A sold-out debut packed with heavy music and dark sounds!
Texas has never been short on rock and metal fans, but Saturday at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth gave that crowd something special to gather around. Sick New World Texas 2026 made its debut with a sold-out festival, bringing together generations of fans for a full day of heavy riffs, punk aggression, gothic sounds, and electronic music. From band shirts and black outfits to fans singing every word and moving between stages, the atmosphere felt like a celebration of the many sides of alternative music.
The weather helped, too. It was sunny and warm, with a cool breeze passing through at different points of the day. The open field gave everyone room to move between performances, meet other fans, grab something to eat, and find their next favorite spot. Even with so many different sounds on the lineup, there was a shared sense of excitement across the grounds.
For The Heart Sounds, the day meant moving from stage to stage to photograph ten acts, each bringing its own personality to the festival. We started with the familiar nu metal hooks of P.O.D., caught the raw force of Dallas’ Power Trip, and made our way through dark electronic performances like Lords Of Acid, The Prodigy, progressive metal, hardcore, and some of the biggest names in rock like Evanescence and Slayer.
By the time the sun gave way to the night, Fort Worth had experienced a first edition that gave fans plenty to talk about. And we were just getting started.
P.O.D.
P.O.D. were a fitting starting point for our day at Sick New World Texas. The San Diego band brought its familiar blend of nu metal, rap, and hard rock to the Gold Stage, where fans gathered ready to sing along. Sonny Sandoval, Marcos Curiel, Traa Daniels, and Zachary Christopher delivered a set built around the songs that have kept P.O.D. connected with listeners for decades.
“Boom” and “Drop” gave the crowd a chance to get moving early, while “Youth of the Nation” brought out the more reflective side of the band’s catalog. Then came “Alive,” one of those songs that still carries a special place for longtime fans. The band’s mix of heavy guitars, hip-hop rhythms, and positive messages felt right at home among the festival’s harder sounds. P.O.D. didn’t need complicated production to make their point. The songs did the work, and the crowd responded with the kind of enthusiasm that comes from knowing every word.
POWER TRIP
Coming from Dallas, POWER TRIP had a natural connection to the Texas crowd, but their music was anything but relaxed. At the Blue Stage, the band unleashed a set of crossover thrash built on sharp riffs, pounding drums, and the kind of speed that makes standing still feel impossible. The performance was rough around the edges in the best way, with little room to catch your breath between songs.
Tracks like “Soul Sacrifice,” “Firing Squad,” “Precinct 3,” “Drown/Crucifixation,” and “Manifest Decimation” showed why Power Trip became such an important name in modern thrash. Their sound pulls from old-school metal and hardcore punk without feeling stuck in either one. The guitars cut through the mix while the rhythm section kept everything charging forward. The audience met that intensity head-on, giving the set a physical, sweat-soaked feel. Power Trip didn’t need a big speech to explain what they were there to do. They let the riffs take over, and the Blue Stage became a welcome stop for anyone looking for a heavier dose of Texas metal.
LORDS OF ACID
The Spiral Stage took a sharp turn into electronic excess when LORDS OF ACID arrived. Their performance had a completely different personality from the metal sets surrounding it, mixing industrial beats, provocative humor, and club-ready rhythms into a theatrical show. Carla Harvey was a commanding presence up front, constantly moving across the stage and finding ways to connect with the crowd while Praga Khan and the rest of the group kept the music pumping.
The set included “Scrood Bi U,” “Do You Wanna Do,” “Mister Machoman,” “Rubber Doll,” “The Crablouse,” and “Out Comes the Evil.” The moment rubber dolls were thrown into the audience during “Rubber Doll” made the band’s sense of humor impossible to miss. It was weird, playful, deliberately outrageous, and entirely in keeping with their identity. More importantly, the beats gave people a reason to dance rather than simply watch. Lords of Acid reminded everyone that Sick New World wasn’t only about distorted guitars. Sometimes the best way to shake up a heavy music festival is to turn the stage into a dark, mischievous dance floor.
