This year’s annual Immortal Fest 2024 Part 2 took place over Labor Day weekend as is the norm and I was high with anticipation, to say the least. This year marked the return of some of my favorite bands which I am always excited about, but it also featured several artists that I’ve never had the pleasure of seeing. I was ecstatic to be able to check off a few from my bucket list. I never thought I’d have the opportunity to see Ken Tamplin and Shout perform live and the odds of Bride reuniting and getting to see them were pretty astronomical as well.  Throw in Trytan, and the debut performance of IronWrath, and this was one weekend I absolutely could not miss!   

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My plans to get to Versailles Ohio this year went pretty smooth overall, a few bumps in the road were expected but it seems that each year proves to be a most difficult task to reach my goal. I am truly blessed as I realize there are many that would love to attend this event and for one reason or another are unable to make it happen. Praise God that he has allowed me to attend each year so far. I do know that there may come a time when I am one of those who will have to remain at home. There was talk of this year being the final year of the fest, but I heard straight from Steve Barhorst the organizer of the event that that rumor was not true.

  

Upon arrival I ran into one of two major bumps in the road I experienced over the weekend as I found myself stuck at the airport without transportation to my hotel or the BMI. My car rental fell through due to some unforeseen trouble that I won't get into right now. Thankfully I was rescued by another brother who was attending the event himself and got me to where I needed to be. Thank you, Shannon Cross! I flew in a day early just to take precautions of any problems I might face, and I am so glad that I did. I spent the evening catching up with old friends over dinner and got to bed at a decent time in anticipation of the following day's events.

 

I landed on site pretty early in the day as I was lending my services to help my brothers in IronWrath and needed to be present for their soundcheck. It was great to reconnect with so many friends that I rarely get to see. Of course I had to immediately check out the merch bazaar, and wow! What a spectacle. Anthony Gober and Anchor Merchandising presented a golden experience almost as entertaining as watching the bands perform.

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As doors had been open for a while now, and showtime was nearing I made my way to the photo pit to get ready for Fear Not. As the lights dimmed, and the band took to the stage a warm feeling of belonging came over me. Pastor Bob introduced the guys and tossed out the phrase we’ve all come to embrace. We are Metal, We are family! 

   

The Fear Not guys are always a treat. Having known the members for close to 35 years, I never grow tired of seeing and hearing what they do so well. Kinda surprised they were the opening band, but they were a fiery start to the festival no doubt. Slamming headfirst into their hour long set with “Don’t Want None, Come Get Some.” The band seemed in fine form and considering that they rarely get to rehearse, their performance wasn’t lacking by any means. Yeah, a couple of scrapes here and there but that’s live music baby! They continued to shell out the goods with subsequent fan favorites like the bleeding heart cry of “Carry Me,” presenting a message we can all relate to. Other cuts were equally as poignant like, “Black Soul Sonshine,” “Struggle,” and their cover of The Who’s Join Together. Frontman Eddie Green had a from the heart Holy Spirit led moment where he reached out to those in attendance to encourage them to come talk to the band after their show to receive prayer. He felt that there was someone present that had been running from God for a long time and that they felt as though God just didn’t care; they were at the end of their rope. He wasn’t wrong as I personally knew of a friend who was just such a person, and he did get prayed for. My favorite tunes “Voluntary Madness,” and the title cut from their most recent release, “Fields of Sorrow,” were also included. Eddie’s favorite “Lay it All Down,” sounded a bit rough to me but the bands ending anthem “We Have a God,” more than balanced it all out. The guys were ahead of their ending time and stretched the set a bit longer with some crowd participation that could have been much better from the audience side, timing, timing, timing. They also could have ended early to give the next band a bit more time to get on but, it is what it is.  I personally had hoped to hear some new tunes but alas we were only given the promise of new material being in the works.

 

Up next was the legendary Saint who as they’ve done in years past completely blew me away! This is my happy place for sure. The traditional Heavy Metal of the 80’s has always been where my heart is at. I was especially excited to hear some of the newer material the band has been shelling out with new frontman Dave Nelson. Having just released their latest opus Immortalizer, I was sure to get just what I needed. Besides the title track, the only other tune from Immortalizer was, “The Congregation.” I understand with so many albums under their belt it’s hard to cover all your bases and ultimately you must limit yourself. Nevertheless, they delivered the goods with other stellar cuts including, “Heaven Fell,” “Vengeance,” and iconic songs like “Too Late for Living,” “Hell Blade,” “The Path,” and my all-time favorite, “In the Night.” The guys were ultra-tight and wowed the audience with a solid and energetic performance.  Founder Richard Lynch just exudes Metal like no other. His style and image are everything I wanted to be as a Metal kid. His trademark B.C. Rich bass was absent but thanks to our brother Syke Mocheck (Slam Cat) he was blessed with one that matched him perfectly. Dave Nelson is as good a frontman as they come. I did however question his snow-white hooded shirt when he came on stage. Black would have been so much better, or even red, in my opinion. What an awesome band and a great bunch of dudes individually.  

