Major representatives of grunge and heavy metal shone at the Solid Rock festival.
This year's Solid Rock festival made a bold choice: to unite two giant bands from two different subgenres of rock on the same night. Alice In Chains is perhaps the great remnant of 90s grunge. Judas Priest , is a heavy metal legend. Its frontman, Rob Halford , was the first to say "we are heavy metal." He was also the first in metal to come out as gay. One of the most revolutionary figures in the scene.
Although both bands are extremely important, their audiences might not connect. This was a concern that persisted when ticket sales fell short of expectations. Inside Allianz Parque, however, the scene was different. Fans of both bands, and of Black Star Riders (who opened the night), mingled on the field and in the stands of the stadium.
Most people really wanted to see Judas Priest, but when Jerry Cantrell took the stage, the metalheads gradually gave in. William DuVall , who took over vocals after Layne Staley , spoke in decent Portuguese about how happy he was to be back in Brazil. And the relatively new "Check My Brain" opened the show already with the status of a classic.
The vocalist's performance is flawless. DuVall doesn't lose his charm even when displaying the swagger inherent to grunge. The band delivered hit after hit. "Them Bones," "Dam That River," "Hollow," "Down In a Hole," and "No Excuses" came together. Drummer Sean Kinney and guitarist and founder Jerry Cantrell slipped up at one point during the solos, but nothing that spoiled the great show.
“Man in The Box” had the entire stadium singing along, even those who didn't know anything that had been played up to that point. The heavy guitar riffs and distortions kept the crowd going until the final trio of “The One You Know”, “Would?” and “Rooster”, which made a constellation of cell phones light up with their flashes.
The stadium began to fill up more and more as night fell. The regular floor, reduced due to the immensity of the premium floor, could no longer accommodate the crowd. When Black Sabbath played over the speakers, it was Judas Priest announcing themselves. The set began with "Firepower," from their latest album. By the time "Grinder" started, the crowd was already going wild. Small mosh pits were forming on the floor.
The god of metal, Rob Halford, seemed to change his outfit every two songs. From a shiny silver jacket and platform boots to a leather jacket and boots. Halford's vocal range is impressive. He went from low notes to sky-high screams with practically no effort. Andy Sneap and Richie Faulkner took turns on solos in songs like "Lightning Strike" and "Turbo Lover".
Beyond their impressive technique, a distinctive feature of Judas Priest is their performative flair. Solos with musicians dancing, Halford screaming while kneeling on the floor, the vocalist wielding a pink sword as if fighting a medieval glittery dragon. All culminating with Halford entering the stage on a motorcycle to sing "Hell Bent for Leather," wearing a chauffeur's cap, sadomasochistic clothing, and a whip in his mouth.
With the audience completely engrossed in the show, all the vocalist had to do was point the microphone offstage for everyone to scream the lyrics to classics like "Painkiller" and "Breaking The Law." Closing with a flourish, and more impressive screams from Halford, "Living After Midnight" and a message on the screens: "The Priest Will Be Back," The Priest will return. We can't wait.
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