For the second year in a row, Aussie hard rock and heavy metal fans are staring down the barrel of a music festival void.
With Big Day Out and Soundwave’s corpses now well and truly maggot-bait, we’re getting ready to face yet another summer bereft of any kind of huge multi-band gathering to get pumped up for.
Sure, there’s plenty of big tours coming our way — Guns N’ Roses, Bruce Springsteen, Green Day and Underoath to name a few — but IT’S JUST NOT THE SAME.
And here’s some more salt to rub into your festering wounds: because the lineups for two international rock and metal fests got announced today and they are ABSOLUTELY BATSHIT INSANE. Ready?
First up, there’s the annual US Rock On The Range festival, which just dropped a godzilla monster of a lineup topped by — wait for it — METALLICA, SOUNGARDEN and KORN, plus The Offspring, Primus, Gojira, Pierce The Veil, Bush, Papa Roach, Alter Bridge, The Pretty Reckless, Amon Amarth, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Taking Back Sunday, Sum 41, In Flames, Australia’s own The Amity Affliction and we’ll stop now before you blow a tear duct.
While over in Europe, France dropped a bomb in the form of Hellfest 2017’s lineup, which is topped by (get ready because you’re going to fkn die) DEEP PURPLE, plus Aerosmith, Linkin Park, Prophets Of Rage, Five Finger Death Punch, Slayer, Rob Zombie, Steel Panther, Australia’s own Airbourne and a crapload more.
Yep.
Although, there is some hope for the future of Aussie rock & heavy metal fests, what with the promise of Download coming to our shores, possibly within the next year.
In the meantime, those who fancy a trip to regional Victoria can always head to UNIFY Gathering this January, while the more extreme metal fans among yas can hit up King Parrot’s travelling Thrash, Blast & Grind fest in Feb, while Perth fans have just been gifted with a brand new heavy NYE festival this year, dubbed Redfest.
But for those of you who just want to use your tears as lube, check out the full lineups for Hellfest and Rock On The Range 2017 below.
LINE UP 2017 ! [ Official ] #OneHellOfARide pic.twitter.com/4tSF5iCn59
— Hellfest Open Air Festival (@hellfestopenair) November 29, 2016
