In a few weeks or so, the lineup to this year’s Rockstar Energy Mayhem Fest will likely be officially announced. However, we already know one band who will likely appear on the touring festival’s bill, as Tomasz “Orion” Wróblewski recently let Behemoth’s summer plans slip out.
In a recent interview with Metalstorm.net, the bassist revealed that Behemoth intended to take part in the next installment of Mayhem Fest, saying:
“I am pretty sure I can talk about that; I don’t think it is confirmed yet but we are coming back to the States this summer to play on the Rockstar Mayhem Festival. This will be the very first thing we will do before the new record comes out. After that we plan on doing some other festivals, but they are not confirmed yet neither. We have done quite a few European festivals this year [ed. 2012] and I am not sure if it would be the best thing to do before the album comes out.”
Granted, Wróblewski does note that Behemoth’s participation in the festival wasn’t confirmed at the time this interview took place (which supposedly occurred in December aboard the Barge To Hell cruise). However, unless if something changed since the interview, it seems like a safe bet that Behemoth will indeed be playing Mayhem Fest this year. It still remains unclear as to who else will be appearing on this year’s bill, though we know who organizers want to headline and some rumors started circulating last fall (key word, though, is rumors).
This will mark the second time that Behemoth has appeared on the touring festival, the first being in 2009. And for many people, their appearance on the 2009 bill served as many American fans first introduction to the Polish extreme metal group. Though their notoriety has grown considerably in the States since then (partly cause of that tour, as well as due to the press from Nergal’s bone marrow transplant and legal woes), appearing on this year’s Mayhem Fest will certainly help them widen their audience further. And as Wróblewski mentions, the tour comes just in time for the new Behemoth album, which may or may not be produced by Ross Robinson.
