This is an incomplete list of heavy metal festivals. The genre of heavy metal (or simply metal) is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United States and the United Kingdom.[1][2][3] With roots in blues rock and psychedelic rock, the first heavy metal bands such as Black Sabbath and Deep Purple attracted large audiences, and during the late 1960s and mid-1970s these bands and others in their genre were featured at a number of historic rock festivals.[4] Judas Priest helped spur the genre's evolution by discarding much of its blues influence.[5][6]
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After the genre fused with other related genres such as punk rock in the late 1970s, bands in the new wave of British heavy metal such as Iron Maiden and Saxon followed in a similar vein. Before the end of the decade, heavy metal fans became known as "metalheads" or "headbangers", and there were festivals worldwide, both touring and stationary, dedicated to heavy metal subgenres and heavy metal itself. During the 1980s, glam metal became a commercial force, while Underground scenes and extreme subgenres of metal such as death metal and black metal remained subcultural phenomena, though they have their own dedicated festivals as well. Since the mid-1990s, popular styles have further expanded the definition of the genre.
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Africa
Botswana
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Festival name |
Location |
Active |
Approximate time of year |
Notes |
Overthrust Winter Metal Mania Festival[7] |
Ghanzi |
2010–present |
May |
featuring local and African metal bands |
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Asia
India
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Indonesia
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Festival name |
Location |
Active |
Approx. time of year |
Notes |
Hammersonic Festival |
Jakarta |
2012–present |
March–April |
all heavy music |
Hellprint |
Bandung |
2011–present |
November–March |
all heavy music |
Rock In Celebes |
Makassar |
2010–present |
November |
rock genres |
Rock in Solo |
Surakarta |
2004–present |
October–November |
heritage metal |
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Japan
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Europe
Austria
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Festival name |
Location |
Active |
Approx. time of year |
Notes |
Kaltenbach Open Air[8] |
|
2003–present |
August |
|
Nova Rock |
Nickelsdorf |
2005–present |
June |
|
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Belgium
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Festival name |
Location |
Active |
Approx. time of year |
Notes |
Graspop Metal Meeting | Dessel | 1996–present | End of June | One of the biggest metal festivals in Europe |
Alcatraz Hard Rock & Metal Festival[9] | Kortrijk | 2008–present | Beginning of August | Started indoor but changed to an outdoor festival in 2013 |
Hell's Balls Belgium |
Kortrijk |
2023-present |
Beginning of november |
Indoor festival organized by the organization of Alcatraz |
Huginns Awakening Fest | Oostende | 2009–present | April/May | Thrash Speed Heavy metal festival |
Headbanger's Balls Fest | Izegem | 2012–present | Beginning of May |
Blast from the Past Festival | Kuurne | 2013–present | December | Old school heavy metal festival |
Ieper Hardcore Fest |
Ypres |
1992-present |
Beginning of July |
Hardcore |
Durbuy Rock |
Bomal |
1997-present |
Beginning of may |
|
|
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Bulgaria
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Festival name |
Location |
Active |
Approx. time of year |
Notes |
Hills of Rock | Rowing Canal in Plovdiv, Bulgaria | 2017 - current | July | rock, metal, crossover punk |
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Czech Republic
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Festival name |
Location |
Active |
Approx. time of year |
Notes |
Brutal Assault | Jaroměř | 1996–present | August | extreme metal, heavy metal, hardcore punk, experimental music |
Masters of Rock (festival) | Vizovice | 2003–present | July | heavy metal, power metal, rock |
Metalfest | Pilsen | 2007–present | June | heavy metal, power metal, death |
