New England Metal and Hardcore Festival, Day 1 – September 21, 2024

After last year emerging from a hiatus, as strong as ever, New England Metal and Hardcore Festival again returned to the Worcester Palladium. With three stages, two outside, and one inside, dozens of bands were set to perform over this weekend. Saturday saw a day of constant rain, which while not canceling any performances, certainly impacted the feel of the festival. The indoor stage was completely packed with people avoiding the rain, while those who were waiting for their favorite bands on the mainstage got drenched. Due to the conditions, we only saw a few bands, but the ones we saw did not let the rain slow them down.

The night was headlined by Killswitch Engage, who were celebrating their 25th anniversary. Their set saw special appearances from former singer Howard Jones, who joined the band on a few songs as part of this celebration. Before their set, we got a fiery performance from Bay Area groove metal legends Machine Head, making their long awaited return to New England, after having to cancel their Boston performance due to sickness earlier this year.

Psycho Frame

Year of the Knife

Bleeding Through

Machine Head

Killswitch Engage