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    Review: Metal Returns for Memorial Day Weekend at Sonic Temple

    Memorial Day weekend in Columbus saw more than just BBQs and people lounging poolside enjoying the near perfect weather. It also saw the return of Sonic Temple, complete with mosh pits, crowd surfing and a host of rock and metal bands from all over the world performing over the four day weekend. 

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    Replacing the once annual Rock on the Range, Sonic Temple first arrived in Columbus in 2019 but was canceled the following years due to COVID-19. 2023 saw its return with rock and roll titans KISS, Tool, Foo Fighters and Deftones taking the stage, plus a slew of up-and-coming bands like Wargasm and Bones UK along with personal favorites Nothing More, Bad Omens and Puscifer.

    Spread across three stages, the bands and artists featured at Sonic Temple ran the gamut of the rock and metal scenes. From screamo, rockabilly and emo to the more atmospheric prog rock and rapcore — there was something for everyone no matter what side of the rock continuum you fell.

    Puscifer performs at Sonic Temple 2023 — Photo by Matt Ellis.

    The festival saw over 30,000 people taking over the Historic Crew Stadium with people camping and traveling from across the country. Despite this being its sophomore year, the community that Sonic Temple has built is vibrant, strong and diverse with people from all walks of life coming together to celebrate rock and metal music.

    People were dressed as unicorns, twisted priests and dark angels. There were several Spider-Men slinging around, plus a crowd-surfing Barney the Dinosaur that put a smile on many faces. Most were clad in t-shirts (of their favorite bands) and jeans, but the subcultures were out in full-force creating an almost metal-themed fashion show. There were goths with faces painted white and black, skater punk kids covered in tattoos and hair spiked and dyed all colors of the rainbow, the old-school KISS queens reliving their teenage years and the heavily pierced alt youth carrying the torch in support of new bands such as Tallah, the Nova Twins and the Oxymorrons.

    Nova Twins on the stage at Sonic Temple 2023 — Photo by Matt Ellis.

    Fans were able to navigate between three different stages, various marketplaces and other experiences and installations over the weekend. Each stage offered something different with the main Temple stage housing the big acts such as Avenged Sevenfold, Badflower and Tool, the Octane stage hosting bands with rising popularity and the Soundwave stage bringing a lot of new and notable bands to the forefront.

    Day one was a true delight as a long-time Tool fan. They closed the night out with such hits as “The Pot”, “Pushit” and personal favorite “Forty-Six & 2”. Other favorites for Thursday included Bad Omens, Bullet for My Valentine, Godsmack and Ohio-natives Miss May I and Beartooth. 

    Day two was stacked with bands I wanted to see including Badflower, Dorothy, Chevelle, Sleeping with Sirens, I Prevail and Avenged Sevenfold who put on a spectacular closing performance on the Temple Stage.

    Day three saw new-favorites Tallah commanding the Octane Stage with truly unmatched stage presence plus Varials, Rival Sons and Avatar putting on some note-worthy shows. Highlights for day three included another favorite Puscifer, the avant garde side project of Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan, but also the one and only Rob Zombie and the original titans of glam rock, KISS, packing out the stadium with hits “Detroit Rock City” and “Heaven’s on Fire”.

    Rival Sons at Sonic Temple 2023 — Photo by Matt Ellis.

    Sunday, day four, I had to check out Nothing More, who put on one of the most entertaining stage shows of any band out there at the moment. Singer Jonny Hawkins’ ability to command the crowd and not miss a single beat is truly a sight to behold along with their unexpected segue into “War Pigs” by Black Sabbath. Their ability to weave their ultra-modern rock sounds with classics is outstanding.

    Day four also saw a remarkable Temple stage performance by the Deftones, who, in my opinion, had the most engaged and energetic crowd I’ve ever seen at a concert. From the stadium seats, the Deftones turned the stadium field into a sea of mosh pits with near constant crowd surfing. Not being overly familiar with their discography, I was truly impressed by their performance and how well Chino’s voice holds up well after more than three decades belting out such guttural screams and melodies. 

    Sunday night ended with a truly mesmerizing performance by Sonic Temple mainstays the Foo Fighters who had the entire crowd singing in unison to hits such as “Monkey Wrench”, “Everlong” and “Best of You.” 

    Foo Fighters close out the Sonic Temple Festival — Photo by Matt Ellis.

    Music wasn’t the only thing on the menu for the weekend though. Plenty of diverse food options were there to feed the massive crowds including Columbus staples Mikey’s Late Night Slice and Dirty Franks plus all your typical carnival-esque fair: chicken tenders, corn dogs, funnel cakes, tacos and nachos. The VIP Lounge offered a bit more food and drink options plus picnic tables and an indoor lounge and seating area to escape the heat and watch the bands. 

    There were several vendors set up featuring artisan-crafted jewelry, tons of band merchandise, and other items. Several charitable foundations were also present to spread their message including To Write Love On Her Arms, a non-profit dedicated to helping those struggling with depression, addiction, and suicide, who have become a staple at metal and rock festivals around the country.

    MC’d by “Metal Ambassador” Jose Mangin (from Sirius XM’s Octane and Liquid Metal), Sonic Temple was a chance for people to come together, let loose and enjoy themselves over Memorial Day weekend. With a truly diverse crowd, from toddlers to the grandfather’s who remember when Kiss hit the scene, Sonic Temple proved that rock can unite in unexpected ways. As Sunday night drew to a close, I exited the festival grounds reeling with joy, happy to be a part of such an accepting and remarkable community.

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    Nick Sinclair
    Nick Sinclairhttps://www.columbusunderground.com/
    Nick Sinclair is an Ohio-transplant from Los Angeles working for SID Capital Crossroads as the manager of the Markets at Pearl event series in downtown Columbus. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and spends his free time attending various community markets, concerts and music festivals in the Midwest.
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