KILLSWITCH ENGAGE And SLAUGHTER TO PREVAIL To Headline 2024 NEW ENGLAND METAL & HARDCORE FESTIVAL

New England Metal & Hardcore Festival launched back in 1999 and took place at the famed Palladium in Worcester through 2018. It was often held over two or three days, with multiple stages and top-tier acts like MEGADETH, MANOWAR, DRAGONFORCE, OPETH, BETWEEN THE BURIED & ME, MESHUGGAH, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, ANTHRAX and more appearing through the years. It was always a "who's who" of the metal and hardcore scene and was a "not to be missed" event each spring. It took a brief break after 2018 but returned to much fanfare in 2023 with PARKWAY DRIVE, LAMB OF GOD, HATEBREED and more.

Today, the 2024 edition has been announced and the lineup is stacked. It features almost every single band you'd want to see at a metal and hardcore festival.

The two-day extravaganza will take place on September 21 and 22 at the Palladium. New England Metal & Hardcore Festival faves KILLSWITCH ENGAGE will be playing a special 25th-anniversary show and will headline the first night. SLAUGHTER TO PREVAIL will headline the second night.

"I think this lineup is one of the top five best in the festival's history," says Scott Lee, founder of the festival. "It will appeal to all fans of all genres of extreme music."

"The place where it all began for us was The Worcester Palladium our first show and our first metal festival," says KILLSWITCH ENGAGE singer Jesse Leach. "Here we are, 25 years later, returning to the same venue to perform a unique set to celebrate our legacy as a band. We are honored and excited to be a part of this legendary festival once again. 25 years of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE!"

VIP tickets are available here.

Lineup:

Headliners:

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE (25th-anniversary show) (Saturday)
SLAUGHTER TO PREVAIL (Sunday)

In alphabetical order, with more to be announced:

200 STAB WOUNDS
AFTER THE BURIAL
ALLUVIAL
AS I LAY DYING
BALMORA
BANE
BETTER LOVERS
BRAND OF SACRIFICE
BRAT
CONVERGE
CORPSE PILE
DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR
DISEMBODIED TYRANT
ENDS OF SANITY
FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE
FULL OF HELL
INCENDIARY
INTEGRITY
JARHEAD FERTILIZER
LIFE CYCLES
MACHINE HEAD
MAMMOTH GRINDER
MISSING LINK
MOUTH FOR WAR
NAILS
NO CURE
ON BROKEN WINGS
OVERKILL
PAIN OF TRUTH
PSYCHO FRAME
SHADOW OF INTENT
SIMULAKRA
SINCE THE FLOOD
SUICIDAL TENDENCIES
SUICIDE SILENCE
THE RED CHORD
THE ZENITH PASSAGE
THROWDOWN
TRAIL OF LIES
TRIBAL GAZE
TWO PIECE
UPON STONE
WITH HONOR

The first New England Metal & Hardcore Festival was held in 1999 and ran across three days with performances by MANOWAR, MORBID ANGEL, CAVE IN and an actual wedding ceremony conducted during the set by GWAR.

In a 2008 interview with Telegram & Gazette, Lee said that the festival "isn't just about the bands. It's the whole aura of the event. It's the Palladium. It's this street. It's the sausage vendor. You take [New England Metal & Hardcore Festival] out of the Palladium, you ruin [New England Metal & Hardcore Festival]."

Lee went on to say that his event has treated fans and bands alike with a level of intelligence and respect one is more apt to find at the finer jazz and folk festivals.

"[MTV show] 'Beavis And Butt-Head' [about two cartoon teenagers famous for their nasally laughs and love of heavy metal] did more to hurt the credibility of heavy music," he said. "They made it more of a joke. But the truth is you see all kinds of people into metal. There are doctors and lawyers who love extreme music. Those people come here because it is a friendly atmosphere."