Photos By Brooke Striewski and Josh Kelly

Since 2021, Rewind It Magazine have made it to Welcome to Rockville four out of five recent years since the massive annual music festival moved to Daytona Beach from Jacksonville, FL. But unlike previous years, there was an impossible-to-ignore black cloud looming over the proceedings this year, as less than three short months prior I had found myself recovering from surgery in the hospital after a nasty bout of Oyesteomylitis (a potentially deadly bone infection, and in my case chronic) had rippled its way through my ankle once more after decades of remission.

There was much doubt then, and even more doubt the day of when the moment had finally arrived (my wife and Rewind It photographer/partner-in-crime Brooke had actually won tickets to the event from local radio station WMMO as far back as December). But I was determined, and did not want to let my still-teenaged son Jacob (who is perpetually playing catch up with his old man when it comes to seeing bands) down.

Thursday, May 15 (Day 1):

We strolled in (in my case literally – I was on a rolling walker for this one) to the Daytona International Speedway that first day on Thursday, May 15, with a feeling of triumph, having finally made it across the finish line (normally by this time of year we’ve fit in a handful of shows by now). But after all that uncertainty leading up, there lied the first band of 2025 either us had seen on stage right before our eyes – Blue October (okay so we might have actually caught a glimpse of The Acacia Strain along the way too, but still).

Now, I can’t tell you I’ve ever been much of a Blue October fan over the years at all. But in that moment, hearing tracks like “Hate Me” and “I Hope You’re Happy” live meant the world to me just then, though it was about to get much better very quickly.

Reunited 2000’s act Crossfade were up next after being introduced by I believe a Sirius XM radio host whose name escapes me (?), and even a NASCAR driver (and if memory serves me correctly, that would be Daniel Sauerz). For this one we stayed for the entire set, which included “Starless,” “So Far Away,” “Lay Me Down,” “Dead Memories,” “The Deep End,” “Colors,” “Already Gone,” “Death Trend Setta,” and their 2004 hit, “Cold.”

Crossfade performing on the first day of Welcome to Rockville in Daytona Beach, FL on 5/15/25 (Photo by Jesse Striewski).

Next up were ’80s thrash masters Exodus, who we nearly missed by the time we made the trek over to the Inferno stage to see them. Although I caught the band once before back in 2014, I was curious to see the return of former vocalist Rob Dukes this time around, even if it was only for a handful of songs (“Toxic Waltz” and “Strike of the Beast”), one of which also included Municipal Waste front man Tony Foresta.

A few minutes worth of Theory of a Deadman’s set in the interim reminded me of just how boring they really are live (I had actually seen them along time ago too at another festival around 2012-ish, and was not impressed then, either), though Orlando natives Trivium (whose original singer/bassist Brad Lewter I had actually gone to elementary school with in Weikva) helped kick things up a notch.

“The End of Everything,” “Rain,” “Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr,” and “Like Light to the Flies” were all fun enough to hear again and/or for the first time (it’s been since 2008 since I last saw them), but in order to catch GWAR for the first time in nearly two decades (seen them several times between 1999-2006) and with Michael Bishop now in place of the late Dave Brockie (R.I.P.) for the first time was too intriguing as well.

Hearing songs like “Slap U Around,” “Gor-Gor,” and “Sick of You” live again may have brought back some nostalgic memories no doubt, but the overall juvenile appreciation has long since past since those Beavis and Butt-Head days so long ago, and I think I’ll leave my memories of the band in the past where they ultimately belong for me.

The Pretty Reckless came into late in the game, replacing 3 Doors Down on the bill after frontman Brad Arnold’s recent cancer diagnosis (wishing him all of the best). I’ve checked out the band before, and other than the singer Taylor Momsen’s previous acting credits (which included 2000’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas alongside Jim Carey), I really hadn’t found much interest in them. Live was a different story though, as Momsen swayed her way through tracks like “Witches Burn,” “Makes Me Wanna Die,” “Going to Hell,” “Heaven Knows,” and “Take Me Down.”

From then on, it was all about the ladies for some time after, with Lzzy Hale (fresh off a brief stint fronting Skid Row) and Halestorm belting out some of their well-known numbers like “Familiar Taste of Poison” and “Freak Like Me,” before we were able to catch Arch Enemy completely annihilating another stage nearby (and with front woman Alissa White-Gluz looking damn good in the process).

