Review & Photos by Javier Vicencio
After a 30-minute wait in line, I finally stepped into the backyard of Ferris Wheelers Backyard and BBQ. Hosting a heavy metal show here felt almost surreal — a small, intimate stage with an actual Ferris wheel towering off to the side. The unusual setting added an unexpected charm, offering a perfect backdrop for what would become a night of unrelenting sonic aggression.
Herakleion Opens the Gates
The night kicked off at 7 p.m. with Herakleion, a death/thrash metal trio from New Orleans. Their set was a fiery homage to early ’90s Florida death metal: distorted guitars, blast beats, guttural vocals, and long hair whipping with every riff.
Their setlist — including “Cryogenic Death,” “Where Crows Dare Not to Go,” “The Tomb,” “What Is, Was, And Will Forever Be,” and “Blood of Nessus” — instantly lit up the crowd. Apollo (guitar/vocals), Speed (drums), and Christian (bass) gave a blistering 30-minute performance that left fans shouting for more.
As the stage was reset, the venue’s DJ spun KISS classics like “Fever”, “Strutter”, “Got to Choose”, and a live version of “Hotter Than Hell” in tribute to Ace Frehley, who had passed away at 74 earlier in the week.
Fear Factory’s Industrial Assault
Next up was Fear Factory — and the tone shifted from old-school thrash to industrial metal precision. Dino Cazares (guitar), Milo Silvestro (vocals), Ricky Bonazza (bass), and Peter Webber (drums) unleashed a barrage of machine-gun riffs, death growls, syncopated palm-muted riffs and electronic samples that crushed the audience’s eardrums for the next 45 minutes.
The band tore through anthems like “Demanufacture”, “Self Bias Resistor”, “Zero Signal”, “Replica”, and “New Breed”. Fans crowd-surfed relentlessly, overwhelming security. “The barricade guys are still learning! They are not doing a good job,” Silvestro joked mid-set before jumping off the stage to sing alongside the audience.
Cazares — the band’s only original member — hinted at what’s next: “This is our last show with the Cavalera brothers! Thank you, Max and Igor. I promise a new album and new tour next year!” They closed with “Edgecrusher”, showering the front row with guitar picks. A lucky kid on his father’s shoulders got a drumstick and the setlist.
Cavalera Conspiracy: Chaos Reborn
Then came the main event. The legendary Cavalera brothers, Max (vocals and guitar) and Igor (drums), took the stage with Igor Amadeus on bass and Travis Stone on lead guitar. They came to resurrect one of the most influential metal records of the ’90s: Chaos A.D.
They launched into thunderous renditions of “Refuse/Resist”, “Territory”, “Slave New World”, and “Propaganda” — tracks that have long been anthems for outsiders and underdogs. Max’s booming “Put your hands up!” was met with a sea of raised fists every time.
The energy was relentless. The weather was perfect, the sound was brutal, and Igor’s Oakley frames gleamed under the spotlights.
A Set for the Diehards
Fans sang along to every word of “Nomad”, “We Who Are Not Like Others”, “Biotech Is Godzilla”, “Manifest”, “The Hunt”, “Clenched Fist” and “Propaganda.” Max splashed water on his face, hurled the bottle into the air, and the crowd roared.
Their punk-inflected take on Kaiowas stood out. Max even read aloud a line about police brutality: “In a Holocaust method of annihilation, the government of the city of Sao Paulo cannot control the brutality of its police.” A raw reminder of the band’s political roots.
Then, in a nod to the originators of the genre, they ripped through a crushing cover of “Symptom of the Universe” by Black Sabbath, which drew universal cheers. People showed love for the originators of heavy metal raising their fists and horns signs, and jumping to the beat. Was it a tribute to the recently deceased Prince of Darkness?
Finally, Max shouted, “The real shit is here tonight!” before launching into “Territory” at a breakneck pace. As Igor pounded out the iconic intro, the crowd descended into a frenzy. And with that song that explores themes of conflict and division, Cavalera Conspiracy decimated the stage as if it was a war zone.
A Perfect Storm of Sound and Sweat
What began as a night under a Ferris wheel became a full-blown celebration of metal’s raw power. From Herakleion’s old-school assault to Fear Factory’s industrial precision and the Cavalera brothers’ legendary chaos, it was a night to remember.
CAVALERA
FEAR FACTORY
HERAKLEION
