Music Tuesday: Aftershock 2021 Update!

Hello! I am pretty excited to be sharing this with you guys. This is a different kind of Music Tuesday post where I talk about my current opinions of bands that are going to be at a festival that I’m going to, and then I will make an update post after the festival happens.

Last year, I went to a festival called Aftershock with my mom. I also went to this festival in 2019, but did not write anything about it then. I did one of these kinds of posts before Aftershock 2021, but I never followed up with it. I’m going to try and get better this year and actually follow up with a second post after I attend Aftershock.

This post will not be about this year’s Aftershock, but it will be an update on the last Aftershock post I made, which I will link here. I feel like that post is just unfinished, and I would really like to make an update about what I think about all of those bands before I make a new post about another festival happening this year.

Here is the complete lineup for Aftershock 2021:

I will only be writing about the bands I have an actual opinion of, in order to keep this as short as possible. I do know that this will be a longer post, so that’s why I am limiting it.

Also, the Thursday bands were added to the lineup after I wrote my first post, so I will also be including those here. I write about the bands in alphabetical order, so it’s easy to find a certain band if you only wanted to read about that. Which is fine as well.

Last year, when I wrote the first update, there were going to be 61 bands, and I had only heard of 23 of those. This year, I know that there were also 61 bands somehow, but I have now heard of 32 of the bands. I am pretty proud of that, but I want to get to a point where I have heard of and also have an opinion of all 61 bands that went to Aftershock 2021.

    Here we go:

     Alien Weaponry: I have seen this band once with my mom a few years ago. I really like their music already and how they sound. They have a lot of tribal influence in their music, and this makes it really fun to listen to. After seeing them, I was a little disappointed. The band has 2 new members, and 2 members are no longer part of the band. This is sad, but their music is still good.

American Teeth: This band is honestly amazing. I’m so glad that I got to see them, and I really want to see them in the future. They had really good music, and all of the band members had a whole lot of energy and really added to the atmosphere. This was the first festival they had been to, so I feel honored to have attended it.

     Anthrax: I don’t think I actually saw Anthrax at the festival. I think we heard their music while sitting somewhere else. However, I do know a whole lot about the band since I did spend a week listening to every single one of their songs. I did start to make a previous Music Tuesday post about them, but never finished. This was right around the last time I stopped posting for about a year. I do really like them, but they are not one of my favorites.

     Asking Alexandria: I don’t think I saw this band at Aftershock, and I have not listened to them at all since. I still don’t really like them or their music, but I am also still willing to give them another chance eventually.

     Atreyu: I really like this band. This was the first band I crowdsurfed to, and it was during Aftershock in 2019. I already have a good opinion of this band, and they have a really heavy sound which I really enjoy. I think that this is really good music to be angry to, or just to completely vibe out to when you want to. I’m super excited to discover more of their music. (This opinion has not changed since I originally wrote this.) I do not remember if I saw them or not last year. I really wish I could remember who I saw and who I did not, but I don’t.

     Avatar: I was introduced to this band by one of my best friends a few years ago, and I have wanted to see them ever since. They have a really unique sound and a really unique kind of performance that I am really interested in. Their performance was really amazing, and I’m super glad I got to see them. I don’t think a lot of people in the crowd knew who they were, but a lot of people liked it. I think I would listen to them frequently in the future.

     Badflower: This is another band that I have not heard a whole lot about, but am very interested in. I know they have gone to festivals that I have attended, and I am really excited to find out more about them. I did not see their performance, but I have listened to some of their songs on Spotify that I really liked. I do want to get more into them, but I have to find the time to do so first.

     Black Veil Brides: I only really know this band from backpacks and shirts that I have seen around in my life, so I have never listened to them. I did not see them in person, but I saw them on the big screens of the stage that I was standing at. The lead singer was wearing a completely leather outfit, which I thought was very impressive since it was pretty warm outside that day. I do really like their music, and I do think I would add some of their songs to my playlists. I think that is a win.

Contracult Collective: I actually ended up watching them at Aftershock, and they were surprisingly good. I really liked their music, and I was very surprised that they were not more popular yet. I wish them the best of luck in gaining popularity and audience.

