Tag: sonic temple

Metallica returns to Historic Crew Stadium

Over the years, I have been fortunate enough to gift a lot of concert tickets to a lot of people thanks to this gig. Often, especially in the earlier days when I was writing for corporate entities, I would be given a “plus one” with my reviewer tickets. It’s always been important to me to share what I consider to be good music with people that I care about. It’s been awesome to be able to take friends and family members along for the ride over the past twenty years or so.

One of those people that I’ve been able to take to a handful of shows over the years has been my eldest niece. She accompanied me to a Cheap Trick show as an early teen. I was able to bring her to a big festival in Toledo a few years later that featured a who’s who of 80’s hair metal. It featured bands like Ratt and Dokken. We’ve seen Lynyrd Skynyrd and in 2019, for the inaugural Sonic Temple Festival (after they changed their name from Rock on the Range) we were able to see her favorite band at the time: Foo Fighters. I tend to think that, over the years, my writing has gotten better. Alas, comp tickets for big festivals like Sonic Temple have become much harder to get a hold of since I no longer do this for a corporation. I’ve been very fortunate to get free tickets to more concerts than most people probably go to in a lifetime, so I’ll never complain about not getting comped for something that I love to do and have been privileged enough to do countless times. It is frustrating, though, that those opportunities have dried up for some events due to the fact that I’m now just a name and no longer a name with a corporate logo attached to it. I digress.

With that being said, Sonic Temple was not going to be in the cards for me this year, even with as awesome of a lineup that they had organized. Metallica. Korn. Alice Cooper. Alice In Chains. Linkin Park. And on, and on. These are some legendary acts and in a sudden twist of fate, that same niece shot me a text that she had picked up tickets for Sunday as a surprise for her and her boyfriend….and that she had gotten one for me as well! The seeds, that I hope I planted in her brain years ago about live music, have become a passion of hers too. I was touched that they had grabbed a wristband for me as well. Typically, her and her boyfriend go to Ohio’s other major festival; Inkcarceration in Mansfield. They recently moved to Columbus, though, and live within walking distance of Historic Crew Stadium. I went down Sunday morning, to their home, and we walked to the stadium in time to catch one of the opening acts for the day: Fame On Fire.

They were a fun show and we stayed there at the “second” stage for most of the early afternoon. We caught sets by The Plot In You, From Ashes to New, and Badflower. From there we separated for awhile. I was ready to get into the stadium for Chevelle, while they were more interested in seeing Asking Alexandria who has long evaded them. Chevelle was great, as always, and performed for the second largest crowd of the day besides the headliner.

Initially, the band after Chevelle, was supposed to be the iconic Alice In Chains. Unfortunately, due to a medical emergency, they had to pull out two days before the gig. That didn’t leave the festival organizers much time to find a replacement…especially one with the kind of draw that Alice In Chains brings in. They did, however, especially on such short time do an admirable job by adding hometown heroes Beartooth to the lineup. I’ll be the first to admit, that I am not what you would call a huge Beartooth fan. I think they are fine. It has definitely been cool, though, to see them grow over the years. You used to be able to see this band in small venues and this past winter they headlined a show at Columbus’ Schottenstein Center. That’s big time. It was also quite clear that the moment was emotional for the band as well. Lead vocalist Caleb Shomo stopped multiple times to thank the crowd and even towards the end appeared to be shedding some tears. To open an enormous show in your hometown for the biggest band in the world has to be one of those bucket list moments for them.

Outside of maybe AC/DC, there are no current bands in the rock/metal stratosphere that are as big of a draw as the festival headliner: Metallica. They are far and away the largest act that this festival has booked and it’s doubtful, honestly, that that will change. Just as they did when they headlined Rock on the Range in 2017, they absolutely filled the stadium. I’m a huge Metallica fan, but they are not my favorite band. That does not change the fact that they are massive, and at least in the United States, there is nobody else that can do what they are doing. They are bigger now, in 2025, than they even were in their “prime”. The only other act, that I’m aware of, that is playing football stadiums for multiple nights per city is Taylor Swift. I mean no disrespect to her when I say this, but she isn’t playing two completely unique sets each night either where there are zero songs repeated. That is legendary.

