![]() The fourth onslaught of acts would see an interesting combination of star power and unfettered punk-infused rage, culminating in the most eclectic assortment of acts of the first day as the light began to fade. modern groove trustees and relative newcomers Bad Wolves, who made a decent showing with their darker reinterpretation of The Cranberries' "Zombie" and fist-raising bangers like "Killing Me Slowly", among a few other offerings from their catalog. Afterward, the Monster Energy Stage would become the temporary home of L.A. Meanwhile, the quirky splicing of atmospheric post-rock and djent-steeped alternative metal in Spiritbox brought a harrowing industrial curveball into the mix with compact offerings like "Holy Roller" and "Hurt You" from the Zyn Stage. The hard rock meets EDM fusion act and 20 years plus veterans from Michigan dubbed Pop Evil would live up to their name as they showcased their niche from the Monster Energy Stage, with the Breaking Benjamin meets dubstep charms of opener "Eye Of The Storm" and the club meets punch vibes of "Trenches" eliciting the loudest cheers. The raucous response from the fans about as deafening as the riff work of Jonathan Donais and Matthew Bachand as this early trailblazer of American metalcore pulled off a stunning reunion display despite being defunct for seven years.Īs the afternoon marched on, the tone would then take a smoother and more accessible quality as the 3rd wave of bands entered the fray. ![]() Not to be outdone, fellow Bostonian riff maestros Shadows Fall struck a similarly forbidding tone with a more orthodox, Swedish-informed bent from the Zyn Stage, spearheaded by the expert crowd work and massive dreadlocks of Brian Fair. Hailing from the other central hub of the American Revolution, Massachusetts and bringing that vintage blend of uncompromising hardcore aggression and Gothenburg-forged melodic death metal, Boston's Unearth brought the fury with the intensity of the very sun above from the URW Stage, instigating a massive mosh pit with mad thrashing riff machines like "This Glorious Nightmare" off their 2006 breakout album III: In The Eyes Of Fire and the In Flames-inspired fan favorite from 2004 "Endless". The flavor of the afternoon air would become darker and heavier as the opening acts exited their respective stages and made way for the heavier hitters. A similarly infectious and accessible tone with more of a soulful blend of rap and rock would emerge from the Zyn Stage courtesy of Texas-born late-2000s upstarts Fire From The Gods, led by the husky baritone and charismatic stage presence of AJ Channer, they enjoyed a vibrant reaction from the audience as they cycled through a set of heavy-ended bangers with the forceful "The Voiceless" and closing crusher "Excuse Me" being the standouts. The dual course recipe of saccharine melodic hooks and ugly hardcore aggression would rule the opening moments on the Monster Energy Stage as metalcore act A Skylit Drive, which was comprised of its original mid-2000s lineup and stuck mostly to older material on one of their early appearances following years of legal disputes with former members, hearkening back to the days when Atreyu and Bullet For My Valentine were ruling the charts. As the grounds of the Virginia International Raceway in Alton began to swell with enthusiastic spectators, the air would become saturated by a highly eclectic array of sounds from each of the venue's five stages.
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