Let me be honest — I’m not a hardcore Slayer fan. Sure, I went through a phase in life when all I listened to was metal, so I know their classics, but I’ve never been deeply immersed in their catalog. That’s why seeing Slayer headline didn’t mean much to me at first. For me, Mastodon was the main reason to be there. But in the end, all I can say is — I’m glad we stayed for Slayer. Witnessing that performance was absolutely worth it.
As you probably know, Slayer did their “farewell tour” back in 2019, cashed in hard, and then pulled the usual rock band trick: “We’re retiring from touring, but might play special events here and there.” As a fan, I’m not complaining about their return, but let’s be real — it left a bad taste. Selling out shows under the “final tour” label only to come back later feels like a scam. Then again, the rock crowd seems to have grown numb to this kind of thing. KISS, Scorpions, and countless others have done it — no one’s really shocked anymore.
Anyway, let’s get to the band I actually came for: Mastodon. This was their first live show since Brent Hinds left the group — and they introduced a new guitarist today. Brent had a massive influence on the band’s musical direction, so to really see where they’re headed now, I think we’ll need to hear a new album.
What makes Mastodon special is that almost every member contributes vocals. Personally, I love Brann Dailor’s voice, and throughout the concert, I made sure to film the songs where he handled vocals. It was a solid show overall — another band I’ve always wanted to see live, checked off the list. Next up: Tool and Slipknot. If I get the chance to see them, I’m not missing it.
Aside from Slayer and Mastodon, we also caught Anthrax and Amon Amarth. Honestly, I don’t have much to say about either. But I will give Amon Amarth some credit: with just 900k monthly Spotify listeners, they’ve managed to position themselves right below headliner status at major festivals. That’s a PR and marketing win, no doubt. For a band with relatively low streaming numbers to get such prime billing — it’s kind of wild. Overrated, in my opinion.
A few thoughts on the overall festival experience, too. The schedule was announced in advance and ran like clockwork — every band took the stage exactly on time. That kind of precision made the event even more enjoyable. But would I come again? Probably not. Like I said after the Justin Timberlake concert: festivals just aren’t for me. Too much standing, too much jockeying for position. Stadium shows are where it’s at. If you ask me — skip the festivals, go for the stadiums.
