Hellfest 2017

Deep Purple

Deep Purple have emerged as a true institution of the British hard rock community. Formed in England in 1968, and releasing their debut album that year, the band have sold over 100 million albums worldwide. Iconic hits include 'Smoke On The Water', 'Highway Star', 'Space Truckin'', 'Hush' and 'My Woman From Tokyo', with albums such as Fireball, Machine Head and Made in Japan remaining classics decades after their release. Surviving almost limitless line-up changes, the current line-up - Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Ian Paice, Steve Morse and Don Airey - continues to release ground-breaking, earth-shattering rock of the highest calibre.

Aerosmith

Some things just get better with age, like fine wines and Aerosmith, who rock harder after 30 years of music-making than just about any band in the business.

Linkin Park

Californian nu-metallers, Linkin Park, were formed in 1996 and their debut album, 2000's Hybrid Theory, catapulted them into the mainstream, turning them into one of the world's most popular rock bands ever. Frontman Chester Bennington passed away in July 2017 at the age of 41.

Prophets Of Rage

Prophets of Rage is an American rap rock supergroup. Formed in 2016, the group consists of three members of Rage Against the Machine, two members of Public Enemy, and rapper B-Real of Cypress Hill.

Five Finger Death Punch

Formed in 2005 by Hungarian-born guitarist Zoltan Bathory, Five Finger Death Punch's was chosen as a nod to Hong-Kong Kung-Fu cinema. Topping online charts and playing sold out shows, Five Finger Death Punch have been confidently leading heavy music in the 21st century.

Slayer

The Grandaddies of Thrash are still going and are just as brutal as ever. Controversial from the word go, and as extreme as anything that had gone before, Slayer shook the metal world to its foundations in the 80s with a succession of intense, violent and hugely popular albums. Two decades later and Slayer are still one of the biggest draws on the metal circuit.

Rob Zombie

Founder of noise rock band White Zombie, Rob went solo in 1998 and has sold over fifteen million CDs worldwide to date. Not content to merely hijack the planet with his delightfully nefarious tunes, Rob has also directed numerous feature films, including his interpretation of John Carpenter's original cult horror 'Halloween' in 2007, 2004's essential 'House of 1000 Corpses and 2005's critically acclaimed 'The Devil's Rejects'.

Alter Bridge

After the break-up of Creed, three of its members (Mark Tremonti, Scott Phillips and Brian Marshall) returned with their new band Alter Bridge. They are augmented by singer Myles Kennedy, whose awesome vocal ability blends perfectly with the instrumental talents of the rest of the group. Whilst keeping an open mind about music, the four band members undoubtedly play to their strengths, delivering rock songs that are exciting and melodic in equal measure.

Sabaton

Grammy-nominated power metallers from Sweden, Sabaton base their lyrics on war and historical battles. Their ideas are drawn from World War I, World War II and other conflicts, with songs written about battles and leaders. Lead singer Joakim Brodén formed a new line-up of Sabaton, following the departure of most original members in 2012, and 2014 saw the fruits of the first new material under the line-up change. Long term fans need not worry though, 7th album 'Heroes' remains faithful to their original sound, with perhaps a slightly darker atmosphere and some amped-up heaviness.

Airbourne

Hailing from a tough Australian country town, these four boys have grown up with a healthy respect for the fine art that is foot to the floor rock n roll! Airbourne manage to call upon the spiritual substance of Thin Lizzy, the gritty pub-crawling vibe of Motörhead, the grandiose histrionic theatricality of Judas Priest, the unifying audience domination of Iron Maiden and the sharp bite of their fellow Australians in the legendary AC/DC.

In Flames

In a music scene full of seemingly endless subgenres and transient trends, In Flames are an example of what it means to steadfastly stay true to your vision. Since forming in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1990 the legendary melodic metal act have toured the planet countless times and influenced many of today's biggest metal acts without ever ceasing to push their own signature sound forward.

Steel Panther

Steel Panther are audacious frontman Michael Starr, who together with, Stix Zadinia on drums, Satchel on guitar and bassist Lexxi Foxxx, ignite audiences from every walk of life with their unbridled valentine that goes right for the jugular of the heavy metal repertoire. Since the year 2000, the four member band, known for their outrageous stage presence and gargantuan guitar riffs, have been entertaining fans and scores of rock and entertainment VIPs on the Sunset Strip with their raucous antics.

