After a year-long hiatus, Sick New World returned to the Las Vegas Festival Grounds on April 25 with 50-plus bands in tow and enough noise to rattle the fillings out of your teeth. Here were some of our favorite sets of the weekend.
Acid Bath
Our day kicked off in a haze of sludge with Louisiana’s own southern-gothic behemoths, Acid Bath. Re-emerging after a 28-year hiatus following the tragic death of original bassist Audie Pitre, the cult outfit’s return was nothing short of mythic. Early in the day, the Green Stage was already a tightly packed cauldron of loyal disciples and curious initiates, all ready to be flattened by the highly anticipated sound. Frontman Dax Riggs prowled the stage like a spectral ringmaster, his voice swinging from cavernous growls to fragile, almost mournful croons, while the band’s riffs oscillated between ferocious fuzz and elegiac melody. Mid-set, Riggs stopped to point to the significance of their performance, saying that one year ago to the day was the first time they had played a set in 30 years and here they were, conquering a stage once again. There’s a peculiar joy in being emotionally pulverized, and Acid Bath delivered that wholesale while setting the bar for everything that came after. –GR
AFI
Davey Havok is—and will forever be—the freaking man. Monumental, magnetic, and zipped into what may or may not have been (p)leather—he’s a longtime vegan, so we don’t want to assume—he was a sight to behold, even if your AFI knowledge peaks at their horror-punk Halloween reputation. This is a band that reinvents itself fearlessly and actually pulls it off. Silver Bleeds the Black Sun, their newest album, devours new wave and post-punk influences with the confidence of a band that knows no limits. On a crowd-pleasing Purple Stage set, Havok radiated aura in overdrive, flinging his improbably fit frame across the stage, locking eyes with the jumbotron cameras, and letting fans hoist him by the knees as he spat every word of the anthemic track “I Hope You Suffer.” It was chaotic, thrilling, and perfectly AFI, equal parts menace and pure, unfiltered joy. –GR
Carpenter Brut
Carpenter Brut appearing on the SNW lineup surprised me more than anything. The French musician, whose punishing, synthwave soundscapes have soundtracked video games like Hotline Miami and The Crew Motorfest, feels closer to the crowds of EDC. But as he took the stage with a live metal guitarist and drummer, his dark electronica mesmerized the audience and compelled us to dance. Suddenly, we were a part of Carpenter’s congregation, worshipping at the feet of turbo-charged, distorted melodies and cinematic aggression. Carpenter’s synth scores, heavily inspired by horror legend John Carpenter, swelled with intensity and immediacy, and we basked in that dread until sundown. –AS
Danny Elfman
How does one of the most famous film composers of our time stage a rock show? With a little help from his friends. A full orchestra and band, including Nine Inch Nails drummer Josh Freese, joined Danny Elfman onstage to bring his kooky Tim Burton movie scores to life. Looking ever the part of a mad, tattooed scientist, Elfman pantomimed dystopian delight on the song “Happy,” and delivered a hair-raising rendition of “This Is Halloween” from The Nightmare Before Christmas. His vocal theatrics were unlike anything I’ve heard—guttural, gothic and mesmerizing all at once. And his Oingo Boingo tracks, which danced on the precipice of mania, kept us riveted. The set also reminded us just how deep and far-reaching Elfman’s influence on music and cinema goes. Hearing him conduct the themes from Wednesday, Beetlejuice and Spider-Man was as nostalgic as it was surreal. He’s a rockstar composer, full stop. –AS
Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson is that terrifying, stomach-turning trainwreck you can’t look away from. At his Sick New World debut, the rockstar prowled the stage like a pale lion seeking someone to devour. The crowd erupted in chants for “Disposable Teens,” basking in Manson’s rageful screams and dark demeanor. “Let’s take it back to 1999,” he said, before performing Mechanical Animals' opening track “Great Big White World.” Manson’s deep dive back into his old discography felt like an exhumation, and he didn’t do it alone. Longtime bassist Tim Skold rejoined him onstage, adding that extra grit and metallic unease to songs like “This Is the New S***” and “The Dope Show.” If you grew up listening to Manson, or you were like me and had to hide his edgy music from your parents, you were treated to something feral and unforgiving. –AS
Terror and Pain of Truth
The night before the festival, a stacked House of Blues bill—End It, Terror, Pain of Truth and Poison the Well—felt like it could’ve easily been the weekend’s peak. It wasn’t. Less than 24 hours later, Terror and Pain of Truth reconvened for a tag-team midday set on the Diablo Stage, drawing a crowd that treated the slot like a headliner. LA hardcore legends Terror had just dropped Still Suffer the day before, doubling down on their blunt-force ethos. Across the country, Long Island’s Pain of Truth have been leveling up fast, threading metallic precision through classic hardcore pressure. The pairing made sense and the execution felt unruly in the best way. Security lined the barricade between VIP and GA after earlier gate-jumping during End It’s set, but the real action ignored those boundaries. This might’ve been the most fun performance to watch all day. It felt like a group of longtime homies hanging out onstage, genuinely having the best time as the two bands flip-flopped between songs. The pit swelled, mics were tossed into the crowd to finish lyrics, and two-steppers went hard while others dodged flailing limbs. It was messy, communal and fully locked in. –GR
Superheaven
The shoegazey, grunge-forward project Superheaven hit at just the right moment, easing the festival from late afternoon into early evening with a set that felt both heavy and unhurried. The Pennsylvania post-hardcore band, which released its first full-length release in 10 years last April, surprised us with its riff-heavy, yet lighthearted performance. It touched on new tracks while giving the people what they wanted, which is of course “Youngest Daughter” and “Poor Aileen.” Superheaven understood the assignment and met the crowd where they were while easing them into what came next. –GR
System of a Down
Closing out the fest was none other than Armenian American alt-metal torch-bearers System of a Down. This headlining performance marked the kickoff of the band’s upcoming year of touring. In celebration of Toxicity turning 25, the setlist leaned heavily on the iconic 2001 album. Fans were treated to nine tracks from the record, including “Aerials,” “Needles,” and “Psycho.” But one of the most compelling aspects of the band is how its discography pulls listeners through a full spectrum of emotions, shifting in an instant from heavy and aggressive to playful and danceable. The experience felt dynamic and deeply engaging from start to finish. Even as light rain began to fall, the crowd remained undeterred. Singing along to SOAD’s socially and politically charged music is always a cathartic experience—one that doesn’t erase the weight of the real world, but offers a powerful sense of release. –GR
