We guess it is safe to say summer is officially over; well for metal fans that is. The 2011 Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival wrapped up its summer tour last week in Dallas, TX. During the closing shows, several of this year’s festival artists took to the main stage to perform a special tribute to Dimebag Darrell by performing Pantera’s “Walk”. Check out the performance and watch the Mayhem family charge the stage.

We wish we were able to see this metal gathering when we went to the Mayhem festival back in July. Oh well, we still got to chat with a handful of the Mayhem bands, like Megadeth, Kingdom of Sorrow and Machine Head. One common thing amongst all these interviews was how grateful the bands were to their fans. So, the latest Mayhem video comes as no surprise. In the clip, the artists thank the fans, once again, and the festival team. Metal bands have hard-looking exteriors, but they too have tender sides.

It’s time to say goodbye to the 2011 Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, but our metal obsession has only just begun. We plan on broadening our metal knowledge, so we are well prepared for the 2012 Mayhem Festival. Stayed for information on next year’s festival. We expect you Shockya readers to be in the crowd in 2012!

by Lonnie Nemiroff