Hellfest was an American all-ages

music festival A music festival is a community event with performances of singing and instrument playing that is often presented with a theme such as musical genre (e.g., rock, blues, folk, jazz, classical music), nationality, locality of musicians, or h ...

that existed between 1997 and 2005. The festival showcased

hardcore Hardcore, hard core or hard-core may refer to: Arts and media Film * ''Hardcore'' (1977 film), a British comedy film * ''Hardcore'' (1979 film), an American crime drama film starring George C Scott * ''Hardcore'' (2001 film), a British documen ...

music in its broadest sense, including punk rock,

metalcore Metalcore (also known as metallic hardcore) is a fusion music genre that combines elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. As with other styles blending metal and hardcore, such as crust punk and grindcore, metalcore is noted for its use of ...

emo Emo is a rock music genre characterized by emotional, often confessional lyrics. It emerged as a style of and hardcore punk from the Washington D.C. hardcore punk scene, where it was known as emotional hardcore or emocore and pioneered b ...

post-hardcore Post-hardcore is a punk rock music genre that maintains the aggression and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of creative expression. It was initially inspired by post-punk and noise rock. Like post-punk, the term has been ...

and more. It originated in

Central New York Central New York is the central region of New York State, including the following counties and cities: With a population of about 773,606 (2009) and an area of , the region includes the Syracuse metropolitan area. Definitions The New York ...

, in and around

Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York **North Syracuse, New York *Syracuse, Indiana * Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, Miss ...

, but eventually relocated to

Central New Jersey Central Jersey is the central region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The designation of Central New Jersey is a distinct administrative toponym. Geographic area and descriptions While the State of New Jersey is often divided into North and ...

during its final years. Hellfest was known for its fan-friendly atmosphere, including a lack of barriers that provided easy access to the stage for

stage diving Stage diving is the act of leaping from a concert stage onto the crowd below, which occasionally causes serious injuries. It is often the precursor to crowd surfing. Long before the word was invented, public stagediving took place during the fir ...

and

sing-along Sing-along, also called community singing or group singing, is an event of singing together at gatherings or parties, less formally than choir singing. One can use a songbook. Common genres are folk songs, patriotic songs, kids' songs, spiritual ...

s. It also encouraged social-awareness through workshops that discussed such causes as

animal rights Animal rights is the philosophy according to which many or all sentient animals have moral worth that is independent of their utility for humans, and that their most basic interests—such as avoiding suffering—should be afforded the sa ...

LGBTQ ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is a ...

and politics, with many of its bands and attendees following

straight-edge Straight edge (sometimes abbreviated sXe or signified by XXX or X) is a subculture of hardcore punk whose adherents refrain from using alcohol, tobacco, and other recreational drugs, in reaction to the excesses of punk subculture. For some, thi ...

and/or

vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter. Vegetarianism m ...

vegan Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal product—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan. Di ...

lifestyles. Not unlike many festivals of its size, Hellfest encountered several problems, notably the changing venues mere days before starting. This was the case for 1999's Syracuse Hell Fest 99, 2000's Hellfest 2K, 2001's Hellfest 2001 and 2005's Hellfest '05. The relocation caused an entire day to be missed of the 2000 edition, while the 2005 edition was cancelled altogether. The considerable financial dilemma that resulted from the 2005 event's cancellation led to the termination of the festival.

History and etymology

Co-promoter Josh Grabelle, who was also a sponsor of the festival through his record label

Trustkill Records Trustkill Records was an American independent record label that started as a hardcore punk fanzine in April 1993. It started releasing hardcore, metal and rock records and merchandise in 1994. In 2010, the president of Trustkill, Josh Grabelle ...

, claimed in 2001 that the event was named ''Hellfest'' because "''This festival has always been the first weekend in July and it is always extremely HOT, hence, the reference to the blazing inferno known as Hell''". This explanation, though inaccurate, has since become

de facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...

, even though Grabelle was not involved with the early years of the festival. The factual reason behind the naming of the festival was linked to founding promoter Keith Allen's concert booking agency, Hardcore As Hell. Allen and his partner Ryan Canavan had been booking and promoting concerts in the Syracuse, New York area since 1996. Canavan also had his own booking agency, Hanging Like A Hex, which gave name to a

fanzine A fanzine (blend word, blend of ''fan (person), fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''-zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by fan (person), enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) ...

that he published and, later, the record label Hex Records. Canavan's fanzine ''Hanging Like a Hex'' published the first festival's guide/pamphlet as issue number 7.5. Allen and Canavan co-booked the first three festivals: the first event in 1997 was promoted as Syracuse 3-Day Super Festival; the two events in 1998 were promoted as Syracuse Hardcore Festival and Syracuse Hardcore Festival 2.5. It was only with the fourth event in 1999, once Allen became sole promoter, that the word ''hell'' was added to the name and the event was promoted as Syracuse Hell Fest 99. The single-word ''Hellfest'' was first used for the 2000 edition as Hellfest 2K. Allen was also keen on booking his own bands (Order of Deceit, The August Prophecy,

Found Dead Hanging Architect (formerly known as Found Dead Hanging and briefly as Ghost of the Saltwater Machine) is an American political mathcore band from Syracuse, New York, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The band featured vocalist Keith Allen ...

and

Architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

) in favorable time slots. For Hellfest 2004, Allen relocated the festival from New York to New Jersey, forming a new partnership corporation. Paper Street Music Co. LLC was co-founded by Allen, Shawn Van Der Poel and Heath Miller and was based in Mount Holly, New Jersey.

Hellfest lineups by year

June 20–22, 1997: Syracuse 3-Day Super Festival

Location: Hungry Charley's, 727 South Crouse Avenue, Syracuse, New York.

Friday, June 20

* 454 Big Block *

Cast Iron Hike Cast Iron Hike was an American punk rock band from Clinton, Massachusetts, United States. History Cast Iron Hike was formed after the breakup of Worcester hardcore band Backbone, and featured that group's drummer (Dave Green) and guitarist (Chr ...

* Dirge * Dissolve *

Snapcase Snapcase was an American hardcore punk band from Buffalo, New York. Their records were released on the Chicago record label Victory Records. During the course of the band's initial run of fourteen years, they released six studio albums before ...

* Sweetbelly Freakdown *

Ten Yard Fight Ten Yard Fight was an American straight edge, football-themed band formed in 1995 in Boston. Along with In My Eyes and Floorpunch, they spearheaded the youth crew revival in 1997. Ten Yard Fight's "official" last show was in Boston on Octobe ...

Saturday, June 21

* Beta Minus Mechanic *

Bird of Ill Omen Damien Zev Moyal (born September 25, 1976) is an American vocalist, lyricist, musician, songwriter and designer. Originally from Amstelveen, North Holland, Netherlands, he moved to the United States as a child and grew up in Miami, Florida wher ...

* Burial Ground *

Coalesce Coalesce may refer to: *Coalesce (band), a metalcore band from Kansas City, Missouri, active from 1994 to 1999, 2005– **Coalesce discography, a list of Coalesce's albums and songs * COALESCE, an SQL function *Null coalescing operator, a binary o ...

Culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups.Tyl ...

* Handful of Dust * Indecision * Lockjaw *

Morning Again Morning Again is an American metalcore band from Florida. They were known for their metallic sound as well as for their straight edge, vegan, anti-religious and anti-government ideals. The band was a "sister band" to Culture, often switching m ...

* Order of Deceit * Silent Majority * Today Is the Day

Sunday, June 22

* Another Victim * Ascension * Birthright *

* * Day of Suffering * Despair * Drowning Room * Endeavor *

Frodus Frodus (a.k.a. Frodus Conglomerate International, Frodus Sound Laboratories, FCI, Frodus Escape Plan, Frodus Deposit Insurance Corporation) was an American post-hardcore band formed in 1993 in Washington, D.C. by vocalist/guitarist Shelby Cinca ...

* Ground Zero *

Hatebreed Hatebreed is an American hardcore band from Bridgeport, Connecticut, formed in 1994. The band released its debut album '' Satisfaction is the Death of Desire'' in 1997, which gave the band a cult following. The band signed to Universal Records ...

* One to Face * Tread

Notes

* Culture performed their regular set on June 21, then played a 1-song set on June 22 using Hatebreed's gear. The Earth Crisis side-project Brown Stars was scheduled to make a special, unlisted appearance on Sunday, June 22, but backed out the day before, leading local band Tread to be added to the line-up.

June 13–14, 1998: Syracuse Hardcore Festival

Location: Cornell Cooperative Extension, 248 Grant Avenue, Auburn, New York.

Saturday, June 13

Anal Cunt Anal Cunt, also known as AxCx and A.C., was an American grindcore band that formed in Newton, Massachusetts, in 1988. From its inception, the band underwent a number of line-up changes and never had a bass player. The band, known for its flippan ...

Boysetsfire boysetsfire is an American post-hardcore band from Newark, Delaware. Formed in October 1994, boysetsfire is composed of guitarists Chad Istvan and Josh Latshaw, vocalist Nathan Gray, and bassists Chris Rakus and Robert Ehrenbrand. Lyrical theme ...

* Break of Dawn *

Buried Alive Premature burial, also known as live burial, burial alive, or vivisepulture, means to be buried while still alive. Animals or humans may be buried alive accidentally on the mistaken assumption that they are dead, or intentionally as a form of t ...

* Dissolve * Dragbody * Holdstrong *

Overcast Overcast or overcast weather, as defined by the World Meteorological Organization, is the meteorological condition of clouds obscuring at least 95% of the sky. However, the total cloud cover must not be entirely due to obscuring phenomena near t ...

* Quioxte * Shutdown * Still Bleeding * The Trans Megetti * Turmoil

Sunday, June 14

* 6 Going on 7 * Brother's Keeper *

Cave In Cave In is an American rock band that formed in 1995 in Methuen, Massachusetts. The band's lineup solidified with the 1998 release of ''Until Your Heart Stops'' through Hydra Head Records, and their early albums were prominent in the metalcore ...

* Creation Is Crucifixion * Defect *

The Dillinger Escape Plan The Dillinger Escape Plan was an American metalcore band. The band was formed in 1997 in Morris Plains, New Jersey by guitarist Ben Weinman, bassist Adam Doll, vocalist Dimitri Minakakis, and drummer Chris Pennie. The band's use of odd time sign ...

