The Ashes of Leviathan tour was a celebration 20 years in the making as LAMB OF GOD celebrates 20 years of their album "Ashes of the Wake" and MASTODON celebrates 20 years of "Leviathan." The two legendary metal acts destroyed the Red Rocks Amphitheatre stage on August 29, both playing their albums in full for the special occasion. KERRY KING's supergroup band was there to support along with English metalcore band MALEVOLENCE. With a backdrop like the beautiful red rocks in Morrison, Colorado, it was a night to remember for both the fans and the bands.

MALEVOLENCE took the stage first and riled up the crowd for what was to be a magnificent night of metal. They praised the other bands on the tour and were thankful for being part of it. Lead vocalist Alex Taylor joked about not being prepared for the altitude in Colorado and said it was the first time he had to have oxygen on stage. Despite this they put everything into their performance and killed it on the stage. No doubt after this tour they will be rising in the ranks of metalcore. They certainly know how to make an impression.

KERRY KING's band wowed with their performance. This may not be the beloved SLAYER, but this band has the potential to be huge and rightfully so. With drummer Paul Bostaph (SLAYER), vocalist Mark Osegueda (DEATH ANGEL), guitarist Phil Demmel (formerly of MACHINE HEAD), bassist Kyle Sanders (HELLYEAH), and of course Kerry King on guitar, how could it not be great? They deserve to be listened to and judged by the talent they possess as a group and not put up against the likes of SLAYER. Their show proved that hands down. They were an excellent choice for this tour and performed a killer set. I had no choice but to head to the merch booth and snag some KERRY KING swag after watching them.

MASTODON rocked out a full performance of "Leviathan" and it was awesome to hear them kick off with "Blood and Thunder." These guys have that kind of weird vibe that I can really get behind and although they have quite a different sound than their co-headliners, they are no less heavy and legendary. I've been especially partial to their background visuals during their sets. If you've followed any of the members of either band on social media throughout this tour, you've seen the connection between MASTODON and LAMB OF GOD and you've seen the mutual respect. Drummer and vocalist Brann Dailor spoke to the crowd after their performance and recalled the thrill of seeing "Leviathan" (on CD) next to "Ashes of the Wake" at Best Buy 20 years ago. He also teased the possibility of new music soon. Two decades is a long time to remain relevant in the music world, but both of them are doing as great as ever. Best Buy doesn't even sell CDs anymore, but these two bands are still around!

LAMB OF GOD will never be disappointing live — of this I am convinced. Every time I see them it's one of the best performances I've ever seen, but this Red Rocks show felt extra special. Getting to hear "Ashes of the Wake" in full was a different experience compared to the other times I've seen them and this venue is just magical. I can't think of a better place to help such a legendary metal band celebrate 20 years of one of the most badass metal albums in existence. LAMB OF GOD are always bursting at the seams with energy when they play a show — one couldn't fathom how they do it night after night on tour, but they always give their all to their fans. Cheers to an incredible tour celebrating two of the most significant metal bands still pumping out music and touring!