I could hear Three Days Grace from a distance and even seen them on some of the giant screens throughout while we waited for Asking Alexandria to play on another stage. Having already seen Asking Alexandria open for All That Remains way back in 2010, I was expecting more of the same insanity, though some of that seemed to be replaced now by a more mainstream direction rather than metalcore (could have something to do with the absence of original guitarist Ben Bruce). All in all songs like “Alone in a Room” and “The Final Episode (Let’s Change the Channel)” still held up live.

Rapper/Actor Ice-T and Body Count have at the very least held a vague interest for me ever since appearing on the Judgement Night soundtrack alongside Slayer with the punk/thrash inspired “Disorder” all the way back in 1993. While the band did rip through the aforementioned track with style (as well as a cover of Slayer’s “Raining Blood,” among other things), I found myself losing interest quickly after being preached to (one of the biggest turn-offs for me from musicians these days).

And finally, if you’ve seen Rob Zombie once, you’ve seen him enough. I can’t even remember exactly how many times its been, but I do know not much has changed since that first time I saw him back in 2006. He’ll usually open with something like “Demon Speeding” (which he did), throw in some hits like “Feel So Numb” and “More Human Than Human” (which he also did), and end it with the one-two punch of “Thunder Kiss ’65” and “Dragula” (yep, again). The only noticeable difference this time was the inclusion of “Creature of the Wheel” from 1995’s Astro-Creep: 2000 album, though I could think of at least half a dozen better songs from that album (either “Electric Head” track or “Blur the Technicolor” would’ve done nicely instead).

By the time Zombie was done, so were we, despite that evening’s headliner Shinedown still yet to perform (how they landed the “headliner” spot to begin with, I’ll never understand), though we could clearly hear them starting on our way out of the venue.

Friday, May 16 (Day 2):

By the time we got to day number two, we getting into more of a routine (mainly finding spots to stay out of the heat/sun), though were able to arrive just a tad earlier than the day prior (and run into long time friend of the fam and latest Rewind It contributor, Josh Kelly).

It was no doubt all about the ’90s this day, with the first band we caught of the day being Lit. Before their set, a video montage reminding fans of their MTV Spring Break played over the screens before the band started with “Kicked Off the Plane.” Admittedly I did not know much of their songs until they reached the pseudo-ballad “Miserable,” and by then it was time to catch fellow ’90s act Everclear.

Everclear are one of those bands I’ve always held a small interest for since their heyday, a large part perhaps having to do with being on the soundtracks to such films I loved like Detroit Rock City (1999) and Rock Star (2001). They wasted no time with their set, instantly giving fans exactly what they came for with the anthemtic “So Much For the Afterglow” before tearing through “Everything to Everyone,” “Heroin Girl,” “Father of Mine,” “I Will Buy You a New Life,” “Wonderful,” and finally, the 1995 classic, “Santa Monica.”

Another reunited early 2000’s metalcore act, It Dies Today, who I had once caught what now feels like a lifetime ago at the 2007 Vans Warped Tour, were the next on the agenda. Hearing the likes of “Severed Ties Yield Severed Heads,” “Sacred Heart (Sacre Couer),” and “A Threnody of Modern Romance” was a welcomed blast from the past for sure.

And speaking of blasts from the past, Bowling For Soup were one of the earliest groups I can remember my kid ever liking, having performed the theme song to the animated show Phineas and Ferb (which I probably heard more times than I’d like to admit thanks to it). While I’m almost positive I could hear the band playing said theme in the distance prior to arriving, I can confirm “Punk Rock 101,” “Girl All the Bad Guys Want,” and “1985” were all performed towards the end of their set.

Post-grunge rockers Candlebox took it back to the ’90s, with songs like “Don’t You,” “Change,” “Elegante,” “Arrow,” and “Cover Me”bringing yet more memories from those teen years.

Having just seen Bush somewhat recently in late 2023, I wasn’t too worried about catching them again, and by then it was time for some much-needed rest out of the sun. I was still close enough to the stage to hear such classics and newer tracks alike, such as “Everything Zen,” “Machinehead,” “Flowers on a Grave,” “The Chemicals Between Us,” “60 Ways to Forget People,” “Swallowed,” “More Than Machines,” “Glycerine,” and “Comedown.”

