Hellfest (American music festival)
American music festival From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hellfest was an American all-ages music festival that existed between 1997 and 2005. The festival showcased hardcore music in its broadest sense, including punk rock, metalcore, emo, post-hardcore and more. It originated in Central New York, in and around Syracuse, but eventually relocated to Central New Jersey 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 and sing-alongs. It also encouraged social-awareness through workshops that discussed such causes as animal rights, LGBTQ and politics, with many of its bands and attendees following straight-edge and/or vegetarian or vegan lifestyles.
| Hellfest | |
|---|---|
 Hellfest 2004 banner | |
| Genre | |
| Dates | Various |
| Location(s) | New York, New Jersey |
| Years active | 1997–2005 |
| Founders | Keith Allen, Ryan Canavan |
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.
Co-promoter Josh Grabelle, who was also a sponsor of the festival through his record label Trustkill Records, 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".[1] This explanation, though inaccurate, has since become de facto, 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.[2][3] Allen and his partner Ryan Canavan had been booking and promoting concerts in the Syracuse, New York area since 1996.[4][3] Canavan also had his own booking agency, Hanging Like A Hex, which gave name to a fanzine 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.[3] 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.[5][6] 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 and Architect) in favorable time slots.[7]
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 and Shawn Van Der Poel and was based in Mount Holly, New Jersey. They copromoted 2004 Hellfest with Heath Miller and Excess dB Entertainment at Rexplex in Elizabeth, NJ.[8]
June 20–22, 1997: Syracuse 3-Day Super Festival
Location: Hungry Charley's, 727 South Crouse Avenue, Syracuse, New York.[6]
Friday, June 20
- 454 Big Block
- Cast Iron Hike
- Dirge
- Dissolve
- Snapcase
- Sweetbelly Freakdown
- Ten Yard Fight
Saturday, June 21
- Beta Minus Mechanic
- Bird of Ill Omen
- Burial Ground
- Coalesce
- Culture
- Handful of Dust
- Indecision
- Lockjaw
- Morning Again
- Order of Deceit
- Silent Majority
- Today Is the Day
Sunday, June 22
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.[3]
June 13–14, 1998: Syracuse Hardcore Festival
Location: Cornell Cooperative Extension, 248 Grant Avenue, Auburn, New York.
Saturday, June 13
- Anal Cunt
- Boysetsfire
- Break of Dawn
- Buried Alive
- Dissolve
- Dragbody
- Holdstrong
- Overcast
- Quioxte
- Shutdown
- Still Bleeding
- The Trans Megetti
- Turmoil
Sunday, June 14
- 6 Going on 7
- Brother's Keeper
- Cave In
- Coalesce
- Creation Is Crucifixion
- Defect
- The Dillinger Escape Plan
- Disembodied
- Errortype: Eleven
- Human Shield
- Kerosene 454
- Morning Again
- NORA
- Racetraitor
- Set in Motion
- SeventyEightDays
- Snapcase
- Thoughts of Ionesco
- 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
- Cave In
- Creation Is Crucifixion
- Crossthread
- Dead Eyes Under
- The Grey A.M.
- Groundzero
- Motive
- The Passenger Train Proposal
- Piebald
- Shadows Fall
- Skycamefalling
Sunday, December 6
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
- Boysetsfire
- Buried Alive
- Creation Is Crucifixion
- Eternal Youth
- Fastbreak
- NORA
- Reach the Sky
- Since the Fall
- Snapcase
- Standfast
- Ten Yard Fight
- Where Fear and Weapons Meet
Sunday, June 27
- Another Victim
- Break of Dawn
- Brother's Keeper
- Disembodied
- Drowningman
- Fallout
- Glasseater
- Good Clean Fun
- Grade *
- 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, Fall Silent, Kid Dynamite, Kill the Slave Master, One King Down and Racetraitor.
