Tons of huge bands, tons of great people – but why sit here and tell you about it when you can find out first-hand from all the BITPOMers in attendance. Head over to www.bitpom.com for photos, videos, and fan reactions to all the events!

The Metal Summit is brought to you by The Syndicate’s “The Believers In the Power of Metal” (BITPOM) network. BITPOM is the world’s first interactive forum for fans, bands and the metal music industry to interact. Through the BITPOM Network, fans can have their say. It’s free to join and anyone who is a “Believer in the Power of Metal” can sign up, create their own profile and participate in all discussions. Admission to the Metal Summit is free with sign-up to the BITPOM network.

METAL SUMMIT LOCATION:
Hilton Garden Inn
35 Major Taylor Blvd
Worcester, MA 01608
1:30 PM

The Summit will consist of two 60-minute seminars — “Ask the Industry” and “Ask the Fans” — comprised of industry professionals and fans. Admission is free with sign-up to BITPOM network.

Session One: Ask the Industry (1:30 -2:30)
Panel of industry professionals includes:
Brian Slagel, Chairman/CEO of Metal Blade Records (Moderator)
Vaughn Lewis, Co Owner of Strong Management
Jesse Brust, 518 Prints and All in Merch
Kelly Kapp, Vice President of Theater and Club Programming for Live Nation
Matt Pike, Owner/Agent of The Kenmore Agency
Mike Gitter, Senior Director of A&R of Roadrunner Records
Izzy Zivkovic, Founder / CEO of Split Media

Session Two: Ask the Fans (3:00 – 4:00)
Rev. David Ciancio, Owner of The Syndicate (Moderator)
Panel to consist of members of BITPOM.com. Panel to be selected based on highest level of activity of members within BITPOM that subscribe to Summit profile and would like to participate in the Summit.

Sign up as a member of BITPOM at www.bitpom.com to gain admittance to the Metal Summit at this year’s New England Metal and Hardcore Festival. The seven BITPOM members with the most friends added on BITPOM.com by 5pm EST on Wednesday, April 23rd will be selected as panelists for the Metal Summit. Panelists will receive a prize pack from the NEMHF sponsors. Prizes will also be given away during the Metal Summit including access to a VIP post-Metal Summit party, hosted by The Syndicate (details TBA).

The festival will expand back to a three day event this year, with Friday consuming the entire Gigantour lineup (Megadeth, In Flames, Children of Bodom, Job for a Cowboy and High on Fire). Saturday brings Dimmu Borgir and Shadows Fall, and Sunday will present Meshuggah and Ministry’s final Massachusetts performance before retiring.

Countless other big metal bands are playing, including Overkill, A Life Once Lost, The Dillinger Escape Plan and more. Huge can not begin to describe this show. Check the full lineup and press release after the jump.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 12, 2008

NEW ENGLAND METAL AND HARDCORE FESTIVAL CELEBRATES TENTH ANNIVERSARY

WORCESTER, Mass. – This year will mark the tenth anniversary of the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival, the largest and most successful metal festival in the United States.

This year’s show, presented by ESP, Randall, EMG, and exclusive magazine presenter Metal Maniacs Magazine, will take place the weekend of April 25-27 at the Palladium in Worcester, Mass., its home since its inception. Sumerian Records will sponsor the “Summer Slaughter Tour” second stage.

The New England Metal and Hardcore Festival will present Gigantour featuring Megadeth, In Flames, Children of Bodom, Job for a Cowboy and High on Fire on Friday night. Saturday will be headlined by Dimmu Borgir, Shadows Fall, and Behemoth. Ministry, Meshuggah, and Nevermore will close out the festival on Sunday night.

Other bands scheduled to perform include: A Life Once Lost, The Acacia Strain, After the Burial, Animosity, As Blood Runs Black, Belay My Last, Born of Osiris, Briandrill, Classic Struggle, Cockpunch!, Cold World, Dead to Fall, Demiricous, Dillinger Escape Plan, Disfear, Eluveitie, Elysia, Embrace the End, Emmure, The End, Ensiferum, First Blood, From a Second Story Window, Full Blown Chaos, The Ghost Inside, God Forbid, Hate Eternal, Hemlock, High on Fire, Impending Doom, Job for a Cowboy, Keep Of Kalessin, Kid Deposit Triumph, Ligeia, Mensrea, Monstrosity, Municipal Waste, On Broken Wings, Overkill, Recon, Red I Flight, Rhinoceros, Shai Halud, Shipwreck a.d., Since the Blood, Skeletonwitch, Sleeping Giant, Soilent Green, Sons of Azrael, Stick to Your Guns, Stray from the Path, Through the Eyes of the Dead, Tony Danza Tap Dance Extravaganze, Trap Them, Turisas, Tyr, Unexpect, Unholy, Vanna, Veil of Maya, Vital Remains, Waking the Cadaver, Winds of Plague, Withered, and Xtyrantx.

The New England Metal and Hardcore Festival is also sponsored by Metal Edge Magazine, Monster Energy, All In Merchandise, 518 Prints, The Syndicate, Mazur PR, Heavy Hitter, Scott Lee Clothing, JeremySaffer.com, DefyUnlearn.com, ReturnToThePit.com and many more to be announced.

Tickets go on sale Friday, February 15 at 10 a.m. EST. The cost is $47.50 for Friday, $45 for Saturday, $45 for Sunday, or $129 for a three-day pass. Tickets available at all Strawberries / FYE Stores, by calling (800) 477-6849 or online at tickets.com

For more information, please contact: Debbie Sellnow / Michael Mazur of Mazur Public Relations Inc., at (609) 695-1800, debbie@mazurpr.com / michaelmazurpr@yahoo.com / www.mazurpr.com ; Emily Cohn at Heavy Hitter PR at (773) 281-6393, emily@heavyhitterinc.com / www.heavyhitterinc.com ; or Sylvia Cunha of MassConcerts at (978) 275-9521 / MassMediaGirl@aol.com / www.massconcerts.com

For radio inquiries please contact Bram Teitelman at The Music Syndicate at (201) 864-0900, bram@thesyn.com / www.thesyn.com . Visit the festival website at metalandhardcorefestival.com or myspace.com/metalandhardcorefestival