Sonic Temple 2024 Offered a Sanctuary of Rock with Slipknot, Misfits, Limp Bizkit, and Pantera: Review + Photos

Jonah Krueger
·5 min read

The post Sonic Temple 2024 Offered a Sanctuary of Rock with Slipknot, Misfits, Limp Bizkit, and Pantera: Review + Photos appeared first on Consequence.

This past weekend (May 16th-19th), Sonic Temple 2024 went down at the Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, giving music fans a chance to bow down at an alter adorned with hard riffs, towering stacks of amplifiers, and corpse paint. Like any good church service, the prayers were screamed, the communion was that of beer and fried food, and the sense of community was palpable. For four days, attendees walked alongside the spirit of rock.

The weekend offered crowd-pleasing set after crowd-pleasing set, from the headliners (Slipknot, Pantera, The Original Misfits, and Disturbed) to late-afternoon favorites (Limp Bizkit, Cypress Hill, Mr. Bungle, 311) to hype-building newcomers (Nova Twins, The Chats, Militarie Gun, Scowl). With representation from a wide variety of hard rock subgeneres, walking around from stage to stage offered a varied, exciting experience, ultimately keeping the programming feeling fresh throughout the extended weekend.

Despite a brief bout of rain and some punishing stints of harsh sun, the vibes of locals and campers alike seemed to remain high, an energy that translated to many of the sets. “Fuck yeah, Sonic Temple!” was an oft-used rallying cry as bands hyped up the crowds and called for circle pits or walls of death. Such energy continued to grow with each passing day, culminating in a closing Slipknot set that had maggots leaving absolutely nothing on the table.

For those who weren’t able to hear the cries of “Fuck yeah!” in person, here’s a rundown of what went down at Sonic Temple 2024:

The Original Misfits Got Somethin’ to Say

Heading into the weekend, catching a Glenn Danzig-led Misfits performance was one of the more unique and exciting prospects Sonic Temple 2024 had to offer. Rounded out with classic Misfits members Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein (who remains a physical freak of nature) and Jerry Only, as well as “Mr. I’ve Drummed for Everyone You’ve Ever Heard of” Dave Lombardo, the horror punk icons’ set was the textbook definition of a victory lap.

Ripping through a slew of fan-favorites, Danzig and company seemingly had no predetermined setlist. Instead, they would ask for requests (whether they took any or not is open to interpretation), take a second to chat off mic, call out a title, and finally launch into the song. Such looseness was quite captivating to watch, even leading to humanizing moments like Lombardo accidentally playing the wrong part when the band went to perform “Where Eagles Dare.” Danzig poking fun at him in response and miming the correct drum groove to help the accomplished musician get back on track was an easy highlight of the weekend.

For a legacy act, the 2024 edition of Misfits was about as fun as any hardcore fan could want. The songs remained fast, Danzig’s vocals largely hold up, and hearing songs like “Hybrid Moments,” “Last Caress,” and “Die, Die My Darling” feels like genuinely special experience.

TGIHF (Thank God It’s Hardcore Friday)

As bands like Knocked Loose and Turnstile continue to dominate a sizable subset of heavy music, hardcore and its many related offshoots have become quite vogue. Not to be left out, Sonic Temple’s 2024 lineup hosted quite a few rising acts in the space, many of which landing on Friday. (But, hey, two-stepping is certainly not a bad way to end the work week!)

New Jersey act Gel kicked off Friday’s hardcore festivities, with rising melody-embracers Scowl and Militarie Gun soon following. Sprinkled in was Oi! enthusiasts The Chisel, Los Angeles vets Terror, beatdown heroes Kublai Kahn TX, and thrash-lovers Drain. Throw in similar bands like Movements and Fleshwater, as well as former hardcore kids Code Orange, and you’ve got quite a punk-forward Friday night on your hands.

Lead Us to the Land of Stoner Riffs

Much like Friday boasted a strong hardcore bent, Sunday seemed to be the day for weed-infused, deserty riffs. Stoner rock and desert rock bands took up much of the space on the side stages, including the heavy sounds of Red Fang, the chugging magic of Helmet, the roaring of Baroness, and the celebratory rock of Clutch.

Notably, Ohio voters passed Issue Two back in November 2023, legalizing recreational marijuana in the state. Did the good people at Danny Wimmer Presents take that opportunity to tap into a particularly sticky, green crop of acts? The booking of Cypress Hill seems to support such a theory. Either way, those with dry mouths and red eyes looked quite grateful as they basked in drop-tuned riffage.

A Weekend of Crowd Pleasers

If there was one theme that pervaded Sonic Temple 2024, it was giving fans what they wanted. Each of the headliners could be considered a legacy act in some form or another, and much of the undercard followed suit — Kerry King of Slayer, Mr. Bungle, Judas Priest, Sum 41, the list goes on. Even the newer acts, like Sleep Token, had massive, die-hard audiences.

The bands apparently got the memo, with many of the best-attended sets being full of recognizable hits and fan-favorites. For outfits like Misfits or Pantera, who don’t exactly have a “new” catalog to pull from, that’s to be expected, but several others embraced the same mindset as well. Limp Bizkit brought fans up on stage, played with an oversized inflatable penis, and played “Break Stuff” twice. Slipknot came out in their early-era red jumpsuits and didn’t play a single tune from their latest album, instead leaning heavily on Slipknot, Iowa, and Vol. 3 (The Subliminal Verses).

Which is all to say, attendees got what they came for — the great bands they wanted to see, the great tunes they wanted to hear, and the great times they’ve come to expect from the fest. Horns up for Sonic Temple. 🤘

Photo Gallery – Sonic Temple 2024 (click to expand and scroll through):

Sonic Temple 2024 Offered a Sanctuary of Rock with Slipknot, Misfits, Limp Bizkit, and Pantera: Review + Photos
Jonah Krueger

Popular Posts

Subscribe to Consequence’s email digest and get the latest breaking news in music, film, and television, tour updates, access to exclusive giveaways, and more straight to your inbox.