On July 27 and 28 (and July 26 with Heavy In The City), Montreal was the epicentre of the heavy metal universe with the unforgettable 10th anniversary of Heavy Montréal presented by Black Label. It was the perfect way to celebrate the fact that recently Montréal’s city council unanimously adopted a declaration which states that Montreal is a “city of excellence” for heavy metal.

This year was also the return to the newly renovated festival site at Espace 67 of Parc Jean-Drapeau, and fans turned out in droves to experience the kind of metal mayhem that can only be delivered by a festival of this calibre. With over 50 bands playing 4 stages over 2 full days, there was something for everyone, including bone crushing sets from some festival favourites and some newcomers to Montreal’s metal mecca.

Highlights:

For this 10th edition, festival goers moshed and moved to the searing sounds of the best that metal has to offer. Galactic Empire kicked things off on day 1 with an out of this world set complete with killer costumes and cacophony! Fever 333 were up next, proving that they are one of the most exciting young bands out there, with their guitarist ending the set by giving an up close and personal performance in the back of the Casino de Montreal Gold Terrace for those lucky enough to have bought Gold passes. Anonymus proved why 30 years later they are still one of the most intense bands to hit the metal scene in this country and the world over, and their hometown crowd ate it up!! Quiet Riot had no problem getting the crowd to feel the noise, and groups like Steel Panther and Municipal Waste had the fans getting crazy in the pit! Evanescence were a treat for longtime fans, and Amy Lee proved that the spirit of goth is undeniable in this city and she showed the undying love back to the crowd. The first night closed out with an unholy theatrical set by Ghost that was a feast for the eyes and the ears.

Day 2 started with 2 Montreal bands, Mountain Dust and Junkowl who set the tone for the day with big sound and lots of love for their hometown crowds, with The Great Sabatini following up shortly after with a loud and heavy set that blew away the adoring crowd.

Fu Manchu and Clutch melted faces with some of the best stoner metal this city has seen in 10 years! Metalachi wowed the crowd with their high energy fusion of metal and mariachi - it was a trip to see and hear!! Beast in Black and Skálmöld both performed for the first time in North America, and they were welcomed with massive crowds, who will surely see them coming back for more in the years to come. Anthrax brought the noise, just after being inducted to The Metal Hall Of Fame on site, thanking Montreal for being one of the most supportive metal cities in the world! Then came Slayer. It is almost impossible to describe the feeling of bearing witness to a Slayer show, but this was no ordinary show, this was their last ever in Quebec, and they tore it up the way only beasts like Slayer can. It was one for the books!

International Appeal:

Fans showed up from all over the world to experience the metal mayhem of Montreal. There were also bands from all over the globe performing at the fest, as well as agents, managers, and other festival programmers who were all taking notes on how Heavy Montréal continues to grow, evolve, and kick major ass!

Good Food And Wrestling:

This year’s edition saw the return of the Yul Eat Gardens: four iconic Montreal restaurants: Agrikol, Street Monkeys, Foodchain and Grumman ’78, each featuring their own unique décor and a large terrace, cooking signature dishes from their regular menu to the delight of hungry metalheads. There were also plenty of craft beers on tap to quench the thirst of fans who braved the heat to raise their fists under the sunny Montreal skies.

This 10th anniversary edition also brought back Heavy Mania for the 7th consecutive year! A favourite of Heavy Montréal fans, Heavy Mania’s two days of wrestling matches featured grueling battles between some of the toughest guys to set foot in the ring, like The Green Phantom, Sexxxy Eddy, Tabarnak De Team.

70000 Tons Of Heavy Montréal:

The 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise, The Original, The World’s Biggest Heavy Metal Cruise also offered an unparalleled experience for fans that had taken the cruise in the past: an exclusive premium platform where lucky fans of heasy music took a load off and chilled out in a hot tub while enjoying amazing views of all the action on the main stages and the Montreal city skyline!

Fun For Kids:

Admission was free for kids 10 and under, and the Heavy Montréal Kids Zone was a true taste of metal for fans of all ages with inflatable mosh pits, arts & crafts, and lots of marvelous mini mayhem.

A Safe Festival For The Whole Family:

Heavy Montréal was a blast for fans young and old, and this year also saw the implementation of a new “Child Pairing” system using festival goers’ RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) bracelets to allow families to stay closer together throughout the festival experience. The new system allows parents to digitally tether with their children by pairing their bracelets so that they can always stay connected. Safety was also top of mind as the Hirondelles once again flew over the festival site. As a reminder, the Hirondelles are intervention teams with the mission of increasing the safety of women and vulnerable persons.

Additionally, since the weather was warm,  there were many water stations set up throughout the site, and water cannons regularly sprayed the audience close to the stages.

Heavy Retrospective:

The Heavy Retrospective, celebrating 10 years of the festival, was a unique exhibition of incredible photos and original arts curated by photographer Susan Moss and visual artist Pat Hamou - a special treat for fans who love to experience the history of heavy music in the world renowned metal city that is Montreal.

ESP Guitars:

ESP Guitars also had a super set up where fans were given the opportunity to try out guitars and have the chance to meet some of the ESP artists performing on the lineup, including Kataklysm, Hatebreed, and Gary Holt of Slayer!

Heavy In Numbers:

- 10th year
- 51 bands
- 10 Canadian bands
- 7 Quebec bands
- 2 days at Parc Jean-Drapeau
- 3 Heavy En Ville Concerts
- 2 after-parties
- 4 stages
- 1 wrestling ring

Watch an official recap video of Day 1, below: