Matt: The two times I’ve been to New England Metalfest (2012 and 2014) spawned many a great memory from larger than life performances, meeting metal musicians, and alcohol-fueled goofiness. To pin down one favorite moment from such an esteemed festival is hard, but the one that stands most memorable in my mind is the return of Killswitch Engage in 2012. Three days of performances that kept building upon each other with each band blowing up the stage led to the closing band that everyone had been waiting for. The fact that Killswitch was performing without iconic frontman Howard Jones was already enough to bring up question of how the band would do, but the return of Jesse Leach got more than a buzz going.

Of course, the band did not disappoint. The energy was intense, bodies flew everywhere, and the band was going absolutely nuts. I can’t say I’ve ever seen so many people hyped for a band. Electrifying is probably the best way to describe it. And Leach was in top form, performing even the Jones songs as if he’d been a part of writing them himself. It was a triumphant return for Killswitch and certainly one of the most memorable moments from any year of the festival.

[Photo: Jeremy Saffer]