Hellfest is an annual hardcore, metal, and emocore festival
held in Syracuse, NY. First put together in 1996, the fest has tried to remain as
close to the fans as possible. Reality intervenes, of course, but the result is surprisingly
good. Ten hours of solid music per day for three days in the middle of summer, the fest
is all ages, and pro- straight edge, vegan,
and various sexualities. The result is a great positivity on Day One, and a lot
of tired, sunburnt complaints on Day Three, but a generally positive attitude overall.
The fest draws fans from all over the world and averages 5-6000 per year. Typical bands might
include the Misfits, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Hatebreed, and others representing labels
like Victory Records, Trustkill, Century Media, and Release / Relapse.