All you need for Revolution

September 16, 2016 12:01 am • Last Updated: October 14, 2016 12:13 pm

By Rick Koster
Day Arts/Features writer

Crobot, from left, Brandon Yeagley, Chris Bishop, Paul Figeuroa and Jake Figeuroa (Photo submitted)

A whimsical guide to Revolution Rock Festival

You’ve made the commitment — or are considering doing so — to invest your Saturday in the day-into-night Revolution Rock Festival at Foxwoods Resort Casino. Enthusiasts of metal and hard rock, pointing to a solid lineup including Avenged Sevenfold, Slayer, Ghost, Anthrax, Killswitch Engage, Volbeat and many more, regard the opportunity as a sort of power chord safari wherein only the rarest and choicest beasts are trophies. (Yes, we, too, wish Opeth, Meshuggah, Bachman-Turner Overdrive and King Diamond would be on hand, but that’s quibbling. Also, yes, we’re kidding about BTO.)

Folks who live near the property — in Preston or Ledyard, for example — might on the other hand regard the onslaught of an estimated 15,000 to 18,000 fans clad in black T-shirts, randomly hooting and indiscriminately shaking the ol’ “devil horn” hand-sign, as a different type of adventure. “Heart of Darkness,” for example.

Either way, the people-watching should be pretty great. Not to mention the Ghost-watching (See photo. Yes, that’s what they look like.)

For those intrigued by the musical possibilities but not quite sure whether to pull the trigger, here’s a whimsical (and in no particular order) batch of capsules on carefully selected participating acts. Remember, there are two stages with staggered start times, so you can, theoretically, see every band for at least a few minutes.

Do with this information what ye will — and harm none!

AVENGED SEVENFOLD (9:30 p.m., Monster Main Stage)

Odd fact: Iconic founding drummer/songwriter/vocalist/et al Jim “The Rev” Sullivan passed away in 2009. The last tune he wrote — three days before he died — is called “Fiction” and is included on the band’s “Nightmare” album. The tune’s original title, though, was “Death” and included the lines: “I hope it’s worth it here on the highway / I know you’ll find your own way / when I’m not with you tonight.”

Best A7 musician name: In a group that includes M. Shadows, Zacky Vengeance, Synyster Gates and Johnny Christ, AV’s current drummer is just ... Brooks Wackerman. What, he got kicked off the polo team?

Song you want to hear: The Queen-meets-The-Dear-Hunter-meets-Gilbert-and-Sullivan-esque “A Little Piece of Heaven.”

GHOST (8:50 p.m., Bud Light Stage)

Odd fact: Chicago’s heavy metal-themed restaurant Kuma’s Corner once honored this Swedish and decidedly/cheerfully blasphemous band with one of their monthly burger specials called “The Ghost.” The recipe called for goat shoulder, red wine reduction and a communion wafer. This is true.

Next step in the evolution of the theme: Ghost follows the theatrical tradition of acts like Alice Cooper, Kiss, King Diamond and Mortiis. But they take the whole thing much further. Front man Papa Emeritus III performs in a mitre and skull-face, and the backing musicians — known only as the “Nameless Ghouls” — wear anonymity-guaranteeing outfits like hooded monk robes or identical mouth-less devil masks. Supposedly, Papa Emeritus I and Papa Emeritus II, who sang on earlier albums, were different people than one another and PE-3. Seems a long shot you’d find that many weirdos with close-to-identical singing voices, but it’s intriguing ...

Song you want to hear: Believe it or not, their “He Is” is one of the greatest ballads in any pop or rock context in a long time. And they’re purveyors of deviltry!

Is there a chance Papa Emeritus III is actually the real Pope? — If by “Pope” you mean “Satan,” yes. Or maybe he IS the Pope. As of today, after all, the band has released a new EP called “Popestar.” Count on hearing some of it during their set.

