Slayer, King Diamond, Hellyeah, Devil Wears Prada and more kick-off Rockstar Energy Drink’s Mayhem Festival California style.

Chula Vista hosted day one of Mayhem on June 26, 2015 with four steady headliners. Other bands included on the bill were Code Orange, Shattered Sun, Sworn In, Sister Sin, Jungle Rot, Thy Art is Murder, White Chapel, Kissing Candice, and Feed Her to The Sharks.

Coldcock Whiskey Battle Of The Bands winner Kings of Carnage opened the show on the Victory records stage as fans began to fill into Sleep Train Amphitheatre. Kings of Carnage is a military band started by Marines on duty in Afghanistan. They opened the show with a lot of heart. Their level of joviality when interviewed and excitement was contagious.

The camaraderie of the men carried through to their performance on stage as well, and we look forward to hearing them jam with Green Jello at Comicon in an incarnation dubbed “GI Jello.” Check out their two new videos on YouTube. Good job gentlemen, and thank you for your service.

When Code Orange started, there was a larger crowd ready to sample their wares, and when Shattered Sun hit the stage, the crowd was substantially larger and beginning to form a gallery of spectators consistent with metal shows. Their work had great heart and moshing began.

Sworn in and Sister Sin moved the energy forward, but it was Jungle Rot that made it heavier, with energetic and eclectic jams interspersed with crunchy riffs making the crowd churn.

An excellent factor at Mayhem is the opportunity for fans to meet and greet as well as buy merch from the bands. Each band had its own booth, and they, along with vendors such as Coldcock Whiskey, Rockstar, and Blackcraft scheduled the signings throughout the day.

All were well-received but Rick and Sarah Zeiler’s Coldcock booth had the system down with workers assisting to make it seamless and uncomplicated for the talent, while helping fans to get pictures with their cameras and phones. They also had the Kerry King signing and meet and greet, which had the greatest draw. A shout out to the fans that remained well mannered and respectful of each other and themselves during all of the signings.

Thy Art is Murder and White Chapel kept the energy going as attention moved to the Rockstar Energy Drink main stage where The Devil Wears Prada turned the energy lethal. Back on Victory Records stage Kissing Candice brought out the masks for a bit of flash during their set, and Feed Her To The Sharks put in work to finish the second stage sets with strength.

Hellyeah conquered the main stage and reminded fans of the power of metal to be the psychotherapy needed when the world leaves us in the dust. Their Blood for Blood set with Vinnie Paul on drums hammered fans’ ears and kept the main stage pit rolling.

Fans were anticipating King Diamond in two ways, there were existing fans looking forward to classic songs and new alike, but there was an interesting extant of people who had heard of him and been told by other friends and fans they were in for a treat. It came to fruition as King Diamond took the stage. The band’s performance outshined the stage show, which had just the right amount of theatre that makes King Diamond’s music come to life. These three co-headliners created an eclectic spectacle that the metal fans appreciated.

Slayer kept their stage show dedicated to images aligned to each song and just enough fire to warm the hearts of even the most malicious Slayer soul. The true art was heard as the foursome cranked through a selection of their catalog including “Mandatory Suicide,” “Chemical Warfare,” “Ghosts of War,” and the popular love song “Dead Skin Mask.”

Slayer will never disappoint even the most dedicated fan as the band’s unadulterated sound and power could be felt across every part of the venue, in every fan both young and old. New and dedicated Slayer Nation members rallied to Slayer’s incredible display of power and the honed talent of four amazing individuals.

Check out the website for dates and tickets in your area and look for Mayhem Fest photos and article for day two at San Manuel Amphitheatre in San Bernardino, CA.

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