* Disembodied * Errortype: Eleven * Human Shield *

Kerosene 454 Kerosene 454 was a punk rock band from Washington, D.C. They formed in 1992. The core of the group, brothers John and Jim Wall along with Erik Denno, went through a number of drummers before hooking up with Darren Zentek in time to record their ...

NORA Nora, NORA, or Norah may refer to: * Nora (name), a feminine given name People with the surname * Arlind Nora (born 1980), Albanian footballer * Pierre Nora (born 1931), French historian Places Australia * Norah Head, New South Wales, headlan ...

Racetraitor Racetraitor is an American hardcore punk band originally from Chicago, Illinois. The band attracted controversy in the late 1990s, before any releases, as a result of their radical take on racial politics, which focused on ideas like systemic ra ...

* Set in Motion * SeventyEightDays *

Thoughts of Ionesco Thoughts of Ionesco was a Detroit-based post-hardcore band extant 1996–1999 known for detuned guitars, screamed vocals, complex arrangements, improvisational sections inspired by free jazz, and their destructive live performances. Background ...

* Torn Apart

December 5–6, 1998: Syracuse Hardcore Festival 2.5

Location: The Lost Horizon, 5863 Thompson Road, Syracuse, New York.

Saturday, December 5

* Acacia * Ascension * All Else Failed *

* Creation Is Crucifixion * Crossthread * Dead Eyes Under * The Grey A.M. * Ground Zero * Motive * The Passenger Train Proposal *

Piebald A piebald or pied animal is one that has a pattern of unpigmented spots (white) on a pigmented background of hair, feathers or scales. Thus a piebald black and white dog is a black dog with white spots. The animal's skin under the white backgro ...

Shadows Fall Shadows Fall is an American metalcore band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1996. Although Shadows Fall has experienced several line-up changes, for most of its recording career, Shadows Fall has been composed of Jon Donais (lead guitar, ...

Skycamefalling Skycamefalling are an American metalcore band from Long Island, New York. Formed in 1996, the band released three EPs and one full-length album from 1996 to 2003. After going through several lineup changes (mainly several drummers and bassists), ...

Sunday, December 6

* Alabama Thunder Pussy * Burn it Down *

Burn the Priest ''Burn the Priest'' is the debut studio album by the American heavy metal band Burn the Priest. The album was released on April 4, 1999 by Legion Records. It was the band's only release before being re-named to Lamb of God until the release of ...

* Disembodied *

Drowningman Drowningman is an American hardcore punk band from Burlington, Vermont, which was active from 1995 to 2005. Formed in the fall of 1995 by Simon Brody, Denny Donovan, Javin Leonard, Dave Barnett and Todd Tomlinson, the band was heavily influenced ...

* For the Love of... *

God Forbid God Forbid is an American heavy metal band formed in East Brunswick, New Jersey in 1996. History Early career (1999-2004) Building up a following in the late 1990s by touring with bands such as GWAR, Nile, Cradle of Filth and Candiria, God Fo ...

* Good Clean Fun * Indecision *

Isis Isis (; ''Ēse''; ; Meroitic: ''Wos'' 'a''or ''Wusa''; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎, romanized: ʾs) was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingd ...

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

Notes

This was the only time that the festival held an event during the autumn.

June 26–27, 1999: Syracuse Hell Fest 99

Location: The Lost Horizon, 5863 Thompson Road, Syracuse, New York.

Saturday, June 26

As Friends Rust As Friends Rust is an American melodic hardcore band based in Gainesville, Florida. The original line-up, which included vocalist Damien Moyal, guitarist Henry Olmino, bass guitarist Jeronimo Gomez and drummer Matthew Crum, formed in Davie, Fl ...

* Creation Is Crucifixion * Eternal Youth * Fastbreak *

Reach the Sky Reach the Sky was an American hardcore punk band from Boston, Massachusetts, United States. History Reach the Sky formed in 1997, and they released two EPs in 1999; their debut full-length, ''So Far From Home'', followed on Victory Records late ...

* Since the Fall *

* Standfast *

Where Fear and Weapons Meet Where Fear and Weapons Meet was a hardcore punk band from South Florida. The group's first EP appeared in 1998; they followed it with a full-length in 1999, both on Revelation Records, and won nationwide exposure. They then released a split with ...

Sunday, June 27

* Another Victim * Break of Dawn * Brother's Keeper * Disembodied *

* Fallout *

Glasseater Glasseater was a post-hardcore band from Miami, Florida. The band formed in 1998 as a duo, eventually expanding to a quintet. History The band signed to Matt Fox's record label Ides of March in 1999, releasing their debut album ''Miles Ahead ...

* Good Clean Fun *

Grade Grade most commonly refers to: * Grade (education), a measurement of a student's performance * Grade, the number of the year a student has reached in a given educational stage * Grade (slope), the steepness of a slope Grade or grading may also ref ...

* * Grey Area * The Judas Factor * Spread the Disease

Notes

* Grade were scheduled to play but did not due to an incident with a taser. The following bands may have also played:

Eighteen Visions Eighteen Visions is an American metalcore band from Orange County, California, formed in October 1995. The band broke up in April 2007, less than a year after their major label debut was released through Epic and Trustkill Records. After ove ...

, Fall Silent, Kid Dynamite, Kill the Slave Master,

One King Down One King Down was a straight edge hardcore punk, hardcore band from Albany, New York, that recorded and performed from 1994 until 2001. Background One King Down played crunchy, danceable metalcore heavily influenced by such scene contemporari ...

and

. Originally scheduled to take place at Another Level, 727 South Crouse Avenue, but it was moved to The Lost Horizon.

June 30–July 2, 2000: Hellfest 2K

Locations: The Lost Horizon, 5863 Thompson Road, Syracuse, New York / Club Mirage, 6815 Manlius Center Road, East Syracuse, New York.

Friday, June 30 *

* Burn It Down *

Candiria Candiria are an American progressive metal band from Brooklyn, New York. Formed in 1992, the band was part of the second wave of New York hardcore, but subsequently expanded its performance to also play jazz, hip hop and progressive rock. The ...

Codeseven Codeseven was formed in 1995 as a melodic hardcore band in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Their first "official" release (their actual first release was called ''Paper or Plastic'' 996 released through a small Winston-Salem-based label called H ...

* Creation Is Crucifixion *

Disciple A disciple is a follower and student of a mentor, teacher, or other figure. It can refer to: Religion * Disciple (Christianity), a student of Jesus Christ * Twelve Apostles of Jesus, sometimes called the Twelve Disciples * Seventy disciples in t ...

* Dissolve *

Ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...

* Godbelow * Gunmen and Flightpaths *

The Juliana Theory The Juliana Theory is an American Rock music, rock duo from Greensburg, Pennsylvania, Greensburg and Latrobe, Pennsylvania, Latrobe, Pennsylvania, United States. They signed to Tooth & Nail Records, and later to Epic Records for the release of the ...

Kill Your Idols Kill Your Idols is an American hardcore punk band from New York, active from 1995 through 2007 and again from 2013 to the present. They were signed to SideOneDummy Records. Their releases on SideOne were Funeral for a Feeling (2001), a split w ...

* Maharahj * The National Acrobat *

* Zao

Saturday, July 1

Adamantium Adamantium is a fictional metal alloy appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and in various games in the Elder Scrolls franchise. It is best known as the substance bonded to the character Wolverine's skeleton and claws. In ...

Bane Bane may refer to: Fictional characters * Bane (DC Comics), an adversary of Batman * Bane (''Harry Potter''), a centaur in the ''Harry Potter'' series * Bane (''The Matrix''), a character in the ''Matrix'' film trilogy * Bane the Druid, a Gu ...

* The August Prophecy *

* Beyond Fall * Bloodjinn *

Converge Converge may refer to: * Converge (band), American hardcore punk band * Converge (Baptist denomination), American national evangelical Baptist body * Limit (mathematics) * Converge ICT, internet service provider in the Philippines *CONVERGE CFD s ...

Death by Stereo Death by Stereo (also referred to as D.B.S.) is an American hardcore punk band formed in Orange County, California circa 1998 by frontman Efrem Schulz. They are well known for their energetic performances and intricate guitar work. Their name ...

* Dragbody *

* Good Clean Fun * Head On * Idle Hands *

Killswitch Engage Killswitch Engage is an American metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1999 after the disbanding of Overcast (band), Overcast and Aftershock. Killswitch Engage's current lineup consists of vocalist Jesse Leach, guitarists Joe ...

* Mid Carson July * Prayer for Cleansing *

* Red Roses for a Blue Lady *

Time in Malta Time in Malta follows Central European Time (CET), which is one hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Malta observes daylight saving time from the last Sunday in March until the last Sunday in October. Europe/Malta is the only IANA time ...

* Walls of Jericho

Sunday, July 2

* All Else Failed *

Anodyne An anodyne is a drug used to lessen pain through reducing the sensitivity of the brain or nervous system. The term was common in medicine before the 20th century, but such drugs are now more often known as analgesics or painkillers. The term ''a ...

* Brother's Keeper * Crucible * Destro * Diecast *

Every Time I Die Every Time I Die was an American metalcore band from Buffalo, New York, formed in 1998. For most of the band's career, the line-up was centred on brothers Keith (vocals) and Jordan Buckley (guitar), as well as rhythm guitarist Andy Williams wi ...

* The Grey A.M. *

The Hope Conspiracy The Hope Conspiracy is an American hardcore punk band from Boston formed in late 1999. They were picked up by Equal Vision Records and Bridge 9 Records before signing a deal with Deathwish Records. Biography With the help of Mark Thompson of ...

* New Day Rising *

* Poison the Well *

Shai Hulud Shai Hulud is an American metalcore band formed in Pompano Beach, Florida, in 1995, and later based in Poughkeepsie, New York. The band is named after the giant sandworms in Frank Herbert's novel ''Dune''. The two mainstay members of Shai Hul ...

* Spark Lights the Friction *

Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 to the Rolls-Royce Griff ...

* Starkweather *

This Day Forward This Day Forward was a Philadelphia-area band active from 1996 to 2003 whose style varied from metalcore to post-hardcore with indie rock influences. History The band was formed in 1997 in the Philadelphia suburbs by brothers Mike and Gary ...

