So the show must go on, and Mayhem Fest certainly did just that.

It was rainy. It was muddy. But it was also loud and tons of fun.

If you decided not to join the festivities on Tuesday at the 1-800-ASK-GARY due to the rain, I believe you made the wrong decision, my friend. As a matter of fact, the sloshy muddiness just made the crowd-watching that much more interesting. I have a feeling washing machines around central Florida are on overtime today!

The day was filled with wet and heavy music, including the early local jump-starters Must ... Not ... Kill, above. These guys always put on a great show, and I was pleased to see them get a spot at Mayhem.

The female rocker of the day: Maria Brink, above, from In This Moment, who showed her hardcore gall and jumped into the crowd to get things heated.

Once the show moved under the shelter of the Amp, the crowd seemed to dry out mentally as well as physically. First up: Five Finger Death Punch, above, who delivered a decent performance and did their best to keep the soaked crowd on their feet.

Lamb of God, above, just killed it, as usual. The heavy vets seem to draw your attention without needing any special effects or stage antics.

Rob Zombie, above, just couldn’t seem to keep his breath. His vocals were short and reminded me of a fat kid trying to talk after running a marathon. The visuals of the glowing stage show made up for Zombie’s shortcomings however, and they even did an encore.

Korn, above, sounded straight out of the recording studio. They played most of their original ’90s tunes and it seemed the crowd went into a frenzy with every song. The show shockers? Korn’s quick rendition of Metallica’s One, and Jonathan Davis drenching the crowd with a fire hose (so much for drying out).

Overall the show was a success and gave Tampa what they paid to see, with some added fun from Mother Nature. As with any outdoor show in Florida, you never know when things will get interesting.

Time to put my shoes in the wash myself!

— Review/photos by Andrew Carlton, tbt*

More photos of (in order) 3 Inches of Blood, Hatebreed and Atreyu below...