Dovendyr Heavy Metal Historian

Maryland Deathfest is back after a year-long hiatus for its 19th edition! I think I can speak for metalheads everywhere when I say it is fantastic to have Deathfest back. The presence and influence that this festival has had over its many years is immense. And with the lineup that Deathfest got for 2024, I didn’t want to miss out. My friend didn’t either, so I got tickets for Deathfest and the pre-party for both of us. However, we found a few other events happening around the same time. So we decided to turn it into a full week of heavy metal!

The Shows before Deathfest

I picked up my friend from the airport late on Saturday the 18th. He and I got caught up, got some food, and prepared ourselves for the week. Sunday, May 19th, saw our heavy metal marathon begin. And it all started with a baseball game! I was not much of a sports fan growing up. But the older I get, the more I find myself enjoying sports. I started following hockey much more closely in college than I had previously. And ever since I moved to Maryland, I’ve begun watching baseball. My friend, more of a football fan, had never been to a baseball game before. So, with the Orioles hosting the Mariners the weekend before Deathfest, I saw an opportunity.

Camden Yards is one of the best baseball parks in America. It’s clean, well laid out, with a great view, and an even better fan base. Having been to Camden Yards plenty of times before, I know not to park too close to the stadium. I’ve been in instances where it took 2 hours to get out of the parking garage after a game. To avoid traffic later on, I parked near a friend’s place and we walked to the stadium. Gunnar Henderson and Ryan O’Hearn both had home runs early in the game. Colton Cowser had two excellent plays to keep Seattle’s score low too. The Orioles beat the Mariners 6-3 in the end. It was a ton of fun seeing the Orioles play, but even better that I got to bring my friend to a game.

**The Orioles achieved victory over the Mariners at Camden Yards**

The upside to going to the game was two-fold. Not only did my friend get to see his first baseball game, but we were also closer to the show we were going to next. Our next stop was in DC for our first show of the week – Sabaton and Judas Priest. Sabaton and Priest were on the tail end of their Invincible Shield tour at the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, MD. My friend had never seen Judas Priest before either and I only saw them briefly at Wacken 2022. (I wasn’t feeling well so left early to get some rest.) To my knowledge, my friend had never seen Sabaton, but I had once before. After talking to my friend about it, I snagged us two tickets. So after the Orioles game, we made the trek down to DC.

MGM National Harbor is a venue located within the MGM Casino complex. It was our first time attending a show at this venue. I had seen other shows listed there, like Bad Religion earlier in May. Those shows just weren’t interesting enough for me to make the drive, but this is Judas Priest. We were willing to drive down for a show like this. We wanted to see a Judas Priest set in full! But before we got Priest, we had an hour-long Sabaton set.

Sabaton I doubt needs any introduction by this point. They’re that large of a band. I’m not personally the biggest Sabaton fan, but it was nice seeing them for a second time. The first time I saw them was at The Fillmore Silver Spring, and I barely got to see them because it was that crowded. Luckily, this time, my friend and I had designated seats, so we actually got to SEE Sabaton.

Sabaton’s set was good, with songs like “Stormtroopers”, “Swedish Pagans”, and “The Red Baron” included. Joakim cracked a few jokes here and there with the band in between songs. On top of that, Thobbe Englund was back in the lineup for this show, which was cool to see. Compared to the last time I saw Sabaton, they sounded better with Englund. I mean no disrespect to their previous guitarist, but I think Englund is just a better fit. What was more surprising was that someone had brought their three-year-old kid to the show! I believe even Joakim was surprised by that, and I remember Joakim giving the kid a few souvenirs. The stage setups changed after the hour-long set, and Judas Priest took to the stage! Finally, I was going to see Priest perform live in full!!

**Rob Halford of Judas Priest and the iconic Motorcycle at MGM Casino**

Judas Priest’s set was killer, with “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’” and “Love Bites” early on. And of course, they included “Breaking the Law” early on with everyone singing their hearts out. They included newer tracks too, like “Panic Attack”, and “Crown of Thorns”. Seeing Rob Halford perform was amazing! Even at 72, his vocals still sound sharp and ear-piercing, even with ear plugs. During the main set (closed out with “Painkiller”) Rob had an audience participation moment where we all kept chanting “Yeah!” after him. It went on for like four minutes and we all loved it! Hell, the man even brought out the motorcycle for “Hellbent for Leather”, as seen above! Seeing Judas Priest was a ton of fun and I’m so glad that my friend and I got to see such a legendary band!

Monday the 20th started with a quick trip to Prigel Family Creamery in Glen Arm, MD. After getting some ice cream, we made our way back to Baltimore. We parked in a garage near a friend’s place and he drove us to the next show’s venue – Metro Gallery. We would’ve parked closer, but the lot that I, and others, would normally use closed down. It’s a real bummer because not only was it so optimally located, but parking was only like $6.00 for a few hours. That was perfect for shows in that area. But, with that lot gone, I opted to park in a space I knew well and my friend drove us up. The other spaces around the venue either closed before the show ended or were street parking (which I’m not a fan of).

Metro Gallery hosted Goetia, Ascended Dead, Ringworm, and Incantation on May 20th. I had seen Goetia and Incantation before, but not the other two bands. My friend hadn’t seen any of these bands. So, this show was a good chance for him to see a show that might not come to his part of the country. On top of that, we saw that Goetia was performing at Maryland Deathfest. I thought my friend and I could avoid a potential scheduling conflict for Deathfest if we saw Goetia here. It seemed like a win-win.

**Goetia opening the night at Metro Gallery in Baltimore, MD**

We got to Metro Gallery about 20 minutes before Goetia’s set. And Goetia did not disappoint. Goetia had a solid turnout and an intense set. They were swift and brutal, with no drop in sound quality or energy. It’s like stomping on the gas pedal and not letting up on it. Having seen them once before, I was familiar with their style. But seeing them in person, you get a harsher, more unrestrained sound. It was great seeing Goetia once more and I can’t wait to see them again. After Goetia was Ascended Dead, a death metal band from (I believe) San Diego.

