LIVE REVIEW – MILWAUKEE METALFEST 2024 (PART 1) 

Part 1: Pre-Party, Thursday May 16th, 2024 

The 2024 Milwaukee Metal Fest kicked off with a pre-party on Thursday, May 16th, included free with the multi-day festival pass. This event, titled “Jasta and Friends,” was spearheaded by Jamey Jasta, lead singer of Hatebreed and current owner/organizer of the festival since 2023. Originally launched by Jack Koshick in 1987, the Milwaukee Metal Fest ran until 2004, briefly returning in 2007 before disappearing. Jamey Jasta acquired the festival rights and successfully revived it from 2023 onwards. I admire Jamey for revitalizing the festival and curating a stellar lineup of bands.

The evening began at the Rave / Eagles Club in Milwaukee, the festival’s home base. The crowd was smaller than during the main festival, possibly due to attendees still at work or arriving later on Friday morning. The event featured two local opening acts: thrash band Toxic Ruin and groove metal band H1Z1 from Wisconsin. Unfortunately, I missed both performances because of flight delays from Chicago caused by local weather conditions, including tornado warnings. After finally arriving in Milwaukee and checking into my hotel, which was unexpectedly a 25-minute jog from the club, I hurried to join the festival. Jamey Jasta was already on stage with his solo band, performing tracks from his latest album, “And Jasta For All,” paying homage to Metallica‘s And Justice for All. The music, heavily influenced by old-school thrash, resonated with me despite being unfamiliar with the material. Fortunately, I didn’t miss any of the scheduled special guests.

The first guest to grace the stage with the Jasta band was Steve “Zetro” Souza from Exodus, delivering an outstanding performance. They kicked off with ‘Assimilation Agenda’, a duet featuring Zetro from the new album And Jasta For All, which sounded phenomenal. They followed up with three iconic Exodus tracks: ‘War Is My Sheppard’ from “Tempo of the Damned”, ‘The Toxic Waltz’ from “Fabulous Disaster” and ‘Bonded By Blood’. The synergy between the Jasta band and Zetro was flawless; with eyes closed, you could easily mistake them for Exodus. At one point, Zetro’s son Cody, also performing at the festival with his band Hatriot, briefly joined Zetro on stage, sharing vocal duties—a memorable moment. Jamey Jasta observed from the background, enthusiastically headbanging and clearly enjoying the performance alongside the audience. This part of the show truly impressed me; it was beyond expectations.

The following segment of the show paid homage to the New York Hardcore metal scene, featuring two special guests with the Jasta band: Bobby Hambel from Biohazard and Hoya Roc from Smoke AD & ex-Madball. Together, they delivered a set brimming with classic Biohazard tracks. Jamey Jasta took the mic to join in singing during this part of the set, adding to the lively atmosphere. It was a lot of fun and provided a vibrant contrast between the thrash metal intensity of the Zetro and Bobby Blitz (Overkill) segments.

The evening concluded with an explosive performance by thrash icon Bobby Blitz, legendary frontman of Overkill, who took the stage to lead the vocals. Bobby declared, “If Zetro can play ‘The Toxic Waltz,’ I’m going to do ‘Elimination’.” It was a standout moment for me, as ‘Elimination’ is one of my favorite Overkill songs. The audience enthusiastically embraced this classic track, igniting a mosh pit that nearly knocked my camera from my hands. Bobby also played an excellent version of ‘Rotten To The Core’. I thoroughly enjoyed this jam session featuring multiple guests, a standout feature of the Milwaukee Metal Fest that distinguishes it from other U.S. festivals. This collaborative jam session reminded me of the renowned all-star jam aboard the 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise. I hope this event continues and grows in the future, perhaps incorporating guest drummers and guitarists.

Jamey Jasta, in his role as promoter, sincerely thanked the crowd for joining the pre-festival event and assured them of three incredible days ahead (Friday through Sunday). The excitement of the pre-party heightened my anticipation for the main festival days to follow. Although much of the audience departed the venue, a DJ kept the metal vibes alive in the outdoor section, complete with seating areas and numerous food trucks. I shared conversations with fellow fans who, like me, had traveled far for the festival (I came from Toronto, Canada). With the night still young but a busy day ahead, having started my journey from Toronto at 5 am, I began my walk back to the hotel.

During the pre-party, I had the opportunity to explore the venue, and calling it impressive would be an understatement. The Rave / Eagles Club, host to the festival, stood out as one of the largest and most impressive metal concert venues worldwide. It boasts five different venues under one roof, allowing multiple acts to perform simultaneously. The main room features a sprawling 25,000 square feet oval floor space, complemented by balcony seating on the upper level, accommodating up to 4,500 attendees. This grand space hosted the festival’s headline acts on the “IndieMerchStore.COM” stage. The second largest venue, the “Century Media Stage,” provided a smaller version of the IndieMerch stage venue with wrap-around balcony seating, accommodating approximately 1,000 – 1,500 people. The smallest venue, known as the “Martyrstore.net” stage, resembled a cozy bar setting and accommodated a few hundred attendees at most. Throughout the expansive building, vendors were strategically placed across multiple floors, while bars were conveniently located to minimize wait times.

Finally, I want to express my gratitude to Suspiria PR, Adrenaline PR, Milwaukee Metal Fest and The Metal Pit for granting me press photo access to the festival. I hope you find my review, videos, and photos enjoyable. Please stay tuned for parts 2, 3, and 4!