Co-creator John Reese stated earlier this month that the touring festival had now come to an end after eight years as a result of a war of words between his colleague Kevin Lyman and Slayer's Kerry King. Lyman blamed "old, fat and bald" metal acts for ruining the genre's reputation.

Cannibal Corpse played the event last year and Mazurkiewicz says there was a notable difference between the lineups. Mazurkiewicz tells Metal Shop: "It just looks like this year it wasn't strong enough to play to the masses. In the United States, metal is very big, but I think having a band like Slayer headline Mayhem may not have been the greatest idea. For us, it's great - Slayer are our idols and our kings - so for them to headline Mayhem is amazing. But in the scheme of popularity and record sales, it was a downsize in a way.

"When we played it, we were with Avenged Sevenfold headlining, and they are a huge band in America right now, so for that reason alone there should be more people coming to the show. There was Korn, as well, and you a great whole second stage."