And so it was. Metallica came and conquered Columbus yet again. Their Sunday set was a perfect blend of classics and a few tracks from their most recent album 72 Seasons. One of the highlights for me was hearing a stadium full of people echoing back the outro to “The Memory Remains”. Getting to see the biggest band in the world, again, with my niece and her boyfriend at our hometown festival was awesome. Gene Simmons famously stated that “Rock is dead.” Sometimes it feels that way, and the up and comers definitely have their work cut out for them if there is ever going to be a new band to be on that same level as a Metallica or a Led Zeppelin or an AC/DC. But rock isn’t dead. Events like this couldn’t happen if that were true. This festival has grown from a one day affair to a four day event with four stages and 100 performances since 2007. Younger generations of fans and newer bands will have to continue to keep it alive but hearing 50,000 people in a stadium singing along to “One” and “Enter Sandman” has me very optimistic that the legends of yesteryear and the legends of today have laid a more than solid foundation for the legends of tomorrow.

Metallica Set List Columbus, OH Sonic Temple Festival May 11, 2025

  • Whiplash
  • For Whom The Bell Tolls
  • Ride The Lightning
  • The Memory Remains
  • Lux AEterna
  • Screaming Suicide
  • Metal Militia and Hang on Sloopy (medley)
  • No Leaf Clover
  • Cyanide
  • The Call of Ktulu
  • The Unforgiven
  • Wherever I May Roam
  • Fight Fire With Fire
  • Moth Into Flame
  • One
  • Enter Sandman
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Avenged Sevenfold and Poppy burn it down in Columbus

Avenged Sevenfold made their second visit to Ohio’s capital city last night in support of their latest offering; 2023’s Life Is But A Dream…, a project that was five years in the making. They made their initial Columbus stop last May as the Friday night headliner at the Sonic Temple Festival. Admittedly, I was concerned after watching them last year at a festival that has become like a second home for them. Perhaps, it was just the long layoff after the pandemic that had made them seem somewhat rusty. Whatever rust they may have had last May has surely been shaken off by now. Last night at Nationwide Arena the band were in top form. Their proper headlining, fifteen song set saw them focus on their latest record but also dust off some of their more obscure back catalog.

The opener for this tour is alt-pop-metal outfit Poppy. Admittedly, I was unfamiliar with her or her band prior to last night and I didn’t have high expectations. I’m glad that I went into it with an open mind, however. I’m sure that I am not the target demographic for her music and will admit that it was certainly not in my wheelhouse of something that I’d normally listen to. With all of that said, there was something about the performance that drew me in. I can’t explain it. There were elements of techno, metal, and pop that fused into an oddly enjoyable blend of music. All I can say is I had never heard or seen anything quite like it before last night. I would explain it as if you mixed Rob Zombie with In This Moment and K-Pop. I’m generally not one that would be described as a very artistic person, but her performance was certainly art. I can and do appreciate that. While I might not understand it, I was entertained and drawn into it, and in retrospect there were things about her performance that fits with the experimentation and progressive path that A7X has been on since Hail To The King was released.

Poppy Set List Columbus, OH 3/26/2024

  • 1. Bloodmoney
  • 2. Church Outfit
  • 3. Bite Your Teeth
  • 4. I Disagree
  • 5. X
  • 6. Hard
  • 7. Sit/Stay
  • 8. V.A.N. (Bad Omens cover)
  • 9. Fill The Crown
  • 10. Anything Like Me
  • 11. Scary Mask
  • 12. Concrete

Shortly after 9 p.m. the lights dimmed and Kvinsky’s Nightcall played over the speakers as the intro before Avenged Sevenfold took the stage to kick off the night with a pair of songs from the new album. It’s no secret that over the course of the past two albums the band has been experimenting with new sounds. Like bands before them (Rush, Iron Maiden, Metallica, etc.) they’ve been pushing the boundaries into new territory. Avenged Sevenfold no longer fits into a cookie cutter box of a proper metalcore band. They’ve grown. They’ve evolved. That’s okay, too. How boring would it be, for them, to continuously make the same record over and over again? Do I have a fondness for their earlier work? Absolutely. I do enjoy seeing a band grow, though, and both The Stage and Life Is But A Dream… have grown on me with each listen.

