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Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
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| Redwolff's Review | 4 |
Abyss' Review (7/10/04, Meadows Music Theatre, Hartford, CT):
A Blaze In The Northern Sky Meets Pasty SkinOkay, I haven't been to Ozzfest since 2000. What's more is that I haven't felt the slightest inclination to go to Ozzfest since 2000, but I must admit this year it was extremely compelling. Black Sabbath, Slayer, and a reunited Judas Priest were worth the ticket price alone. Let's face it, this line-up is about as 'metal' as we could ever hope to get in a festival like this. So me and my girlfriend packed our bags and met up with our Connecticut friends for a day of sun and suds with some killer music to top it all off.
Photos by Hel
Lamb of GodOf course, all of the Ozzfest clichés continued to endure. The insane beer prices ($7.50), all too-short set lists, and a lot of lobster-red shoulders, necks and faces. (Or as my friend War would say, "We won't get burned, we'll just 'color up'." If you're like me and never heard the phrase 'color up' before, it apparently is synonymous with pain.) Other Ozzfest stereotypes still apply. For some reason only the overweight, saggy-breasted women are the ones who take off their tops and get their chest air brushed. I'm not sure why they're attracted to this, but I have a theory it has something to do with the Earth's magnetic field. And now you don't even have to wait until you get into the venue for guys to beg women to lift their tops, they're actually standing outside the entrance with signs! I'm not sure who has less self-respect, the girls who seek the attention by lifting their shirts, or the guys who actually make signs in an attempt to see breasts. Well, they're both pretty pathetic.
Anyway, we were late of course. Partly because we had to check into our room and get some reasonably priced beers into us, and also because we decided that we weren't going to feel pressured to do anything. We felt no need to see every band on the bill, and thought of the day as a great excuse to get drunk, listen to metal and have a great time.
HatebreedWhile we were walking to get in we saw the end of Lamb of God's set from the road, a surprisingly good view as a matter of fact. We witnessed the famous "Wall of Death" during the song "Black Label" which was pretty impressive from a distance. It was obvious that Lamb of God was a very popular addition to the festival, as the crowd was as ravenous for them as they were for anyone else. It was also probably a good thing that they played the second stage; this contributed to keeping the crowd tightly packed, adding to the carnage.
After entering the venue and getting some beer we watched Hatebreed's set, which was good for what it was. Hatebreed is a band I'll never love or hate. They do what they do pretty well, but in all honesty, I don't really care. There was a huge contingent of Hatebreed fans at the festival, however, easily spotted by their Hatebreed shirts and hardcore digs.
We eventually settled in on the lawn of the main stage, not really too concerned with being all that close. We were having too much fun soaking up the day, as well as getting drunk, telling stories and having a great time. The background music to this was Black Label Society, a band that I respect a great deal, but don't listen to all that often. I was pretty damned impressed by their live version of "Stillborn" though. Zakk's vocals are pretty damned good, and he was on top of his game. Even the Ozzy parts sounded awesome.
Superjoint Ritual was a big yawn, and to be honest we didn't pay too much attention. We were engrossed in our own conversations and only noted the band a few times during one of Phil's diatribes, looking up at each other comically and saying, "Is he still talking?"
Black Label SocietyThe unfortunate thing about being on the lawn in the broad daylight is it is next to impossible to see the dark stage. This went on almost all day, in fact the first band that I saw well was Priest. So I didn't actually see Dimmu Borgir, but I did pay attention to their set. They sounded really good, despite the fact that a daytime show at an outdoor venue is far from their comfort zone. You can't really listen to black metal out in the sunlight because you start asking yourself things like, "I wonder if their corpsepaint is SPF 30" and things like that. But the Ozzfest crowd was very appreciative of the band, something I wouldn't have been able to predict.
Slayer was awesome, as usual, although I still couldn't see them very well. The short set was very frustrating, however, because they stopped right when they started hitting their stride. Their set list was a little suspect, however, as I doubt anyone really wanted to hear "Threshold" and "Payback". I think this is the first Slayer show I've seen where they didn't play "Angel of Death". They did do something really cool and that is they played "Necrophobic" which was a nice bonus. Also, leading off with "Hell Awaits" is always a beautiful thing. I screamed myself hoarse and made a fool of myself, but Slayer always delivers.
