Corrections House live stream tonight from Miami

Corrections House at Metro Gallery 1/25/13

For those of you who were scared of a little snow last Friday to attend the performance of Corrections House at Baltimore's Metro Gallery, the group presents a live stream tonight (January 30) at midnight, EST at this location. The show will be broadcast from Churchill’s in Miami, Florida. 

Corrections House is a "collective" of well known musicians from other groups including Mike IX Williams (Eyehategod), Sanford Parker (Nachtmystium), Scott Kelly (Neurosis), and Bruce Lamont (Yakuza). I recommend ponying up the pittance these venues will charge to see the actual show, but if they are not coming to your town, I suppose a live stream is ok. I believe a video stream will pale in comparison to the live performance, however. 

I have heard some criticism of this musical experiment. But I suggest approaching this group with an open mind. You are not going to see the bastard child of Neurosis and Eyehategod or any other permutation of the aforementioned groups these cats have been involved in. What you will see is the artistic expression of four super talented people who are stepping off of well worn paths to share their ideas of what music and poetry and sound and performance can be.

People these days spend a lot of time alone listening to music that was by created by people alone in studios. What Corrections House does is form a living organism comprised of a marriage of the performers and the audience.  Mike Williams said no two performances are exactly alike, and I believe that. 

I also DON'T recommend that you watch the somewhat pretentious video that was made for the group's composition "Hoax The System". I watched the video and I think it may have colored my expectations a bit too much. I would like to have unwatched it. Don't even listen to the song. In fact, stop reading this blog post right now. No, just kidding because there is still a little bit more important info here. 

Here are the remaining Corrections House tour dates. If you care about the future of music or are just curious, I encourage you to go: 

1/30/2013 Churchill’s – Miami, FL [LIVE BROADCAST!]
1/31/2013 Crowbar – Tampa, FL
2/01/2013 529 – Atlanta, GA
2/02/2013 Bottletree – Birmingham, AL
2/05/2013 Spanish Moon – Baton Rouge, LA
2/06/2013 Siberia – New Orleans, LA
2/07/2013 Walter’s Downtown – Houston, TX
2/08/2013 Korova – San Antonio, TX
2/09/2013 Red 7 – Austin, TX
2/10/2013 Bryan Street Tavern – Dallas, TX
2/11/2013 Opolis – Norman, OK
2/12/2013 Hero’s – Fort Smith, AR
2/13/2013 Slowdown – Omaha, NE
2/15/2013 Moon Room – Denver, CO

Darsombra drone in Metro Gallery’s first show of 2013

Baltimore’s audio/visual mind-benders Darsombra perform Friday, Jan. 4 at Metro Gallery with the unpredictable duo Jucifer of Athens, Ga. and heavy hitting thrashers, Radical Discharge. Darsombra recently completed a quick European tour with Stinking Lizaveta and launched a new album Climax Community. If your New Year's resolutions included expanding your mind, then tuning in and dropping out at this show would be a great way to start.

Darsombra

I listed Climax Community among my top albums of 2012, and for good reason. Guitarist Brian Daniloski uses multiple guitars and effects pedals to transport listeners to another auditory realm. His partner Ann Everton pairs his sounds with visual experiences that will make psycho-active chemicals seem quite unnecessary.  Released in October 2012, Climax Community is Darsombra’s first on the German label Exile On Mainstream. You can listen to a full stream of the recording at this link on Decibel Magazine.

Brian and Ann were willing to answer some of my inane questions. Their answers follow.

How did you come up with your specific sound? 
Brian: My sound was developed over a long time, by playing guitar and experimenting with effects pedals. Especially around the beginning of the century, I was trying to make one lone instrument sound like a whole band, or even an orchestra, and things just evolved from there. I was really inspired by the Thrones, Robert Fripp, and KK Null, at the time.

Why do you like to incorporate visuals into your show?
Brian: I've always enjoyed incorporating visuals into the live shows of the bands I've been in (Meatjack, and before that, Stranger Than Fiction), but with Darsombra, we're taking it to the next level.
Ann: What that means is that we're working with a sense of synergy. We're finding ourselves in a symbiotic relationship--Brian makes the music, and then I make the videos in response to the music, and then he plays the music back in time with the videos--keeping time with them sort of the way a band keeps time with a drummer.

What was the European tour like? What were some highlights? 
Brian: The tour was a blast--it's always fun to travel, see new places, make new friends, and catch up with old ones.
Ann: Also, it's fun to examine the difference between Europe and America--it makes us realize things we want to change about how we live (i.e. no one has a clothes dryer, people bike a lot more than us for transportation, cars are smaller, toilet paper is smaller, people live smaller), but also appreciate things here at home (i.e. the multiculturalism that is inherent to America, despite our weird and often fucked-up history).
Brian: There were lots of highlights on that tour. I remember in particular being woken up in our hotel room in Stolzenhain, Germany, to the sound of The Obsessed rehearsing "The Way She Fly"--from all the way on the other side of the village, about a mile away, where the South of Mainstream festival was held.
Ann: I really loved our time in Luzern, Switzerland. After the show, the promoter fed us homemade chestnut parfait, and then we took a 3 a.m. visit to the neighboring barn to feed the cows. . . and then we went on a walk on the Wanderweg (a Swiss national hiking trail) behind the venue in the moonlight!

What was your goal in selecting the music for Climax Community?
Brian: I wanted the music to document and reflect where I am right now as a musician, and I wanted the album to be epic and expansive. This time around I've incorporated acoustic guitar and more vocals than previous efforts. Climax Community is a completely composed album, whereas our previous release in 2012, Mega-Void, was entirely improvised. I wanted to present two sides of Darsombra's sound.

What's coming up for Darsombra in 2013?
Ann: We've scheduled a tour in February, down to Austin and back to promote the new album. Also, we've possibly got another European tour in fall, and we'd like to start contacting people in Japan. We just moved to a new house with new studios so hopefully new music and videos will be coming forth in 2013, and, if there's time, we'd like to get a quick tour in, before the end of the year on the moon.

Tickets to Friday’s Metro Gallery show are $8 on MissionTix.

Check out this video below. Winter tour dates after the jump.