Ascended Dead had an alright set, sounding in a similar vein to modern Skeletal Remains (i.e. like everything after “Devouring Mortality”). I’m not particularly a fan of the new Skeletal Remains, so Ascended Dead’s set was not really my thing. However it got better as the night went on, and I ended up liking their set more than I initially anticipated. Others in attendance seemed to enjoy their set more, though I don’t recall much moshing or audience participation. I don’t think Ascended Dead is for me, but if others find their sound enjoyable, then I’m happy for them.

In between sets for Ascended Dead and the next band, Ringworm, I managed to interview Goetia’s bassist and vocalist, Matt Scott.

Dovendyr: How does it feel to be performing alongside Incantation, Ringworm, and Ascended Dead?

Scott: It feels great! Incantation and Ringworm are definitely heavy hitters from the old-school days and Ascended Dead are one of my favorites of the more recent death metal resurgence bands so we are very stoked to get the chance to share the stage with them.

Dovendyr: What bands would you say had the biggest influence on Goetia’s sound?

Scott: Morbid Angel for sure is a massive one for us, as well as other old-school death metal bands like Deicide and Carcass. We’re also heavy into grindcore so Repulsion and Terrorizer are up there as well. Anything fast with that early death metal sound is up our alley.

Dovendyr: How would you describe the DC metal scene currently? What would you say makes it different from other US scenes?

Scott: The DC scene is so great. Tons of great bands and everyone supports each other as much as possible. There’s no crab mentality here. Everyone wants to see each other succeed. I think that alone makes the scene here truly great to be a part of.

Dovendyr: According to Metallum, the members of Goetia are in plenty of other bands. How do you all balance your time between the bands you’re in?

Scott: It is difficult for sure. Most of us schedule things like touring pretty far in advance to make sure there’s no conflicts. Some of our bands also aren’t nearly as active as Goetia which makes it a bit easier to manage. Overall we just do the best we can.

Dovendyr: On a related note, considering all of the bands that you’re in, I would think that you all write a lot in general. What, to you, says something you’ve written works better for one band over another?

Scott: I would say for me personally each band has its own theme or vibe and so it helps get into the right headspace for each one and keeps it somewhat different from the others. Having a clear idea of what we want each band to be about helps immensely with keeping the writing consistent.

Dovendyr: You guys have made quite a name for yourselves, so far, with only one EP. Hell, you’re even performing at Maryland Deathfest later this week. What do you plan to follow this early success with?

Scott: We have recorded two other releases with plans to record a third this summer. All of these are in various stages of release at the moment so we expect to drop some new tracks very soon. Likely over the summer.

Dovendyr: Last question, who is the best member of the Fellowship of the Ring?

Scott: Sam obviously. Truly a real one for supporting his boy in the face of the one ring.

Matt, thank you very much for the interview! It was awesome seeing Goetia and I’m looking forward to the new releases!

After the interview with Matt, I got myself a decent spot for Ringworm, an Ohio thrash band. They were active early in the 1990s before disbanding and then reforming in 1999. These guys were a ton of fun! Ringworm’s set sounded more varied, so that made it more enjoyable to me. Their pit was active and they were intense from the get-go. To me, they sounded a bit more death/thrash than just thrash – like imagine Necrot had more of a thrash sound. That’s what I thought their set was like, but it was fun regardless.

And closing out the night was the headlining act – Incantation. Now, I had seen Incantation maybe two previous times. And honestly, I was not that big of an Incantation fan. I thought they were good, but not entirely my thing. This show changed my opinion of Incantation from a neutral one to a more positive one. Their sound grew on me more and more as their set went on. I’ve got a better appreciation for Incantation, especially after hearing songs like, “Invocation” and “Blasphemous Creation”. Frontman John McEntee seemed happy to be back in Baltimore and was more engaged with the audience during the back half of their set. It was intense and significantly more fun than the previous Incantation shows I’d been to.

**Incantation on tour at Metro Gallery in Baltimore**

My friend and I mostly spent the day before Pre-Party relaxing and playing video games. We also managed to watch Scarface, which I had never seen before. The day before the Pre-Party, the Deathfest organizers announced that Coffins would not be a part of the fest. Their tour had fallen through apparently and Morta Skuld was added as a replacement. I had commented on the post wondering if Coffins would be coming back next year. The organizers replied saying that Coffins’ plan is to tour the US in the fall. As much as I would have liked to see Coffins at Deathfest, having Morta Skuld slot in was great news to hear. I love Morta Skuld and hadn’t seen them perform since their last Baltimore performance.

The Deathfest Pre-Party

Before my friend and I made our way down to the Pre-Party, the organizers had one last announcement for people. The first bands for Deathfest 2025 were announced, and holy shit did they get a stacked lineup! Among the standouts to me were Obituary, Nile, Asphyx, Benediction, and Primitive Warfare. I am so excited for this lineup and that’s only the first handful of bands! Honestly, I can’t wait to see who else gets added. (I have a few suggestions for bands, but they’ll be at the end of this post.)

**Philly’s Crypt Sermon performing at the Maryland Deathfest Pre-Party**

My friend and I left for the Pre-Party around 3. Uninterested in seeing Total Maniac, we made our way to Rams Head. The first band we saw was Crypt Sermon, an Epic Doom Metal band from Philly. I am not a doom metal fan really, and I don’t think my friend is either. But we decided to give Crypt Sermon a shot, and it was so beyond worth it. The songs they played seemed to mix doom metal with elements of heavy metal. It’s blended fantastically and doesn’t drag on continuously. Their songs had enough to keep me engaged consistently during their set. Hell, for a while, I couldn’t get “Christ is Dead” out of my head. (Rhyming unintentional). Crypt Sermon’s set was easily one of my favorites of this year’s Deathfest and I hope they get added to future lineups.