The new tracks held up well in the live setting and of course the crowd went nuts for the songs from the “classic” era of this band. For a band that I worried about potentially being lost less than a year ago; those fears have been put to rest after seeing them last night. M. Shadows in particular seemed to be having fun again and his vocals were stronger than they’ve been in a long time. With eight studio albums now under their belt, during a career spanning twenty five years, there is always going to be a gripe with any set list that they choose to perform. Of course I want to hear “Beast and the Harlot“, but I’ll gladly trade that for a band that is still challenging themselves to make new music. That means the fire still burns within them. If that fire still burns, then you’ve got a band that is going to continue to create. Bands that create, want to share their art and perform it live. Give me that. Bands that become bored, don’t last. I need live music more than I need to hear a particular song. I’m thankful that Avenged Sevenfold is still driven to create and bring us their live show. Inspiration breeds motivation, and has led this band back to being on top of their game. They were on top of their game last night.

Avenged Sevenfold Set List Columbus, Ohio 3/26/2024

  • 1. Game Over (2023)
  • 2. Mattel (2023)
  • 3. Afterlife (2007)
  • 4. Hail To The King (2013)
  • 5. We Love You (2023)
  • 6. Shepherd Of Fire (2013)
  • 7. The Stage (2016)
  • 8. Roman Sky (2016)
  • 9. Blinded In Chains (2005)
  • 10. Bat Country (2005)
  • 11. Nobody (2023)
  • 12. Nightmare (2010)
  • 13. Unholy Confessions (2003)
  • 14. Save Me (2010)
  • 15. Cosmic (2023)
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Review: Two days at Sonic Temple Music Festival

It had been four long years since I last saw a concert at Historic Crew Stadium, home of the Sonic Temple Music Festival. The 2020 event was cancelled due to the entire world shutting down. 2021 was cancelled as well due to lingering fear peddling and no word on ever was publicly made that I’m aware of as to why the event didn’t happen in 2022. As someone who is one of the originals from 2007 when this event was formerly known as Rock On The Range, the pilgrimage to Columbus for this festival kind of became ingrained into my psyche. For this year’s festival, I only visited on Friday and Saturday. While pulling off of 17th Avenue onto the festival grounds, I was met with a rush of familiarity and memories with friends and strangers. Unfortunately, I arrived too late in the day to park in my usual spot under the shade of the infamous Pee Tree. If you’ve ever pre-gamed for this festival with me and my friends, you should remember the Pee Tree. Good times.

Unfortunately, I was unable to get down on Friday in time for Black Stone Cherry. one of my long time favorites whom I first discovered on those very grounds. While walking in, Badflower had just started their performance, but I was headed straight to the Octane Stage for Dorothy. I watched the rest of Badflower’s set from the video screens as Dorothy’s stage was being put together. She remains rock & roll’s best kept secret. She’s got a powerful voice. She’s got a great, hard rocking band behind her. She’s authentically authentic. Due to being a festival performance, the 7 song set was all too brief, especially after getting to see her perform a headlining set on her own tour last year. With that said, the band made the most of their 40 minute slot. Quite literally, their frontwoman stopped the show to shout a prayer over a fan that was having some sort of medical emergency. The show did not continue until security and medical personnel confirmed that the individual was okay. While there were a few dozen apparent nonbelievers that were looking for a reason to be offended and left, I found it refreshing to hear this woman bring everything to a halt and immediately reach out for divine intervention for a complete stranger in need. How sad it is that in today’s age, someone could be offended by somebody praying over somebody in distress. Dorothy Martin is admittedly no saint. She has been open for years about vulnerable moments in her life, her own demons and the things that have led her to her renewed faith. At a festival that had tents devoted to tarot card readings, tents devoted to coven members, and countless performers and fans wearing and saying things that blaspheme virtually every religion on earth, it is absolutely mind blowing that there were a vocal minority of people complaining about someone praying and making sure the devil wasn’t welcome to harm her fans. I know, not very “metal” of me to have this take, but oh well, I’m not ashamed. Anyway, the rest of her performance continued without incident and as always was one of the highlights.

Dorothy performing “What’s Coming To Me” at Sonic Temple Festival, May 26, 2023 in Columbus, Ohio.

From there it was to the main stage for the rest of the evening for me. As always, Illinois’ alt metal titans, Chevelle were their typical solid selves. Having also seen them multiple times, this three-piece isn’t there to be flashy. They show up and let their music speak for them. In their fifty minute set they fit in as many songs as the evening’s headliner, but we’ll get to that in a minute. Sandwiched between Chevelle and the Friday headliner was Seattle’s Queens Of The Stone Age. They aren’t my typical go-to type of band, but their set was fine and lead vocalist Josh Homme remarked that it was their first gig in five years. I’d have flipped them and Chevelle, but no real complaints there. QOTSA also managed to play an 11 song set, matching the output of the final band of the night.

