rams head live

As I hit the “Publish” button on this post, it’s a little less than three weeks since Maryland Deathfest wrapped up its 15th edition down in Baltimore. I’d like to tell you that the delay’s been down to me “just processing it all” or “trying to find the right words” or some shit, but let’s be real, I’ve just been busy with other things. However, the timing of my posts should not be construed as a lack of enthusiasm for this year’s fest. In fact, I’ve been quite jazzed about my experience in the time since it all wrapped up. But more on that later; for now, let’s jump into the final recap and see how Sunday closed things out… Continue reading →

Concert Review: Maryland Deathfest XV, Part Three

June 9, 2017June 16, 2017Dan4 Comments

[click here for part one] [click here for part two] [click here for part four]

Let’s forget about the frustration that was the lead-up-to / early-departure-from Autopsy and pretend instead that Friday simply went out with a bang. (With Vader, duh.) We were a full day and change into a festival that — judging by the nuanced reactions of THE INTERNET — was supposed to be a total disaster, and yet things were…not just going off as planned, but also actively thriving? Well, spoiler alert, Day 3 at MDF would only prove to be a continuation of that. Let’s get into it. Continue reading →

Concert Review: Maryland Deathfest XV, Part Two

June 4, 2017June 16, 2017Dan3 Comments

[click here for part one] [click here for part three] [click here for part four]

To me, Friday felt like the first real day of this year’s Maryland Deathfest. (No disrespect to Thursday’s performers at all; I just only saw three of them, so for my personal experience, it felt more like a prologue of sorts.) For the first time — absent the opportunity for parking lot hangs, crushed beer-can BBQing and other outdoor shenanigans — it’d be all metal straight through, from the late afternoon to the earliest part of the morning. Let’s get to it! Continue reading →

Concert Review: Maryland Deathfest XV, Part One

May 30, 2017June 16, 2017Dan3 Comments

[click here for part two] [click here for part three] [click here for part four]

For the fifth year in a row, I found myself down in Baltimore over Memorial Day weekend for Maryland Deathfest. Although this year, things were a little different. For one, there was no outside stage — an omission that, I hoped, wouldn’t prove to be a death knell for “America’s Biggest Metal Party®.” For another, my two longtime MDF-attending colleagues — our co-host emeritus and Literati Overlord — decided not to partake in this year’s festivities.

Still, with a compelling enough lineup and plenty of other metal comrades flying in for the weekend, I decided to take the plunge again. And, lucky you, you get to hear all about it! (SPOILER ALERT: Reports of Maryland Deathfest’s, erm… death… were greatly exaggerated.)

I was going to try to write up these recaps as I go, but the reality is, that was never going to be possible. (You know, because of concerting and catching-up-with and other shenanigans. And maybe sleep, too.) Oh well, with all that said, here goes…

Continue reading →