Boysetsfire vocalist Nathan Gray climbed up from his knees after screaming himself red in the face, looked out at Psycho Las Vegas’ 2021 crowd at the House of Blues and was struck with a realization. This was a performance his Newark, Delaware-based melodic hardcore band had anticipated for nearly two years. Boysetsfire hadn’t played in front of fans since December 2019, one month before it was announced as part of the eventually canceled Psycho Las Vegas 2020 lineup.

“We’re so overwhelmed,” Gray said gasping into the microphone to catch his breath, “just to play a show right now.”

Similar sentiments were shared by many of the approximately 80 acts that played across four stages over three days over the weekend at Mandalay Bay, but Gray might have captured the tone of Psycho 2021 must succinctly.

The festival, in its fifth year locally and second at Mandalay Bay after a one-year hiatus amid the pandemic, brought overwhelming joy to both artists and attendees.

A triumphant comeback was far from a guarantee. It was fair to wonder if the festival would happen at all in the weeks leading up as COVID-19 cases rose globally and many previously announced bands were either forced to cancel or postpone their appearance until 2022.

Psycho lost more than 30 acts in all, most of them European-based and unable to secure permission to travel, so some skepticism of the festival website’s claim to, expect “record attendance numbers,” might have been warranted. But the show went on, with replacements for every cancelation. And sure enough, it happened in front of what seemed like it largest crowd yet.

All involved appeared to be having a blast, even when things didn’t go according to plan. “I’ve never broken anything before,” a man with an ankle swelled to the size of cowbell said enthusiastically as he was rolled into a medical room at the end of a battering set from death-metal pioneers Obituary Friday at the main stage inside Michelob Ultra Arena (formerly known as Mandalay Bay Events Center).

Psycho signaled a bevy of firsts, most significantly becoming the first major festival held in Las Vegas since the pandemic began. That it went off without a hitch should be a positive sign for Vegas music fans, even those not fond of the heavy sounds in which Psycho predominantly traffics.

The contributions of the Mandalay Bay staff that helped make it all happen shouldn’t go unrecognized. The hundreds of workers, from security to concessions, were extremely helpful and friendly while expertly ushering fans in and out of venues and keeping folks safe.

Attendance was so high for Danzig’s Saturday night headlining set at the arena, staff had to stop allowing fans onto the floor. They handled the situation with grace, doing their best to keep a few perturbed metalheads calm while implementing a one-in/one-out policy.

Frustrated parties were clearly the minority, though; beneath the battle vests, provocative T-shirts and required masks rested a whole lot of positive energy. “We’re so excited to be standing in front of a giant room of our people,” Mastodon bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders said during his band’s headlining performance Friday night.

Mastodon was among the majority of bands that hadn’t played publicly in 18 months. Some of them showed a bit of rust.

Deafheaven, one of most critically acclaimed bands on the bill, sounded as crisp as ever Saturday afternoon set on the main stage but played with far less intensity than during previous local stops. That despite ignoring softer new release Infinite Granite in favor of more aggressive older material. 

 

It took Mastodon a few songs to tap into its renowned on-stage chemistry, until a dip into more progressive material like 11-minute epic “The Czar” brought it to the forefront. The cavalcade of lights and riffs produced the sort of transportive moment Psycho largely seemed to lack this year, in comparison to past editions.

The lineup was shorter on the type of psychedelic and experimental music that used to be a bigger part of the festival’s DNA. That surely alienated some past Psychogoers, and a better balance would be welcome in the future. But fests must evolve and grow to survive, and there’s no denying Psycho grew this year because of its heavier direction.

Death metal was the du jour genre of choice in 2021, and after it seemed like nothing could match the excitement of Obituary’s Friday evening set, Cannibal Corpse showed up at Mandalay Bay Beach late Saturday night to deliver the weekend’s most buzzed-about performance. Thousands of banging heads filled all the way back to both of the pool’s entrances as the veterans ripped through a set that finished with a classic rendition of “Hammer Smashed Face,” arguably death metal’s best-known song.

Hours earlier, Poison the Well drew as raucous a reaction—albeit with a smaller turnout—capping a day full of early-2000s metalcore at House of Blues. Boysetsfire, Orange County favorites Eighteen Visions and local legends Curl Up and Die were among the acts that shook the bottle of angry, emotional short songs that Poison the Well later exploded.

The reformed Miami band lived up to a promise it made to play 1999 debut record The Opposite of December… A Season of Separation in full at Psycho 2020. Instead of playing it straight through, however, Poison the Well interlaced highlights from the rest of its career for an expertly crafted hourlong set that mixed aggression and restraint.

There were more full-album anniversary sets than at any previous Psycho, and the festival was all the better for it. The Wu-Tang Clan’s GZA brought a full band to accompany a spellbinding display of his lyricism and showmanship with a celebration of 1995’s Liquid Swords Friday night at the Beach. Sludge supergroup Down closed down the main stage Sunday night by performing 1997’s NOLA, with frontman Phil Anselmo’s high spirits contrasting with the record’s bleak subject matter.

Anselmo joked between songs with bandmates Kirk Windstein, Pepper Keenan, Pat Bruders and Jimmy Bowers, among the most beloved Psycho veterans given their annual inclusion with their various projects.

“It’s good to get out of the house and do something,” Anselmo said. “F*ckin live music, man.”

Glenn Danzig seemed equally energized by the opportunity to play 1990’s Danzig II: Lucifuge in full, sounding noticeably better in front of a throwback stage production than he did in the same slot with The Misfits at Psycho 2019.

“That’s the actual drum riser from the Lucifuge tour,” he said after playing the first few songs. “I went to my storage space and cracked it out just for this show.”

It’s tough to criticize much about Psycho 2021, though the festival footprint felt slightly less convenient than in previous years. Manageable distances between stages—plus staggered set times—allowed fans to catch (at least portions of) every band they wanted to. But the vast merch room has become an attraction in and of itself, and its placement on the far side of the Convention Center required carving out time to explore. Past merch rooms have been more centrally located, making it much easier to stop by between sets.

Walking around Mandalay Bay, however, was generally a thrill. Psycho went all-out visually, placing neon signs and screen animations all around the property. This time, Psycho felt less like a music festival being held in a resort than music festival taking over that resort. It was an immersive experience, made even better by the difficult circumstances overcome to stage it.