I was most excited for Judas Priest. This is a little weird because I'm not really a big Priest fan, but they're the only band on the bill that I hadn't seen before. And it's also cool that we witnessed a little bit of history in the return of the Metal God Halford. There set was cool, but their it was also very predictable. All the radio hits were on hand, and it would have been nice if they mixed it up a bit. One bonus that I have to give kudos to is their inclusion of "Beyond The Realms Of Death", which made the whole thing worthwhile.
Dimmu BorgirBlack Sabbath smoked despite their unimaginative set list. "Fairies Wear Boots" and "Into The Void" were as adventuresome as the set list got, which isn't very impressive. I was also a little disappointed by the anti-Bush imagery on the video screens during "War Pigs". I'm not really a fan of Bush, but I like my day-drinkin' metalfests politics-free. But Sabbath smoked. They sounded great, especially Ozzy, who sounded better than he has in years. Of course, that might just be because this was the first night of the tour. This might be the last chance I get to see these masters, and it made for great, albeit beer-fogged, memories.
So with the night over and my intoxication level much higher than I expected, we walked back to our hotel. I want to thank my friend Famine for entertaining me by attempting to cure his hiccups by purposefully running full-tilt into a sign. It was entertaining and informative. One word review: METAL.
Death's Review (7/29/04, Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA):
This year's Ozzfest lineup was undoubtedly the best yet. When presented with the opportunity to road trip up north with some good friends to see some of the most important legends of metal jam at the same show with some the best up and coming acts of today, I jumped at the opportunity. Our journey began Wednesday night as four of us traversed the great desert that is central California on our way to the heart of Silicon Valley. We left at night to avoid traffic, and got to town somewhere around 3 am. A few quick hours of sleep were followed by a 6:30 a.m. wake-up call, quick showers, some breakfast at the hotel, and us cruising to the venue before 9:00 a.m. It took a little while to pick up our passes and get everyone inside, and I watched a surprising number of people swarm into the venue as I did. Who ever heard of metal at 9:30 in the morning? Not me - I'm usually still asleep. But there were literally thousands of folks there from the get-go. I guess the opening second stage slot on this tour isn't such a bad deal after all. I listened to Throwdown from outside the gate. Not really my thing - something like Hatebreed lite. I did appreciate their cover of Sepultura's "Roots Bloody Roots," although I thought the Max Cavalera impression was kinda off. Anyway, I pretty much blew off Magna-Fi (who?) as I got in the venue, met up with my friends and started getting situated. We played some silly games at the Jagermeister booth and won some swag, and then began counting the minutes until 11:00 a.m. when the beer sales were scheduled to begin. I got backstage and watched the mighty God Forbid from the side of the stage which was a fun experience. "Anithero" and other tunes received a killer response - there really was a large crowd for their 10:45 a.m. performance and the fans were going nuts. Awesome. The guitar solos cut through the mix perfectly. Here's hoping this band can break out soon on a higher level - they absolutely deserve it.
UnearthUnearth were great too. The solos were flying everywhere, and as we watched from the side of the stage it was clear that this band was as comfortable performing on Ozzfest as they were in clubs. "Black Hearts Still Reign" ruled, and the large crowd's reaction only enhanced the song's anthemic stature. I was slamming beers by this point, although annoyingly, you were only allowed to drink in the main stage area. So in between bands we were running over there, pounding drinks, and then running back to catch the music. I blew off Every Time I Die, but we caught all of Lacuna Coil, Century Media's rock stars in the making. They sounded great and truly have begun to win over a mainstream audience. I also blew off bands like Atreyu and unfortunately missed Darkest Hour while drinking and carousing in the alcohol area/bar. But the mighty Lamb of God absolutely killed, and I am now more sure than ever (especially after hearing a preview track) that the forthcoming Ashes of the Wake will be just as crushing as previous efforts. Hatebreed was, well, Hatebreed. I like them and respect Jamie Jasta but they get old after a while. I missed Slipknot while drinking. Too bad - I should have tried to catch them.
