HEAVY MTL 2012 DAY TWO: MUSICAL MAYHEM ON SUNDAY FUNDAY
Day two of Heavy MTL was just as excellent as day one, but this time, with sun! After the rain on Saturday, it was nice to get a bit of sun on Sunday. The Jagermeister stage and the Heavy MTL stage switched places, which was probably nice for the people who paid extra for bleacher seats; although, I must say, I was pretty confused when I arrived on site. Sunday was a lot more on time than Saturday, which was also great. One particularly thing I found pretty funny about this weekend is the fact that I kept seeing all these big burly dudes with far better hair than I. I have a love/hate relationship with that.
First up was Dance, Laury, Dance. These guys are from Quebec City, and they are exemplary glam rockers. They were a new discovery for me this weekend, and they had me hooked from the beginning of their set. They are raw and they are rock and roll, in its purest form. I can’t wait to hear more of these guys. I had to take off to do an interview with Trivium, but then I made it back two songs into Protest the Hero. They’ve been in and out of my hometown a lot, but I’ve never actually gotten a chance to see them, so Sunday afternoon was a treat for me in particular. They delivered a fabulous set, inciting one of the craziest mosh pits of the day. Although their music was great, a personal highlight of the set was when front man Rody Walker decided to give the audience an English lesson, telling us all we didn’t know anything about irony. It was pretty funny.
Next up on the Heavy MTL stage were Gojira. These guys are a metal band from France, and they are HEAVY. Gojira packed the main stage area, an indication of the level of excellency that their music maintains. The band was more than happy to address the crowd in their native language. They rocked hard, and I was particularly excited when they played the title track of their newest album, L’Enfant Sauvage. Gojira are completely worth all the hype, and began an insane afternoon of a stocked lineup.
Trivium followed on the Jagermeister stage. These guys rock. They have a sound that is a mix of all the great parts of Metallica and Iron Maiden, and I was looking forward to what they had to offer in their live show. They were so tight, and I think they hold the record for the most circle pits during a set for Sunday. They kept asking for their audience to get crazy, and they made it crazier when they were told us that they have bets on Montreal being crazier than Toronto. At that point, my friend and I counted at least three circle pits in our immediate vicinity. It was wild! They played a great set with face melting solos.
After Trivium, I headed back over to the Heavy MTL stage for The Dillinger Escape Plan, which was crazy. They drew a much smaller crowd, but they played with just as much intensity as everyone else. Dillinger were replacing Deathklok, and in my eyes, they were a worthy replacement. They are a wild band, and they played a great set, ending with 43% Burnt, and of course, the classic ceremonial destruction of their guitars. I never take people seriously when they tell me that they destroy all their gear after big shows, but I’m glad it really happened. I’ve never really seen that before, so it was quite an experience for me. Also of note was when lead singer Greg Puciato climbed the scaffolding, appearing to get stuck when he was climbing down.
I caught the very end of the much anticipated set from Suicidal Tendencies, who were followed by In Flames. The very beginning of their set was graced by a rainbow gleaming over the top of the hill. A worthy replacement for Lamb of God, the Swedish band opened with Cloud Connected, and kept it coming until the very end of their set, which they ended with Take This Life. Front man Anders Fridén made sure that we knew that we were disturbing his vacation, but judging from their performance, he didn’t actually mind that much.
In Flames were followed by Marilyn Manson, which was a set that I have been waiting for since I was about twelve. The controversial Manson always gives people something to talk about, and his set at Heavy MTL was absolutely no exception. Although his vocals were weak, the set in itself was filled with great props and theatrics. Manson’s witty banter between songs served to be mostly inaudible mumbling, and the hour long set was filled with songs that any Manson fan would know and love. He played his covers of Personal Jesus and Sweet Dreams, which were absolutely incredible; and he ended, of course, with Beautiful People. I was personally stoked to here mOBSCENE. Manson’s antics always keep you guessing, and one could never be sure what he was going to break out next. It was great.
Finally, headliners, Slipknot played. Again, this set was something incredibly nostalgic from my youth. I was actually amazed to see that there are still SO many Slipknot fans. I guess there will always be something for someone, but I didn’t know that they still had such a huge following! All day, I saw at least ten Slipknot shirts for every shirt, and even people going around in those silly jumpsuits – even father/son combos. Some had masks, some had face paint, but one thing was clear – Slipknot fans are diehards. I had no idea what to even expect, but I knew it was going to be crazy. And I was so right. After the first song, I was not
sure I was going to survive the evening. It was incredibly wild. Everything you’ve ever heard about Slipknot shows is true. They are crazy, and yes, they have two guys solely for beating on a drum kit made of what looks like garbage cans (on top of a regular drummer). One of the garbage-can-drum-kits is oscillating and spinning. There were pyrotechnics; there were wild lights and terrifying fire crackers that I think may have permanently damaged my hearing. They played all the old favorites, alongside some of their newer tunes (which actually aren’t that new). And of course, the rumors you’ve heard are true, they make you sit down before leaping in the air. They played a rare live tune off of Iowa, Everything Ends, which sent their fans into a frenzy. Near the end of their set, Slipknot dropped their regular banner for a banner featuring a large number 2, for the late band member Paul Gray. It was great to see them (and their fans!) pay tribute to their brother, Paul.
Heavy MTL was a great weekend, full of diverse approaches to metal. The weekend featured a level of musicianship that is rare in today’s music, and it was very refreshing, indeed. A rare occurrence for most metal fans to have such a stocked lineup on one bill, it brought fans from all over to congregate for another weekend of great music in Parc Jean-Drapeau. Thanks again to evenko for providing another rad weekend.
Check out the live photos from that second day at Heavy MTL by clicking on the links below!
(Photos by: Nour Haik)
Category: Photo Updates, Reviews