In the last couple of years, North America has been getting a serious amount of festivals, some of them reaching new areas where events like thise never had taken place. Since the demise of Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival last year, the American scene had a gap that needed to be filled in different, smarter ways than the failed touring festival.

That’s why, many organizers decided to step in and put together festivals in hopes to get the attention of the audience and share some of that business we’ve been lacking for years. If you don’t know how many festivals have appeared lately, fear not, and take a look at our ultimate rock and metal festival guide to help you decide what’s the best festival for you.

1.- NJ Metalfest – June 25th-26th

You may not be familiar with this festival as it’s barely in its second annual edition but if you happen to be near the Clifton, NJ area and don’t have plans for that weekend, you can get your extreme metal fix lead here. The NJ Metalfest will be hosted by Overkill’s Bobby Blitz and Whiplash’s Tony Portaro and will have bands like Generation Kill, IKILLYA, Apathy among many other acts that can pick your interest if you give them the chance. Tickets can be purchased here.

Lineup:
Generation Kill, Psychoprism, Robots and Monsters, Voodoo Terror Tribe, Hate Unbound , Threatpoint, Gross Reality, Thanatotic Desire, Common Wealth, Earthbound, IKILLYA, Paralysis, Dying Eyes Of Sloth, Ashes of Your Enemy, Apathy, JACK FROST’s Metal Coalition, Sicada, Unkempt Herald, Eye Of The Destroyer, Stone The Martyr, White Void.

2.- Metal Threat Fest 2016 – July 15th-17th

For those interested in the extreme underground scene, Chicago has you covered with this years’s edition of Metal Threat. Boasting a large array of international bands like The Ruins of Beverast, Drowned or Abigail, this festival proves to be one worthy for those looking for top quality black and death metal. While tickets are sold out, you can probably purchase one from someone who can’t make it to the fest. It always happens.

Lineup:

Bulldozer , Abigail, Baphomet’s Blood, Shitfucker, Wastelander, Violentor, Exciter, Razor, At War, Destructor, BAT, Moros Nyx, Inquistion, The Ruins of Beverast, Absu, Drowned, Uada, Atrum Inritus.

3.- Chicago Open Air – July 15th-17th

In case you aren’t able to get a ticket for the Metal Threat Fest above, there’s always Chicago Open Air happening the same weekend, in the same city. When we reported about the festival a few months back, we couldn’t help but point out that this will be Rammstein’s only show in the US this year. That reason alone should give you that extra push to make it to this open air fest. Tickets can be found here.

Lineup:

Rammstein, Chevelle, Ministry, Of Mice & Men, Meshuggah, In This Moment, Hollywood Undead, Trivium, Carcass, Hatebreed, Periphery, Drowning Pool, Butcher Babies, Through Fire, Disturbed, Korn, Breaking Benjamin, Pop Evil, Gojira, Deafheaven, The Devil Wears Prada, Helmet, Nothing More, Saint Asonia, Miss May I, Beartooth, Silver Snakes, City Of The Weak, Slipknot, Five Finger Death Punch, Marilyn Manson, Bullet For My Valentine, Killswitch Engage, BABYMETAL, Asking Alexandria, Corrosion of Conformity, letlive., All That Remains, We Came As Romans, Jim Breuer & the Regulators, Upon A Burning Body, Gemini Syndrome.

4. This is Hardcore Fest – August 4th-7th

After going through some controversy last year, This Is Hardcore decided to grace the Philadelphia scene with its presence once again and bring a stacked lineup for your inner teenage angst. Turning Point, Youth of Today, and Integrity will be some of the names in the festival’s confirmed bands but if that’s not enough, get a load of the rest of the bands scheduled to play below. Tickets can be purchased here.

Lineup:

Absolute Suffering, All Else Failed, Angel Du$t, Blistered, Break Away, Breakdown, Burn, Code Orange, Criminal Instinct, Done Dying, Down To Nothing, Eternal Sleep, Floorpunch, Freedom, Full Of Hell, Gorilla Biscuits, Haymaker, Hellweed, Incendiary, Integrity, Iron Price, Iron Reagan, Jagged Visions,Jesus Piece, Killing Time, Lifeless, Line Of Sight, Malice In The Palace, Most Precious Blood, Nails,Naysayer, No Zodiac, Power Trip, Protester, Red Death, Ringworm, Rude Awakening, Ruiner, Stand Off,Strength For A Reason, Strife, Ten Ton Hammer, Terror, This Is Hardcore Fest, Timebomb, True Love,Turning Point, Wisdom In Chains, World Be Free, Year Of The Knife, Youth of Today, Zao.

5. Migration Fest – August 12th – 14th

This is one of the new comers in the festival scene this year and they decided to start it big between the beautiful landscapes of Olympia, WA. Migration Fest emerged as the conception between two amazing labels, 20 Buck Spin and Gilead Media which decided to put together a fest comprised by the bands in their rosters, including Krallice, Vhol, Hell or Mournful Congregation. The hype doesn’t just stop there, as this will also host Panopticon’s first ever live performance and it promises to be a very special one. Tickets can be purchased here.