DARSOMBRA Wintour 2013:
2/15/2013 Strange Matter - Richmond, VA
2/16/2013 Blackout Effectors - Asheville, NC
2/17/2013 Wonderroot - Atlanta, GA
2/18/2013 Caledonia Lounge - Athens, GA
2/19/2013 Siberia - New Orleans, LA
2/20/2013 TBA - Lafayette/Baton Rouge, LA
2/21/2013 The Dalzell House - Shreveport, LA
2/22/2013 Club 1808 - Austin, TX
2/23/2013 Downtown Music - Little Rock, AR
2/24/2013 TBA - Memphis, TN
2/25/2013 Pilot Light - Knoxville, TN
2/26/2013 TBA - Harrisonburg/Charlottesville, VA

Related links:
http://www.facebook.com/darsombra
http://darsombra.com
http://www.mainstreamrecords.de

Oasis de Satanás, in which a black metal festival is held in a Latin disco

Saturday, Dec. 15, I went to a black metal festival hosted by Maryland Infernal Horde at El Oasis in Baltimore, Md. Metal shows are not that hard to find in the mid-Atlantic from month to month, but ones devoted to metal's most extreme and controversial subgenre are a rarity. If you follow Metallomusikum at all, you know I am all about black metal, so I could not miss “Satan’s Unholy Abomination Fest.”

Black metal, by definition, is grim and hopeless. Its themes are dark, malevolent and unholy. But among this subgenre, there are sub-subgenres that focus on pagan ideas, metaphysics and nature. I like all kinds of black metal. I also like to have a good time, so I was really hoping this show would deliver everything I was looking for. I was not disappointed.

Before I get into the particulars of what went down at the festival, I want to commend and congratulate the main promoters -- Chucky Malignant, Manuel Lopez and Hondurator (and many other unseen people) -- for executing what turned out to be an amazing event. The diverse and international mix of bands  as well as the size and location of the venue, the reasonable cost ($20 at the door for 12 bands) and the addition of add-ons like a nice vendor area and proximity to restaurants and other conveniences made this day really enjoyable. It was a long, LONG day to be sure, but overall I had many more compliments than complaints.

I arrived at El Oasis at 3913 Eastern Ave (in the Highlandtown neighborhood of Baltimore) a little bit after 1 p.m. A few weeks ago, the organizers had to move this event from a smaller location in Silver Spring, and I am really glad they did. El Oasis is generally a Latin disco, so they have a decent sound system and lots of lighting. The long bar has seating and there are tables and chairs and bar stools all around, so if you get tired of head banging, you can find a comfy place to perch and still see and hear everything.

I parked my car right next to the venue in a lot. I don’t know if that is El Oasis’ lot or not, but no one seemed to be bothered that people were parking there. There was also plenty of street parking. This stretch of Eastern Ave has a lot of retail so there are public lots and street parking. The area is well lit also and busy. I felt safe.

I was under the impression that music was going to start at by 2 p.m. It didn’t, but I was not hugely concerned. I was meeting up with an old friend, and we walked up the street to grab a bite to eat (sandwiches at G&A, YUM!). When we ambled back to the venue after 2 p.m., there was still not much going on. People were slowly arriving, but many of the bands had not arrived yet. Oh well, I could hang out and chat indefinitely.

At this point, I should mention that photographer Joe Giordano had set up a backdrop and lights along the wall opposite the bar so he could capture images for his project “Killer Angels: Faces of Death (Metal).” Joe, who is a professional photographer for Baltimore’s Urbanite magazine, hopes to capture as many fans and band members as he can that represent the diversity among metal heads—a taxonomy of the death metal community, if you will. He was busy snapping anyone willing to step onto the backdrop.

The fact that he was at a black metal show and not a death metal show didn’t seem to bother him. I kept thinking about the fact that he wasn’t actually capturing death metal fans. Some people don’t see a difference in metallers “style,” but I do. I know, I know, I am being a black metal elitist. Besides, what does a black metal fan look like? I don’t know… me? I look like someone’s mom, which I am. Frankly, I claim Gaahl as my fashion inspiration: monochromatic color scheme (i.e., black) and limited accessories (inverted cross). Dressing up more than that, and I feel start to feel conspicuous. But I digress….

I spent some more time hanging with friends, watching Joe shoot photos and browsing the merch tables. Shortly before 4 p.m. one of the organizers shooed everyone not in one of the bands out the front door and started collecting money. This thing was getting started!

First up was Damnatum, a tight little trio from Queens. Damnatum set their stage with skulls, candles and incense—a nice way to kick off an evening of what some would call ritual. Songs were riff driven and a bit doomy with great drumming. From what I could tell, some of the lyrics were in Spanish. There is not a lot of published work on this group, just a couple of songs on YouTube, but they do have a demo. I liked them.

Haethen, from Philadelphia, followed up with some pagan-inspired ambient metal. If you like older Darkthrone and/or late Abigail Williams, you’ll probably appreciate them. That may sound like I am casting a wide net—but Haethen had a very old, old school black metal feel interpreted through the lens of newer school black metal coming out of the Pacific Northwest. Definitely melodic. Definitely epic. Definitely worth checking out. They make it easy because they have a free download on bandcamp.

During Haethen’s set, someone attempted to turn on the stage lights, which had not been on during Damnatum. The problem, though, is that El Oasis is a disco equipped with a ridiculously colorful lighting system. Sparkly lights are not conducive to the proper enjoyment of grim and unholy black metal, so at once several people set to work trying to disable some of lights. This meant climbing around the above stage area individually disconnecting the unwanted lights. Haethen took it in stride and continued their set, sparkly lights and all. Eventually the lighting was brought under control, though it still could have been somewhat less than it was. I am sure some of the subsequent performers would have preferred to play by candlelight or even in complete darkness, but that wasn’t going to happen.

Moving on, Baltimore’s Extermination Angel took the stage and got the growing crowd revved up. More a blackened death metal band, this trio performs precise and energetic songs and are a lot of fun to watch. Although it was still early, vocalist Shawn Wright built a strong rapport with the audience and got the mosh pit officially started.

Next up was Unholy Spirits from New York, who, like one of my favorite bands Inquisition, only has two members, a guitarist/vocalist and a drummer. Amazingly though, they produce a mighty wall of sound. They were also the first band of the to use war paint and throw on some chains and spiked gauntlets. The music was simple but satisfying.

Speaking of satisfying, let me pause for a second to talk about booze. I think after Unholy Spirits played, I attempted to buy my second beer of the evening. Unfortunately, El Oasis has raised the price of a can of Modelo that had been $3 to $5. That was the last beer I bought from the bar that night. I guess that’s one way to keep people from drinking too much. My next drink of the night was a cola from the Walgreens across the street.

OK, back to the music.