Obscene Extreme | Trutnov | 1999–present | July | grindcore, death metal, hardcore punk |
Rock Castle |
Moravský Krumlov |
2021-present |
August |
metal |
Basin Fire Fest |
Spálené Poříčí |
2003-present |
June |
metal, punk, international + local bands |
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Denmark
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Festival name |
Location |
Active |
Approx. time of year |
Notes |
Copenhell | Copenhagen | 2010–present | June | featuring death, thrash, black, doom, heavy, power metal and hard rock |
Aalborg Metal Festival | Aalborg | 2002–present | November | featuring death, thrash, black, doom, heavy, power metal and hard rock |
Royal Metal Fest | Aarhus | 2008–present | April | featuring death, thrash, black, doom, heavy, power metal and hard rock |
Viborg Metal Festival | Viborg | 2014–present | March | featuring death, thrash, black, doom, heavy, power metal and hard rock |
Metal Magic Festival | Fredericia | 2008–present | July | featuring death, thrash, black, doom, heavy, power metal and hard rock |
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Estonia
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Festival name |
Location |
Active |
Approx. time of year |
Notes |
Hard Rock Laager | Vana-Vigala | 2002–present | June | The biggest metal festival in Estonia[10] |
Howls of Winter | Tallinn | 2014–present | February | black metal |
Barbar Feast | Saula | 2019–present | July | The most epic metal festival in Europe![11] |
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Finland
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Festival name |
Location |
Active |
Approx. time of year |
Notes |
Dark River Festival | Kotka | | August | all subgenres of metal |
Hellsinki Metal Festival | Helsinki | 2023-present | August | all subgenres of metal |
John Smith Rock Festival[12] | Laukaa | 2016–present | July | The best rock festival in Finland[13] |
Nummirock | Kauhajoki | 1987–present | June | all subgenres of metal |
Saarihelvetti | Tampere | | August | all subgenres of metal |
Steelfest Open Air | Hyvinkää | 2008–present | May | black and death metal |
Turku Saatanalle | Turku | 2011–present | March | black metal |
Tuska Open Air | Helsinki | 1998–present | July | all subgenres of metal |
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France
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Festival name |
Location |
Active |
Approx. time of year |
Notes |
Hellfest Summer Open Air | Clisson | 2006–present | June | up to 60.000 people; all subgenres of Metal |
Motocultor Festival | Brittany | 2007–present | August | death, black, thrash metal |
Plane'R Fest | Colombier-Saugnieu | 2012–present | July | all subgenres of Metal |
Sylak Open Air | Saint-Maurice-de-Gourdans | | August | all subgenres of Metal, hardcore |
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Germany
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Festival name |
Location |
Active |
Approx. time of year |
Notes |
Chronical Moshers Open Air | Heinsdorfergrund | 1982–present | June | up to 1.000 people; Death, Black and Thrash Metal |
Dark Troll Festival | Bornstedt | 2009-present | May | put to 1.200 people; Pagan, Black, Folk, Post, Melodic Death, Death Metal, Celtic Metal |
Dong Open Air | Neukirchen-Vluyn | 2001–present | July | up to 5.000 people; all subgenres of Metal |
Elbriot | Hamburg | 2013–present | August | up to 12.000 people; Metal Festival in Hamburg[14] |
Euroblast Festival | Cologne | 2008–present | October | up to 12.000 people; Progressive and Avantgarde Metal |
Ferryman Metal Open Air | Tübingen | 2024 | June | 500-1000 people; all subgenres of Metal |
Full Force | Löbnitz | 1994–present | July | put to 25.000 people; Hardcore, Metalcore, Punk and Metal |
Impericon Festivals | Leipzig, Hamburg, Munich, Oberhausen | 2011-present | March | up to 11.000 people each Festival; biggest indoor festivals in Europe; Metalcore |
In Flammen Open Air | Torgau | | July | up to 6.000 people; Death, Black and Thrash Metal |
Mammut Festival | Königsbrunn | 2022-present | March | min. 500 people, but raises fast; all subgenres of Metal |
Metal Frenzy Open Air Festival | Gardelegen | 2014–present | June | up to 5.000 people; Metal and Hard Rock |
