The best American heavy metal and punk rock music was performed at the Hell in the Harbor music festival. A mixture of well-known and up-and-coming acts made comprised the festival's top 10 headliners, and they all left the audience clamoring for more. Florida-based death metal group Cannibal Corpse provided the festival's opening act with a nasty yet technically accomplished performance. The British grindcore band Napalm Death stunned the audience with their politically motivated lyrics and ferocious sound on stage.
Another notable act was the Maryland-based death metal band Dying Fetus, who displayed their distinctive style of intricate riffs and gruff vocals. Candlemass, a renowned doom metal band, also performed at the festival and enthralled the audience with their dark and brooding sound. The Californian stoner metal group High On Fire gave a dynamic performance that had the audience headbanging the entire time.
Other notable artists who contributed their distinctive brand of heavy music to the festival included Sanguisugabogg, Jesus Piece, The Dwarves, Goatwhore, and Pig Destroyer. The festival had a wide variety of music that suited all interests, ranging from death metal to punk rock. Anyone who like heavy music will never forget Hell in the Harbor, and the audience is already anticipating the next installment.