Another group from New York was the five-piece Discordia. What can I say? This band blew my mind with their unholy fucking brutal sound. Their super evil shrill vocals, the raw riffs and the relentless rhythm section made this group a real stand out of for me. Everything they did was kvlt. Definitely check them out if they come around again.

Now I have to make a public apology to Sacristy, because I only caught the tail end of their set and did not get any photos of them at all. I got caught up talking to the members of Black Witchery outside. But there is a very nice video of them on VIMEO. They have a thrashy, black metal sound, which is something I particularly favor. Hopefully they will come around again, maybe with some new stuff they say they will be working on.

When Perversion from Michigan took the stage, I got really confused because they sounded so differently than any of the groups that had come before. I don’t know anything about guitar effects, but what I was hearing was like something out of a time machine. Who was I listening to? Surf-punk Venom? This trio was incredibly tight, thrashy and great to watch. Lots of old fashioned black metal riffage here.

I wasn’t sure I was going to like Hellgoat live, but once again, their live performance outshined the quality of anything I was able to find of them online. Hellgoat, from Atlanta, plays straight up black metal (like Horna or Sargeist) with some doomy qualities here and there to slow down the blast beats so you can better appreciate what they are doing. Their lead singer was dynamic. They performed a true ritual with all the requisite candles, skulls and blood. I heart Hellgoat.

For some reason I kept getting texts messages and phone calls from my family during Satanik Goat Ritual (what time was it now???). I only watched part of this Texas group's set, but what I did see was interesting. Their impressive drummer seemed to know how to use ALL the parts of the drum kit graciously provided by the next band, Nocturnal Fear.

A friend from Pennsylvania who could not make this show said he was sad to be missing Nocturnal Fear. Now I understand why. Most of the other bands had stirred up a bit of a mosh pit. But when Michigan's Nocturnal Fear started playing many people simply stood to witness guitarist Rev. Chris Slavehunter (PhD), who was a joy to watch. Nocturnal Fear play blackened technical death metal. Each note, each beat is expertly executed.  These songs were less riff-driven and more solo driven, but it was a nice change. I also dug watching their drummer finally get to use his fantastic drum kit. (Side note here: the drum kit was equipped with triggers. When you stood in front of the bands, you could hear them clearly. At the side of the stage you could not. I kept moving around during each set to get a good sense of how things sounded.)

OK, two more bands to go!

Morbosidad traveled all the way from Mexico to bring everyone back to the “ritual” atmosphere set by Hellgoat earlier on. Their lead singer doused himself with “blood” at the start of their set and it was on. The crowd was probably largest (promoters say they had about 200 paid entrants) during this band’s performance. This was brutal, satanic black metal. I think this was the band many people had come to see.

Finally it was time for Black Witchery from Florida to take the stage. I have written about Black Witchery before (here) in anticipation of the Maryland Deathfest. A conflict with another band forced me to miss seeing their set at MDF, so I wanted to make sure I did not miss them this time around. They took the stage at about 12:20. Their drummer took some time to disable the drum triggers to achieve the barbaric “swarm of angry bees” sound this band goes for. The stripped down sound of Black Witchery was a great way to end the evening. I actually find them meditative, kind of Zen. I don’t know what is, something about their music must be stroking my reptilian brain.

The audience, on the other hand, was ready to explode for Black Witchery. I saw many people growling the lyrics along with vocalist/bassist Impurath. Their drummer Vaz is like a machine, and I am not sure how he keeps up the constant rhythm. He mixes it up though so that it does not become monotonous. Black Witchery’s guitarist is big fan of doom metal bands like Iron Man, and it is evident in his playing. He breaks out the flashy shredding now and again. Mostly though it is all about the power of the riff—played extremely fast! They had the pit going for most of their set, especially during songs like “Desecration of the Holy Kingdom.”

Over the course of the evening, a few scuffles broke out. There was one catfight earlier in the night and then later, during Black Witchery, some aggression involving a large white cowboy hat (I actually don’t know what the fight was about, but somehow the hat was involved.) Security hustled the offending parties out quickly. Afterward, I noticed someone had a bloodied lip and nose, but I am not sure when that happened.

In general though, camaraderie was high, people were getting along, enjoying each other’s company, digging the bands, and helping people up off the floor of the mosh pit. The Headbangin’ Hot Dog guy showed up and was slinging vegan dogs most of the night. Shortly before Morbosidad started playing, security stopped letting people go in and out. While this was probably miserable for the smokers, most people didn’t seem to care. Outside, I did notice a few people wander by wondering why on earth El Oasis was filled with people wearing all black, and one couple looking to dance seemed disappointed. But I don’t think a few metal heads standing around on the corner of Eastern Ave and Grundy St. in Highlandtown actually caused much of a stir.

I think Black Witchery played until after 1:30 a.m. I was exhausted and headed home as quickly as possible. “Satan’s Unholy Abomination Fest” completely made up for me missing so many shows in November due to a sickness that would not go away. It is evident the promoters worked really hard to put this show on. I hope they do it again sometime soon at this location.

My photos from the fest are posted below:

Damnatum

Discordia

Extermination Angel

Extermination Angel

Extermination Angel

Haethen

Impurath-Black Witchery

Impurath-Black Witchery

Impurath-Black Witchery

Morbosidad

Nocturnal Fear

Nocturnal Fear

Satanik Goat Ritual

Tregenda-Black Witchery

Unholy Spirits

Unholy Spirits

Vaz -Black Witchery

Discordia

Hellgoat

Hellgoat

Perversion

REVIEW: Carthage - Salt of the Earth

Carthage of Baltimore

Math-core, metal-core, djent, technical death metal. All these subgenres of heavy metal have one important thing in common—complexity. The new album by Baltimore’s Carthage is rife with challenging complexity and notable musical virtuosity. But do I like it?

Well, yes, but not for the reasons you might like it. Or hate it. Salt of the Earth does not fit neatly into my typical musical palate, which by choice is filled with a lot of fairly dark and evil black metal. One simply does not listen to blast beats and tremolo riffs all the time. I am also a fan of much more technical metal bands like Obscura (and their inspiration Gorguts), the math metal geniuses Meshuggah, djent groups like Vildhjarta; and straight up tech death groups like Decapitated and Atheist. And, of course, my secret guilty pleasure—The Acacia Strain.

