As the New England Metal & Hardcore Festival XV continues to expand, the event welcomes the coming of Paganfest!.The annual caravan, notorious for its wealth of folk-loving, mead-swilling, Pagan-centric musical exports, this year features Finnish folk metal heroes/headliners ENSIFERUM, alongside Faroe Islands natives TÝR, Dutch Pagan metallers HEIDEVOLK, Norway’s TROLLFEST and California thrashers HELSOTT. Paganfest will be making a stop at The Palladium on April 20th.

MassConcerts recently confirmed the addition of several new acts including: GIDEON, the original lineup of BRACEWAR, THE PLOT IN YOU, BEYOND THE SHORE, and longtime NYHC kings SICK OF IT ALL.

Additionally, the founders of the New England Metal & Hardcore Festival have announced the third annual installment of the Road To Metal Fest Tour. This year's lineup resembles that of those past, featuring a mix of festival alumni and newcomers. Leading the way is Sumerian Records' AFTER THE BURIAL, followed by WITHIN THE RUINS, THE CONTORTIONIST, GLASS CLOUD and CITY IN THE SEA.

NEMHF founder, Scott Lee of MassConcerts, quoted, "We like to put this tour together to help showcase the talent that the festival has to offer, while giving bands an opportunity to tour together on their way to the festival. We want to thank everyone that has had a part in putting this together. It is great when we can get all these different companies working together to pull off a tour as diverse as this one."

After The Burial is fresh off of last year's Vans Warped Tour and are expecting a new record out in late August via Sumerian Records. Within The Ruins will be releasing their first LP for E1/Good Fight on February 26th, titled Elite. The Contortionist is currently supporting HATEBREED, SHADOWDS FALL, and DYING FETUS in the United States. Glass Cloud recently released their first effort via Equal Vision Records and have supported SILVERSTEIN, MISS MAY I, and were a part of last year’s Scream It Like You Mean It Tour. One of Sumerian Records newest signees, City In The Sea, will be releasing their full length this Spring and will be taking part in the New England Metal & Hardcore Festival for the first time.

Road To Metal Fest III Tour (with After The Burial, Within The Ruins, The Contortionist, Glass Cloud, City In The Sea)

April

12 - The Vernon Club - Louisville, KY
13 - Emerson Theater - Indianapolis, IN
14 - Jamboree - Toledo, OH
15 - NV - Knoxville, TN
16 - New Brookland Tavern - Columbia, SC
17 - Green Street - Greensboro, NC
18 - Shakas - Virginia Beach, VA
20 - NEMHF - Worcester, MA
21 - Santos Party House - New York, NY
22 - The Note - West Chester, PA
23 - Xtreme Wheels - Buffalo, NY
24 - Ironworks - Pittsburgh, PA
25 - Peabody’s - Cleveland, OH
26 - Mojoes - Joliet, IL
27 - Blue Moose - Iowa City, IA

The New England Metal & Hardcore Festival is celebrating its 15th Anniversary at the historic Worcester Palladium. The festival takes place April 19th, 20th and 21st with a special pre-fest party in the upstairs room at the Palladium on April 18th. Since 1999, the festival has showcased a vast array of metal and hardcore acts across two stages, while also providing merchandising and promotional areas for record labels and other vendors.