Students 'Taste Chaos' at Patriot Center

By Connect Mason Reporter Brittany Rouse

As St. Patrick's Day came to a close, the number of students clad in green slowly gave way to those donning band shirts in anticipation of tonight's Taste of Chaos tour.

The tour's title was not far off from its results.

• See the bands and fans in their element.

Music filled the Patriot Center from 5 p.m. till well after 10 p.m. Headlining the tour were Avenged Sevenfold, Atreyu and Bullet for My Valentine, followed by smaller bands such as Count Your Blessings, Bless the Fall and D'espairsRay. This leg of the tour featured nine bands, each playing a set between 20-30 minutes long.

The opening band, Count Your Blessings, brought a lot of energy to the crowd; which started small but grew significantly as the night went on. The group hailed from Waldorf, MD and sounded much like a younger version of the band Chiodos. The next few bands added to the excitement, with performances by D'espairsay, MUCC and The Underneath.

By the middle of the night it was clear that the majority of fans had come to see Bullet for My Valentine. Playing a new song from their January album release, the lead singer described their material as "speed metal." The crowd's more aggressive fans started large circle pits and every few minutes a crowd surfer would make it to the front, only to be helped down by security and sent to the back of the mass of people. Bless the Fall played next, putting on an excellent set that included the lead singer leaping into the crowd twice.

Finally, it was time for the two most brutal bands of the tour. As Atreyu came out, fans went wild and started moshing even before the first note was played. The entire crowd sang along as the band played a song called "Falling Down," and when the lead singer demanded a massive circle pit, he was not disappointed. Soon after, the paramedics that were standing by were busy with many fans sporting bloody noses and other ailments.

The last band, Avenged Sevenfold, did not take the stage until about 9:45. They put on an intense set, which was well deserved to a crowd that had waited over four hours to see the headlining band.