Vol. #241: Sonic Temple 2026 Day IV
Rustbelt Rock Review
By: Z.M. Delgado
Volume #241: Sonic Temple 2026 Day IV
May 17th 2026
Well my fellow Metalheads, it seems it is that time of year again. The season when Headbangers from all across the country descend upon Columbus, Ohio. The occasion when Metalheads come from near and far to worship at the altar of sound. Yes, it is once again time for Sonic Temple. This year I wasn’t sure if I would make it. The lineup had its obvious ups and downs, but after careful consideration, I decided the fourth and final day was a must see event. So I rallied the troops and gathered a crew for the impending event in question.
When the day of the fest finally arrived, I was met by the Chen Killingsworth, the legendary Heavy Metal Cryptid. We hopped in his ride and set a course due south towards Columbus. Once we arrived at our hotel we rendezvoused with our associate, Young Joseph, and together we hiked into the fest. We arrived shortly after gates and wandered the grounds, exploring and inspecting what remained on this the final day of the celebration.
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In time we made our way to the Altar Stage, high noon struck, and we greeted the first band of the day: Castle Rat. This is a band that is fairly new to me. I was excited to check them out and I’ll tell you this right now, they were incredible! Their particular blend of Stoner/Doom sounded excellent, and they were quite theatrical. They band was all adorned in costumes, each member playing a character. These characters fit into a story that was spun out by the Vocalist between songs. In addition they employed some stage actors that livened up the show. This included both a “Rat Reapress” and an enormous monstrous “Castle Rat.” Both these characters did battle with the singer over the course of the show, playing out parts in a far greater story. It was not so much a Metal set as it was a musical production. Highly entertaining, highly engaging. At the end of it all we would remember this as one of the best sets of the day. Suffice to say, I would definitely see Castle Rat again.
Next we had a break before we got our chance to see In Flames at 1:45. This is an act I have been a fan of for some time. However this was my first time seeing them live. As it turns out this would be another amazing set. They came out hard and heavy and the crowd reacted in kind. A pit opened up near us and we had to flee to the peripheries of the circle to avoid being swept in. The moshers circled endlessly. Bodies collided. Crowd surfers flew. It was our first taste of festival fury early in the day. In Flames provided a power packed set that really got all in attendance fired up. The highlight for me was when they dropped “The Mirror’s Truth,” and old favorite of mine.
At 2:20 we made our way to the Temple Stage to check out Avatar. This was yet another band that I was seeing for the first time. Here I rendezvoused with My German Ally and was randomly hugged by a man dressed as Jesus, who told me he liked my Anti-Swastika patch. Meanwhile, up on the stage Avatar was Rockin’ out in the way that only they can. Their style in bizarre and unique; heavy and strange. It it something akin to a heavy metal carnival soundtrack; Circus Metal, if you will. This is only further reinforced by the Vocalist who proclaims proudly that “The circus has come to town!” This guy, who is a natural performer it would seem, was seem strutting around the stage drinking from a gas can. Avatar rocked out with some of their best material, including “The Dirt I’m Buried In,” “Hail the Apocalypse” and “The Eagle has Landed.” Their set was a lot of fun and I really dug their twisted sideshow vibe.
We stopped to get some food at this point and listened to Suicidal Tendencies in the distance as we ate. It was about 3:55 when we finally pulled up at the Altar stage and got ready for what was sure to be a Rockin’ good time. Switching from Circus Metal to Pirate Metal, it was time for Alestorm. Standing before an enormous rubber duck, we strapped in as the band took to the stage. Opening with “Keehauled” they dove right into it with full force. The crowd was immediately swept up by the contagious energy as the field descended into a giant singalong. There was hand clapping, dancing, moshing and crowd surfing in abundance as Alestorm absolutely made the most of their time. They broke out crowd-pleasers like “Alestorm,” “Mexico” and “P.A.R.T.Y.” Eventually closing out with “Fucked With An Anchor.” It was a blast. I have to say it was one of the best sets of the day and without a doubt it was the most fun.
After we finished up our Pirate Metal it was time for some Viking Metal. That’s right, the hour was now 4:40 and that meant it was time to head to the Cathedral Stage to watch the mighty Amon Amarth. This is a band I have seen many times and they have never disappointed me. And of course, they were not about to start now. On stage they had erected two towering “stone” Viking pillars. Their Drum riser was an enormous Viking helmet. Opening with “Raven’s Flight” they absolutely tore into their set with fury. The played “Shield Wall” and “Raise Your Horns” and “Saxons and Vikings.” And of course they brought forth “Put Your Back Into The Oar” which led the hundreds in the crowd to sit down on the ground and begin to row, as if they were aboard a Viking ship. It was an epic display of fanhood that has now become a tradition at Amon Amarth shows. Once Amon brought their set to its eventual conclusion, the crowd roared in appreciation, and we spun on our heels and made our way to the other end of the grounds.