When it came time for Sublime, there was a vague interest there, even though I never really got too hooked on the band’s music, even at their peak. But I was surprised to see what a show man the late Bradley Nowell’s son Jakob was in his place, as the band made their way through “April 29, 1992 (Miami),” “The Ballad of Johnny Butt,” “Wrong Way,” “Date Rape,” “Doin’ Time,” “STP,” “Garden Grove,” “Badfish,” “Burritos,” “Ensenda,” “What I Got,” “Same in the End,” and “Santeria.”

Ukrainian metal act Jinjer were next up on the agenda, and I’ve got to say, of all the female-fronted bands we were able to witness at Rockville, their frontwoman (Tatiana Shmayluk) was by far one of the most unique – not to mention one of the sexiest – of them all. The group blasted through numbers like “Retrospection,” “Green Serpent,” and “Someone’s Daughter” (among others) with ease.

Ironically, the last time I saw Killswitch Engage, it was on that very same Vans Warped Tour with It Dies Today back in 2007. At that time Howard Jones was still handling lead vocal duties (quite admirably too I might add), but I was looking forward to seeing the band with original lead singer Jesse Leach back at the helm this time though.

And apparently I was not the only one; it seemed like nearly everyone inside of the Speedway came from far and wide to pack the surrounding areas of that stage to hear the band do “Rose of Sharyn,” “In Due Time,” “This Fire,” “Broken Glass,” “Hate by Design,” “Forever Aligned,” “The Signal Fire,” “I Believe,” “My Curse,” “The End of Heartache” (in which the band briefly stopped midway due to an injured fan), “My Last Serenade,” and their cover of Dio’s “Holy Diver.”

Another band I caught many years earlier at a Warped Tour (I believe 2002) though wouldn’t really call myself a “fan” of, Good Charlotte, were next up. I was surprised by how much energy the band brought even after having just watched Killswitch, with tracks like “The Anthem,” “Girls & Boys,” “Keep Your Hands Off My Girl,” “Predictable,” “Hold On,” “Wondering,” “Life Changes,” and “The Young and the Hopeless” all leading the charge.

But it was what came next that created one of the most truly unique moments at Rockville this year; Wheatus singer Brendan B. Brown suddenly emerged to duet with G.C. frontman Joel Madden on the 2000 hit “Teenage Dirtbag.” It was just one of those small yet special and rare moments that only seems to happen once in a blue moon, and there was no way the band could top it afterwards, even with a few more tracks in the form of “Little Things,” “The River,” “Dance Floor Anthem,” “I Just Wanna Live,” and “Lifestyles of the Rich & the Famous” still up their sleeves.

And now we get to…Green Day. I remember when the band first started becoming a household name after the release of their third album, Dookie, in 1994. One of my trendy older sister’s, trying to describe the band to someone and sound cool in the process, labeled them as a “Jesse band” (and that’s a direct quote). Having already been into more “authentic” punk bands at the time such as the Misfits and the Ramones, I took it as somewhat of an insult rather than a compliment, and my opinion of the band has only gotten worse with each subsequent release from them since.

Honestly, their concert was one of the most pointless and low quality I can recall in recent memory. They started things off with Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” (a much better song from far more talented musicians) blaring on the house speakers before some guy in a bunny suit hoped around moronically to the Ramones’ “Blitzkrieg Bop” for no apparent reason that I could see.

It didn’t get any better once they emerged with their commie rhetoritc that is “American Idiot,” with Billie Joe Armstrong throwing in predictable jabs towards a certain faction of Americans (so edgy) in his annoying voice as always. I didn’t get the appeal as more tracks like “Holiday” and “Know Your Enemy” (at which point the band did at least let a young fan onstage to have the time of her life) and “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” continued to ring out.

Green Day performs on night number two of Welcome to Rockville in Daytona Beach, FL on Friday, 5/16/25 (Photo by Josh Kelly).

“One Eyed Bastard” was a bore, and by the time they reached a couple of tracks from said Dookie album (“Longview” and “Welcome to Paradise”) we had had enough for the night and started heading for the door, and with zero regrets about it, either.

Saturday, May 17 (Day 3):

By day number three I was already spent, so we not only took our time arriving, but I had already pre-decided I was not going to worry about most of the earlier bands (I had already seen most of them in some shape or form already anyhow, so it was not much of a loss really).

The first act we caught of the day was Christian rockers P.O.D., who were just wrapping things up with their early-2000’s mega hits “Youth of a Nation” and “Alive.” After which, there was an oh-so-brief glimpse of Taking Back Sunday before it was time for me to retreat yet again until Municipal Waste hit the stage.