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 *
- As Friends Rust
- Burn It Down
- Candiria
- Codeseven
- Creation Is Crucifixion
- The Dillinger Escape Plan
- Disciple
- Dissolve
- Drowningman
- Ensign
- Godbelow
- Gunmen and Flightpaths
- Isis
- The Juliana Theory
- Kill Your Idols
- Maharahj
- The National Acrobat
- NORA
- Zao
Saturday, July 1
- Adamantium
- Bane
- The August Prophecy
- Beyond Fall
- Bloodjinn
- Buried Alive
- Cave In
- Converge
- Death by Stereo
- Dragbody
- Eighteen Visions
- Glasseater
- Good Clean Fun
- Head On
- Idle Hands
- Killswitch Engage
- Mid Carson July
- Prayer for Cleansing
- Reach the Sky
- Red Roses for a Blue Lady
- Time in Malta
- Walls of Jericho
Sunday, July 2
- All Else Failed
- Anodyne
- Brother's Keeper
- Crucible
- Destro
- Diecast
- Every Time I Die
- The Grey A.M.
- The Hope Conspiracy
- New Day Rising
- One King Down
- Poison the Well
- Shai Hulud
- Spark Lights the Friction
- Spitfire
- Starkweather
- This Day Forward
- Throwdown
- Turmoil
- Twelve Tribes
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 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.[9]
July 6–8, 2001: Hellfest 2001
Location: Action Sports & Skate Center, 2299 Brewerton Road, in Mattydale, New York
Friday, July 6
Main Stage
- Eighteen Visions
- Ensign
- Every Time I Die
- Glasseater
- Godbelow
- Good Clean Fun
- Just Passed
- Locked in a Vacancy
- Long Since Forgotten
- Martyr A.D.
- Poison the Well
- Santa Sangre
- Spark Lights the Friction
- This Day Forward
- Throwdown
- Trouble Loves Me
- Walls of Jericho
Second Stage
- A Death for Every Sin
- All Else Failed
- Anodyne
- Arma Angelus
- Arms Length
- The Bluestardiary
- Building on Fire
- Cataract
- Ebony Sorrow
- Embrace Today
- Fairweather
- From Autumn to Ashes
- In Pieces
- Jeromes Dream
- 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
- Course of Action
- Groundzero
- Lamb of God
- Lariat
- Length of Time
- Most Precious Blood
- NORA
- One King Down
- Open Hand
- Reach the Sky
- Remembering Never
- Shai Hulud
- Stretch Arm Strong
- Thursday
- Until the End
Second Stage
- Cipher
- Curl Up and Die
- Destro
- The Disaster
- The Grey A.M.
- Holy Angels
- Inkling
- Mastodon
- Mid Carson July
- Pig Destroyer
- Premonitions of War
- Ruined in a Day
- Saving Throw
- Season of Fire
- Standfast
Sunday, July 8
Main Stage
- Arkangel
- Cable
- Candiria
- Catastrophic
- Diecast
- Earth Crisis
- Hatebreed
- If Hope Dies
- In Dying Days
- Killswitch Engage
- Skycamefalling
- Spitfire
- Twelve Tribes
- Undying
- Unearth
- Zao
Second Stage
- A Jealousy Issue
- The August Prophecy
- Beyond Fall
- Bleeding Through
- Blood Has Been Shed
- Bloodjinn
- Circle of Dead Children
- Craig
- Darker Day Tomorrow
- Dead Limb Sleep
- FaceDown
- Garrison
- Harakiri
- Maharahj
- Stalemate
- Sworn Enemy
- 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.[10][11] 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.[12]
July 12–14, 2002: Hellfest 2002
Location: New York State Fairgrounds, 581 State Fair Boulevard, Syracuse, New York.
Friday, July 12
Main Stage
B Stage
- A Life Once Lost
- Between the Buried and Me
- Building on Fire
- Endicott
- In Pieces
- The June Spirit
- Killswitch Engage
- Love Is Red
- Open Hand
- Season of Fire
- Taken
- Your Enemies Friends
C Stage
- 7 Angels 7 Plagues
- American Tragedy
- As Hope Dies
- Breaking Pangaea
- Bury Your Dead
- Codeseven
- Dead to Fall
- Glasseater
- Long Since Forgotten
- Moneen
- Not Waving but Drowning
- This Day Forward
- Uphill Battle
Saturday, July 13
Main Stage
B Stage
- Bleeding Through
- Burnt by the Sun
- Coheed and Cambria
- Count the Stars
- Evergreen Terrace
- Face the Fact
- Found Dead Hanging
- If Hope Dies
- The Last Season
- The Red Chord
- The Rise
- Terror
- The Year of Our Lord
C Stage
- Avenged Sevenfold
- Burning Bridges
- Ed Gein
- Eiffel
- Himsa
- Knives Out
- The Minor Times
- One Fifth
- Remembering Never
- Saving Throw
- This Afternoon
- Twelve Tribes
- Until the End
Sunday, July 14
Main Stage
- Asherah
- Cro-Mags
- Curl Up and Die
- xDisciplex A.D.
