First some background. Metal and Hardcore music is hard, energy driven, fast-paced, and sometimes even soothing music. The New England Metal and Hardcore Festival is one of the countless of Metal and Hardcore music festivals. It is only out-attended by the infamous Milwaukee Metalfest. In my opinion New England is better because it has Metal music and Hardcore music. The festival takes place at the Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts and consists of two stages and lasts two days long. The first day started at 3 p.m. and ended at about 1:30 am. Then the next day started at 11:00 am and ended at about 1:30 am. The second stage ends earlier at about 9:30 p.m., but the main stage keeps going until the wee hours of the night. Also in the balcony of the second stage there are about a dozen record labels and distribution companies all with tons of merchandise to sell. The cool thing about it is that you can find a lot of stuff that is otherwise hard to find.

This year was my second year in attendance and I was ready for it. This year it ended up being Fri., April 5 and Sat., April 6. I started off my first day by heading straight to the merchandise in the second stage balcony. There I was in heaven and spent most of my savings for the show in about an hour and a half. I got a lot of good stuff and got exposed to countless titles.

I then headed downstairs to find out what was going on and caught the set of a band called A Thousand Falling Skies. They were the first band I saw besides listening to second stage bands from the balcony while I was shopping earlier. I then proceeded to jump between stages catching as much of each bands set that I could. This went on until the band before last came on and I left due to lack of interest for the band. I went back to Natick, Massachusetts to go to bed at a friend of my Mom’s house.

My girlfriend Ashley and I and our friend Bill) got up around 9 a.m.; we were begging for sleep, yet were too excited for the day to come to care. We then headed back to Worcester to catch the opening of the doors at 11 am. I then proceeded to the merchandise above second stage and spent the rest of my “Metalfest Fund”. I then brought my new merchandise to the car and went back inside to catch the first band. The schedule then got messed up due to some bands dropping, yet I still caught almost all of the bands that I wanted to see. Then as the sold out night went on at 8 p.m. the Palladium started selling tickets for the rest of the show at $25 when I only paid $55 dollars for both days, all day.

Overall the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival was by far one of the best concerts I have ever been to. It lasted so long and was so fun. It is definitely a very unique experience and very one of a kind. Where else can you see 62 bands for less than a dollar each? I know of no better way to spend a weekend.