This was the last Sick New World sideshow for a festival weekend wrap, and I believe they saved the best for last. What a powerhouse of a show, sold out and with a stacked lineup. Randy Blythe of Lamb of God said that when they were asked to play this side show, he said on one condition, he got to pick the openers. The bands he picked took a lot of balls, Long Island's INCENDIARY, and from down south in Texas, KUBLAI KHAN TX . Randy said, having bands like these on the bill only makes him have to work that much harder. And the night was on...
Starting things off was the band INCENDIARY, who have been around since 2008, and only tour or plays shows when they actually feel like it. And that's too bad because these guys are awesome, their sound reminds me of a young angry Rage Against the Machine. They started off their set with the song “Jesus Bones” off their current album Change the Way You Think About Pain, and you get a real sense of what this band is all about with that song. The guitar driven “Bite the Hook”, was a winner, and we were also treated to a few more before the band closed out their short set with “Front Toward Enemy”. Incendiary is Brendan Garrone on vocals, Rob Noble guitar, Brian Audly guitar and Dan Lomeli on drums, check them out HERE.
The mighty KUBLAI KHAN TX stormed the stage with such energy and anger that we knew we were in for something special. With turned down guitars creating their pounding sludgy sound Kublai Khan TX opened their set with the 2023 single “Theory of Mind”. The energy the band conveyed to the crowd in Vegas was returned tenfold back, as the entire venue were on their feet, moshing, karate moshing and crowd surfing. Things got crazy very fast, with
vocalist Matt Honeycutt encouraging the crowd to open up the pit, and security did their best to catch anyone who came over the barricade.
Hard to believe a band like this never lost their energy at this pace, but got better and faster and the night wore on. The band's lyrics are rude, crude and unapologetic - when have you ever heard a band sing about truck stop hookers? Kublai Khan does on “Swan Song", and they tore through their set, with some of the best near the end, as they ripped through “Self Destruct, "The Hammer" and closing with "Antpile”. I think the venue breathed a sigh of relief as they survived a Kublai Khan show, but they had no idea of what was to come with LAMB OF GOD.
LAMB OF GOD, masters of metal walked onto the stage with a masterfully crafted set, their energy unrivaled. Randy Blythe is one of the best frontman in all of metal, with the stamina of someone decades younger, king at his craft, and that makes LOG one the best metal bands of all time.
LOG opened the set with “Memento Mori” followed by “Walk With Me in Hell”and it really caught my attention was how good LOG drummer Art Cruz is (who became permanent with LOG in 2019 after the
departure of Chris Adler). He totally blew me away with his playing, and at the end of the show where he threw out drumsticks to the crowd (he spotted a young kid who looked about 10 years old, jumped off the stage and personally handed that young man a drumstick. That's how you make a fan for life.) The crowd surfers were non stop throughout the band's set, and Randy also encouraged everyone on the main floor to make the biggest mosh pit that
the HOB has ever seen. Remember, this is late on a Sunday night after the majority of these fans spent the previous day out in the sun at Sick New World festival, but it never showed, the crowd was fanatical. Randy commented the was glad to be indoors in air conditioning after the Sick New World parking lot show in the sun! The band really hit their stride midway with songs “Now You Got Something To Die For" and “Ruin”,and the band's 75 minute set came to a close when they reached way back to their beginnings with “Laid To Rest", and ending with “Redneck”. That might have be the most insane show of the year, with unparalleled energy from the band as well as a riotus crowd, and a solid night of metal.
More on LOG Tour dates, merch and news HERE.
LAMB OF GOD SETLIST:
Memento Mori
Lamb of God Photos Harold Mountain / JustAFanPhotos
Kubla Khan TX photos Harold Mountain / JustAFanPhotos
INCENDIARY photos Harold Mountain / JustAFanPhotos
