V-ROCK Festival 2011: Heaviest Set

All photographs courtesy of V-ROCK FESTIVAL '11.

Heaviest Set:  Black Veil Brides

Did the speakers somehow get cross-wired to Hell? Wearing studded black leather and an aura of a veteran rock, Black Veil Brides took over the stage with intense sound and a biker-gang appearance. Their heavy black make-up, reminiscent of Marilyn Manson, strengthened their image of hardcore rock and expressed what it means to them to be a rock band.

At first, the audience was hesitant but the crowd gradually grew larger and the music became more and more intense. The emcee was entirely in English, but the vocalist didn’t waste any time from song to song. He simply stated the song name and then the whole band focused back on their music. A surprisingly adorable moment came when the drummer of the American band said “konnichiwa!” Suddenly the angry, scary metal band was getting screams of “CUTE!” The most intense moment of the whole performance was when the vocalist licked the microphone stand! Now that’s hardcore. I mean, who knows how many crotches had been rubbed against it over the course of the day…

Runner-Up: lynch.

We awarded lynch. their keep for a total lack of bullshit, but this band exuded an intensely cool aura and were tough contenders for best stage presence, too. However, seeing as they define heavy rock in the VK genre, we decided to sum up their hardcore spirit here, instead. Throughout Hazuki’s wicked shouts and growls, you can’t help but stare as his long hair gets tousled around his scruffy face like a true rockstar. The viewing area was packed with screaming, thrashing fans.

As lynch.’s performance was the last of the night for the Community Arena stages, one would expect that the audience would have been exhausted from the long day of V-ROCK. However, they were evidently inspired by unrelenting drums, powerful riffs, and Hazuki’s tireless scream. It was an unforgettable set bordering on metal culture and will doubtless be ingrained in memories and eardrums for years to come.