Late last year I had actually briefly met M.W. frontman Tony Foresta at a Fear show (and if you recall earlier in this article, he had actually guested on stage with Exodus just two days prior), but I had still yet to see Tony and co. tear things up with their maniciacl crossover mix.

“Slime and Punishment” was appropriately the track the band was already mid-song playing by the time we scooted up to the party. “The Thrashin’ of the Christ,” “Poison the Preacher,” “You’re Cut Off,” “High Speed Steel,” “Grave Dive,” “Wave of Death,” “Demoralizer,” and “Born to Party” (complete with a guy in a hazmat suit) all found their way into their set list.

Occasional Rewind It contributor Seth Johnson and his wife Erin had met up with us by this point, and just in time for Florida death metal legends Obituary. My introduction to the genre actually came via two cassette tapes (that’s right) found at a pawn shop “back in the day;” Cannibal Corpse’s Eaten Back to Life, and Obituary’s Slowly We Rot. So it was a thrill to finally cross the band off the list as well (C.C. I had actually seen before way back in 2006). The band ripped through their set that consisted of “Snortin’ Whisky,” “Redneck Stomp,” “A Lesson in Vengeance,” “Body Bag,” “The Wrong Time,” and “Slowly We Rot.”

I wasn’t quite sure what to make of Bilmuri (lead by former Attack Attack! frontman Johnny Franck) while waiting for Acid Bath to play, but their saxophone player Gabi Rose added a slight ’80s touch to the proceedings (not to mention some very…interesting attire) on tracks like “Emptyhanded” and “The End” (I’m not going to even attempt to try to spell most of their long-winded songs).

Acid Bath are one of those sludge metal bands that hold just enough appeal to hold my interest (similar to Down), and their reuniting for the first time since the late ’90s was definitely one of the most-talked about moments of Rockville this year. “The Beautiful Downgrade,” “Tranquilized,” “Bleed Me An Ocean,” “Venus Blue,” “Dead Girl,” “Pagan Love Song,” and “Dr. Seuss is Dead” were all worth the the wait to hear live.

Pierce The Veil may be one of those newer groups more up my son’s alley, but I’ll admit I actually did enjoy what we watched of their set. Tracks like “I’m Low on Gas and You Need a Jacket,” “Circles,” “Karma Police” (Radiohead cover), “May These Noises Startle You in Your Sleep Tonight,” “Hell Above,” “Caraphernelia,” “Emergency Contact,” “Hold on to May,” and “King For a Day” (with Sleeping with Sirens singer Kellin Quinn) were all admirable to say the least.

And lastly, the latest incarnation of Linkin Park with Dead Sara vocalist Emily Armstrong in place of the late Chester Bennington closed out the night. As far as nu metal goes, I’d rather listen to them over the likes of say, well, Mudvayne (stay tuned), and I actually liked some of the earlier Michael Bay Transformers films that they provided songs for, so one of the stipulations I had beforehand was to hear them do at least one of those songs live.

After some brief intros, the band launched into some familiar numbers such as “Somewhere I Belong,” “Lying From You,” “Crawling,” “Two Faced,” and my stopping point, “New Divide” (from 2009’s Revenge of the Fallen). I won’t sit here and tell you Armstrong is flawless in Benniington’s place, but she seems to be trying her best at the shoes she’s been given to fill.

Linkin Park’s Emily Armstrong serenading the crowd at Welcome to Rockville in Daytona Beach, FL on Saturday, May 17 (Photo by Josh Kelly).

Sunday, May 18 (Day 4):

By day number four on Sunday, I was definitely ready for it all to be over, while at the same time grateful to finally have my beloved wife and number one photographer Brooke by my side for it. It was especially notable for us to finally see Marilyn Manson together, having both attended the same 2008 show of his together without even knowing it (prior to our eventual dating/marriage).

As we walked in for the day, we caught glimpses of Gatecreeper, Attack Attack! and Fit For An Autopsy, but it wasn’t until Orlando’s own Sevendust that we really paid solid attention to a group, with tracks like “Pieces,” “Denial,” “Praise,” “Black,” “Enemy,” and “Face to Face” exploding across the Speedway.

Sevendust performing at Welcome to Rockville in Daytona Beach, FL on Sunday, May 18 (Photo by Brooke Striewski).

