On to the third best act of the evening, King Diamond took the stage for a fantastic set up of staircases and stumbling around as he is known to do. The cheesiness in the props and lyrics is all just as charming as the make up and costumes while the theatrical experience is like no other. I wanted to catch Psychic TV at the pool at the same time but I’ve never seen King Diamond so close before and it was purely mesmerizing. Even though the sound abruptly cut out every ten minutes or so during the entire set, perhaps because the sound man hooked everything through the PA and it kept fucking up, it was still great because all members powered through, but people were actually starting to question if he was lip synching. Well the answer is 99% No because the timing of the sound with his lips that were close enough for me to see could not be that perfect if so. It was actually a bit of a creepy effect because it was as if time kept erasing mid set and reality became a distant ship on the horizon. The final glory in this sold out night was wandering into Vinyl at 2 AM to see Gost which is basically a whacked-out DJ who dresses similar to Skeletor and serves up some odd ’80s electro beats with mash ups of modern noise and even a touch of dubstep, and I did not hate it plus I busted out dance moves I didn’t know I had, so all is well that ends well.
That brings us to the final day of the festival that started at noon with Windhand and surprisingly there was a very good turn out for that early on a Sunday because when you’re a metalhead this is your church. When I discovered Windhand I was intrigued by the voice and the fluctuating serenity and clarity of it all. In a live setting every time I see it the sound is extra fuzzed out and it’s one long song with not enough climax. Sure it’s good stuff, but again in this context I needed more enthusiasm, and the next band which most people dispersed for was not only the best band of the day but a strong contender for the best band of the entire festival. That band is Zeal and Ardor which is black metal and soul rock mixed together in the most unique, dynamic way mimicking two sides of a coin, and on the Joint stage they blew minds with their three vocalists and six members whose collaborative interworking can save your soul or condemn it to hell depending on the mood of the moment. The rock is so well crafted and the black metal has such a great layering build up that its full intensity is mind numbing bliss, and I could watch them for hours on end and still want more. Manuel Gagneux has created a very avant-garde sound and his vocal range alone from the powerful blues to the black metal screams can not be beat. I really can’t say enough good about this band but if you missed it you should really be ashamed of yourself because again no matter what you think your opinion of black metal is you’ve never heard anything like this and you won’t forget it.
What could even attempt to top this but the next black metal band on the list, Norwegian jokester Abbath himself, formerly of Immortal, who while keeping with the classic black metal sound also has riffs and harmonies for days that are not typical of the genre, and for his first time in Vegas he definitely had a great time crab walking, banana holding, and just being a jokester in general, all while the entire band has some of the most luscious Viking hair I’ve ever seen.
Then it was underrated band of the day time once again with Cirith Ungol and their greatly executed set that from a majority of older dudes still had that younger essence and flair about it, topped off with newest member Jarvis Leatherby on bass, who also fronts Night Demon. Cloud Catcher in Vinyl was a pleasant surprise that I recommend you to check out as well as Merlin, Manila Road, and Year Of The Cobra for the stoner doom lovers. Gatecreeper in all their death n’ grind glory shredded up the pool stage in the most surreal way as the wind picked up our hair mid-headbang. The two worst bands of the day, or overrated if you will, were Cult Of Luna with Julie Christmas and Swans. There are about 600 give-or-take bands that do what Cult Of Luna attempts in a much more exciting and creative way, but they were a huge draw of the day for whatever reason. And the problem with Swans is simply that they are the drum and bass repetition of slow, slow, and slower doom plus they had an unworthy two-hour set and it’s their own fault if that set only had two songs in it. Moving on to more highlights and second and third place, Corrosion Of Conformity and The Murder City Devils both put on amazing energetic sets with catchy and fun tunes. Floorian was a hidden late night gem in Vinyl and Warning as the pool stage headliner, who had a great turnout even though everyone was at Mastadon, was so heartfelt and talented that I almost shed tears during the set. They played the album ‘Watching From A Distance’ in its entirety and this show was a very special one off show appearance since the band hasn’t been active. They only have a few select shows they are doing with this album and I am so happy I got to witness it. I am usually not a huge fan of super slowed doom but the difficulty of how slow and simply they are playing is awe-inspiring, and the beautiful clean lyrics about love and failure really make you lose yourself in the thought of where and why your life is where it is at the moment and it makes you appreciate it all.
Then it was time to catch up with Mastadon, and I must say they are climbing the ladder quickly as some people only came to see them play. I prefer their older works but am interested in the next release as well because I feel they are back on track with the task at hand. An overall inspiring set that won’t be forgotten anytime soon and the entire festival will be a cherished memory as well.
The most memorable moment and tradition of the festival is at the end of each night hanging out with pretty much all the “cool” kids after the show at the central circle bar in the Hard Rock Casino. Last year Bobby Liebling from Pentagram took the reigns for the party king of the festival with his drunken outbursts, but this year that title should go to Dixie from Weedeater as one of the most unforgettable moments of the weekend was that last night where as I stood next to Dixie he decided chugging an airplane bottle of whiskey using only his teeth and spitting it out of his mouth so that whiskey shot up my nose and in my hair was a grand idea. Only in Vegas can you default drink with the best of the best rockstar liver owners at the festival. Long story short, Psycho Las Vegas is becoming my yearly metal retreat and it’s not easy for it to hold the title of best weekend of the year for me, yet it does, as it is certainly one of the best festivals in the U.S.A. Next stop Wacken and Hellfest because they have potential to top this one. Until next year, but the moral of the story is buy the damn ticket and take the ride because it is absolutely worth it.
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