The next band we checked out was Illinois Death/thrashers Molder at Soundstage. Molder had a solid set, though I don’t recall what songs they played. Honestly, I don’t remember much of their set; it kind of went by in a flash. Before I knew it, they had one song left, and my friend and I made our way back to Rams Head for Midnight. We had both seen Midnight at least once before (this was my fourth time seeing them). He and I had just seen them earlier in the year at the Hell’s Heroes after-party. But it was still fun seeing Midnight again, with songs like “Satanic Royalty”, “F.O.A.L.”, and “Dungeon Lust” included in their set. Midnight was great, but I was eager to see the next band performing at Ram’s Head.

Sarasota, Florida’s Atheist took to the stage after Midnight, and they were absolutely incredible! I hadn’t seen Atheist since their last appearance at Deathfest 2022, so they were a “cannot miss” band for me. Kelly Shaefer and Atheist’s drummer both sounded fantastic! They played material from the first three albums, like “Mineral”, “Enthralled in Essence”, “Unquestionable Presence”, and “Piece of Time”. The mosh pit for their set was crazy and, like Crypt Sermon, it was easily one of my favorite sets. Additionally, if I remember correctly (and I’m pretty sure I am here), vocalist Kelly Shaefer mentioned during their set that a new Atheist album would come out in 2025. Double-check with the band, but if this is correct, then that album will easily be one of my most anticipated for 2025.

**Death/Thrashers Atheist performing at Rams Head**

I got a shirt for Atheist after their set and then my friend and I left to put our merch in my car. We returned to Rams Head and managed to get our spots back for the headlining act – Sodom. He and I saw Sodom at Hell’s Heroes in March and believe me when I tell you that that set was intense and packed! The difference between the Sodom sets at Hell’s Heroes and Deathfest Pre-Party is that the Hell’s Heroes set was at an outdoor stage. There was a little bit of breathing room since there were no walls to limit space, sans the barricade. This set was at an indoor stage, so we were packed like sardines! Even at our spot right in front of the soundboard, people were shoulder to shoulder.

Just like at their Hell’s Heroes set, before Sodom even played a single note, people opened up the mosh pit. And for this set, I don’t blame any of them. Sodom performed songs like “The Crippler”, “The Saw is The Law”, “Blasphemer”, and “Nuclear Winter”. It was virtually non-stop ferocity from start to finish. The pit was so forceful that I ended up shifting along the wall for the soundboard throughout the set! This was probably the best Pre-Party I’d been to, and seeing Sodom for the second time made it all the better. After their set, my friend and I called it a night, out of energy for Melechesh.

**The Legendary German thrashers – Sodom!**

Deathfest – Day 1

After getting some sleep (and by some, I mean like 5 hours or less), we made the trek back to Baltimore. Drained, we pushed through the day seeing as much as we could. The first band we saw was Kurnugia, a death metal band from Ohio. I don’t remember much about their set, to be honest, but there was one thing that stood out. The display behind them (which had their logo) kept shifting continuously. At first, I didn’t think much of it, but it got a little distracting as the set went on. However, I took it as a one-off thinking it might be a stylistic choice from the band.

After their set, we moved to Rams Head to see Brazil’s Fossilization and Pittsburgh’s Derkéta. Both groups play Death/Doom but have their own take on the genre. Fossilization I thought leaned more toward death metal, whereas Derkéta leaned more toward doom. Both genres were present in both of their sets, but to me, there was a preference for one over the other. It was great seeing both Fossilization and Derkéta and I thought both bands performed well. But Fossilization was better in my opinion. I thought their set was just a touch more enjoyable overall. I tend to be a bit picky with death/doom, so Fossilization’s death metal lean gives them the edge.

**Stabbing from Texas performing at Soundstage on Deathfest Day 1**

My friend and I made our way back to Soundstage for Stabbing, from Texas. Stabbing was insane, with an energy similar to seeing Sanguisugabogg. Their pit was crazy from start to finish, and the band barely slowed their momentum at all. Their set sort of bleed together at one point (I.e. the songs all started sounding indistinguishable). But that was only towards the end and it wasn’t that bothersome to me. However, I noticed that their logo display kept shifting, just like Kurnugia’s. By this point, it was really distracting and annoying, especially with the other lights from their set. It was a little too much to handle at one point, but luckily by then, Stabbing’s set was practically done. I hope that those shaky logos on Soundstage’s display don’t persist. I can only imagine what it’d be like for someone with epilepsy to deal with that.

Anyway, my friend and I returned to Rams Head and caught part of Chthe’ilist. They are death metallers from Canada and honestly, I wasn’t too invested in their set. It was just okay, and I was more interested in seeing the act that followed them – Morta Skuld! Like I said, I hadn’t seen Morta Skuld since their last Baltimore performance a year ago. Seeing them there was incredible; it was one of my favorite sets of 2023. And Morta Skuld absolutely did not disappoint at Deathfest 2024! I managed to get a killer spot at the barricade for their set. Morta Skuld played songs from across their discography, like “Perfect Prey”, “Divide the Soulless”, and “Dying Remains”.

**Milwaukee’s Morta Skuld slotting in for Coffins at Maryland Deathfest**

They were one of the best of the festival, even with slotting in for Coffins on such short notice. I was headbanging like a maniac throughout their set; hell, I still felt slightly sore even toward the end of Deathfest. After their set, I went to their merch table and got a copy of “Suffer for Nothing”, “Creation Undone”, and a few patches. I can’t wait to see Morta Skuld again and I hope that they return to Deathfest soon. The nice thing was that right after their set, Sodom was performing for a second time, literally right next door too.