- Eighteen Visions
- Ensign
- Hatebreed
- Lamb of God
- Merauder
- Most Precious Blood
- The Promise
- Throwdown
B Stage
- A Static Lullaby
- The Black Dahlia Murder
- Brandtson
- Commit Suicide
- Death Threat
- Kalibas
- One Nation Under
- Shattered Realm
- Suicide Note
- Time in Malta
- Undying
- The Wage of Sin
- What Feeds the Fire
C Stage
- A Death for Every Sin
- The Blood Brothers
- Blood Has Been Shed
- The Cancer Conspiracy
- Circle of Dead Children
- Dead Wrong
- Harakiri
- Homesick for Space
- Lickgoldensky
- Light Is the Language
- Martyr A.D.
- Ringworm
- Sworn Enemy
Notes
The 2002 edition was the first to feature three stages.[13]
July 4–6, 2003: Hellfest 2K3
Location: New York State Fairgrounds, 581 State Fair Boulevard, Syracuse, New York / Planet 505, 505 Westcott Street, Syracuse, New York.
Friday, July 4
Stage A
Stage B
Stage C
- A Perfect Murder
- Acacia
- Alexisonfire
- Cannae
- The Devil's Discipline
- Forever Yours
- Full Blown Chaos
- Kid Gorgeous
- On the Might of Princes
- Premonitions of War
- Suicide Note
- Tabula Rasa
- The Vacancy
- This Afternoon
After Party
- The Black Dahlia Murder
- Bodies in the Gears of the Apparatus
- Deadwater Drowning
- From a Second Story Window
Saturday, July 5
Stage A
- A Static Lullaby
- Acceptance
- The A.K.A.s
- Bleeding Through
- The Bouncing Souls
- Dead Poetic
- Death Threat
- Further Seems Forever
- No Warning
- Onelinedrawing
- Thursday
Stage B
Stage C
- Albert React
- Anberlin
- Champion
- Days in Vain
- Dead to Fall
- Embrace Today
- Fire When Ready
- First Blood
- Jude the Obscure
- Love Is Red
- Murder by Death
- Spitalfield
- Stand and Fight
- This Day Forward
After Party
- A Fall Farewell
- If Hope Dies
- Scars of Tomorrow
- Taken
Sunday, July 6
Stage A
- Brother's Keeper
- CKY
- Converge
- Every Time I Die
- Figure Four
- Freya
- Norma Jean
- Remembering Never
- Stretch Arm Strong
- The Takeover
Stage B
Stage C
- ArmsBendBack
- As Hope Dies
- Asherah
- The Bled
- The Break
- Comeback Kid
- Daughters
- 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.[14] 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
- All Else Failed
- As I Lay Dying
- The Ataris
- Champion
- Draw Blood
- Every Time I Die
- Folly
- Found Dead Hanging
- Halifax
- Himsa
- The Juliana Theory
- Mastodon
- Misfits
- Norma Jean
- The Red Chord
- Remembering Never
- Sick of It All
- Shadows Fall
- Spitalfield
- Strike Anywhere
- Suffocation
- Terror
- Unearth
Hot Topic Stage
- Adelphi
- All That Remains
- Anterrabae
- Bigwig
- Broke Neck
- Burnt by the Sun
- Day of Contempt
- Engineer
- Ensign
- Glasseater
- Hawthorne Heights
- Pig Destroyer
- Premonitions of War
- Sycamore Dreams
- Today Is the Day
- Your Enemies Friends
Dinosaur Stage
- 100 Demons
- The Calico System
- The Dead Season
- Ed Gein
- Full Blown Chaos
- Nag Hamadi
- The Oval Portrait
- Saving Throw
- Starting to Wonder
- Through the Discipline
- Time in Malta
- Walk the Line
- With Honor
Saturday, July 24
Main Stage
- Agnostic Front
- Andrew W.K.