A Day To Remember

'Mixing death metal grunts with the brash melodies of pop-punk', ADTR formed in 2003 in Ocala, Florida, with a sound that cumulates in a combination of pop-punk, emo and metalcore.

Ministry

For two decades Ministry mainstays Al Jourgensen and Paul Barker have been stomping down listener's definitions of meaningless terms 'extreme' and 'intense'. Their corrosive discography has earned them acclaim from a wide cross-section of fans, ranging from aggressive alt-rock fans, electronic music aficionados, the head banging cognoscenti, Chicago house music producers attempting to appropriate their drum samples, and one William Burroughs.

Saxon

After more than 35 years and 13 million albums sold worldwide, Saxon are still relentless and passionate as they were back in the days of 'Wheels of Steel' and 'Denim and Leather'. The influential heavy metal outfit has been an inspiration for the likes of Metallica and Megadeth and a front-runner for the New Wave of British Heavy Metal sweeping the nation in the late 70s-early 80s.

W.A.S.P.

Enigmatic rock act fronted by singer, guitarist and main composer Blackie Lawless, W.A.S.P. emerged from the '80s LA rock scene combining shock-rock lyrics and live performances with a heavy sound which appeal to metal fans across the globe.

Apocalyptica

Apocalyptica is a Finnish cello metal band from Helsinki, Finland, formed in 1993. Originally a Metallica classical tribute band, the band eventually adopted a neoclassical metal style without the use of conventional guitars. They have sold over four million albums to date.

Kreator

Kreator are a German thrash metal band from Essen, formed in 1982. They have been referred to as one of the 'big 4' of Teutonic thrash metal, alongside Destruction, Sodom and Tankard.

Emperor

Revered Norwegian black metal innovators originally formed in 1991. The band dissolved in 2001, but reunited from 2005 to 2007 for a few festival dates and brief US tours, and once again be reuniting for a very select number of major shows in 2014.

Devin Townsend

Canadian artist who describes his music as 'speed metal pop songs' combining the use of brutal drumming with broad, atmospheric melodies and open repetition.

Ugly Kid Joe

The platinum selling rockers who received massive mainstream success with the hits “Everything About You” and “Cats in the Cradle” reformed in 2010, and have been wowing audiences ever since with their incendiary live performances. Asked what to expect on this tour, frontman Whitfield Crane simply states “You can expect a kick ass rock n roll show!”

Evergrey

Sweden's kings of morose metal with a sound that is distinctly their own.

The Dead Daisies

Influenced by 70’s and early 80’s rock, The Dead Daisies sound is soulful and accessible – equal parts of Aerosmith, Bad Company and Foreigner: muscular vocals, bluesy riffs, big choruses, powerful melodies and strong hooks. With stellar musicianship and pulverizing live shows, fans worldwide are discovering the band that is bringing back Rock & Roll! The band features in their ranks some of the finest Rockers on the planet, among them one of the premier lead guitarists of this day and age, Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake, Dio). He completes a powerhouse lineup consisting of charismatic singer John Corabi (Mötley Crüe, The Scream), well travelled bassist Marco Mendoza (Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake), the drumming powerhouse of Brian Tichy (Ozzy Osbourne, Foreigner) and bringing the thunder from down under, Australian rhythm guitarist David Lowy (Red Phoenix, Mink).

Wakrat

Notorious for his infamous bass lines in Rage Against The Machine, Tim Commerford fronts Wakrat (pronounced wo?k•rat) on vocals and bass over a tight mix of punchy, rhythmic and dynamic punk rock, fuelled by political dissent, social commentary and an undiminished subversion and questioning of authority.

Ill Nino

Reigning from New Jersey / New York, Ill Niño are a force to be reckoned with. Their 2001 album 'Revolution Revolucion' marked what was the beginning for these founding fathers of Latin metal. 'Latin angst and supremely angry soul collide head-on with driving guitars, unrelenting percussion and Flamenco guitar-led melodies that alternately soothe and draw blood.'

