It goes without saying that the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Fest (or REDMF) has made its mark as one of the most well-known and well-attended rock music tours in the United States and Canada.

Every year, months before their state’s show date, people start the gossip train on who is going to perform and headline. Every year, thousands upon thousands attend the event here at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, undeterred by the sweltering summer heat, to see some of the best up and coming music and the veterans who paved the way. Though traditionally held on a Wednesday in Massachusetts, this year’s show will be Saturday, July 25, making it even more tempting. You don’t have to miss work, and you can actually sleep in the next day after a full day of beer and moshing. Now that is a summer music festival. And who is headlining this year? Easily the band with the most chanted and screamed name in rock history … the one and only Slayer.

Rockstar Mayhem Festival“Our ultimate goal is to deliver something that the heavy music fan is going to want to go to year after year,” said John Reese, Mayhem Festival co-founder. “We want to put the best talent we can on it at a fair price so that people are compelled to go. Having Slayer and King Diamond on the bill together is something that hasn’t been done before, and we feel like having two legendary heavy music institutions on the bill was important.”

In addition to having two huge veteran bands closing out the show, Reese believes in the value of adding the most popular current bands to the bill and giving newer bands a chance to shine.

“We start at the top and find the headliner, and from there, we try to build a show which appeals to 17-year-olds and to 60-year-olds. This year, we have Thy Art is Murder, which is one of the hottest heavy bands out there, as well as returning favorites Whitechapel and The Devil Wears Prada. The way the record industry is now, it’s really hard to get rock bands from zero to sixth gear. So it’s important for us to create the new headliners for our future festivals,” Reese said. “This year, the festival will have two stages and will run a little differently than in years past. The second stage will be running in between the set changes for the main stage. We are going for a more focused show this year with less running around between many stages.”

Metal of Honor, a military support initiative that Reese’s wife helps to manage, will have a booth again at the festival. Reese said his father was in the service and honoring the military is incredibly important to him. Buying a ticket helps the charity, and Reese encourages fans to check out the organizations that they work with and support.

To see all the bands playing the Mayhem Festival this year, find out more about the Metal of Honor charity and purchase a ticket to this year’s epic event, visit rockstarmayhemfest.com.

By Jennifer Russo