* Throwdown * Turmoil *

Twelve Tribes The Twelve Tribes of Israel ( he, שִׁבְטֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל, translit=Šīḇṭēy Yīsrāʾēl, lit=Tribes of Israel) are, according to Hebrew scriptures, the descendants of the biblical patriarch Jacob, also known as Israel, throu ...

Notes

* The festival was initially scheduled to take place at the Booker T. Washington Community Center in Auburn, New York. On Thursday, June 29, the city of Auburn objected to the festival taking place so the organizers secured a second venue near

Syracuse Hancock International Airport Syracuse Hancock International Airport is a joint civil–military airport five miles (8 km) northeast of downtown Syracuse, New York, and south of Watertown. Operated by the Syracuse Department of Aviation, it is located off Interstate 81, ne ...

in Syracuse, New York. On the morning of Friday, June 30, the fire department objected to the festival because it was too close to the airport. The event was moved again to The Lost Horizon but this time the city of Syracuse objected to the festival taking place. The bands and record labels set up a hardcore flea market in the parking lot of The Lost Horizon to sell merchandise, meanwhile Maharahj and Creation Is Crucifixion performed in a local girl named Emily's front yard down the street. The organizers spent the day finding a new venue and re-booking most of the bands from Friday, June 30 into the next two days. The Saturday, July 1 and Sunday, July 2 shows took place at Club Mirage in East Syracuse.

July 6–8, 2001: Hellfest 2001

Location: Action Sports & Skate Center, 2299 Brewerton Road, in Mattydale, New York

Friday, July 6

= Main Stage

= *

* Godbelow * Good Clean Fun * Just Passed * Locked in a Vacancy *

Long Since Forgotten Long Since Forgotten is an American band from Syracuse, New York. History Long Since Forgotten formed in 1999 by brothers Josh and Caleb Coy along with Jeff French in Phoenix, NY, who self-released a full-length album, ''In All Honesty'', and an ...

Martyr A.D. Martyr A.D. is an American metalcore band formed in late 1999 from former members of the band Disembodied. Joel Johnson (guitar), Tara Johnson (bass) and Justin Kane (drums) joined with newcomers Charlie Johnson (guitar) and Mike Fisketti (vo ...

* Poison the Well * Santa Sangre * Spark Lights the Friction *

* Throwdown * Trouble Loves Me * Walls of Jericho

= Second Stage

= * A Death for Every Sin * All Else Failed *

Arma Angelus Arma Angelus (formerly known as Novena) was a metalcore band from Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1998 and disbanded in 2002. Members of the band were Pete Wentz

* Arms Length * The Bluestardiary * Building on Fire *

Cataract A cataract is a cloudy area in the lens of the eye that leads to a decrease in vision. Cataracts often develop slowly and can affect one or both eyes. Symptoms may include faded colors, blurry or double vision, halos around light, trouble w ...

* Ebony Sorrow *

Embrace Today Embrace Today were an United States, American straight edge metalcore–hardcore punk band from Boston, Massachusetts. They have toured with such bands as Bleeding Through, Champion (band), Champion, Bury Your Dead, Ion Dissonance, Premonitions o ...

* Fairweather *

From Autumn to Ashes From Autumn to Ashes is a post-hardcore band based in Long Island, New York. The group formed in 2000 under the name Who's to Blame. While the band had gone through many line-up changes, the members include Francis Mark (lead vocals, drums), S ...

* In Pieces *

Jeromes Dream Jeromes Dream is a screamo band from Connecticut, originally active from 1997 to 2001, and again from 2018 onwards. History Jeromes Dream began on September 13, 1997 after a short jam session between bassist Jeff Smith, guitarist Nick Antonopoul ...

* Kalibas * Keelhaul * One Nation Under * Miles Between Us

Saturday, July 7

= Main Stage

= * American Hot Wax * Another Victim * Brother's Keeper * Burn It Down *

Burnt by the Sun ''Burnt by the Sun'' (russian: Утомлённые солнцем, translit. ''Utomlyonnye solntsem'', literally "wearied by the sun") is a 1994 film by Russian director and screenwriter Nikita Mikhalkov and Azerbaijani screenwriter Rustam ...

* Course of Action * Ground Zero *

Lamb of God Lamb of God ( el, Ἀμνὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, Amnòs toû Theoû; la, Agnus Dei, ) is a title for Jesus that appears in the Gospel of John. It appears at John 1:29, where John the Baptist sees Jesus and exclaims, "Behold the Lamb of God wh ...

* Lariat * Length of Time * Most Precious Blood *

Open Hand Open Hand is an American rock band, first formed in Hollywood, California in 1997. History Open Hand was formed in Hollywood, California in 1997 by guitarist/vocalist Justin Isham. With bassist Michael Anastasi and drummer Alex Rodriguez, they ...

* Remembering Never *

Stretch Arm Strong Stretch Arm Strong (Also known as Stretch Armstrong) is a hardcore punk band from Columbia, South Carolina, and the flagship band for We Put Out Records. They were primarily active from 1992 to 2005. Several of the band members are outspoken ...

Thursday Thursday is the Names of the days of the week, day of the week between Wednesday and Friday. According to the ISO 8601 international standard, it is the fourth day of the week. In countries which adopt the "Sunday-first" convention, it is the fi ...

* Until the End

= Second Stage

= *

Cipher In cryptography, a cipher (or cypher) is an algorithm for performing encryption or decryption—a series of well-defined steps that can be followed as a procedure. An alternative, less common term is ''encipherment''. To encipher or encode i ...

Curl Up and Die cURL (pronounced like "curl", UK: , US: ) is a computer software project providing a library (libcurl) and command-line tool (curl) for transferring data using various network protocols. The name stands for "Client URL". History cURL was fi ...

* Destro * The Disaster * The Grey A.M. * Holy Angels * Inkling *

Mastodon A mastodon ( 'breast' + 'tooth') is any proboscidean belonging to the extinct genus ''Mammut'' (family Mammutidae). Mastodons inhabited North and Central America during the late Miocene or late Pliocene up to their extinction at the end of th ...

* Mid Carson July *

Pig Destroyer Pig Destroyer is an American grindcore band formed in 1997 in Alexandria, Virginia. The band was formed by vocalist J.R. Hayes, guitarist Scott Hull, and drummer John Evans. Throughout the band's earlier history, they were a three-piece group u ...

* Premonitions of War * Ruined in a Day * Saving Throw * Season of Fire * Standfast

Sunday, July 8

= Main Stage

= * Arkangel *

Cable Cable may refer to: Mechanical * Nautical cable, an assembly of three or more ropes woven against the weave of the ropes, rendering it virtually waterproof * Wire rope, a type of rope that consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a hel ...

* Catastrophic * Diecast *

Earth Crisis Earth Crisis is an American hardcore punk band from Syracuse, New York, active from 1989 until 2001, reuniting in 2007. Since 1993 the band's longest serving members are vocalist Karl Buechner, lead guitarist Scott Crouse, bassist Ian Edward ...

* If Hope Dies * In Dying Days *

* Undying *

Unearth Unearth is an American metalcore band from Boston, Massachusetts. Formed in 1998, the group has released seven studio albums. History Early career (1998–2002) Unearth was formed by Trevor Phipps, Buz McGrath, Ken Susi, Mike Rudberg, a ...

* Zao

= Second Stage

= * A Jealousy Issue * The August Prophecy * Beyond Fall *

Bleeding Through Bleeding Through is an American metalcore band from Orange County, California, formed in 1999. In 2004, ''Revolver'' magazine hailed Bleeding Through as one of eight bands ushering in the "Future of Metal" cover story, and '' Spin'' called Ble ...

Blood Has Been Shed Blood Has Been Shed was an American metalcore band based in Granby, Connecticut. The band came together in 1997 and has featured members of Killswitch Engage, Diecast, Light the Torch, Red Tide, Terror, Walls of Jericho, Bury Your Dead and ...

* Bloodjinn * Circle of Dead Children * Craig * Darker Day Tomorrow * Dead Limb Sleep * FaceDown *

Garrison A garrison (from the French ''garnison'', itself from the verb ''garnir'', "to equip") is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a mil ...

* Harakiri * Maharahj * Stalemate *

Sworn Enemy Sworn Enemy is an American crossover thrash band from New York City. Biography The band formed as "Downfall" and later on as "Mindset", a product of the extremely expansive and influential New York hardcore scene. At its original inception th ...

* Upheaval * When Dreams Die * Wrong the Oppressor

Notes

The festival was originally booked and announced to take place at Action Sports & Skate Center, 2299 Brewerton Road, in Mattydale, New York. However, on June 19, 2001, less than three weeks before the event, the promoters moved the show to Liquids in East Syracuse. In a sleight-of-hand trick, attendees arriving at Liquids on the morning of July 6 were greeted with flyers stating "It wouldn't be Hellfest without drama," with directions back to the Mattydale Action Sports & Skate Center, the true location of the festival. The 2001 edition was the first to feature two stages.

July 12–14, 2002: Hellfest 2002

Location:

New York State Fairgrounds The New York State Fair, also known as the Great New York State Fair, is a 13-day showcase of agriculture, entertainment, education, and technology. With midway rides, concessionaires, exhibits, and concerts, it has become New York's largest a ...

, 581 State Fair Boulevard, Syracuse, New York.

Friday, July 12

= Main Stage

= *

Atreyu Atreyu is an American metalcore band from Yorba Linda, California, formed in 1998. The band currently consists of clean vocalist Brandon Saller, guitarists Dan Jacobs and Travis Miguel, bassist and unclean vocals, unclean vocalist Marc "Porter ...

* Bloodlet * Diecast *

Hopesfall Hopesfall is an American post-hardcore band from Charlotte, North Carolina, formed in 1998. They are currently signed to Equal Vision Records. The band dissolved in 2008 after all members, with the exception of singer Jay Forrest, left the band ...

* Nemesis *

* Norma Jean * On the Might of Princes

= B Stage

= *

A Life Once Lost A Life Once Lost was an American metal band based in Pennsylvania. History A Life Once Lost formed in 1999 in a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After the release of their first album, '' Open Your Mouth for the Speechless... in Case of ...

Between the Buried and Me Between the Buried and Me, often abbreviated as BTBAM, is an American progressive metal band from Raleigh, North Carolina. Formed in 2000, the band consists of Tommy Giles Rogers Jr. (lead vocals, keyboards), Paul Waggoner (lead guitar, backing ...

