From System of a Down's Armenian Genocide tribute to Ministry's Filth Pig anniversary set, the returning festival made a thunderous case for heavy music’s staying power

With the announcement of a potential Ozzfest return and the gloomy splendor of Nine Inch Noize at Coachella, the contemporary festival landscape is fertile ground for dark, heavy music lineups. Sick New World has heeded the call.

Though it was canceled last year reportedly due to financial and logistical issues, the day-long alternative and metal-driven gathering came raging back to Las Vegas on Saturday, April 25, showcasing multi-era heavy music — from Nineties giants System of a Down and Korn to emotive metalcore phenoms Bring Me the Horizon — plus a sprinkling of synth-goth sounds and tempestuous new hardcore acts.

The multi-sensory downtown Las Vegas surroundings, buttressed by a slew of shiny hotels, made for an ideal destination festival experience, as the long-running Punk Rock Bowling and When We Were Young have proven in the past. But both events were canceled this year, making the return of Sick New World on Saturday — to the Las Vegas Festival Grounds on Las Vegas Boulevard — an indicator of the viability for massive rock events of this ilk in the area.

Domestically speaking, metal festivals appear to be thriving. In May, Welcome to Rockville hits Florida and Sonic Temple arrives in Ohio. Kentucky’s Louder Than Life touches down in September and Sacramento’s Aftershock in October. Fans of Los Angeles’ new wave-centric Cruel World are still waiting to hear what the status of that multi-day concert may be, though many were seemingly satisfied with the recent announcement of the similarly nostalgic Darker Waves in Huntington Beach, coming in November. 

In any case, it’s safe to say that visceral music favored by those who identify as outsiders is still thriving and inspiring fans, from Gen X to Gen Z. Saturday’s Sick New World crowd was an even mix of young and old, most donning black — with some fits as skimpy as those seen at Coachella, though decidedly less boho — with guys and gals in bondage belts, studded collars, and fishnets bouncing below the stages, in the pits, and posing for pics along the festival’s purple-carpeted entry way. 

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Evanescence, Knocked Loose, Danny Elfman, and She Wants Revenge all announced and debuted new music during their dynamic sets, while headliners Korn played their just-released track, “Reward the Scars,” in conjunction with the popular video game, Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred. It’s a fierce number, though classics like “Shoots and Ladders” and “Coming Undone” (which had a fun little mashup moment with Sly Fox’s “Let’s Go All the Way”) got the giddiest singalongs and circle pit action.

One of our favorite sets came from Cypress Hill, who didn’t quite fit the metal mold, but still got attendees moving at the fittingly named Green Stage, performing a smokin’ rap set with amped-up DJ-driven riffs on a killer cover of Rage Against the Machine’s “Bombtrack,” and a crowd-pleasing version of “Jump Around” by House of Pain. 

On the adjacent Purple Stage, Marilyn Manson, sounding ghoulish and severe as ever, didn’t engage much with the crowd, spurring a noticeable procession which migrated to other acts throughout his set — and certainly after his glam-rock take on “The Dope Show” (sung while sporting a peacock blue faux fur jacket), and “Sweet Dreams,” the Eurhythmics cover which served as his breakout hit. 

Lesser known but notably noisier acts were relegated to another section of the grounds, where the Diablo Stage stood, attracting non-stop aggressive movement. Moshing, “crowd-killing,” skanking, slamming — the pit below was full of frenetic activity all day, and at times it was pretty intense, though never dangerously so. For the most part, the vibes were positive. Highlights there included The Bear actor Matty Matheson’s hardcore outfit Pigpen, which saw the Canadian chef/singer eschew his comical persona for a restless and roaring performance; and L.A.’s Health, whose industrial-tinged metal was both ethereal and clamorous.

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The Spiral Stage was probably the most diverse, with a wide-ranging lineup that offered Alien Ant Farm (who just made headlines for bringing out Corey Feldman during their cover of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” at the Rainbow in Hollywood last week); Elfman (who played material from his scoring work for Tim Burton, as well as Oingo Boingo classics); She Wants Revenge (celebrating the 20th anniversary of their self-titled debut and announcing new studio work); nu-metal faves Coal Chamber and Kittie; plus Clutch, and The Melvins. 

But no act made quite the impression at Spiral that Ministry did. Playing their industrial metal classic Filth Pig in its entirety for its 30th anniversary, Al Jourgensen sounded vicious as ever, as he stood behind a cross podium and ran through a track-by-track rendition of the record. The band took the stage a bit late and fans waiting were “treated” to an image of Donald Trump imposed on the album’s savage anti-establishment cover, which depicts a man wearing a bloody meat helmet. 

The group, which features Madonna’s guitar player Monte Pittman, were joined by original band member Paul Barker for the never before played live cut, “Useless.” The blistering set ended abruptly, after Pig’s cover of Bob Dylan’s “Lay Lady Lay,” and they never got to the last track, “Brick Windows,” with Jourgensen stating “Don’t blame me, blame these fucks!” — seemingly referring to festival production crews.

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System of a Down closed out the event with an epic 25-song set that was layered with meaning. Sick New World took place just one day after Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day (April 24), a cause close the L.A. band’s heart and heritage. Many of SOAD’s songs are political in nature but the band only spoke about the significance and relevance of the date briefly, letting their majestic music be the message. Guitarist Daron Malakian did mention the band’s different beliefs (its drummer got online attention last week after making a misinformed anti-queer post about Charlize Theron and her kids) and also encouraged the crowd not to let media divide them. 

As a light rain sprinkled like tears during parts of the set, emotive and explosive interpretations of hits including “B.Y.O.B.,” “Hypnotize,” and “Chop Suey” had fans singing along at the top of their lungs, offering a communal bond and shared release. This music’s power comes not only from its tempo and volume, but from the angst that inspires it, which System conveyed so well. Overall, all of the artists at this year’s lineup expressed and expelled a lot on Saturday, and it was a resounding success that promises more to come, too. For the first time since it launched in 2023, Sick New World will offer a second show, touring to Texas in October.