SOULFEST: Concert Review
Soulfest- Inside Out Stage
Greenfield, MA, August. 15-17, 2024
by Chris Gatto
If you’re a fan of Christian metal, you know the frustration of terrestrial Christian radio stations playing nothing but pop or worship, and huge festivals that cater to… more of the same. So, when my friend Dorn Reppert of Darth Plumber Artist Management was able to book some of the bands from his roster plus Theocracy on the Inside Out stage (alternative stage- as in- other than pop) at Soulfest this year, going to support the bands was a must. Soulfest has been around for 29 years and held in NH or MA, this is the first time it has been held at Greenfield Fairgrounds, MA. The Inside Out stage has been a long-time staple of the festival. Not sure if the stage has ever rocked this hard, though.
Dorn and I arrived at our hotel on Wed. night. Met up with Su Elmer Smith (Whitecross manager and fellow Darth Plumber staff) for supper and were then invited by John Greely (Seventh Servant) to visit with the band at the airbnb they had rented at an off-season ski resort. We met the whole band, and then hung out chatting with John and his wife Ginger Sizemore and their friend Dave about Azusa Street and the beginning of the modern Pentecostal movement, occupations, passions, music, the travelling adventures of their red rubber chicken Egbert, and the band Iced Earth, whom both John and Dave were once a part of. An enjoyable evening.
Thursday at Soulfest, the heavy bands for the day- Mawcore, Seventh Servant, Theocracy, and Disciple all had their Q&A together. Some media personality asked all the questions, but clearly he did his homework, and each band was able to speak their peace.
First up on ISO stage was Jalen Williams, rapper. Following his act was MAWCORE, the first heavy act of the night. The central PA band is made up of Josh, Jeff, and Jeremy Redding, Ryan Rice, and Chris Strupp. The band has released a couple eps and a couple full length albums. The band name is something of a misnomer. It might lead you to believe they are a “core” band- metalcore, hardcore, deathcore, when really it comes from the Hebrew word meaning wellspring. They identify as a hard alternative band, but also have some progressive metal tendencies, especially on their latest album War Cry, much of which featured prominently in their setlist.
Next up was Tennessee’s SEVENTH SERVANT.The power metal/traditional metal band is made up of John Greely, Ginger Sizemore, Shawn Walker, Val Allen Wood, and Chris Hancock. Their music is a powerful presentation of the book of Revelation, word for word. Everything played came from their sole album Tree of Life, which encompasses Rev. 1-3. Some firsts for this show: This was the first time Seventh Servant had played a christian event, despite the band’s lengthy history. Also it was the first time John’s son John had seen his dad perform. There’s a beautiful redemptive story at work here. John had abandoned his young family for the rock and roll lifestyle early in his life, once fronting Iced Earth more than 30 years ago. John is still a rock and roller, but God got a hold of him and did a work in his life, and now John is performing metal for the glory of God. And John’s son, who lives in the northeast, was able to come see his dad play for the first time in his life. Word. Encore was the song “Jezebel.”
Atlanta, GA’s THEOCRACY followed. They are a world class prog/power metal band started as a one-man band more than 20 years ago by singer Matt Smith, but now comprised of Matt, Jonathan Hinds, Jared Oldham, Ernie Topran, and Taylor Washington. Their setlist was similar to Immortal, part 1, but abbreviated, starting with “I Am” and weaving back and forth between As the World Bleeds and the new album Mosaic. Closer was the excellent “Laying the Demon to Rest” from Mirror of Souls. Here’s where nature started to rebel against the metal onslaught being laid down. Soulfest is an outdoor festival, and as Theocracy played the sun was going down, hordes of winged ants came up out of the ground and started swarming and biting the faithful fans. The previous act had just played Revelations. It was like a plague being unleashed on the poor audience. Videos of the set show the insects swarming and fans swatting at them. But the show went on.
