Discover the Top Six Unforgettable Moments from Sonic Temple 2025!

The highly anticipated annual festival, organized by DWP (Danny Wimmer Presents), transformed Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio into a rock and metal paradise from May 8-11.

This four-day musical extravaganza showcased the most diverse lineup of bands in the festival’s impressive 15-plus year history, dating back to its origins as Rock on the Range. Headliners included iconic acts like Korn, Linkin Park, and Metallica, with Metallica treating fans to two distinct performances across different nights.

Every rock and metal enthusiast found something to love, creating lasting memories for the tens of thousands of passionate fans who attended. Now, let’s dive into the standout highlights of this unforgettable festival!

Korn Revives “Blind” as Their Set Opener – A Must-See Performance!

For the first time since 2019, Korn electrified the audience by opening their set with the beloved fan favorite “Blind.” This iconic song kicks off with Jonathan Davis’s powerful scream of “ARE YOU READY?!” which set the tone for an exhilarating performance.

While we believe that this should become a permanent opener, we understand the need for the nu-metal pioneers to keep their setlists fresh and exciting. However, Korn fully embraced the moment, becoming the first of four festival headliners, and they surely knew that this opening choice would send the stadium into a total frenzy.

In their remarkable 19-song set, they also brought back classics like “Twisted Transistor” and “4 U,” both of which hadn’t been performed live since 2019 and 2020, respectively. Their performance highlighted tracks from 10 of their 15 albums, and the sea of Korn T-shirts in the crowd clearly demonstrated that this legendary band is here to stay.

Crossfade Makes a Triumphant Return After Over a Decade!

After a long hiatus of 13 years, Crossfade made an exhilarating comeback to the stage at Sonic Temple. This alt-metal/post-grunge band reunited last year and began their return with a couple of festival performances, including this event and another at the 2025 Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival in Ohio.

Known for their standout tracks like “Cold” and “Colors” from their self-titled platinum-selling 2004 debut album, the four-piece band delivered songs from all three of their albums, much to the delight of their eager fans. Facing off against I Prevail, who were also performing on the Temple Stage inside the stadium, Crossfade attracted a substantial crowd excited for their long-awaited return.

They saved the best for last, closing their set with a powerful rendition of “Cold,” which left fans exhilarated. Remarkably, as highlighted in the Facebook post below, fans snatched up all the merchandise Crossfade had brought to the festival a staggering three hours before their 7 PM set. They have truly made an impressive comeback!

READ MORE: Bands Who Broke Up + Ones Who Reunited in 2024

Beartooth Steps Up to Fill the Void Left by Alice in Chains

In a disappointing turn of events, legendary grunge band Alice in Chains had to withdraw from the festival lineup. The iconic group canceled their entire brief tour due to a “non-life-threatening medical emergency” involving drummer Sean Kinney.

Originally slated to kick off their tour in Connecticut on May 8, Alice in Chains was also scheduled to perform at Sonic Temple on Sunday, May 11. As the festival promoter, Danny Wimmer noted, you cannot truly “replace” Alice in Chains. However, he cleverly challenged local hero Caleb Shomo to reroute Beartooth’s tour to Columbus, Ohio on a day off, inviting them to rock the stadium.

And rock they did! Shomo, who was fortunate enough to spend Mother’s Day with his mom in attendance, declared from the stage that Beartooth would always be there to answer the call to perform, and the band unleashed an intense set of 13 songs in just under an hour.

Metallica Treats Fans to a Rare Performance of “The Shortest Straw”

In a thrilling moment for fans, Metallica played the seldom-performed deep cut “The Shortest Straw” for just the 99th time in their illustrious career, as recorded by setlist.fm. This special performance took place during the legendary thrash metal band’s first set of the weekend, where they also played 15 other songs that have been a central focus of their M72 world tour.

Additionally, the instrumental track “Orion,” which has been a consistent part of their setlist, made its Ohio debut, making it a unique treat for local fans. “The Shortest Straw” followed the explosive opening of “Creeping Death” and “Harvester of Sorrow,” which sent the stadium into a frenzy of excitement.

Death Metal and Deathcore Thrives, From Noon to Late Night!

This year’s Sonic Temple festival lineup showcased a remarkable shift from previous years. The DWP team consistently does an outstanding job of mixing things up annually, but this time, they truly leaned into heavy and brutal music, featuring both underground newcomers and established veterans in the genre.

And how did the crowd respond? THEY LOVED IT! Cannibal Corpse, Arch Enemy, and Whitechapel all headlined the side stages, drawing massive crowds even during the main headliner performances featuring Metallica on Friday and Sunday. Such impressive turnouts speak volumes about the festival’s dedication to diverse heavy music.

During the daylight hours, fans relished the intense energy of the pit, headbanging to bands like Gatecreeper, Frozen Soul, PeelingFlesh, All Shall Perish, The Black Dahlia Murder, The Acacia Strain, Obituary, Sanguisugabogg, and Shadow of Intent. During these sets, DWP felt as if it stood for Down With Pulverizing, showcasing the very best of the heavy music scene.

Linkin Park Surprises Fans with Grandson’s Guest Appearance for “One Step Closer”

One of the most exciting highlights of music festivals is the potential for onstage collaborations, surprise guests, and unexpected appearances. When Poppy performed her collaborative track “V.A.N.” with Bad Omens, we anticipated that she might not repeat the performance later in the day with Bad Omens’ set. Unfortunately, our assumption was correct.

However, we were thrilled to witness Grandson join Saturday night headliners Linkin Park on stage to perform “One Step Closer.” This unexpected collaboration truly delighted the audience! Grandson has been opening select dates of Linkin Park’s world tour in support of their latest album, From Zero, and he had already been joining them for this particular song during the tour.

Yet, experiencing such a collaboration at a festival adds a unique dynamic compared to a dedicated headlining tour. Showcasing an emerging artist in a prominent moment like this is essential for the ongoing growth and future of the music we all cherish.