Cypress Hill: My mom and I listened to Cypress Hill a lot on the way to Sacremento, so I did end up consuming a lot of their songs. Personally, I think all of their songs sound almost the same. I only knew Insane in the Membrane before this time, but that is still pretty much the only song I really like of theirs. I do not think they are bad, just not my style. They are more old school rap, and I don’t usually listen to that on a daily basis.

Death Angel: I actually did not see this band at Aftershock, but I did see them at a concert I recently went to. It’s a little bit coincidental, since all three bands I saw at the concert also attended Aftershock 2021. I do really like their music, but I think it is a little more thrash for my liking.

DED: I can’t believe I had never heard of this band before last year. I didn’t even write about them in my Pre-Aftershock opinion post, which is amazing. I have since then listened to a whole bunch of their songs, and I absolutely love them. I love their vibe, and most of their songs. I would really love to see them in concert again.

Exodus: This is another one of those bands that I recently saw in concert, and they were really good. It was hard to focus on the music though, because I was being harrassed a little bit by this really annoying couple, but we got away from them. Exodus is also the only band I had ever heard of doing a Wall of Death. If you do not know what that is, please look it up and watch a video. My description will not do it justice, I promise.

     Gojira: I have seen this band in concert once at Aftershock in 2019. I really loved listening to them, but did not get a whole lot of listening done because I was trying to make my way into the mosh pit the whole time. I have not listened to any of their music since I originally wrote my opinion on them, but I would like to get into them. It seems like I will never have enough time for all of the music I want to listen to and experience.

     Hatebreed: I have also seen this band a couple of times. While it is not my favorite kind of music ever, I still really liked all of the music that I have heard from them. I remember seeing them at a festival in Oklahoma, and my mom and I were sitting on a field with some other people and I could feel the bass all the way over there. They also have this really amazing song that I really like, I could probably make a whole post on the songs and what it makes me feel. Anyways, the song that I’m talking about has this part in it where they do a really loud bass sound, but it’s almost in reverse somehow. It’s amazing to experience in person.

In This Moment: I’m very surprised I did not include this in the original post. I’m also pretty sure that I was listening to In This Moment before I went to Aftershock 2021, but oh well. I really love this band, and a lot of their songs are on my playlists. They have a female lead singer, and she is such an amazing person and also role model. I really want to see them as much as possible before they stop touring. I think that most of their music has a really powerful message, and that’s very important.

     Killswitch Engage: I have never heard the music from this band, but I do know that a whole lot of people love them. I would love to get to know their music, and I already have a pretty positive opinion of them from other people. (My opinion has not changed since this previous post, but I do have something funny to share that has to do with them.) I was standing in line for Aftershcok 2021, and the guys behind my mom and I were talking about Killswitch Engage. One of the guys very confidently called them Killswitch And Gage, and I just thought this was so funny at the time. I still think it’s funny haha.

     Knocked Loose: This is one of my favorite heavy metal bands of all time. I still have not listened to much of their music, but I really am in love with the songs that I have listened to. All of these songs are on a few of my frequently played playlists, and I am so happy that I got to see them, since they were and are amazing. I would absolutely love to see them in concert again. I hope I can soon.

     Limp Bizkit: I did not know that this band existed for a really long time, but when I found out, it was with one song. This one song is still to this day the only song I have heard from them, but I really liked it. I want to listen to more of their music to find out if I like the rest of it just as much as I liked that one song. (Limp Bizkit did not actually end up attending Aftershock 2021, so I do not have any new opinions about them.)

     Metallica: I love Metallica. I really appreciate their music, and everything they do in the music. I also appreciate that they are still playing shows. I really love their music, albeit not all of it, but most of it. All of it is catchy, and I really want to see them again and get more familiar with their music. I thought for the longest time that people who liked Metallica were tacky, and if they had merch, that was also tacky. I thought this mainly because they are so mainstream. Now I know why they are mainstream, and they are a huge influence for most metal bands and I am so grateful for their presence in the music scene. I would love to meet the band members and talk to them about their lives one day, but I know that probably won’t happen.