Chevelle performing “The Red” at Sonic Temple Music Festival, Columbus, OH.
Queens Of The Stone Age performing “No One Knows” at Sonic Temple Music Festival in Columbus, OH.

Friday night’s headliner marked the return of a festival favorite; Avenged Sevenfold. The three new tracks were fine, and expected on an album tour. It was that there was only eight other tracks during their performance that puzzles me. I love A7X and have been a fan of theirs since the early 2000’s. Yet every time that they have headlined this festival, I don’t think they’ve ever played what is a proper headlining set. In 2018 they played a whopping ten songs and didn’t encore. In 2014 they played thirteen. In 2011 they played ten and in 2009 as the direct support to the headlining Motley Crue they only played seven songs. I don’t get it. Again, Friday night in 2023, they only played eleven songs and forget an encore song or two; because they stopped playing twenty minutes before their advertised set time was supposed to end. Again, I love this band, but if there is a physical reason that they can’t play a proper headlining set then drop them to the direct support and let them play for an hour since that seems to be about what they want to do.

The band sounded better than I anticipated. The new songs are growing on me. I don’t understand the shock that people have expressed in their new sound. This has kind of been the trajectory that they’ve been heading for awhile now. I’m all for being creative and trying to grow. I do hope, however, that they are all in a good place and are taking care of themselves both in body, mind and spirit. I can’t put my finger on it, but something just seems like members of this band may need some help. They’ve been through a lot. I hope for the best and I hope to see them again, but ending a major festival performance 20 minutes earlier than what was advertised and what people paid a lot of money for makes it seem like maybe things aren’t just quite right in A7X world.

  • Avenged Sevenfold Set List Columbus, OH
  • 1. Game Over
  • 2. Afterlife
  • 3. Hail To The King
  • 4. We Love You
  • 5. Buried Alive
  • 6. So Far Away
  • 7. Nobody
  • 8. Nightmare
  • 9. Bat Country
  • 10. Unholy Confessions
  • 11. A Little Piece Of Heaven
Avenged Sevenfold performing “Bat Country” at Sonic Temple Music Festival in Columbus, OH

I trekked back down on Saturday for my most anticipated concert of 2023: KISS. I”ve been a KISS fan since I was about fifteen years old since Santa Claus, apparently growing tired of my rap phase, gifted me the iconic Destroyer album for Christmas. From the first time I heard “Detroit Rock City” and “God Of Thunder” among others on the record, I’ve been hooked. I first saw KISS in 2003 with my Dad on a co-headlining tour with Aerosmith. I saw them a second time with my brother in 2009 in Cleveland where they had the curious choice of having Buckcherry as their opening act. Anyway, every time that KISS had came to town since then, they’ve eluded me for whatever reason. To say that I had been waiting for that concert for a long time would be an understatement. To pass on the goodwill that my Dad, er, Santa Claus passed on to me; I took my 13 year old nephew with me for his first large scale concert experience.

We arrived in time to catch From Ashes To New on the Octane Stage. Hailing from neighboring Pennsylvania, these hard rockers were really good. They brought great energy and packed 9 songs into their forty minute set. See my confusion with Avenged Sevenfold? They were given 90 minutes to headline the event, played for 70 minutes instead, and only played 11 songs. Anyway, for being the first band my nephew ever got to see at a festival, they left a lasting impression on him and I was impressed as well.

From Ashes To New performing “Panic” at Sonic Temple Music Festival in Columbus, OH.

Following them were Sweden’s Avatar. Their performances are always entertaining. For those of you that might not be familiar; imagine Alice Cooper’s theatrics meets King Diamond piercing vocals meets Swedish heavy metal. It makes sense to me. I’m here for it and the crowd reaction was great, particularly for “Smells Like A Freakshow”. I must wonder, though, if those same complainers about Dorothy shared any complaints about the subject matter from Avatar’s performance. I’m doubtful. Anyway, this is a band that I recommend people to check out if you are a metalhead that might be looking for something new.

Avatar performing “Smells Like A Freakshow” at Sonic Temple Music Festival in Columbus, OH.

For the rest of the evening it was time to venture from the Octane Stage into the stadium for the big acts. For the first time in awhile at this event, Rob Zombie was not in a headlining role. He understood the assignment though. Zombie is a huge KISS fan and was all on board with being the act that got the privilege of opening for them. I’d have made some changes to his set list, but as always he worked the crowd into a frenzy with his unique brand of grooving “dance” songs that tackle Gothic era horror and comics. I’ve never not enjoyed myself during a Rob Zombie performance and yesterday was not an exception.

