The 2015 selection of summer festivals and shows proves to be one of the strongest in years: The usual suspects, Wacken and Hellfest, as well as newcomers Deadfest and King of the Monsters, all feature a brutal bevvy of the best in Death, Grind, Black Metal, and Hardcore.
Keeping up with all of the happenings calls for a comprehensive list, so here’s your guide to the grim de la grim of summer fests:
Summer Slaughter Tour
Dubbed “The Most Extreme Tour of the Year,” the annual Summer Slaughter Tour features a hefty handful of big-time Metal acts serving up set lists to concert goers July 28th through August 24th.
The 2015 lineup includes Arch Enemy, Born of Osiris, Veil of Maya, The Acacia Strain, Obsurca, After the Burial, Cattle Decapitation, Beyond Creation, and other “special guests;” tickets can be purchased through www.TheSummerSlaughterTour.com.
Hellfest
France’s answer to open-air shows includes the annual Hellfest, which has quickly become one of the most exciting and involved.
Over the course of three days, June 19, 20, and 21, with this year’s gathering held in Clisson, France, Hellfest features six stages of subgenre-specific sets:
Main Stages One and Two host heavy hitters, like Judas Priest, Slipknot, and Faith No More, and The Alter showcases crushing Death and Grind bands, like At the Gates, Onslaught, and Leng Tch’e. The Temple features Black Metal and Thrash, and The Valley finds Stoner Rock, Sludge, and Doom.
With the Warzone holding down the Punk and Hardcore front, Hellfest also proves to be one of the most well-organized concert series of the year.
Information on Hellfest can be found at the official Website www.HellFest.fr.
King of the Monsters
July 31st and August 1st find Hardcore and Grind bands celebrating King of the Monsters Records’ 20th Anniversary.
Crudos, Infest, and ACxDC are among performers, and attendees can also catch Creation is Crucifixtion, the defunct avant-garde Grind act.
Information on this two-day show can be found over at www.KOTMFest.com, as well as at the King of the Monsters Facebook.com page (www.Facebook.com/KingoftheMonstersRecords).
Bay Area Deathfest
The second-annual Bay Area Death fest brings Tech-Death and Death-Grind to the Oakland Metro, July 11 – 12th.
Cattle Decapitation, Psycroptic, Origin, and Bay-Area natives Fallujah, head up the crop, and The Zenith Passage, Gortuary, and No Zodiac are among many others.
A spirited DIY effort between its two co-founders, Andrew Manganiello and Thomas Johnson, the Bay Area Deathfest offers one of the most well stocked showcases of the year.
Attendees, as well as prospective ones, can find info and updates at www.Facebook.com/BayAreaDeathFest.
Festum Carnis
The outdoor gathering known as Festum Carnis takes place July 3rd, 4th, and 5th in the mountains of Wilseyville, CA.
Guests can find Agata, Wandern, and Battle Hag, as well as Hemotoxin, Mockery, and Horrid all performing.
Tickets can be found at www.FestumCarnis.com, along with helpful info on camping and lodging.
Mayhem Festival
Slayer, King Diamond, Hellyeah, and The Devil Wears Prada headline the 2015 Mayhem Fest: the month-long, state-side show takes on cities from Chula Vista, CA to Dallas, Texas, June 26th through August 2nd.
Whitechapel, Thy Art is Murder, Jungle Rot, Sister Sin, Sworn In, Shattered Sun, Feed Her to the Sharks, Code Orange, and Kissing Candace are among supporting acts; the fest is a one-day blow out, so show up early to catch everyone.
Deadfest
Punk and Grind, Doom and Death come together August 14th and 15th at Deadfest.
“DIY Till Death,” the show line-up includes Primitive Man, Gehenna, Bio Crisis, Cave State, and more at Oakland Metro.
There’s no official Website, but there is a Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/Pages/Deadfest), so interested parties should mosey over there for further updates and details.
Wacken
Inarguably, Wacken is one of the most well-known and widely attended open-air Metal fests; its immeasurable reach and impact means attendance is almost a rite of passage.
Wacken 2015’s line up is encompassing—expect performances from everyone in your music cache, including Cryptopsy, Skindred, Kataklysm, and Dream Spirit.
The show is sold out, but if you can score some tickets, it takes place July 30th – August 1st.
www.Wacken.com.
Obscene Extreme
Obscene Extreme boasts an impressive band list, with the summer-time shows taking place on two continents:
In North America, Montreal’s Obscene Extreme features Drop Dead, Full of Hell, and Magrudagrind; in Europe, the Czech fest includes Pig Destroyer, Maruta, and Flying High Tribe among performing acts.
Concert goers can also find cruelty-free vegan food, and an Asian Obscene Extreme is planned for November.
In Europe, the Czech shows takes place on July 8-11, 2015; in North America, it’s August 20-23, 2015 for the Quebec-based ones.
Info can be found on www.ObsceneExtreme.cz and www.ObsceneExtreme.com for the Euro dates and North American shows, respectively.
Brutal Assault Fest
A three-day stay at this Czech Republic show promises to satiate your need for both nu-Metal-era head banging (yep, via Head PE), and Grind and Death equally.
Agalloch, At The Gates, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Napalm Death, Psycroptic, Rosetta, and others will perform, and August 5th sees festival kick off, with August 8th concluding it all.
Brutal Assault is not yet sold out, so if you’re feeling Prauge-y, for more info, visit www.BrutalAssault.cz.
These are just a few of the summer fests and forthcoming shows; for full band lists and further festival info, be sure to check out the Facebook pages and official Websites sites, and visit www.GhostCultMag.com for show coverage, features, reviews, and photos.
LINDSAY O’CONNOR