Ozzfest
June 30, 2001 by Caren Spitler
A raging inferno scorched San Bernadion's Blockbuster Pavilion as once again, Ozzfest claimed the arena. Thousands of bodies crowd into the venue and baked in the sun to bare witness to the hottest hard-core event of the summer.
This years impressive line-up gave a good sampling of some of the up and coming names in metal as well as those who have already carved a place for themselves in the genre. Bands such as Otep, Beautiful Creatures, Spineshank, Godhead, Nonpoint, and Union Underground played the side stages. Taproot, Crazy Town, Linkin Park, Mudvayne, Disturbed, Zakk Wild, Papa Roach, and Slipknot were allowed to share the main stage, with none other than the Antichrist Super Star himself Marilyn Manson, and the Godfathers of metal Black Sabbath.
Three stages, plenty of UV rays, and lots of vendors to waist your money on. Overpriced goods, souvenirs, and very overpriced food and drink. Hot bodies push past each other to fork over their hard earned cash. With beer selling as high as $8 the taps still flowed freely enough to get a large portion of the crowd drunk.
The day started off at a slow-burn as the two side stages opened first to get the masses in to a moshing rage. The side stage action at Ozzfest sets the meter for the next acts to break through the Metal ceiling. A few notable second stage performances were Otep, Nonpoint, Godhead, and Spineshank. Otep set out some kindling for the fire early in the day poetic, melodic and fierce. This band should prove a force to be reckoned with in the near future. There is no doubt Nonpoint will show this country what they are made of. They flow a smooth rhyme-core style infused with some Latin flavor and hi-voltage crunchy riffage. Godhead lay somewhere on the divide of no man's land between Goth and Black Metal. They are sullen, disrespectful and moody... and so it their music. Also playing the second stage, was the LA band Spineshank. They just come off their own headlining tour to play some Ozzfest dates. Spinshank's set unleashed a fire of their own with their hard industrial sound. Wire-pitch guitars sing out matching the vocal storms purring from Jonny's throat. They harnessed the power given off by the crowd before them and played it back with a set that was perfection with in mathematical proportions.
Noteable acts on the main stage were Taproot, Linkin Park, Slipknot, Manson, and the band/man of honor Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne.
Dressed in all white a vision of purity and sounding like anything but Taproot got the honors of opening the main stage. Frontman Stephen represents his lyrical head-space through smooth and slightly nasal vocals that burst into screams to push a point of his inner anguish. They covered a nice portion of their CD Gift in their short set including "Again and Again" and "I".
Linkin Park threw new perspective on a proven formula down-tuned guitars, scorching riffage, and vocals divided between raping and singing... Linkin Park somehow makes it sound fresh. Like a ice cold beer on a hot day it just felt right. The title of the bands debut album Hybrid Theory tells you a bit about where they are coming from artistically. LP played all three radio hits "One Step Closer", "Crawling", and "In The End".
The monolithic nine member machine known as Slipknot took their turn commit musical mayhem. The psychotic fury of Slipknot create a wall of sound like no other. They played a couple of tunes from the upcoming album Iowa "Diasterpiece" "New Abortions" and "Heretic Anthem". (these titles sound like they were borrowed from former label mates Amen). They also performed "Eyeless", "Spit It Out", "Wait and Bleed", and "Sic". Corey closed the set by exclaiming that the next song was the new national anthem as they went in to "Surfacing". The crowd joined in to sing along " F**k it all, f**k this world, f**k everything that you Stand for, don't belong, don't exist... don't give a sh*t, don't ever Judge me!" That sums up the view of the world through their eyes.
Click here to read more about Marilyn Manson and see more photos.
By the end of Slipknots set Ozzfest was in full effect and the crowd to full capacity. The place was near solar meltdown. The lawn of Blockbuster Pavilion was a living entity all it's own. Filled with sunburned bodies high off life, near sunstroke, and high off of anything they could sneak in. As the sun went down the lawn also became alive with bonfires, just in time for the showman himself....
Beautiful freak... Manson came out and put on a show worthy of awe no matter what you think of the man or his music.
The spectacle of Marilyn Manson was a pretty hard show to follow, but the kings of metal Black Sabbath were up to the challenge. The original band that struck fear into the hearts of good Christian moms everywhere.
A short film montage with a medley of all the Sabbath songs paid homage to the still reigning kings. Black Sabbath entered the stage armed with skill, know-how, and more experience than most of the bands added together. They aren't the most physically dynamic band to watch these days (face it they aren't so young anymore), but they sound great. Playing the devils music as only Sabbath can they brought the raging heat right into the depths of hell. Ozzy hauntingly wicked vocals accompanied with signature Sabbath riffage is like a heavy-metal wet-dream. Iommi, Butler, and Ward showed the kids of nu-metal what it was all about. It was great to hear songs like "Snowblind", "NIB", "Iron Man", "Wart Pigs", "Into the Void", and the song that started it all "Black Sabbath" They even did a new song called "Scary Dreams" that should be on Ozzy's pending October release. They rocked like the true metal Gods they are.... I am forever holding mental devil horns for this kick ass band! Rock on Black Sabbath, rock on Ozzy, and rock on Ozzfest!