- Avail
- Bane
- The Banner
- Blood for Blood
- Bury Your Dead
- Caliban
- E-Town Concrete
- Evergreen Terrace
- The Hope Conspiracy
- The Killing
- Killswitch Engage
- Love Is Red
- Martyr A.D.
- Mest
- No Hollywood Ending
- NORA
- Odd Project
- Roses Are Red
- Scars of Tomorrow
- Shattered Realm
- Stretch Arm Strong
- Underoath
- Until the End
- Zao
Hot Topic Stage
- Beloved
- Between the Buried and Me
- Blacklisted
- Comeback Kid
- DRI
- Drive Without
- Drowningman
- Embrace Today
- For the Love of...
- Horse the Band
- Let it Die
- No Redeeming Social Value
- Nothing Left to Mourn
- Prayer for Cleansing
- The World/Inferno Friendship Society
Dinosaur Stage
- Dead to Fall
- xDEATHSTARx
- Figure Four
- The Judas Cradle
- Malice Aforethought
- The Minor Times
- Misery Index
- Only Crime
- Park
- Reflux
- Suffocate Faster
- To the Grave
- Undying
Sunday, July 25
Main Stage
- A Thousand Falling Skies
- Alexisonfire
- Bear vs. Shark
- Bleeding Through
- Cannae
- Converge
- Death by Stereo
- Death Threat
- The Dillinger Escape Plan
- Fear Factory
- Fordirelifesake
- If Hope Dies
- It Dies Today
- Life of Agony
- Most Precious Blood
- Shai Hulud
- Sworn Enemy
- Throwdown
- Walls of Jericho
Hot Topic Stage
- 25 Ta Life
- A Life Once Lost
- A Perfect Murder
- Bad Luck 13 Riot Extravaganza
- Breath of Silence
- The Bronx
- Endwell
- Fear Before the March of Flames
- From a Second Story Window
- Merauder
- Misery Signals
- Planes Mistaken for Stars
- The Promise
- Stars Turn Cold
- Zombie Apocalypse
Dinosaur Stage
- The Acacia Strain
- The Autumn Offering
- Drive By
- Dry Kill Logic
- Flat Earth Society
- Forever Is Forgotten
- Last Perfection
- Psyopus
- Stabbed by Words
- Wings of Scarlet
- With Dead Hands Rising
Notes
The 2004 edition was the first edition to be held in New Jersey.[15] In addition to the concerts, the RexPlex offered a skate park, indoor paintball, arcades, laser tag and the Hellfest Tattoo Festival.[16]
August 19–21, 2005: Hellfest '05
Location: Sovereign Bank Arena, 81 Hamilton Avenue, Trenton, New Jersey.
Friday, August 19 *
Main Stage A: 1x1 Music
Main Stage B: Peta2
- Chimaira
- Converge
- He Is Legend
- Misfits
- Nile
- Suffocation
- Turmoil
- With Honor
- Zao
Outdoor Stage A: Goodfellow Records/Abacus Recordings
- All Else Failed
- Curl Up and Die
- Donnybrook
- Doomriders
- Ed Gein
- Embrace the End
- Embrace Today
- From a Second Story Window
- Full Blown Chaos
- Modern Life Is War
- Shattered Realm
- Winter Solstice
Outdoor Stage B: Eulogy Recordings
- 100 Demons
- 3 Inches of Blood
- A Wilhelm Scream
- Betrayed
- Buried Inside
- Cursed
- Dead to Fall
- God Forbid
- If Hope Dies
- The Minor Times
- Six Feet Under
- Sworn Enemy
Outdoor Stage C: Hot Topic
- Alove For Enemies
- Animosity
- Arms Race
- Cancer Bats
- Cannae
- Demiricous
- Fixer
- Ghosts of War
- Kids Like Us
- The Killing
- Nine Will Die
- No Redeeming Social Value
- Nobody Left Behind
- Nodes of Ranvier
- Rumplestiltskin Grinder
- Seventh Star
- Stemm
- Stray from the Path
- Summer's End
- This Is Hell
Saturday, August 20 *
Main Stage A: 1x1 Music
- 108
- Bold
- The Bouncing Souls
- Champion
- Coalesce
- Marathon
- Mean Season
- NORA
- Public Enemy
- Strike Anywhere
Main Stage B: Peta2
Outdoor Stage A: Goodfellow Records/Abacus Recordings
- As Cities Burn
- Blacklisted
- Classic Case
- Ensign
- Fall River
- The Jonbenét