Party.San Metal Open Air | Schlotheim | 1996-present | August | up to 10.000 people; all subgenres of Metal |
Ragnarök Festival | Lichtenfels, Bavaria | 2004–present | April | up to 4000 people; Black, Pagan, Viking, Death Metal |
Rock am Ring | Nürburgring, Adenau, Eifel | 1985-present | June | up to 92.000 people; biggest rock festival in the world; Metalcore, Death Metal, Thrash, Heavy Metal, Punk Rock, Rock |
Rock im Park | Nürnberg | 1995-present | June | up to 88.000 people; Metalcore, Death Metal, Thrash, Heavy Metal, Punk Rock, Rock |
RockXplosion | Leonberg | 1984-present | July | up to 2.000 people; Death Metal, Metalcore, Hardcore Punk, Punk Rock |
Rock Hard Festival | Gelsenkirchen | 2003–present | June | 7.000 people; Heavy, Power, Thrash and Death Metal |
Rockharz Open Air | Ballenstedt | 1993/94-present | July | up to 24.000 people; all subgenres of Metal |
Rock um zu helfen | Freiberg, Saxony | | October | rock genres |
Reload Festival | Sulingen | 2006-present | August | up to 15.000 people; Metal, Hardcore, Punk & Party |
Summer Breeze Open Air | Dinkelsbühl | 1997–present | August | up to 40.000 people; Death, Black, Thrash Metal |
Under the Black Sun | Friesack near Berlin | 1997-present | June or July | up to 1000 people; Black Metal |
Wacken Open Air | Wacken | 1990–present | August | up to 85.000 people; largest metal festival in Germany; all subgenres of Metal |
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Italy
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Latvia
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Festival name |
Location |
Active |
Approx. time of year |
Notes |
Zobens un Lemess | Bauska | 2014–present | June | folk, pagan, metal subgenres; 3 day festival |
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Lithuania
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Festival name |
Location |
Active |
Approx. time of year |
Notes |
Devilstone | Anykščiai | 2009–2023 | July (mid) | a retreat of freedom and rock & roll[15] |
Kilkim Žaibu | Varniai | 1999–present | June (end) | black, Viking metal and folk music |
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Netherlands
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Festival name |
Location |
Active |
Approx. time of year |
Notes |
Amsterdam Metalfest | Amsterdam | 2015–present | April & October | one-day festival |
Dynamo Open Air | Eindhoven | 2015–present | July | |
Into the Grave | Leeuwarden | 2010–present | June | |
MidsummerProg | Valkenburg | 2017–present | June | |
ProgPower Europe | Baarlo | 1999–present | October | featuring power, progressive metal |
Roadburn Festival | Tilburg | 1999–present | April | large festival featuring doom, stoner, death, black metal |
Metalyard | Arnhem | 2015–present | April | indoor festival featuring thrash, heavy metal, death, black metal and so on. |
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Norway
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Festival name |
Location |
Active |
Approx. time of year |
Notes |
Inferno Metal Festival | Oslo | 2001–present | April | featuring black, death, thrash, doom metal |
Tons of Rock | Oslo | 2014-present | June | wide range of metal subgenres |
Karmøygeddon Metal Festival | Kopervik | 2004–present | May | wide range of metal subgenres |
Garasjefestival | Reinsvoll | 2017–present | July | black, death, trash and other subgenres of metal |
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Poland
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Festival name |
Location |
Active |
Approx. time of year |
Notes |
Mystic Festival |
Gdańsk |
1999; 2001-2003; 2005; 2007; 2019–present |
June |
Heavy metal music festival[16] |
Siekiera fest |
Wrocław |
2019–present |
September |
The very first festival of a kind featuring great Polish bands[17] |
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Portugal
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Festival name |
Location |
Active |
Approx. time of year |
Notes |
HARDMETALFEST |
Mangualde |
1997–present |
January |
featuring power, death, black, thrash, doom metal |
Laurus Nobilis Music |
Famalicão |
2015–present |
August |
featuring power, death, black, thrash, doom metal |
Rock in Rio Lisboa | Lisboa | 2004–present | May | featuring various genres |
