With the addition of a third musical stage the Ieperfest organization has been able to invite more bands to play this year than during the previous editions. There are the obvious headliners such as Dead Kennedys, Converge, Heaven Shall Burn and Boysetsfire to check out, but with 84 bands playing it is easy to get overwhelmed. Therefore, we at Metalrage have compiled a small list of acts that we think should not be missed during Ieperfest 2014.
 

“Guns for show, knives for a pro”. Herder (inspired by a pocket knife with the same name) shows that this quote is justified every single time. These Dutch guys play a mixture of sludge, stoner and doom and whether it is on stage or on record, they just destroy it. They just don’t need much more words to describe then their own phrase: “HERDER is HARDER”.
 

WIth over a decade of experience under their belt, filled with solid releases and amazing performances (including one at Ieperfest a few years ago), Swedish five-piece EF has slowly but steadily earned their reputation as one of the finest post-rock bands out there. If you feel like taking a break from all the hardcore and metal violence during the festival, EF's transcendent soundscapes will provide you with the perfect music to temporarily drift off to another place.
 

A relatively newcomer in the scene is het Baltimore based hardcore outfit Turnstile. With Trapped Under Ice’s drummer Brendan Yates as their front man they formed in 2010 and gave us a tremendous EP Pressure To Succeed back in 2011. I’m a less fan of their second EP, Step 2 Rhythm, but still very curious whether they can pull it off live. They’re touring Europe with Angel Dust in August and some of these shows are already sold out. Like your hardcore in the same vein as Madball? Surely check out these guys!
 

As holders of the record of most Roadburn performances (5) you can put money on the fact that a Church of Misery show will be a jaw-dropping live performance. These dudes from Japan might not speak English perfectly; their ability to create crushing, Sabbath-worshiping riffs and songs about serial killers and mass murderers is impeccable.
 

Start Today by Gorilla Biscuits is considered as a big influential record in the (New York) hardcore scene. Until this day it’s also by far the biggest selling record put out on Revelation Records, but the best thing? They’re headlining the second day of Ieperfest! Finally I’ll get to see the band that brought these great tunes into my living room. Haven’t been so stoked to see a band perform in years. Influenced by Agnostic Front and associated with acts like CIV and Youth Of Today this is one piece of history you can’t miss out on.
 

Best band of the last edition of the Persistence Tour was by far good old Strife. With their 20+ years experience this band showed the newer acts how it should be done. This band started out as a straight edge band back in the days, but after a split and reunion they aren’t anymore. Fortunately they didn’t lose their power and energy along the way. With a Rick Rodney on fire this promises to be a killer show to look forward to.