Rob Zombie performing “Scum Of The Earth” at Sonic Temple Music Festival in Columbus, OH
  • Rob Zombie Set List Columbus, OH
  • 1. The Triumph Of King Freak (A Crypt Of Preservation And Superstition)
  • 2. Superbeast
  • 3. Meet The Creeper
  • 4. Shake Your Ass – Smoke Your Grass
  • 5. Living Dead Girl
  • 6. More Human Than Human
  • 7. Dead City Radio And The New Gods Of Supertown
  • 8. Scum Of The Earth
  • 9. Never Gonna Stop ( The Red, Red Kroovy)
  • 10. Well, Everybody’s *Friendly* In A U.F.O.
  • 11. House Of 1000 Corpses
  • 12. Thunder Kiss ’65
  • 13. Dragula

An hour after Zombie’s set finished, it was time for KISS. They did not disappoint. This band takes a lot of flak from people and some of it deservedly so; but their live performances are rivaled by very few acts and it makes me happy to see that they are ending this thing in a fashion where they are still able to put on a great show. Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley are well into their 70’s and it would be easy to phone it in on this last run of shows that will see their touring days come to an end; but they aren’t. Columbus, OH was treated to the “hottest band in the world” one final time and packed as much into a 90 minute set that I think they could. Getting to share it with my young nephew made it even cooler. With every explosion, rising platform, spitting fire, and blood capsule trick; I would look over and see a thirteen year old boy with a look of awe on his face that I was hoping for. Outside of Metallica at Rock On The Range 2017, KISS firmly planted themselves as the best performance in the event’s history in my not so humble opinion. It was awesome, for one last time, to lose our minds in *Columbus* Rock City with KISS.

KISS performing “Detroit Rock City” at Sonic Temple Music Festival in Columbus, Ohio.
  • KISS Set List Columbus, OH
  • 1. Detroit Rock City
  • 2. Shout It Out Loud
  • 3. War Machine
  • 4. Heaven’s On Fire
  • 5. I Love It Loud
  • 6. Cold Gin
  • 7. *Tommy Thayer guitar solo*
  • 8. Lick It Up
  • 9. Calling Dr. Love
  • 10. Psycho Circus
  • 11. *Eric Singer drum solo*
  • 12. 100,000 Years
  • 13. God Of Thunder
  • 14. Love Gun
  • 15. I Was Made For Lovin’ You
  • 16. Black Diamond
  • 17. Beth (Encore)
  • 18. Rock & Roll All Nite (Encore)
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Ranking: Foo Fighters

The inaugural Sonic Temple Music and Art Festival made its debut in 2019. The final headliner to close out that event was the Dave Grohl led Foo Fighters. After back to back to back years of COVID related issues preventing the festival returning until now in 2023, it is fitting that Foo Fighters will return to once again to close out the festival. When the concert used its former moniker, Rock On The Range, there were several iconic moments that perhaps can only be appreciated if you were there. Special moments that make your hair stand up and gives you goosebumps. The tributes to Chris Cornell by Corey Taylor and Taylor Momsen come to mind just days after Cornell’s passing. Soundgarden were set to headline the event that year. When Foo played in 2019, they also laid claim to some of those special moments. Actor and comedian Pauly Shore was at the concert to headline the comedy tent and had just lost his dad in the nights before. Grohl and company brought Shore up on stage and when they performed “My Hero” in dedication to Pauly’s dad, there couldn’t have been a dry eye in the stadium. Later, they also brought out The Struts lead singer Luke Spiller to duet with Taylor Hawkins on the Queen and David Bowie classic “Under Pressure”. That moment was pretty special at the time, but even more now due to Hawkins’ untimely passing last year. I’m confident in my belief that when they return to the main stage at Historic Crew Stadium next month, that there will be another moment or two that will be cemented in the lore of this festival.