MASTODON
When MASTODON took over the Gold Stage, the sound became denser and more intricate. The Atlanta band’s music has always made room for technical playing without losing its weight, and that balance came through in a set full of thick guitar tones, restless rhythms, and sudden changes in direction. “Barbarian,” “Steambreather,” “Mother Puncher,” and “Megalodon” gave the crowd different sides of Mastodon’s catalog, from muscular grooves to more winding instrumental passages.
The musicianship was the main attraction. The band could move through a complicated section and then drop into a riff that hit with straightforward force. A special moment arrived when John Baizley joined the band for the remaining songs, including “Snakes for the Divine,” “Colony of Birchmen,” and “Blood and Thunder.” His appearance added another layer to an already substantial set. Mastodon rewarded fans who listen closely, but the show also worked for anyone who simply wanted to feel the guitars and drums in their chest. At a festival packed with quick changes in style, their progressive approach gave the Gold Stage a more expansive, muscular sound.
AFI
AFI brought a different kind of intensity to Sick New World Texas. Their set combined driving rock with the dark, emotional edge that has followed the California band through its many musical eras. Davey Havok was the clear focal point, moving almost constantly and turning each song into a performance of its own. There were spinning kicks, dramatic movements around the microphone stand, and moments when he ventured close to the audience. Behind him, Jade Puget, Hunter Burgan, and Adam Carson kept the music tight and forceful.
Songs like “Girl’s Not Grey,” “Love Like Winter,” “Holy Visions,” “Beautiful Thieves,” and “Behind the Clock” brought different chapters of AFI’s sound into the same set. The band balanced urgency with melody, giving the crowd plenty to sing back without losing its darker edge. The final song, “Miss Murder,” became a collective moment, with voices across the field joining in. AFI’s appeal lies in that combination of style and feeling. The performance was theatrical without losing its musical focus, and Havok made sure there was always something happening onstage.
KNOCKED LOOSE
KNOCKED LOOSE brought the sort of set that makes a festival crowd feel like one big pressure valve. The Kentucky band’s hardcore sound is built for impact, with jagged guitars, punishing drums, and Bryan Garris’ unmistakable screams cutting through the noise. Every time his voice broke into a harsher register, the response from the field made it clear that the audience was ready for more.
The set moved through “Killing You,” “Deep in the Willow,” “Everything Is Quiet Now,” “Mistakes Like Fractures,” “Take Me Home,” “Suffocate,” and “Counting Worms.” There wasn’t much space between the aggression and the release. The breakdowns landed hard, and the shifts in tempo kept the music unpredictable. What stood out was how engaged the crowd remained, reacting to the smallest changes in the songs as much as the biggest hits. Knocked Loose aren’t interested in making heavy music comfortable, and that’s part of their appeal. Their performance was abrasive, chaotic, and tightly controlled beneath the surface. At a festival filled with different generations of rock and metal, they represented the sound of hardcore pushing forward without sanding down its roughest edges.
MARILYN MANSON
MARILYN MANSON arrived at the Blue Stage with a show built around dark imagery, industrial weight, and the theatrical side of shock rock. His presence gave the performance a gothic mood, while the lighting and heavy arrangements matched the songs’ confrontational character. Across the field, fans sang along and cheered as the set moved through different eras of his catalog.
“Angel with the Scabbed Wings,” “Disposable Teens,” and “The New Shit” established the tone, followed by “Great Big White World” and “Tourniquet.” The reaction grew especially loud when the opening notes of “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” rang out. It was one of those songs that many fans recognized immediately, and the audience made its excitement obvious. Later, “The Dope Show” and “mOBSCENE” kept the momentum going before “The Beautiful People” closed the set. Manson’s performance leaned into the theatrical side of the festival, giving the Blue Stage a darker character. For longtime fans, the set offered familiar songs delivered with the visual attitude that has long been part of his live identity.
EVANESCENCE
EVANESCENCE delivered one of the day’s standout sets, led by Amy Lee’s powerful mezzo-soprano vocals. Her voice carried across the Gold Stage with a mix of control, emotion, and sheer volume that gave the songs room to breathe even in a festival setting. Backed by Emma Anzai, Tim McCord, Will Hunt, and Troy McLawhorn, the band sounded full and focused, balancing heavy guitars with the piano and melodic details that have always helped define its music.