Sodom again headlined Deathfest, this time playing an “Agent Orange” set. “Agent Orange” is arguably their most popular and well-known album ever. While it’s not my personal favorite Sodom album (that one is “M-16”), it was still incredible seeing their “Agent Orange” set. I mean, how can you not sing along to “Agent Orange” and “Remember the Fallen”? Since the album was short (it’s 40 minutes long and their set was an hour), Sodom played a few other tracks. Namely, they included their cover of Tank’s “Don’t Walk Away”, and “M-16” and closed with “Outbreak of Evil”. While I would’ve liked to have heard “Surfin’ Bird”, I’m just thrilled that I’ve now seen Sodom three times in a single year. To me, that’s insane!

**Sodom closing out the first night of Deathfest XIX**

My friend and I hung around for Broken Hope’s set at Soundstage. We were both tired but decided to stay out anyway. Broken Hope had a set akin to Stabbing in its intensity though not as in your face. I think almost everyone was tired by this point in the night, especially after Sodom. We toughed out the remainder of their set and then called it a night.

Deathfest – Day 2

With a lot of time before doors, my friend and I went to see the new Furiosa movie before Deathfest Day 2. We saw it in IMAX and we both thought it was pretty good. To avoid spoilers, I’ll say seeing it in IMAX was worth it for the experience. After the movie, we got some food down the block and made our way to Deathfest. We had skipped out on Defeated Sanity but were able to make it for the band that followed them. But first, once we got there, we checked out the merch stands.

Merch Alley, for some reason, opened on day 2, which I found a touch strange. Honestly, I thought it would’ve opened on day 1, but it’s ultimately not a big deal. On a related note, some people had brought up an issue with pre-ordered merch. I recall some people waiting in a long line for a while for pre-ordered merch. While I didn’t have to deal with that, others certainly did. Catacombs Records brought up separate concerns about the VIP experience in the MDF Facebook group. I also recall people who made pre-orders discussing them in the comments of Catacombs Records’ post. Organizer Ryan Taylor addressed most, if not all, of the concerns raised to my knowledge. And I think things got sorted out in some manner. But, pre-ordered merch and the VIP experience were not the only issues experienced.

Merch for some bands, like Deathhammer, and Mortuary Drape was difficult to find, if present at all. All of Gorguts’ merch was with Pyre Press in the merch alley and I think people mainly found out via the Facebook group. Hell, I was expecting Archgoat merch to be at Ram’s Head. I didn’t realize that it was at the main merch tent until they ran out of my size shirts. (I managed to get some Archgoat patches, so that makes up for it a little.) As others have probably already touched upon, I think this is an area for improvement for next year. I think at one point Ryan addressed the logistical challenges of this year’s festival in a comment on Catacomb Records’ post. This year’s different layout significantly impacted festival logistics.

I think next year could benefit from a post before the day starts stating what bands brought merch and where it can be found. Yes, it can be implied that band merch will be in the venue they play at like Sodom merch being found at Rams Head. But if a band’s merch isn’t there (or moves), then attendees could spend plenty of time searching for merch they can’t seem to find. All that searching to come up empty-handed would be disappointing.

Getting a heads up on what bands do and don’t have merch on a given day could help attendees plan a little better. Some bands, like Archgoat and Dismember, did this, but I don’t recall any other bands mentioning it. I recognize that an announcement like this from the organizers could present its own logistical headache(s). And, I bet the organizers have discussed internally how merch will be handled going forward. We’ll have to see how things play out next year.

**Aura Noir performing at the Deathfest Market Place stage**

Getting back to the bands, after checking out merch, my friend and I caught part of Aura Noir’s set at Market Place. The Norwegian black/thrash outfit lost a few minutes of their set to sound check but otherwise, they sounded good. I wasn’t too invested in their set, to be honest, as I focused on scouting out merch at the main tent. Additionally, I was so hyped for the first act at Angel’s Rock Bar that they took my focus.

**Local Baltimore band, Torturous Descent, making their Deathfest debut**

I’m a bit biased since I know some of the members of Torturous Descent, but I enjoyed their set a lot. This was my first time going to Angel’s Rock Bar too, and I think it was a great venue for them. In my experience, Angel’s Rock Bar is meant more for bands from the local scenes. Even for a comparatively small venue, Torturous Descent sounded fantastic and had a pretty good turnout. Their set included songs like “Darkest of Days” and “Mirrors of Hypocrisy”. I’m pretty sure Torturous Descent has a record coming out soon, so keep an eye out for news from them.

My friend and I made our way back to Market Place to get some food, and we managed to see some of Arcturus’s set. We were focused more on getting food at that point. What I did hear from Arcturus was alright – just a little too out there for my tastes. After food, my friend and I went back to Angel’s Rock Bar and caught part of Oppressor’s set at Powerplant. They had recently reformed, and we decided to give them a shot. We both thought that they were just ok – not exactly our thing. Not that invested in their set, we opted instead to explore the rest of Merch Alley. We didn’t realize that it extended around the corner, so we doubled back to see what we missed.

I found some vendors towards the end of Merch Alley with pretty good selections. I remember one was Portland Distro, who had some great shirts available. The other one was right next to them, and while their name escaped me, I managed to get an Amorphis vinyl from them. (Why is it that bands like Amorphis and Atheist are almost always impossible to find merch for at music festivals? I think I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve found merch for both of those bands combined. Maybe it’s just my luck?)

After getting the vinyl, we dropped our merch off at my car and returned to Rams Head. By this point, my violent headbanging from yesterday started to get to me and I struggled to keep my head up. I toughed it out in time for Bølzer, a black/death metal duo from Switzerland. Bølzer was decent, with good sound, but surprisingly little moshing. Honestly, the stand-out element of their set was the constant strobe lighting. It was a bit overpowering at points, to a degree where I had to close my eyes just to get a break. It just wasn’t for me. But not all was lost, as we still had the big act at Rams Head to go – 1349!

