Unexpect - sorta getting settled, good drummer, but nothing too interesting. Popular local band, they were decent but noisy and all over the place. Good opener. Lauren Harris - Daughter of Maiden's Steve Harris, her band played good tight riffs, but she was awful. She's pretty hot though, so that and nepotism seem to be getting her gigs. The band looked like Iron Maiden roadies. I don't think anyone took her seriously. Too bad for her but if you're going to use your daddy's name and connections then at least be good. Overkill - half hour late, but they were on fire. I wanted to see Wrecking Crew, and they hit me in the face with it. Plus, the set closer was F**k You, so how could I go wrong. The delay was a bit of a buzzkill. This festival was not as tight as the first Osheaga I attended. Bobby Blitz is remarkably ripped for a guy pushing 50. 3 Inches of Blood - Their name is, by far, the best thing about them. I like these guys a lot on record and they were good live but I got distracted by a mosh pit altercation between a family with kids and some heshers. Cooler heads prevailed but the mood was done. Symphony X - Euro Shred-Heads, what they do, they do very well, not my scene, but the crowd loved em. Really good sound quality for the set, so that brought out the guitar wankery hystrionics. They're from New Jersey. It's over-the-top symphonic prog metal which, if you go along for the ride, is pretty wicked. Buddy has a great voice and command of the stage. Hatebreed - Really poor band, more of the sorta Korn-core nu-metal crap that can go and eat from it's own ass. They played a song that had them yelling "destroy everything" over and over and over and over again, and it seemed just to be Slipknot's "people = Sh*t", just with different words.Almost saved face by closing with Slayer's "Raining Blood" Very negative music. Not for me. Hammerfall - felt the brunt of Overkill's delay, set cut from 45 mins to 1/2 hr. Thats gotta suck when youve come from sweden. still, they were really good, maidenesque power metal, gave everything they had for the shortened set. From Alfie's home town of Gothenburg, Sweden no less. I didn't get into these guys as much as I expected. The crowd was pretty tame and the singer seemed really bothered by the cut set. To be expected but play for the crowd. Mastodon - really heavy, but it was time to chill and get ready for the evening. Ive seen em a bunch, so didnt feel too bad missing them. I thought they were decent, I like them on record but wasn't feeling them on the night. It was maybe a little too alternative for what I look for in metal. I think I'd like these guys more in a setting where they'd be the heaviest band on the bill. Type O Negative were fantastic. This again brings the disclaimer that metal isnt for everyone, cuz Pete Steele's sense of taste and tact isnt for everyone either. I love these Brooklyn Bastards, so that's why I went to see em, nuff said. You know I never gave these guys much credit during their heyday and I think I missed out on some good concerts. Much more hardcore influenced than I imagined and not as serious, as dour as they can be. Pete looked like a ghoul and pointed it out by apologizing to the crowd for playing in the daylight. I also loved his morose opening line, "Prepare to be disappointed." Dethklok were fun. As a made-up cartoon band (from Adult Swim's "Metalocalype") its a pretty silly concept, but one built around some pretty brutal Death Metal. Break time for me so I didn't really get the full effect of the show but... I think they're a bit of a joke and the slot could have been used for a higher profile act. I'd much rather Dethklok's set be cut short than HammerFall's. Then, Iron Maiden. No, they are not too old. They were playing like they were kids again, tight as anything. You gotta laugh at Bruce Dickinson, though, guy had as many costume changes as Cher. I hadnt seen Maiden since 7th Son in 1987, and man, it was probably better this time, so awesome. Yeah, they were as good as I've ever seen them. God knows how they can play the same songs over and over but as long as they're putting this much effort into it then it's a show worth seeing. An incredibly cathartic metal experience. Wow, I loved it all, even the parts i hated. Well said. I'm still buzzing about the two days.