SWR Barroselas Metalfest |
Barroselas |
1998–present |
April |
featuring power, death, black, thrash, doom metal |
Vagos Metal Fest | Calvão | 2016–present | August | featuring power, death, black, thrash, doom metal |
Evil Live |
Lisboa |
2009–present |
June |
featuring power, death, black, thrash, doom metal |
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Romania
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Festival name |
Location |
Active |
Approx. time of year |
Notes |
Artmania Festival | Sibiu | 2006–present |
August | art festival featuring heavy metal |
Metalhead Meeting | Bucharest | 2013–present |
June/July | death metal, black metal, heavy metal |
Rockstadt Extreme Festival | Rasnov | 2013–present |
August | death metal, black metal, heavy metal |
Metal Gates Festival | Bucharest | 2017–present |
November | death metal, black metal, doom metal |
Posada Rock Fest | Campulung Muscel | 1986–present |
|
Maximum Rock Festival | Bucuresti | 2006–present |
Late August | gothic metal, heavy metal, death metal |
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Russia
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Festival name |
Location |
Active |
Approx. time of year |
Notes |
Metal Over Russia | Moscow | | July | 3-day doom, death, black, dark, pagan, folk metal |
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Slovenia
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Festival name |
Location |
Active |
Approx. time of year |
Notes |
Tolminator | Tolmin | 2023–present | July | all styles of metal, attendance capped at 5000 visitors. Spiritual successor to Metaldays and MetalCamp |
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Spain
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Festival name |
Location |
Active |
Approx. time of year |
Notes |
Barcelona Rock Fest | Barcelona | 2014–present | July | featuring hardcore, metalcore, thrash, death, black metal, punk |
Leyendas del Rock | Villena | 2006–present | August | mostly traditional, thrash, power and gothic metal |
Resurrection Fest | Viveiro | 2006–present | July | featuring hardcore, metalcore, thrash, death, black metal, punk |
Rock Imperium |
Cartagena |
2022-present |
June |
mostly traditional, glam, power metal. |
Z! Live Rock Fest |
Zamora |
2016-present |
June |
mostly traditional, thrash and power metal. |
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Sweden
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Festival name |
Location |
Active |
Approx. time of year |
Notes |
Gefle Metal Festival | Gävle | 2016–present | July | all subgenres of metal |
House of Metal | Umeå | 2007–present | February or March | all subgenres of metal |
Sweden Rock Festival | Sölvesborg | 1992–present | June | classic rock, hard rock and metal |
Huskvarna Metal Fest | Jönköping | | Spring and fall | black, death, thrash metal |
High 5ive Summer Fest |
Stockholm |
2018–present |
Summer |
Metalcore, Hardcore, Pop Punk, Post-hardcore, Deathcore |
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United Kingdom
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Festival name |
Location |
Active |
Approx. time of year |
Notes |
Bloodstock Open Air | Walton-on-Trent, Derbyshire | 2005–present | August | outdoor festival featuring death, black, thrash, folk metal, with attendance of 13,000 (2013) |
Damnation Festival | Manchester, England | 2005–present | November | one-day festival featuring death, black, thrash, doom metal |
Download Festival | Donington Park, Leicestershire | 2003–present | June | large rock festival featuring hard rock, nu-metal, metalcore, death metal, black metal and pro wrestling from NXT UK |
Hammerfest | Prestatyn, Wales | 2009–present | March | |
Hard Rock Hell | Gwynedd, North Wales | 2007–present | November | Three day metal festival held at a resort[18] |
Incineration Festival |
London, England |
2014–present |
May |
extreme metal festival for fans of death metal, black metal, doom metal, thrash metal, and slam |
Monsters of Rock |
|
|
|
|
Slam Dunk Festival[19] |
|
|
|
|
Stonedead Festival |
Newark, Notts, England |
2018–Present |
August |
One Day, One Stage, One Monster Rock Show[20] |
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North America
Canada
More information Festival name, Location ...
