What is it about the middle of August in the oppressive heat of Florida’s climate that compels bands to want to tour here? Humidity, and heat combine to create the most miserable of circumstances for bands to perform under, yet they are still here. Welcome to Sound Advice Amphitheater in West Palm Beach, site of this years annual traveling spectacle known as OZZFEST. With a heat index of 109 degrees, humidity levels at 50% and barely a cloud in the sky, this was another typical summer day under the scorching South Florida sun.

By all accounts, this was not the usual Ozzfest (now in its 11th year of existence), with two of the main stage acts missing (Hatebreed and Avenged Sevenfold), combined with the absence of the main man himself, OZZY, the vibe was not a familiar one. Considering the last two years of Ozzfest have brought us the likes of Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest as the featured headliners, this year seems a bit, well… lame!

However, much like worshippers making the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, Ozzfest remains a "religious experience" for the heavy metal disciple. If you will; a temple of worship and cleansing for hard rock and heavy metal enthusiasts. This is where the Metal Gods are on this day. Testing our will, testing our courage, testing the strength of Metal.

To be honest, the idea of spending $50 or more for the privilege of roasting under the sweltering sun for 12 straight hours doesn’t seem like a very attractive offer. Especially with no Ozzy!? Appearances by Ozzy have remained an important, vital part to the hype, and success of each passing Ozzfest, and he’s not here? Yet, there is at least ONE redeeming value included in the package at this year’s event. This day could very well be the final live performance from this year’s featured headliner, System of a Down.

Announced in July SOAD officially proclaimed they "will be going on an indefinite hiatus following their appearance at this summer's Ozzfest", citing burnout, and the desire to pursue other interests. Upon this announcement, rumors ran wild, stating the band were no longer "getting along", and they were "breaking up" after Ozzfest. Although the band persistently insists that this hiatus does NOT suggest that the end of SOAD is nigh.

Despite a weak roster when compared to years past, nothing seem to sway the nearly 40,000 people who attended this year’s SOLD OUT event. Scalpers feverishly scoured the parking lots looking for tickets to buy and sell, some cashing in for $100 or more as hundreds maybe thousands of would-be Ozzfesters were turned away at the box office.

Clad in the familiar black, spiked hair, body piercings and tattoos, anxious fans began to form a line outside of the gates as early as 7 a.m. in order to find a good spot for the festival’s opener STRAPPING YOUNG LAD. Also known as SYL, Devin Townsend and his band mates came out of the gate gnashing their teeth, with almost a chip on their shoulder, as many believe they could have, and should have been considered for a better slot, perhaps even the main stage. Instead it’s time to WAKE UP the neighborhood, as the band belts out their latest smash hit "You Suck"!

Aside from SYL and 2nd stage headliners BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, this years 2nd stage also carried an unfamiliar and somewhat new vibe, as this year focused on Metal’s popular sub-genres known as "Metalcore" and "Hardcore". If you’re not sure what these genres sound like, you’re not going to figure it out unless you check out the bands listed here!

Gone from this year’s 2nd stage were the usual inclusion of bands that had already crossed over into the Metal mainstream, bands who have already established themselves among the up-and-coming elite. Instead, this year’s 2nd stage brought forth a host of bands that may be known to few, but for many, this would be the first time ever being exposed to these new and not-so-new bands on the rise.

Perhaps that very reason is one of the best things about this year’s 2nd stage, the fact that these bands may not be widely known, and are exposed to the masses for all to see. That is exactly what the 2nd stage is supposed to be! The list of bands who have had their careers launched directly from Ozzfest’s 2nd stage is an impressive one, including the likes of SLIPKNOT, DISTURBED, HATEBREED and INCUBUS, all of whom have since returned to the Main Stage as one of the headlining attractions and giant commercial successes.

One by one, these 2nd stage bands step up to the mic and throw down their best 20-minute sets, leaving everything on the stage, just as their predecessors have done before them. Since this is the last day of the tour, each band wants to leave their mark on the festival, and this is their one final chance to do so! After all, these bands and their labels have gone into deep debt (try $75,000 each) for a chance at reaching a higher rung on the ladder of success. Each band in some fashion makes the statement "This is our last show on Ozzfest, and we want to see you go crazy for us one last time!" As each band takes the stage, a new cloud of dust and smoke arises from the crowd as a show of love and appreciation for the bands giving everything they had one final time.

