Head down to Danville, Virginia for the return of rock in the Blue Ridge Rock Festival, Thursday-Sunday, September 9th-12th:
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9th
Monster Energy Stage |
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Breaking Benjamin, 9:45 PM Blue Ridge Rocks on Thursday with Breaking Benjamin (QRO photos), and their crunching guitars and angst-ridden lyrics from Benjamin Burley & co. (QRO photos) in the band’s only festival performance of 2021 (QRO photos at a festival). |
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Skillet, 7:30 PM Relentlessly on the road, of course that road would take the Christian metal of Skillet (QRO photos at a festival) to Blue Ridge Rock (QRO photos at a festival). |
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Black Label Society, 5:45 PM Ozzy Osbourne’s guitarist Zakk Wylde formed Black Label Society (QRO photos) over two decades ago, bringing their crushing metal to Blue Ridge (QRO photos at a festival) in the run-up to the November release of their latest, Doom Crew Inc. |
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Sabaton, 4:20 PM Sweden’s Sabaton (QRO photos) bringing their heavy metal all the way to Virginia behind this year’s The War To End All Wars. |
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Testament, 3:05 PM Banging heads and thrashing metal since 1982, Testament (QRO photos) are true survivors, with several popularity resurgences, such as around their latest record, last year’s Titans of Creation. |
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Texas Hippie Coalition, 2:00 PM Only Texas could have a Hippie Coalition as hard & heavy as this THC, playing their third Blue Ridge Rock Festival. |
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Also: Major Moment, 1:10 PM Pulses., 12:15 PM |
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The Clinic Stage |
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Four Thirty Four, 8:50 PM Next Attempt, 6:35 PM Waking the Sleeper, 5:10 PM Mx The American, 2:55 PM A New Day Rising, 2:40 PM Nail Bite, 1:40 PM Forever We Roam, 12:45 PM |
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Staylit Stage |
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A Day To Remember, 8:00 PM Florida’s A Day To Remember (QRO photos) manage to mix metalcore and pop-punk. Previously at odd with their label, Victory, over 2013’s Common Courtesy, they were eventually able to release it, and come back to Blue Ridge (QRO live review) for a second time in a row behind this year’s seventh record, You’re Welcome. |
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The Ghost Inside, 6:05 PM It’s a rare show by Los Angeles’ The Ghost Inside (QRO photos at a festival), who come to Virginia behind last year’s self-titled hiatus return record. |
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Tech N9ne, 4:50 PM There is room for rap at Blue Ridge Rock, especially when it’s the hard-hitting hip-hop of Tech N9ne, who plays his second Blue Ridge in a row. |
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Miss May I, 3:45 PM Yes, the Ohio metalcore of Miss May I (QRO photos at a festival) may. |
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Also: Spiritbox, 2:40 PM Chelsea Grin, 1:40 PM Islander, 12:45 PM |
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Heart Support Stage |
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Heirloom, 7:30 PM Demyze, 5:40 PM Orange Jumpsuit, 4:25 PM Friends In Hell, 3:20 PM Hostile Array, 2:20 PM |
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URW Stage |
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Halestorm, 8:45 PM Because of course the hard-working road warriors Halestorm (QRO live review) are back at it again at Blue Ridge Rock (QRO photos at a festival). Only COVID could keep them from touring last year, but they still put together the #RoadieStrong benefit, and now are back on that road (QRO photos in 2021). |
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P.O.D., 6:10 PM The Christian nu-metal of P.O.D. (QRO photos) come back to Blue Ridge Rock Fest (QRO photos a festival) to play their beloved album Satellite & greatest hits. |
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From Ashes To New, 5:00 PM Matt Brandyberry’s From Ashes To New have been “Through It All”, but have never gone “Crazy” or resorted to “Panic”. |
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Adelitas Way, 3:40 PM Las Vegas’ Adelitas Way (QRO photos at a festival) are “Invincible”. |
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Soulfly, 2:35 PM Featuring Sepultura’s Max Cavalera & Fear Factory’s Dino Cazares, Soulfly will perform the hits of those two & their own at Blue Ridge Rock. |
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Slaves, 1:40 PM Sacramento experimental rock outfit Slaves come back to Blue Ridge behind last summer’s To Better Days, their last to be released before soon changing their controversial name. Also: All Good Things, 12:45 PM |
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10th
Monster Energy Stage |