Mudvayne: I did not know anything about Mudvayne until very close to the festival, and when I found out that they wore makeup like this, I was very excited to see them. When we saw them, we were not very close to the stage, but we could see them on some screens set up near us. They had an amazing performance, and it was so amazing that I do not remember how much I liked their music, or if I did at all. I will have to update myself on that haha.

     My Chemical Romance: This band did not actually end up going to Aftershock, but I should be seeing them this year at some festival or another. Anyhow, I really do like this band, but I only know their mainstream music. I would like to get more into them but I have not yet.

Testament: This is the band that was headlining at the recent concert I went to. The experience was amazing, and their music is good. This was the first time I ever participated in a circle pit, and that was euphoric. I am so ready to get straight into my next one. I don’t think I would very frequently listen to their music, since it’s more thrash metal than I like, but the music is good.

     The Offspring: This is one of the bands that I grew up with. My dad always listened to a lot of their music, so I have already known a lot from a young age. I have also seen them in concert once, and I loved it. Seeing them at Aftershock was a completely different experience than how I had seen them before. It felt so unified, and so many people know their music. It felt really amazing to be in that group of people who just want to listen to this band play because they love them. It’s such an amazing feeling.

     Parkway Drive: I only know a couple of songs from this band, but I really like all of them. I really love one of their songs, and I have it on one of my most frequently played playlists. I did not end up seeing them at this festival, but I would really like to see them in the future.

     Pop Evil: I have listened to a lot of this band before, while I was listening to a bunch of bands in this lineup. I realized I do not really like this music, and therefore I did not end up seeing them at Aftershock. I’m not sure that I would really want to listen to their music much in the future.

     Seether: I have not heard much of Seether, but I still love them. However, I did miss their show for another, much more disappointing show that I will be talking about soon. I really hope to see them in the future.

     Social Distortion: I found out 2 things while watching Social Distortion perform. 1. I know a lot of these songs from my childhood, and I knew a lot of parts by heart. 2. My mom really loves Social Distortion and I had no idea. I do like their music, but it is more punk than metal. I do not mind this.

     Steel Panther: I absolutely love Steel Panther. I have seen Steel Panther twice now, and I love them so much. They’re so funny and I love the energy at their shows. It’s so shocking for people who were not expecting it, and their music is really fun as well. I actually have a few Steel Panther songs that I listen to pretty frequently. I hope I can see them a whole bunch more times in the future.

     Suicidal Tendencies: Me and my mom have always listened to their most popular song, Institutionalized, so I love this band. I think that song is so good and I hope that more of their songs have the same kind of message when I listen to them. (This was my previous opinion) Since first writing this, I have spent a long time listening to every single Suicidal Tendencies song, and they’re all relatively the same. I do have my favorites, and if you would like to read that post you can click here. Anyways, they did not play Institutionalized, which is the only reason we wanted to see them. I was so disappointed, and so was my mom. We also missed Seether for this, so I was even more salty. Oh well, I bet I will have more chances to see them in the future.

Volbeat: I also know that this band was associated with Slipknot, so I already have a good opinion of them. I know that their music is pretty heavy, and I really like that so I am excited to listen to more of their music in the near future. I did not end up seeing them at the festival, so unfortunately my opinion has not changed.

That is my overall opinion of all of the bands I have currently heard of. I really like doing these, since I can see how I am progressing in terms of music taste. Writing this has made me really excited for Aftershock this year, so that was nice. This post took much longer to write than I expected, but I think it was definitely worth it.

I am also pretty excited for this year’s lineup, and I’ll put a picture of that below. You can probably tell that there are a lot of repeats from 2021 to 2022, but I am still so excited. I will also be making a post with all of my opinions of those bands, but only the bands that are not listed here.

This is the end of this very long post. If you made it this far, congratulations and thank you so much for reading my entire post. It really means a lot to me when people take the time to read what I write, mostly because I put so much effort into it and also so much of myself.

I will be making another post like this soon, talking about the 2022 lineup. I will also be attending that festival, so there will hopefully be more updated opinions after the festival takes place. That won’t be for a while, but I have lots of other content to entertain you guys in the meantime!

Thank you all so much for reading my blog post and supporting my journey! I appreciate every single one of you. I hope I can continue to provide in the future. Thank you for reading, and I will see you in the next one!