Baroness, Coven, Warning, Gnod, More Headline Roadburn 2017

Every year, rock aficionados from all over the world flock by the thousands to Tilburg, Netherlands for Roadburn: a painstakingly curated, weekend-long celebration of heavy music regarded by many as the genre's premiere showcase — not to mention one of the best festivals in the whole damn world.

In addition to boasting a diverse roster of metal, hard rock and experimental acts — everyone from Paradise Lost and Pentagram to the Body and Neurosis, just to name a few — last year's program included several full-album sets and eyebrow-raising events. Only at Roadburn can you witness Converge sharing a stage with Chelsea Wolfe, Ben Chisholm, Stephen Brodsky and Steve Von Till. Only here can you hear the Skull churn out nothing but deep cuts. It's heaven for all the headphone-wearing heathens.

With 2016 creeping to a close, it's time to fire up the hype machine. Roadburn organizers have announced the first round of information regarding this year's festival, to be held April 20-23 in good ol' Tilburg. As usual, the bill's a mixed bag of brutality. Check out a preliminary roster poster below.

This year's guest curator is John Baizley, whose band Baroness will headline the festival's second day. Among other highlights:

• '60s psych legends Coven will break a decades-long absence for their first-ever concert on European soil.
• Warning will perform the 2006 classic Watching From a Distance in its entirety.
• Krautrock luminaries Gnod, Roadburn 2017's artists-in-residence, will commemorate their 10th anniversary with four separate performances.

Tickets for the festival go on sale October 20. If you plan on attending, act fast — Roadburn almost always sells out.