It was one of 2015's concert highlights. The Monster Energy Welcome to Rockville festival in Jacksonville, Fla., left a record 50,000 fans rocked on the fifth anniversary of its inception. The late April event took place at Jacksonville's Metropolitan Park along the St. Johns River as part of the World's Loudest Month of rock festivals.

Full Metal Jackie had a chance to speak with many of the acts at Welcome to Rockville and got a good sense of what makes the festival so special. "It expands the horizon of a fan to many other bands and I think that's the most important thing that can happen now to metal music," states Butcher Babies' Heidi Shepherd.

Motionless in White's Chris Motionless adds, "Shows like this are great because there's so many new faces, and some of these people out here, this is the only show they'll go to all year."

And yes, there is a competitive spirit amongst the bands on the bill, making for a better overall show. Slayer guitarist Kerry King says, "[I want to] conquer by all means. Do I have friends here? Absolutely. You don't stand a f---ing chance." Reflecting on the weekend, Testament's Chuck Billy simply adds, "It's going down and it's happening." Check out the full Welcome to Rockville recap above.

And just a reminder ... the promoters behind the Welcome to Rockville fest are making sure that the fall will have plenty of rock, as well. Look for the Aftershock and Louder Than Life festivals coming later this year.

Summer 2015 Rock + Metal Festival Guide

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