We As Human
This was my second time seeing these guys and I was so excited to see them on the lineup this year. At festivals like this it is easy for opening bands to really get overlooked, the majority of the crowd doesn’t normally start filtering in until it gets darker, while that was still the case here, We as Human definitely didn’t get overlooked. Lead vocalist, Justin Cordle has great stage presence, he ran out on stage and immediately got the crowd on their feet. The third song into their set they brought Skillet vocalist on stage to sing “Zombie”. Its great to see bands like this supporting each other, on the road and in studio. I think these guys have potential to do big things and I’m looking forward to seeing them again.
In This Moment 
I have seen In this Moment about 4 or 5 times now, and for me they have gone progressively downhill. The band sounds great but I am not a fan of Maria, she is this biggest joke in metal. The first time I saw them about 3 years ago, their show was simple, and they sounded good. Now Maria is more concerned about which direction her hair is flying than the music and it definitely came across in their performance. Then she ditched the mic stand and added a headset and back up dancers… I cannot take this girl seriously. I love when musicians can also be entertainers and put on a great, theatrical show, but when the music suffers and you look more like Brittany Spears than a chick in a metal band it doesn’t translate well. I wish them all the luck in the world but somethings gotta give.
Skillet
This was the first time I was actually able to catch skillet’s entire set, these guys (and gals) really kick ass. I was not expecting the amount of energy every member of this band put into their set. Lead Vocalist, John Cooper is probably one of the most active front men I have ever seen, he made his way around every inch of the stage. Even when he was confined to the mic stand he still made it a point to move and keep the crowd engaged. His wife and guitarist, Korey Cooper is pretty impressive herself and definitely gives John a run for his money. I was not expecting to come into the show and fall in love with their set as much as I did, If you haven’t seen Skillet yet, they are a band you should kick off your bucket list.
Papa Roach
I love Papa Roach, I always have, they consistently put on a killer live show, they sound great and they leave you wanting more. Jacoby is such a talented preformed, he is constantly moving and jumping off of everything he can manage, he also has the stage presence to keep the crowd engaged and having fun. Though I was surprised after hearing about the vocal issues Jacoby has been having recently that the band didn’t pull out of the line up. I noticed he opted out of all of his normal screaming parts and left them for the crowd to fill in, other than that he sounded pretty sharp. The best thing about Papa Roach is they are reliable, I have seen them about 6 or 7 times now and every time I have enjoyed their set and they show up with just as much energy as the last show.
Shinedown
These guys are probably the band I was most excited to see at the Carnival of Madness. I have only seen them once before but I really got into their set and I was looking forward to what they would have in store for their own headlining tour this summer. Brent Smith looks so comfortable on stage, he knows how to relate to a large audience and it really comes through in his performances. Something that he does that I think is really cool is after the first or second song of the night, he stops and tells everyone to look to the person on the right and on the left of them, get acquainted and say hello. I love this, I have met so many interesting people in the crowds of shows I have been to, start conversations, discover people who have similar taste in music or have been to some of the same shows as you, that is half the fun of going! Getting back to Shinedown, they like to go big, and big is never big enough, fireworks, pyrotechnics and carnival performers all joined them on stage throughout the course of the night. These guys are so entertaining, but they also sounded spot on, I am looking forward to whatever antics they come up with on their next tour.
We As Human
In This Moment
Skillet
Papa Roach
Shinedown
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