MILWAUKEE METAL FEST PART 4

Part 4: Sunday May 19th, 2024 – Final Day of Milwaukee Metalfest 

I always have mixed feelings on the last day of any music festival. There’s still plenty of excitement for the day ahead, but also a sense of disappointment as life returns to normal afterward. I began this final day like the previous ones: grabbing coffee at the Milwaukee Public Market. I took a long walk along the riverside trail to my favorite brewery of the trip, Eagle Park Brewing Company. Today was quieter for me in terms of bands, as Sunday’s lineup leaned heavily towards “core” or alternative acts that I’m not really into. The main stage featured bands like Lacuna Coil, Avatar, and Sunday headliner Slaughter to Prevail, which drew a noticeably younger crowd. The T-shirts worn by attendees reflected this shift, with old-school metal bands replaced by merch from the newer bands. Not my style, but to each their own. I still had a few must-see bands on my agenda, so the day wasn’t a total loss—death metal remained a big part of my Sunday plans. A funny moment happened during the Death to All show when I overheard two younger women in Lacuna Coil and Avatar shirts say they thought Death to All was boring and lacked heart. Yikes! Poor Chuck Schuldiner would be rolling in his grave. I kept quiet and just walked away. 

Exhumed

The first show of the day for me was Exhumed, a death/grind band fronted by Matt Harvey, who also leads Gruesome and the Death tribute band Left To Die. They mostly played tracks from their 1998 debut album Gore Metal, along with a surprising cover of Madonna’s “Material Girl.” The music was incredible, and the band’s aggression was palpable; at one point, I felt like I was at a Gwar concert. A giant guillotine appeared on stage, and the band staged a beheading, with fake blood spraying everywhere. When I moved into the press photo pit for the next show, I found the floor completely covered in sticky red artificial blood.

Atheist

Atheist is a technical death metal band from Florida that emerged in the late ’80s, and they’re one of my favorites. They were next up on the main stage, led by original vocalist Kelly Shaefer, who has surrounded himself with talented younger musicians who excel live and handle the complexity of Atheist’s music beautifully. It was a joy to watch Yoav (bass), Jerry (guitar), and Alex (guitar) dominate the stage, headbanging with their hair flying everywhere. I’m sure Kelly feels re-energized being around such dynamic talent. His voice still sounds great, but I noticed he seems a bit awkward on stage now that he doesn’t play guitar, especially when he’s not singing—though that’s just a minor quibble. My favorite Atheist album is their debut, Piece of Time, and they played the title track along with “Unholy War” from that masterpiece. The rest of their set was drawn from Unquestionable Presence, and they executed those complex tracks flawlessly. I’m not sure the younger crowd fully grasped Atheist’s sound, as there were some blank stares in the audience. Technical and progressive death metal may not be for everyone, but it definitely is for me.

Viogression

Viogression is a thrash/death metal band I had never seen before. Hailing from Milwaukee, they formed in the late ’80s under various names but currently go by Viogression. The band released two full-length albums in the early ’90s, along with a third, 3rd Stage of Decay, in 2022. I enjoyed their music, and I recommend checking them out; the video clip below will give you a good sense of their sound. Being a local band, it was clear the small venue was packed with devoted fans, as everyone seemed to know the songs except for me.

Death To All

I’m excited to finally catch the second set from Death to All in as many days. While yesterday’s show focused on their more progressive material, today was all about the classics, featuring a full performance of Scream Bloody Gore. The band kicked things off with iconic tracks like “Zombie Ritual,” the title track, “Denial of Life,” “Evil Dead,” and “Ton to Pieces.” The real highlight for me came after the Scream album when they moved on to the powerful Spiritual Healing, playing the incredible “Living Monstrosity,” and then back to Leprosy with “Pull the Plug.” Audience participation was amazing—everyone was singing along to “Pull the Plug” word for word. It was also great to see Death to All perform in the largest venue of the festival, making for a more enjoyable experience without feeling crushed in the crowd. Death to All always honors the Death discography, with nearly all members having played in Death at some point, showing the respect Chuck truly deserves.

I Am Morbid

One of the highlights of the festival for me was seeing I Am Morbid, the ultimate death metal tribute to the legendary Morbid Angel. With original singer and bassist David Vincent leading a talented backing band, I Am Morbid is as close as we can get to the original lineup today. As they kicked off the show with “Immortal Rights” and “Fall From Grace,” the hair on the back of my neck stood up. They focused primarily on tracks from iconic albums like Altars of Madness, Blessed Are the Sick, Covenant, and Domination, which are all highly regarded in the death metal world. This performance transported me back to my youth and my introduction to death metal, flooding me with incredible memories. While I’ve seen the newer version of Morbid Angel a few times, it just doesn’t feel the same without David Vincent. The band managed to pack in 10-11 classic tracks in under an hour, making it one of the best shows of the entire festival, alongside Testament. Other standout tracks included the powerful “Blessed Are the Sick,” “Maze of Torment,” “Rapture,” and “Dominate.” I watched the first half up close before moving to the elevated balcony for the second half, allowing me to fully immerse myself in the music without worrying about colliding with the wild mosh pit.