Blessthefall is one band I photographed live in Orlando for a local band back in 2010 (along with Chiodos, who were also on the bill today), and I was looking forward to seeing how the band has matured since then. And they sounded spot on on tracks like “Wake the Dead,” “Cutthroat,” “Hollow Bodies,” “2.0,” “What’s Left of Me,” “You Wear a Crown But You’re No King,” and “Hey Baby, Here’s That Song You Wanted.”

Memphis May Fire and The Black Dahlia Murder were a couple of more interim acts before Hawthorne Heights, who surprisingly I don’t recall seeing before now. And hearing songs like “Saying Sorry,” “Hard to Believe,” and “Niki FM” were actually all quite effective live.

While waiting for Marilyn Manson to take stage, we were given no choice but to endure the end of Mudvayne’s set, who were in the process of ending the same set they had the last two times we saw them at Rockville, with tracks like “Not Falling” and “Happy?”

Marilyn Manson have definitely changed a lot since that last time Brooke and I had seen them all the way back in 2008, and no doubt have endured quite a bit as well (Manson briefly addressed this, calling those who tried to cancel him “vial”). But within seconds of hitting stage, I don’t think there was a single person in attendance doubting his ability to still put on an epic rock show (Manson’s young new guitarist Reba Meyers of Code Orange added to the energy, and was extremely easy on the eyes at that).

The band plowed through the likes of “Nod If You Understand,” “Disposable Teens,” “Get Your Gunn,” “Tourniquet,” “Sacrilegious,” “This Is the New Shit,” “mOBSCENE,” “Long Hard Road out of Hell,” “The Dope Show,” “As Sick as the Secrets Within,” “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This),” and finally, “The Beautiful People.”

Reba Meyers performs on stage with Marilyn Manson at Welcome to Rockville in Daytona Beach, FL on Sunday, May 18 (Photo by Jesse Striewski).

The night could’ve ended right then and there and I would’ve been perfectly fine with it, but there were still some acts left, including Bad Omens. I had never really listened to them before, and although their music did not sound bad per se, it was definitely puzzling why they were actually in a headlining spot.

And last but not least, Korn finally took stage to close out Welcome to Rockville. Now, I haven’t actually owned a Korn album since their self-titled debut was given to me by a friends older sister, on cassette (that’s right). So I can’t say they’ve been my favorite band out there (again, the whole nu metal scene is more up my kid’s alley than it is mine).

But I’ll admit, the band showed no mercy as they tore through numbers like “Blind,” “Twist,” “Falling Away From Me,” and “Got the Life.” By the time they reached “Clown” though, we were completely spent, and decided to just listen what we could on the way out (“Did My Time” and “Shoots and Ladders” included), effectively putting an end to the 2025 Welcome to Rockville festival for good.

Album Review – Marilyn Manson: One Assassination Under God – Chapter 1 (Nuclear Blast)

By: Jesse Striewski

Whether in terms of music or politics, 2024 has undoubtedly been the year of the “comebacks,” and shock rocker Marilyn Manson’s first studio album in just over four years, after numerous attempts of character assassination, is no exception.

One Assassination Under God – Chapter 1 is a direct response to such accusations, with its scathing title track kicking things off with a fury. First single “As Sick as the Secrets Within” is an obvious return to form upon first listen, while “Meet Me in Purgatory” is a definite standout (and personal favorite). Other notable tracks include “Death Is Not a Costume,” “Nod If You Understand” and “Raise the Red Flag,” each upping the ante from the previous.

If you were an outsider Manson fan growing up in the ’90s (as so many of us were), and if you can get past the slightly goofy album cover artwork, this one should no doubt be right up your alley (and with any luck, in your Christmas stocking this year).

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Metallica and More at Welcome to Rockville 2021 in Daytona Beach, FL By Jesse Striewski/Photos By Brooke Striewski

For the first time in its ten-year history, the massive Welcome to Rockville music festival came to the International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL for four straight days and nights from November 11-14. And with press credentials extremely limited for the event, it did not look likely that Rewind It Magazine would be able to make it. But as luck would have it, our very own photographer Brooke Striewski managed to pull off winning four day passes from local rock station WJRR.