* Building on Fire * Endicott * In Pieces * The June Spirit *

Love Is Red Love is Red was a melodic hardcore band hailing from Nashville, Tennessee. The band formed in 2000 In Florence, Alabama with the original line up of Rob Mcfeters (vocals), Dane Taylor (drums), Adam Riser (guitar), Roger Kilburn (guitar), and Kins ...

* Season of Fire * Taken *

Your Enemies Friends Your Enemies Friends is a post-hardcore rock band that formed in late 2001 in Los Angeles, California. They have shared the stage with bands such as ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, Blonde Redhead, The Icarus Line, TV on the Radio, T ...

= C Stage

= *

7 Angels 7 Plagues 7 Angels 7 Plagues (abbreviated as 7A7P) was an American metalcore band from Racine, Wisconsin. History 7 Angels 7 Plagues was formed in 1999 by Jared Logan from the scraps of two local Milwaukee bands, Castahead and Intercede.

* American Tragedy * As Hope Dies * Breaking Pangaea *

Bury Your Dead Bury Your Dead is an American metalcore band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 2001. The current lineup is guitarist Chris Towning, lead vocalist Mat Bruso, drummer Mark Castillo, and bassist Aaron Patrick. To date, they have had eight rele ...

Dead to Fall Dead to Fall is an American metalcore Metalcore (also known as metallic hardcore) is a fusion music genre that combines elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. As with other styles blending metal and hardcore, such as crust punk and ...

Moneen Moneen (sometimes stylised as .moneen.) is a Canadians, Canadian indie rock band from Brampton, Ontario. History Moneen formed in 1999 after the dissolution of another band, called Perfectly Normal. The founding members were singer/guitarist Ke ...

* Not Waving but Drowning *

Uphill Battle Uphill Battle was an American metalcore band with elements of grindcore, based out of Santa Barbara, California, United States. History Uphill Battle got some recognition releasing their self-titled record on Relapse Records. Combining grind ...

Saturday, July 13

= Main Stage

= * All Else Failed * American Nightmare *

Caliban Caliban ( ), son of the witch Sycorax, is an important character in William Shakespeare's play '' The Tempest''. His character is one of the few Shakespearean figures to take on a life of its own "outside" Shakespeare's own work: as Russell H ...

* Camp Kill Yourself *

Misfits Misfits or The Misfits may refer to: Film and television * ''The Misfits'' (1961 film), a film starring Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, and Montgomery Clift * ''The Misfits'' (2011 film), a Mexican film * ''The Misfits'' (2021 film), an American ...

= B Stage

= *

Coheed and Cambria Coheed and Cambria are an American progressive rock band from Nyack, New York, formed in 1995. The band consists of Claudio Sanchez (vocals, guitars, keyboards), Travis Stever (guitars, vocals), Josh Eppard (drums, keyboards, backing vocals), an ...

Count the Stars Count the Stars was a four-piece pop punk band from Albany, New York that formed in 1995.Count the ...

Evergreen Terrace Evergreen Terrace is a five-piece American metalcore band from Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 1999, they are named after the street inhabited by the Simpsons. The band's sixth and latest studio album '' Dead Horses'' was released on Decembe ...

* Face the Facts *

* If Hope Dies * The Last Season *

The Red Chord The Red Chord is an American metal band from Revere, Massachusetts, formed in 1999. The group comprises vocalist Guy Kozowyk, guitarist/vocalist Mike "Gunface" McKenzie, bassist Greg Weeks and drummer Jon Rice. The band gained a fanbase with its ...

* The Rise * Terror * The Year of Our Lord

= C Stage

= *

Avenged Sevenfold Avenged Sevenfold (abbreviated as A7X) is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1999. The band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist M. Shadows, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist Zacky Vengeance, ...

* Burning Bridges *

Ed Gein Edward Theodore Gein (; August 27, 1906 – July 26, 1984), also known as the Butcher of Plainfield or the Plainfield Ghoul, was an American murderer and body snatcher. Gein's crimes, committed around his hometown of Plainfield, Wisconsin, ga ...

* Eiffel *

Himsa Himsa was an American heavy metal band from Seattle, Washington. Formed in 1998, their band name is from the Sanskrit word himsa, which means "harm" or "violence". The group released four full-length studio albums, two EPs and one DVD before ...

* Knives Out * The Minor Times * One Fifth * Remembering Never * Saving Throw * This Afternoon *

* Until the End

Sunday, July 14

= Main Stage

= * Asherah *

Cro-Mags Cro-Mags are an American hardcore punk band from New York City. The band, which has a strong cult following, has released six studio albums, with the first two considered the most influential. With a Hare Krishna background, they were among t ...

* xDisciplex A.D. *

* Merauder * Most Precious Blood * The Promise * Throwdown

= B Stage

= *

A Static Lullaby A Static Lullaby was an American post-hardcore band that formed in Chino Hills, California, in 2001. History Early years and formation (2001–2002) A Static Lullaby came together after a high school jam session led to the members to quit the ...

* The Black Dahlia Murder *

Brandtson Brandtson was an American rock band from Cleveland, Ohio. History The band formed in 1996 and first recorded for a Stead Fast Records compilation entitled ''Radiowaves and Gibberish'' in 1997. Soon after the group signed with Deep Elm Records, a ...

* Commit Suicide * Death Threat * Kalibas * One Nation Under * Shattered Realm * Suicide Note *

* Undying * The Wage of Sin * What Feeds the Fire

= C Stage

= * A Death for Every Sin * The Blood Brothers *

The Cancer Conspiracy The Cancer Conspiracy was a progressive rock group from Burlington, Vermont featuring guitarist Daryl Rabidoux, drummer/keyboardist/saxophonist Greg Beadle, and bassist Brent Frattini. Rabidoux and Beadle were veterans of the local hardcore ...

* Circle of Dead Children * Dead Wrong * Harakiri * Homesick for Space * Lickgoldensky * Light Is the Language *

Ringworm Dermatophytosis, also known as ringworm, is a fungal infection of the skin. Typically it results in a red, itchy, scaly, circular rash. Hair loss may occur in the area affected. Symptoms begin four to fourteen days after exposure. Multiple a ...

Notes

The 2002 edition was the first to feature three stages.

July 4–6, 2003: Hellfest 2K3

Location:

, 581 State Fair Boulevard, Syracuse, New York / Planet 505, 505 Westcott Street, Syracuse, New York.

Friday, July 4

= Stage A

= *

As I Lay Dying ''As I Lay Dying'' is a 1930 Southern Gothic novel by American author William Faulkner. Faulkner's fifth novel, it is consistently ranked among the best novels of 20th-century literature.The New Lifetime Reading Plan: The Classical Guide to Wor ...

Chimaira Chimaira () is an American heavy metal band from Cleveland, Ohio. Formed in August 1998, the group was a member of the New Wave of American Heavy Metal scene. The band's name is derived from the word Chimera, a monstrous creature in Greek myth ...

* Kittie *

Majority Rule Majority rule is a principle that means the decision-making power belongs to the group that has the most members. In politics, majority rule requires the deciding vote to have majority, that is, more than half the votes. It is the binary deci ...

Misery Signals Misery Signals is an American-Canadian metalcore band formed in Wisconsin in 2002. History Formation (2002–2003) Misery Signals was formed after the disbanding of several bands, including 7 Angels 7 Plagues, Hamartia, and Compromise. Having p ...

Soilwork Soilwork is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Helsingborg. They are signed to Nuclear Blast. Formed in late 1995 by Björn Strid and Peter Wichers, originally under the name ''Inferior Breed'', the band changed their name in late 1996 to S ...

* Undying *

= Stage B

= *

Anti-Flag Anti-Flag is an American punk rock band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The band is known for its left-wing political activism. Their current members include Justin Sane (vocals, guitar), Chris Head (guitar), Pat Thetic (drums), and Chris Ba ...

Biohazard A biological hazard, or biohazard, is a biological substance that poses a threat to the health of living organisms, primarily humans. This could include a sample of a microorganism, virus or toxin that can adversely affect human health. A bioh ...

* Darkest Hour *

In Flames In Flames is a Swedish heavy metal band, formed by guitarist Jesper Strömblad in Gothenburg in 1990. Alongside At the Gates and Dark Tranquillity, In Flames pioneered the genres known as Swedish death metal and melodic death metal. During t ...

* Walls of Jericho

= Stage C

= *

A Perfect Murder ''A Perfect Murder'' is a 1998 American crime thriller film directed by Andrew Davis and starring Michael Douglas, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Viggo Mortensen. It is a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 film ''Dial M for Murder'', though the characters' ...

* Acacia *

Alexisonfire Alexisonfire (pronounced "Alexis on Fire") is a Canadian post-hardcore band formed in St. Catharines, OntarioRoss, Mike.Band is a scream", CANOE JAM!, April 30, 2004. Retrieved on July 17, 2007. in 2001. The band's members are George Pettit (vo ...

* Cannae * The Devil's Discipline * Forever Yours * Full Blown Chaos * Kid Gorgeous * On the Might of Princes * Premonitions of War * Suicide Note *

Tabula Rasa ''Tabula rasa'' (; "blank slate") is the theory that individuals are born without built-in mental content, and therefore all knowledge comes from experience or perception. Epistemological proponents of ''tabula rasa'' disagree with the doctri ...

* The Vacancy * This Afternoon

= After Party

= * The Black Dahlia Murder * Bodies in the Gears of the Apparatus * Deadwater Drowning *

From a Second Story Window From a Second Story Window (sometimes abbreviated as FASSW) was a metalcore band that formed in 1999 in Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and ...

Saturday, July 5

= Stage A

= *

Acceptance Acceptance in human psychology is a person's assent to the reality of a situation, recognizing a process or condition (often a negative or uncomfortable situation) without attempting to change it or protest it. The concept is close in meaning to ...

The A.K.A.s The A.K.A.s, a.k.a. The A.K.A.s (Are Everywhere!) is a band that started in Pittsburgh then followed in New York City and later relocated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They call their music "dancehall fight music"Bleeding Through Bleeding Through is an American metalcore band from Orange County, California, formed in 1999. In 2004, ''Revolver'' magazine hailed Bleeding Through as one of eight bands ushering in the "Future of Metal" cover story, and '' Spin'' called Ble ...

