MUMBAI: This compilation is so heavy that it might hurt. Featuring the heaviest and biggest metal monsters across the globe the list gets brutal as it proceeds. These legacy festivals have been a home and shrine to band and fans for a long time and continue to grow stronger every year.

Wacken Open Air, Germany

 It turned 25 years in 2015. The festival boasts of about 75,000 undying devoted metal heads who take in about 150 bands from all over the world and with minimal sponsorship. Many campout, slugging out days of living in the mud (as was the case with the persistent drizzle of 2015. Their main defence against the chill - what Germans call the ‘beer jacket’.

In one of his interviews with Billboard, ‘Thomas Jensen’ the founder of the cult festival, said ‘It took 26 mostly money-losing years to get to this point.’ It’s cash that’s sorely needed, to pay last year's debt. And those bills are sky-high thanks to the fest’s paid crew of 2,500’. The festival doesn’t sell VIP access or upgrades and all purchases are for the three days without a single day ticket option, something they did away with a decade ago. The reasoning: “Communism,” says Jensen. “Metal socialism, the idea being that a kid who’s clever can buy a Christmas ticket, get a free T-shirt and a discount. If somebody has the faith and trust [in us] to pay a year in advance, you have to give them something.” (Earlybird tickets start at 170 Euros, approximately $186.). This year’s Wacken Festival is scheduled between 4 and 6 August 2016.

Download Festival, UK

Born from the ashes of Monsters of Rock, Download has maintained its mythical aura throughout the last decade and half, routinely welcoming the very best bands on the planet to its hallowed stages. Since its debut in 2003, the festival boasts of a 120,000 plus audience and takes place at Donington Park near Derby, United Kingdom.

Download took over from Monsters of Rock inheriting its status as the grandaddy of hard rock and metal festivals. It was initially a two-day event, expanding to three days in 2005.The name Download was chosen for the festival for two reasons. Downloading was a dirty word in the music industry at the time, due to file sharing, and rock is seen as a rebellious genre of music. Also Download was to be a Monsters of Rock for the 21st century and the internet would provide connectivity with its audience. For the first time the legendary heavy rock festival, is journeying across the channel and to Paris for its first edition outside the UK, between 10 and 12 June, 2016.

Graspop Metal Meeting, Belgium

This Belgium festival first took place in 1986 as a music festival for local acts. After a few disappointing runs, the organizers decided to make it specific for Metal only, and was hence renamed as ‘Graspop Metal Meeting’. Two decades later, Graspop has evolved from a small-scale family affair to a major and internationally acclaimed metal event. It turned into a three day event with camping in 2004 due to demand and has since recorded attendances of over 100,000 and features the best and biggest metal acts. The success of the 1993 and 1994 editions, when the bill leaned towards the heavier side of the musical spectrum with the likes of Motörhead, The Ramones, Paradise Lost and Biohazard, gave the organisers food for thought. They decided a radical change of course was in order and resolutely steered the festival towards the heavier music genres. Graspop Metal Meeting 2016 is scheduled to take place from Friday 17 through Sunday 19 June, 2016.

Hellfest, France

Founded in 2006 on the ashes of FURYFEST, the HELLFEST festival is the brainchild of Benjamin Barbaud. Now in its 10th year, and still hosted in the little town of Clisson (Nantes – 44), HELLFEST has quickly become one of the leaders in Europe for extreme music concerts. Every year, more than 160 bands perform on HELLFEST’s six stages, each with its own particular style: MAIN STAGE 1 & MAIN STAGE 2 ( hard rock / thrash ) – TEMPLE STAGE (doom / pagan metal / black metal ) – ALTAR STAGE ( death metal / grind ) – VALLEY STAGE ( sludge / stoner ) – WARZONE STAGE ( punk / HxC). Hellfest continues on as the frontline of worldwide thrash events, riding defiantly past opposition from local religious groups and political figures. Hellfest 2016 features more than 140 bands and is scheduled to take place on 17, 18 and 19 June, 2016.

Inferno Metal Festival, Norway

With nearly 50 concerts every year since the start back in 2001, the Inferno Metal Festival has become a true black Easter tradition for metal fans, bands and music industry from all over the world.  The festival offers exclusive concerts in unique surroundings with some of the best extreme metal bands and experimental artists in the world, from the new and underground to the legendary giants.  Apart from four days of head banging, the festival also offers black-metal sightseeing and expos, horror films, art exhibitions and all the unholy treats your dark heart desires.  The next annual black Easter gathering of metal, gore and extreme will be in Oslo, Norway from 23 to 26 March, 2016.

Marylynd Deathfest, USA

After 13 years and over 500 bands representing over 25 countries, the Maryland Deathfest (or "MDF" for short) has developed into the premier metal festival in the United States, and one of the most talked about festivals internationally. Since MDF's inception in 2003, festival organizers Ryan and Evan have continued to strive to bring together some of the most legendary bands in the scene and some of the most talked about up-and-coming bands in the underground for an unparalleled experience. Combining the DIY attitude of two metal fans who are actually part of the scene instead of trying to exploit it, with a refreshing professional touch, MDF is, year after year, given high marks for being one of the best run and most organized festivals around.