Last year's inaugural Monster Energy Aftershock Festival was a single day affair, but it was expanded to two days this year and packed with one of the most powerful lineups we've seen for years. Korn, Megadeth and Shinedown led night one of the fest on Saturday, Sept.14 in Sacramento, Calif., on day one of the extravaganza.Headliners Korn hit the stage just after 8:30 PM, kicking things off with a thrashing and intense 'Blind' from their self-titled debut. Frontman Jonathan Davis was in spectacular form from the very first moments, slamming and sashaying as the band thundered through a set of classics spiked with a couple of tunes from their upcoming album, 'The Paradigm Shift' (including 'Love & Meth' and 'Never Never').

Historic Discovery Park, located where two rivers meet and nestled among towering maples, oaks and elms proved the perfect venue not just for Korn, but the entire mind-bending array of artists that performed from late morning into the night. Aftershock is comprised of two side-by-side main stages and the smaller Ernie Ball stage, that hosted Butcher Babies, Nothing More, Eye Empire and Heaven's Basement, among others. But of course, most of the jam-packed festival was focused on the main stages, where blockbuster after blockbuster sets ping-ponged back and forth, in most cases with just several minutes between sets.

The thrilling afternoon included the great tongue-in-cheek metal mayhem of Steel Panther, a testosterone-fueled, fist pumping turn from Testament (who had just played the night before with Iron Maiden, Anthrax and Megadeth in San Bernardino) and Buckcherry (whose extended version of 'Sexy Bitch' went over particularly well with the eager, youthful crowd). There were also rousing performances by P.O.D., In This Moment and Skillet.

But the pedal truly seemed to hit the metal when Papa Roach stormed the north stage at about 5:30 PM. Maybe it's because they are hometown heroes, but Jacoby Shaddix (whose wife would go into labor the next day) and his crew dialed up their normally energetic show into something truly special. As he does, Shaddix left the stage to serenade the fans up close and personal, working the sweat-soaked masses like a man possessed. The bond the band feels with local fans has never been more evident and it set the stage for a truly unforgettable set of early evening performances.

Within moments of the final strains of the Papa Roach set, over on the south stage, Megadeth took over. Fresh off the previous night's performance in San Bernardino, Dave Mustaine and his crew delivered an electrifying set in front of a series of massive video screens projecting a kaleidoscopic array of conceptual images. Opening with the catchy 'Hangar 18,' from there it was a thrill ride which included 'In My Darkest Hour,' 'Peace Sells' and a monumental encore, 'Holy Wars... The Punishment Due.' With each show these days, Mustaine continues to solidify his reputation as one of the Mount Rushmore faces of metal.

Then, with just several minutes to catch their collective breath, fans then witnessed the monumental spectacle that is the current Shinedown show. Opening with a bevy of firebreathers and other extreme circus performers (featured on their current Carnival of Madness tour) Shinedown proved why they are one of the most successful touring acts of the last 10 years. Their soaring, radio friendly songs seemed to strike the perfect chord with the throngs that had now been baking in the late summer sun for many hours.

The production featured lots of explosive fun and Brent Smith proved once more that he is one of the most compelling front man out there today, bringing a fresh spark to 'Enemies,' 'Adrenaline,' 'I'll Follow you,' and the soulful Lynyrd Skynyrd cover, 'Simple Man.'

And from there of course, it was back over to the north stage for the aforementioned triumphant performance by Korn. Aftershock is proving itself as one of the most blistering and powerful festivals in recent memory. And this was just day one. The next night would feature Avenged Sevenfold, Five Finger Death Punch and A Day to Remember, among others.

See Our Photos of the 2013 Aftershock Festival Day 1:

Korn:

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Charles Epting for Loudwire
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Shinedown:

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Megadeth:

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Papa Roach:

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Buckcherry:

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Skillet:

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Testament:

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P.O.D.:

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Steel Panther:

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Otherwise:

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Charles Epting for Loudwire
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In This Moment:

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Charles Epting for Loudwire
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Festival Shot:

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Charles Epting for Loudwire
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