The subtle rhythmic complexities of whatever it is you want to label Carthage as playing are mentally and intellectually simulating. This is not background music; it commands your attention from start to finish throughout 12 tracks and about 40 minutes of music. A standout track for me includes “The Furthest Thing” that blends some lovely harmonics and melodies with some insanely challenging riffs. Lovely harmonies mixed with death metal-like growls and screams can be heard throughout the album. This dichotomy is sometimes why I don’t like bands in these subgenres.

Another standout feature of the record is the fat bass and precision percussion. These two instruments alone lead listeners into another standout track called “Pushing Forward.” The vocals here start much cleaner at the beginning but then move into the familiar growl. Vocally, I like the middle part of this song better than the “call to action” at the beginning (and which returns in the end). But hey, the melody is nice and rather proggy.

As with many groups today, the vocals can kill the songs for me. It’s not that the vocals here are bad—not at all, these guys are very talented vocally. And there are many guest vocals (**see note below). It is just that there are too many different KINDS of vocals—some clean, some death growls, some guttural, some pretty. This is really a kind of a taste thing. Many groups use this technique with great success, and there is a fan base that thinks this style is awesome. I am just not one of those people.

Musically, however, Carthage’s Salt of the Earth presents a masterful collection of thought out, finely tuned compositions. And I don’t mean that like their instruments are “in tune;” I mean that like the music is well written, sharply honed and expertly executed (and recorded). Guitarist and vocalist Tre Watson says these songs have been around since 2010, so apparently Carthage has had time to perfect them.

Other favorite tracks on the album include “ To Return” and “Green.” Both tunes have memorable, melodic riffs and cool sections. The album closes out with the quite beautiful “Continuous,” which happens to be the longest track on the record. Frankly, I think some of the songs leading up to this encore piece could have been a little longer.

And yes, like many groups in this category, Carthage songs have “breakdowns,” but it’s not like the breakdown section is the only heavy part of these songs. Carthage provides aural assault from the first chord to the last note.

In the final analysis, Carthage seems to be carving out a unique enough niche that should break away from the pack. I don’t think Carthage sounds like anyone else—I think they sound like themselves, and that is a good thing. It is the worst thing for a band to be an obvious derivative of another group.
I would not be surprised if Salt of the Earth is part of the plan that puts Carthage on the world’s musical map and gets them noticed for tours with more well-established groups or airplay on stations like Liquid Metal. That would be a good thing for Baltimore, because as the cliché goes, “A rising tide lifts all boats.”

The members of Carthage include:
Eric Hendricks - Vocals

Tre Watson- Guitar/Vocals
Ian Starks- Guitar
Noyan Tokgozoglu - Guitar
Robby Gossweiler- Bass
Billy Berger - Drums/Vocals

**According to Tre, there are many guest vocals on the album as well, “including members of our friends in In Dying Arms, Forgive The Fallen, VELA and Sky Came Burning! and of course, you! A lot of you submitted your vocals to be on the song "1984/4" and everyone who submitted was used. I hope you're really excited.”

You can listen to Carthage – Salt of the Earth below.

Misery Index choosing quality over quantity

Misery Index, Baltimore's death/grindcore heroes, have been bludgeoning eardrums with their own homegrown brutality since 2001. And while I don't imagine they will be slowing down any time soon, they also have earned the right to pick and choose when, where and with whom they to play.

Next month, Misery Index heads out on tour with Cannibal Corpse (for the second time this year) and Hour of Penance (a band some have called the Italian Behemoth). On December 1, this tour comes to Washington, DC's Rock and Roll Hotel.

From Aug. 19, 2012 Ottobar show.

Misery Index has had an exciting 2012 with successful tours abroad in places like Brazil and across Europe and even Tel Aviv! They also had to construct a DIY tour when this summer's inaugural Shockwave Festival tour, which was supposed to go across North America, fell apart in a matter of days. I was able to catch up with bassist Jason Netherton and guitarist Mark  Kloeppel via email.

Here's a quick Q & A.

This was an eventful and confusing summer for you guys? What happened with the Shockwave Festival? And how did the mini tour go?

The Shockwave experience was certainly interesting to say the least. Nothing like that has ever happened to us before, but it does happen. Gojira had to pull some dates together after Randy Blythe went to jail in Czech, for example. Luckily, we know those Fear Factory guys. So, we got a call from them saying it was canned before we travelled too far out. Our guitar player, Mark Kloeppel, on the other hand, was filling in on bass on the Canadian dates for Cattle Decapitation. Their bass player couldn't do those dates for whatever reason, and Mark had been flown out to the west coast to jam with them. They ended up flying him back home. As of right now, we have a mountain of merch we have to sell online and on tour. It was a bad situation, but it could have been a whole lot worse. Special thanks goes out to our fans that made our last East Coast run a blast. Without you, we can't do what we do. Keep grinding!

You mentioned a live album in your email. What date range of live shows will that include?

The live album is from one show in Munich from the European tour we did in February with Cannibal Corpse and Behemoth. A friend of ours, who happens to be an engineer, recorded the set from the board and with room mics. We thought it came out great. and so did the label. So, we are releasing it. We really love that something so spontaneous came out that well. Hearing it really made us feel good about our playing ability in adverse conditions. Because, let me tell you, monitors were completely non-existent on that tour. The hired crew for that tour were great, but just weren't experienced enough with gear they were given to use.

Will that album be released on your own label or through Season of Mist?

Yes, Season of Mist will be releasing the live album and our next full-length.

What other plans do you have for the rest of the year? How about 2013?

Misery Index will be direct support for Cannibal Corpse this November with Hour of Penance on the bill. This includes a "boat-show" up in NYC, and a stop at Rock and Roll Hotel down in DC. Later next summer, we may be included in some festivals that are yet to be announced. In the meantime, we are preparing to record the next record.

Your drummer Adam Jarvis plays in a gazillion other bands. I have seen him in Pig Destroyer, Strong Intention, Asthma Castle and now read that he is also in a band called Fulgora. How do you manage that? 

Misery Index has reserved itself to only do worthwhile events. Let me explain that further so people don't get feelings hurt. We've been heavily pounding the pavement since the inception of the band. We used to play 180 shows a year, which is taxing on your body and your home-life. We simply don't want to do that anymore. We love what we do and the music, and we just don't want to get burnt out. We want Misery Index to last.

Misery Index being more selective about its events freed up a lot of time to pursue other interests. Adam loves drumming, and people love Adam's drumming. He is an amazing drummer, and he only takes on projects he is genuinely interested in. To answer the question, I'd say we all just prioritize and communicate about our engagements.

