Louder Than Life 2017

Words By Sandy Beitler and Jerry Clark; Photos By Jennifer Pinckney

Louder than Life is in its fourth year in Louisville, KY, still relatively new to the rock festival scene. But with every year, they are making improvements. One thing they always have down pat is an incredible lineup of talent, from old school rock to being unafraid to feature new and upcoming bands. With two main stages side-by-side and a third stage on the other side of the park, there was always a great band playing.

Prophets of Rage

Rob Zombie

Thrice

Lacuna Coil, having been around since 1994, is no stranger to music festivals. After speaking with the band at the festival, one of the band’s two vocalists Andrea Ferro said that he and bass player Marco Coti Zelati were heavy into skateboarding and listening to bands like Pantera, Iron Maiden, and Black Flag, filling up their spare time by playing music and jamming. They came up with their own mix of metal and hardcore. Later, the band picked up Cristina Scabbia — who happened to be waitressing at the local bar where they hung out — to be a back up singer, but quickly learned what a great voice she had and how uncommon a female lead was for that kind of music. With a strong gut feeling, they put her out front. Their show is not only intense but also very theatrical. If you have not seen them live be sure to put that on your to do list.

Lacuna Coil

Falling in Reverse

Stone Sour

Halestorm

One of the newer bands was Through Fire. None of the members are new to the music scene, but as Through Fire, they have been together since December of 2015. Lead singer Grant Kendrick says the name symbolized their desire to “persevere and never give up”. The trials of life won’t get them down and won’t make them quit. They have plans to be in the studio the beginning of 2018 with hopes of their 2nd album being out the same year. If you haven’t seen them live, do yourself a favor and do so. They are full of energy and their music is on point.

Five Finger Death Punch

Nothing More

Gojira

Through Fire

Two of the great up-and-coming bands to fill out the lineup were Fire From the Gods and Radkey. Fire From The Gods has a very diverse sound. Heavy to melodie, some rap and a little reggae, it’s a band that should be on your radar, perfect for a festival. Radkey is old school punk meets Jimi Hendrix. Three brothers growing up home-schooled listening to their father’s albums, they developed a unique throwback sound, very similar to Greta Van Fleet, another young band of brothers who also grew up listening to their father’s Led Zeppelin albums.

Sleeping with Sirens

Beartooth

Greta Van Fleet

The camping area was packed full of partygoers all enjoying the perfect weather. The city of Louisville was a perfect host, welcoming people from just about every state and even from Canada. They all had good things to say about the concert, the layout, and the food. Louder than Life highlights local culture, with local eateries and a feature dedicated to bourbon. It definitely added to the aura of rock in the state dedicated to its bourbon craft; after all, where else can you enjoy a “shot in the dark” while listening to Ozzy Osbourne and Zakk Wylde performing “Shot in the Dark”?