Lacuna CoilI did get to mess around backstage around this time - encountering a gaggle of Hooters girls in the Miller hospitality tent, chatting about the Raiders (so long #81 Tim Brown - you'll always be Raider royalty to me) with ex-Forbidden guitarist Craig Locciero, getting introduced to Exodus vocalist Steve Sousa, and fulfilling a lifelong dream by saying hello to and exchanging a few words with Sabbath guitarist Toni Iommi. Our attempts to scam food in the catering area were thwarted however, and soon it was time to move into the main stage venue area to get up close to watch Black Label Society. Our backstage passes allowed us to just scam seats maybe three rows back. It was amazing to watch Zakk Wylde go off from such close range. We ran back to the Miller tent between sets, and I shoved free cans of beer in every pocket before going back up front to watch Phil Anselmo and Superjoint Ritual tell me to eat pussy until my jaw hurt. Their set was just plain fun. We drank some more prior to Dimmu Borgir, who actually got a better reception from the 20,000ish in attendance than I thought they would. The mighty Slayer was next, and they played their usual amazing set of thrash/speed/death metal classics - It was killer to watch Lombardo go off on the fills to tunes like "War Ensemble." Unlike some of my buddies who saw the Hartford show, however, we were not treated to "Necrophiliac" - I think we got "Chemical Warfare" instead. And unlike the metalheads in Maine, blood did not, in fact rain from the sky. But the show was killer nonetheless.
It was still light out when Judas Priest took the stage. I was with Hel looking at the merch booth when the first strains of "The Hellion" rang out throughout the grounds. I brought her into the bar area to hang with our other buddy who did not have the right pass to get down front, and soon found the rest of my friends for the last seven songs where we planted ourselves in the front row center. What an amazing experience. For those of you who have not yet seen it - the Priest is back, my friends. They absolutely killed. Halford sounds perfect, and the whole band was on fire this show as day turned to night and classic metal anthem after classic metal anthem whizzed on by. I missed a chunk while getting situated unfortunately, but I did see one of my favorite songs ever, "Beyond the Realms of Death" from the aforementioned front row center seats - one of the greatest heavy metal experiences of my life thus far. I also saw "Painkiller," "You've Got Another Thing Comin'," and one of my other all-time favorites, "Victim of Changes," plus Priest staples "Breakin' the Law" and "Livin' After Midnight." Halford even came out on a motorcycle for "Hell Bent for Leather," just like in the old days. All of it was amazing. My only complaint was that the set list did not feature enough "lost" classics or deep album cuts, but I understand that this is what needed to be done for this tour, and I'll save those expectations for the band's 2005 headlining tour.
SlayerBy this point I was exhausted. Our group met back up and we decided to leave the venue instead of watching Sabbath, and hit the second stage after hours party area, where Club Slipknot was in full-effect. Christina from Lacuna Coil was dancing around, and band members like the Unearth guys were hanging out throwing dice. Everyone was just sitting around in circles chillin' out. A great mellow scene. We talked to the Lacuna guys for a bit and then it dawned on me - I was missing Black Sabbath! I rallied a few of our troops to try to get back in the venue to see the end of their set. Thankfully, I hung around with some cute girls, who after a bit of effort talked our way back inside (even though we had passes, many of the guards did not want to let us in), and we did in fact get back inside and managed to find our way back up front for the last few Sabbath songs. It was awesome. Ozzy actually sounded a lot better than I thought he would, and the whole band was tight and very much alive. We saw three songs which was not nearly enough but at least we got back for that. It was great to see all four original members jamming out and the crowd going nuts. Ozzy even looked right at me and pointed in acknowledgement at one point which gave me chills. I even almost caught Bill Ward's drum stick. Anyway, the show was over way too soon. We made our way back to camp second stage, and chilled out a bit more with friends until I just couldn't keep my eyes open any more. A good fifteen or sixteen hours after we had arrived at the venue we moved on, saying goodnight to everyone, grabbing some drive through Taco Bell and getting back to the venue in time for a few short hours of sleep before starting off the next morning early for our next adventure.
Hel's Review (7/29/04, Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA):
Conflicting weekend plans and a desire to avoid the inevitable extreme heat at the L.A. area show resulted in Death and I making the trip up to the Bay area for Ozzfest this year. The drive was painful, but there were enough bands worth seeing on the bill this year to make it seem worthwhile. My friendly neighborhood Century Media publicist had gone through great pains to ensure I had a photo pass for both stages, and I was pleased by the notion that I would get to shoot nearly all of the festival for a change. Arriving at the venue before the gates opened, I was amazed to see the massive lines of fans already waiting to get in. I’d heard the stories of rabid fans arriving first thing, but to see it, and to see how many of them were already inebriated by 9am, was pretty incredible.