What other projects are the other members of Misery Index involved in?

Asthma Castle, Strong Intention, Quills, Cast the Stone, Clenched Fist (tribute to Sepultura), Pig Destroyer, various guest vocal spots, etc. One of us is writing a book, but details about that cannot be released at this time.

I love the limited edition Baltimore T-shirt design on your merch page.  (I ordered one!) How important has Baltimore been to your existence and/or success?

Baltimore is our home-base. It's rough-around-the-edges character has an impact on all the music that comes out of that area. There's a genre-wide singularity about it you can't put you're finger on. You don't really notice regional auditory cross-pollination in your and your peers' music until you begin to travel a lot. Bands like us, Dying Fetus, Next Step Up, Bet the Devil, Visceral Disgorge, etc. have a distinct Baltimore style of sound. It's slightly different from bands of the the same ilk from different places.

Aside from that, the scene there has really supported us through the years; all the people with Maryland Deathfest, Ottobar, Sidebar, Orion (Sound Studios), Wrightway Studios, etc. have had a major impact on the way the band has evolved, and has been allowed to evolve. It's a big city with a small town vibe, and they seem to like us there. We certainly like them.

Anything else you want people to know about Misery Index?

Jason Netherton started Misery Index in 2001 with Kevin Talley and Mike Harrison. In 2005, Mark Kloeppel got Misery Index a full endorsement by ESP Guitars before actually knowing if he was in the band. Darin Morris is also a skilled sound-engineer and has played a part in some major label releases.
And according to Blake Harrison of Pig Destroyer, Adam Jarvis is afraid of ghosts!

****Well, know we all know how to scare Adam on Halloween.
_________

Here's a track from the last Misery Index full-length recording:

This track is a little slower but one of my personal favorites:

Grindcore 101 with Pig Destroyer's Blake Harrison

When it comes to music, my opinion is based on a binary system: either I like it or I don't. Pig Destroyer is a band labeled as grindcore that I had heard many people mention, but I had never checked them out. I didn't know if I liked them or not.

As far as grindcore goes, Misery Index, Napalm Death, Godflesh, Bolt Thrower, and As I Lay Dying are all bands labeled by someone as grindcore, and all bands that I have been caught listening to between long stretches of death and black metal.  And I love Dillinger Escape Plan, but I am not sure they are grindcore. They are core-something though.

In my world (that is, this made up world of blogging about music), genres and subgenres matter. I appreciate the not-so-subtle differences between melodic death metal, technical death metal and blackened death. But grindcore? I wasn't sure. So I asked the experts. 

Blake Harrison provides "noise" (read: sound samples) and some vocals for Pig Destroyer. He's been providing the band with appropriately disturbing sound bites since 2006. Blake schooled me on the dark ways of grindcore , discussed their new recording, Book Burner, set to drop on Oct. 22 and talked about the short story included in the liner notes called, The Atheist, written by vocalist J.R. Hayes.

I was fortunate enough to preview Book Burner in its entirety. Even though grindcore is not my go-to subgenre of metal, there are several of the 19 songs included in the standard edition that I really liked and had to play repeatedly to appreciate the full impact of. I mention a few of my favorites below.

If you buy the deluxe edition of the recording, you also get seven more tracks: all covers of songs by seminal punk bands like Black Flag, Minor Threat and Negative Approach. I love punk, so I am curious to hear those.

Here's my email Q&A with Blake Harrison. Enjoy!

I have listened to Book Burner and several of the songs are real stand outs for me ("The Diplomat," "Iron Drunk," "The Bug," and "Baltimore Strangler," for example). But grindcore is a subgenre of music that I probably know the least about. How do you describe grindcore and what about it do you think people (some people) find so appealing? Why does it appeal to you?
B- Grindcore is subversive, it's the extreme of the extreme, it borrows from both extreme metal and hardcore punk. It appeals to us because it's something we grew up on, we love grind and play it because we love it.

Grindcore seems pretty challenging both thematically and structurally to write. Any writer will tell you that it is HARDER to get your point across in a short story or article. How do the typical earmarks of this subgenre (short songs, haiku like lyrics) affect how you compose the songs? How difficult is it to write lyrics for this type of music? What is written first: the music or the words?

B- The music, it's not done intentionally, I mean when we dig into a riff and feel that when it's time to be done, it's time to be done. The songs aren't short because of any reason per se, it's just we feel we've said what we've said.

What is the message that you want people to take away from your lyrics?

B-Desolation, loneliness, isolation, despair, you know upbeat, fun themes like that.

Why was J.R.’s The Atheist included with this release?
B- JR approached us with the story as a companion piece for the record. We read it and thought it was amazing. It's not a part of a greater whole for example there's not really a "theme" to the record.

When I began reading The Atheist, I first thought that it was going to be a personal essay. I quickly realized it was a work of fiction, a fantasy. But what can you tell me about how much J.R. (or any of you) identify personally with the protagonist? I know that I did. I have felt and thought these things about religion many times.
B- I can't speak for everyone in the band, but sometimes yes. Religion is a personal thing and can get to the core of many people and one of the things about this, is it strikes that chord in me. I'm sure there's SOME part of JR that identifies with it, I mean, he wrote it, but I can't speak personally for him. Personally, I think that religion is responsible for most of society's ills.

Will The Atheist story continue?
B- Hahaha, who knows, we just finished the record so we don't really have too much in the way of what we're going to do in the future. I can say that if JR feels he wants to continue the story, he will.

What does Adam Jarvis (also drummer in Misery Index) bring to Pig Destroyer’s performances and to this recording? He is among the fastest drummers I have ever witnessed!
B- Adam is an amazing talent and a great guy. He really stepped up to the plate and brought his "A game" on this release. I think he brings a great energy to the band and makes us faster and more fierce.

All of you seem to be involved in multiple projects. How do you manage that, and how does it impact Pig Destroyer?
B- It can be a juggling act at times, but we don't do the band full time, I mean we all have jobs, relationships, families etc. It takes some careful timing and a lot of communication to get all of this together and make sure that we have the time to do what we do.

Why has it taken nearly four years to put out this new recording since Phantom Limb and Natasha?
B- We had a lot going on, it may seem like we weren't up to much, but we built a studio and practice space, we took some time to play some shows and support Phantom Limb, we had to work in a new drummer. I know to a lot of people it seems like we were being lazy, but we were working.

