Last year’s Scion Rock Fest took people by surprise – a well-run festival featuring a stellar lineup (Mastodon, Neurosis, High on Fire) of bands that was completely free for all attendees. This year it’s back, in a completely different city with a completely different lineup and four times the venues of last year – but still for free. And where last year’s Fest featured a more  hipster metal-ish lineup, this year’s is augmented by some classic metal, hardcore and grindcore, with Cannibal Corpse, D.R.I. and Brutal Truth  among the headliners. And while last year’s was in Atlanta, this year’s is in the equally exotic locale of Columbus, OH. Read on:

On March 13, 2010, Scion Rock Fest will take over Columbus, Ohio. This year, 24 metal bands will descend on four different venues. The powerful lineup includes metal institutions Cannibal Corpse and Voivod, as well as supergroup Shrinebuilder and the recently reunited D.R.I. Though Rock Fest features an impressive list of legends, there will also be performances by rising stars like Liturgy and Landmine Marathon, plus local Columbus bands Dead Sea and Struck by Lightning. And the entire concert is free when you RSVP at scion.com/rock.

We can tell you this much: like last year’s Fest, we WILL have tickets to give away starting next month. If you’re in the Midwest, you have no reason not to travel to this. Full lineup and more details after the jump.