Giving credence to everything being bigger in Texas, the inaugural Sick New World in the Lone Star state saw a massive turnout at the Texas Motor Speedway in Ft. Worth. With a legendary line-up that pooled some of heavy music's most beloved artists, the festival boasted more than 50 artists across four stages, welcoming more than 80,000 fans for a full day of highlight performances.
Among the takeaways from the bar-setting weekend, System Of A Down reaffirmed their rank as stadium-sized superstars. A generation after the band delivered their iconic Toxicity LP, the band continues to resonate with a growing base of fanatics - as evidenced by the choir of thousands that hung onto the band's every lyric of their headlining set.
Deftones brought down the house with a featured set that included a collection of catalog essentials and selections from their latest masterclass, Private Music. Toeing a fine balance between nostalgia and the band's undeniable relevance as trendsetters, Deftones in Texas proved unforgettable. As was the 40th anniversary appearance of thrash icons Slayer, marking four decades of Reign In Blood. Few things are as visceral as audio downpour of the finale of "Raining Blood," which brought on absolute chaos in Texas.
Sick New World's run of show delivered a hit parade, with highlight showings from headliners in their own right including an anthemic set from Amy Lee and Evanescence as well as a triumphant entry from Mastodon who expertly executed classics and new cuts from the masterclass of Marrow Deep.
Heavy music's new blood showed out with consistency throughout the day at SNW, with class leaders like Knocked Loose sending the Texas faithful into hysterics with their brand of metallic hardcore. Reaffirming the future of heavy music is as healthy as it has ever been, the likes of Dying Wish and Showing Teeth ensured they made the highlight reel with action-packed sets that soared.
Check the gallery of images from the inaugural Texas edition of Sick New World below.
SYSTEM OF A DOWN
JOHN DOLMAYAN BY CLEMENTE RUIZ
Photos by Maurice Nunez
DEFTONES
Photos by Maurice Nunez
Photos by Clemente Ruiz
SLAYER
Photos by Maurice Nunez
EVANESCENCE
Photos by Maurice Nunez
MASTODON
Photos by Maurice Nunez
AFI
Photos by Maurice Nunez
KNOCKED LOOSE
Photos by Maurice Nunez
POWER TRIP
Photos by Maurice Nunez
DYING WISH
Photos by Maurice Nunez
SHOWING TEETH