Started in 1994 after the death of Kurt Cobain and Nirvana’s disbanding, Grohl formed Foo Fighters as a side project for him to continue to make music. Initially, he played all of the instruments, as this was meant to simply be a creative outlet for him to share his ideas and songs that he hadn’t previously done in Nirvana. The quality of the songs and the demand for more, ultimately led to putting together a group of musicians to tour and make subsequent Foo records with. It paid off as the Foo Fighters went on to become one of the biggest rock bands of the past thirty years, selling millions of records, playing concerts to millions of fans, and ultimately getting themselves inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021! Don’t miss them during what is sure to be an unforgettable performance in May. Tickets can be purchased here! As always, I’ve linked my Top 20 Foo Fighters songs for your listening pleasure below, but please make sure to vote in my poll at the top of the page to let your choice be heard!

  1. Let It Die
  2. The Pretender
  3. Everlong
  4. Times Like These
  5. My Hero
  6. Best Of You
  7. Learn To Fly
  8. These Days
  9. Walk
  10. All My Life
  11. Monkey Wrench
  12. I’ll Stick Around
  13. Breakout
  14. This Is A Call
  15. Big Me
  16. Run
  17. No Way Back
  18. Have A Cigar (Pink Floyd cover)
  19. Resolve
  20. Generator
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Ranking: KISS

Far and away, the most intriguing band coming to this year’s Sonic Temple Music and Art Festival is none other than KISS. Unlike the other three headliners, KISS will be making their first appearance at either Sonic Temple or its predecessor Rock on the Range. The legendary quartet’s appearance will not only be their first time at the Historic Crew Stadium, but it will also be the last time to see KISS in Ohio, as they are on their final tour. For real this time. They’ve announced that they are down to their last 50 shows and will officially end their touring career in their hometown New York City at the end of the year.

With a catalog of songs that began 50 years ago and album sales of over 100 million worldwide, Columbus is set to witness what will surely be another iconic performance on the main stage. In fact, there’ve only been a handful of bands that got their start in the 70’s that have played the festival. The very first headlining act for Rock on the Range was the legendary ZZ Top and in 2013 Cheap Trick were the direct support for Korn. As great as both of those performances were, KISS will likely set a new standard for what a festival headlining performance should look like. Although they haven’t played this venue yet, the two KISS shows that I’ve been fortunate enough to witness were both fantastic.

A KISS show has all of the elements needed for a great live experience. Pyro? Check. Wall of sound? Check. Spitting both blood and fire? Check. When you combine all of that with a set list of iconic sing along song and a rabid fanbase known as the KISS Army; you’ll be in for a good time! All Columbus needs to do now is show up and show out, and prove to Mr. Gene Simmons that at least in Ohio, rock is NOT dead!

Now, check out my list of the 20 Most Essential KISS tracks. I’ve linked them for your listening pleasure! Did I get it right? Vote in my poll above for your favorite KISS song!

  1. Black Diamond
  2. Love Gun
  3. Detroit Rock City
  4. God Of Thunder
  5. War Machine
  6. 100,000 Years
  7. She
  8. Parasite
  9. Hard Luck Woman
  10. I Stole Your Love
  11. Strutter
  12. I Want You
  13. Deuce
  14. Shock Me
  15. Cold Gin
  16. Calling Dr. Love
  17. Got To Choose
  18. Shout It Out Loud
  19. Do You Love Me?
  20. Crazy Crazy Nights
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Ranking: Avenged Sevenfold

With the recent release of their new single, “Nobody”, and their new upcoming album Life Is But A Dream…; Avenged Sevenfold seems like the proper place to pick up my series on the bands that are going to be playing at this year’s Sonic Temple Music Festival. A7X is no stranger to Columbus’ Historic Crew Stadium, they’ve played this event under its former moniker, Rock on the Range, in 2009, 2011, 2014, and 2018. They headlined a night of the festival during those three most recent appearances. This will be their first time back since the name changed to Sonic Temple, but they will once again be headlining the evening. They’ll likely also be supporting the new album when they take the main stage in May. With the record set to come out in early June, Sonic Temple seems like a logical time to try out the new tunes on the 40,000 plus that will be in attendance.

Avenged Sevenfold has always held a special place to me, as they are one of the metal bands that I grew up with. I was still pretty new in the world of metal as a 17 year old kid when I first heard “Chapter Four” while playing Madden NFL 2004 on my PlayStation 2. I remember thinking that they sounded unlike anything that anybody else was doing at the time. Two years later, when they once again appeared on Madden NFL 2006 with “Bat Country”, I was hooked. After hearing “Bat Country”, I decided to start going back into their catalog and discovering their earlier work. I’ve always enjoyed whenever I’ve been able to find an up and coming band before they break through into the main stream. Of course, a few years later, they would absolutely explode and crossover from metalcore favorites to mainstream giants with the release of Nightmare in 2010.