**Norway’s 1349 closing out the night at Rams Head**

Norweigan black metallers 1349 closed out the night at Rams Head. If I remember correctly, I believe their set here was their first time performing in America, but I’m not too sure about that. Regardless, people were excited for them, and their pit was absolutely crazy! I don’t recall much from their setlist outside of the new single, “Ash of Ages”. I thought they were pretty good, though you could tell that others in attendance were more excited than me. And I’m happy that they’re happy they got to see 1349. After their set ended, my friend and I returned home to get what sleep we could.

Deathfest – Day 3

My friend and I made our way back down to Baltimore around 3:30, functioning on about five hours of sleep. By this point, going to so many shows in such a short amount of time is starting to take its toll on us. We already bought some insoles for our shoes, but five hours of sleep was not enough. However, we were determined to see the remaining bands, so we returned to the festival grounds. We caught the tailed end of the opening act at Market Place – Avulsed from Spain. But, I was more interested in seeing Severe Torture!

Severe Torture, from the Netherlands, was one of my more anticipated sets of the festival. Sometimes at festivals, you just have to give a band a chance to impress you. I had listened to some of their songs before, though I forget which ones. But those few songs were enough to convince me to check them out here. And man Severe Torture lived up to the hype! Their set was killer with plenty of songs from throughout their discography. Hands down this was one of my favorite sets from all of Deathfest this year!

**Severe Torture from the Netherlands at the Market Place Stage**

Before Deathfest, I managed to interview Severe Torture’s guitarist, Thijs Von Laarhoven, via email:

Dovendyr: How does it feel to be a part of the Maryland Deathfest lineup this year?

Von Laarhoven: It feels great, what a line-up man! I mean; Dismember, Bloodbath, Forbidden, Mayhem, Primordial, Cryptopsy & Bolzer to name a few! And to top it off we’re doing 4 additional clubshows with Bloodbath, Primordial & Archgoat in Chicago, Seattle, Mesa AZ, and Los Angeles! Can’t wait for it! And also big thanx to Ryan & Evan for bringing us back over again!

Dovendyr: This is your third time performing at Maryland Deathfest, your previous performances were in 2006 and 2016. How did you guys handle the culture shock then and how do you handle it now?

Von Laarhoven: Well, we already played in the US in 2001 and 2002 so the culture shock wasn’t that big in 2006 but it’s a sort of love/hate thing; We love the country and love the people but a lot of things are a bit crazy for us Europeans. But nothing crazy enough to stop us from coming back, haha!

Dovendyr: How did the members of Severe Torture get interested in metal and how did you all meet?

Von Laarhoven: Our original drummer Seth and me are cousins so that’s how us two met. I was in school with our bassplayer Patrick, that’s where we met. I got my interest in heavier music from my dad’s records, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and from there I got into Metallica & Iron Maiden through friends at school. Guess for the rest of the band it’s somewhat the same.

Dovendyr: According to Metallum, you guys were heavily influenced by Cannibal Corpse, especially early in your career. What was it about Cannibal Corpse’s sound that was so impactful to you?

Von Laarhoven: When we heard Butchered at Birth & Tomb of the Mutilated for the first time we immediately knew that at that moment that’s how we wanted to sound. Seth, Patrick and me started jamming somewhere in ’94/’95 I guess and after playing all the usual suspect covers from Death, etc we started playing some Cannibal covers and it fitted perfectly with the first songs we were writing. I think it’s the brutality and catchiness of the old Cannibal Corpse before they started tuning lower which was really impactful on us. Of course we got our own sound & touch over the years, which isn’t really close to Cannibal Corpse anymore since our 3rd album if you ask me.

Dovendyr: Your new full-length album “Torn from the Jaws of Death” is coming out early in June 2024. What can fans expect from this new release?

Von Laarhoven: Arguably our best album up to date with 10 extremely brutal but catchy death metal songs. Best sound & production we ever had. A beautiful cover made by Par Olofsson. Probably gonna play 1 or 2 songs of it at Maryland Deathfest.

Dovendyr: Severe Torture is nearing 30 years of death metal. How does it feel to have been in metal for that long and what have been some of your favorite moments from the band’s career?

Von Laarhoven: It feels old, haha! But also cool and proud that we made it this far! Favorite moments are of course each release and playing all over the world for our fans.

Dovendyr: Last question, did guys play any video games and if so what are some of your favorites?

Von Laarhoven: I know our singer Dennis plays some video games but I have no idea what or which, never played a video game myself to be honest….

Thijs, thank you so much for the interview! I really appreciate it and I’m looking forward to the new Severe Torture album! (They had the new album available at the merch tent, but the CD version ran out of stock before I could get a copy. I got a copy of their “Fisting the Sockets” EP instead.)

After Severe Torture, I went to Soundstage to check out Vomi Noir, a French Death/Goregrind act. Vomi Noir was decent but I remember them running into a fair amount of technical issues. Of what I did hear, there were a few neat moments, but it just wasn’t for me. I struggled to tell the songs apart from one another. I can’t help but think how much better their set could’ve been without those technical issues.

My friend and I decided to split up briefly for different sets. My friend went to see Skinless at Powerplant while I went to see Deathhammer at Rams Head. Norway’s Deathhammer is a blackened thrash/speed band and was unyielding in their speed throughout their set. I managed to get a spot along the barricade for their set and it was so worth it. If I remember correctly, I believe that bassist and vocalist Sergeant Salsten mentioned that a new Deathhammer LP was on the way. I could be wrong, so keep your eyes peeled.