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Rob Zombie, 9:30 PM Get your Zombie on thanks horror-rock icon Rob Zombie (QRO live review). Recent years has seen Mr. Zombie spending more time making horror films than horror music, but there was 2013’s Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor (QRO review) 2016’s The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser (QRO review), and this year’s The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy, so expect many-worded nightmares at Blue Ridge (QRO photos at a festival). |
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Rise Against, 7:00 PM Chicago punks Rise Against (QRO photos at a festival) may have moved to major label status over a decade ago, but they’ve kept up their output, such as 2017’s Wolves (QRO review) & this year’s Nowhere Generation (QRO review), and political agitation, from the straight edge lifestyle to endorsing vegan-friendly Vans shoes. |
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Anthrax, 5:10 PM One of the ‘Big Four’ in heavy metal (QRO live review of all four together), including fellow Blue Ridge Rock ‘21 player Megadeth (see below), Anthrax has been breaking eardrums for four decades now. They’ve also had a number of line-up changes, with their most recent release, 2011’s Worship Music (QRO review) and 2016’s For All Kings, their first with singer Joey Belladonna since 1990. At Blue Ridge (QRO photos at a festival), they play a special 40th anniversary set (QRO photos at a festival). |
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Sevendust, 2:20 PM The Atlanta alt-metal of Sevendust (QRO spotlight on) fronted by Lajon Witherspoon (QRO interview) went from only selling 310 copies of their self-titled debut to gold-certified records and big stages (QRO photos in Atlanta). |
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Also: Fozzy, 1:15 PM Stitched Up Heart, 12:15 PM |
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The Clinic Stage |
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Below 7, 8:50 PM Blud Red Roses, 8:05 PM Fate Destroyed, 6:30 PM Dead Fervor, 4:45 PM One of the Last, 3:50 PM N.A.S.H., 3:05 PM Cannon Hill, 1:55 PM Dying Oath, 12:50 PM |
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Staylit Stage |
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The Offspring, 8:00 PM Blue Ridge has punks from all decades, and in the nineties slot is California’s The Offspring (QRO photos), who hit it big back then with Smash and songs like “Come Out and Play” (the one with the “You gotta keep ‘em separated” chorus). While never basking in critical acclaim, they have continued to be a top-selling punk act to this day (QRO photos at a festival), even getting a reappraisal by those know-it-all critics, and play Blue Ridge (QRO photos at a festival) for the second time in a row (QRO photos at a festival). |
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Chevelle, 6:10 PM From Grayslake, Illinois comes the hard rock nu-metal of Chevelle. |
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Asking Alexandria, 4:25 PM From (old) York in England, Asking Alexandria (QRO photos at a festival) have expanded into a more melodic hard rock sound with last year’s sixth studio album, Like a House on Fire. |
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Clutch, 3:10 PM This hard rock act always performs well in the Clutch (QRO photos at a festival). |
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Also: D.R.U.G.S., 1:55 PM Nonpoint, 12:55 PM |
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Heart Support Stage |
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Tara Lynch, 7:25 PM Of the Fallen, 5:45 PM Southbound Beretta, 5:10 PM To Begin Anew, 4:00 PM Someday You’ll Know Us, 2:40 PM Semper Acerbus, 1:30 PM Artwork For the Blind, 12:30 PM |
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URW Stage |
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I Prevail, 7:25 PM Fever 333, 6:00 PM Knocked Loose, 5:00 PM Bad Omens, 4:05 PM Gemini Syndrome, 3:10 PM Set For Tomorrow, 2:15 PM Sevenstones, 1:20 PM Redeye, 12:25 PM |
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Liquid Death Stage |
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Motionless In White, 8:30 PM From Scranton, the same home as Joe Biden & Dunder-Mifflin, Motionless In White (QRO photos) bring their heavy metal back to Blue Ridge Rock behind 2019’s fifth studio album, Disguise. |
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Atreyu, 7:00 PM Gotta love a metalcore band named after the hero in The Neverending Story, the Yorba Linda metalcore of Atreyu. |
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Also: Crown the Empire, 5:30 PM Saul, 4:40 PM Tallah, 3:45 PM Dread Engine, 2:50 PM Misty Eyed, 1:55 PM Nameless Anonymous, 100 PM The Phoenix Within, 12:05 PM |
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11th
Monster Energy Stage |
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Five Finger Death Punch, 9:30 PM One of the most successful heavy metal bands of 2010s, Five Finger Death Punch (QRO photos) crushed it with records like both volumes of The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell and last year’s F8, and are veterans of festivals both domestic & foreign (QRO photos at a festival). |
