New England Metal and Hardcore Festival XI

The New England Metal and Hardcore Festival will enter its second decade this April with an eclectic mixture of bands from the metal and hardcore genres. Returning to the Palladium in Worcester, Mass., the event will take place on Friday, April 17 and Saturday, April 18, with a an extra special pre-party on Thursday, April 16. This year the event is presented by Randall Amplifiers, Washburn Guitars and Eden Electronics. Metal Blade Records will present the main stage. Prosthetic Records will present the second stage.

The third stage, sponsored by Deathcote Records, will be held at Chasers Nightclub, which is behind The Palladium on the corner of Martin Luther King St. and Commercial St. The main festival will be taking place at The Palladium.

“There are so many great bands and not enough time or space to get all of them on during the course of two days,” said festival organizer Scott Lee. “Adding a third stage is a great way for us to showcase some of the developing bands and it’s a terrific opportunity for these bands to play alongside some of today’s top metal and hardcore bands.”

FRIDAY'S LINEUP IS AS FOLLOWS:

MAIN STAGE presented by Metal Blade Records:
All That Remains, Between the Buried and Me, Suffocation, Napalm Death, The Acacia Strain, August Burns Red, The Haunted, Whitechapel, Kataklysm, Toxic Holocaust, After the Burial, Burning Human, Sylosis, Merauder, Psycroptic, Woe of Tyrants, Rose Funeral

2nd STAGE presented by Prosthetic Records:
Cattle Decapitation, Veil of Maya, Psyopus, Coliseum, Aggressive Dogs, The Miles Between, Decrepit Birth, Trap Them, Architect, Withered, xThe Warx, Bison B.C., Left To Vanish

Developing Artists Stage at Chasers (behind the Palladium) presented by Deathcote Records: Within the Ruins, The Destro, Shroud of Bereavement, Brother Von Doom, We Were Gentlemen, Conqueror, Halfhearted Comeback, Under Lying Truth, When the Deadbolt Breaks, Pictures of Winter, Mordisk

SATURDAY'S LINEUP IS AS FOLLOWS:

MAIN STAGE presented by Metal Blade Records:
Lamb of God, As I Lay Dying, Children of Bodom, God Forbid, Municipal Waste, Emmure, Winds of Plague, All Shall Perish, Austrian Death Machine, iwrestledabearonce, Thy Will Be Done, The Ghost Inside, ABACABB, Book of Black Earth, Landmine Marathon, The Crimson Armada, Animals As Leaders, Acaro

2nd STAGE presented by Prosthetic Records:
Have Heart, Terror, Shipwreck A.D., Cold World, Trapped Under Ice, Cruel Hand, This Is Hell, The Carrier, Energy, Unholy, Defeater, Century, Dead Swans

Developing Artists Stage at Chasers (behind the Palladium) presented by Deathcote Records: Stray From the Path, Soldiers, Oceano, Catalepsy, Conducting from the Grave, Broadcast the Nightmare, This or the Apocalypse, Autumn Black, For Today, Black Teeth

The Thursday night Atticus Pre-Party will be a unique event combining film and music. The party will kick off with a screening of official film sponsor Anchor Bay's film "Crowley," co-written by none other than Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson. The provocative supernatural thriller is the tale of a virtual reality experiment gone wrong, sending the soul of the British occultist Aleister Crowley into the body of a shy university professor. But even as Crowley creates all-new orgies of depraved pleasures and black magic, he is now preparing to unleash the ultimate occult event upon the world. Also showing is "Anvil! The Story of Anvil," a sometimes revealing, sometimes hilarious documentary about the legendary Canadian metal band. The movie follows best friends Robb Reiner and Lips as they make a pact to rock together forever. Their band, Anvil, hailed as the "demi-gods of Canadian metal, " influenced a musical generation that includes Metallica, Slayer, and Anthrax, despite never hitting the big time. Following a calamitous European tour, Lips and Robb, now in their fifties, set off to record their 13th album in one last attempt to fulfill their boyhood dreams. The film will be followed by a performance by the band itself.

Closing out the evening will be a very special and exclusive showing (before it hits theaters on April 21) of “Iron Maiden: Flight 666” is a revealing portrait of one of the world’s most successful rock bands in an entertaining and inspirational account of their chaotic lives during the infamous 45-day world tour, “Somewhere Back in Time.” Considered to be the most ambitious and adventurous tour in rock history, Maiden journeys through 13 countries on their own “magic carpet,” a customized Boeing 757 airliner carrying the entire tour, including stage, crew, and twelve tons of equipment to 23 sold out shows in Asia, Australia and North, Central, and South America.

The pre-party will also be held at the Palladium. Admission is free with a weekend pass or $15 for non-ticket holders. Atticus is the official sponsor of the pre-party.

Prices this year are $40 for Friday, $45 for Saturday or $79 for a 2-day ticket that also includes free admission to the kick off party on Thursday. Tickets are available at all FYE Stores, online at tickets.com or by calling (800) 477-6849. Tickets are available NOW so get yours before they sell out.

Monster Energy is official energy drink of the festival. All In Merch and 518 Prints are the official merchandise company of the festival. R&D Express Print & Promotion / Art Brigata make all our festival banners & backdrops. Vic Firth is the official drum stick company and will be producing special festival sticks. SJC Drums is the official drum company of the festival. Metal Injection supplies fans with all the videos and interviews on their site so you can get a preview of all the bands to perform. Other sponsors include Mazur Public Relations, The Syndicate, Heavy Hitter, Rock And Shock, Roadrunner Records, MySpace Metal, KillerTours.com and Scott Lee Clothing. Official festival photographers are Jeremy Saffer for JeremySaffer.com, Carina Mastrocola for DefyUnlearn.com and Rev Aaron Peppelis for ReturnToThePit.com.