**Deathhammer performing at Rams Head on Deathfest Day 3**

My friend and I met up to get some food near Soundstage. After food, we split up again to see different bands. This time, my friend went to see Dread Sovereign at Rams Head and I went to see Vomitory at Powerplant. Vomitory was solid! They were intense throughout and rarely stopped. I managed to mosh a little bit during their set, but can’t remember what songs they played. It was nice seeing them here, as I can’t remember the last time they came to the States. A friend of mine who is a big fan of them said that it’s been quite a long time. I’m glad I saw them because I have no idea when they’ll be coming back to the States next. I did leave their set a little early to get a decent spot for the headliner band at Market Place.

Dismember was arguably one of the most anticipated acts of all Deathfest 2024. Dismember had dropped from the 2022 Deathfest lineup due to COVID restrictions. Autopsy slotted in for Dismember that year, and… well if you know, you know. Anyway, saying that people were excited about Dismember is an understatement – rain be damned. The pit started almost instantly, and it was suffocating just how packed it got at points.

I managed to get a spot near the front of the pit, and eventually crowd surfed during their set. Ironically, I lost my glasses as I went to crowd surf and didn’t realize it until it was too late. After their set, I went looking for them, and I found them broken on the ground. Luckily, my sunglasses matched my prescription, so I didn’t have to go the rest of Deathfest blind. I didn’t manage to see much of their set, but it was still nice seeing what I could. (pun slightly intended)

**Sweden’s Dismember – one of the most anticipated bands on the bill!**

It was kind of funny losing my glasses honestly. I was way overdue for an eye doctor appointment anyway. Despite losing my glasses, my friend and I stayed for one last set. We stayed for Beheaded, a brutal death metal band from Malta. They were a band I’d never heard of before, but they were pretty good. It wasn’t a very pounding-in-your-face type of brutal death metal. Instead, they were a slower, more brooding-sounding band, which I liked. The drive home was a bit challenging, driving at night with sunglasses. But we got back safely and got what rest we could.

Deathfest – Day 4

The final day of Deathfest is upon us. It has been a long week and we are both exhausted. But with one day to go, we mustered what energy we could and drove back down. We made it in time to see Chilean Death/thrashers Ripper open at Market Place. Their set was good, but their sound was a touch off, slightly muffled. But honestly, that’s kind of a nitpick at most. The cool thing with Ripper was that they were the first set of the year to get a trash canning. I’m surprised that it took people that long to trash-can a set. I mean it was bound to happen at some point, but that was a bit longer than I expected. Oh well, at least it happened.

We got some food and then made our way over to Rams Head for our next two bands. Opening the final day at Rams Head was Daeva, a black/thrash act from Philly. They were just okay, nothing much really stood out to me about their set. There were a few sound issues, but I chalked that up to not putting in my earplugs properly. Between them and Ripper, I thought Ripper was a bit better. Ripper’s songs were more interesting to me; I love death/thrash – it’s one of my favorite subgenres. We moved upstairs for the next band performing, which to me was one of the most surprising bands of the weekend.

**Oregon’s Spirit Possession and its unique lighting**

Spirit Possession is a two-man black metal group from Oregon. They have a similar setup to Bølzer, with one person in percussion and the other on a stringed instrument. They were fantastic, with harsh vocals and sharp drumming and guitar. Surprisingly, they only used one red light in the stage center for their set. I think their guitarist even asked to have the stage lights turned off at one point. That glowing red button was honestly such a unique part of their set. I don’t think I have ever seen a band have lighting like that. I jokingly told my friend that I’d give him a dollar if he hopped on stage and pressed the giant button. He just smiled and said no. Overall, they were another one of my favorites from this year’s Deathfest.

After Spirit Possession, we made our way over to see Cryptopsy. Though not a high-priority band for either of us, we agreed that we’d like to see them play. With a set like “Blasphemy Made ” Flesh”, we thought it’d be worth it. Right from the beginning, they had some issues with their sound. I’m not entirely sure what happened. Their guitars, bass, and vocals all cut out for a minute, so drums were all that people could hear. It eventually came back, but cut out again not too long afterwards. My friend and I didn’t stay at Cryptopsy’s set for long, as my friend was keen on seeing Abbath.

The Norweigan black metal act Abbath took to the Market Place stage around 8 PM. I’m not the biggest fan of Abbath, so I got food during this set. I stayed for a few songs and thought what I heard was decent. My friend watched I think Abbath’s entire set, and he thoroughly enjoyed seeing them perform. I’m just happy that he got to see a band he enjoys. Meanwhile, I was more hyped for seeing the next band. So I returned to Angel’s Rock Bar to see the local Baltimore band Intimidation Display!

**Baltimore’s very own Intimidation Display at Angel’s Rock Bar**

Intimidation Display was fantastic. The sound from their guitar got a touch lost at the beginning of their set. They had some brief technical issues, but that didn’t stop them. Once it was fixed, you could hear the more intricate parts of their riffs. While the technical issues had cut into their set time slightly, the trio maintained the same energy they started with as they cut some songs at the end. They closed out with a cover of Dying Fetus’ “In The Trenches”. After their set, I got a copy of their setlist and bought a shirt from their merch stand. Before Deathfest, I had reached out to Intimidation Display and interviewed them via email:

Dovendyr: How does it feel to be performing at Maryland Deathfest this year?

Zach: Like a fever dream. A lot of top-tier bands to put on the resume for sure.

Ben: Unreal. It’s always been a goal of ours to perform at this legendary event.

Mike: It’s surreal! I consider it one of those lifetime goals that you’re not sure will ever happen. I’m deeply grateful for it.

Dovendyr: Is this your first time attending Deathfest? If not, what have been some of your favorite memories of Maryland Deathfest?

Zach: Actually my first time! Lol I’m a loser.

Ben: Nope. I’ve been going since 2019. My favorite memory was seeing Devourment with Mortician performing right after. I can’t really explain why but it was such a brutal and surreal experience. I remember feeling blown away.

