The third annual Louder Than Life Festival has quickly become one of America’s greats. Over the two-day festival in Louisville, KY nearly 50,000 fans descended upon Champions Park, ravaging the Kentucky landscape and slathering the locals with a thick and sticky film of the gooey goodness of metal. With bands like Avenged Sevenfold and Slipknot topping the bill, metalheads completed their now yearly pilgrimage to the Bluegrass state. But Louder Than Life brought forth way more than just music! It brought forth a Gourmet Man Food experience that filled the tummies of metal infused foodies! It also unleashed Bourbon World, local and specialized brews, and a wide array of spirits…Ah yes! Louder Than Life : satisfying the senses, a weekend bacchanalia of delicious hedonism that inspired and thrilled each and every attendee! It is what the Louder Than Life is all about and what sets it apart from all other metal festivals.
Let’s talk about that Gourmet Man Food: We can tell you what it’s not; it’s not small portions, it’s not for those watching calories, it’s not ostentatious and it’s not just for men. Gourmet Man Food is large portions (think Flintstone’s), its bold flavor, and its food that makes a statement. If you like to eat and eat food with flavor you’ll absolutely love the Gourmet Man Food experience, it’s awesome.
Now you need to wash down all the deliciousness, well there’s no shortage of adult beverages. With Kentucky being the largest provider of the world’s bourbon supply it only makes sense to host Bourbon World at Louder Than Life to sample from some of the finest distilleries and specialty cocktails. If Bourbon was not your thing, there was a wide selection of local and micro brews available. We, with our delicate palate, opted for a pint of Iron Maiden’s Trooper Ale. A variety of mixed drinks and wine were available, including Motorhead Shiraz (yes – we put it in our mouths too). Throughout the two day extravaganza our taste buds were more satisfied than any other festival grounds we’ve ever set foot on. That in itself made for an amazing experience!
What compliments great food and drink? Great music of course, and the weekend was full of it! Saturday was packed full of great rock and metal. With sets from I Prevail, Pierce the Veil, Anthrax, Cheap Trick, Motionless in White, Slayer and night one headliners Avenged Sevenfold. Something to satisfy all.
Day two would pick up the greatness with Trivium, Pop Evil, Skillet, Sevendust, Clutch, Ghost, my weekend favorites Alter Bridge, Korn (with a special appearance by Corey Taylor), Disturbed and appropriately closing out the weekend Slipknot. The weekend would see performances by nearly 40 bands (yowza!)
Very few festivals stateside can ever dream to deliver on so many levels like Louder Than Life can. And with the weather being stellar it made for an amazing weekend. The only issue that we observed over the weekend was a medical situation during A7X’s performance causing a slight break in the action. But with the professionalism of Louder Than Life’s staff, the situation was handled swiftly and adeptly. If you are thinking about an American festival in 2017, we strongly suggest considering Louder Than Life and join us for a shot of great Bourbon and today’s best music – see you there!
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Photography by Josh Reinecke, Estil Robinson and Chad Lee
Also consider taking a peek at the interview we had the pleasure to do with some of the many bands at LTL, with the help of Music Central.