Each night featured an array of different bands on the stage (and to anyone that was able to make it all four days and survive, I applaud you), and having just acquired wristbands the day of the first show and having numerous prior engagements, there was no way we would be able to make much more than the headlining acts. But photo passes be damned, we were still determined to get in as much as possible, and see as many friends of the extended family also attending as possible (including Mike Jones, Josh Kelly, and Rewind It Magazine contributor Shawn McKee).

Although I’m ninety-nine percent sure the first band we saw onstage upon entering that first night on Thursday, November 11 was indeed Brass Against, we did not witness the now-infamous “peeing” incident from lead singer Sophia Urista (shame, I know). Our first “real” introduction to the music was via A Day to Remember, a band I first saw back in 2011. Can’t say I was ever a huge fan of theirs, but songs like “Mind Reader,” “Resentment,” “All Signs Point to Lauderdale,” “Brick Wall,” and “All I Want” were all decent enough live numbers.

From there it was on to catch hip hop icons Cypress Hill, who just about any middle/high school misfit in the ’90s will remember as the go-to stoner group. Along with Public Enemy’s DJ Lord in tow, the group actually started off somewhat promising with tracks like “I Ain’t Goin’ Out Like That,” “When the Shit Goes Down,” “A to the K,” and “Hand on the Pump.” But as soon as they did “Pigs” and started preaching their hypocritical anti-law enforcement rhetoric from their oh-so protected stage (From what again? That’s right, law enforcement!), they began to lose us. More stunning achievements in songwriting followed, such as “Bilingual,” “I Wanna Get High” (where a nearby fan became falsely excited, mistaking it for another, similar sounding song), “Dr. Greenthumb,” and “Hits From the Bong.” By the time they reached their biggest hit “Insane in the Brain,” we were already making our way over to the main act of the night.

Slipknot are one of those rare exception, nu metal acts that I can actually tolerate. and having previously photographed frontman Corey Taylor and guitarist Jim Root on stage with Stone Sour for another magazine at Earthday Birthday back in 2013, I was actually intrigued to finally see them behind their “other” faces. They were also our fifteen year old son’s favorite act of the entire festival, so to be able to watch them alongside him was no doubt a special moment for me. They definitely did not disappoint, coming out strong with somewhat newer track “Unsainted” before finally launching into the likes of “Before I Forget,” “The Heretic Anthem,” “Psychosocial,” “The Chapeltown Rag,” “Wait and Bleed,” “Vermilion,” “All Out Lie,” and “Duality.” At some point during the night, Taylor also took a minute to address the recent tragedy at Astroworld, forging a moment of honest solidarity between band and audience.

Slipknot headlining the first night of Welcome to Rockville on Thursday, November 11, 2021.

Night two was definitely a step up, and one to remember. By the time our crew arrived this time around, Chevelle (another band I once photographed at EDBD, but in 2012) were mid-way through their set. Although more up my son’s alley once again, hearing tracks like “The Clincher,” “Send the Pain Below,” and “The Red” took me back to another, more simple time.

Social Distortion has been a band on my list for some time now, and although I’ve had close calls of seeing them in the past, I was finally able to catch them this past Friday night. Tracks like The Rolling Stones’ “Under My Thumb,” “Ready For Love,” “California (Hustle and Flow),” “Far Side of Nowhere,” “Lude Boy,” “She’s a Knockout,” “The Way Things Were,” “Story of my Life,” “I Was Wrong,” “Ball and Chain,” “Don’t Drag Me Down,” and Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” were all powerful in a live setting (although I would have liked to have heard just a little more older stuff, like maybe “Mommy’s Little Monster” at the very least). The laid back demeanor of founder and lone original member, frontman Mike Ness (now joined by former U.S. Bombs/Youth Brigade guitarist Johnny Wickersham in place of the late Dennis Danell since 2000) was a stark contrast to Cypress Hill’s set the previous night around the same time frame, and just echoed an overall coolness.

Former White Zombie frontman Rob Zombie was up next, and like Slipknot, was playing his final show of 2021. Although there’s still plenty of visuals to behold throughout his shows via videos of everything from clips of his films, to half naked go go dancers, I remembered not being all that impressed the last time I caught him live in 2006, either. Now joined by not one, but two former members of Marilyn Manson (guitarist John 5 and drummer Ginger Fish), Zombie and his crew made plenty of noise with tracks like “The Triumph of King Freak (A Crypt of Preservation and Superstition),” “Dead City Radio and the New Gods of Supertown,” “Superbeast,” “Living dead Girl,” “The Eternal Struggles of The Howling Man,” “Well, Everybody’s Fucking in a UFO,” “More Human Than Human,” “House of 1000 Corpses,” and “Thunder Kiss ’65.” A quick solo from John 5 followed before closing things out with “Dragula,” but overall, it was not much more than simply a pretty “meh” performance.

