Live-Metal.Net - Concert Reports

Main Stage
KORN (live pix), EVANESCENCE (live pix), ATREYU, FLYLEAF, HELLYEAH, TRIVIUM, NEUROSONIC (live pix), DROID

Nissan Pavilion
Bristow, Va.
July 28, 2007

Given the fate of so many bands that emerged when they did, who would have thought Korn would still be a band in 2007, never mind headlining their own summer festival tour? Of course, the band taking the stage these days bears little resemblance to the one that emerged in the mid-1990s. Frontman Jonathan Davis, bassist Fieldy and guitarist Munky are still here. Joining them for the tour are Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison, Dark New Day guitarist Clint Lowery (formerly of Sevendust) and a pair of backing musicians. While they sounded good mixing old songs with selections from their new untitled album, it just doesn’t feel like a band anymore. It’s like watching some sort of performance art interpretation of Korn songs. Regardless of what I thought, the crowd ate it up. And though the show didn’t sit well with me, Korn has compiled an impressive catalog of songs over the years.

The co-headliner, Evanescence, fared better in my view. With band members seemingly moving in and out through a revolving door, it’s remarkable how tight they sound. Amy Lee is the star, but the guys behind her aren’t too shabby either. The energy level is considerably higher on stage than it is in the studio, and Lee’s voice takes on a whole new power in a live setting. In between the songs you’ve probably heard ad nauseam on your local rock radio station, they threw in a cover of The Doors’ “People Are Strange,” an interesting choice that worked surprisingly well.

AMY LEE OF EVANESCENCE

Having seen bands like Trivium and Flyleaf multiple times, I spent most of the day at the more intimate and intense second stage. The lineup was wonderfully diverse: Twin Method, bringing their techno-tinged hard rock from the U.K.; the harder-edged metal of Bloodsimple, whose appearance was a surprise considering the official announcement that they had joined the tour didn’t make its way online until later in the day; Invitro, with their tin foil masks and schizophrenic hard rock; and the straightforward hard rock of Through You.

But star of the second stage, the headliner, was Five Finger Death Punch. The biggest pits of the day erupted when this quintet stormed the stage. The crowd wasn’t as big as it could have been—Hellyeah was on at the same time on the main stage—and the temperature was pushing triple digits, but this band brought it full throttle, and the fans, many of whom were singing along to songs that hadn’t even been officially released at the time—responded in kind. Five Finger Death Punch isn’t doing anything that hasn’t been done before; it’s just that few bands today do it so well. Classic metal influences and a modern sensibility come together in one brutal, haunting mix. On stage, frontman Ivan Moody is a madman, and it’s not hard to get swept up by the energy he and his bandmates bring. Highlights of the set included the pulverizing title track of their debut album, The Way of the Fist; the first single, “The Bleeding”; and the explosive closer, “White Knuckles.” Big things are on the horizon for this band.

IVAN MOODY OF FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH SET LIST: Ashes, Salvation, The Way of the Fist, The Devil’s Own, The Bleeding, White Knuckles

I would have liked to have seen Hellyeah, and this new version of Korn didn’t quite do it for me, but overall, Family Values 2007 offered a satisfying mix of music—something new, something old, something for everyone.