Mayhem Fest @ the Comcast Theatre (Hartford, CT, USA)

The Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Fest hit Hartford, CT to melt faces on August 8, 2009. With 13 bands playing daily, the festival has something to offer for anyone who can appreciate music with a heavier edge. From White Chapel to Marilyn Manson, the event left little to be disappointed in.

United Music got the chance to catch up with: White Chapel, Soul Made Visible, Behemoth, God Forbid, The Black Dahlia Murder, All That Remains, Job For A Cowboy, Trivium, Cannibal Corpse, Bullet For My Valentine, Killswitch Engage, Slayer, and Marilyn Manson.

White Chapel weren’t able to play the Massachusetts date a few days back, but the band were back in full force in Connecticut. Though being the first band of the day, the group have what many would refer to as stage presence. Utilizing risers at the front and thrashing their way around the stage, this band is one whose set attendees absolutely shouldn’t miss. If the double shot expresso you had earlier didn’t wake you up, White Chapel sure will.

Behemoth were one of the first acts of the day on the Hot Topic stage, but don’t let the fact that they’re on a smaller stage fool you: these guys bring an energy packed performance that kept the crowd going strong despite only playing six songs. Slathered up in body paint and later dowsing the front row of the crowd in fake blood, Behemoth are one band not to be missed on this tour – provided you’re not afraid to get down and dirty with them during their performance. God Forbid were not quite as forward with the element of shock value, but between the jumping around onstage and throwing up the horns between songs, the crowd seemed just as excited to be there. This band’s strongest asset for the day was their ability to connect with their crowd.

During The Black Dahlia Murder crowd surfing was at an all time high – but with such an infectiously heavy rhythm, could you really blame attendees? Out of the smaller bands on the tour, this group’s crowd was one of the largest and with thousand looking for a good show, the band definitely delivered by making sure to engage their viewers just like God Forbid. All That Remains busted out the platforms and drum risers to give their performance an especially epic feel. This band was also particularly rowdy onstage, but if you asked fans it’s doubtful they would have had any complaints. Job For A Cowboy was another band who drew a very large crowd – and with good reason too. As the time for the headlining acts’ performances neared, the band only added to the hype by joking around onstage and communicating as much as possible with those who had come out to see them.

Trivium by far gave the best set of the afternoon on the smaller stages. Throughout their time onstage, it was obvious just how much of a camaraderie there was between the band as they high-fived and laughed their way through their six songs. With extra platforms for the band members to utilize, this band offered the crowd the most intimate performance of the day. The last smaller band of the day, Cannibal Corpse stood out amongst the others who had played prior to them… and not in a good way. With little energy onstage and the same routine movements for 20 minutes, the band had seemingly nothing to offer for those who had never heard of them before showing up that day. However, their fans seemed really into what was going onstage, bringing the mosh… as long as the kids were enjoying themselves, that’s all that mattered right?

Bullet For My Valentine was the first of four main stage bands in the amphitheater. Rallying the crowd to throw up the middle finger and joking around onstage, the band were a fun segue into the last bands of the night.

Killswitch Engage busted out the spotlights, larger-than-life backlighting, and pyrotechnics for the show. Coming in from outside into the amphitheater, the Comcast Theatre’s arena was certainly fitting for a band that commanded the stage as their own. Killswitch Engage’s set was one of the most welcome later in the night as they were one of the only bands that made the crowd feel like they were welcome and among equals. Joking around and letting their appreciation for the crowd be known, the band rounded of their hour with a performance that was energy-packed from first song to closer.

When thrash metal kings Slayer hit the stage, anticipation soared. Throughout the night the band were particularly quiet but played fan favorites nonetheless. When you’re Slayer, you don’t need to be obnoxious onstage – your music is enough. Finally as the last act of the night, Marilyn Manson graced the stage as a chant broke out from the crowd and quickly swept across the whole arena. As the intro to “We’re From America” can be heard, Manson can be seen by a few photographers from behind the curtain, taking swigs from a liquor bottle with the rest of his band… then the curtain drops and all hell breaks loose. Paying face time to both sides of the crowd and taking the time to run out on the catwalk that extended into the crowd, Manson took the time to hold hands and share the mic with the front row. One thing is clear: Manson doesn’t give less than 100 percent in a performance and even if he did, the crowd would probably still chant his name.

All in all, Mayhem Fest is well worth the money to get an up close and personal chance to rock out with your favorite names in metal. Some acts are better than others but the beauty of it is that if you don’t like a band, 20 minutes later a new band is going to take the stage. Mayhem has a little bit of something to offer everyone and even if you aren’t a fan of any of the bands, if you look hard enough you will find something that excites you.

White Chapel

Soul Made Visible