Mike: I’ve been to several Deathfests. Including the one that gave me COVID in 2022! The most memorable performance for me was Suffocation in 2015. Absolutely ripped and it was great to see Frank perform before he stepped down.

Dovendyr: How would you describe the Baltimore Metal Scene since Intimidation Display’s formation in 2021?

Zach: I’m not really sure. At first we were just playing any show we could, so we ended up playing with a bunch of punk bands at greasy venues. Now that we’re a little more established, we have better shows coming to us (opening for Vomit Forth in 2023, and Maul in 2024) and we’ve met a bunch of cool bands from here and the surrounding area (Constituents, Eyecatcher, Verminoth(PA).) Were they just hiding, waiting for us to unite the scene? Lmfao, probably just the post-COVID band explosion since we don’t have to hide anymore.

Ben: There are so many more bands and many more shows. I sometimes go to shows 3+ times a week. It’s great to be into this kind of music nowadays in Baltimore. We are fortunate to be surrounded by such great bands, promoters, bookers, and venues.

Mike: The Baltimore Metal Scene has been good to us. There are a lot of hardworking and honorable people involved. We wouldn’t have made nearly as much progress without help from people like Critter and Annie of Infinite Terror Promotions, our boys in Constituents who are always hooking us up, Adam Savage who gave us the chance for our first Metro show, our buddy Greg at the Depot who’s always a good time, and many other bands and promoters in the local area who have given us opportunities.

Dovendyr: How did Intimidation Display form? How did you all meet each other?

Zach: I met Ben first funny enough, I first came up here from Florida and tried out to be the vocalist for the band he was playing in. When they never hit me up, I went to Craigslist and found Mike. We started jamming in this run-down shack on Maryland Ave. and had a few people come through to play bass, but no one could really handle my intense riffage haha! We were about to just do the damn thing as a duo, but Mike said he had a friend who plays bass. Imagine my surprise when Ben shows up! He was able to keep up with my riffs immediately- without having to have me explain them at half speed.

Ben: As Zach mentions he auditioned for a band I was in at the time. He was a great vocalist but his style didn’t match the music. We were looking for someone who sounded like Corpsegrinder. I eventually came across their post on Craigslist. I saw Zach and Mike’s post and wanted to try out. When I first auditioned I didn’t want to leave the band I was in and took me a couple of months.

Mike: I had just moved back to the States from Germany at the end of 2020, and by 2021 I was ready to start another project. I posted on Craiglist to get the process of forming the band started. Basically weeded people out based on their influences. Not to be an elitist, but I knew what I was looking for and I’m getting too old to waste time on something that isn’t quite what I want. Zach responded and I could tell he was of a brutal enough caliber, so we jammed and hit it off playing some of the riffs he had already been working on. It was pretty clear to us both that this was worth exploring further, so we kept going and have been relatively prolific since.

Dovendyr: What bands would you say were a big influence in forming Intimidation Display’s sound?

Zach: Dying Fetus, Nile, Primitive Man, Built Upon Frustration, Cattle Decapitation, Behemoth Abominable Putridity, Devourment, Leviathan, Burzum, and Anaal Nathrakh. But I can go on.

Mike: Skinless, Suffocation, Decapitated, Devourment, Dying Fetus, and Fear Factory were some of my biggest foundational influences. These days I listen to and love so many bands that it doesn’t make any sense to try to start naming them.

Dovendyr: Given that Intimidation Display is still a relatively young band, what challenges have you guys faced so far and how have you overcome them?

Zach: We don’t let anything stop us. From the initial gatekeeping of the metal scene, to bands that are scared of playing with us. I guess they can’t handle the Intimidation Display lol! When we first started, we couldn’t get on any death metal shows, so we played with punk bands. Then once we started getting recognition, we started playing with any metal band we could. Goofy ass bands, with matching outfits and coordinated breakdown dance moves. But we kept playing, and now we have “ascended” to the upper echelon of Baltimore Death Metal. (Or so I’d like to think, hah! How many 3 year old bands play Maryland Deathfest?) Before we know it we’ll be touring Europe with Dying Fetus and Behemoth, and Necrophagist will reunite and put out the mythical third album just to play with us!

Ben: Maryland is filled with amazing bands so entering the scene can be very challenging. Plus we all have full-time jobs and families so it’s often a battle balancing family and work life with music. Being patient but determined is what helps overcome these challenges and I feel very lucky to be able to do all of this.

Mike: I honestly wouldn’t say we’ve experienced any significant challenges yet, and I think that’s because we tend to be really cooperative and patient with each other. This is probably the band I’ve been in that has had the least amount of drama. When things get harder, we get more determined and we come together to find a solution. Eye is always on the prize.

Dovendyr: With two full-lengths released, and your performance here, what is the next big thing for Intimidation Display?

We’ve got an EP coming out pretty soon, but what’s really cool is that we’ll be playing with Internal Bleeding this summer. Maybe Dying Fetus will find out we’ve been doing a cover and tell us we suck? Notice me Senpai!

Dovendyr: Last question, how much Old Bay is too much Old Bay?

Ben (the only original Marylander in the band): No such thing. Although I’ll have to try out adding it to Greek food. I never thought about doing that until you and Lev brought it up.

(Author’s Note: Lev is a friend of mine (a different friend from who I’ve been referring to throughout this post) and he introduced me to Ben.)

Zach, Ben, Mike, thank you guys so much for the interview! It was great seeing Intimidating Display once more and I’m really happy that you guys were able to perform at Deathfest this year.

