Mayhem Fest’s Rob Zombie Has More Pyro than KISS

Mayhem Festival – Gexa Energy Pavilion (Dallas, TX)
–  Words by Krishen Anthony / Photos by James Villa –

“Metal Mayhem & Energy Drinks”

Dallas metal fans showed up en masse for Rockstar® Energy Mayhem Festival this past weekend at Gexa Energy Pavilion. The hot Texas sun greeted industry giant Rob Zombie and co-headliners Five Finger Death Punch, Mastadon, Amon Amarth. With a total of four stages and seventeen plus bands, this festival was metal from noon to midnight.

The three side stages were sponsored by Jagermeister, Musician’s Institute, and Sumerian Records; each with acts representing a multitude of metal genres and styles. Veterans such as Machine Head and Children of Bodom headlined their respective stages with supporting acts like Emmure, Motionless in White, and Butcher Babies. The latter being a dual female-fronted hardcore/hook band from LA that is making waves with their second album Goliath debuting at #107 on the Billboard charts. Other acts on the combination of stages include Scorpion Child, City in the Sea, Born of Osiris, Attika 7, Thrown into Exile, Job for a Cowboy, Battlecross, Huntress, and Dallas’ own Razorblade Dolls who performed on the Sumerian stage.

Amon Amarth had a killer stage setup with a dragon-head ship basking in their Viking black metal sonics. Mastadon and Five Finger Death Punch also brought the house down with killer lights and effects to their metal prowess. There was a mosh pit in the lawn area that was bigger than the one in front of the stage. But the star of the show and closing out the tour in Dallas, Texas was Rob and his band of Zombies.

Rob Zombie’s outrageous stage was comprised of multiple huge display screens, an outstanding array of lights, and “more pyro than KISS”. Rob had set changes on almost every song. Once he emerged riding a huge metal chariot; other times he was sharing the stage with a five times normal sized “Devil Man” or “Zombie”. This show was more than just metal, it was a theatrical display of imagery and sound. His band performed everything with accuracy and distinction.

All in all, an amazing day of metal in the heat of the Dallas sun. Fans braved the temperatures and the mosh pits to see a great metal show go down in good ol’ Texas.