And finally, after waiting forty years (the age of both myself, and the band themselves), I was able to come full circle and complete seeing the last missing piece of the “Big Four” of thrash metal that also includes Megadeth, Anthrax, and Slayer. It was truly surreal to hear Metallica tear through “Whiplash” off of 1983’s Kill ’em All album, before going into “Ride the Lightning” from the album of the same name. More classics new and old followed, including “Harvester of Sorrow,” “Cyanide,” “The Memory Remains,” “One,” “Frantic” (yes, from 2003’s St. Anger album, which lead singer/guitarist James Hetfield even poked a bit of fun at), and “Moth Into Flame.” More classics like “No Leaf Clover,” “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” “Whiskey in the Jar,” “Fade to Black,” “Master of Puppets,” “Fight Fire with Fire,” “Fuel,” and “Seek and Destroy” followed. But I also noted how, curiously, nothing from The Black Album was performed, and I would indeed find out why soon enough (stay tuned). Although packed in like sardines in one of the largest crowds any of us have ever been in, it was truly an unforgettable experience to have together.

Having already seen the majority of bands on Saturday night’s roster – including The Offspring, Staind, Lamb of God, and Gwar – and having previously committed to the third annual Stogies and Spirits event at Henry’s Depot in Sanford, FL (where we watched local cover act Skin Deep perform instead) we wisely took a night off from Rockville and waited until Sunday to return, which was a gamble that paid off perfectly. Upon arrival on Sunday afternoon, the weather had cooled down considerably, and the all-female trio The Warning were well into their set. Not only were some pretty faces a welcomed addition after staring at nothing but dudes for days now, the girls actually rocked pretty damn hard, too…

…Yet not as hard as the mighty Anthrax. The last time I saw them back in 2010 (where I photographed them at Hard Rock Live along with Megadeth and Slayer), they were full of energy, and absolutely tore up the stage. And despite a member change since (Shadows Fall guitarist Jonathan Donais has since taken over for Volbeat’s Rob Caggiano), the band still had it. Staple tracks like “Among the Living,” “Got the Time,” “Caught in a Mosh,” “Madhouse,” “Finale,” “I am the Law,” “Anti-Social,” and “Indians” still all sounded crushing live, making Anthrax easily one of my favorite bands of not only the night, but the entire weekend as well.

Former Escape the Fate frontman Ronnie Radke’s band Falling in Reverse were next up. Although another of the many bands I photographed at the three consecutive Earthday Birthdays I covered (I believe it was 2012 this time around), the appeal has definitely worn off for me, and is once again something more appreciated by my teenager. Still, it was interesting hearing “The Drug in Me is You” again alongside newer tracks like “Believe in Me,” “Drugs,” “Just Like You,” and “Popular Monster.”

Mastodon were up next, and admittedly, we only caught a glimpse of their set due to it being time to find some grub. But we filled our bellies just in time to catch a reunited Mudvayne, who, despite their laughable costumes and makeup, did not cause anyone to lose said dinner. I can’t say I was ever a fan of Mudvayne, or vocalist Chad Gray and guitarist Greg Tribbett’s other band HellYeah, who once again I photographed at – you guessed it – Earthday Birthday! The only songs I even recognized in their set were the early 2000’s hits “Not Falling” and “World So Cold,” and after listening to Gray struggle to hit the right notes (to be fair, I understand he may have recently recovered from a case of Covid), we began making our way to the next stage.

Legendary southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd have somehow also managed to escape from my radar until now, but it was totally worth the wait, even with virtually no original member present at the time (sole surviving member Gary Rossington was out due to recent medical issues, leaving long time vocalist/younger brother to late original vocalist Ronnie Van Zant, Johnny, and guitarist Ricky Medlocke, who played briefly with the band in the early ’70s and has been back with them for a good twenty five years now, as close as it gets). Still, this did not stop them from bringing the house down.

Lynyrd Skynyrd performing the final night of Welcome to Rockville on Sunday, November 14, 2021.

