What a difference a day makes, revenge of the new day…
Today was a bumpy day for us festival attendees: it was over 90 degrees, which really impacted a lot of people, particularly with the addition of the second outdoor stage; and a new security checkpoint was put in place toward two of the more popular stages, and we were all pat down every time we went through it, meaning that running back and forth to catch bands could take an extra ten minutes or so. Obviously important, it was disruptive for a while and caused some confusion and delays. With the emergence of the marketplace, TONS of new merch was being bought from dozens of vendors and this initially increased the delay (something to plan for next time). The delay also meant I had to move around much sooner each set than desired.
However, today was a big day for bands, and the crowd’s energy was at a really high point. For me, the day started off with Kontusion, a band that I knew nothing about. They delivered a powerhouse performance of excellent grinding death metal. The band was joined on bass by Erika Osterhout (currently of Acephalix, Mortuous, and a touring member of Blackwater Holylight). Openers shouldn’t be this good and if you are playing after Kontusion you had better be ready to throw down, because they absolutely did. My second favorite set of the day belongs to Kontusion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoZrIFkVX00
I caught a few minutes of Defeated Sanity (DS) before moving on to Imperialist (To be fair to DS, I won’t comment on their set, as it was at the new outdoor stage and the sound just wasn’t traveling well enough for me to get a good earful). Imperialist, a science fiction themed black metal band, had an interesting sound but seemed uncomfortable in some way, and I did not get a sense of them in a groove that they were comfortable with. They weren’t bad but did not leave much of an impression on me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1EnO9CZCms
I moved on to Aura Noir. They played on the same stage as DS did and again the sound did not travel well. I waited for several songs before shrugging at the stage and moving back inside of the Sound Stage to catch Siege Column, a black thrash metal band from New Jersey. Raucous, gravely, and loud, their fans whipped themselves into a frenzy before a note was played and chanted, “New Jer-sey! New Jer-sey! New Jer-sey!”, before cursing other states. Siege Column fired up and delivered a solid set, but it did little for me beyond the enjoyment of watching the fans.
As I said earlier, it was a rough day as a fan. I was unmoved by so much of what I had seen so far. I don’t really blame the bands – none of them seemed to perform poorly (some of the technique and skill may have been questionable at points), but it was a tough stretch after such a commanding opening. And while the night would close in disappointing fashion for me as well, two bands offered me some respite.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eCQbM1_L14
The first was Vermin Womb, one project of the talented Ethan Lee McCarthy (also of the incredible Primitive Man), which offers a sonic trip through a grinding descent to something resembling Hell. Loud, heavy, aggressive, and perhaps a little frightening, Vermin Womb gave fans something to fear, and it was beautiful. McCarthy erupted sonically, while Brandon Artus (bass) stalked the stage with a too-calm-for-comfort visage. Meanwhile, John Damron assaulted the atmosphere with drumming that seemed difficult to contain. The set was terrific, and people left stunned.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbNq4g9XbO0
The next band that left me elated was Spectral Wound. Anyone who has met me has heard me recant their incredible set in Germany (my top set of 2023), and I was able to drag about two dozen people with me to catch them on this night. Not that it mattered much, the venue was nearly full by the time Spectral Wound came on – they are very talented and respected and others who have seen them know how incredible their set is. And again, Spectral Wound left me in awe. Relentless, feral black metal that rolls over you at a furious pace, this band may be one of the top active bands anywhere right now, and I’ll stand by that until they prove me wrong. They unveiled a new song tonight (I did not get the name), and it started off as what sounded like a typical black metal song, but then sank its teeth in and revealed itself to be so much more. This band just does not miss.
Unfortunately, the night stumbled from there. Agalloch had 70 minutes to themselves, no other bands playing, and they were also on the small open-air stage. It was boring for me and the sound was oddly tinny. I waited for a few moments, shrugged at the stage again and took a break to get some food before heading to the other side of the fest to catch a few songs from Ahab. While they played on the better of the two open air stages, their slow and doomy melodies felt a little unraveled, which I will again blame on the setting. The crowd loved them and Ahab were definitely a major draw for the night, but whether I was close or far from the stage, I was left saddened by yet another set that did not click for me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOxOfmODGlY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I9N3XvWPmM
1349 and Weekend Nachos closed out the night for me. 1349 was completely new to me (I know, shocking) and honestly, I won’t seek them out again. They are on the end of the black metal spectrum that does nothing for me. To be fair, their sound was a little dampened in some way, but there really isn’t anything else for me to say about their set. Weekend Nachos was a treat to finally get to see, and their set was erratic and unpredictable. Amazed that so many fans still had the energy to let loose like they did, I sat back and watched the crowd and band share a moment of chaos that left a lot of people smiling.
A few brilliant fan moments were mine for the night, but many more disappointing ones were also mine. I know that many people will read this and be bothered by what I’m sharing, but all too often we sugar coat things for bands or readers. Not every band is amazing to every fan, and not every set goes well. And not every fan gets every band or set. The beauty of the festival experience is the variety of experiences you’ll have. I’ll stand by this, just like I can still say that I am glad I got to see the bands that I did today, regardless of my overall thoughts.