Of Mice & Men

Southern California rockers founded by Austin Carlile, taking their name from the John Steinbeck novel and film. Their breakthrough 2nd album, 2011's The Flood, reached no.28 on the Billboard Top 200 and garnered praise from the New York Times, Rock Sound, Alternative Press, and more. With sales exceeding 125,000, The Flood remains one of the most successful releases in 22 years on Rise Records. This metalcore collective have been compared in style to the Deftones, Disturbed and Slipknot.

Devildriver

Hailing from Santa Barbara, USA, Devildriver is a heavy metal band featuring lead vocalist Dez Fafara from Coal Chamber. Devildriver rock as brutally as ever, with the rhythm section of drummer John Boecklin and bassist Jon Miller pummeling the listener into submission. While the guitar tag-team of Jeff Kendrick and Mike Spreitzer let fly with one nasty riff and incendiary solo after another.

Motionless In White

While their hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania is mostly known in popular culture for being perfectly mundane, gothic metalcore band Motionless in White make music that's anything but tame. Blending the raw fury of metalcore with the dramatic atmospherics of goth-metal and industrial, the band has cultivated a dark and moody sound that owes as much to Type O Negative as it does to Slayer. Emerging in 2010, the group entered the mainstream four years later with the release of their third studio LP Reincarnate, which debuted at number nine the Billboard Top 200.

Betraying The Martyrs

Betraying The Martyrs are a hardcore / metal band based out of Paris, France and feature members from France, Russia and the UK, which adds a unique dynamic to their songwriting. Their stunning debut offering, Breathe In Life, saw them make a huge impact throughout North America touring relentlessly on such high profile tours as RockStar Mayhem Fest and AllStars, amongst a slew of other club treks. There are few bands within the scene that can match BTM's energy and intensity live and the new material is tailored made to their live performance.

The Devil Wears Prada

The Devil Wears Prada are a Christian metalcore 6-piece from Ohio. Denying they named themselves after the film title, lead singer Mike Hranica said "We believe it to mean that possessions don't matter at all. When standing before God, he won't care about your sweet Prada scarf or Gucci shoes or whatever. It's a Christian reasoning for the name." The band are one of the most potent and powerful bands in modern American metal, combining technical metal, hardcore and infectious melodies with ever engaging live shows.

Northlane

Northlane are an Australian metalcore band from Sydney, formed in 2009. The band comprises guitarists Jon Deiley and Josh Smith, bassist Alex Milovic, drummer Nic Pettersen and vocalist Marcus Bridge. 'Parkway Drive's successors as kings of Aussie metal may have just been discovered' Rock Sound

Animals As Leaders

Animals As Leaders are revered worldwide as a trailblazing pioneer of modern heavy music. The Washington DC group's genre-defying compositions have earned extensive praise, with Steve Vai calling them "the future of creative, heavy virtuoso guitar playing". The diversity of their music has enabled them to tour with a wide variety of acts, including Deftones, Underoath, Circa Survive, BTBAM, The Dillinger Escape Plan, The Faceless, Thursday, Dredg and, on the 2010 Summer Slaughter tour, even Decapitated.

SHVPES

A five piece melodic post hardcore / metal band from Birmingham who formed in late 2009. "The band’s sound is shaped by a love of big, stadium-filling mid-00s metalcore and big, riff-y modern hardcore. Their base sound is a mix of peak Bullet For My Valentine, Stray From The Path, and While She Sleeps, which is to say it’s filled to the brim with metallic glory. Vocalist Griffin Dickinson (son of Iron Maiden’s vocalist) deserves a lot of credit here. His screams are impassioned and impressive" - New Noise Magazine.

Jared James Nichols

This Wisconsin-born, Los Angeles-based singer, writer and guitarist channels blues grit and gusto through bombastic arena-size rock 'n' roll. It's raw, raucous and righteously real.

Inglorious

Inglorious are five young men with a mutual love and respect of the classics of Hard Rock music, big guitar riffs, and soulful vocals. Their influences stem from iconic Rock albums from the 1970s – many years before the band members were born! The same albums that have inspired generations of musicians and performers are noticeably evident when you listen to Inglorious. This is the music they were born to play together - inspired by bands in the classic rock genre as diverse as Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Whitesnake, Bad Company, and Aerosmith. Formed in February 2014, the band is fronted by Nathan James, who made a name for himself having sung for the multi-platinum selling Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and Scorpions guitar legend Uli Jon Roth. Nathan was looking for like-minded musicians that desired to make incredible rock music in a very honest fashion.

