METAL TOUR OF THE YEAR AT BB&T PAVILION IN CAMDEN
“Don’t be a meanie, buy a weenie!” read the iconic sign of the hot dog vendor that usually sits outside of BB&T Pavilion in Camden, NJ. It was my first time being back at BB&T in over 2 years and I couldn’t have been more excited. Fans of all ages made their way into the venue for the “Metal Tour of the Year”, horns at the ready. Everyone was in for a night to remember.
Kicking off the show was Hatebreed. While the venue wasn’t entirely full, the fans who did arrive early for Hatebreed’s set were absolutely ready to get the ball rolling. They played a tight set with songs such as “Instinctive (Slaughterlust)”, “Smash Your Enemies”, and “Looking Down the Barrel of Today”. I’m not entirely familiar with the band, having only casually listened when they shuffled on, but I will say it was a great choice for a show opener. They kept the crowd moving and entertained.
Taking the stage next was Trivium. I’ve experienced seeing Trivium live before so I knew we would be in for a very tight sounding set. This was, of course, absolutely the case. From the minute they took the stage, fans in the venue had horns up and were headbanging. Trivium’s set saw the first crowd surfer of the night as well. They played songs such as “What the Dead Men Say”, “The Heart From Your Hate”, and one of their newest singles, “Feast of Fire”. They even sang Happy Birthday to Paolo (the bassist for the band). As part of a VIP package, they had fans standing in the front pit in between the stage and barricade, and it was great to see the excitement on their faces as they got to watch the band perform from such a close spot.
After Trivium’s set, a giant black curtain was hung up over the front of the stage. Projected onto the curtain was the Lamb of God logo, and the intro to “Memento Mori” had begun. After hearing a “Wake Up Wake Up!” a loud bang went off, the curtain fell, and the band got into the first verse of the song. I honestly didn’t even know where to look first when watching Lamb of God. Each member of the band was giving it their all and really truly performing for the audience. Lead singer Randy Blythe was headbanging and swinging his dreads around, and it was mesmerizing to watch all of the movement on stage. On top of that, Lamb of God produced an enormous, heavy, kick-to-the-face type of sound that just knocks your socks off. As if that wasn’t enough, throw some fire into the mix! The band had bursts of flames on stage that lit up the whole area and added so much to the performance. They performed songs such as “Redneck”, “Walk With Me In Hell”, and “Laid to Rest”. The song “512” was dedicated to the memory of their friend Mikey. Honestly for me, Lamb of God stole the show.
Taking the stage last for the night was the metal titan, Megadeth. The band had large rectangular screens on stage for visuals and drummer Dirk Verbeuren had his drum kit perched high enough up on the stage for everyone in the audience to always have a clear view of him. Plus, if you were looking for some wicked guitar solos, you were in the right place! They played a set that had everyone off their feet, including songs such as “Sweating Bullets”, “Tornado of Souls”, and “Symphony of Destruction”. Lead singer Dave Mustaine interacted with the crowd quite a bit, including talking and joking around with someone who barfed in the pit. Yes you read that correctly. When the night ended, fans weren’t ready to leave. If you’re looking for a stacked tour with incredibly talented metal acts, you’ve come to the right place. I’d recommend making it out to one of the dates that are left if you can!
Nicole DiBenedetto is a photographer based out of New Jersey. She likes making new friends and meeting new people so catch her out in the pit and say hi!