For Those Who Like It Hard - A Night With The Ghost Inside, Halestorm, and Volbeat

"The Greatest Tour Worldwide" rolled into Houston during the last lingering days of July. The summer months are hot in Texas, but nothing matched the scorching temps that could be felt inside 713 Music Hall as Volbeat's tour hit the stage. The Ghost Inside and Halestorm joined Volbeat on this tour and made a perfect ear-blasting trifecta.

The Ghost Inside filled the whole stage with their presence. Lead singer Jonathan Vigil has the kind of voice that commands your attention, and the music backs it up perfectly, not letting you forget. Supporting their most recent album, Searching for Solace, heavily influenced their set list. Songs such as "Death Grip," "Wash It Away," and "Going Under" were ground out with heavy intensity to an enthusiastic crowd.

Halestorm packed a lot of punches; not only was the music great as expected, but the lighting, lead singer Lzzy Hale's capes and outfits, and stage setup made for a striking visual display. Arejay Hale on drums was on an elevated platform surrounded by speakers; he did a great drum solo, then pulled out a massive pair of sticks and did it some more. Lzzy belted out new and older songs, including "Rain Your Blood on Me," "Fallen Star," "Freak Like Me," and "I Like It Heavy." Close to the end of their set in honor of Ozzy Osbourne, "Perry Mason" was played. It was a nice tribute and much needed for fans of metal music. Halestorm has a brand-new album out entitled Everest.

Volbeat closed out the night in spectacular fashion. Songs from their new album, God of Angels Trust, such as "Time Will Heal" and "In the Barn of the Goat Giving Birth to Satan's Spawn in a Dying World of Gloom" (!!!). Rounding out their set list were songs such as "Black Rose" and "The Devil Rages On." And we got another shout-out to Ozzy, with a cover of Black Sabbath's "Children of the Grave." We wanted it, we needed it, and they gave it to us! The camaraderie and ease between the bandmates was palpable, which made for a nice flow on stage. I caught a few amused smiles between lead singer Michael Poulsen and bass player Kasper Boye Larsen as Michael reached out to do some tuning on the guitar. It was a great night of metal and coming together as fans, musicians, and music lovers.