It appears the force of Hurricane Helene was such that ripple effects were felt as far as Louisville, Kentucky, where inclement weather caused by the storm forced the Louder than Life Festival to cancel its Friday performances, including the highly anticipated reunion of 80s metal legends Slayer. After the band initiated their return from 5 year hiatus by playing “213” for the first time in 25 years, and putting on an incendiary show at Riot Fest. This sudden cancellation was a major disappointment to fans, particularly those who had only purchased a Friday day-pass. While the festival has stated that they will be reaching out to those affected shortly, the missed opportunity to see what was arguably the biggest draw of the entire festival remains, for many, a devastating loss.
According to MetalInjection, the festival had been providing constant meteorological updates to attendees on social media Thursday, followed by delayed doors on Friday morning. As fans held their collective breath and festival organizers consulted with experts to find a resolution, at one point even issuing a shelter-in-place order, the challenges presented by the weather ultimately proved insurmountable, and the festival was closed for the day. While Slayer was the major headliner booked for Friday, the day was packed with a superb lineup, including former Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, heavy post-grunge outfit Sevendust, goth rock icons Evanescence, 80s thrash veterans Anthrax, and many others—setting the stage for an explosive day for metal fans that was abruptly put to an end.
Saturday’s show featured Mötley Crüe as the main headliners, with notable acts such as Celtic punk pioneers Dropkick Murphy’s and metal titans Mastodon. However, the loss of Friday’s Slayer set and killer lineup remains a bitter beginning to one of the biggest metal festivals of the year.
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