Magna-FiThe photo situation became a hassle nearly immediately. There was a particular place I had to go to get it, and I waited for a very, very long time before the passes actually showed up. Throwdown came and went while I waited, and by the time I was ushered over to the second stage, Magna-Fi was already on their second song. I didn’t care too much, as I had never heard of the band before, and it turns out there is good reason for that. They were pretty craptacular. What I heard of Throwdown’s set also did not impress me, though they did attempt to cover Sepultura’s “Roots Bloody Roots” so I guess they get a bonus point for that, though predictably, it was a fairly poor rendition.
Immediately after Magna-Fi’s first song, I began to get an idea of how much of a hassle the photo pass was going to truly be. There was a picnic table (without shade, of course) set aside for the photographers, and we were not allowed to leave this area, except to go shoot, with our cameras under any circumstances. Now, backstage may be a restricted area, but that doesn’t mean that everyone back there is trustworthy, now does it? I certainly wasn’t about to just leave my camera on the table unattended, and the only other alternative was to leave it with our jailer, who held it in her hand until you returned, and wasn’t particularly happy to be doing so. Why do I call her a jailer, you ask? Because I felt like I was in prison – I once walked to a garbage can about 10 feet away and she literally followed me over there to make sure I wasn’t trying to leave. We were specifically told that there were no food and beverages provided to us, and there was a distinct lack of shade. At first, it wasn’t so bad, as the set up time between bands was unbelievably short, and each band was playing only four songs, three of which I was up front shooting for.
Since DevilDriver was not at the festival on this day, for whatever reason, God Forbid quickly followed Magna-Fi. Even if DevilDriver had played, God Forbid would still have been the first band of the day I was actually excited to see. In fact, GF were on the short list of bands I was there specifically to see, and the reason I had arrived at the venue ultra early. The crowd, which had been pretty mellow until now, began to show signs of ferocity at this point, and the first person of the day came over the barricade before my three songs were up. The band delivered their set with great energy, particularly considering the early hour, and their material went over very well with the crowd, some of whom were clearly fans.
Unearth quickly took the stage after God Forbid departed, allowing the kids mashed into this part of the parking lot, which had been converted into a second stage area, no opportunity to become bored. Indeed, they would find nothing boring about the set Unearth devastated them with on this morning. In retrospect I might have to call it one of the most energetic and inspired of the day. Though this is nothing new, as Unearth has always delivered a superior stage show, I have to believe much of the audience did not know it was coming, but enjoyed it hitting them.
Bleeding ThroughUnfortunately, Every Time I Die was next on the schedule, and though they were not wearing plaid for a change, their whiny brand of emo-core dissipated some of intense momentum the last two bands had gathered. Still, they flailed and jumped and the Ozzfest fans enjoyed it anyway. Since Ozzfest is a mainstream festival, and Every Time I Die is a band that is riding the crest of the current popularity trend, it is only reasonable that this is a band much of the crowd was familiar with. I am simply thankful that there were nearly as many worthy bands on the bill this time around than mediocre-flavor-of-the-moment bands, like this one. Despite my distaste for their material, the audience ate it up.
Lacuna Coil arrived next, just in time to cleanse my pallet, and interrupting the stream of mediocrity that had begun, and would continue in force after they departed. But for now, we were treated to the haunting heaviness of “The Gothfathers.” The crowd appeared to appreciate them, as well they should, and the band performed with their usual fervor. I was vastly relieved to hear that neither singer was having sound issues like those the vocalist of Every Time I Die encountered. This was certainly another highlight of the day. It is always great to see such a deserving band get the accolades they deserve.
Bleeding Through nearly immediately brought me back down. I’ve said it about a jillion times, but here it goes again – I just can’t stand hardcore, particularly the kind that is currently in vogue. Bleeding Through are also darlings of this scene, and their set was also full of jumping about. I admire that they feel passionate about it, and obviously their fans do as well, as they were getting darnright crazy dancing in the pit.
The torture, for me at least, was to continue, this time with Otep. Though her new album is “heavier” and “more intense” or whatever, to me she still has more in common with her former nu-metal peers than she does with any of the other bands on this bill. The crowd, for whatever reason, absolutely adored her, and was entirely into her set for every second of it. Otep is a total “artist” and she began her set with a long diatribe about some sort of political stuff – I don’t remember since I wasn’t really paying any attention – before launching into her first song. Beyond brandishing about a rubber pig’s head, and tearing out large clumps of her hair (which she then draped over the pig), I found her performance to be exceedingly dull. So much so, that I bailed out of the photo pit early, having taken more than enough photos of this one trick pony, and hoping to take a break for a little while.