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Following a brief break, the anticipation of the next band was so tense you could feel it permeating the air. Most had no idea what to expect from the much talked about debut performance of Cinematic masters of Metal IronWrath. As I stood in the photo pit awaiting the band to enter the stage, audience members asked me questions like, “Is it just a movie?” “Is there an actual band?” Pastor Bob once again introduced the band and prefaced their performance with the statement that “This is the future of Metal,” and “You got to see it here first.” As the lights dimmed, and the movie screens began to show the intro of the Master Storyteller theatrical event, “Down the Rabbitt Hole,” I couldn’t help but feel as though something amazing was about to take place. I’d previously seen the movie but not the live version, complete with the band. The first song they delivered was the title track of the album itself. This was a powerfully executed performance where the lighting and overall persona of the band, imagery, and presence met the music in perfect union. The lights were dark and mostly primary colors illuminating the stage, giving the visual aspect a menacing and frightful depiction. The music was a medium-paced full-throttle assault of the senses. The subsequent movie playing in the background only added to the enticing foray into the depths of the shadowy world in which we live. “Bed of Lies,” “Thy Shall Return,” and “Freedom,” all followed suit with much the same angst. Lead vocalist Allen Woodward has a look not for the faint of heart and his intensity permeated the stage and the entire arena for that matter. There was no talking in between songs as this was a cinematic presentation and not the usual display of band banter that most offer. The message was potently clear and was so clear that I personally know of at least one individual who became so triggered by what was being put forth that he fled the building, got in his truck, and bailed! IronWrath pulls no punches, and it is no secret that they are very vocal about their faith and their patriotism for America. One standout moment was during the song “The Best Part of Me,” where the guys came out and sat on chairs for an acoustic departure from the highly charged Metal of the rest of their set. Another was the tribute they gave country legend Johnny Cash and their reimagining of his song “God’s Gonna Cut You Down.” As this was the debut performance of the band there were surprisingly very few hiccups that you might expect. Sadly, the guys were forced to cut their performance by one song, not giving the complete package that we should have received. From the audience's vantage point, the only minor complaint was in the bright white beams of light faced into the crowd during a portion of the show. This however was not the band's doing but the lighting guy. He did his best to give the band what they requested, but with no real preparation and non-programmed lights, it was what it was. Over the next two days of the fest, I heard a lot of feedback from attendees who stated that they believed the band to be the best act of the fest. Truthfully, I think that they may have been a little too modern for the number of classic bands they were giving with and might have done better during part 1 of the festival back in July. Normally I would feel sorry for the band who had to follow them. However, when that band was the legendary Bride, I wasn’t worried one bit.

  

It’s been 35 years since I last got to see Bride perform. It was during the Silence is Madness Tour. Truthfully, I’m not sure why I never caught another show. I certainly never expected them to come out of retirement after Dale moved to New Zealand! Never say never, right? It shouldn’t come as a surprise that these seasoned vets could pull off such an epic performance with only one rehearsal and more than a decade since they retired from playing live, but I was in shock, nonetheless. The guys hit the stage and delivered a raw yet empowered set of some of their most iconic tunes. No overtly special lighting, no gimmicks, and even the background image was a photo from the Kinetic Faith LP grabbed off the internet and, on the spot, by the house lighting guy. Going full throttle right into “Scarecrow Messiah,” sent the fans into an instant frenzy. By the time they ripped through, “Would You Die for Me,” “Hired Gun,” and “Troubled Times,” we were in a state of pure euphoria. Now, my favorite Bride album of all is Silence Is Madness, and I was just a little disappointed that they only included one song from that release. I’ll take what I can get and “Under the Influence” was it. Dale is a force of nature, and his pipes show little to no rust in any way shape, or form. He had me in stitches at times bumbling around the stage as an old man pretending to be slightly incoherent and making faces of confusion and fatigue while pulling his hair out of his eyes. Yeah, he may have looked the part, but his heart shone through with radiant color. “Beast,” “Everybody Knows My Name,” and “Worm,” continued the rocking saga of their discography with a slow down for the emotionally charged “I Miss the Rain,” done this go around with no piano and only clean guitar. Troy Thompson has always had a unique approach to his playing, sometimes misunderstood, maybe. He too performed as if no time had passed, his chops were right on the money. His skills were top-notch throughout, but I was especially impressed by their version of “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door,” where he really excelled, maybe just a cut above all the rest. My second favorite Bride album is Live to Die, which just happens to be the first album I ever purchased from them. Sadly, they only included one song here as well. As previously mentioned, I’ll take what I can, and “Hell No,” was a great choice. Probably the one crowd-pleaser that will inevitably find its way onto any set that the band plays. It was great seeing Frank Partipilo back in the fold as well. Call it nostalgia if you like with this classic lineup but, with the Thompson brothers still writing and releasing albums, Dale’s subsequent move back to the States, and the announcement that they plan to actually tour in 2025, I foresee an entirely new chapter unfolding for Bride. One that is relevant for today and anything but nostalgic. The band's grand finale came with the ultra-powerful “Psychedelic Super Jesus,” a perfect end to an unforgettable first day of Immortal Fest 2024 Pt. 2 Day 1. Bring on day 2!  

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-Priest