Heavy Metal Music Festivals in the USA in 2017

From Wacken Open Air to Psycho Las Vegas, see the top heavy metal music festivals happening in the United States in 2017.

Introduction

With the popularity of heavy metal music on the rise, there are more and more heavy metal music festivals being held each year. If you’re a fan of this type of music, you’ll definitely want to check out some of these festivals. Below is a list of some of the most popular heavy metal music festivals in the USA in 2017.

What is Heavy Metal Music?

Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and the United States. With roots in blues rock and psychedelic rock, the bands that created heavy metal developed a thick, massive sound, characterized by highly amplified distortion, extended guitar solos, emphatic beats, and overall loudness. The genre’s lyrics and performance styles are sometimes associated with aggression and machismo.

In 1970, the first heavy metal festival was held in England. Called the Augusta Rock Festival, it featured bands like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Deep Purple. In the 1980s, heavy metal became increasingly popular in the United States, with festivals like Monsters of Rock and Ozzfest attracting large audiences.

Today, there are several big-name heavy metal festivals held in the US each year, including Rock on the Range and Shiprocked. Here’s a look at some of the biggest and best heavy metal festivals in America:

Rock on the Range: This three-day festival takes place in Columbus, Ohio each May and features over 60 bands on four stages. Past headliners have included Metallica, Kiss, Korn, Judas Priest, and Iron Maiden.

Shiprocked: This cruise ship festival is held each January and February and features over 40 bands from all over the world. Past performers have included Megadeth, Avenged Sevenfold, Stone Sour, Slayer, Anthrax, and Motorhead.

Loudwire Music Festival: This annual event is held in Denver, Colorado at venues across the city. It features a mix of established artists and up-and-coming bands from all over the world. Past performers have included Slipknot

History of Heavy Metal Music

The history of heavy metal music can be traced back to the late 1960s and early 1970s, when a number of bands began pushing the boundaries of rock music. These bands – including Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin – were characterized by their heavy, distorted sound and their aggressive attitude. They quickly gained a following among rock fans, who were looking for something new and exciting.

In the 1980s, heavy metal became even more popular with the rise of bands like Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer. These bands took the sound of earlier groups and pushed it to new extremes, resulting in a more aggressive and intense style of music. Heavy metal was now the dominant force in rock music, and it remains hugely popular to this day.

If you’re a fan of heavy metal music, then you’ll want to check out some of the festivals listed below. These events are held throughout the United States and feature some of the top bands in the genre. So whether you’re a diehard fan or just looking to check out something new, these festivals are definitely worth checking out!

Heavy Metal Music Festivals in the USA

Are you a metal head looking for the perfect festival to attend this year? Look no further! We’ve got the ultimate guide to metal festivals happening in the USA in 2017. From the west coast to the east coast, and everywhere in between, there’s sure to be a metal festival that’s perfect for you. So whether you’re looking to headbang to the latest metal bands or mosh your way through a crowd, check out our guide and find the perfect festival for you.

Rock on the Range

Rock on the Range is an annual rock music festival that takes place in centrally located Columbus, Ohio. This year, the event will take place from May 19 – 21 and will feature some of the biggest names in rock music. Among those scheduled to perform are Metallica, Soundgarden, Korn, and Primus.

In addition to three days of musical performances, Rock on the Range also features a number of other attractions. These include a BMX stunt show, a gaming truck, and a variety of food and drink vendors. With something for everyone, Rock on the Range is sure to be a memorable event for all who attend.

Download Festival

Download Festival is a British rock festival, held annually at Donington Park in Leicestershire, England, since 2003. It is the most popular British summer rock and heavy metal festival and has hosted some of the genre’s biggest names, including Black Sabbath, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Korn, Slipknot, Motörhead, Aerosmith, AC/DC, Def Leppard, Kiss, Judas Priest and Guns N’ Roses. The 2015 festival featured massive performances from some of the biggest names in heavy metal.

The Download Festival was conceived as a follow up to the Monsters of Rock festivals which had been held at Donington Park between 1980 and 1996. With the decline of the original Monsters of Rock festival in the early 2000s (due largely to high ticket prices), promoters felt that creating a new rock festival would be a perfect way to fill the void.

The first ever Download Festival took place on Saturday 14 June 2003. It was free to enter and all 80,000 tickets were allocated via competitions or giveaways leading up to the event. This resulted in crowds of people scaling fences and climbing trees to gain entry to the site.

Over the years, the festival has gradually expanded its lineup to include a more diverse range of genres – such as punk rock, alternative rock and metalcore – while still maintaining its core heavy metal roots. In recent years it has also become increasingly popular with American audiences and now boasts an impressive lineup of both international and domestic artists.

Today, Download Festival is widely regarded as one of the premier summer music events in Europe and continues to attract some of the biggest names in rock and metal from around the globe.

Knotfest

Knotfest is an annual heavy metal music festival created by Slipknot. The festival is mainly held in the United States, but has also been held in Mexico and Japan. The first Knotfest was held in August 2012 in California and Iowa, and featured Slipknot, Slayer, Motorhead, and Anthrax, among others.

Aftershock Festival

Aftershock Festival is a two-day music festival held in Sacramento, California, at the Discovery Park. The festival focuses on heavy metal music, and includes games and attractions such as a Ferris wheel, zip line, and “Rock ‘n’ Roll Wrestling”. Aftershock Festival is produced by Gary Stewart and Danny Wimmer Presents.

The first Aftershock Festival was held on October 13–14, 2012. On August 5, 2013, it was announced that Monster Energy drink would be the title sponsor for the 2014 festival. The 2014 Aftershock Festival featured headlining performances from Avenged Sevenfold and Slipknot. The 2015 Aftershock Festival featured headlining performances from Linkin Park and Metallica. On August 1, 2016, it was revealed that Korn and Rob Zombie would be headlining the 2016 Aftershock Festival.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are many great metal festivals happening in the USA in 2017. Whether you’re looking for a festival to headbang at all day long or one that has a more family-friendly atmosphere, there’s sure to be a metal festival for you. So don’t miss out – start planning your trip today!