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Seether, 7:00 PM South Africa’s hard rock Seether (QRO photos) come to Blue Ridge Rock (QRO photos at a festival) behind last year’s eighth studio album, Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum. |
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Also special guest, 4:30 PM Avatar, 3:20 PM 10 Years, 2:10 PM Another Day Dawns, 12:05 PM |
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The Clinic Stage |
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Black Satellite, 8:45 PM Artusha, 8:00 PM Voxx, 6:05 PM Motorjunkie, 5:20 PM Breathing Theory, 4:05 PM Pigweed, 2:55 PM Alyxx, 1:45 PM Alukah, 1:10 PM Aurin, 12:35 PM |
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Staylit Stage |
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Megadeth, 8:15 PM One of the ‘Big Four’ in heavy metal (QRO live review of all four together), including fellow Blue Ridge Rock ‘21 player Anthrax (see above), Megadeth (QRO live review) helped popularize thrash metal in the eighties and nineties, and despite line-up changes behind frontman Dave Mustaine, have kept it up through the twenty-first century (QRO live review). They’ve had songs win Grammys, they’ve had videos be banned by MTV – they’re the one-and-only Megadeth (QRO photos). |
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Cypress Hill, 5:40 PM Having sold over twenty million albums worldwide, Cypress Hill (QRO photos at a festival) brings their unorthodox style and good-natured air of ‘reclaiming the glory days’ to Virginia (QRO photos at a festival). They were the first Latino outfit to achieve platinum success in hip-hop – they come to Blue Ridge (QRO photos at a festival) with 2018’s Elephants on Acid, and the following year became the first hip-hop group to get their own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (QRO exclusive photos from California). Now if they can only pull of that reunion with the London Symphony Orchestra from their Hullabalooza days… |
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Beartooth, 4:25 PM The hardcore punk of Columbus, Ohio’s Beartooth (QRO photos) return to Blue Ridge (QRO live review) behind this summer’s Below. |
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Also: Wage War, 3:15 PM All That Remains, 1:05 PM |
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Heart Support Stage |
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The Impurity, 7:50 PM Inner Image, 7:15 PM Burden of the Sky, 6:35 PM Deiform, 5:15 PM Citizen Kane, 4:00 PM Failure By Proxy, 2:55 PM Seasons, 2:20 PM Days Under Authority, 1:45 PM Head Hunter, 12:40 PM Hollow Intent, 12:00 PM |
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URW Stage |
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Lamb of God, 7:00 PM Virginia’s own Lamb of God (QRO photos) have opened for the likes of Metallica and even Slayer on their final ever tour (QRO photos from that tour), to returning to Blue Ridge behind last year’s self-titled album. |
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Body Count, 5:15 PM Ice-T (QRO photos at a festival) brings his Body Count to Blue Ridge. The Los Angeles crossover thrash metal outfit made mega-headlines in the early nineties with “Cop Killer” – so much so that Ice-T thought it was eclipsing the rest of Body Count’s debut record, so decided to remove it from the album and release as free single (and that’s back when singles were physical records, not a link to download some ephemeral megabytes…). Of course, these days Ice-T plays a cop on Law & Order: SVU, while three of Body County’s original five members have passed away, but just this year won the Grammy for Best Metal Performance for their song “Bum Rush” from Carnivore. |
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Trivium, 4:00 PM Orlando’s Trivium (QRO photos) come to Blue Ridge Rock behind last year’s ninth studio album, What Dead Men Say, and a Grammy nomination. |
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Hatebreed, 2:35 PM Early nineties metalcore outfit Hatebreed have just kept on going. |
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Also: Corrosion of Conformity, 1:35 PM Overlord Sr, 12:40 PM |
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Liquid Death Stage |
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Badflower, 8:30 PM Los Angeles’ hard rock Badflower (QRO photos) are young and yet have already found success (QRO photos), with their second full-length coming out right after Blue Ridge. |
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Also: Jelly Roll, 7:20 PM Escape the Fate, 6:05 PM Spite, 5:05 PM Brand of Sacrifice, 4:05 PM Awesome Ray Ray, 3:00 PM Wor, 2:05 PM Gravebound, 1:10 PM Rvnt, 12:15 PM |
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 12th
Monster Energy Stage |
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Shinedown, 9:30 PM Jacksonville’s Shinedown is perhaps the most successful rock band of the twenty-first century, with the most number one singles on the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts out of any act. Maybe they’re not the pick of the rock critic literati, but instead the music of the people with their Southern, post-grunge hard rock and an upcoming new record. |
