a tad too much sugar in their breakfast cereal, down in the pit it’s a constant whirl of flesh, a big circle pit breaking out in front of the stage while Hammer gets practically taken out by a surprise flurry of crowdsurfers. It’s all delightfully manic and the bounding grooves of You Can’t Bring Me Down and Send Me Your Money – complete with a tasty bass solo from Tye Trujillo – show the band aren’t slowing down in their later years.
Zakk Wylde knows his way around a stadium-pleasing performance. Black Label Society deliver their usual arsenal of chuggy old school metal tunes, but a sweet inclusion of Ozzy Osbourne’s No More Tears mid-set with an epic, grandstanding solo means there’s not a soul around who doesn’t howl along in utter delight.
It’s probably in the interest of public safety that Amon Amarth don’t bring the usual arsenal of flames and explosives that’s basically made them an 8th Century Rammstein. The blazing sun overhead cooks the huge horde who turn out to watch the Swedes strut their stuff. Opening on Raven’s Flight, they affirm just how massive and surprisingly catchy their melodeath tunes are with the likes of Shield Wall and Raise Your Horns eliciting delighted sing-alongs.
Johan Hegg looks around in glee as the crowd drop for Put Your Back Into The Oar (“I think this might be our biggest one ever!”). Even sweltering temperatures can’t stop the band from bringing out a couple of fully armoured Vikings to flank them during the set, and for Saxons And Vikings they even bring up videos of Saxon’s Biff Byford to do a back-and-forth on vocals.
“We have one mission today – destroy this fucking place.” Randy Blythe is on typically explosive form as Lamb Of God get stuck into their main stage slot in the stadium. Opening on a one-two of Ruin and Laid To Rest, they aren’t taking any prisoners and even bring out gouts of flame for the title-track of their latest album, Into Oblivion.
Somehow Devildriver’s groove metal rage sets off an impromptu Judo demonstration as limbs fly back and forth with ferocious energy, Dez Fafara clearly lapping it up from the stage. New tune Dig Your Own Grave sounds absolutely colossal, but there’s just no competing with the thick fury of End Of The Line and Clouds Over California that close the set.
Given they had three number one albums in the US, maybe it’s not too surprising that Godsmack pull what may well be the biggest non-headliner crowd of the weekend on main stage. Opening on I Stand Alone, they get a massive, stadium-wide sing-along going and build out from there. The crowd sing along with utter devotion as the band fly through their hits, Sully Erna wearing the biggest smile of the day when he says “Let’s make this like the big-ass rock gigs I remember from when I was growing up.”
He gets his wish and then some; with record attendance at this year’s festival, the enormous turn-out and vibes just cement the sense that Sonic Temple is fast becoming the spiritual home of metal in the US. See you again next year!