After seeing Intimidation Display’s set, I got some merch from them and returned to Market Place. My Dying Bride was originally meant to play in this time slot. However, due to internal issues with the band, they had to drop out of the festival. So, on short notice, Norway’s Mayhem slotted in. Mayhem’s set I thought was okay, with songs progressively getting heavier. They played these brief videos in between songs. One of them was a tribute to Dead, which I thought was pretty cool. I stayed for part of their set but wasn’t the most keen on seeing them. My friend opted to stay for the rest of Mayhem. Instead, I noticed that Iron Lung, a power-violence duo, was going to be performing at Soundstage, so I made my way there.

**Power-violence duo Iron Lung at Soundstage on Deathfest Day 4**

These guys were another one of the more surprising acts of Deathfest. Their setup reminded me of Antichrist Siege Machine, though their sound wasn’t as directly aggressive. The longer I stayed, the more I enjoyed what I was listening to. The band displayed a good amount of variety and aggression. The pit, though sparse in people, mimicked their energy well. I stayed for a handful of songs, thoroughly impressed with their set. I left as it got close to 9:30 to meet up with my friend. Mayhem was just about to wrap up, and we were both eager to get a good spot for one band in particular.

My friend and I agreed that for Finland’s Archgoat, we wanted to get a spot at the barricade. So, we got to Rams Head early and camped out a place just left of the center stage. And holy fuck was it worth it because Archgoat was absolutely incredible! They were fiery from start to finish, playing songs like, “Heavens Ablaze”, “Triumphator”, “Blackmoon”, and “Hammer of Satan”. My friend and I were headbanging throughout their set, as much as we could. At one point, their guitarist, Ritual Butcher, had brief cable issues. So while the crew sorted everything out, bassist Lord Angelslayer lit a cigarette. When the cable was fixed, he continued to smoke it throughout the next couple of songs. This was one of the coolest sets I’ve seen at Deathfest, and maybe ever. I really hope that Archgoat gets to come back soon!

**Finland’s Archgoat with one of the best sets from this year’s Maryland Deathfest**

My friend and I moved to the upstairs part of Rams Head. We stayed for a few songs from Mortuary Drape, but we recognized just how tired we were by this point. So we called it a night and went home. On the way back to my car, I happened upon a “Fuck Gonzalo” sticker and took it with me. It was one last little souvenir of this long week.

Deathfest – Conclusion

This week has been arduous but beyond worth the effort. Overall, I saw 42 sets across 7 stages (and a baseball game) in a week of concerts! And to cap it off with Deathfest was incredible! There were a couple of bumps along the way, but overall, Deathfest 2024 was an absolute blast! The bands were great, and it was awesome to see everyone there again.

Those who attended probably already know of the (partly) demolished building near the festival grounds. According to the Baltimore Banner, the land is expected to become a green space after demolition is complete. Depending on when demolition and cleanup are complete, perhaps Deathfest could utilize the space for vendors, food, or maybe an additional stage. Hell, if possible, they may be able to get the water tank there. But, that heavily depends on various factors that I’m pretty sure aren’t in our control. Again, I bet that internal discussions are being held and the organizers are waiting for updates from the city. This year’s layout worked well, and having that space might provide just a touch more breathing room for future editions of MDF.

One thing that deserves praise is the transparency from the organizers. Ryan, Evan, and the crew behind Maryland Deathfest have been open and upfront about lineup changes and vendors. I don’t know of any other metal festival that has been so open about updates to this degree. On top of that, I appreciate that the team gave word that visas for certain big-name bands were approved, like Sodom, Archgoat, Dismember, and Vomitory. I think doing this gave attendees a sense of relief that some of the bands they wanted to see would make their appearance. Hopefully, this practice will carry on with future editions of Maryland Deathfest.

Before Deathfest this year, the organizers announced some of next year’s lineup. Among the bands included were Asphyx, Obituary, Nile, and Benediction. I remember seeing certain names floating around for 2025, like Tankard, Dragged into Sunlight, Goat Torment, and ROT. But those 4 last bands, I’m not 100% certain of. I know visa costs have gone up, but according to the organizers, there aren’t any changes that will impact bands playing MDF. With that said, these are the bands I would love to see perform next year: Necrot, Trouble, Demiser, Bloodletter, Power Trip, Panopticon, Sahon (Korea), Blasphemy (Canada), Afsky (Denmark), Undergang (Denmark), Memoriam (UK), Demonslaught 666 (China), and Hellripper (Scotland). Hell, maybe an Equinox (FL) reunion or a Speedwolf (CO) reunion could happen. Well, one can hope anyway.

But that brings us to the end of this year’s Maryland Deathfest. It was incredible to attend this year and I can’t wait for next year. Thank you very much for reading all this; I know it was a long review, but I covered quite a lot and appreciate you taking the time to read it to the end!

Let the countdown to MDF 2025 begin!

The bands (in alphabetical order) can be found at the following links (No, I’m not listing every single band, just the ones I saw):

1349 – Bandcamp, Deezer, Facebook, Instagram, Soundcloud, Spotify, Tidal, Tumblr, YouTube, and their site

Abbath – Bandcamp, Deezer, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, Tidal, TikTok, YouTube, and their site

Archgoat – Bandcamp, Deezer, Facebook, Spotify, and Tidal

Arcturus – Bandcamp (1), Bandcamp (2), Deezer, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, and Tidal

Ascended Dead – Bandcamp, Deezer, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, Tidal, and their site

Atheist – Bandcamp, Deezer, Facebook, Instagram, ReverbNation, Spotify, Tidal, and YouTube

Aura Noir – Bandcamp, Deezer, Facebook, Spotify, Tidal, and YouTube

Avulsed – Bandcamp, Deezer, Facebook, Instagram, ReverbNation, Spotify, and YouTube

Beheaded – Deezer, Facebook, Instagram, ReverbNation, Spotify, YouTube (1), and YouTube (2)

Bølzer – Bandcamp, Deezer, Facebook, Instagram, Soundcloud, Spotify, and Tidal