On this date in history, 8/14/2015, Slipknot, Lamb Of God, Bullet For My Valentine, and Motionless In White combined to play an impressive show at Deer Creek. I had seen each of these bands at least twice, but the teaming up of 4 such diverse bands made for a really enjoyable time.  Motionless In White kicked off the show with youthful energy and the charismatic presence of Chris Motionless, a less menacing version of the goth icon, Marilyn Manson. Whether one labels them metalcore, goth metal, or whatever other metal subgenre one wants to use, Motionless In White write great songs that translate well in big outdoor shows.

Bullet For My Valentine played the best show I have ever seen them play, doubtless spurred on by what preceded them and mindful of the titans that would follow. They had just released Venom, their 5th album, and it seemed they were fired up to make it successful.

Lamb Of God also had recently released a new album, VII: Sturm und Drang, the latest in a long line of crushing collections of brilliantly constructed mosh inducing mayhem.

Indeed, as someone who was up in the lawn area, the pits were quite volatile and ferocious, a perfect accompaniment to the precision attack of the Richmond, Virginia maestros.

Few bands could follow Lamb Of God on a good night, but Slipknot are one of them, and follow they did, playing probably the most impressive set I’ve yet to see them play.

Everything was louder, brighter, simply MORE…a 9 ring circus from Hell…the Iowa based madmen bring the spectacle and I’m quite sure they have done for young metal fans what Kiss did for me in my formative years, which is to say they act as a gateway to so much discovery. One just has to peek behind that door and walk in to a world of music and entertainment.

Written By Braddon S. Williams aka The Concert Critic