An Early Look - Mayhem Festival '09

As the Summer Concert Season gears up in NEPA, many await with eager anticipation for news on whether their favorite bands and/or shows will be returning. We have already had numerous confirmations on shows coming to or near our beloved hole in the Appalachians, but some have yet to be announced, while still others remain stagnant in a limbo-like state. While it may yet be too early to mention it, I am personally jacked for a particular show to return to NEPA: The ROCKSTAR Engery Drink Mayhem Festival!

Mayhem Fest '08 brought sickness and carnage to the Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain in grand fashion last summer with headliners Slipknot and Disturbed. Of course, who can forget Five Finger Death Punch, Dragonforce, Walls of Jericho, and the many other bands on the Jagermeister Stage? In short, the show kicked ass. Is it too much to assume that there are a multitude of others who are as excited as I am for this show's return?

My impulses only increased when I recieved confirmation for this year's Mayhem Fest headliners. Needless to say, the heavy metal gods have smiled upon us this year by granting us Marilyn Manson and Slayer as the lead acts! Co-headlining are Bullet for my Vallentine, while Killswitch Engage is rumored to be co-headlining as well. Other bands in attendance include Cannibal Corpse, Trivium, All That Remains, Behemoth, God Forbid, The Black Daliah Murder, and a copius number of other Jagermeister bands.

Unlike last year where we had Disturbed providing a sort-of "middle-ground" for the average rock fan, this year is all about thrash. Certainly, this year will include more violence and agression, but we can at least be guaranteed that it will keep the posers out of the show.

Granted, no tour dates have been confirmed as of yet, at least not here in NEPA. However, TicketsNow.com and the MySpace Page for Mayhem Festival have listed the Toyota Pavilion as a stop for Mayhem Fest '09. The current, tentative date for the show is July 29th, but time will tell for sure. In the meantime, get to practicing your mosh-pit endurance...you are going to need it!