Tattoo The Earth has announced its return after 20 years of absence, albeit in a different format than what metal fans may remember. The festival initially was a touring festival, running only three years from 2000-2002. In 2022, it will be presented as a more standard festival format, taking place on August 27 in Worcester, MA. The festival bills itself with the tagline “Back after 20 years, the crusade returns.” 20 years ago during the traveling festival’s inaugural run, bands like Metallica, Slipknot, Slayer and Sepultura played the festival.

The festival will include several classic metal names, including Black Label Society, Municipal Waste and Anthrax. Also joining the festival in Central Mass include At The Gates, Hatebreed and Enforced. More artists will be announced as the festival approaches. There will be two stages at the one-day festival, as well as a body art village led by Worcester local Zaza Ink and featuring top tattoo artists from Central Massachusetts. The founder of the festival recently released a book recounting the original run, titled Caravan Of Pain: The True Story of the Tattoo the Earth Tour. Presale for the festival starts April 27 at 10 AM.

Black Label Society, Anthrax and Hatebreed are hitting the road together (so it makes sense they’re all playing this festival). The tour celebrates Anthrax’s 40th anniversary and kicks off in Phoenix, AZ at the end of July. Their appearance at Tattoo the Earth will fall between the last two dates on the festival, at Brooklyn and Philadelphia. Black Label Society recently released a new video for their song “You Made Me Want To Live,” which came from their album Doom Crew Inc. They’ll also be playing another body art-referencing festival this summer when they appear at Inkcarceration 2022 in Mansfield, OH on July 15-17. Korn, Evanescence, Lamb of God and Lacuna Coil are among the biggest names at the festival.

Municipal Waste will be out on their own tour this summer, performing alongside hardcore band Integrity. It’s a six-date mini-tour that mostly sticks to the Heartland, with shows in Chicago, Ohio, Minnesota, Wisconsin and New Jersey. They’ll be performing in support of their upcoming new album Electrified Brain, which will be released on July 1 through Nuclear Blast. They recently wrapped up a winter 2022 tour co-headlining with Obituary. Openers for that tour included Gatecreeper and Enforced (the latter is confirmed to play Tattoo The Earth).

Meanwhile, At The Gates have been relatively quiet since releasing yet another excellent album Nightmare of Being. That album included several singles, including the title track, for which the band made a haunting music video.

Photo Credit: Boston Lynn Schulz