Ozzfest’s ‘Freefest’ rolls into area Aug. 24

By Mark Fisher

Ozzfest is one of the most recognizable summer concerts series in the history of music. Chances are that even if you don’t like or know anything about heavy metal, you know the name of this festival. The festival got its start in the mid-90s when the organizers of the then-popular Lollapalooza festival wouldn’t let legendary rocker Ozzy Osbourne on the bill.

Headlining his very own festival the tour has become a top grossing multimillion dollar machine that over the years has also included such artists as Korn, Marilyn Manson, Chevelle, POD, Slayer, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and genre godfathers, Black Sabbath, among a host of others.

This year’s installment of Ozzfest has been one of the most controversial ones to date. This time the controversy stems from the problem of free tickets. All tickets to all festival dates were distributed free of charge through tour sponsors (most notably, Live Nation and Monster Energy Drink). While perhaps a good thought, it hasn’t worked out well as the print-them-yourself system initially crashed when Live Nation’s Web site become overwhelmed by ticket redemption.

e-Bay has also been problematic as people are printing out multiple copies of their tickets and attempting to sell them. If you have purchased a home-printed ticket, beware, as only the first barcode scanned will allow you access to the event. Despite the fact that 48 hours into ticket redemption all dates were announced as officially sold out, the organizers wisely withheld some tickets. It was announced after the tour had begun that you could still get tickets the day of the show at the venue while supplies last. So if you don’t have tickets and are up for an early morning, you still have a chance.

A lot has been said about this year’s lineup, as many of the bands are still trying to make a name for themselves and are relatively unknown. For me, this is the beauty of a festival. This is how you can discover a whole new world of bands you love while still seeing major mainstage players like Lamb of God, Static X, and the Ozzman himself, all of which are the bands you are likely familiar with.

As a music writer, I have attended the last six Ozzfests and am familiar with all of the bands on this year’s bill, so let me say this plain and simple: If you are a fan of heavy metal or hard music, then do not miss this year’s Ozzfest, as it is easily the best lineup they have had in years.

2007’s second stage, featuring bands on the rise, features Nile, Ankla, The Showdown, 3 Inches of Blood, Daath, Chthonic and In This Moment in revolving 20-minutes slots while the stage is headlined by Devildriver (who last week stepped in to replace Nick Oliveri’s Mondo Generator), Behemoth and Hatebreed.

While all of these bands are worth your time, I highly suggest checking out Chthonic (pronounced Thonic). This Asian extreme metal band is hailed in their home as the “Black Sabbath of Asia” and have been making noise elsewhere in the world due to their heavy and fats style as well as their use of some traditional Asian instruments.

I also suggest not missing In This Moment, a critically acclaimed new band fronted by Maria Brink. Their sound is a bit more likely to be heard on the radio than some of the other bands and their energy is infectious. Christian rockers The Showdown may be the odd man out this year due to their lyrical approach, but don’t underestimate them, as they put on a great show.

This year’s mainstage isn’t as traditional as the last few have tours have been. There are no classic bands aboard (i.e., Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Slayer, Iron Maiden, etc.) and no flavor-of-the-moment bands, but what you get is a solid night of mid-level performers capped off by Osbourne & Co.

Opening the stage are Finland’s Lordi. Lordi are winners of the Eurovision song contest and will certainly be an interesting set. The band dress up like monsters (similar to Gwar in presentation) and boast a straightforward hard rock sound akin to Motorhead and Twisted Sister.

Static X will also appear early on in the evening. The band has a fresh new album entitled “Cannibal” and is enjoying a resurgence in popularity after a hiatus.

In direct support to Osbourne is Lamb of God, certainly one of the most critically acclaimed bands in heavy music right now. The night is brought to a close, of course, by the touring festival’s namesake, this year performing as a solo artist in support of his latest studio effort, “Black Rain.”

All in all, this is a great lineup that will undoubtedly exceed the expectations of fans of heavy music. This is a year that you really have to take a chance and go check it out for yourself, but if you take my word for it, then I know you’ll come home happy with a ton of new favorite bands.

This year’s stop rolls into Post-Gazette Pavilion (Star Lake) in Burgettstown, Pa., on Aug. 24. The show starts at noon and gates open an hour before.