- Long Since Forgotten
- Most Precious Blood
- Paint it Black
- The Secret
- Suffocate Faster
- Triple Threat
Outdoor Stage B: Eulogy Recordings
- Fire When Ready
- Gym Class Heroes
- Hidden in Plain View
- Hit the Lights
- Houston Calls
- Over It
- Planes Mistaken for Stars
- Misery Signals
- New Atlantic
- Since the Flood
- Smoke or Fire
- Spitalfield
Outdoor Stage C: Hot Topic
- Above this Fire
- Anorexic Beauty Queen
- Backstabbers Incorporated
- Burning Season
- Casey Jones
- 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
Main Stage B: Peta2
- Anti-Flag
- The Casualties
- Emery
- Norma Jean
- Remembering Never
- Rise Against
- Silverstein
- Stretch Arm Strong
- Symphony in Peril
Outdoor Stage A: Goodfellow Records/Abacus Recordings
Outdoor Stage B: Eulogy Recordings
- A Hero From a Thousand Paces
- The Acacia Strain
- The Agony Scene
- The A.K.A.s
- Anterrabae
- Calico System
- Death Before Dishonor
- Ion Dissonance
- Roses Are Red
- The Showdown
- Spitfire
- Tension
Outdoor Stage C: Hot Topic
- 2 Cents
- A Murder of Crows
- At All Cost
- Between Walls
- Bled Across Miles
- Bloodjinn
- Bloodlined Calligraphy
- Cold War
- FC Five
- Final Word
- Horse The Band
- I Am Idaho
- The Last Season
- Life in Pictures
- Look What I Did
- Outbreak
- Ramallah
- Scary Kids Scaring Kids
- Silhouette
- The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza
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.[17]
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.[18] 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.[19][20]
In 2004, Hellfest sponsored an official battle of the bands contests, both nationally and in Central New Jersey, giving the chance to unsigned bands the opportunity of playing the festival's stages.[21] 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.[22]
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.[23] The competition was held over three days, two at Club Krome in Sayreville, 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.[22] The judges were Carl Severson (owner of Ferret Music), Alex Saavedra (owner of Eyeball Records), Josh Grabelle (owner of Trustkill Records), Fred Feldman (owner of Triple Crown Records), Kyle Kraszewski (owner of No Milk Records), Joanna Angel (owner of BurningAngels), Andrew D. Keller (A&R scout at Columbia Records), Michelle and Stacy (writers at The Aquarian Weekly), DJ Rob, DJ Ralph and DJ Q (disc jockeys at WSOU), Geoff Rickly (vocalist of the band Thursday) and Evange Livanos (promoter at FATA Booking).[23][24]
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.[24][25][26][27] 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
- 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 In between
- 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, Revolver, Hopeless Records and Trustkill Records.[28] 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.[28] 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.[29][30] 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.[29][31] 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.[28] Runner up winners (Second Place and Third Place winners) received free passes to attend the event and free Hellfest merchandise.[28]
Winners
The list of winners was announced along with the selected songs upon which they were judged.[31] 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.