At 5:40 we were back at the Altar Stage to watch Devildriver. This powerhouse Melodic Death Metal band came out and immediately unleashed a savage onslaught. The riffs were blistering and the Drums thundering as Devildriver sank their teeth into the moment. Led by the iconic Dez Fafara, they drew in the fans and threw down with unquestionable force. They played their fiery new single “Dig Your Own Grave” as well as classics like “I Could Care Less” and “End of the Line.” The pit raged, crowd surfers soared and heads banged. It was pure Metal mayhem. Unfortunately we had to bail a little bit early on this set, because we were in a rush to get to the other end of the grounds to grab a good spot for the next performers.
It was about 6:20 when we got into place and readied ourselves for the days only Hip-Hop act, Public Enemy. After a lengthy intro sequencewhich included DJ’s spinning and dudes in BDU’s, the real stars of the show emerged. First Flava Flav and then Chuck D appeared on stage to uproarious applause. Opening with “Public Enemy Number 1” they took the stage by force. The crowd went wild. No question about it. All around me people were dancing like fools and rapping along with Chuck and Flava. They delivered classics like “Shut’Em Down,” “911 is a Joke” and my personal jam, “He Got Game.” Closing out with a double shot of unforgettable tracks, they hit us with “Bring the Noise” and “Fight the Power.” After the music the set ended with an appeal for peace and understanding from Flava. The fans screamed in appreciation. It was incredible! I’ve seen a lot of Hip-Hop acts over the years, but few can compare to seeing these legends perform to an amped festival crowd.
You’ve gotta ask youself one question: “Do I Feel heavy?” Well, do ya, punk?
We wandered the grounds for a time, collecting ourselves and refueling before we reconvened at the stage for another major player. It was 8:15 at the Cathedral Stage and it was time for Megadeth. Now you should know, this is one of my all time favorite bands. Led by the living legend, the godfather of Thrash, Dave Mustaine, this titan of a Metal act came out firing on all cylinders. Opening with a new cut, the electrifying “Tipping Point” Megadeth unleashed the shred. In addition to some of the new shit, they treated us to a blazing set of classic Thrash tracks like “Wake Up Dead,” “Symphony of Destruction” and my all time favorite Megadeth song “Angry Again.” Vic Rattlehead made an appearance on stage for “Peace Sells,” waving to the crowd and egging them on to Rock out even harder. Unfortunately their time had to come to a close, but when it did, it did so in a climactic fashion. To finish they delivered a scathing version of “Holy Wars.” We screamed like maniacs and collectively we sent Megadeth off in glorious exaltation. Then it was a mad dash to the Temple Stage where we had to find a spot on the field for our Headliner.
Tool was scheduled to take the stage at 9:20 and due to an unscheduled stop at the water station, we were still running into the stadium when the first notes of “Stinkfist” began to flow from the speakers. This is the song they opened with the first time I saw them, some 30 years ago. Now three decades later I was seeing them again and I was prepared for a spectacle and that is what I got. It was a visual feast, crafted to match the elaborate complexities of Tool’s music. Lasers painted the sky as three enormous screens dominated the landscape. The band was barely visible, mere specks on the stage beneath the massive wall of eye candy. Anyways, after their epic opening they went into “Rosetta Stoned” followed by “Fear Inoculum.” This they trailed with “The Grudge.” After that I got a real treat when they performed what is probably my all time favorite Tool song, “H.” “Jambi” was succeeded by “Pneuma” which in turn gave way to the excellent deep cut “Crawl Away.” “Invincible” came next which led to the eventual closer “Vicarious.” When that song wrapped, without a word or signal from the band, the set came to an abrupt end. The fans milled about for a few minutes, hoping for an encore, but one never came. The lights came up and we collectively began the slow walk out of the festival and across Columbus back to our hotel. Once their we ordered and consumed a sizable portion of some late night cuisine. Then, with our bellies full, exhaustion set in and we passed out while watching South Park. In the morning we loaded up and headed north. And here we are.
There you have it friends, a brief breakdown of my long day at Sonic Temple. I have to take my hat off to the talent buyer person. This lineup was stacked. Every act I saw was top notch and all of them performed exceptionally. There were highs and lows, peaks and valleys throughout the day. The temperature was high, and the prices were higher. I sweated, hydrated and headbanged, not necessarily in that order, and all day long, repeated the cycle with every band. It was a death march, it was brutal and I loved every minute of it. These big festivals are an expensive to do, but they are a lot of fun. While I prefer the intimate confines of a small show, I believe that seeing shows on biggest of the big stages is also a right of passage that every Metal head should undergo. So if you were at Sonic Temple, I hope you had as much fun as I did. If you didn’t make it, then maybe consider going next year, you never know I might see you there. Thanks for reading, for Rocking and for support Heavy Music. Remember to bang your head, hoist your horns and always wear your earplugs.
Until next time, Rock on, Rustbelt,
-Z.M. Delgado
Rustbelt Rock Review
5/18/2026
Voice of the Underground
