Lets enumerate here, please share the reason also, after all why the fest is exclusive to you.

I think we all like metals, lets give it few re-thought too...

I guess Maryland Deathfest, seeing as that's the only metal festival I've actually been to. But it's awesome America gets something as great as this. The guys running it manage to block off an entire street for the 2 outdoor stages, as well as have bands play inside the Sonar venue. Plus they manage to get all these awesome bands that would never come to the U.S. otherwise (Tsjuder, Coroner, fucking Vinterland!!!!)

Lots of great metal festivals in Europe. Keep it True, Musclerock. Never been to them but they seem awesome.

I will go with the Headbangers Open Air in Northern Germany, why?

Its pretty close to me 100Km, the ticket price is also good when you compare that to Festivals like Wacken / WFF / Summerbreeze...
Also the atmosphere is great becouse its not as big as other Festivals more like a Garden Party where you know each other and it has
also a lot of International quests who come there the last years i met people from all around the world like Canada, Spain or the UK..
This year with Metal Church, Overkill and also Sacred Steel...

Link:
http://www.headbangers-open-air.de/

Bloodstock is pretty much down the road from me close to Derby, although oddly enough I haven't been since the 'download' fans and local townies started discovering the place and trashing it up during the 3-day weekend.

Its a pretty expensive luxury though. These days i'd rather stay home and have a mini rave in the back garden than be subjected to kit-searches, tent and clothing being trashed, along with having to contend against 90,000 others all waving flags and drunk out their heads.

I haven't explored much, as I wouldn't go to a festival very far away anyway, but I'm very fond of the Inferno Metal Festival here in Norway, focusing on extreme metal (this year's line-up). I haven't been there in a few years though, as I'm not currently living in or near Oslo.

Yes! Probably the best the US will ever get. Otherwise, I dream of attending Wacken at least once in my life!

Suprised no one yet has mentioned 70000 tons of metal or whatever the name of that metal cruise is! That counts as an exclusive heavy metal festival, right?

I need to make my way to Europe someday for all those badass black metal festivals... or at least got to Maryland or Montreal as they are having some good black metal bands lately... Baptism, Sargeist, Horna in Montreal in November, don't think I can pass that up.

agreed! i went to HOA last year and had a great time. that being said, it's a very niche market - last year i'd only heard of about half the bands playing, and it's more about older bands on nostalgia tours than up-and-comers. but not needing an extra hour to walk to the stage area? bliss!

i do think the bigger festivals though (wacken, easy example) should be experienced once if you want to do the "traditional" festival thing. i've been to wacken a bunch of times now, and it's less of a concert and more of a 4-day party with a (sometimes) decent soundtrack. it's expensive, cheesy and kinda cringingly durrrr-metal at times, but if you're in the right mindset it's pretty fun to be boozing and rocking out with 100,000 other dickheads in 35 degree heat.

Party.San Open Air is hands down the best German extreme metal festival. Always has the best bands and the tickets are a bargain with no idiotic price variations.

Fuck Wacken. Oversized, overcrowded, overpriced and always eager to cater to the lowest common denominator.

I've been wanting to go on that trip for years, seems like a headbangers' dream vacation... just don't have the funds. H
as anyone been on it? Is it as awesome as it looks??

I would kill someone to get to the Keep It True festival. Some false metalhead or whatever.

http://www.swr-inc.net/swr/

Which will be streaming the majority for the performances

Portugal Extreme Heavy Metal Fest been going on for 16 years

From an American standpoint, many European festivals look interesting to me, but in particular:
Keep It True (Deu)
Headbangers Open Air (Deu)
Muskelrock (Swe)
Brofest (UK)
Nuclear War Now Fest(Deu)
Up The Hammers (Gre)

Thus far I have only traveled for Keep It True, which was an AWESOME experience. Next year I'm thinking of saving up for Brofest since I heard the first one kicked ass, total old school NWOBHM fest. As far as US fests, I've done MDF a few times, always a great and well organized fest. I went to the disaster known as Rites of Darkness (Rites of Cancellation) 3 which was fun despite being a gargantuan disappointment, bordering on complete ripoff. I also sponsored and attended Ragnarokkr Metal Apocalypse in Chicago last year which was pretty damn cool for a US festival. It's too bad I don't have the money for it this year, but I am attending MDF again.

All in all it really depends on the lineup for me. I've heard things like "Go to KIT for the bands, go to HOA for the party" but really the most important part for me is the bands. KIT has been my top festival so far, followed by MDF. Every time is a great time with a big party where I meet a lot of new people, so first and foremost I go for a stellar lineup and KIT really does deliver in that department most years

Hell's Pleasure Fest, Kill-town deathfest and Roadburn (Europe)


Deathkult open air also mostly has a good line-up

Yeah you are right Party.San was great in 2010 and 2011 hope i make it this year again...