Mayhem Fest -- Clarkston, MI -- August 6th, 2011

[kevindeets]

Straight Line Stitch Setlist:
Tear Down the Sky
Never See the Day
Laughing in the Rearview
Bar Room Brawl
Conversion
Taste of Ashes (w/ Jamey Jasta)
Black Veil


Unearth Setlist:
My Will Be Done
Sanctity of Brothers
Watch it Burn
This Lying World
Endless
Shadows in the Light
The Great Dividers


Hatebreed Setlist:
Everyone Bleeds Now
In Ashes They Shall Reap
Empty Promises
Smash Your Enemies
Perseverance
Last Breath
To The Threshold
This is Now
As Diehard as They Come
Doomsayer
Proven
Destroy Everything
Live For This
I Will Be Heard


Machine Head Setlist:
Imperium
Beautiful Mourning
Locust (new song)
Aesthetics of Hate
Halo


Megadeth Setlist:
Trust
Hangar 18
Wake Up Dead
Sweating Bullets
Head Crusher
Public Enemy #1 (new song)
Symphony of Destruction
Peace Sells
Holy Wars... The Punishment Due

[jd091]

Hatebreed could still use more songs from the good old days. If I don't see Conceived Through An Act of Violence before I die, my life will be incomplete. Not a terrible set, though.

[cojibo]

I notice that In Flames dropped out because of personal reasons...
anyway, where other band's setlists longer as a result, or did the show just end earlier?

[LAXdef16]

They added another band, but I don't think they played that long of a set.

[zgodt]

It was a pretty fun show. I took my cousin and her friend who are big Disturbed fans. The security lines were longer/slower than I expected, so even though we got there 15 minutes before Red Fang's set, we only got through the doors in time to catch their last song. Which rocked like a motherfucker.

Bands who were more fun than I was expecting: Kingdom of Sorrow, Unearth, Godsmack. Kingdom of Sorrow especially had great energy and songs that sounded good live. Unearth was mostly fun because I got in some bone-jarring pit action. I was never a Godsmack fan but they were entertaining as hell. The singer is a good frontman and also a helluva drummer -- they rolled out a second drum kit for a while and he played along with the regular drummer through several recognizable classic bits -- including some Sabbath and also Tom Sawyer.

Oh, and the Athiarchists are pretty cool. I didn't really like their music too much, but the fact that they manage to sound so heavy as a two piece, and play with such energy, and the story of how they got this far by just fucking setting up in parking lots without permission and playing.... It's a good story, and I'm glad I saw them. Also they closed with a cover of "Raining Blood" which was respectably done and pretty badass. And then the singer came down and joined the rather impressive circle pit which had formed. Their energy and sheer nerve are impressive.

Bands who were less fun than I was expecting: Megadeth. Something was off with their sound or something -- they seemed 50% quieter than both Machine Head (who played before them) and Godsmack (who played after).

Suicide Silence gave me a headache in about 30 seconds, and provided a good cue to take a break from the side-stage area and head off for a beer.

The way they set up the two prelim stages side-by-side and have one band start as soon as another band ends -- on one hand it's kinda great, but it's also a little aurally exhausting. You kind of NEED a break between metal sets. Especially when so much sounds so similar, in terms of vocal style and guitar tone. On the same principle, we just decided to skip out on Hatebreed and find seats on the lawn for Machine Head. In hindsight, maybe not the best move. Machine Head was boring. Maybe Hatebreed would've been better. But whatever. It was a pretty good day, with a little rain to keep things cool but none of the threatened thunderstorms.

[hellawaits77ny]

Seems to be quite common on the Mayhem Fest that Megadeth's volume has been considerably quieter than the other main stage bands. Definately was in Mansfield.

[tenchimyo]

Originally Posted by hellawaits77ny

Seems to be quite common on the Mayhem Fest that Megadeth's volume has been considerably quieter than the other main stage bands. Definately was in Mansfield.

Yeah at the BRISTOW, VA show-> Trivium was WAY louder than Dave and company. That woulda made Megadeth sound even better if they were louder...