Live Shows: Sick New World, Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, TX 10/24/26

As you can probably tell, we're not a heavy music blog. We tend to prefer the sounds of indie rock, folk, alt-rock, punk, etc., with occasional posts about hip hop, cumbia, jazz, and others, and very rare metal posts. But, I do have a rarely seen metal side, and I did enjoy going to Ozzfest back in the day, so when a chance to head down to Texas to see Sick New World... how could I say no? I'm not going to get into the controversies of the day, and while the event wasn't perfect, it's somewhere between the online discourse of it being the worst planned event ever and it running perfectly. Here were my favorites of the day!

Kittie

I always enjoyed Kittie's 2000 album Spit, and it probably holds up better than most metal albums of that period. There was always a bit of a novelty factor of teenage girls playing metal, but now they're adults and back, possibly better than ever. They absolutely rocked the Spiral stage, proving they are far better than you remember. They're also the rare band whose popularity peaked two decades ago but are peaking in their talents now. As much as Kittie are probably a nostalgia act for most, they surpass that in their live show.

Haywire

I made a rule for myself going into Sick New World. My priority was bands I've loved for decades but have never seen before, followed by long time favorites I haven't seen for years. Lords of Acid, who I've never seen and have been a fan of for decades, should have been an easy pick for me, especially since they were on against Haywire, a band I had seen less than twenty four hours before. But... that was one hell of a show, and as far as I know they were the only Boston band playing Saturday. That meant I had to check them out. The performance wasn't as life changing as Friday night's, but they were playing with a barricade early in the afternoon. They still crushed it, and I have little to no regret about my choice for that timeslot.

Melvins

Even though Melvins tend to play at least once a year in the greater Boston area, I don't see them as often as I'd like. Plus, seeing their take on metal/hard rock/sludge in front of people that just watched Coal Chamer was irresistible to me. King Buzzo and company straight up rocked out for their twenty-five minute set. This is an example of a band doing what they want and not caring if everyone liked it, which is what you want when they play a festival like this. Possibly my favorite set of the day, and they continue to be long term favorites.

She Wants Revenge

I was curious to see how She Wants Revenge would go over at a show like Sick New World, where the main bands were System of a Down, Deftones, and Slayer. Sexually charged darkwave isn't an obvious choice for this type of festival, but it worked. They took the stage to a semi-cover of Massive Attack's "Angel," and that set the tone for their set. Sure, some metalheads took off to find something heavier, but She Wants Revenge had plenty of fans show up. And of course the crowd exploded for "Tear You Apart." 

Clutch

Playing after She Wants Revenge was Clutch, continuing the Spiral Stage's genre whiplash. While most bands with twenty-five minutes opt for a fan friendly set, Clutch played their own set of what they wanted, and straight up rocked it. Then again, does Clutch really have hits? Maybe "Electric Worry" or "A Shogun Named Marcus?" The most recognizable song seemed to be "Sucker for the Witch," but if you were a Clutch fan, or like some blues based hard rock/metal, this set was perfect for you.

Ministry

Ministry had possibly one of the more controversial sets of the day. Some people seemed to love it, while others hated it. There is some disagreement as to how much was played live and how much was recorded, but that tends to be pretty common with industrial shows. I personally think Al Jourgensen at least used some backing tracks, and there have been some complaints that they were far better in the 90's. But... I had never seen them before, so for me they were great. (Although, unless Jourgensen has a Gibby Haynes vocal pedal, "Jesus Built My Hot Rod" was most likely lip synched.)

Slayer

I'm a casual fan of Slayer's, but my friend dating back to high school is a diehard one, so I've seen them a handful of times. They seem to be enjoying their post-retirement comeback of playing a few shows a year, and they might be playing the best shows of their entire forty year career now. Their set was massive, with huge flames shooting out of everywhere and were playing Reign In Blood to mark the album's fortieth anniversary. Many fans are still furious that the entire album wasn't played, but it was still a mind-blowing, ass kicking set.

Deftones

I'm almost certain I've seen the Deftones more than once, but the only time I'm certain of was at Warped Tour in 1998 when their fans were pretty terrible to Save Ferris, who played just before them. But, I've recently come around to Deftones being a great band, mostly as they've been moving away from nu-metal to a more nuanced alt-rock/shoegaze sound. Their set Saturday was the most divisive of the day, with many people despising it and asking if Chino Moreno is ok, and others having a life changing, positive experience. I thought it was a solid set that made me an actual fan of theirs, but I'm also going to enjoy a more alt-rock focused set than the average Sick New World attendee. Plus, they closed with the one-two punch of "My Own Summer (Shove It)" and "7 Words," and no one can argue with that.

System of a Down

Closing out the day was System of a Down, a band I haven't seen for at least twenty years. Since they also only play a handful of shows a year these days, every performance is a huge deal, and they absolutely crushed it. It's easy to forget just how many great songs they have, which I did after they opened with "Suite-Pee," "Prison Song," "Violent Pornography," and "Aerials." There was still "B.Y.O.B." and "Chop Suey" to come, and they closed with "Toxicity" and "Sugar." You could tell all four members are enjoying their heroes welcome, and as much as I wish they'd go on more regular, proper tours, Saturday night was a truly special one.