Opeth

A perfect mix of several metal styles, with progressive and death metal cited as the most important. Formed in 1990, Opeth have had several radical lineup changes, with Mikael Akerfeldt as the consistent frontman throughout. Opeth are most famed for the heartfelt and poetic nature of their songs, and the influences that come from jazz and blues as well as the overt death metal foundation upon which the band is built.

Obituary

Death metal legends from Florida.

Alestorm

Formed in 2006, Alestorm hail from eastern Scotland and describe their sound as "true Scottish pirate metal", playing an infextious blend of folk and power metal in the vein of bands such as Korpiklaani and Turisas, but with a unique piratical twist.

Behemoth

Polish death metallers Behemoth have been important figures in the Polish extreme metal underground since 1991. No strangers to controversy, the band have been banned in Russia for their alleged Satanic lyrical content. However, following a petition granting a right to free speech, the band are freely allowed to play in their native Poland. Primarily regarded as a death metal outfit, Behemoth also take in Middle-Eastern influences and experiment with multi-layered vocals.

Wardruna

Wardruna use the oldest of Nordic instruments and poetic metres. They carefully weave the elements of traditional Norse folk and ambient song into a rich musical landscape. Drawing inspiration in equal part from folklore and ancient runes, Wardruna's music is as powerful as it is unique.

Metal Church

Metal Church was an American heavy metal band who originally formed in Seattle, Washington as Shrapnel in 1980. Metal Church was formed when the thrash metal genre was still evolving. Lyrically, the band's themes are usually dark, with early topics such as conflict and fear expanding to philosophical and social commentary later on. After releasing five full-length albums and touring extensively throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Metal Church disbanded in 1994, but decided to re-form four years later. Having endured numerous lineup changes since, they worked with their third vocalist, and have released four more studio albums and one live album.

Alcest

This French band play 'music from another world, a world that is real, but that exists beyond ours and cannot be grasped by our senses. A world where all appearances - trees, glades, streams - emit a pearly light and where a faraway and celestial music fills the air like sweet perfume.'

Perturbator

Perturbator is the pseudonym of James Kent, an electronic / synthwave musician from Paris, France. He has a background as a guitar player in several black metal bands

Belphegor

Hate Eternal

Guitarist Erik Rutan (Ripping Corpse and Morbid Angel) with his newest assemblage of death metal unstoppability. Having spent the majority of his career solely as a guitarist, Rutan has given in to his strong desire to step up to the mic with his brutal vocals, and mobilised an outfit that would truly represent his own ideas creating a massive force of devastating death metal with a lineup that is untouchable.

Decapitated

Decapitated was founded in Krosno, Poland, in 1996 at the tender age of 14, and already with a view to taking Death Metal to the next level with progression and flawless technique as their motives. In 2002 they realised this dream with the release of 'Nihility', hailed as a truly creative death metal album that followed international tours and a deal with Wicked World/Earache. Since then, Decapitated have been hailed worldwide as one of few genuinely innovative Death Metal bands.

Chelsea Grin

Heavy metal from Salt Lake City, Chelsea Grin are Alex Koehler (vocals), Michael Stafford (guitars), Jack Harmond (guitars), Dan Jones (guitars), David Flinn (bass) and Andrew Carlston (drums). The band started in high school inspired by Whitechapel, Emmure, and Job For A Cowboy, among others.

Hirax

A legendary thrash metal band from Los Angeles.

Primitive Man

'Death sludge doom gaze' from Denver, Colorado. Colorado’s Primitive Man was formed in February of 2012 by Ethan Lee McCarthy, Jonathan Campos, and Bennet Kennedy. They unleashed a filthy, malignant maelstrom of blackened doom on their debut album ‘Scorn. Thrillingly misanthropic in their approach, Primitive Man drench their post-apocalyptic vision of the world in waves of feedback, pummeling guitars and hopelessly frightening vocals.

Regarde Les Hommes Tomber

A black metal / sludge / post-hardcore band from Nantes, France.