Well... it could have been a disaster, a really big one, but thankfully it wasn't. I am glad to say that the group of us who made our way to this year's Metalfest (which included CoC-ers Adam Wasylyk, Alain Gaudrault, Paul Schwarz and Aaron McKay) made the best of the time there.

With many headliners cancelling in the weeks/days leading up to the festival (Satyricon, Machine Head, Manowar, Marduk) and with promoter Jack Koshick in a complete frenzy trying to fight action by many to ban the festival from the original festival area of Wisconsin State Fair Grounds, who knew if this was going to happen.

But it did and even though the festival had moved back indoors (to the bitchin' Milwaukee Auditorium complex) and bands had cancelled, all those who made the trek from the North were pleased with the end results.

This was the third time I have gone to this festival, four times if you count the inaugural March Metal Meltdown in New Jersey last March, and I must say I had the most fun this time. It rocked! Here is a quick summary of the good and bad points of Metalfest XIII:

THUMBS UPBands: Today Is the Day, In Flames, The Gathering, Bongzilla, Nile,

Benumb, Lorde of All Desire, Gorguts, Immolation

- The :nice guys: in Cephalic Carnage - Doing the "W" at Thursday night's drinking fest - Those funny Chris Bruni-isms - Perkins (good wholesome American food) - No last minute cancellations during festival - Meeting friends and colleagues and just hanging out - Meeting CoC-er Aaron McKay (could you be any taller?!)

THUMBS DOWN Bands: Mortician, Internal Bleeding, Earth Crisis, Atrocity

- Fuckin' long ride home - The border stop (GRR!!) - The 100+ degree heat - Mediocre service at Perkins at 2am - Not much leg room in mini-van (11 hours plus is a long time, kids!) - Having to deal with housekeeping at 10am - Having to hear Adam Wasylyk whine about my snoring all the time

ALAIN'S ASSESSMENT

THUMBS UPDying Fetus

-- truly the highlight; kicked... my... ass... Neurosis

-- a THC-lover's visual and aural delight, a feast for the senses Soilent Green

-- can't stop gushing about these guys Nile

-- even without much of their effects Today Is the Day

-- new drummer astounds, Austin as fucked as ever Sinister

-- tight, crushing, and luckily, great sound Gorguts

-- despite Hurdle's absence; Lemay's fret-work is sheer beauty Immolation

-- even with iffy sound Morgion

-- new material a bit weak, but great set Summon Indecision The Chasm Lord of all Desires Solus

-- keep an eye out for these guys, tres death/speed cool Cephalic Carnage

-- for providing much-needed weed! Milwaukee Auditorium

-- far better than The Eagles Ballroom Guy heard shrieking "Kill all the Christians!!!" while walking about Guy with "Will put out for food and shelter" sign

THUMBS DOWN No-shows by Man-O-War, Marduk, Satyricon, Incantation and Morbid Angel The Misfits

-- Michael Graves :cannot: sing Mortician

-- for consistently putting out Moron Metal Flotsam & Jetsam

-- mediocre set, pointless Sabbath cover wasting time Cephalic Carnage

-- for not being as good as their weed Spotty sound (what else is new?) Scheduling skews (ditto) Food vendors (for being rip-off artists) Cheapskates with "spare change for beer" signs