OtepI made arrangements to have the jailer watch my camera, and after a quick turn around the area, I found that my entire crew, who had been easy to find until this moment, had suddenly disappeared. Since I had absolutely no idea where they could have gone off to, and knowing they could be anywhere on the rather extensive grounds, I recovered my camera, deciding to try again later. Unfortunately at this point, the sun was high in the sky, and it was mercilessly beating down on the picnic table. My frosty water beverage had disappeared, and I had no real way to get more, since it was nearly time for the next band. So I sat and sulked, and my temper began to grow decidedly short.
Atreyu did not help matters any. Yet another of the bands on the bill that I can’t stand, once again, the crowd really seemed to love them. I just don’t get it, and I suppose I never will, but the kids in attendance absolutely loved these emo-core bands. Though, to be fair, they seemed to love each and every band on the bill. After my three songs, it was back to sitting and sulking in the hot sun with no drink, and I have to admit, I really began to lose it at this point. Fortunately, just as I was starting to really go bananas, Death returned to rescue me, and I was allowed to leave my invisible pen to get some food and drink at long last. The lines for everything were very long, so I ended up missing all of Darkest Hour just to get food and drink in hand, and carrying my loot with me, I returned just as Lamb of God’s set was beginning.
I ended up finishing my chicken apple sausage right there in the photo pit, eating with one hand while taking photos with the other. Yes, it turns out the life of a photographer at Ozzfest is just that sad. But Lamb of God was just the thing to perk me up, and having finally fulfilled my need for sustenance. I was able to enjoy their show just as much as the kids in the audience. And let me tell you, the kids were loving it. After leaving the photo pit, I ventured onstage and watched the rest of their set with the crowd that had gathered behind the band.
Hatebreed would be my last band of the day on the second stage, since Slipknot was one of the two bands requiring separate arrangements in order to shoot them. I didn’t know that ahead of time, or there might be photos of them up here too. Regardless, this would be the first time I would shoot Hatebreed, and that was something for me to look forward to. Interestingly, with very few exceptions, I had shot every other band on this stage prior to today. Hatebreed is not musically my cup of tea, but I do find them to be far more tolerable than the other bands I have been complaining about, so I was content while shooting their set. My brief break probably helped my attitude some as well. While I don’t find the band to be electrifying performers, the kids in the audience continued not to care, and as they had been all day, enjoyed themselves immensely.
AtreyuAt this point, every photographer who was not cleared to shoot Slipknot (which was nearly all of them) was being corralled together to be marched over to the mainstage, to be stuck in another holding area and not allowed to leave, even though it would be hours before the action over there began. I was able to parley my earlier meltdown into another parole, and promised my keepers that I would show up over at the other stage like a good girl. Until then, however, I actually had a little bit of time to spend with the people I drove all the way up here with, and a few more moments of precious freedom. These were spent mostly wandering in the vending area, and getting something else to eat, since it would be a long, long time before I’d be allowed another chance, and the time absolutely sped by.
I ultimately ended up back at the second stage to watch the end of Slipknot’s set, but I began to get anxious that Black Label Society was going to begin before I could negotiate the enormous crowd blocking my way from where I was, to where I needed to be. A great many people had continued to arrive throughout the day, and the entire area where the second stage was set up was absolutely jammed with people, and the vendor area was similarly packed. Slipknot’s set ended just as I was beginning to make my move, so I had to endure the slow movement of the crowd until I could finally break free.
I somehow managed to make it up to the main stage photo pit just as Black Label Society was beginning their first song, much to my relief. This moment would turn out to be another highlight of the fest for me, as I found I had perfect lighting from sun, the largest photo pit I have ever seen, and the company of only a few other photographers. The cherry on top were the fancy low-profile monitors, which meant that for a change, I didn’t have to constantly worry about them mucking up my shots. While I’ve never been a big BLS fan, the photo situation was so beautiful, I was enjoying myself immensely. Seeing Zakk perform his solos while standing right in front of him, I could not help but be enthralled, and I’m sure the fans that had found their way to their seats in time bear witness felt the same way.
Now that I had been promoted to the main stage, I found that the pen they placed the photographers in was much more comfortable – three couches under a tent – and lo and behold, there was even a cooler of water. It turned out that there was also a cooler full of beverages for the photographers at the second stage, but no one knew it. The downside of our new digs was that it was behind the stage, and therefore there was no way to see any of the set once you were led away. It was even a little hard to hear. But I had gotten a good dose of BLS, so I was not too concerned about it at this point, and I was glad to have a comfortable, shady spot to sit.