Headlining band for Thursday was DISCIPLE. The band has been around for 30 plus years, currently made up of Kevin Young, Josiah Prince, Andrew Stanton, and Joey West. The high energy group has evolved musically over the years from nu metal beginnings and has quite the following. However, nature stepped in once again to monkey with our metal plans. It seemed the band had just begun playing, only reaching several songs into their setlist, before a storm shut the whole thing down. Every time lightning was in close proximity, the festival decreed that a half hour clock would start. Band and fans hung around for quite a while, but lightning stayed close enough to ensure that Disciple could not resume their show. Bummer.
Friday brought sunny weather back with it. WHITECROSS did an early acoustic set, with a reworking of a few of their songs, including “Top of the World” and “Good Enough.” The name SAINT on the marquee for an acoustic show immediately following Whitecross set some of the band members into full panic mode, before it was revealed that it wasn’t Saint, nor acoustic, but Saint axeman MATT SMITH showcasing some serious guitar instrumental licks.
Q&A followed the same format as Thursday. Saved by Skarlet, Ignescent, Saint, and Whitecross all gathered together and were grilled by the same media personality as the day before. Quite a contrast between the younger bands and the veterans, but great to hear the passion all of them had put into words.
Friday afternoon kicked off the Inside Out Stage performances with UNDEFEATED, a rock band from NY made up of two sisters and their brother. They are noted for their colorful hair and transitions between harder edged music and lighter fair.
SAVED BY SKARLET is a metalcore band hailing from RI and MA. Their vocals vary between melodic and metalcore screams. Astonishly, brothers Nate and Matt have very similar voices and can trade off without anyone being the wiser. The band closed with the excellent “Black Knight.”
Frontiers Records recording artist IGNESCENT, hailing from Chicago, played next. Jennifer Benson leads this rock band, following in the musical footsteps of Evanescence, Flyleaf, and Skillet. The band clearly has some touring experience and brought some dramatic flair to the stage with costume changes and straight jackets. When a main act didn’t show for the Revival Stage (main stage), the band stepped up and did double duty, doing shows for both stages on the same day.
The last two bands of the night are iconic classic christian metal bands, both proving to be anything but nostalgic acts, showcasing new, relevant, killer metal music. I believe this was OR’s SAINT’s first foray in the northeast in their forty-year history, making this something of a special event. The band gave a sneak preview of two songs off its brand new album Immortalizer (released independently two weeks after the festival)- “Immortalizer” and “The Congregation,” and the fans were spellbound. The kings of apocalyptic metal’s current lineup has been steady for the last three albums and is super tight. Not easy to pick out a setlist from forty years of metal, but Saint managed to hit the high points of their career, playing new songs and old, and doing justice to them all. Notables were singer David Nelson’s impression of burning rubber at the beginning of “Too Late for Living” and the devil spewing hatred at the believers in “The Path.” This band remains one of my all-time favorites, and though I wear my love for them on my sleeve (quite literally), each time they put out a new album or they perform live- they prove just why that is.
Much of what I said about Saint also applies to Chicago’s WHITECROSS. They could rest on their laurels, but when they dropped their first album in twenty five years earlier this year, Fear No Evil, it was a nearly flawless affair every bit as ambitious and relevant as their 1987 debut. The band has been playing shows much more frequently than they have in years, and have really gelled with new frontman David Roberts. The band tackled songs from their debut “Who Will You Follow” and “Enough is Enough” just as well as new tunes “Man in the Mirror,” “Lion of Judah, “Fear No Evil,” the new rocking anthem “The Way We Rock,” and “29,000,” as well as hitting other Whitecross touchstones, allowing master axeman Rex Carroll to showcase his unmatched shredding skills, and closing with the popular sing-a-long “In the Kingdom.” Another case of old dogs not only learning new tricks, but proving they OWN the place!
Yes, there were Saturday concerts at Soulfest and the Inside Out stage, which I did not cover because Dorn and I began the road trip home that morning. Seventh Day Slumber is the only one that I would think would be of interest to our readers.
Most christian music festivals seem to be very pop-centric, other than Immortal Fest in OH. If your musical inclination is much harder than that, and I know it is- speak with your voice and your wallets. Support the metal artists you want to hear and petition that they play the festivals you frequent. And by support, I mean buy their music and merch, not just stream it.
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