You’ve got a slot for Maryland Deathfest! While you are there, what other bands playing are you hoping to see? What do you think of the additional punk/hardcore stage scheduled for Baltimore Soundstage?
B- There's a lot, Infest, Asthma Castle, Integrity, Loss, Necropsy, Repulsion, TOOH, Down, Ilsa, Iron Lung, Magrudergrind, Rotten Sound, Weekend Nachos. I think the addition of the other stage is great. I just hope I can get to see everyone that I want too.

I am looking forward to the Oct. 19 show at The Ottobar. What specific items will you have for sale there?

B- Hopefully our new record hahaha, new shirts, some hoodies, new cds, hats you know, normal stuff.

After the Ottobar you are headed to the UK. What is the grindcore scene like there and in Europe in general? How do people react at your shows?

B- The grind scene in Europe is hit or miss, much like the states, but we've gotten great reception in the UK. Most people only come out if they are fans. It's really great, and the outpouring of support has been amazing.

What else do you want people to know or understand about your new recording or anything else at all?
B- We just hope that people like it and understand it, I mean ultimately, we do this for us, but it's nice when people get it. I'd also like to say thanks to the fans for bearing with us, it's been a long road, but we're here and back again, and the fact that people still want us to be is incredible.

___________

Pig Destroyer's Facebook page.

Buy tickets to Pig Destroyer's Oct. 19 CD release show with Ilsa here.

Check out the title track from Pig Destroyer's new album, Book Burner below:

Maryland Deathfest XI: more awesome every day

Hole in the sky left when my mind exploded.

Announcements about who will be performing at the 2013 Maryland Deathfest XI have come in fits and spurts over the last few weeks. And the venue has not been announced yet. But organizers have just updated the list of confirmed performers and my mind has exploded! Seriously, come clean up this mess!!!

Confirmed bands are as follows:

!T.O.O.H.! (Czech Republic)
ABIGAIL (Japan)
AHUMADO GRANUJO (Czech Republic)
AMBASSADOR GUN
ANHEDONIST
ANTAEUS (France)
AOSOTH (France)
ASTHMA CASTLE
BENEDICTION (UK)
BOLT THROWER (UK)
BROKEN HOPE
CARCASS (UK)
CARPATHIAN FOREST (Norway)
CONVULSE (Finland)
CRUCIAMENTUM (UK)
EXODUS
GLORIOR BELLI (France)
GRIDE (Czech Republic)
IHSAHN (Norway)
INGROWING (Czech Republic)
INIQUITY (Denmark)
INTEGRITY
KOMMANDANT
LOSS
MANILLA ROAD
MIDNIGHT
MORGION
PAGAN ALTAR (UK)
PELICAN
PENTAGRAM
PIG DESTROYER
REPULSION
REVENGE (Canada)
RIGHTEOUS PIGS
SLEEP
SPEEDWOLF
VENOM (UK)
VINTERLAND (Sweden)
WEEDEATER

According to the MDF Facebook page: "It looks like we'll be announcing the venue info sometime next week. It's impossible to put a precise date on that announcement, but everything is coming together. The final announcement of bands will be sometime between October 8-10. Until we get to the end of the booking process and see what comes together or not, we don't know who is headlining other than Venom (between Fri-Sun) and Bolt Thrower (Thurs). Tickets will go on sale by mid-October. We'll keep you posted on a precise date. NOTE: The Thursday show will be inside only, so once again, 4-day passes and Thursday only tickets will be extremely limited."

I am super curious about where in Baltimore this will be held. So please continue to visit the MDF page and Metallomusikum for more details on the festival. Like last year, I plan to interview or at least profile every single band slated to perform. That was fun, wasn't it? Well, it was for me. Carry on....

New Pig Destroyer song released!

Have you ever had one of those days where everything is excrement? Pig Destroyer quite possibly wrote the soundtrack to that day. Their new album, Book Burner, will be available in the US on Oct. 22, but Relapse Records knows you PxDx fans can barely wait to sink you teeth into this meaty grindcore masterpiece.

The deluxe edition of this release will include 2-CDs, a 19-song compendium of misanthropy. And if that were not enough to set your teeth on edge, the package will also include bonus disc collection of punk covers called The Atheist.

Pig Destroyer have several shows coming up in support of Book Burner, including an appearance at the 2013 Maryland Deathfest. Those days include:

Sept. 28:      Calgary, Canada Noctis Fest
Oct. 18:       Brooklyn, NY MetalSucks/Metal Injection CMJ showcase @ Public Assembly
Oct. 19:      Baltimore, MD Ottobar (w/ Royal Thunder)  (CD Release Show)
Nov. 1:       Brighton, UK The Haunt
Nov. 2:       London, UK The Garage
Nov. 3:       Leeds, UK Damnnation Festival
Jan. 19:      Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer w/ Municipal Waste, Repulsion, Tombs
May 23 - 26:    Baltimore, MD Maryland Deathfest XI

You can pre-order Pig Destroyer's new recording here. But until then, they have thrown you a bone. Gnaw on this lyrical video below.

Leave money on the nightstand for 'Call Girl of Cthulhu'

Chris LaMartina

For a kid who grew up in the suburbs of Baltimore, Chris LaMartina makes pretty good films. You should give him some money so he can finish his latest project "Call Girl of Cthulhu."

That, in a nutshell, is the gist of LaMartina's latest plea on Kickstarter, where he and colleague Jimmy George are trying to raise a whopping $25,000. The truth is, LaMartina and George REALLY DO make pretty good films. And 25K is nothing in terms of a film budget.

I first met Chris about four years ago when he was screening his movie "Grave Mistakes" at the Creative Alliance. Since then I have seen his films"President's Day," "Witch's Brew," and the "Book of Lore." The stories are suspenseful and full of all the great plot twists and devices you want to see in a good horror movie--without being cheesy. The dialogue, for the most part, is believable. The casting  and acting are stellar and the special effects and production impressive for these super low budget films. To me, each one of their films has gotten better, tighter, more well developed than the last. The films possess that distinctive alluring campiness that makes them simultaneously charming but also relegates them to that category of DIY films. This does not mean they are bad! You just have to set your bar at a certain height and appreciate what they have been able to achieve with a next-to-nothing budget.

LaMartina and George know that they can make make much better films, but that takes money. Their previous projects were family, friend and self-funded. "Witch's Brew" was partially funded through a Kickstarter campaign that raised nearly $14,000. Until some Hollywood producer decides to throw a couple millions dollars at them, they will be forced to rely on the kindness of strangers to support their film making habit. Or, as they put it in their recent Kickstarter campaign, they are "whoring" themselves out to raise the dough for this project. Appropriate enough, given the film's title.