Festival name |
Location |
Active |
Approx. time of year |
Notes |
Gaspesian Metal Fest |
Matane |
|
June |
Underground metal festival |
Hyperspace Metal Festival |
Vancouver |
|
April |
Canada's premier melodic & power metal festival |
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Mexico
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Festival name |
Location |
Active |
Approx. time of year |
Notes |
Candelabrum Metal Fest |
León |
|
September |
|
Hell & Heaven Metal Fest |
Mexico City (Toluca) |
2010–present |
November - December |
3 Day Open-Air Metal Festival, featuring death, thrash, black, doom, heavy, power metal & hard rock |
México Metal Fest |
Monterrey |
2016–present |
November |
1 Day |
Total Death Over México |
Mexico City |
2018–present |
May |
3 Day Underground Death, Black Metal Festival |
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United States
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Festival name |
Location |
Active |
Approx. time of year |
Notes |
98RockFest | Tampa, FL | 2007–present | April | Metal, grunge and hard rock festival[21] |
Aftershock Festival | Sacramento, CA | 2012–present | October | Hard rock and heavy metal festival[22] |
AURA Fest[23] | Savannah, GA | 2017–present | June | All Underground Rock All Day[24] |
Full Terror Assault[25] | Cave-In-Rock, IL | 2021–present | September | European style Open Air Festival for extreme music fans[26] |
INKcarceration[27] | Mansfield, OH | 2018–present | July | Rock music and tattoo festival[28] |
Legions of Metal Fest[29] | Chicago, IL | 2017–present | June | |
Louder Than Life | Louisville, KY | 2014–present | September | Hard rock/heavy metal festival[30] |
Mad With Power Fest[31] | Madison, WI | 2018–present | August | Power Metal/Traditional Heavy Metal festival[32] |
Maryland Deathfest | Baltimore, MD | 2003–present | May | Extreme Music[33] |
Mass Destruction Metal Fest[34] | Atlanta, GA | 2017–present | November | Extreme Metal Festival[35] |
Milwaukee Metal Fest[36] | Milwaukee, WI | 1987–2004, 2023–present | May | |
New England Metal and Hardcore Festival | Worcester, MA | 1999–2018, 2023–present | September | |
ProgPower USA | Atlanta, GA | 2001–present | September | Progressive and Power Metal[37] |
Rocklahoma | Pryor, OK | 2007–present | September | Hard rock and metal festival[38] |
Sick New World Festival[39] | Las Vegas, NV | 2023–present | April | Nu-Metal Fest[40] |
Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival | Columbus, OH | 2019, 2023–present | May | Hard rock and metal festival[41] |
Welcome to Rockville | Daytona Beach, FL | 2011–present | April/May | Hard rock and heavy metal music festival[42] |
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Oceania
Australia
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Festival name |
Location |
Active |
Approx. time of year |
Notes |
Blacken Open Air[43] |
Hale, Northern Territory |
2016–present |
Various |
Open air 2 - 3 day festival, Not held in 2020 and 2021 |
Download Festival |
Melbourne and Sydney |
2018–present |
March |
Melbourne and Sydney in 2019 |
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The following is an incomplete list of traveling metal festivals, both active and defunct:
Europe
Slovenia
More information Festival name, Location ...
Festival name |
Location |
Active |
Approx. time of year |
Notes |
MetalCamp | Tolmin | 2004–2012 | August | replaced by Metaldays, featuring death, black, folk, thrash, doom metal |
Metaldays | Velenje | 2013–2023 | August | replaced Metalcamp and previously held in Tolmin, featuring death, black, folk, thrash, doom metal |
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Du Noyer (2003), p. 96; Weinstein (2000), pp. 11–13.
Weinstein (2000), pp. 14, 118.
Fast (2005), pp. 89–91; Weinstein (2000), pp. 7, 8, 23, 36, 103, 104.
"As much as Sabbath started it, Priest were the ones who took it out of the blues and straight into metal." Bowe, Brian J. Judas Priest: Metal Gods. ISBN 0-7660-3621-9. "History". alcatraz.be. Retrieved 25 September 2022. "ABOUT". devilstone.net. Retrieved 3 April 2023. "About". fullterrorassault.com. Retrieved 24 September 2022.