GIVEAWAY: Last Chance to Win Two Weekend Passes to New England Metal and Hardcore Festival 2024



Today is your last chance to win Two Weekend Passes to New England Metal and Hardcore Festival 2024 from Ghost Cult and our partners in the Lambgoat Media Network. The festival features Killswitch Engage, Converge, Machine Head, Suicidal Tendencies, As I Lay Dying, Bane, Overkill, Better Lovers, Nails, the return of Year of The Knife, and more! Enter to win the giveaway at the links below and be sure to visit our friends at Lambgoat, This Day In Metal, Nu Metal Agenda, and Metal Insider! There are 5 chances to win between all five sites. Share with your friends to get more chances to win! This Giveaway is only for passes to the festival.* Enter at the form below! The giveaway is for residents of the USA only.Continue reading


INTERVIEW: Keith Holuk of Hyeena Talks About Their New Album “Proxima” 


One of the heaviest, grooviest, hookiest, and more casually profound records you don’t want to slip under your radar dropped recently from Massachusetts groove-core/alt metal rockers Hyeena. Guitarist/vocalist Keith Holuk (ex-Ligeia), bassist Mike Verlizzo, and drummer Julian Fernandez have dropped one of the more memorable ragers in Proxima, capable of inspiring fanbases ranging from Bane to Bury Your Dead to more melodic stuff like 36 Crazyfists and Deftones. Each song feels alive with intent, fortitude and from the heart, capture the moment live sounding urgency. “Limelight” needs to be in your ears just as much as this band deserves the limelight right now. Continue reading


GIVEAWAY: Win Two Weekend Passes to New England Metal and Hardcore Festival 2024 from Ghost Cult!



Ghost Cult and our partners in the Lambgoat Media Network are stoked to bring you the opportunity to win Two Weekend Passes to New England Metal and Hardcore Festival 2024. The festival features Killswitch Engage, Converge, Machine Head, Suicidal Tendencies, As I Lay Dying, Bane, Overkill, Better Lovers, Nails, the return of Year of The Knife, and more! Enter to win the giveaway at the links below and be sure to visit our friends at Lambgoat, This Day In Metal, Nu Metal Agenda, and Metal Insider! There are 5 chances to win between all five sites. Share with your friends to get more chances to win! This Giveaway is only for passes to the festival.* Enter at the form below! The giveaway is for residents of the USA only.Continue reading


New England Metal and Hardcore Fest 2024 Will See The Comeback for Year of The Knife on Stage


New England Metal & Hardcore Fest 2024 has added the comeback of Year of The Knife, in their first live performance since their horrific and life threatening van accident in June 2023. The band released their amazing album No Love Lost via Pure Noise Records last year. The two-day extravaganza will take place on September 21 and 22 at the Palladium. NEM&HCF 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. Continue reading


New England Metal and Hardcore Fest 2024 Books Killswitch Engage, Converge, Machine Head, Suicidal Tendencies, As I Lay Dying, Bane, Overkill, Better Lovers, Nails, and More


New England Metal & Hardcore Fest 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 literally 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. NEM&HCF 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. Continue reading


MxPx To Headline Furnace Fest 2023 with Turnstile, Bane, and Pennywise


 

 

MxPx is gearing up for a busy 2023! Today, the band announced they will be headlining Furnace Fest in Birmingham, AL this Fall, closing the first night on September 22, 2023. Other headliners on the fest include Turnstile, Bane, and Pennywise. With new music on the way, the band plans to be making more appearances this year, including the highly raved-about When We Were Young Festival in 2023 alongside Blink-182 and Green Day (now with an additional day).

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Brendan “Stu” Maguire, Formerly of Bane and Reach The Sky Has Died


Terrible news as word has spread on soicial media that Brendan “Stu” Maguire, the former bassist and guitarist for Bane and Reach The Sky, has died.  He died after a difficult few years battling pancreatic cancer. News spread of his death on social media after bands started paying tribute to Stu, a nickname he picked up over the years. In addition to his long stint in Bane (2005-2012), he also worked with Dropkick Murphys and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones as well as being a beloved person in the scene. Many fundraisers have been held, including hate5six streaming Ban’es final show ever as a charty drive, and the upcoming event on July 2nd, “We’re With Stu” at Boston’s House of Blues headlined by Bouncing Souls, Sick of It all, H20, and more. Stu was hoping to  attend himself. He leaves behind a wife and two young daughters. We send our condolences to Brendan’s family, friends and fans at this difficult time. Continue reading


BANE to Be Profiled in A Five-Part Podcast Series 


Much-missed Hardcore legends BANE retired on June 18th 2016 after 20 years in the game. A documentary on the band Holding These Moments, is coming soon, but in the meantime, the Brooklyn Blast Furnace Podcast will air a 5-part series with each member of the bands’ final lineup. Parts 1 and 2 are streaming with episode 3 coming today at noon. Parts 4 and 5 will air the next two Fridays at noon as well at the links below. Continue reading


This Is Hardcore- Part 2: Live At Electric Factory


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Biohazard by Anne Spina Photography

Biohazard by Anne Spina Photography

On Saturday  at This Is Hardcore we got an awesome all-day lineup with Brooklyn’s Biohazard killing it still. Pennsylvania’s own Wisdom In Chains played, who are a fan favorite and a gift every year. Mad Joe even gave us the gift of telling us he was going to be a father again. New Jersey’s Lifleless is a band that is making the east coast look amazing again for hardcore. If you haven’t heard Dream it’s a must to own.

