Your One-Way Ticket to Midnight? Call it Heavy Metal...

I've never been what you'd call a fan of metal music. Oh sure, I recognize the place in the music universe for the genre, and I'd be lying if I said that I had never rocked out to a little Sabbath or AC/DC. When it comes to recreational listening though, I'll take Americana, alternative, or even mainstream classic rock over metal any day. Still, even after the rise and fall of hair bands in the late 1980s and early '90s, and the similar surge and demise of the nu-metal movement in the early part of this new century, it seems that good old-fashioned no-nonsense metal is still alive and well thanks to a loyal fan base and radio stations such as Charleston's own 98Rock. The station held its 6th annual Rockfest last weekend as a sort of thank you to its listeners. I headed out, mostly out of curiosity, but also because even if I'm not necessarily into a musical style, I'll still drink it in just in case I experience something notable. As it turns out, I'm glad I made the trip out to the Exchange Park in Ladson. The festival ran from three o'clock in the afternoon until after ten that night, and featured some acts with which I was familiar (Sevendust, Halestorm, and Charleston's own Madam Adam), and a slew of bands I'd never heard of (Adelita's Way, Trivium, Lacuna Coil).

Despite being held on a Friday, the event was well attended, with what I estimated to be between 3,000 and 5,000 fans enjoying music on two separate stages. Madam Adam, a group of guys that have been playing together since they were barely teenagers, did a great job of representing the Lowcountry among the other national and international acts. Sevendust, which was the headliner, demonstrated why they were able to claim that place in the lineup with an intense set. Sevendust lead singer Lajon Witherspoon was particularly impressive. Other favorites were Trivium, who easily turned in the most intense set of the day, Halestorm—a band fronted by Elizabeth "Lzzy" Hale, who is a triple threat of killer looks, knockout vocals, and the ability to shred on electric guitar—and Lacuna Coil, a band from Milan, Italy, that features the two-pronged vocal attack of Andrea Ferro and Cristina Scabbia. Kudos to 98Rock for giving back to its listeners in much the same way the now-defunct 96 Wave used to with the much missed Wavefests that took place in the 90's.

Coming out of the show, I'm still fairly tepid when it comes to listening to metal, but even I can't deny that there is some serious talent in that genre currently. Here are some photos from Friday's show, just in case you couldn't make it out.