| Place | Band | Song |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Prize | Odd Project | The Phone Is Such a Blunt Object |
| First Prize | Broke Neck | Penguins are Awfully Cute |
| First Prize | Let it Die | Already Dead |
| First Prize | Stars Turn Cold | The Uncertainties Never Seemed so Uncertain |
| Second Place | Abeyance | Another God Fails |
| Second Place | Holiday | Midnight Sun |
| Second Place | She Dies in December | Last Goodnight |
| Second Place | Silence After Tragedy | Changing the Tide |
| Second Place | Thieves and Assassins | White Noise |
| Third Place | Coldwater Tragedy | The Inevitable Fact That |
| Third Place | Tomorrow Will be Worse | Revelation |
All Hellfest events have been filmed, either by fans or by professional production companies. However, only three official VHS/DVDs have been released.[32]
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 Trustkill Records on June 12, 2001, and features live footage, interviews, commentaries by fifteen bands, the majority of which were already signed to Trustkill Records.[33]
Track listing
Credits are adapted from the VHS/DVD's liner notes.[36]
| No. | Title | Band | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Interview" | Poison the Well | 0:00 |
| 2. | "Slice Paper Wrists" | Poison the Well | 0:00 |
| 3. | "Interview" | Shai Hulud | 0:00 |
| 4. | "My Heart Bleeds the Darkest Blood" | Shai Hulud | 0:00 |
| 5. | "Interview" | Buried Alive | 0:00 |
| 6. | "Worthless" | Buried Alive | 0:00 |
| 7. | "Interview" | Brother's Keeper | 0:00 |
| 8. | "God Damn Son of a Bitch" | Brother's Keeper | 0:00 |
| 9. | "Interview" | One King Down | 0:00 |
| 10. | "Gravity Wins Again" | One King Down | 0:00 |
| 11. | "Interview" | Bane | 0:00 |
| 12. | "What Makes Us Strong / Superhero" | Bane | 0:00 |
| 13. | "Conduit" | Converge | 0:00 |
| 14. | "Interview" | Every Time I Die | 0:00 |
| 15. | "Your Touch Versus Death" | Every Time I Die | 0:00 |
| 16. | "Interview" | Eighteen Visions | 0:00 |
| 17. | "Who Killed John Lennon?" | Eighteen Visions | 0:00 |
| 18. | "Interview" | Reach the Sky | 0:00 |
| 19. | "World Stands Still" | Reach the Sky | 0:00 |
| 20. | "Interview" | Walls of Jericho | 0:00 |
| 21. | "A Day and a Thousand Years" | Walls of Jericho | 0:00 |
| 22. | "Interview" | NORA | 0:00 |
| 23. | "The Neverendingyouline" | NORA | 0:00 |
| 24. | "Color Me Blood Red" | Converge | 0:00 |
| 25. | "Interview" | Eighteen Visions | 0:00 |
| 26. | "The Psychotic Thought That Satan Gave Jesus" | Eighteen Visions | 0:00 |
| 27. | "Interview" | Poison the Well | 0:00 |
| 28. | "Nerdy" | Poison the Well | 0:00 |
| 29. | "Interview" | Bane | 0:00 |
| 30. | "Can We Start Again?" | Bane | 0:00 |
| 31. | "Interview" | Walls of Jericho | 0:00 |
| 32. | "Why Father" | Walls of Jericho | 0:00 |
| 33. | "Interview" | The Hope Conspiracy | 0:00 |
| 34. | "Escapist" | The Hope Conspiracy | 0:00 |
| 35. | "Interview" | Brother's Keeper | 0:00 |
| 36. | "Cranium" | Brother's Keeper | 0:00 |
| 37. | "Interview" | Shai Hulud | 0:00 |
| 38. | "Solely Concentrating on the Negative Aspects of Life" | Shai Hulud | 0:00 |
| 39. | "Interview" | One King Down | 0:00 |
| 40. | "More Hate Than Fear" | One King Down | 0:00 |
| 41. | "Interview" | Idle Hands | 0:00 |
| 42. | "Treaty" | Idle Hands | 0:00 |
| 43. | "Interview" | Killswitch Engage | 0:00 |
| 44. | "Vide Infra" | Killswitch Engage | 0:00 |
| 45. | "Interview" | Buried Alive | 0:00 |
| 46. | "Kill Their Past" | Buried Alive | 0:00 |
| 47. | "Interview" | Poison the Well | 0:00 |
| 48. | "Artist's Rendering of Me" | Poison the Well | 0:00 |
| 49. | "The Saddest Day" | Converge | 0:00 |
| Total length: | 00:00 | ||
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 Coheed and Cambria, Bleeding Through, Hatebreed, Merauder, NORA, Open Hand, Freya, Throwdown, Lamb of God, Bloodlet, Eighteen Visions, 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 Anti-Flag, Thursday, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Norma Jean, Lamb of God, Murder By Death, Walls of Jericho, The Bled, Terror, From Autumn to Ashes, CKY, Comeback Kid, My Chemical Romance, Full Blown Chaos, The Locust, Biohazard, Unearth, Bleeding Through, Bouncing Souls and more.
Hellfest's final year, the 2004 weekend at Rexplex, Elizabeth, New Jersey 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.
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