Last weekend marked the 15th installment of New England Metal & Hardcore Fest in Worcester, MA, and as expected, it was nothing short of barely-controlled mayhem. This year felt especially topical, with the manhunt for the Boston Marathon bombing suspects coming to a head just hours before Friday’s kickoff. The outlet that heavy music provides never felt more important, and when Hatebreed dedicated “Honor Never Dies” to the city of Boston Friday night, the resulting devastation in the mosh pit was instantly part of Palladium legend.
Friday and Saturday both delivered and exceeded our expectations. And while we couldn’t field a full army on the ground for Sunday, Maclyn Bean’s photos of this 3-day unofficial kickoff to festival season for metal in America are just as vibrant and vivid as what we saw there. Check out a handful of Bean’s shots taken during this year’s New England Metal & Hardcore Fest (including sets from Anthrax, Opeth, Hatebreed, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Suicidal Tendencies, Every Time I Die, and much more) below.
[check out even more photos from the festival here]