Thin Lizzy/former Brother Cane guitarist Damon Johnson took over duties for Rossington with ease and enthusiasm, and the band opened their set admirably enough with “Workin’ For MCA.” More classics like “I Ain’t the One,” “Saturday Night Special,” “That Smell,” “Gimme Back My Bullets,” “The Needle and the Spoon,” “Simple Man,” “Gimme Three Steps,” and “Sweet Home Alabama” followed before ending with an epic, ten-plus minute rendition of “Free Bird” (all these years of hearing it yelled at concerts, and we finally heard it live). Skynyrd’s set was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the night, and the entire weekend.

Things could have easily ended there and been just fine. But instead, Metallica had to play a second show of the weekend, and it was immediately apparent the energy of Friday night’s show just wasn’t quite there this time (from both band and audience), and opening with the semi-newer track in the form of “Hardwired” was a clue of what was to come. Things did actually pick up briefly though, as the guys dove through a couple of classics (and two personal favorites of mine) “The Four Horsemen” and “Welcome Home (Sanitarium).”

But then, the unexpected happened; they started playing The Black Album (remember what I had said about Friday night’s set?), and to top it off, backwards. That’s right, the most boring album in Metallica’s “classic” era catalog, was played from “The Struggle Within,” all the way to “Enter Sandman.” I get that it’s a milestone for the band and recently just turned thirty years old, but I could have easily lived without hearing every moment from it (and judging by the crowd’s reaction, I wasn’t the only one who felt this way). The Black Album was actually the first Metallica album I ever owned, and it did little to nothing to win me over as a fan; it took going back to their earlier efforts to finally win me over.

Although the band did briefly redeem themselves afterwards by ending with “Damage Inc.” and “Creeping Death,” it still did not measure up by any means to their Friday night set. But I think it’s safe to say that all those who attended and lived through the incredible, exhausting experience that was Welcome to Rockville 2021 will surely have many a story to tell for a long, long time.

Album Review: Rob Zombie – The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy (Nuclear Blast)

By: Jesse Striewski

When Rob Zombie first dropped the single/video for “The Triumph of King Freak (A Crypt of Preservation and Superstition)” last year just before Halloween, I wasn’t expecting to feel like that 14-year-old kid just getting into albums like Astro Creep: 2000 all over again. But that’s exactly what happened when I finally sat down to listen to his latest solo album (his seventh overall), even if said initial single didn’t peak my interest all that much at the time.

The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy plays just like one of those old White Zombie records, with seventeen (usually) equally long-titled tracks that range from odd samples, instrumentals, ’70s acid trips, and menacing metal riffs. One thing’s for certain, there’s definitely no shortage of eclectic sounds to be found from start to finish.

Tracks like “The Ballad of Sleazy Rider,” “The Eternal Struggles of the Howling Man,” and “The Satanic Rites of Blacula” are all straight-forward, disco rock hybrids, while “Get Loose,” “Boom-Boom-Boom,” and “Shake Your Ass and Smoke Your Grass” are near tailored made stripper tunes. But the true highlight comes in the form of the doom-y single “Crow Killer Blues;” not only does it feature an appropriately bleak music video, it also contains some of the best work from (former Marilyn Manson) guitarist John 5 to boot.

There’s no doubt that Rob Zombie’s warped world is not for everyone. But even the most casual of listeners may be able to appreciate what he’s put together here, which is easily some of his best work in years.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Album Review: Marilyn Manson – We Are Chaos (Loma Vista/Concord)

By: Jesse Striewski

Although I’m far from the Marilyn Manson fan I might have once been when I was fourteen, there’s still that part of me that will always be intrigued by what Manson does these days. I’m glad I took the time to listen to the band’s eleventh studio release, We Are Chaos, which sees them taking some surprisingly interesting new avenues with their sound.

One thing that has been disappointing about Manson in more recent times is the fact there’s no real “band” to speak of anymore, rather just random, faceless musicians that come and go through the fold. But despite this, Manson finds songwriting help via collaboration with Shooter Jennings, who definitely helps add new dimensions here. The two manage to unleash some dark, Bowie-inspired numbers in the form of “Broken Needle,” “Keep My Head Together,” and the title track.

But the standout here hands-down goes to “Don’t Chase the Dead,” which not only echos early ’80s Ministry, it also features a sleek music video featuring The Walking Dead‘s Norman Reedus and photographer Lindsay Usich. I always say to go in to things with an open mind, and the same applies with everything here. Give it a chance and you might find something you like.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars