From the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival 2025: Sound Bites with PeelingFlesh, Municipal Waste, and Kublai Khan TX
It wasn’t long before the tension boiled over, with the Kublai Khan TX's entrance putting the “hardcore” in “New England Metal and Hardcore Festival.”On what felt like the clearest day of the year, a plethora of metal and hardcore bands stormed the stages of the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival in Worcester, Mass., including performances from PeelingFlesh, Municipal Waste, and Kublai Khan TX.
PeelingFlesh
At 3 p.m. sharp, with the sun shining high in the sky, a restless New England crowd tentatively listened as Soul II Soul’s a-capella “Back to Life” began to ring out around the packed converted parking lot. Then, in a split second, the R&B hit was decimated by PeelingFlesh’s brutal guitar chugging and pounding drums, erupting the Nuclear Blast Records stage into an onslaught of sound and seeming fury. Shortly thereafter, vocalist Damonteal Harris completed the aural assault by virtue of his otherworldly gutturals and piercing squeals and, given the usually brief nature of the slam group’s songs, the Oklahoma quartet relentlessly churned out headbanger after headbanger, and their half-hour time slot flew by.
Known for their clever and ingenuitive use of samples from various sources, the crowd’s hardcore moshing was only interrupted by the occasional interlude, or humorous insert — such as a clip from a Jet2 Holidays advertisement — before the infectious chaos recommenced. Nevertheless, guitarist Mychal Soto made sure to stop and deliver a heartfelt message of peace, love, and care to the audience, characterizing the driving force behind the band’s music.
Considering the early time-slot, the central moshpit was a hive of ninja moves and flying bodies the entire time, the only real casualties of which being those who missed out on the action. What amped up the energy so effectively was the band’s unforgiving, and yet highly groovy, output of “slams” — heavy, chugging, palm-muted riffs — accompanied by a mixture of bouncy drum tempos and faster blast beats, plunging the moshers into a state of pure delirium. One of the band’s most popular tracks “F.F.W.A.S.” concluded the set, giving the crowd a final hurrah before Sanguisugabogg began their set on the stage opposite.
Municipal Waste
As the afternoon marched on, the party-loving thrash metal act Municipal Waste tore up the Armada Merch stage as dedicated metalheads pushed their way to prime head-banging spots along the barriers.
Known for their fast-paced, catchy riffs, and energetic shouty vocals, the band kicked off their set with “Breathe Grease,” getting the crowd to shout back exactly those two words in loyal repetition during the second half of the song, with the spinning circle pit putting to action the song’s opening lyrics: “Can’t slow down / Fearless reckless / All around / Immensely treacherous / All aboard / No one can stop us.”
As the party got into full swing, crowdsurfers streamed over the barriers in constant succession, and an assortment of pool noodles and inflatables flew perpetually through the air. As the action-packed set came to a close, the long-haired, sunglass-wearing bunch bellowed out fan-favorite “Born To Party,” sparking a jovial back and forth between band and audience.
“Municipal Waste is gonna f**k you up!”
Kublai Khan TX
“I need a Texas-sized head-bang, if you think you can manage it.”
The sun had long since set by the time Texas natives Kublai Khan TX took to the Nuclear Blast stage, the neon light of their bar-themed stage banner piercing through the tense darkness. It wasn’t long before the tension boiled over, with the band’s entrance putting the “hardcore” in “New England Metal and Hardcore Festival.”
Immediately, the agitated palm-muted riffs of “Supreme Ruler” and “Darwinism” hurled into animation the eager beatdown lovers that were present in the crowd, with many banging their heads in measured synchronization. Frontman Matt Honeycutt was a jarring but exciting addition to the day’s vocalists, with his muscular silhouette, trucker cap, and mischievous mustache encapsulating an aggressive and captivating stage presence. Honeycutt used this to his advantage, organizing one of the most downright spine-tingling wall-of-deaths of the festival to “Loyal to None.”
“Don’t act new; split it down the middle!”
However, Honeycutt made sure to pay homage to Massachusetts’ Bury Your Dead, who were playing their final show at the festival, stating his deep respect and reverence for the New England legends.
They closed out their bar-brawl of a set with the equally simple and groovy “Antpile Two,” giving way to the final two acts of the night.
—Staff writer Rowan A. G. Whitworth can be reached at rowan.whitworth@thecrimson.com.