The Bouncing Souls The Bouncing Souls are an American punk band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, formed in 1989. By the time of their acknowledgment by the national punk rock scene, they had reignited a "pogo" element to New Jersey punk rock by playing fast light-he ...

Dead Poetic Dead Poetic is an American rock band formed in Dayton, Ohio in 1997. Their most recent lineup consisted of vocalist Brandon Rike, guitarist Zach Miles, and drummer Jesse Sprinkle. They released three albums and a greatest hits album, '' The Fines ...

* Death Threat *

Further Seems Forever Further Seems Forever is an American rock band formed in 1998 in Pompano Beach, Florida. Over its initial eight-year run the band experienced several lineup changes, resulting in a different lead vocalist performing on each of their first three s ...

* No Warning * Onelinedrawing *

= Stage B

= *

Autopilot Off Autopilot Off is a punk rock band from Orange County, New York composed of Chris Hughes (guitar), Chris Johnson (guitar/vocals), Phil Robinson (drums) and Rob Kucharek (bass). In May 2011, a Facebook page titled "Autopilot Off (Official)" was c ...

* xDisciplex A.D. *

The Movielife The Movielife is a Long Island punk rock band composed of vocalist Vinnie Caruana, guitarist Brandon Reilly, and drummer Brett Romnes. The band originally formed in 1997 and disbanded in 2003, but announced their official reunion in December 201 ...

My Chemical Romance My Chemical Romance (commonly abbreviated to MCR or My Chem) is an American rock band from Newark, New Jersey. The band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, lead guitarist Ray Toro, rhythm guitarist Frank Iero, and bassist Mi ...

The Suicide File The Suicide File was an American hardcore punk band from Boston that formed in April 2001. The band wrote songs with a mostly political message, although many songs also dealt with social and personal problems. Most of the band's output was relea ...

* Terror * Until the End

= Stage C

= * Albert React *

Anberlin Anberlin is an American alternative rock band formed in Winter Haven, Florida in 2002. Since the beginning of 2007, the band consists of lead vocalist Stephen Christian, guitarists Joseph Milligan and Christian McAlhaney, bassist Deon Rexroat, an ...

Champion A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, an ...

* Days in Vain *

* Fire When Ready *

First Blood ''First Blood'' (also known as ''Rambo: First Blood'') is a 1982 American action film directed by Ted Kotcheff, and co-written by Sylvester Stallone, who also stars as Vietnam War veteran John Rambo. It co-stars Richard Crenna as Rambo's mentor ...

* Jude the Obscure *

Murder by Death ''Murder by Death'' is a 1976 American comedy mystery film directed by Robert Moore and written by Neil Simon. The film stars Eileen Brennan, Truman Capote, James Coco, Peter Falk, Alec Guinness, Elsa Lanchester, David Niven, Peter Sellers, M ...

Spitalfield Spitalfield was an American rock band from Chicago, Illinois signed to Victory Records. Formed in 1998, Spitalfield caught the attention of Victory Records with their 2002 release ''The Cloak And Dagger Club EP'' and a year later released their ...

* Stand and Fight *

= After Party

= * A Fall Farewell * If Hope Dies *

Scars of Tomorrow Scars of Tomorrow is an American metalcore band from Orange County, California. History Scars of Tomorrow released its first material on Thorp Records, issuing two albums before signing to Victory Records in May 2003.Scars of Tomorrowat Allmusi ...

* Taken

Sunday, July 6

= Stage A

= * Brother's Keeper *

CKY CKY may refer to: * CKY (band), American rock band, formerly "Camp Kill Yourself" ** ''CKY'' (video series), named after the band **CKY crew, people involved in the video series and related projects *CKY-DT, a television station in Winnipeg, Manito ...

Figure Four The Figure Four is a Canadian hardcore punk band, started in December 1997, and recorded 3 albums since. The band usually performs songs of the hardcore punk and metalcore genres. The band is currently on hiatus. Biography Figure Four started ...

* Freya * Norma Jean * Remembering Never *

* The Takeover

= Stage B

= * Armor for Sleep *

Beloved Beloved may refer to: Books * ''Beloved'' (novel), a 1987 novel by Toni Morrison * ''The Beloved'' (Faulkner novel), a 2012 novel by Australian author Annah Faulkner *''Beloved'', a 1993 historical romance about Zenobia, by Bertrice Small Film ...

* In Pieces *

The Locust The Locust was an American hardcore punk band from San Diego, California, known for their mix of grindcore aggression and new wave experimentation. The band has been noted for their use of insect costumes when performing live. History Prio ...

Underoath Underoath (stylized as Underøath or UnderOath) is an American rock band from Tampa, Florida. It was founded by lead vocalist Dallas Taylor and guitarist Luke Morton on November 30, 1997, in Ocala, Florida; subsequently, its additional member ...

= Stage C

= * ArmsBendBack * As Hope Dies * Asherah *

The Bled The Bled was an American post-hardcore band from Tucson, Arizona, formed in 2001. They released four albums ('' Pass the Flask'', '' Found in the Flood'', ''Silent Treatment'' and '' Heat Fetish'') before disbanding in 2012. History Format ...

* The Break * Comeback Kid *

Daughters A daughter is a female offspring; a girl or a woman in relation to her parents. Daughterhood is the state of being someone's daughter. The male counterpart is a son. Analogously the name is used in several areas to show relations between groups ...

* Marrakech * Merciana * On Broken Wings * Scarlet * Sinai Beach * Tokyo * With Honor

Notes

The 2003 edition was the first to have official after-party concerts, which were held at Planet 505 in Syracuse on the first two nights. It was the last event to be held in New York; the festival would move to New Jersey for its final two years.

July 23–25, 2004: Hellfest 2004

Location: RexPlex, 2 Ikea Drive, Elizabeth, New Jersey.

Friday, July 23

= Main Stage

= *

The A.K.A.s The A.K.A.s, a.k.a. The A.K.A.s (Are Everywhere!) is a band that started in Pittsburgh then followed in New York City and later relocated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They call their music "dancehall fight music"As I Lay Dying ''As I Lay Dying'' is a 1930 Southern Gothic novel by American author William Faulkner. Faulkner's fifth novel, it is consistently ranked among the best novels of 20th-century literature.The New Lifetime Reading Plan: The Classical Guide to Wor ...

The Ataris The Ataris are an American punk rock band from Anderson, Indiana. Formed in 1996, they released five studio albums between 1997 and 2007. Their best-selling album is ''So Long, Astoria'' (2003), which was certified gold. Their high-charting s ...

* Draw Blood *

Folly In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but suggesting through its appearance some other purpose, or of such extravagant appearance that it transcends the range of usual garden buildings. Eighteenth-cent ...

* Halifax *

* Norma Jean *

* Remembering Never *

Sick of It All Sick of It All is an American hardcore punk band formed in 1986 in Queens, New York City. The band's lineup consists of brothers Lou and Pete Koller on lead vocals and guitars respectively, Armand Majidi on drums, and Craig Setari on bass. Sick ...

Strike Anywhere Strike Anywhere is an American punk rock band from Richmond, Virginia. Formed in 1999 after the demise of frontman Thomas Barnett's previous band, Inquisition, they took their name from the Inquisition song "Strike Anywhere". Their music is cha ...

Suffocation Asphyxia or asphyxiation is a condition of deficient supply of oxygen to the body which arises from abnormal breathing. Asphyxia causes generalized hypoxia, which affects primarily the tissues and organs. There are many circumstances that can i ...

* Terror *

= Hot Topic Stage

= * Adelphi * All That Remains * Anterrabae *

Bigwig Bigwig may refer to: *Bigwig (band) * Bigwig (''Watership Down''), a character in the novel ''Watership Down'' *BIGWIG (library organization), an interest group of the Library Information and Technology Association, a division of the American Libr ...

* Broke Neck *

* Day of Contempt *

Engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...

Hawthorne Heights Hawthorne Heights, formerly A Day in the Life, is an American rock band from Dayton, Ohio, formed in 2001. Their lineup currently consists of JT Woodruff (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Matt Ridenour (bass guitar, backing vocals), Mark McMillon (l ...

* Premonitions of War * Sycamore Dreams * Today Is the Day *

= Dinosaur Stage

= *

100 Demons 100 Demons is an American metalcore band from Waterbury, Connecticut. Being fans of tattoos, the band derived their name from a book of traditional Japanese tattoo artwork by Horiyoshi III. The band usually incorporates their agnostic beliefs i ...

* The Calico System * The Dead Season *

* Full Blown Chaos * Nag Hamadi * The Oval Portrait * Saving Throw * Starting to Wonder * Through the Discipline *

* Walk the Line * With Honor

Saturday, July 24

= Main Stage

= *

Agnostic Front Agnostic Front is an American hardcore punk band from New York City. Founded in 1980, the band is considered an important influence on the New York hardcore scene, as well as a pioneer of the crossover thrash genre. History First era (1980–19 ...

Andrew W.K. Andrew Fetterly Wilkes-Krier (born May 9, 1979), known professionally as Andrew W.K., is an American conceptual performance artist, rock singer, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and actor. Raised in Michigan, Wilkes-Krier began his m ...

Avail Avail is an American punk rock band from Richmond, Virginia, United States. Originally from Reston, Virginia, the band formed in 1987, its members including Joe Banks, Doug Crosby, Brien Stewart, and Mikey Warstler. The only original remaining ...

* The Banner * Blood for Blood *

E-Town Concrete E.Town Concrete, or sometimes called E-Town, is an American hardcore punk band from Elizabeth, New Jersey. They formed in 1995 and shortly thereafter released '' Time 2 Shine'', their first full-length album, in 1999 on the Resurrection A.D. la ...

* The Killing *

Mest Mest is an American rock band originally formed by lead vocalist and guitarist Tony Lovato, bassist Matt Lovato, drummer Nick Gigler, and guitarist Jeremiah Rangel. They broke up in 2006 after eleven years, but temporarily reformed in Californi ...

* No Hollywood Ending *

* Odd Project * Roses Are Red *

* Shattered Realm *

* Until the End * Zao

= Hot Topic Stage

= *

* Blacklisted * Comeback Kid * DRI * Drive Without *

* For the Love of... *

Horse the Band Horse the Band (stylized as HORSE the band) is an American metalcore band from Lake Forest, California, who are best known for their chiptune, 8-bit video game-influenced sound combined with metalcore. Frontman Nathan Winneke once jokingly desc ...