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Bush, 6:55 PM Britain’s Bush (QRO photos) became an American breakout in the nineties alt-grunge scene thanks to frontman Gavin Rossdale and songs like “Glycerine” (which Homer Simpson’s own grunge band Sadgasm did as “Margarine”). Of course they broke up as the new millennium dawned, and of course they reunited, behind 2010’s Sea of Memories (QRO review). They come to Blue Ridge (QRO photos at a festival) behind last year’s The Kingdom (QRO review) and titular single (QRO review). |
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Killswitch Engage, 5:10 PM One of the notable bands in the new wave of American heavy metal, Killswitch Engage (QRO photos at a festival) come to Blue Ridge (QRO photos at a festival) behind 2019’s Atonement. |
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Underøath, 2:20 PM Of course, a Christian hardcore band would have a name like “Underøath” (QRO photos). They broke up in 2013, but rose again in 2015, and have since shifted away from the Christian musical approach, coming to Blue Ridge before the 2022 release of Voyeurist. |
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Also: We Came As Romans, 1:30 PM Fame On Fire, 12:30 PM |
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The Clinic Stage | |
Eyes of the Living, 8:50 PM Two Sides of Me, 8:00 PM State of Illusion, 6:10 PM Cursor, 4:40 PM Ignite the Fire, 3:00 PM Burn On Re-Entry, 2:10 PM Redefind, 1:05 PM Splintered Reality, 12:05 PM |
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Staylit Stage | |
Papa Roach, 8:00 PM In 2000, California’s Papa Roach (QRO photos at a festival) burst through with hit alternative metal album Infest and it’s iconic single, “Last Resort”. That album might be old enough to drink now, but Papa Roach will play it & the greatest hits at Blue Ridge. |
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Mastodon, 6:20 PM The New Wave of American heavy hetal gave birth to Atlanta’s Mastodon (QRO live review in Atlanta), who achieved a commercial breakthrough in 2011’s The Hunter (QRO review), and come to Blue Ridge (QRO photos at an Atlanta festival) behind 2017’s Grammy-nominated Emperor of the Sun (QRO review). |
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Philip Anselmo & The Illegals, 4:05 PM One of the greatest frontmen in metal history, Philip Anselmo was the voice & face of the iconic Pantera. After the group’s acrimonious and tragic disbandment, Anselmo has led a variety of outfits, including his own Philip Anselmo & The Illegals, who come to Blue Ridge to play, “A Vulgar Display of Pantera”. |
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Pop Evil, 2:40 PM Michigan’s Pop Evil (QRO photos) come to Blue Ridge (QRO photos at a festival) behind this year’s cinematic & heavy Versatile. |
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Also: Starset, 1:30 PM Ayron Jones, 12:30 PM |
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Heart Support Stage |
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Dark Summer, 7:25 PM Kill the Imposter, 5:40 PM F.I.L.T.H., 5:00 PM Roachzilla, 3:25 PM Magg Dylan, 2:15 PM Casting Shadowz, 1:05 PM Mourn the Illusion, 12:05 PM |
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URW Stage |
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Falling In Reverse, 8:30 PM When Ronnie Radke of fellow Blue Ridge ’21 performer Escape the Fate (see above) had his probation revoked, he formed his own band Falling In Reverse (QRO photos), who come to headline their own stage at Blue Ridge (QRO photos at a festival). |
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The Hu, 7:15 PM In the before-time of 2019, one of the great surprise successes in heavy metal was The Hu (QRO photos). Hailing all the way from Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia, they mix traditional Mongolian instrumentation and throat singing with the hard rock (and a charisma that crosses cultures & language), for a style the band calls “hunnu rock” after the ancient Hunnu Empire. Be sure to catch them at Blue Ridge (QRO photos at a festival), as they’re back on this continent (QRO photos in 2021). |
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August Burns Red, 6:00 PM There’s a space in Blue Ridge even for Our Lord and Savior, as long as he’s hard, fast, and loud, like Christian metalcore act August Burns Red (QRO photos at a festival), who come to Virginia (QRO photos at a festival) behind last year’s Guardians. |
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Also: Fit For a King, 5:00 PM Detroit Voodoo, 4:05 PM Just Standing, 3:10 PM Watersdeep, 2:15 PM New Haven, 1:20 PM Matt Irie Band, 12:25 PM |
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Liquid Death Stage |
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Ice Nine Kills, 7:30 PM Embrace the Vonnegut horror of Ice Nine Kills (QRO photos), who evolved from ska-punk to symphonic metal, and come to Blue Ridge (QRO photos at a festival) behind this year’s The Silver Scream 2: Welcome to Horrorwood. |
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Also: Drowning Pool, 6:35 PM Ill Nino, 5:40 PM Currents, 4:45 PM Blackwater, 3:50 PM Sinshrift, 2:55 PM A War Within, 2:00 PM Supmikecheck, 1:05 PM Flight Club, 12:10 PM |