Superjoint RitualSuperjoint Ritual was next up on the main stage, and shortly before they began we were herded back out. I was intrigued to notice that Phil was not racing around the stage like he has every other time I have seen him with this band. I suspect he was somewhat doing it for the photographers, but who knows. He also struck me as surprisingly sober. Otherwise the set was just as I have come to expect from them, and the fans were continuing to fill up their seats to bear witness to the madness. I was thrilled not to have to worry about jocks in work boots coming over the barricade for a change, and found the entire occasion very enjoyable.
Next up to blow people’s minds were Dimmu Borgir. It seems clear that most of the attendees had no idea what to make of these crazy Norwegians. Backstage, one of the slightly hipper photographers valiantly tried to explain the concept of corpse-paint to one of our mainstream colleagues, with little success. Despite these obstacles, the erstwhile black metallers manages to blow nearly all of them away on this sunny day. It was pretty odd to see this band in full daylight, after all, Cradle of Filth performed last year without bursting into flame and crumbling to dust, so it seemed reasonable to assume the same would be the case with Dimmu, and it was. From my standpoint, the sunshine allowed the corpse-paint to show up in my photos much better. The music was the payoff though, and the performance the band delivered was incredible. The three songs I got to hear of it anyway.
Then, finally, came the moment so many were waiting for: SLAYER! A testament to the little mingling with the crowd I was allowed to do was the realization that I had not heard anyone randomly yell “Slayer!” all day long. This was made up for in the moments before the band took the stage, and then there was no room for anything but the carnage. And what wonderful carnage it was. All too soon, my three songs were up and we were trooping backstage again. However, I also did not have clearance to shoot Judas Priest, so, after leaving my camera in the care of my keepers and being told where I would have to go at the end of the night to recover it, I was able to go back out and watch the rest of Slayer’s set. Not quite as great as shooting Priest with Halford would have been, but a great consolation prize.
I was in for a harsh awakening after Slayer’s set. I went in search of a bathroom, and upon my return, I was denied admittance to the lower level. It turns out my ticket was for the lawn, and now that my photo privileges had been exhausted, I was just one of the common folk. I went up to the lawn, but it was packed and I couldn’t even see the stage, so I gave up, found a friend who was in a similar bind, and we went to the bar and sat and watched the set on the big screen TV. While it was nice to sit down, I was truly bummed about my situation. The camera catching the action was very far back, so the images of the band were small and fuzzy, and occasionally one of the members would wander off screen. The strangest thing was that where we were, you could not hear the crowd at all, and the sound accompanying the images was directly from the soundboard, so between songs and during the sing along parts, everything would be silent. I couldn’t help but feel like I was missing out on a lot. This was definitely the low point of my day. I had really been looking forward to seeing Priest reunited, but this was hardly what I had in mind.
SlayerI ultimately fared better for Sabbath. A friend with a pass was able to get me past the ushers who had barred me from returning earlier, and people were beginning to leave, so we took the seats of someone who had already departed. In this fashion, I was ultimately able to get the view of Ozzy and Sabbath that had been denied to me for Halford and Priest. Sure, the guys in Black Sabbath are showing their age, but you know what, they still rock. Heck, I hope I’m half as cool when I get to be at a similar point in my life. No one at all was allowed to shoot Sabbath, so I was able to set my feelings of “I should still be up there!” aside, and just enjoy the show. And you know, I really did. Ozzy loves us all, and those of us who stuck around to the very end love him too. The red, white and blue confetti blizzard signaled the end, and we hooked up with some of our other friends to check out the scene over by the second stage band buses.
All of the bands were hanging out together, drinking, chilling, and generally having a good time until it was time to roll out for the next stop on the tour. While it was a fun and festive vibe, I was totally exhausted after a full day on my feet, and I was feeling the need for food and sleep. So eventually we bid a fond farewell to Ozzfest 2004 and stumbled back to the hotel. While it was far from the perfect day, I had enough fun to offset the hardships and ultimately, I’ll only knock one skull off my score for the pain my day of imprisonment caused me.