Day 3 – Saturday
What a difference a day makes, yet again! Day three was a much better day than day two, overall.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jq_9MhN83o
The day started strong with Avulsed, who came on early (3:45pm) and in the heat. The crowd was undeterred and the Market Place (MP) outdoor stage had hundreds in front of it to hear the growling, brutal death metal that the band had to offer. The reaction and energy did seem a little low overall, but that may have been due to the heat and tired concertgoers. Avulsed did a good job of getting the crowd in the mood, however, and the grounds were full and moving by the end of the set. Despite the performance, the band was on the stage that had delivered the worst sound of the whole day, with one real exception (read on to find out which band).
I went into Sound Stage (SS) to catch Noisy Neighbors, a two-man grindcore group that was full of humor and wild songs. The band had a lot of improvisational banter and fun with the crowd, but they delivered a fast and brutal set that fired up all in attendance, myself included. For grindcore, a 30-minute set was long, but I think we all would have taken more.
Stepping back outside, I crammed in back-to-back sets from Severe Torture and Perdition Temple (PT). Severe Torture weren’t bad, but they were on the MP stage, so their brutal sound was not helped by the setting. It was difficult to want to see bands at the MP stage by this point, but the crowd was very into the band. I hustled down to the Power Plant (PP) stage (the outdoor stage at the other end of the grounds) and caught Perdition Temple, who put on an engaging set with aggressive songs. I knew nothing about them, but they left a good impression on me. I also dig their logo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gjEHS9o-uo
After PT, I quickly ran up front to the barrier for a nostalgic set: Skinless was playing next. Skinless played at the first Maryland Deathfest and I’ve been into them since. While death metal was not something I enjoyed then, Skinless stood out to me and I could not wait to see them again. Front and center, the band came out after the long break and soundcheck and put on a fun and powerful set. Vocalist Sherwood Webber tossed out some hats and handed out a few beers between songs – the gap between the on-ground speakers and the barrier was pretty far, and as Webber handed me an ice-cold beer, the distance and condensation made it… well, I dropped it, and the cry of boos was easy to hear. Still, it was a great set and another great memory for me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTDRvFd_fTQ
Warily, I hurried back down to the seemingly cursed MP stage (Dismember would be playing there before long), where Sacrifice was still playing. While their thrashy death did not appeal to me, the band deliver songs seamlessly and effortlessly and their fans were very happy. Sacrifice rocked out as clouds began to gather and the sun made its way closer to the ground. As the band finished up a solid set, Dismember fans quickly flooded into the crowd. I applauded Sacrifice’s efforts and again took the space front and center.
https://youtu.be/-UfzbZl5Cro
I was worried. No band had sounded right on this stage yet, and to see Dismember there, for my first time seeing them, was troubling me. The looming rain was troubling me (besides my phone’s safety and other rain-related nuisances (slick crowdsurfers are dangerous), lightning would shut down the set). As the soundcheck moved forward, the stagehands and crew began wrapping certain electrical elements in plastic. A glance at the setlist showed the songs I wanted to hear as beyond the first half of the set, meaning that rain was likely to interfere with those songs. Somethings, however, cannot be stopped. Dismember put on a fantastic set, and the rain made a slight mess, but ultimately cooled us down. The band played with ease, with smiles, and with passion. The sound was terrific. The energy, unwavering (from the band and the fans). Vocalist Matti Kärki shook the hand of everyone in the front row who remained after the set. It was a fantastic set and on of the highlights for the fest for me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D65D7qgqpbM
I cannot lie, I was a bit worn down after back-to-back sets of Skinless and Dismember (nearly two hours in total). Watching Sacrifice between the two was a nice break (I hung toward the back), but there was a lot of punishment from the crowd during those sets. I wandered over to Soilent Green’s set (another and I had not seen for many years) with some food and drink and sat and watched them deliver their classic grinding sludge to a crowd who, to their credit, was continuing to throw down in what appeared to be a gnarly pit. After several songs, rehydration, and a sated hunger, I contemplated which band to see next before remembering that someone had heavily recommended seeing Spain’s Haemorrahage.
Haemorrahage was incredible. Performative and carefree, the (fake) blood-covered vocalist and band (dressed as medical staff) shrieked and growled and shredded the third day to an end. Relentless energy, the band delivered 40 minutes of entertaining music while the crowd dumped out the last of its energy into the pit, which now included pool noodles and a variety of inflatable toys. It was humorous and fun and brutal for those involved. I wanted to enjoy the band, so I did from afar, and watched the frenzy go until the last note. Definitely a band I will be looking into more moving forward.
Read our review of the Pre-fest party:
FESTIVAL REVIEW: Maryland Deathfest XIX Pre-fest Live at Baltimore Sound Stage and Ram’s Head Live
Part 2 coming soon:
https://www.deathfests.com
C.ELL ARTS & MEDIA