Savannah was treated to some of the best acts in metal and hard rock music this past Saturday at 2017 A.U.R.A. (All Underground Rock Allday) Festival. The music festival returns to Savannah for the first time in many years, bringing heavy music to The Gardens of the Ships of the Seas Maritime Museum. Timothy Walls, founder of the festival, aims to make this show an annual event after the success of the 2017 revival, bringing a welcome addition to the current Savannah music scene.

In case you couldn’t attend, here’s SCAD Radio’s top 5 sets at 2017 A.U.R.A. Festival in no particular order.

The Funeral Portrait

The post hardcore outfit brought a theatrical and high energy set that was sure to have turned many people into fans at the end of the day. The band played very early in the day, and yet still drew the eyes of every person in the venue. The music was played very well, sounding somehow even better than the record. The on stage antics simply elevated the performance to the next level, starting with vocalist Lee Jennings reaching out into the crowd and ending with the band members running around onstage while their guitarist swings the guitar around over his head by the strap, narrowly missing hitting the amps and other band members. If you were not a fan of the Funeral Portrait at the beginning of the day, you would have been by the end of their set.

Oh, Sleeper

This Fort Worth metalcore act is no stranger to the scene. The band has been together since 2006 from members of other big name acts like Wovenwar, Between the Buried and Me, and the controversial As I Lay Dying. The experience shows as the Texas band played one of the tightest sets of the day with impressively high energy. The band had arguably the nicest and most interesting stage set up, with the drums to the side of the stage and a dazzling light show full of strobe lights and other exciting stage effects. The band’s stage presence was infectious and drew one of the most energetic crowds all night. There was even a drum solo in the allotted time the band had for the set. Every member of the crowd was left wanting more, with a loud encore chant. Unfortunately, the set times were definite, so there was no encore. But that didn’t drain any of the wonder or amazement from the room that Oh, Sleeper provided.

Microwave

On a bill brimming with hardcore and metalcore acts, you might have been curious as to whether or not the emo-ish punk rock band would be able to fit in. Not only did they fit in, they drew a great energetic crowd, which is especially commendable because of the fact that their set was so early in the day. In fact, the very first mosh pit of the entire day broke out during Microwave’s performance of “Lighterless” off of 2016’s Much Love. The band commanded a crowd full of people jumping and singing along, all while having fun on stage. Although the band hasn’t been in Savannah since a performance at Sweet Melissa’s two years ago, they certainly seemed at home and were accepted back into open arms.

Unearth

Unearth is one of those bands whose imprint on the metalcore scene is unmistakable. Inspiring countless acts in the scene from August Burns Red to Killswitch Engage to Atreyu, Unearth is one of the most important bands to ever be a part of the metalcore and hardcore music scene. We were all excited to see the legendary band perform, and the performance certainly lived up to the expectations. The band’s amazing legacy was showcased in a set that played everything from their earliest hits to their 2014 album which ultimately ended with the iconic “My Will Be Done”. With technical and melodic guitarwork, aggressive drumming, and dynamic vocals, the band certainly was a treat for fans of metal of all kinds.

Zao

Along with Unearth, Zao was another band on this bill that is hugely important to hardcore and metalcore music. Some say that no band is as responsible for the metalcore genre as Zao, whose music essentially merged metal music with hardcore punk. The band played a set with a lot from the recently released The Well Intentioned Virus, as well as hits from albums like Liberate te ex Inferis and The Funeral of God. The band played an energetic and emotion fueled set that led to some of the night’s rowdiest mosh pits. Fans of hardcore new and old were mesmerized throughout the duration of Zao’s incredibly engaging set, and what more could you ask for from a band’s live show?

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