The 15-song set moved between newer material and the songs that made Evanescence such a lasting presence in alternative rock. “Afterlife,” “Rapture,” “Going Under,” “Lithium,” and “Imaginary” showed different sides of the band’s sound, while “Bring Me to Life” brought the crowd together for a massive singalong. There was a real contrast between the band’s quieter, more atmospheric passages and the moments when the guitars surged forward. Amy Lee never seemed swallowed by the production. She remained the center of the performance, giving each song its own emotional weight. Evanescence offered a welcome change of pace without losing any of the power that made them a natural fit for Sick New World.
SLAYER
When SLAYER hit the Blue Stage, subtlety was no longer part of the plan. The thrash metal veterans brought a wall of fast riffs, pounding drums, and pyrotechnics that made their set feel as physical as it sounded. Tom Araya, Kerry King, and the band delivered the kind of blunt musical force that has made Slayer a defining name in extreme metal. Fans screamed along, raised their fists, and responded to the songs with a level of intensity that could be felt well beyond the front of the crowd.
The setlist was packed with staples, including “South of Heaven,” “Hate Worldwide,” “Jihad,” and “War Ensemble.” The pace barely let up as “Mandatory Suicide,” “Born of Fire,” and “Dead Skin Mask” followed. Then came “Jesus Saves” and “Postmortem,” leading into “Raining Blood” to close the set. The pyrotechnics added flashes of heat and light, but the music remained the main event. Slayer’s riffs were sharp, relentless, and built to hit hard. In a lineup spanning many corners of alternative music, their performance was a reminder of how much influence thrash metal continues to have on the heavier sounds that followed.
THE PRODIGY
Closing our day with THE PRODIGY meant trading the metal stages for a full-body dose of electronic noise. The English group brought together rave culture, punk attitude, and aggressive beats at the Spiral Stage, with Maxim driving the crowd from the front while Liam Howlett’s electronic arrangements powered the show. Rob Holliday and Leo Crabtree helped turn the performance into a physical wall of sound. The bass didn’t just fill the space. It seemed to hit straight through your chest.
“Omen,” “Voodoo People,” “Poison,” “Need Some1,” “Light Up the Sky,” and “Wind It Up” kept the crowd moving, while “Firestarter” included a visual tribute to the late Keith Flint, whose presence remains central to the band’s identity. Later, “Smack My Bitch Up,” “Take Me to the Hospital,” and “Breathe” pushed the set toward its finish. Maxim knew how to keep the audience involved, constantly urging the crowd forward as the beats changed direction. Ending our coverage with The Prodigy felt right. They connected the festival’s love of heavy music with the rebellious energy of electronic culture, proving that a distorted guitar isn’t the only way to make a crowd lose itself in sound.
By the time The Prodigy finished at the Spiral Stage, we had spent the day moving between ten performances that showed just how much ground alternative music can cover. There were familiar anthems, intricate metal arrangements, hardcore breakdowns, theatrical industrial rock, and electronic beats that turned the field into a dance floor. The styles were different, but the crowd’s enthusiasm connected them all.
That was one of the best things about the first Sick New World Texas. Fans weren’t limited to one sound or one generation. You could see people showing up for the bands they had followed for years while discovering other artists along the way. The festival made room for both the classics and newer acts, giving each its own place in a lineup that moved freely between genres.
The weather also made the long day easier to enjoy. The sunshine, warm temperatures, and occasional cool breeze gave us good conditions for photographing the shows and walking between stages. Most importantly, the people brought a welcoming spirit to the grounds, making the experience feel bigger than a series of performances.
For The Heart Sounds, covering ten acts meant plenty of running around, camera gear, and moments we wanted to capture before the next set began. We left Fort Worth tired but happy, with a full memory card and a lot to revisit.
A sold-out first edition is a strong beginning. If Saturday was any indication, Sick New World Texas has given the state’s alternative music community another reason to come together. And we were glad to be there for its first chapter.
