Defenders of the Old

As you might expect, vintage sounds reign at this ’80s-centric metal festival. Headlining tonight is Riot, an NYC hard-rock outfit that has played everything from protoglam to clenched-fist power thrash over a three-decade career. The aptly named Ontario speed-metalists Exciter top the Mar 14 bill—which also includes righteous old-school types High Spirits, October 31 and Natur—while Swedish black-metal crew Nifelheim heads the lineup on the 15th.