* Let it Die *

No Redeeming Social Value No Redeeming Social Value, also known as NRSV, is an American hardcore punk band. The band was started in 1988 by the brothers D Thrilla and K9 the sonic Maximizer of the Queens Village neighborhood of New York City. Alcohol, marijuana and partie ...

* Nothing Left to Mourn * Prayer for Cleansing *

The World/Inferno Friendship Society The World/Inferno Friendship Society (also referred to as World Inferno, or Inferno) was an American band from Brooklyn, New York. Its style merged punk, soul, klezmer and jazz, while its collective membership featured horns, piano and guitar ...

= Dinosaur Stage

= *

* xDEATHSTARx *

* The Judas Cradle * Malice Aforethought * The Minor Times * Misery Index *

Only Crime Only Crime is an American melodic hardcore group formed by Good Riddance singer Russ Rankin and Bane guitarist Aaron Dalbec in 2003. The band plays melodic but hard-hitting punk rock that borrows heavily from early-1980s hardcore bands such as ...

Park A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...

* Reflux * Suffocate Faster * To the Grave * Undying

Sunday, July 25

= Main Stage

= * A Thousand Falling Skies *

* Bear vs. Shark *

* Cannae *

* Death Threat *

Fear Factory Fear Factory is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1989. Throughout the band's career, they have released ten full-length albums and have evolved through a succession of sounds, all in their main style of industrial metal. ...

* Fordirelifesake * If Hope Dies * It Dies Today *

Life of Agony Life of Agony is an American alternative metal band from Brooklyn, New York City, formed in 1989 by singer Mina Caputo (then known as Keith Caputo), bassist Alan Robert and guitarist Joey Z. The band has released six studio albums to date, most ...

* Most Precious Blood *

* Throwdown * Walls of Jericho

= Hot Topic Stage

= * 25 Ta Life *

* Bad Luck 13 Riot Extravaganza * Breath of Silence *

The Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

* Endwell *

Fear Before the March of Flames Fear Before (formerly known as Fear Before the March of Flames) is an experimental rock band formed in Aurora, Colorado. As stated on their Alternative Press podcast, their name originates from a Denver Post newspaper headline about the 2002 H ...

* Merauder *

Planes Mistaken for Stars Planes Mistaken for Stars is an American rock band formed in Peoria, Illinois in 1997. Working with several different labels, they released three studio albums and four EPs before breaking up in 2008. While rooted in the post-hardcore and emo ...

* The Promise * Stars Turn Cold *

Zombie Apocalypse Zombie apocalypse is a genre of fiction in which society collapses due to overwhelming swarms of zombies. Typically only a few individuals or small bands of survivors are left living. In some versions, the reason the dead rise and attack hum ...

= Dinosaur Stage

= *

The Acacia Strain The Acacia Strain is an American metalcore band originally from Chicopee, Massachusetts. They are currently signed to Rise Records. The band has released ten full-length albums. History Forming in 2001, The Acacia Strain was started by h ...

The Autumn Offering The Autumn Offering was an American metalcore band that formed in Daytona Beach, Florida, in 1999. After achieving some degree of local success, the band was signed to Stillborn Records, founded by Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed, in 2003. The band re ...

* Drive By * Dry Kill Logic * Flat Earth Society * Forever Is Forgotten * Last Perfection *

Psyopus Psyopus (sometimes written as PsyOpus) was an American mathcore band from Rochester, New York. History Formed in 2002, the band is noted for the unorthodox and extremely technical guitar techniques of Christopher Arp, often referred to as "Arp ...

* Stabbed by Words * Wings of Scarlet * With Dead Hands Rising

Notes

The 2004 edition was the first edition to be held in New Jersey. In addition to the concerts, the RexPlex offered a skate park, indoor paintball, arcades, laser tag and the Hellfest Tattoo Festival.

August 19–21, 2005: Hellfest '05

Location:

Sovereign Bank Arena The CURE Insurance Arena is a multipurpose arena in Trenton, New Jersey. It hosts events including shows, sporting events and concerts. The arena seats 7,605 for hockey and other ice events, 8,600 for basketball and up to 10,500 for concerts, fam ...

, 81 Hamilton Avenue, Trenton, New Jersey.

Friday, August 19 *

= Main Stage A: 1x1 Music

= * All That Remains *

Cryptopsy Cryptopsy is a Canadian technical death metal band from Montreal, formed in 1988. History Necrosis (1988–1992) Necrosis was formed in April 1988 by drummer Mike Atkin, guitarist Steve Thibault and vocalist Dan "Lord Worm" Greening, initially ...

* Killing Time *

Madball Madball is an American New York hardcore band formed in New York City, that originated in the late 1980s as a side project of Agnostic Front. The band developed after Agnostic Front's front man Roger Miret would let his younger half-brother Fr ...

Sick of it All Sick of It All is an American hardcore punk band formed in 1986 in Queens, New York City. The band's lineup consists of brothers Lou and Pete Koller on lead vocals and guitars respectively, Armand Majidi on drums, and Craig Setari on bass. Sick ...

* The Warriors

= Main Stage B: Peta2

= *

He Is Legend He Is Legend is an American hard rock/ heavy metal band from Wilmington, North Carolina, formed in the late 1990s but settled on the name "He Is Legend" in 2003. According to the aggregate of the listeners, He Is Legend's music is similar to th ...

Nile The Nile, , Bohairic , lg, Kiira , Nobiin language, Nobiin: Áman Dawū is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered ...

* Turmoil * With Honor * Zao

= Outdoor Stage A: Goodfellow Records/Abacus Recordings

= * All Else Failed *

* Donnybrook *

Doomriders Doomriders is an American stoner/ sludge metal band from Boston, Massachusetts. The band has released three albums on Deathwish, Inc. The band's vocalist/guitarist Nate Newton also plays bass in Converge and guitar in Old Man Gloom. Jebb Riley ...

Embrace the End Embrace the End were a metalcore band from Sacramento, California, formed in 1999. Originally consisting of only four members, the band went through several line-up changes, at one point having as many as six members, including two vocalists. ...

* Full Blown Chaos *

Modern Life Is War Modern Life Is War is an American hardcore punk band formed in Marshalltown, Iowa in 2002. During Modern Life Is War's six-year original run, the band released three full-length albums and one self-titled 7" EP. Despite a growing profile on the u ...

* Shattered Realm * Winter Solstice

= Outdoor Stage B: Eulogy Recordings

= *

* 3 Inches of Blood *

A Wilhelm Scream A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes'' ...

* Betrayed * Buried Inside * Cursed *

* If Hope Dies * The Minor Times * Six Feet Under *

= Outdoor Stage C: Hot Topic

= *

Alove For Enemies Alove for Enemies was a Christian hardcore band from Long Island, New York, US. They claim Shai Hulud, Darkest Hour, and Few Left Standing as their influences. Biography The band was founded in 1999, and released their first six-song EP ind ...

Animosity Animosity may refer to: * ''Animosity'' (comic), an American comic book series published by AfterShock Comics *Animosity (band) Animosity was an American death metal band from San Francisco, California, formed in 2000. The band released three ...

Arms Race An arms race occurs when two or more groups compete in military superiority. It consists of a competition between two or more states to have superior armed forces; a competition concerning production of weapons, the growth of a military, and t ...

Cancer Bats Cancer Bats is a Canadian hardcore punk band from Toronto, Ontario. To date, they have released seven studio albums and six extended plays; with their most recent LP, ''Psychic Jailbreak'', having been released on 15 April 2022. The band is cur ...

* Cannae *

Demiricous Demiricous is a death/thrash metal band from Indianapolis, Indiana formed by Nate Olp, Scott Wilson, Ben Parrish (of Upheaval), and Christopher Cruz. In 2005, they self-released a demo which caught the attention of Metal Blade. After the release ...

* Fixer * Ghosts of War * Kids Like Us * The Killing * Nine Will Die *

* Nobody Left Behind *

Nodes of Ranvier In neuroscience and anatomy, nodes of Ranvier ( ), also known as myelin-sheath gaps, occur along a myelinated axon where the axolemma is exposed to the extracellular space. Nodes of Ranvier are uninsulated and highly enriched in ion channels, al ...

* Rumplestiltskin Grinder *

Seventh Star ''Seventh Star'' is the twelfth studio album by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath. Released in January 1986, it features founding guitarist Tony Iommi alongside musicians Geoff Nicholls, Eric Singer, and Dave Spitz, playing keyboards, ...

Stemm STEMM is an American metal band from Niagara Falls, New York. STEMM was formed in 1998 by Joe Cafarella. He, along with Louie and Jimi Penque, Russ Martin, and Alex Scouten made up the original lineup of the band. Alex left the band in 1999, ...

Stray from the Path Stray from the Path is an American hardcore punk band formed in 2001 in Long Island, New York. They have released ten full-length albums. Their first three records were independently released – ''People Over Profit'' in 2002, ''Audio Prozac'' ...

* Summer's End * This Is Hell

Saturday, August 20 *

= Main Stage A: 1x1 Music

= *

108 108 may refer to: * 108 (number) * AD 108, a year * 108 BC, a year * 108 (artist) (born 1978), Italian street artist * 108 (band), an American hardcore band * 108 (emergency telephone number), an emergency telephone number in several states in Ind ...

Bold In typography, emphasis is the strengthening of words in a text with a font in a different style from the rest of the text, to highlight them. It is the equivalent of prosody stress in speech. Methods and use The most common methods in W ...

* Marathon * Mean Season *

Public Enemy "Public enemy" is a term which was first widely used in the United States in the 1930s to describe individuals whose activities were seen as criminal and extremely damaging to society, though the phrase had been used for centuries to describe p ...

= Main Stage B: Peta2

= *

Against Me! Against Me! is an American punk rock band formed in 1997 in Naples, Florida, by singer and guitarist Laura Jane Grace. That same year, Grace moved to Gainesville, Florida, which is considered the band's hometown. Since 2001, the band's lineup ...

BoySetsFire boysetsfire is an American post-hardcore band from Newark, Delaware. Formed in October 1994, boysetsfire is composed of guitarists Chad Istvan and Josh Latshaw, vocalist Nathan Gray, and bassists Chris Rakus and Robert Ehrenbrand. Lyrical theme ...

