Hellfest 2017: A Preview

Summer is coming, and in Europe, summer means festivals season, and once again, French festival Hellfest proves that it has one of the best lineups in the world in terms of heavy music. This year’s edition will have its highlights, such as Deep Purple’s, Aerosmith’s and The Dillinger Escape Plan’s final French appearances, Linkin Park’s, Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons’ and Prophets of Rage’s first shows in Clisson, and of course -and that’s what makes this festival so special – dozens of bands that you won’t see on any other festival poster this year. The strength of Hellfest is that, with its 6 stages, and shows going on from 10:30AM to 2AM, it has one of the most diverse lineups of the summer, ranging from Blue Öyster Cult to Behemoth, from Alestorm to Comeback Kid.

Being sold out in a few weeks, this year’s edition of the festival is already a success, but here are some shows that will be not to miss :

A Day To Remember : The Ocala quintet hits the stage for the third time this year, and with their last record to date, Bad Vibrations, they’ve got enough new material to surprise the French audience once again, after a remarked performance in 2015. The band still sees its popularity growing in France, as their audiences are growing each time they are playing in Paris.

Be warned, surroundings will be disrespected.

Alestorm : Two years after a successful show, your favorite pirates are back for a headlining show, one not to miss if you’re able to enter the Temple !

It is no surprise that folk-metal, and in this case, pirate metal is trending over these last few years, as these bands deliver so much energy on stage, and bring the party to the audience.

Hold your beer, fear not the hangover, Alestorm are on the deck and ready to rock !

While She Sleeps : The English band, despite being the biggest name in the metalcore scene, may be one of the most respected acts of these last years, and the least we can say is that they deserve it. Two years after the critically acclaimed Brainwashed, the band is back with You Are We, an album paked with original compositions, putting aside the predictable breakdowns but filled with energy. The Sheffield crew is here to last, and to prove that it is to renew an overwhelmed scene.

Skindred : The metalheads that were present in 2013 in front of the main stage at 10:30AM still remember what an impressive show Skindred’s was ! Benji Webbe’s communion with the audience is impressive, and their unheard before Raggametal makes them an essential band in the metal scene today, and one not to miss this year for sure.

One of the highlights of this year’s edition for sure, a band that we see too rarely in France.

Ultra Vomit : And let’s finish with a discovery. Ultra Vomit is a French chilled metal band, or “metal peinard” as they like to call it in French. Their latest release, Panzer Surprise, is a hilarious melting pot between metal genres (the band mimicks bands such as Rammstein, Iron Maiden, Gojira, Pantera or even NOFX in the funniest way) and silly jokes that only them know how to make. To this, add a huge production and writing skills that have nothing to be ashamed of, and you will understand why this concert is one of the most anticipated ones this year !