The Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival took the Detroit area by force on Friday, August 6 at the DTE Energy Music Theater. The festival featured 12 bands, and was headlined by Five Finger Death Punch, Lamb of God, Rob Zombie and Korn. It advertised itself as “the hardest show on earth” and there was not a break in the chaos. Many of the performers commented on the energy that a Detroit crowd seemed to exude. DTE was at capacity with a little over 15,000 in attendance; Detroit was one of the locations that sold out on the tour. The lawn and pavilion was wall-to-wall with people.

Metal bands like Atreyu and Norma Jean attracted the twenty-somethings and teen crowd while shock metal rocker Rob Zombie and nu-metal Korn appealed to fans of all ages.

The tour was created by Kevin Lyman, the creator of both the Warped Tour and the Taste of Chaos tour. This is the Mayhem Festival’s third year and it seems to be growing in popularity. The full line-up also included: 3 Inches of Blood, In This Moment, Norma Jean, Atreyu, Hatebreed, Chimaira, Shadows Fall, and Winds of Plague. The festival is known for having an interesting combination of well-established bands as well as up-and-coming acts.

Of the four headliners, Rob Zombie wins the award for most theatric stage design. His performance featured a mutant skeleton mic-stand, post-apocalyptic costuming, elaborate lighting (a photographer’s nightmare), and a flaming 8 ft. knight statue from which Zombie jumped at the beginning of his set. He played an assortment of new and old songs including “Living Dead Girl” and “Dragula”, two of his more well known songs from his 1998 album Hillbilly Deluxe. Zombie’s strong vocal performance along with impressive set design made him a definite highlight of the night.

The last band of the night, Korn, is known for their energetic and intense performances and they didn’t let Detroit down. They played many of their hit and fan favorite songs, including “Falling Away From Me” from their 1999 hit album, Issues and “Right Now” from the 2003 album, Take a Look in the Mirror. Even after 17 years of playing together, Korn’s on-stage chemistry is still as exciting as ever.

Photos can’t do this touring festival justice, but check below for more of the highlights…

Keep an eye out for SHEI’s review on The Carnival of Madness coming later this week.

Review by Chelsea Brown and Jeff Plott

All photos are by Chelsea Brown, SHEI Photo Editor, unless otherwise noted.