Redwolff's Review (7/14/04, Tommy Hilfiger Arena, Jones Beach, NY):
My dear friend and web board regular Super_Bitch recently moved to Buffalo, but before she left we scored cheap tickets for Ozzfest on Ebay. So I was especially psyched for this show as it meant I got to hang out all day with her, and even if the rumors were true that the venue was dry (they were true, dammit) I was still guaranteed a good time. We planned to get there by 10am, but I missed the Long Island Railroad train I’d needed and had to wait until the next one, and then made SB go to McDonald’s first, so we ended up at the arena around 11:30 or so. The line to get in was right next to the second stage, which was set up in part of the parking lot, so as we waited we caught the end of DevilDriver’s set. I’m not a big fan, and the last time I was faced with seeing them open for someone I purposely skipped it. By the time we actually got within the fence they were finishing up so we had an opportunity to first make the heartbreaking discovery that there was beer only in the VIP area and then poke around the vendors. The last time I was at an Ozzfest there were a lot more games than merchandise, but this year had a large assortment of t-shirts, jewelry, messenger bags, etc. One of the notable vendors was Metalbabies.com, which we featured on Metal Update a couple years back and have some really cool stuff for kids – some moms would rather dress their baby in a “Future Headbanger” shirt than cute little bunnies.
Every Time I DieThe way this venue was operating was the second stage would go until 4pm, at which time the main stage would start up, so it was going to be possible to see every single band if we chose to. We headed back out to the parking lot where Every Time I Die was taking the stage as God Forbid had been delayed getting there. I have actually heard some good things about ETID but have never heard any of their studio stuff, all I know is they did not sound good up there. Plus the singer was a total goober, repeatedly asking the crowd if they had “stiffies” yet. Who says “stiffies” anymore? I haven’t heard that since junior high. Still I guess I have to give them props for stepping into the earlier slot, they were supposed to play further into the day but got it together to go on real quick in order to avoid a break in the schedule. They probably didn’t have as much opportunity to get the sound levels ready as they would have liked.
Next was the mighty Unearth who I have not seen since they got a new drummer. They sounded great. I really like these guys. Following them was Otep, which we skipped to go get some food. At this point the sun started breaking through the haze which had dominated the day so far, but with the breeze off the water it was still very comfortable. Once Otep was finished we wandered back over to the second stage to see God Forbid, who explained that they got detained at the border. The first major pit of the day occurred in their set and some poor guy came staggering out of the crowd covered in blood from a broken nose. Metal! I’ve seen God Forbid before and this was the best set I’ve seen from them, they seemed to just be having a really good time up there.
Next was Lacuna Coil, who sounded fantastic. I recently read an article someone wrote for a major newspaper about Ozzfest in which the journalist claimed Lacuna Coil sounded like an “Evanescence wannabe.” Are you kidding me? Lacuna Coil have been around for years, if anyone is the wannabe it sure as hell isn’t them. In between songs they bantered a bit in their cute accents. At one point Andrea Ferro yelled, “What do you think of censorship? I don’t like it. On three, yell FUCK!” He counted, they shouted, it was a funny little moment.
Lamb of God was up next with the biggest draw so far. Since SB is in love with Randy Blythe (who was wearing an anti-Bush t-shirt) we tried to get as close as we could without getting mired in the pits. At the end of the set was the infamous Wall of Death, and more bleeding ensued. As Randy was giving the instructions, you could spot EMTs running into the area in preparation. Hatebreed came on after Lamb of God. Jamey Jasta announced that this would be a “shut up and play” set but then went ahead and ran at the mouth a bit anyway. He was trying to get people to start two pits at either side of the stage and have them go in a figure 8. That of course did not work. Then he wanted a pit going ring-around-the-rosey about the sound tent, which wasn’t happening either. At this point Super_Bitch said something sarcastic about how Santa Claus would now be appearing stage right. The crowd had thinned out a bit during this set but swelled again for the second stage closer, Slipknot. I saw Slipknot open for Machine Head years ago before they got big, and they put on a great show – totally out of control and really funny. This time it wasn’t so impressive. Their mix didn’t sound very good and it was hard to see their antics from behind all the Slipknot devotees, so in general they were disappointing.
God ForbidIt was now time for the main stage to start up, which it did immediately at 4pm. This show must have been run by a bunch of Germans because it was like clockwork. I like Black Label Society and even got a chance to meet Zakk Wylde but we were getting hungry again so we took a break to eat and try to get out of the sun for a bit. There I was eating my fries, looking at this guy’s t-shirt and thinking it was cool and then all of a sudden I realized I was looking at Lacuna Coil. They were just walking around, checking out the merchandise and signing autographs for anyone that wanted one. More points for The Gothfathers in my book.