Skeletal Remains

The final show of the night for me was the modern death metal powerhouse Skeletal Remains at the intimate Martyrstore stage. It was surprisingly easy to get in, likely because most attendees were busy watching either In Flames or Avatar—bands I’m not interested in. Skeletal Remains is one of my favorites in the more modern death metal genre, so it was an easy choice. My main takeaway from the show was the excessive use of smoke machines; they went off every few minutes in such a small venue that it was tough to see the band through all the haze. None of my pictures turned out due to the smoke. Despite that, Skeletal Remains delivered an incredible performance, showcasing their modern twist on old-school death metal with technical precision. I saw the band members throughout the weekend at other shows, which was great to see—they’re true metal fans too. I’ve been enjoying their new album, Fragments of the Ageless, and the setlist was heavily dominated by tracks from it, including “Void of Despair,” “Relentless Appetite,” “To Conquer the Devout,” and “Evocation (The Rebirth).” The crowd loved every moment. One of the crew members noticed me taking pictures and invited me over to check out a mini remote that triggered the smoke cannons and various light effects. It was cool to experiment with, though the last thing we needed was more smoke in that tiny space! Overall, it was a fantastic way to wrap up the festival, and I can’t wait to see Skeletal Remains again—I have two more chances to catch them in 2024!

I decided to skip the headlining show by Slaughter to Prevail since their style isn’t really my favorite. With a 4:30 AM hotel checkout for my flight back to Chicago and then on to Toronto, it seemed like the right call. My biggest disappointment of the day was the extreme delays that caused me to completely miss Gatecreeper. This was definitely the worst day for delays. A big thank you to the Metal Pit and the Milwaukee Metalfest organizers for the press pass and the chance to cover the festival!

My Overall Thoughts – 2024 Milwaukee Metalfest

Festival PROS

Diverse Lineup: An outstanding array of metal bands covering various sub-genres and eras—there’s something for every fan at the festival!

Amazing Venue: I can’t emphasize enough how fantastic this concert venue is. I loved the seamless transitions between stages without mud or rain delays (still recovering from Wacken 2023!).

Exceptional Staff: The festival organizers, security, and venue staff were top-tier; I didn’t encounter any issues. This was the best experience I’ve had at any festival.

Great Value: The pricing is very reasonable for three action-packed days of heavy metal across three stages. You definitely get your money’s worth! Choose between three-day passes or single-day options for added flexibility. A three-day pass even includes free entry to the pre-party on Thursday.

Awesome Pre-Party: The pre-festival event was a highlight, enhancing my overall experience. I got to meet cool guests like Bobby Blitz from Overkill and Zetro from Exodus—truly memorable!

Perfect Location: Milwaukee is a fantastic city for a festival—safe, friendly, beautiful, with great craft breweries and plenty of activities beyond the festival. Local hotel prices were very reasonable, and it’s conveniently close to the airport.

Festival CONS

Set Delays: The only major issue was the excessive set delays that plagued all three days of the festival. As a seasoned festival-goer, I’ve never encountered anything like this. It might be a result of the new organizers getting acclimated, but this needs improvement. The delays caused me to miss bands I wanted to see due to overlapping schedules. If delays are unavoidable, it would be helpful to post real-time updates on social media so attendees can make informed choices. I experienced more delays in one day here than at four-day outdoor festivals dealing with weather challenges.

Merch Lines: There were long lines for merchandise on Friday, with only two staff members managing the official 2024 items, leading to some line-cutting. While this is a minor issue, it was on par with what I’ve seen at other festivals.

Meet and Greets: While many festivals offer free artist meet and greets, this festival charged $25-$40 per artist. However, considering the overall lower festival costs, it might balance out, making this a minor concern.

Food Options: Another small note is that many food trucks offered unhealthy options. It would be great to see some healthier choices, like an Italian truck with pasta or sandwich/sub trucks featuring lighter fare.

In conclusion, I had an incredible time at the festival and can’t wait to return in 2025! The diverse lineup of metal bands, combined with the fantastic venue, made for an unforgettable experience. Despite some set delays and long merch lines, the exceptional staff and reasonable pricing for three action-packed days really stood out. The pre-party was a highlight, and the city of Milwaukee added to the overall enjoyment with its friendly atmosphere and great amenities. I highly recommend this festival to all North American metal fans—it’s a blast and well worth supporting!