The Kickstarter campaign for "Call Girl of Cthulhu" ends on October 3, 2012. Currently, the project is only half funded. The way Kickstarter works is, if you don't make your funding goal, then you don't get any of the pledge donations! With the clock ticking, I asked Chris to answer a few questions about his film making history and his current endeavor. This is what he had to say.

Tell me about your first film. And I mean FIRST FILM!
Hmmmm. As in first feature or first short? I'm going to assume short film here and it was probably an embarrassing experiment at stop motion animation that I did with action figures around age 11.

How did you and Jimmy George meet?
Jimmy and I met through a mutual friend in the punk scene circa 1999. At the time, I was camcorder-swinging hooligan who taped local bands and made little horror movies. Jimmy was a bit older and was hammering out scripts. We became friends then, but Jimmy moved to L.A. for a bit, and we lost contact. We re-connected years later and began writing/producing together.

Chris and Jimmy George (right).

Who else is critical to your film making process?
There is a definite "team" that has evolved with Midnight Crew Studios. Ryan Thomas is our frequent associate producer and casting director. Our special effects team is Aftermath FX, run by the illustrious Jason Koch and Kaleigh Brown. Other essential crew members are Nate Spivey, Jonathan Boushell, Clint Kelly, and we have steady relationships with actors and actresses like George Stover, Nicolette Le Faye, Shawn C. Phillips, Ruby LaRocca and many more...

I loved"Witch’s Brew." How has that been received since its release?
We haven't gotten a bad review yet so it's been fantastic, and the film is slated for DVD release this fall. We've got accepted into two festivals (Killer Film Fest in Massachusetts and Fear Fete in Louisiana). I won "Best Director" at KFF, and we won "Best Comedic Horror Feature" at Fear Fete.

Which of your other previous films have received critical acclaim? 
"President's Day" has played the most festivals and "Book of Lore" has gotten some solid reviews. The short films don't have a wide reach because in the United States, there is not a solid platform for short films to find an audience.

Which has been your favorite to make so far?
All of them had their moments of glory, but in general... I don't think making movies is especially "fun". It's a lot of hard work and while we have a positive, goofy demeanor on set... we try to stay focused and serious about keeping things moving. Shooting in a high school for "President's Day" was a blast, but the heat and long hours made it quasi-miserable. "Witch's Brew" was definitely the toughest shoot for us... from both a production standpoint and the personal life experiences I was going through at the time.

Where did the idea for "Call Girl of Cthulhu" come from?
The title came first. Both Jimmy and I were huge Lovecraft fans and I grew up with stuff like "Re-Animator" and "From Beyond". The title was originally an idea for the October installment of "Lost Trailer Park: Never Coming Attractions" (a faux movie preview web series we produced in 2010-2011), but Jimmy pushed the issue, telling me that it was too good to just be a two-minute fake trailer. Ironically, this how the idea for "President's Day" bloomed too.

Is the project completely cast?
We haven't cast anything really. We're not shooting this sucker until the spring. We will probably cast in February.

Where are you filming?
Most of the production will be in Baltimore (city and county).

Insanity sets in.

This is also your biggest budget. Why the bigger budget?
Jimmy and I have joked about this quite a bit. In "President's Day", we killed the student body in a high school. In "Witch's Brew", we massacred the residents of a town. In "Call Girl of Cthulhu", we're ending humanity as we know it. So there's lots of monster, tentacles, and some insane effects... we need the money just to tell this story correctly.

OMG, what if you don’t make the Kickstarter goal?
If we don't make the Kickstarter goal, we wont make the movie. No joke. It's that simple. We can't make this film for under $25K. It deserves a budget.

What is your day job?
I'm lead editor at a video strategy firm in Hampden. I also teach an editing class at Community Media of Baltimore city. Before that, I was a producer/director for the government TV channel that the Mayor's Office in Baltimore operates. They pay the bills (and my health care costs). We make movies because we have to. I live to tell stories and film making is a great avenue for storytelling. I can't stop. I just can't.

What life experiences have prepared you for this particular moment in time?
Every film gets bigger (and, hopefully, better )... we believe we're in a spot where we can use this money efficiently and effectively to produce a Lovecraft-inspired horror flick that will please fans of his work and tell a fun, gory story that is a little better than most of the low budget dreck out there already.

You are also a musician. What instruments do you play? Tell me about how music plays a role in your projects.
I play guitar, bass, drums, and a little bit of keys. In regard of our own films, I've scored every feature (and short) since "Grave Mistakes". Sometimes I'll edit to my scores, other times I will write compositions based on edits. John Carpenter and Robert Rodriguez are two huge influences in this regard. Being an editor/composer is the perfect mix to creating a solid tempo for a film.

What music do you like to listen to?
Mostly punk rock/classical/jazz/bluegrass.

Where do you hope to see yourself in five years? 10 years??
This is always a tricky question. I don't know. Wherever I am and whatever I'm doing, I'll still be telling stories in some fashion. Whether it's movies, comics, or fiction... it's inconsequential as long as I'm still creating.

Is there anything else you want people to know about your project?
Donate to our Kickstarter or else it won't happen (!!!)

Alhazred reignites Baltimore's death metal scene

Alhazred

If you are a fan of H.P. Lovecraft, you may recognize the name Alhazred, as in Abdul Alhazred, the "Mad Arab" from the Cthulhu stories. Alhazred is also the name of a fairly new Baltimore area technical death metal group.

The first time I encountered Alhazred was at the December 7, 2011 Obscura show at Sonar. I don't exactly remember how we connected, but somehow prior to that show, I became friends with Alhazred's drummer James Spaeth on Facebook. I intended to see Alhazred open, but instead, I ended up having dinner with Obscura and I missed their set entirely. (This will be the subject of another blog post.)

But I picked up a rough demo from James that night and those three songs went into regular rotation on my iTunes playlist. Every time Alhazred would come up in the mix, I would stop what I was doing and check to see what band it was. The songwriting, the musicianship and the production were so great on their little demo that I always, ALWAYS thought it was a song from a more well established death metal group but I just could not place it.

Over the next eight months, I attempted to get to one of Alhazred's live shows, but the stars never aligned. Eventually, I met all the band members around town at various shows, and they were a wonderfully nice. I sure hoped their live performance did not suck, because that would just be awkward, now wouldn't it?

