Heavy metal, the black sheep of Southern Illinois’ music genres, came to town to rock the first Metal Fest at Detours Sunday night.

Metal Fest was put together to give some harder rocking bands a chance to play in musically biased Carbondale, organizer Tommy Stritzel said. Everything’s Green, Odd Man Out, Thunder Bay, Spellbound and Drivin’ Rain all had more than ample energy to make Metal Fest 96 a successful event.

After a break-up due to personal differences, Odd Man Out answered Stritzel’s call. The band practiced hard for a month prior to Sunday night and performed a fresh set of rock n’ roll. The original Fruit of Evil and Too Much in Touch With Reality both showcased lead singer Garrett DeCoursey’s stellar voice. DeCoursey, with arms out to his side like he was crucified, conjured up enough vocal muscle to lift the roof with his larynx.

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Drummer Cliff Wyatt and bassist Lou Thery kept the deep bass rhythm driving throughout the band’s hour-long set. Guitarist Randy Cox could not help letting his blues influences shine through on his cosmic solos.

Drivin’ Rain singer Timexx Nasty, clad in knee-high leather boots and a white stripe of warpaint across his face, showed the waning crowd why the band has clout in Cape Girardeau, Mo. He warmed up minutes before the show by doing stretches and little boxing moves very similar to part animal/part machine Henry Rollins.

Nasty’s dominating figure demands attention for the band, especially when he belts out his vocals. He warned the crowd right off that he came here to kill someone or play some fucking music.

Spellbound’s new bassist, Jeff Ward, played his fourth show with the band. He filled any holes left by recently departed Phil Bloodworth. Although Spellbound kicked off the set with a cover of Kiss’ Detroit Rock City, there was no apparent evidence that vocalist Stritzel first drank then smoked as Paul Stanley sings on the original, but he sang it more than convincingly.

Stritzel, a textbook rock n’ roll singer, had his elbows pulled back and an eternally grim look on his face. He interacted often with the crowd with his cordless microphone in hand. He courted and danced briefly with a beautiful and obviously intoxicated fan while singing Ozzy’s Mama, I’m Comin’ Home.

Spellbound got the crowd on its feet again, dancing on the extended stage to Billy Idol’s Rebel Yell. Stritzel and company whipped free T-shirts and hats to the beer-guzzling fans who could not muster up enough energy to dance.

Stritzel, too hot for a shirt, took off his nipple-covering apparel while singing Judas Priest’s Breaking the Law, doing just that as he bared his nipples against the Carbondale city ordinance.

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Thunder Bay, celebrating its two-year anniversary, was a premium act for most of its set. The originals held up nicely, along with covers of Danzig’s Mother and Metallica’s Seek and Destroy, during which Wade Foskey emulated Lars Ulrich’s drumming to perfection.

After guitarist Tommy DeWolf twanged away at the theme song to Scooby Doo, ducky slipper-wearing singer Shane Aden came out with facial paint and a newly acquired ponytail on top of his head. The band promptly and fittingly shifted into a cover of Kiss’ Deuce. Aden led the group with a blow-up Budweiser guitar in hand as it rocked and swayed in unison, putting the final touch on a great set.

Thunder Bay’s upcoming CD, tentatively titled Doppleganger, is sure to be something for the hard rock enthusiast because of the high quality rock n’ roll the quartet produces together.

Show openers Everything’s Green, from Murphysboro, set the tone for the pseudo-moshing that came on as the show aged. Its brand of heavy-duty rock left the other bands with some shoes to fill.

Overall, Metal Fest 96 was a much-needed exercise in reviving a genre that has been treated like a rented mule in Carbondale for too long. With high-quality performances like the ones at Metal Fest 96, SIUC might get a little bit of the substance that once went along with the party school image.