Lifeless, by Anne Spina Photography

Lifeless, by Anne Spina Photography

 

Sand of Japan came close to stealing the show. Makoto, their lead singer is wilder than Greg Puciato of Dillinger Escape Plan. It was sad to see Philly’s Rock Bottom come to an end, but they were amazing. The guys basically threw a party and chucked a bunch of toilet paper around the Electric Factory the whole set. It was actually pretty fun. Xibalba from Los Angeles is the band that is bringing hardcore and metal to the extreme. I think to me they remind me of the 90’s Swedish Death Metal bands. Turnstile killed it. In my mind Nonstop Feeling is the best album of 2015. Bane, those Boston boys, will always hold this festival night down. They “won” This Is Hardcore 2K15 to me. It’s sad to see a band who mattered in hardcore to me since 2000 call it to an end.

Foreseen (HKI) by Anne Spina Photography

Foreseen (HKI) by Anne Spina Photography

Twitching Tongues, by Anne Spina Photography

Twitching Tongues, by Anne Spina Photography

 

On Sunday the winners for the fest were Foreseen (HKI) from Finland. If you are a D.R.I. & Municipal Waste fan, bands like Foreseen are the best. I definitely thrashed like an athlete. You also had Twitching Tongues who to me is the most metallic hardcore band out there. Tongues also recently signed to Metal Blade Records. They are a game changer in heavy music. All Out War also played Sunday and featuring some songs off the new EP which I have to say is heavy. All Out War is a great band. Their moshers are wild and as a band they are a must to see. H2O killed Sunday night for me. Toby Morse playing a 20th Anniversary set and getting friends and family to come up and sing with him on songs. Of course The Exploited from the U.K. who I say kicked arse. They still are there to prove “punk is not dead.”

H2O,  Anne Spina Photography

H2O, Anne Spina Photography

The Exploited, by Anne Spina Photography

The Exploited, by Anne Spina Photography


Besides the music at This Is Hardcore, you have food trucks all over the fest. Distros of all kinds like Shop Shogun, Bridge Nine, Deathwish, Fast Break Records, and Harvcore Records. And even apparel like American Straight Edge Apparel. There’s also SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) Demo Fighting in the parking lot so if you want to fight like a knight or a viking. it’s the right place to do it. This is Hardcore is a fest that is important to this city. The fact that this fest moved from a small venue to the biggest venue in Philly, proves something. It was even heart-warming to hear that Joe Hardcore proposed to his longtime girlfriend Jessica Parr here. I have to say that this fest has something for everyone. It’s cool to see how packed it was for days like Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. When I look back at all the fests I’ve gone to, this is the one I approve at all costs. If you haven’t been here you’re missing out.

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WORDS BY MATT O’TONIC MCGROARTY
PHOTOS BY ANNE SPINA


This Is Hardcore- Part 1: Live At Union Transfer & Electric Factory


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Snapcase, by Anne Spina Photography

Snapcase, by Anne Spina Photography


Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The city of brotherly love, cheesesteaks. Rocky Balboa, and the almighty This Is Hardcore Fest, the biggest music festival on the east coast that supports the hardcore and punk. Joe Hardcore McKay started this fest 9 and he still does not disappoint. The first day of the fest this year was held at Union Transfer in Philly. The other three days were held at The Electric Factory (very close to The Transfer). Day one the fest had reunions and goodbyes. Buffalo New York’s Snapcase headlined this day. Singer Daryl Taberski said to the crowd Thursday Night “It’s great to perform to old fans and new fans”. The great vegan/straight edge band Chokehold from Canada also had reunited at This Is Hardcore. Not only did they co-headline the first day, but they also played an after show at the Voltage Lounge the next night. The sad part about Thursday was saying goodbye to Foundation, probably one of the most promising hardcore bands in this decade.

Chokehold, by Anne Spina Photography

Chokehold, by Anne Spina Photography

We also some great friends and hometown heroes in Agitator. They were ready to call it quits and I for one say it was great Joe Hardcore put them on this bill. I heard Joe say a month ago on The Post America Podcast “It wouldn’t be the same if we didn’t put them on”. One band who stole the show that to me was Code Orange. Code Orange is one of the best bands out of the keystone state. The album I Am King  (Deathwish Inc.) is a must own. The fact they came off Mayhem Festival and played this and not to mention all surprise guest vocalists to sing including Jeremy Tingle of Lifeless. It was a must see show. It will be amazing when Sunny Singh of Hate5six.com posts that set.

Code Orange, by Anne Spina Photography

Code Orange, by Anne Spina Photography

On Friday there were a lot of main event heavy hitters especially the main event. Another reunion that is very important to talk about here. Boston’s American Nightmare (AKA Give Up The Ghost) headlined and made it beautiful. The band played probably one of their greatest sets out of all the reunion shows they’ve done so far. I’ve seen some footage of the Boston and New York shows they played, but tonight they amazed me. Being an American Nightmare fan since my junior year of high school, and now getting to see them thirteen years later, I felt like a kid again.

American Nightmare, Anne Spina Photography

American Nightmare, Anne Spina Photography

Cruel Hand, by Anne Spina Photography

Cruel Hand, by Anne Spina Photography

Another band that impressed me was Seoul, South Korea’s The Geeks. One of the best hardcore bands to graceful the U.S. surface in a minute. They definitely know how to get a crowd going. So does Cruel Hand of Portland Maine. They are that metallic hardcore band who can take the heaviest breakdown into the most thrashy beat to blast. It’s very much it’s a party when they play. Friday also featured power violence band Nails, who also made me a fan.

The Geeks, by Anne Spina Photography

The Geeks, by Anne Spina Photography

Nails, by Anne Spina Photography

Nails, by Anne Spina Photography

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WORDS BY MATT O’TONIC MCGROARTY
PHOTOS BY ANNE SPINA