Lineup:

Krallice, Obsequiae, Kowloon Walled City, Khemmis, The Body & Krieg, Pale Chalice, Bell Witch, Anicon, Panopticon, Thou, Magic Circle, Christian Mistress, Fórn, Vastum, Nightfell, Yellow Eyes, Alaric, Acephalix, Yautja, Mournful Congregation, False, Hell, Vhol, Mutilation Rites, Mizmor, Full Of Hell, Auroch, Dead To A Dying World.

6. Gwar-B-Q – August 19th-21st

Gwar-B-Q isn’t necessarily a conventional festival with bands playing back to back, but it’s an event that contains everything you need to have a blast while listening to metal music. The event will consist on performances by the mighty Gwar, Lamb of God, Against Me!, Eyehategod and many others to be announced, but they’ll also be joined by the Summer Slaughter tour. If you live near Richmond, VA and want drinking, partying, metal and other debauchery, get your tickets here.

Lineup:

Cannibal Corpse, Nile, After The Burial, Suffocation, Carnifex, Revocation, Krisiun, Slaughter To Prevail, Ingested, Gwar, Lamb of God, Against Me!, Eyehategod, American Nightmare, Lagwagon, with more tba…

7. Full Terror Assault II – August 25th-27th.

Another young festival boosting the Illinois metal scene and promising to only go bigger from here is Full Terror Assault Open Air. After a successful first edition last year, the organizers decided to bring the festival to the mid-west once again with an even more ambitious lineup. Sacred Reich, Belphegor, Rotten Sound and Cephalic Carnage are some of the many great acts confirmed for the open air festival and you don’t want to miss it. Tickets are still available here. 

Lineup:

A Threat To The Enemy, Abigail Williams, Against The Grain, Aggravator, Airacobra, alustrium,Belphegor, Bleed The Victim, Blood Tribe, Blurring, Carpathian Funeral, Cognitive, Cross Examination,Detriment, Die Choking, DISMEMBERMENT, Divinity, Dying Fetus, Eat the Turnbuckle, Embalmer,Everything Went Black, Fister, Full Terror Assault, Gorgasm, Gutted Alive, Hammer Fight, Hate Unbound,Interment, KOZA, Lock Up, Lord Dying, Lucifist, Master, Mobile Deathcamp, NEVALRA, Organ Dealer,Origin Cephalic Carnage, Pale Horseman, Putrid Pile, Rotten Sound, S.N.A.F.U., Sacred Reich, Sacrificial Slaughter, Sexual Atrocities, Shining, Starkill, Stonecutters, Strong Intention, Sulaco, The Lion’s Daughter, The Mound Builders, ThorHammer, Venomus Concept, Waco Jesus

8.- Psycho Las Vegas – August 26th-28th.

If you’re a fan of stoner, doom or psychedelic music, Psycho Las Vegas got you covered. Last year, the festival took place in Santa Ana, CA but the organizers decided to meet everyone at a more fun place like Las Vegas, NV. The list of bands this year is immense but there are no fillers but great heavy shooters like Alice Cooper, Candlemass, Blue Oyster Cult, and Electric Wizard. There’s still time for you to make your plans and go to the sin city and enjoy this festival, all you have to do is get your tickets right here.

Lineup:

Alice Cooper, Electric Wizard, Drive Like Jehu, Blue Oyster Cult, Sleep , Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats , The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown , Baroness, Pentagram , Candlemass . Death, Truth And Janey, Converge , High On Fire, Budos Band , A Place To Bury Strangers, Wovenhand , Black Heart Procession , Fu Manchu , Boris , Down, Zombi , Colour Haze , Yob, Dead Meadow , Elder, Acid King , Danava, Subrosa, Midnight, Satan’s Satyrs, The Shrine , Jucifer, Bongripper, Blood Of The Sun, Oresund Space Collective , Mars Red Sky, Spelljammer , Belzebong , The Cosmic Dead, Tombstones , Lumerians, Asg, Saviours, A Storm Of Light , Death Alley, Tribulation, Lecherous Gaze, Dirty Streets, Ides Of Gemini, Goya, Spencer Moody Solo (Murder City Devils) , Witch Mountain, Has A Shadow , Ashbury , Crypt Sermon, Mondo Drag , Mantar , Valkyrie, Tales Of Murder And Dust, Shroud Eater, Crazy Bull , Demon Lung, Lopan, Fireball Ministry, Chrch , Behold The Monolith , Disenchanter , Cave Of Swimmers , Hornss , Carousel , Gozu, Flavor Crystals , Holy Grove , Beelzefuzz, Great Electric Quest , Family, Highlands, Lycus, The Company. Corvette, Washerwoman, The Rare Breed, Invdrs, Brian Posehn , Mudhoney, Fatso Jetson, Mothership, Golden Void, Electric Citizen, Mac Sabbath, Greenbeard.

Take a look at our 2nd part of our rock and metal festival guide here.