The second day of the fest started kind of bad due to my hang over, having to get up early to take LEATHERWOLF back to the airport, and a downpour on the way there. We got the airport okay except for Carey getting a little wet from a leaky sunroof.
DOOMSHADE were the first band up for the evening and I had seen them previously open for TROUBLE just a month earlier. The set I think was pretty much the same but included a MOTORHEAD cover this time around, but the track title escapes me. In case you didn't read my other report DOOMSHADE have kind of a Southern Stoner Metal mish mash. Their music is pretty similar to CORROSION OF CONFORMITY.
My designated passengers for the weekend, TWELFTH GATE, were up next. I had never seen them with the new singer, so I was intrigued to see how he would make the songs from Threshold of Revelation sound. I must say Aaron did not disappoint me whatsoever. I thought it was nice how he put his own take on the older songs, but left Orpheus essentially the same since the previous singer did it so well. The whole band was great, but it was really treat to watch Jim (ex-OPPRESSOR) play guitar, he was just so animated something you usually only get from singers.
Some of other out-of-towners that played were, SACRED DAWN and as the previous times I have seen then they fucking slayed. Musically they are so tight that it is almost ridiculous. They sound exactly how they do on the album and I have been listening to their album constantly since Lance King gave it to me at 'Powerfest 2008'. As usual the highlights were Hall of the Mountain King, Walls Of Jericho, and my personal fave I'm The One.
The surprise of the weekend was WIDOW easily and I only caught the last 3 songs due to my taxi service. I had heard only one track before hearing them live and they were very entertaining mostly because it looked like they were having a great time. They looked like it was their pleasure to be playing even though the previous day the drove 20 hours to get here and I know they were tired because I was drinking with til 4 or 5 in the morning. The band's tracks are just more of a traditional style that is more about having fun, but doesn't lack the technicality to make it a joke :cough: ANDREW W.K. :cough:.
Last up for the night was MANILLA ROAD, who were also nice guys after chatting with them a little bit before their set. These guys I didn't have try to become familiar with their back catalogue due to its extensiveness, but I did pick up their new album Voyager. The set whole set was pretty cool, but I thought the Voyager songs stood out more due to me knowing them more then likely. Overall their set was good, but not the best of the weekend like I heard people talking about in anticipation of their set.
To conclude I want to thank Live Evil Promotions for giving me the chance to hang with the bands and taxi them around even though they probably would say the opposite and thank me, but whatever. The fact of the matter was that it was a great fucking weekend for my extended HEAVY METAL FAMILY!!!
