Festival season may not be in full effect just yet, but that didn't stop the meta l head community from gathering in Cape Coral, FL for the annual 96KRock Cape Chaos. Fresh off of Shiprockd both the crowd and bands came to rock for one more night on the west coast of Florida. Kicking off the daytime portion of the show was new supergroup We Are Harlot, followed up by the Swedish metal band, Avatar, a fan favorite of the festival judging by the sea of Avatar shirts in the crowd. Godsmack members offshoot blues band Blue Cross was up next, boasting rock and roll life style lyrics to soulful tunes. South Carolina's Islander followed the blues with their nu metal sound as the late goers of the festival starting showing up. Despite early technical problems New Zealand's Like A Storm maintained high spirits and brought the energy up with their unique didgeridoo laced rock and roll. As the sun began to set 10 Years took the stage with singer Jesse Hasek bouncing back and forth from the stage to the crowd.
Hometown heroes Nonpoint hit the stage with a set laced with their crowd pleasing radio staples and a few of their personal favorites, pumping up the crowd and setting a high standard for the band's to follow. Even slower songs like their Phil Collins' cover "In the Air Tonight" kept the atmosphere and the fans just as amped as their harder songs like "Bullet with a Name." Hellyeah was up next, the brainchild group consisting of Mudvayne's Chad Gray, Pantera's Vinnie Paul, and Nothingface's Tom Maxwell. Hellyeah riled the crowd with fan favorites such as “Sangre por Sangre” “Moth” and their self titled hit “Hellyeah!” It is an amazing expereience to see Vinnie Paul back on the drums after his hiatus. Gray, Paul, Maxwell, along with Kyle Sanders and Christian Brady are a seamless mix of musicians, that exceed all expectations on stage. There is never a down point in a Hellyeah set, it is constant movement, crowd interaction, and even some good old blood spitting, and really what else can you ask for from a metal band? P.O.D finished out the night, keeping the crowd moving to fight off the windchill us Floridians are not used to. P.O.D has been a staple in the metal community since their success in the early 2000's with their fourth studio album, Satellite. P.O.D opened with their newest single "This Goes Out to You" and kept the crowd singing through past hits. When the opening cord of "Youth o f the Nation" struck, the crowd shouted the lyrics together just like it was 2001 again.
Cape Chaos proves to be the perfect festival to kick off the year, with a long lineup of bands spanning different genres of rock, there's something for everyone to enjoy. If you missed out this year, be sure to mark your calendar for next January!