Similar to Metallica and the grief they get about the “black” album, A7X had a noticeable change of sound as well as the tragic death of one of their bandmates. I tend to disagree with those that disparage either band. Yes, their sound changed with the “black” album and Nightmare, but both records flat out rock. They are still heavy. I often try to rationalize with the detractors by telling them that musicians are artists first. An artist doesn’t make a living by painting the same picture over and over. As a band ages and their experiences change, it is natural for their sound to change. That has nothing to do with “selling out” and everything to do with life’s greatest truth: growing up. If KISS wrote “Christine Sixteen” at this point in their life; that’d be pretty weird. Likewise, why should we expect a band like Avenged to write a song like “A Little Piece of Heaven” in their forties?

While Nightmare broke them into the mainstream, it also put them under the intense microscope of heavy metal fandom. In the world of heavy metal, there are only two bands currently that are bigger draws than Avenged. Iron Maiden and Metallica. And like those two bands, every song and album that Avenged releases will be endlessly scrutinized. For Hail To The King, a record that paid homage to their influences, they would hear criticism of ripping off of those bands. When they released The Stage they suddenly were too progressive for some. As expected, there were plenty of mixed reviews and opinions on “Nobody” upon its release last week. At first listen, it’s a far cry from their metalcore days. However, it has grown on me with each subsequent listen. I enjoy the progression of most of the bands that I listen to. At some point, bands have to decide whether they are content playing their greatest hits night after night like Journey; or do they want to continue to create and evolve. Some bands change their sound and it isn’t always for the better. I don’t believe that is the case most of the time, however. Some fans might fall off along the way, as has happened to all of the modern metal giants; but they’ve also gained more fans along the way. You can bemoan an album like Nightmare for marking a change in sound; or you can appreciate that an album of its stature opened up the band to millions of other people whom would have never heard them and then go back and discover their back catalog.

I leave you with my Top 15 Avenged Sevenfold tracks of all time! I’ve also linked them for your listening pleasure!

  1. Bat Country
  2. Beast And The Harlot
  3. Nightmare
  4. Seize The Day
  5. Hail To The King
  6. Danger Line
  7. Afterlife
  8. Almost Easy
  9. Shepherd Of Fire
  10. Chapter Four
  11. Buried Alive
  12. This Means War
  13. Welcome To The Family
  14. So Far Away
  15. The Stage

Did I get it right? Make sure to vote for your favorite in the poll above or sound off in the comments!

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Ranking: TOOL

Headlining the first night of Sonic Temple 2023 is Tool. The legendary band hails from Los Angeles, California and are made up of eccentric front-man Maynard James Keenan, guitarist Adam Jones, drummer Danny Carey and bassist Justin Chancellor. One of the most mysterious and private bands in rock music, Tool has released five albums to date. Their first studio album, Undertow, was released in 1993; while their most recent effort, Fear Inoculum, came out in 2019. Their works have certainly been created with quality in mind, rather than quantity. Nonetheless, Tool remain one of the most popular bands with one of the most die hard fanbases in the game. I once met a girl in a college music course, that was such a Tool fanatic that she argued that every album we discussed was somehow a ripoff of Tool. Even music by bands that predate this one by decades. I digress.

While she may have been a bit kooky with that take, there is certainly a reason that the band has sold over 14 million albums worldwide and sells out concerts everywhere they go. I’ve ranked my favorite Tool tracks and linked them for your listening pleasure below. When they make their second appearance at Historic Crew Stadium in May, which song will you be most hoping to hear? Vote in my poll or add a comment if I didn’t include your favorite Tool song!

Posted on by chadjhobbs 2

Sonic Temple Festival finally returning in 2023

Finally. It will have been over four years since the last Sonic Temple Festival (formerly Rock on the Range), when it will make its long anticipated return during Memorial Day weekend to the Historic Crew Stadium. After a great festival in 2019, that saw an amazing performance by the Foo Fighters close out the event, Sonic Temple had been unable to go on during the following three years. 2020’s lineup had much promise. Initially, they were to have two headlining performances by the biggest band on the planet; Metallica. Unfortunately, 2020 happened and live music as we knew it ceased to exist for far too long. 2021 didn’t start out much better and the festival was cancelled for a second straight year due to there not being enough time to prepare for a festival of this magnitude so shortly after the pandemic was beginning to turn for the better. Why the festival didn’t return in 2022 is still up for debate, but it didn’t; and that left many to wonder if the original of these modern day Danny Wimmer Presents festivals would ever return.

