In what seems like a rebranding move, the organizers of this year’s Summer Slaughter tour have ditched their long-standing title of “the most extreme tour of the year” from their new promotional material. They recently unveiled a new tour poster on the festival’s official Instagram page, now billing it as “the all-day rager is finally back!!!”
This shift follows lukewarm initial reactions to the tour’s lineup, which some might say was a bit underwhelming compared to previous years and fan expectations. Past iterations typically showcased extreme death metal bands exclusively, like Morbid Angel (who you can catch later this year on the ‘Devastation On The Nation Tour‘), Dying Fetus, Goatwhore, and Cattle Decapitation (who is currently co-headlining the ‘Chaos & Carnage Tour‘). However, this year’s lineup, headlined by Veil of Maya and Brand of Sacrifice, includes a variety of genres, featuring bands like Within Destruction, Gideon, Left To Suffer, Ten56, Tallah, Cabal, and Brat. It appears more akin to a roster you’d expect from the soon-to-be-revived ‘The All Stars Tour,’ which shares organizers with ‘Summer Slaughter,’ rather than embodying the traditional essence of ‘Summer Slaughter Tour.’
After facing criticism for the lineup not aligning with the tour’s historical intensity, organizers responded defensively online, even targeting specific critics and making unrelated accusations. This reaction seemed unnecessary, especially considering the year is 2024, and we’ve moved past many of the COVID-related debates that were prevalent earlier.
With the “most extreme tour” claim gone, the Summer Slaughter Tour‘s identity has undergone a transformation, showcasing its evolution. For an in-depth exploration of how the tour has evolved over the years, take a look at our ranking of each year’s lineup up to this point.
Tour dates for this year’s lineup run as follows:
07/12 Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Monarch
07/13 Pittsburgh, PA – Mountain View Amphitheatre (no Veil Of Maya/BRAT)
07/14 to be announced on May 20th
07/15 Norfolk, VA – The NorVa
07/17 Nashville, TN – Marathon Music Works
07/20 Lexington, KY – Manchester Music Hall (no Veil Of Maya/Brand Of Sacrifice/Gideon)
07/22 Fort Wayne, IN – Piere’s
07/23 Sauget, IL – Pops (no BRAT)
07/25 Houston, TX – Warehouse live
07/26 Dallas, TX – South Side Music Hall
07/27 Austin, TX – The Far Out Lounge
07/28 San Antonio – TX – Aztec Theater
07/30 Phoenix, AZ – The Marquee
07/31 Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern
08/01 Riverside, CA – Riverside Municipal Auditorium (no BRAT)
08/03 Denver, CO – Summit Music Hall (no BRAT)
08/05 Chicago, IL – House Of Blues
08/06 Pontiac, MI – Crofoot Complex
08/08 to be announced on May 20th
08/09 Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom
08/10 Reading, PA – Reverb
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