SLAYER (7:50 p.m., Monster Main Stage)

Still got it: Slayer’s latest recording, their 12th studio album, titled “Repentless,” is the first to feature guitarist Gary Holt and drummer Paul Bostaph in addition to founding members Tom Araya (vocals/bass) and Kerry King (guitar). While “Repentless” doesn’t break any new stylistic ground, their brand of thrash remains more than competitive.

Odd fact: The death of founding guitarist/songwriter Jeff Hanneman, in part due to a horrible reaction to a spider bite, is nowhere near the creepiest death in dark metal history. In fact, Norway’s Mayhem lost vocalist Dead to a shotgun suicide — after which bandmates took a photo of his body and used it for their next album cover — and THEN subsequent vocalist Euronymus was murdered by band bassist Count Grishnackh. Not exactly life on the Seals & Croft tour bus, is it?

Best song title: If you’re gonna call your band Slayer, you’d better have the album and song names to back it up. Interestingly, Slayer’s coolest LP title, “Diabolus in Musica,” is universally acknowledged as their worst record. As for song titles, it’s hard to argue with “Dead Skin Mask” from “Seasons in the Abyss.”

TWELVE FOOT NINJA (2:10 p.m., Bud Light Stage)

Odd fact: Well, maybe it’s not a fact, but this Australian act might be the only one on the bill that seemingly listened as much to “Pet Sounds” as they did Gentle Giant’s “Three Friends.” Oh, and Faith No More.

Song you want to hear: “Invincible” from the constantly entertaining and just-released “Outlier” album.

VOLBEAT (6:20 p.m., Monster Main Stage)

Odd fact: Speaking of curious influences, Volbeat claims Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Conway Twitty and Fats Domino. No, really. They do.

Fun quote: Guitarist/frontman Michael Poulsen told Billboard about the band’s 2016 performance at Coachella: “We (didn’t) know the festival, we (didn’t) know any of the names of the bands playing the festival. We were not that impressed. For us, it was just another festival in America.” To be in a contemporary touring band and not be familiar with Coachella somehow strikes me as very refreshing.

Song you want to hear: “Marie Laveau” because no one does a hymn to a New Orleans voodoo queen better than Danish metal dudes.

NOTHING MORE (5:50 p.m., Bud Light Stage)

Odd fact: Not only will they likely do a three-person bass solo on one instrument, they’re probably going to do an every-guy-in-the-band sorta drum-line you’d see at a high school football halftime or at one of those “Stomp” musicals.

Song you want to hear: “Salem (Burn the Witch)” because no one does a tune about Salem witchcraft better than San Antonio metal dudes.

CHEVELLE (5 p.m., Monster Main Stage)

Odd fact: It’s not simply that the band is named after a car. After all, rockers frequently have paid titular homage to automobiles, from Pantera and Galaxy 500 to Booker T & the MGs and the Fabulous Thunderbirds. But ... a “Chevelle” was the car driven by Darren and Samantha Stevens in “Bewitched.” What’s next? A metal group named after my high school Delta 88?

Song you want to hear: “An Evening with El Diablo,” though I suspect the Devil might turn his snout up a bit at having to ride in a Chevelle.

CROBOT (12:30 p.m., Monster Main Stage)

Odd fact: Merch for their latest album, “Welcome to Fat City,” includes T-shirts that, respectively, feature 1) a three-headed razorback hog and 2) a caricature of a balding old guy with the caption, “Who Paid for Your Dad to Be Here?” I suspect fans will be pointing at me on Saturday, thinking I’m the guy on the shirt.

Why you may want to show up early for these guys: They put on a tremendous show.

REVOLUTION ROCK FESTIVAL PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Monster Main Stage

12:30 p.m., Crobot

1:30 p.m., Anthrax

2:40 p.m., Killswitch Engage

3:50 p.m., Of Mice & Men

5 p.m., Chevelle

6:20 p.m., Volbeat

7:50 p.m., Slayer

9:30 p.m., Avenged Sevenfold

Bud Light Stage