The West Coast’s largest rock festival, Aftershock returns to Discovery Park in Sacramento with a killer lineup for its 12th annual weekend of performances.
The 4-day festival has a staggering roster featuring the only U.S. festival appearance for Iron Maiden, the first Aftershock appearance for Mötley Crüe and an exclusive performance by Slayer, one of only three shows in the last five years.
Heavy-hitters Slipknot, Evanescence, Five Finger Death Punch, Judas Priest and more than 130 other artists are set to perform across five stages this weekend from Thursday to Sunday.
Pantera is also making an appearance after dropping out of the festival last year due to unforeseen circumstances. They are set to perform on the Shockwave stage on Thursday at 7:00 p.m., an hour before Slayer’s headlining performance on the Jack Daniel’s stage at 8:25 p.m.
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Smaller up-and-coming artists will also have the chance to establish themselves in the alternative scene. Metalcore band The Funeral Portrait, Country rock artists Giovannie and The Hired Guns and all-female grunge punk band Jigsaw Youth will be showing face, giving attendees a chance to leave with a new favorite band.
Re-awaken your middle school emo phase
Classic 2010s fan-favorites are included in this year’s lineup including Hawthorne Heights, Saosin, Falling In Reverse, Set it Off and others that will turn back the clock.
Post-hardcore band Sleeping with Sirens will be making an appearance on Saturday at 3:20 p.m. on the Jack Daniel’s stage, followed later that night with Breaking Benjamin and Judas Priest in near back-to-back performances.
Keen-eyed fans of the early 2000s alternative scene will appreciate appearances from D.R.U.G.S. and Rise Against as they bring notes of post-hardcore and punk rock to the Soundwave and Shockwave stages respectively.
If you’re looking for filthy, filthy breakdowns
Deathcore metal bands Whitechapel, Shadows Fall and Lorna Shore are bringing a brutal soundscape to the stage that is sure to incite excessive moshing and head-banging.
Lorna Shore will make their long-awaited Aftershock debut performance and Shadows Fall will be holding their first west coast performance in over a decade.
Heavy metal titan Disturbed is headlining Sunday’s performances with a 7:20 p.m. showtime on the Shockwave stage. Damnage, Ministry and other metal bands will be sure to blow out your eardrums just in time for Iron Maiden.
If groove metal is more your speed, you may find yourself enjoying bands such as Biohazard, Static-X and Mastodon, each bringing their own distinctive sound and venturing past the usual expectations of the metal genre.
For the hip-hop and rap fanatics
Aftershock’s 2024 lineup has several hip-hop and rap performances that will put a unique spin on the classic components of the genre.
Insane Clown Posse shakes up hip-hop’s fundamentals by meshing it with elements of hard rock and metal. This blend makes them a staple in the horrorcore rap scene for their unique sound and carnival-themes. They’re set to play on Thursday at 6:55 p.m. at the Soundwave stage.
Cypress Hill and Bob Vylan will bring multifaceted hip-hop and rap performances to the table that will merge hip-hop with several other genres, such as punk rock and metal. Saturday will even feature the heavy metal/rap group Body Count, fronted by the one and only Ice-T.
Aftershock gates open at 11:00 a.m. each day of the festival and have shows lasting well into the night. Tickets and more information can be found on the Aftershock website. The full festival schedule can be found on the festival app.