Things began to trend in the right direction when a cryptic video was released this past fall from Historic Crew Stadium’s Main Stage and shortly after that came the official announcement that the festival would return in 2023. However, this will be the first time that the event doesn’t fall during Armed Forces Day weekend and will instead expand to four days and be held during the Memorial Day weekend. Memorial Day weekend and rock & roll music in Columbus, OH (thank you QFM 96) have a long history and this event should be one for the ages. Particularly, now that the lineup has been announced, this year’s event will be the place to be over the holiday weekend. Let’s break down the lineup:

Thursday May 25 features one of the most requested headlining acts every year with TOOL. They were at the festival once before, in 2018, which would wind up being the last year that it was called Rock on the Range. The alt-metal band will once again be directly supported by the same band that opened for them last time; Godsmack. The Boston hard rockers have played this event several times, including as the first day headliner in 2010. They’ve always put on a great show, and with this tour supporting what the band is calling it’s last album, I’d expect nothing less this time around either. The rest of Thursday will also be highlighted by Columbus’ own Beartooth with the highest billing they’ve had here, Welsh metalcore giants Bullet For My Valentine, Los Angeles’ Bad Omens, and 80’s crossover thrash/punk pioneers Suicidal Tendencies.

Friday May 26th brings back another festival favorite and one of the most requested acts each year with heavy metal titans and headlining act, Avenged Sevenfold. Avenged has previously played the festival four times including headlining performances in 2011, 2014, and 2018 although this will be their first time performing here since the event switched names. Their direct support will be 90’s rock outfit Queens of the Stone Age. They’ll be making their Crew Stadium debut; and at a festival that has a history of some iconic surprise appearances and special guests, I have to imagine there could be a special guest appearing during their performance. I believe that Friday, overall, will also be the strongest day of the festival. The undercard features some really great live bands including: hard rocking three piece Chevelle, thought provoking Badflower, the current queen of rock music Dorothy and her outstanding live band (read my 2022 review of her here), and modern Southern rock heavyweights Black Stone Cherry.

Saturday May 27th keeps the party going with one of the most iconic bands of all time coming to make their Crew Stadium debut. This band will probably be making their final appearance in Columbus as the Saturday headliner, as they are on their extended final tour. Of course, the band I’m talking about is the one and only, often imitated but never duplicated, “hottest band in the world!”; KISS! The best iterations of this festival have been the ones that have included some of the true icons of rock and heavy metal (ZZ Top, Guns N Roses, Motley Crue, Metallica, Judas Priest, Saxon, Cheap Trick and Megadeth have all graced this festival) and this is just another legendary band for them to be able to add to that list. KISS will absolutely be the show of the weekend! Would there be anybody else that would be a finer direct support for them than Rob Zombie? I don’t think so. Zombie is another band that has graced this event multiple times, including headlining performances in 2012 and 2016. This pairing of shock-rock legends will be a great way to cap off an evening that will include earlier performances by the rising Vegas outfit Falling In Reverse, TOOL’s Maynard Keenan’s third band Puscifer, the always popular Trivium from Orlando, Cincinnati’s Black Veil Brides, classic rock revivalists Rival Sons, and Swedish metal act Avatar.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=4XKp4FTcl6E

Sunday May 28th will see the Sonic Temple Festival come to a close with the same band that headlined its inaugural event under the Sonic Temple name. That band is the Foo Fighters. In what will surely be an emotional performance, as the band will now be trying to carry on without their long time drummer Taylor Hawkins, who sadly passed away last year. You know, though, that any time that Dave Grohl takes the stage that you are going to get a great performance. Both Rock on the Range and Sonic Temple have had their moments with emotional performances and this one will be no different. They’ll be supported by the alt metal quintet; Deftones. Other bands that are sure to highlight the day are Sublime with Rome, Taylor Momsen’s The Pretty Reckless, and Cleveland’s own Filter.

Tickets for Sonic Temple Art and Music Festival are already on sale and can be purchased here! You can also listen to “Ohio’s Best Rock” QFM 96 and “YOUR Rock Station” 99.7 The Blitz for ticket giveaways and promotions as well as news and updates for the festival. Who are you most excited to see perform at Sonic Temple in 2023?

Posted on by chadjhobbs 0