All Photos By Leah Feder
The New England Metal and Hardcore Fest is known for their stacked lineups. This event was brought back for the weekend of September 21st and 22nd. The well-established festival has been one of my most anticipated shows this year. Over fifty bands played throughout the weekend. A few bands supporting Day One were, MACHINE HEAD, CONVERGE, NAILS and headliner, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE. Day Two consisted of SUICIDE SILENCE, PAIN OF TRUTH, SHADOW OF INTENT and SLAUGHTER TO PREVAIL, just to name a few. This annual event takes place at the Worcester Palladium in Massachusetts.
One of my favorite experiences is arriving at a metal show and finding the line of alternative people wrapping around the building. Ask anybody locally, if you want to catch a good show, check out the Palladium. This venue contains three different concert spaces; upstairs, downstairs, and outside. The three stages occupied the outside and upstairs spaces. Featured outside were the two main stages facing across from each other. This setup allowed one set to end and the other to start immediately, with the crowd just needing to turn around. There was almost no wait time in between sets, but you could always head inside to catch smaller, local bands. The downstairs area of the venue showcased a KILLSWITCH ENGAGE museum in celebration of their 25th anniversary, along with merchandise.
The day started early with doors opening at 12:00pm, and shows starting only a half-hour later. Despite the rain on the first day, fans were still crowded to get in. After the security checkpoint you were welcomed with vendors, merch stands, and concessions, which led down to the main stages. Past that, you have bars, food trucks and the VIP area where meet and greets were held.
The first band I was able to catch was YEAR OF THE KNIFE. They set the tone very well for the rest of Day One's lineup. BLEEDING THROUGH was one of the few bands I was super excited for. Prior to their set, the band took shots at OVERKILL for their drum set taking up the majority of the stage. Almost immediately vocalist Brandon Schieppati got down onto the barricades, which got the crowd engaged. BLEEDING THROUGH was a wonderful band to shoot, and I hope they come back soon.
INCENDIARY was one of the bands that surprised me. They came out with super high energy and maintained it throughout their set. EMMURE played an ecstatic set, personally I loved the facial expressions being provided by Joshua Travis. FULL OF HELL also came out running and jumping around the stage. The energy from all the bands was contagious and the crowd stayed engaged throughout. I saw countless pits and many walls of death. I loved switching between stages and seeing people who made their own space to just headbang in the back. AFTER THE BURIAL was probably the band I was most looking forward to. I had seen them once before when they toured with MOTIONLESS IN WHITE last October. As expected, they played an amazing set.
MACHINE HEAD is one of the bigger names I knew on the lineup. Their set started at 7:35pm on the main stage. I was not expecting to enjoy them as much as I did. The pyrotechnics were an amazing surprise after being cold in the rain all day. I've also never shot a show with fire before, so I was instantly into it. KILLSWITCH ENGAGE took over the main stage at 9:15pm. People had camped at the barricade all day for this set. The sky was fully dark, and their bright and colorful visuals lit up the stage.
There's many aspects of live music that I truly love, especially the performance side, when bands are theatrical or telling a story through their music. I enjoy when bands use electronic visuals, pyro, smoke, confetti, lasers or lights to add to the dynamics of their set. This weekend I got to experience everything I adore about shows.
Jodi was one of the lovely people I got into conversation with on the barricade. She camped in the same location nearly all day to guarantee a good spot. "The rain did not rust these metalheads. Some of the band members even joined in the pit in incognito mode. Day One, although dreary weather, added character to the core memories made here today."
On Day Two INGESTED's set started off by their soundcheck scaring me. Otherwise, it was extremely fast paced, with lots of moving around. The band I think I fell the most in love with was FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE. While setting up my gear, I got a peak of the costumes and knew it was going to be great. I didn't expect any of the sets to be theatrical so I was pleasantly surprised. The stage presence of this band gave me chills and I couldn't stop smiling in the photo pit.
BRAND OF SACRIFICE had a lot of good moments to photograph. I really liked how they sounded, but I had to pay more attention to the insane amount of crowd surfers making their way up. Like I had seen throughout the day, the band called for a wall of death. SHADOW OF INTENT somehow managed to hype up the crowd even more. I loved watching everyone get increasingly more excited. I even caught David Benites watching the set next to me. In fact, during every set there was an insane amount of people standing back and side stage. The overwhelming amount of love and support is refreshing.
The love and support wasn't just from band and crew members. The positivity radiated from everybody. I was able to talk to tons of people and touch base to see how their experience went. I met Magic on the barricades and was able to ask her how the weekend went. "I didn't want it to end, even on Day One with all the rain. I look forward to next year's fest, it was worth the trip from New York to Worcester." She agreed security and staff made sure everyone was safe and the event was well organized.
"I'm still reeling from an unforgettable weekend at the New England Metal and Hardcore festival! The energy was electric, with fans from diverse backgrounds coming together to celebrate their shared passion." said Zachary Prunier when also asked for a short review. He really nailed it, and shared my exact thoughts. "The festival also highlighted the region's thriving music scene. Local vendors, artists and promoters showcased their wares, adding to the event's grassroots charm."
My weekend could not have gone better. The Palladium ran everything smoothly, as they always do. I found a new love for hardcore music, and spent my whole weekend smiling. I got to meet many fans who shared the love for this music. I even got to talk to a few band and crew members. People I know from the community were there, and sharing the passion for live music is exciting. I am already looking forward to the announcements for next year.
Want to keep up with the New England Metal and Hardcorel Fest or interested in going next year? Follow their Instagram for updates! New England Metal & Hardcore Festival (@nemhfofficial) • Instagram photos and videos
New England Metal and Hardcore Festival 2024, full Lineup:
Day Zero (Pre-Party): God Forbid, Rivers Of Nihil, Johnny Booth, Death Ray Vision, Living Wreckage, Euclid
Day One: Killswitch Engage, Converge, Machine Head, Nails, Overkill, After The Burial, Better Lovers, Full of Hell, Incendiary, The Red Chord, Emmure, Bleeding Through, Overcast, Xibalba, Integrity, Year Of The Knife, 200 Stab Wounds, Alluvial, Balmora, End, Glacial Tomb, Mammoth Grinder, Missing Link, No Cure, On Broken Wings, Psycho-Frame, Since The Flood, Simulakra, Tribal Gaze
Day Two: Slaughter To Prevail, Suicidal Tendencies, As I Lay Dying, Bane, Suicide Silence, Terror, Shadow Of Intent, Throwdown, Brand Of Sacrifice, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Pain Of Truth, Brat, Corpse Pile, Death Before Dishonor, Disembodied Tyrant, Ends Of Sanity, Ingested, Foreign Hands, Jarhead Fertilizer, Life Cycles, Mouth For War, Peeling Flesh, Snuffed On Sight, Trail Of Lies, Two Piece, Upon Stone, With Honor, The Zenith Passage
Check out some more photos from the festival!
All Photos By Leah Feder