* Good Clean Fun * Lifetime *

None More Black None More Black is a New Jersey-based punk rock outfit on Fat Wreck Chords, formed by lead singer/guitarist Jason Shevchuk after the demise of his previous band, Philadelphia's Kid Dynamite. Jason left Kid Dynamite so that he could finish fi ...

* Outspoken * Terror * The Unseen

= Outdoor Stage A: Goodfellow Records/Abacus Recordings

= *

As Cities Burn As Cities Burn is an American post-hardcore band from Mandeville, Louisiana, that formed in 2002 and has released four studio albums. Their debut, '' Son, I Loved You at Your Darkest'', was released in 2005. Two years later, they released ''Come ...

* Blacklisted *

Classic Case Classic Case was an American rock band from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, formed in 2002.Classic Case
at ...

* Fall River * The Jonbenét *

* Most Precious Blood *

Paint it Black "Paint It Black" is a song recorded in 1966 by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. A product of the songwriting partnership of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, it is a raga rock song with Indian, Middle Eastern, and Eastern European infl ...

* The Secret * Suffocate Faster * Triple Threat

= Outdoor Stage B: Eulogy Recordings

= * Fire When Ready *

Gym Class Heroes Gym Class Heroes was an American rap rock band from Geneva, New York. The group formed in 1997 when Travie McCoy met drummer Matt McGinley during their high school gym class. The band's music displays a wide variety of influences, including hip h ...

Hidden in Plain View Hidden in Plain View is an American five-piece post-hardcore band from northern New Jersey. They formed in 2000 and originally disbanded in 2007. During this seven-year run, the group released records with four record labels (most notably the ...

* Hit the Lights *

Houston Calls Houston Calls was an American rock band, based in Rockaway, New Jersey, United States. They formed in 2003 and were signed to Rushmore Records (a subsidiary of Drive-Thru Records). On June 9, 2009, they announced their official breakup.http: ...

* Over It *

* New Atlantic * Since the Flood * Smoke or Fire *

= Outdoor Stage C: Hot Topic

= * Above this Fire * Anorexic Beauty Queen *

Backstabbers Incorporated Backstabbers Incorporated (sometimes called Backstabbers Inc. or BSI, and previously known as Life Passed On) were an American hardcore/metal band based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. History Backstabbers Incorporated was formed as Life Pas ...

* Burning Season *

Casey Jones John Luther "Casey" Jones (March 14, 1863 – April 30, 1900) was an American railroader who was killed when his passenger train collided with a stalled freight train at Vaughan, Mississippi. Jones was a locomotive engineer for the Illinois C ...

* Colin of Arabia * Dead Hearts * The Fire Still Burns * Glass and Ashes * One Dead Three Wounded * Manntis * MC Goldie Wilson * Mikoto * North Side Kings * Ready Set Fail * Sons of Azrael * Swarm of the Lotus * Twilight Transmission * Walk the Line * When Tigers Fight

Sunday, August 21 *

= Main Stage A: 1x1 Music

= *

* The Banner *

* Comeback Kid *

Haste the Day Haste the Day was an American metalcore band formed in Carmel, Indiana in 2001 and signed to Solid State Records. Their name is derived from a lyric in the hymn " It Is Well with My Soul" by Horatio Spafford. The band released an EP titled ''Th ...

* It Dies Today *

* Throwdown

= Main Stage B: Peta2

= *

The Casualties The Casualties are an American hardcore punk band from New York City, founded by vocalist Jorge Herrera, Hank (guitar), Colin Wolf (vocals), Mark Yoshitomi (bass) and Yureesh Hooker (drums) in 1990. In July 2017, it was announced on the band's F ...

* Emery * Norma Jean * Remembering Never *

Rise Against Rise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago, formed in 1999. The group's current line-up comprises vocalist/rhythm guitarist Tim McIlrath, lead guitarist Zach Blair, bassist Joe Principe and drummer Brandon Barnes. Rooted in hardcor ...

* Silverstein *

* Symphony in Peril

= Outdoor Stage A: Goodfellow Records/Abacus Recordings

= *

The Beautiful Mistake The Beautiful Mistake is a rock band from San Diego, California. Formed in 2000, the band has released two full-length albums: the 2002 debut album, ''Light A Match, For I Deserve To Burn'', and 2004's ''This Is Who You Are''. They have also releas ...

* Bedlight for Blue Eyes * The Chariot *

The End The End may refer to: Films * ''The End'' (1953 film), a film by Christopher Maclaine * ''The End'' (1978 film), a comedy by Burt Reynolds * ''The End'' (1997 film), a Canadian film of 1997 * ''The End'' (1998 film), a skateboarding document ...

The Esoteric The Esoteric is an American hardcore/ rock band founded in 1996 from Lawrence, Kansas. They are currently signed to Prosthetic Records. Following several self-produced EPs, the band's debut full-length, '' With the Sureness of Sleepwalking'' ...

Kane Hodder Kane Warren Hodder (born April 8, 1955)According to the State of California. ''California Birth Index, 1905–1995''. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California. At Ancestry.com is an Americ ...

* The Loved Ones *

The Red Death The Red Death was an American extreme metal band from Bath, New York. History Formed in 2002 after the demise of Another Day Forgotten by singer Paul Hamblin, guitarist Josh Williammee, and drummer Graham Mitchell, the original lineup was round ...

* Sinai Beach *

Still Remains Still Remains is an American metalcore band from Grand Rapids, Michigan. They formed out of previous local bands Shades of Amber and Unition. They released three studio albums, ''Of Love and Lunacy'', '' The Serpent'' and '' Ceasing to Breathe' ...

* Today Is the Day

= Outdoor Stage B: Eulogy Recordings

= * A Hero From a Thousand Paces *

The Agony Scene The Agony Scene is an American heavy metal band from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Formed in 2000, the group currently consists of lead guitarist Chris Emmons, vocalist Mike Williams, and rhythm guitarist Brian Hodges. The band has released four albums, o ...

Calico System Calico System was an American metalcore band from St. Louis, Missouri. The group formed in 1998 and released several albums under the Eulogy Recordings label after successful LP releases and abundant touring. They announced their disbandment ...

* Death Before Dishonor *

Ion Dissonance Ion Dissonance is a Canadian mathcore band from Montreal, Quebec. They are known for their technical style, which switched to a more groove based style with the release of their 2007 album ''Minus the Herd''. In total, the group have released ...

* Roses Are Red * The Showdown *

Tension Tension may refer to: Science * Psychological stress * Tension (physics), a force related to the stretching of an object (the opposite of compression) * Tension (geology), a stress which stretches rocks in two opposite directions * Voltage or el ...

= Outdoor Stage C: Hot Topic

= * 2 Cents * A Murder of Crows * At All Cost * Between Walls * Bled Across Miles * Bloodjinn * Bloodlined Calligraphy *

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

* FC Five * Final Word *

Horse The Band Horse the Band (stylized as HORSE the band) is an American metalcore band from Lake Forest, California, who are best known for their chiptune, 8-bit video game-influenced sound combined with metalcore. Frontman Nathan Winneke once jokingly desc ...

* I Am Idaho * The Last Season * Life in Pictures *

Look What I Did Look What I Did is an American band, formed in 2001 in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. The band is known for its intense live show, described by Cincinnati CityBeat as a "live act capable of unleashing a scary, uncontrolled intensity bord ...

Outbreak In epidemiology, an outbreak is a sudden increase in occurrences of a disease when cases are in excess of normal expectancy for the location or season. It may affect a small and localized group or impact upon thousands of people across an entire ...

* Ramallah *

Scary Kids Scaring Kids Scary Kids Scaring Kids (abbreviated SKSK) is an American post-hardcore band formed in Gilbert, Arizona, United States, in 2002. The band's name was taken from the Cap'n Jazz song of the same name. They released two studio albums ''The City Sle ...

* Silhouette *

The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza was an American mathcore band from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The band was founded (sans a vocalist) in Monroe, Louisiana by members Layne Meylain, Mason Crooks, Brad Thompson, and Mike Butler. They relocated ...

Notes

* Hellfest '05 was cancelled and none of the concerts were played. The schedule above was the one announced prior to the cancellation and is presented here for preservation. This was the first event to feature five stages on each day. Discrepancies between Paper Street Music (Hellfest's organizer and promoter) and the venue caused the event to be cancelled less than thirty-six hours before starting. A number of the bands originally scheduled for Hellfest planned last-minute alternative shows in the Tri-State Region. Several threats of lawsuits were announced in the news, from the promoters, the venue, the bands and the fans who had not been refunded for their tickets, but so far none have made it to court.

Hellfest Battle of the Bands

In 2004, Hellfest sponsored an official battle of the bands contests, both nationally and in

, giving the chance to unsigned bands the opportunity of playing the festival's stages. New Jersey bands were required to enter the local competition organized by concert promoter Excess dB Entertainment, while national acts could apply through //radiotakover's competition.

Excess dB Entertainment's Hellfest Battle of the Bands

The Excess dB Entertainment Battle of the Bands contest offered a total of fifteen prizes: nine Hellfest playing slots for first-place winners and six Excess dB Entertainment concert playing slots for second and third-place winners. The competition was held over three days, two at Club Krome in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and one at Cricket Club in Irvington, New Jersey. Five winners were picked at the end of each event by a selection of judges from the New Jersey hardcore community. The judges were Carl Severson (owner of

Ferret Music Ferret Music was an American independent record label turned Warner Music Group subsidiary, founded in 1996. The label is owned by NORA's vocalist, Carl Severson, and based in West Windsor, New Jersey. Ferret recently started an imprint called N ...

), Alex Saavedra (owner of

Eyeball Records Eyeball Records is an independent record label originally established in NYC out of Apartment 4C on 14th St at Avenue A by Alex Saavedra and Vincent Li. The label later moved to Kearny, New Jersey. Eyeball has released albums by artists such as ...

), Josh Grabelle (owner of

), Fred Feldman (owner of

Triple Crown Records Triple Crown Records is a New York-based rock music record label created in 1997 by Fred Feldman. The label features such artists as The Receiving End of Sirens and The Dear Hunter, ''Artists Page'' and launched the career of Brand New in 2001.> ...

