Sick New World: A Nu & New Metalhead’s Dream Event
After the incredible experience we had at last year’s When We Were Young festival, we knew the second iteration of their metal-based counterpart, Sick New World, was a must for us. I mean, I remember my jaw literally dropping at the sight of this year’s lineup.
Whether you’re a Nu-metalhead who witnessed the massive rise of bands like Slipknot and System Of A Down, or a new metalhead introduced to the genre through the likes of Sleep Token and Bad Omens, there was something for every generation to enjoy. Split across 5 stages, metal fans were treated to almost 13 hours of non-stop live music from 60+ bands.
We kicked off our day by catching Kittie and Spiritbox on the split Gold/Red main stages, both of which showcasing the powerful women of our genre and absolutely setting the tone for the rest of the day. Growls, mosh pits, and the beating sun; we were already in for a long, hot, but incredible day. Immediately following Spiritbox’s heavy hitting closer “Holy Roller”, we were treated to the one-two punch that was Lorna Shore and Ice Nine Kills, also on the main stages. Both bands have become giants in their respective genres and they showcased exactly why with their electrifying performances. Will Ramos, Lorna Shore’s beast of a vocalist, sounded closer to their recorded music than I ever thought could be possible from the deathcore genre, while the rest of the band displayed their instrumental prowess to perfection. Ice Nine Kills… what really needs to be said. They’re one of, if not the, most entertaining live bands in all of metalcore. From the on-stage theatrics to the sheer talent of musicians, I truly cannot say enough good things about that band and I will die on that hill.
Unfortunately, we skipped breakfast to get down to the box office early to pick up our wristbands - international traveller problems - so we had to skip Babymetal and Lamb Of God to fuel up for the rest of the day. I cannot speak for everyone’s experience, but I was surprised by the number of cuisine options available to Sick New World attendees, even compared to last year’s When We Were Young. If you couldn’t find something you wanted to eat, re-entry was allowed, so you could always leave the grounds to find something to your liking.
In any case, we scarfed down our food to get over to the Spiral stage to catch the sad boys in Dayseeker. I’ve seen them live a few times at this point, but I’m always blown away by Rory Rodriguez’s vocal chops. We sang, we felt the emotions, and before we knew it, they were exiting the stage leaving us wanting more. While we had originally planned to jump over to the Diablo stage to catch the trifecta in Loathe, Kublai Khan TX, and Drain at this point, we were able to set up a last minute meet up with none other than Ricky Armellino of Ice Nine Kills to talk about their set, the festival, and more!
One thing I need to emphasize for anyone planning to attend any future Sick New World festivals is to drink as much water as you possible can. That Las Vegas Sun is an energy killer and I needed to take some extra time in the shade to rehydrate, so we took a short break before jumping into the packed crowd for the WrestleMania showmen in Motionless In White. Running through setlist staples as “Thoughts & Prayers,” “Reincarnate,” and more, they delivered some of the biggest choruses and hardest breakdowns of the day.
While Motionless In White were a tough act to follow, the hardcore giants in Knocked Loose absolutely stole the show at the Siren Stage. One word to describe their set: energy. Breakdown after breakdown, callout after callout, it was Knocked Loose’s stage and everyone else was borrowing it from them to that point. Opening with their massive new single “Blinding Faith,” bringing out Poppy for the even newer “Suffocate,” and lighting a fire under the crowds ass with the classic “ARF ARF,” Knocked Loose know how to incite chaos at a festival.
While I left Knocked Loose’s set knowing they were a band I absolutely needed to see live again soon, I was sad to know I missed Jinjer, who had taken the Spiral stage immediately after Motionless In White. “Pisces” is still one of the greatest songs I’ve ever heard and I’m determined to hear it live one of these days. Difficult decisions need to be made when there’s crossovers such as this, but it still wasn’t the toughest of the day; I’m looking at you System Of A Down and Sleep Token… but we’ll get there.
We ran from the Siren stage to the Gold stage to get a decent spot for the UK icons in Bring Me The Horizon. Luckily we got there in time to catch the last few songs from Danny Elfman, an artist I admittedly was not very familiar with, but will diving into their discography in the near future. Danny’s set ends, the stage goes dark, and then E.V.E. pops on the screen to set the stage for Bring Me The Horizon to kick off with the infectious “DArkSide.” While you’re screaming along to the music, you can’t help but take in the impressive stage setup the band has put together; total entertainment. While I was disappointed the personal favorite “Diamonds Aren’t Forever” was cut from their headlining setlist - say what you want, Suicide Season rules - we were still treated to a breadth of anthems. From the iconic “THIS IS SEMPITERNAL” in “Shadow Moses” to bringing out Babymetal for “Kingslayer,” Bring Me The Horizon could never disappoint a crowd of they tried.
Ice Nine Kills, Motionless In White, Bad Omens, Alice In Chains, Knocked Loose, Bring Me The Horizon, and more… you could have caught several headlining sets by this point and we hadn’t even gotten to the main festival headliners yet!
“I don’t know about you, but it feels like 1999 out here,” says Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor. After dawning their classic red jumpsuits to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their self-titled record, Slipknot took the stage to run through several tracks from their seminal record. “Eyeless,” “Wait and Bleed,” “Spit It Out,” and “Surfacing” all made the set along with other anthems as “People = Shit” and “Psychosocial.” One thing’s for certain: Slipknot are still THAT band.
After what seemed like the shortest set of the day, the opening notes of System Of A Down’s “X” ring through the speakers. Considering the last time System Of A Down performed was at the previous year’s Sick New World, they were THE must-see set of the day. Running through other Toxicity staples in “Prison Song” and “Needles,” I was transported back to the first time hearing the record, dreaming of the day I could see them live for the first time. We caught “Soldier Side - Intro” into “B.Y.O.B.” and I was in total bliss.
Unfortunately, we then had to make the toughest decision of the day to leave the System Of A Down set to catch the multi-genre phenoms in Sleep Token, who were deservedly headlining the Spiral stage. Take Me Back To Eden will go down as one of the most impressive metal-infused records of all time and I knew I needed to hear some of these songs live. Was it worth it? Absolutely.
Opening with “The Offering” and quickly into “The Summoning,” Sleep Token prove they’re not just a band, they’re an experience. Just as they pummel the audience with the incredibly abrasive “Vore,” they also stun on the touching “Rain.” I expected them to put on a show, but I didn’t expect to be as enamoured with their performance as I was. They’ll without a doubt be headlining the main stage one day.
Luckily, Sleep Token finished a tad earlier than expected, so we could hear System Of A Down cap off the festival with “Toxicity” and “Sugar.” I’m sure I’ll regret missing “Aerials” over the coming weeks - easily my favorite System Of A Down track - but that just means I’ll be inclined to catch them on next year’s lineup!
If you couldn’t tell by this long-winded recap, this year’s Sick New World will go down as one of the best concert experiences of my life. I want to give a massive thank you to Sick New World for hosting such an amazing event, Ricky Armellino for taking the time out of his day to chat with us, and the team at Need Pastel for inviting us to be a part of it all. I am, yet again, eternally grateful for the opportunity and hope to be a part of it again next year!