The utter weirdness of BAD ACID TRIP, the complex Meshuggah-esc tremors of A LIFE ONCE LOST, the screaming new metal sound of THE RED CHORD, the metalcore renderings of ALL THAT REMAINS and BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME, the all out attack of hardcore bands FULL BLOWN CHAOS and the female fronted WALLS OF JERICHO, all of whom seem to know this one 20-minute set can make or break everything they’ve worked so hard for. After a seeming eternity (directly due to the heat), it was onto the biggest selling up-and-coming new bands. NORMA JEAN had a much larger following than expected, which in turn made way for BLEEDING THROUGH a band that has already made a name for themselves yet remain an underground metalcore-esc band. ATREYU and UNEARTH are without a doubt the two biggest up-and-coming bands on the 2nd stage, and while all the bands performed well in their own right, it took Zakk Wylde’s BLACK LABEL SOCIETY to really set the crowd off.

With NO OZZY, Zakk Wylde (Ozzy’s guitarist) unwittingly became the un-official ambassador for the Ozzman himself! Without the Ozzman BLS was the closest thing to Ozzy the crowd was going to receive this day. Boy, did the crowd respond! Up to this point, the crowd was active, and vocal, however it wasn’t until Zakk made his appearance on-stage that you could really FEEL the energy from the crowd project its way through the heat waves radiating from the converted gravel and dirt parking lot where the 2nd stage was located. Complete with half-naked chicks, airbrushed boobs, wafts of chronic and crappy overpriced beer, THIS is what the people came to for! They came for some good ole’ rock and roll the way God intended! Lean, mean, mighty and clean, BLS laid down a set that would bitch slap the taste out or your own mother, opening with "Say What You Will", then heading full speed into "Electric Hellfire". The crowd responded with a huge roar, and kept it going through the entire electrifying set.

Upon the closure of the 2nd stage, the crowd is herded toward the main stage and amphitheater grass area for the rest of the festival’s performers. At a sold-out show like this one, there was very little room left to find a good spot on the lawn if you hadn’t already passed out from heat exhaustion. Nonetheless, it’s probably a good idea to find a nice spot to cool off and rest your aching feet for a little while. For the restless there were plenty of the typical carnival shops and games to entertain the troops. Perhaps one of the biggest disappointments from this year’s midway was the absence of the traveling memorial to Metal’s fallen hero "Dimebag" Darrell. For many this monument to the life of one of Metal’s greatest guitarists would have provided at least some sense of closure, and respect towards "Dime", but inexplicably the tribute was yet another no-show! How about $8 for a chicken-pita instead? If you thought carnival food is bad, amphitheater food is way worse! As a rule, be sure to pick out the least disgusting food, even if it is an $8 chicken pita.

First up on the main stage were power metal marvels DRAGONFORCE who claim to be the "Fastest band in the land", and while they are indeed blazing, this style of music is not for everyone’s taste, and is much better suited for indoor venues such as the House of Blues. Someone described them to me as classic power metal on METH. As funny as that is, it’s a fairly accurate description. Dragonforce have blazing riffs, rhythms, and insane guitar leads, as well as an almost too stereotypical operatic vocalist with some of the either greatest, or cheesiest, lyrics you could ever hope for when raising your sword and fighting dragons.

Next up were Italian goth-metalers LACUNA COIL. More nü-metal than gothic, this is another group that have come a long way since their days on Ozzfest’s 2nd stage in 2004. Lead vocalist Cristina Scabbia is most certainly a super star steadily on the rise with her mesmerizing voice combined with her classic Italian beauty, there is no doubt as to how and why Lacuna Coil has exploded onto the Metal music scene. Some may think of her as Metal’s answer to Gwynn Stefani, only in this case, let us hope that Cristina doesn’t turn into a "Holla back girl". Good set, maybe not great, the band did a few songs from their latest release "Karmacode" before hitting the singles from the group’s previous release "Comalies" which thrust them from obscurity to now riding the gravy train of mainstream success. This is one of those bands that women tend to identify with because of the music, and female vocals, and the men love it equally as much mainly because of the band’s hypnotic female front-woman.

This was the 4th tour of Ozzfest for the 4-man band from Chicago known as DISTURBED. Yet another testament to the success that a little hard work, determination, and a coveted spot on the 2nd stage can bring to a band. First appearing during Ozzfest 2000, Disturbed has since gone onto becoming one of the biggest Hard Rock bands in recent existence. Chart topping hit after hit, and huge record sales have catapulted this band to a hight of mainstream success that few bands will ever achieve.