), Kyle Kraszewski (owner of No Milk Records), Joanna Angel (owner of BurningAngels), Andrew D. Keller (A&R scout at

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

), Michelle and Stacy (writers at

The Aquarian Weekly ''The Aquarian Weekly'' is a regional alternative weekly newspaper based in New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1969, its focus is rock music and related events in the New Jersey/New York City/Eastern Pennsylvania region. From 1986 to 1992, it ...

), DJ Rob, DJ Ralph and DJ Q (disc jockeys at

WSOU WSOU (89.5 FM) is a non-commercial, college radio station. The station broadcasts from the campus of Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey. It is a student-run station with university administrator Mark Maben serving as its curren ...

Geoff Rickly Geoffrey William Rickly (born March 8, 1979) is an American musician, best known as the lead singer and songwriter of rock band Thursday. Rickly is also a member of hardcore punk band United Nations, and the alternative rock group No Devotion w ...

(vocalist of the band

) and Evange Livanos (promoter at FATA Booking). The bands Endwell, Malice Aforethought, Flat Earth Society, Nothing Left to Mourn, The Dead Season, Breath of Silence, Sycamore Dreams, Nag Hamadi and Starting to Wonder all won first place and played at Hellfest 2004. Endwell, Nothing Left to Mourn, Breath of Silence and Sycamore Dreams played on the Hot Topic Stage, while Malice Aforethought, Flat Earth Society, The Dead Season, Nag Hamadi and Starting to Wonder played on the Dinosaur Stage.

June 13, 2004: Club Krome Battle of the Bands 1

= Main Room

= * Away from it All * Blind Hate Experiment * Blood of a Prophet * Burnt to Ashes * The Death of a Celebrity * Euclid * Forgetting Tomorrow * Gray Lines of Perfection * Last to Fall * The Lionel Crush * Lost in Silence * Muk Cage * Nag Hamadi * No Tactics * One Step Away * Stafford * Sycamore Dreams * Tears Shall Fall * Well Kept Secret * The Years Gone By * Zamora

= Lounge

= * 7 Inch Furniture * A Faint Farewell * And Tragedy Struck * All for Nothing * Between Love and Murder * Broken View * Deny All * First Born Death * Forrester * Funeral Not a Fight * Hellfire Kansas * Left to Die * Minotar * No Longer Silent *

Quantice Never Crashed Quantice Never Crashed was a screamo band from Staten Island, New York, that was most active in the mid-2000s. Founding members included Phil on bass, Vinny on guitar, Mikey on drums, Pat on guitar, and Philly on vocals. (Members were only cr ...

* xSPINKICKx * Starting to Wonder * Strike 4 * Twilight City Fracture * Undying Morals * The Wake

June 19, 2004: Cricket Club Battle of the Bands

= Upstairs Room

= * A Dying Declaration * A Match Like Memory * Above All Hope * Athens Is Burning * The Closest Point to Nowhere * The Dead Season * Ehrhardt * Fall of the Sacred * For the Sake of Dying * Last Will * Moira * No Dice * Nothing Left to Mourn * Sacred Hatred * Sanctify * Shattering Elysium * Smalltown Tragedy * Social Suicide * Strength in Numbers * The Style * This Means Everything * Turncoat

= Downstairs Room

= * A True Story * Breath of Silence * Catatonic * Choke Powder * Dead End Saints * Death By Names * Divinity Condemned * Divulgence * Evelyn Hope * Iced Over Phoenix * Killed by Memories * Novelty Tag * Quick Kill Formula * Red Skies * Robots Are Good Lovers * Sarins Gift * The Smash Up * Sky Set Unfold * The Sleep Process * Slipping to Death * Twicethecreator * Wait Until Dark

June 27, 2004: Club Krome Battle of the Bands 2

= Main Room

= * A Fallen Day * Ashes to Mourn * Before I Burn * Bleed the Rose * Broadway * Broken Word * Death to Honor * Defire * Drive By * Endwell * Evelyn Adali * Flat Earth Society * The Homicide Blueprint * Karmacide * Lines of Hatred * Lucked Out * Rally Days * Red Hill * Screaming for Silence * Sicks Deep * Through Dead Eyes * Twizted Mindz * Undercut * Waiting on Wendy

= Lounge

= * Amnion * Avatar * Black Sand and Starless Nights * The Color of War * The Concubine * Dead 2 Rights * Eight is Enough * Had This Day Not Been * Hari-Kari * The Inbetween * Leviathan * Life No Longer * Machete for Hands * Malice Aforethought * Moraine * One Brick Down * Open Your Eyes * Self Explanatory * Send 72 * Soundtrack of Your Life * State of The Art * Through a Windshield * Torn to Shreds * Words on a Page

//radiotakover's Hellfest Battle of the Bands

The //radiotakeover Battle of the Bands contest was sponsored by

Hot Topic Hot Topic, Inc. (stylized as HOT TOPIC) is an American retail chain specializing in counterculture-related clothing and accessories, as well as licensed music. The stores are aimed towards an audience interested in rock music and video gaming, ...

, ''

Revolver A revolver (also called a wheel gun) is a repeating handgun that has at least one barrel and uses a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold up to six roun ...

'',

Hopeless Records Hopeless Records is an American independent record label in Van Nuys, California. History Hopeless Records was founded in 1993 by Louis Posen. The label's artists are generally considered to fall under the genres of punk rock, pop punk, post-ha ...

and

. Instead of hosting live shows and judging the bands by their live performances, this Battle of the Bands was hosted digitally with artists submitting pre-recorded songs to //radiotakover's website using a user-based voting system. Bands were required to pay a $5 entry fee and submit their songs between May 7–14, 2004; but due to an overwhelming response, the deadline was extended to June 21, 2004. The eleven top-voted bands were selected on June 21, 2004, and presented to a judging panel of industry professionals (likely the same judges from Excess dB Entertainment's Battle of the Bands). The judging panel had four days to select the winners, based on a single song, which were scheduled to be announced on Friday, June 25, 2004, but was delayed to Monday, June 28, 2004. The Grand Prize winner was given a slot on Hellfest's main stage, accommodations and expenses for the weekend of the event, as well as inclusion on the documentary DVD scheduled to be released by HighRoller Studios (which was ultimately shelved). First Prize winners received slots on Hellfest's Hot Topic stage, free passes to attend the event and free Hellfest merchandise, but were required to provide their own accommodations. Runner up winners (Second Place and Third Place winners) received free passes to attend the event and free Hellfest merchandise.

Winners

The list of winners was announced along with the selected songs upon which they were judged. The top four bands were given playing spots at Hellfest 2004; the Grand Prize winner on the Main Stage, and the three First Prize winners on the Hot Topic Stage.

Home media releases

All Hellfest events have been filmed, either by fans or by professional production companies. However, only three official VHS/DVDs have been released.

Hellfest Syracuse, NY - Summer 2000: The Official Documentary

''Hellfest Syracuse, NY - Summer 2000: The Official Documentary'' was the first officially released video recording of 2000's Hellfest 2K. It was released on VHS and DVD by

on June 12, 2001, and features live footage, interviews, commentaries by fifteen bands, the majority of which were already signed to Trustkill Records.

Track listing

Credits are adapted from the VHS/DVD's liner notes.

Personnel

* Doug Spangenberg – director, editor * Josh Grabelle – executive producer, layout, design * John McKaig – photography * Jessica Lynn – photography * Jon Tumillo – photography

Hellfest 2002

(2 discs) (released January 6, 2004): Featuring live performances from

, Merauder,

Freya In Norse paganism, Freyja (Old Norse "(the) Lady") is a goddess associated with love, beauty, fertility, sex, war, gold, and seiðr (magic for seeing and influencing the future). Freyja is the owner of the necklace Brísingamen, rides a chario ...

, Throwdown,

, Bloodlet,

, Most Precious Blood, Terror, Death Threat and more.

Hellfest Vol III: Official Video Documentary Filmed Live At Hellfest 2003 In Syracuse

(2 discs) (released July 13, 2004): Featuring live performances from

, Norma Jean,

Murder By Death ''Murder by Death'' is a 1976 American comedy mystery film directed by Robert Moore and written by Neil Simon. The film stars Eileen Brennan, Truman Capote, James Coco, Peter Falk, Alec Guinness, Elsa Lanchester, David Niven, Peter Sellers, M ...

, Walls of Jericho,

, Terror,

, Comeback Kid,

, Full Blown Chaos,

Bouncing Souls The Bouncing Souls are an American punk band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, formed in 1989. By the time of their acknowledgment by the national punk rock scene, they had reignited a "pogo" element to New Jersey punk rock by playing fast light-he ...

and more. Hellfest's final year, the 2004 weekend at Rexplex,

Elizabeth, New Jersey Elizabeth is a city and the county seat of Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.New J ...

was filmed by High Roller Studios to be released on DVD, but the footage was never released publicly. When High Roller Studios ended, their MySpace page (www.myspace.com/highrollerstudios) explained the company's reason for disbanding, adding that the Hellfest DVD would never be released. Unbeknownst to most, the entire 2004 DVD had been edited and was ready for release, however Radiotakeover president Shawn Van Der Poel had failed to negotiate agreements with the bands that would have appeared on the multi-disc set. Director Doug Spangenberg and editor Anderson Bradshaw went on to form a new video production company (Space Monkey Studios, Inc.). Hellfest 2001/2004 Resurrection (July 2013): In the summer of 2013, Doug Spangenberg gave the surviving tapes from Hellfests 2001 and 2004 to hate5six so that the sets could be properly edited and released to the public for free. This long-term project promises to make the "lost" footage available in an ad-free and non-commercial setting.

References

External links

''One ‘Hell’ of a concert''
Report by Scott Frost,

The Trentonian ''The Trentonian'' is a daily newspaper serving Trenton, New Jersey, USA, and the surrounding Mercer County community. The paper in 2020 has a daily circulation of under 8,000 and a Sunday circulation under 7,000. As of August 2020, it was ranke ...

'' Cold day in hell''
by Scott Frost,

Article in ''The New York Times'' about the demise of the festival in 2005. Registration required.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hellfest (Festival) Heavy metal festivals in the United States Music festivals established in 1997 Music festivals disestablished in 2005 Punk rock festivals Music festivals in New York (state) Music festivals in New Jersey Music organizations based in the United States Rock festivals in the United States