As we quickly approach our date of the Vans Warped Tour we wanted to share with you our list of the top acts you certainly do not want to miss this year. With the massive amount of bands featured on this festival lineup it can be hard to coordinate who you want to see, oftentimes feeling a little overwhelming. So let us take some of that stress away and let you know who you MUST see this summer!
- Ice Nine Kills – Monster Energy North Stage
- It’s truly remarkable how far this band has come in such a short time. They have gone from opening for some of the biggest names in the metalcore scene to now demanding their own place among the greats. Fresh off their 2015 release Every Trick In The Book, Ice Nine Kills is out kicking ass and taking names as part of the solid Monster Energy Stage rotation. Vocalist Spencer Charnas brings an energy and excitement that is matched by only a select few. So, if you’re looking for a high energy set that will have you singing and moshing all at once this is the band you need to see!
- Motionless In White – Monster Energy North Stage
- Speaking of bands that seem to be getting bigger and bigger, Motionless In White is up at the top. They just recently announced signing to one of the bigger labels in the metal community, Roadrunner Records, and released in my opinion one of the bigger singles of the summer in 570. They are certainly running on all cylinders right now and are a true force in the scene. Not to mention a live show that seems to get better and better every time I’ve seen them. So tighten those shoes and prepare to get wild as Chris Motionless has the ability to get the crowd cranked to 11.
- Oceans Ate Alaska – Monster Energy South Stage
- Looking for something slightly heavier? Look no further than Oceans Ate Alaska. I had the chance to meet and see these guys a few months back and let me tell you this, these guys absolutely crush live. Plus they might be some of the funniest guys around. They have traveled across the Atlantic to deliver their special blend of harmony and brutality. If circle pits and crowd surfing are your thing, then you must be present when OAA takes the stage! And if tracks like Blood Brothers and High Horse don’t get your head banging then you might want to make sure you’re not dead.
- Cane Hill – Full Sail University Stage
- Take 2 parts old school Slipknot 1 part Korn and then sprinkle it with a little Coal Chamber, now throw it in a blender with all the nasty grimy stuff you find lying around. The results are the new boys on the block, Cane Hill. They just released their debut full length album Smile and are ready to drop their new school approach to Nu Metal on the masses. I highly recommend giving this band a listen and head over to the Full Sail stage and get your heavy groove on.
- I See Stars – Poseidon Stage
- Grooves and melodies to get your body moving, branding themselves Electronic Hardcore Music. I See Stars has evolved quite a bit over their career ranging from some heavy songs like New Demons to the more melodic tunes found on their latest release Treehouse, which features Luke Holland of fellow tour mates The Word Alive on drums. Pair their sound with a high energy live show, which rumor has it includes some creative takes on crowd surfing, and you are in for quite the experience.
- Wage War – Monster Energy North Stage
- Newcomers to the metalcore block are Wage War. But don’t let their young career fool you these guys bring it and can hang with the big boys. They arrive at warped tour riding their Fearless Records debut Blueprints, which took the scene by storm with its release late last year. I have seen Wage War live twice at this point in small venues, each time their heaviness has whipped the crowds into a frenzy with tracks like Alive and The River. So if you’re looking to get a little rowdy look no further than Wage War.
- Whitechapel – Monster Energy North Stage
- Yes I know most people don’t need to be told to watch Whitechapel, but go get your ass over to see them. They just dropped one of my favorite albums this year, Mark of the Blade, and are ready to unleash the brutal heaviness. I’ve witnessed this band many times live and have lived through mass crowd surfings, walls of death and intense pits. Every Whitechapel show has been an adventure, which makes me certain that the mass crowds of Warped Tour should provide everything needed for things to go off. So again, get to their set you will not be disappointed!
