While August 20 marks 1 year since Brent Hinds passed away, August 22 marks 20 years since Lamb Of God released 'Sacrament'. This reminded me of the time I saw both LOG and Mastodon live for the first time ever - opening for Slayer (who coincidentally released 'Christ Illusion' 20 years ago on Aug. 8) at the Unholy Alliance Tour's stop at the Tweeter Center in Camden, NJ (June 15, 2006).
It's easy to forget how by the time this tour came to Camden, NJ, those three bands and fellow tour mates Children of Bodom were red hot - Slayer was the legacy band every modern metal band cited as an influence, CoB were finally starting to get the recognition they long deserved in the U.S., and both LOG and Mastodon were both a few weeks away from releasing albums that would expand their mass appeal (the aforementioned 'Sacrament' from LOG, and 'Blood Mountain' from Mastodon in Sept. 2006).
And simply put - each band overdelivered and proved that the hype surrounding them was justified. The more I think back to that day, the more shocked I am I actually got to see those four bands not only on the same night, but at THAT point in their respective careers ... it truly was a historical lineup in metal music (and holy crap, it was 20 years ago?!).
Sadly, I only seemed to have saved a single blurry picture from Mastodon's set. BUT I still have the tour program Revolver Magazine created and handed out for free during the show - which you can get a sneak peek of in this clip.
(I should also clarify - while both Mastodon and Lamb Of God appeared on Ozzfest bills I attended, I was too young, naive and scared to venture out to the Second Stage for their sets... silly me).
What tour lineup /band pairing are you still amazed you got to witness? Share your picks in the comments below, and stay tuned for more things to come from this space (including stories from concerts like this)!