On this night the wares of being on the road, combined with this being the last stop of the tour had obviously taken its toll on lead vocalist David Draiman. Draiman began the set visibly struggling to hit his usual notes, since during the previous 2 sets with Dragonforce, and Lacuna Coil, the fellas from Disturbed were trying very hard to cause mishap and mayhem for their touring brothers and sisters, invading the stage during their respective sets. Shot after shot of Jagermeister could be seen being passed around on stage like an old-school Pantera concert, with the result being a rough, shaky start during the first 5 or 6 songs. They say Payback is a bitch, so both Dragonforce and Lacuna Coil decided to turn the tables, and interrupted Disturbed’s set with yet another round of Jagermeister, and warm Budweiser (gross!). Someone was actually wearing a Superman costume, complete with shot in hand, and actually seem to pick Draiman up from his crashing vocal struggles, rescuing the remainder of the set which sounded just like it should. Perhaps Draiman’s rant about the status of rock and roll, and a crowd chanting "F*@# the Taste-makers" was a little over the top, however this was another crowd charging set, sending the many pits on the lawn into a frenzy of amped jocks, preps, and toothless rednecks looking to get hell-bent in the pit. Watch your back, as a mosh pit could break out any second, to any of Disturbed’s songs.

Throughout the day, the rumors flew about the mysterious absence of Ozzy, with many speculating he would make a surprise appearance on the main-stage. With great anticipation, the crowds would wait anxious to see exactly what would transpire next on the main stage. Even with no sign of Ozzy making an appearance at this year’s festival, the crowd wouldn’t refrain from the deafening chant of "OZZY, OZZY, OZZY!!!" Understandably, the sold-out crowd collectively knows that without his existence, none of this would have been possible, and heavy metal would most likely remain in obscurity, if not completely dead. Wherever Ozzy was, the chanting of the crowd was overwhelming, with everyone hoping that somewhere, somehow, Ozzy knows how much he is appreciated this day.

Then on que, the skies opened up as if the Metal Gods themselves had graciously looked down, mercifully granting the over-heated, exhausted crowd with the gift of cool rain. A much needed second wind washed over the crowd as lightning began to pop, enveloping the venue, and SYSTEM OF A DOWN prepared to take the stage. The re-hydration and electric atmosphere re-invigorates the crowd who respond with an outcry of euphoria and happiness. Finally, after breathing hot sand and dust for 12 hours, with little or no shade, and no water (unless you pay $3 a bottle), some much needed relief. Finally the Metal Gods had taken pity on the 40,000 who endured the long day. Anxiously the crowd would wait for what no one could know would be one of the most memorable performances by a rock band in recent memory.

SYSTEM OF A DOWN took the stage to an incredible roar from the re-hydrated, enthusiastic fans ready to send their rock and roll heroes out with a bang. No one knows if SOAD will ever perform again, and anyone that attended this show should be able to tell you that you couldn’t help but FEEL the emotion and passion that SOAD performed with on this night. Guitarist Devon Malakian choked back the tears several times throughout the set as he spoke about the band, and how they "began as 4 guys from different parts of the world who met in Los Angeles to start a little band called System of a Down." No one could have known that some 12 years later SOAD would be one of the biggest rock bands in the world, contrary to everything the band represents with their controversial style, anti-social, anti-corporate, and anti-establishment lyrics, and music they would become so well known for.

It seemed that no one in the crowd DIDN’T know the lyrics to nearly every single one of SOAD’s songs, and feverishly sang along, at times eclipsing the sound being belted out from the massive P.A. system. "Suite-Pee", "Psycho", "Toxicity", "Arials", and "BYOB" were only but a few of the hits during the band’s 90 minute amazingly executed and flawless set.

Two highlights really stand out, the first being during the performance of "Lonely Day". An emotional address to the crowd opened up this semi-acoustic song that obviously had a deep impact on the performers during what seemed an appropriate display of heat-lightning and rolling thunder throughout the South Florida skies. Very few attendees left early, even fewer would leave during this performance, everyone is standing. Another memorable moment while vocalist Serj Tankian addressed the crowd prior to the song "War?", in what may best be related to the antics of Jim Morrison in the midst of a hallucinogenic trance, Serj appropriately mesmerizes and hypnotizes the crowd with his anti-war, anti-political tirade to which the crowd would emotionally respond in resounding agreement.

SOAD left it all on the stage this night, a set filled with the emotional culmination of 12 years of blood sweat and tears for 4 guys in a band from LA. Will this be the last of our heroes, or will they return to fight more evil in the world another day? For the time being, the band have decided to part ways to pursue their own personal interests including new bands, films, and even comic books. If the band were to never play again, at least they bowed out gracefully, and went out on top, earning much respect along the way.

Although this may not have been the best Ozzfest experience, it was still a great one, which proves the theory, Even a bad Ozzfest, still KICKS ASS!!!