On the way into the main arena SB pointed out to me that there was a guy shambling around with a dislocated shoulder – one arm was just kind of hanging there limply. As there was no beer that must have hurt like hell but, as I said to her later, you’ve got to suffer for your metal. We took our seats, which were great, as Superjoint Ritual took the stage. Fucking Phil is so funny, he just rambles uncontrollably. It wasn’t long before people were yelling at him to shut up. Someone yelled something about Pantera, at which point he announced that “Pantera is dead, and not a fucking thing you can do about it.” He went on to say that Superjoint Ritual is the band he’s been wanting to put together for years and basically that Pantera hadn’t meant anything to him, upon which booing began in whole sections behind us. In retaliation Phil dedicated the next song “to me, because I’m so fucking great.” By the time the last song was announced, people took a moment from chanting “Shut the fuck up!” to applaud that the band was about to leave. The last song was dedicated to the band themselves, and then Phil left us with his traditional aphorism, “Eat pussy ‘til your jaw breaks.” Hey, you know, he’s not so bad after all.
Dimmu Borgir were up next with full corpse paint that must have been itching like a motherfucker in that heat. I thought the set was great in general, except for the fact that one of the speakers on the right side of the stage started cutting out during a keyboard solo, ruining the atmosphere. The singer bantered a bit in his accent. As they went off after their last song the guy next to me said to his buddies, “Well, they sucked.” Ooh, I’ll give you such a PINCH!
Slayer came on and the arena pretty much filled up at this point, anyone that had been fucking around at the food court piled into their seats to watch. Excellent set, full of energy and aggression. Everyone was standing up and singing along, and someone started a few beach balls around which these metalheads screaming about angels of death and whatnot gleefully lunged for, suddenly transformed into kids at a playground. A couple especially rabid fans broke the security gauntlet to run down to the stage just to be closer to the band for a moment before being chased out – or rather, one was chased out, the other was dragged out by four beefy guards, one of whom had a choke hold on him, and he was still fucking singing! The guy in front of us with an MC club vest on was getting so into it that his wife was trying to calm him down before he fell backwards over the seat or punched the guy in front of him in the head. Hard core.
Lamb of GodAs they were setting up the stage for Priest it started to absolutely pour. A few prepared ones pulled rain ponchos out of their bags or pockets but the rest of us were screwed. Fortunately, an opportunistic charitable organization had thought ahead and you could get a “free” rain poncho with your $5 donation. Thus equipped, we went back to our seats to witness Priest, whom I have never seen and was therefore very psyched for. Halford did a couple of wardrobe changes and strutted around the elaborate stage set like a peacock. I used to listen to Judas Priest when I was 12 or 13 and I forgot how cheesy they can be, not just the songs themselves but even the choreography was totally Velveeta. Halford would walk up the risers around the sides, and then back down to the stage, and then it would be the guitarists’ turn to walk in time with the music up the risers, around to each arm of the setup and then back down to the stage, all very solemnly. Metal is serious, dammit! The audience was very receptive to them, but were also cheering the lightning at that point – sunstroke had probably set in. I know I was feeling it. Stupidly I had only brought a light sunscreen, which SB and I had waited too long to put on anyway. When Death, Hel and I went to visit Death’s family for July 4th one year I got sunburned using this particular brand of sunscreen then, and his mom told me not to use it again. But I didn’t listen, so here I was nicely complementing my pink camo sweatshirt with my pink face, neck and legs. With the rain still pouring down upon us, and having seen Black Sabbath before, SB and I decided we’d had enough. We were in pain, shivering and a bit nauseated from the sun, but it was worth it. One of the better festivals I’ve attended in years, even though I felt about 19 again with there being no beer at the venue. Still, at least I can remember all of it!
The most interesting thing about this Ozzfest was the difference in the audience than any Ozzfest or Lollapalooza I’ve been to before. I’m sure it was because there was no beer, but there were no fights, the bathrooms were clean, there were no girls showing their tits and there were actual families there – mom, dad, and one or two kids, all decked out in metal gear, walking around together. It was cute, actually, but felt kind of like Bizarro Ozzfest. Due to the Priest and Sabbath reunions there were also a lot of old school metalheads there, which was nice because we didn’t feel so old in comparison. Still, next time, I’m going somewhere with a liquor license.
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