It was not until August 19, 2012 when Misery Index and Vital Remains headlined the Ottobar that I finally got to see Alhazred live. They brutalized their set from start to finish, and I mean that in a good way. James, who always seems to be smiling, looked equally happy to be laying down some pretty complex rhythms. His beats produced the perfect punchy counterpoint to bassist Josh Stein heavy bottom lines. Galloping atop this solid and relentless rhythmic foundation were the dueling vocals and balanced guitar shredding of David Morgan and Christopher Fink. Lyrically, the songs are intelligent and thought provoking, focusing on apocalyptic and social themes. The overall effect is a death metal force to be reckoned with. Their sound is incredibly tight and remarkably distinctive for a band that's been together less than 12 months.

It is important to note, as James did recently on his Facebook, that  "(i)n less than a year Alhazred has managed to open for Abysmal Dawn, Obscura, Dying Fetus, Revocation, Landmine Marathon,Vital Remains, & Misery Index!!! And to think, next month we are playing with HAVOK & Skeletonwitch!!!"

 (photo by Rachael Foote) 

This is no small feat, and if you like bands like Obscura and Revocation, Alhazred will fit right in and still stand out.  It's fitting then that since I have actually witnessed a performance, to write something about this emerging band. I sent David Morgan some questions. Here's what he had to say.

Where did Alhazred get their start? 

David Morgan: Chris and I had been writing music together for a few years, and we had a difficult time finding like-minded musicians in the area to actually form a band. Last summer we finally decided to put up some fliers in local music stores in search of a drummer and a bassist and James saw one we posted at Guitar Center in Glen Burnie and gave us a call. We jammed with him and he ended up being a perfect fit for the type of music that we play. I had known Josh through a mutual friend for a few years, and I gave him a call and he worked out just as well and filled the bass position for us.


What were you doing before Alhazred? What other bands have you played in?

David Morgan: Shortly before he joined Alhazred, James played in a local power metal band called Cyberstrike and a few years ago Chris actually played drums in a post-hardcore band called More Watership Down. Chris plays many different types of music on many different instruments but he loves death metal just as much as we do. Josh and myself have played in other bands before but none that have actually made it out of the basement.


What are your musical influences?

David Morgan: We have many different influences in this band. We love all different sub-genres of extreme metal, and I think many of these influences show whether it be death metal, black metal, melodic death metal, thrash, or progressive/technical death metal. We do the best we can to blend these influences tastefully and seamlessly while trying to create a sound of our own. As far as bands that influence us, I'd say that Death, Behemoth, Carcass, and Misery Index are probably those that are the most prominent in our sound.

Who writes the music?

David Morgan: As of now Chris and I are writing most of the music and lyrics but Josh and James definitely give us their input as far as composition and share lyrical ideas with as well. We just recently moved into a rehearsal space so we have more flexibility as to when we can all get together so Josh and James will probably be taking a larger role in the writing process from now on.

Tell me about your first show, the one I was supposed to see.

David Morgan: Our first (Baltimore) show was actually a pretty big deal for us. We somehow managed to get on a bill with Obscura, Abysmal Dawn, and Enfold Darkness at Sonar last December. It was actually a pretty big deal for us and it was also the first time Josh and I ever performed on stage. Although we were all a bit nervous and stiff on stage, we played the handful of songs we had at the time very well and all in all it was a good show.

What is coming up next for you?

David Morgan: For the rest of the year we'll be finishing writing our first full length and begin recording and playing shows in between. We're expecting an early 2013 release, but we'll see what happens. As for next year we'll be trying to get the album out there and hopefully start playing out of state a little bit and start building an audience outside of Maryland. Aside from that we're really just always trying to play shows, make friends, and have good times.

What has been the craziest thing that has happened to Alhazred so far?

David Morgan: We haven't really had too many crazy things happen to us just yet because we've only all been playing together for almost a year now. Give us some time though and wait until we're able to spend some time on the road and I'm sure we'll have many crazy stories to share.

Who would you love to play a show with?

David Morgan: We've already had the opportunity to warm up the stage for many bands that we look up to such as Obscura, Abysmal Dawn, Dying Fetus, Misery Index, and we'll be playing with Skeletonwitch at the end of September (September 29 at The Ottobar). It would definitely be amazing to play with someone like Behemoth or Carcass on one of the few shows that they play or to just play at Maryland Deathfest would be an honor. I'd say that we dream more of who we'd be able to play for than who we'd be able to play with. We would love to be able to do our fair share of touring and make friends all over the place in the US and overseas and visit places we've never been before. Playing some of those huge Euro-fests such as Wacken or Hellfest would be surreal.

Where can people find your music?

David Morgan: People interested in hearing us can download our four song demo for free at alhazred.bandcamp.com and if you like what you hear, keep an eye out for our debut full length which will be available in the not too distant future and come check us out live. We always keep our Facebook page updated with upcoming shows so follow us on there if you're interested. Thanks!

INTERVIEW: Maryland Deathfest organizer Evan Harting

Think about all the bands you like to listen to. Now imagine bringing a few dozen of those groups together to perform for you and a few (thousand) of your friends. That, in a sense, is exactly what Ryan Taylor and Evan Harting created when they created the Maryland Deathfest in 2003.

Over the last 10 years the Maryland Deathfest has grown into the largest and most well known metal festival in the US. This year Maryland Deathfest celebrates its tenth anniversary and takes place from Thursday, May 24 to Sunday, May 27 at Sonar on 407 E. Saratoga St. in Baltimore. Sixty-one different bands will perform on three stages over those four days.  Up to 1,700 people are expected for the Thursday night show and as many as 4,000 each day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Saratoga Street between Gay St. and Holliday will be completely blocked off. The event will include vendors and food tents. It's a pretty big deal. 

Evan explained that he Ryan take care of every detail of the festival pretty much by themselves, from booking to scheduling to ordering the MDF t-shirts and working with vendors to the fulfillment of each band’s concert contract rider. The project takes an entire year to plan and execute, Evan said, and has grown so much over the last decade that the two men don’t really have other full-time jobs.

“THIS is our main job,” Evan said.

Evan and Ryan began thinking about a festival when they were just 18 and 20-years old, respectively, and both working in the restaurant industry. It was after a trip to the now defunct Ohio Deathfest in about 2000 that the notion first occurred."

Boxes of MDF mech ready to go. (Harting)

“That was the only festival we had been to, but I think that kind of stated the gears rolling,” Evan said. This was also around the time that the Milwaukee Metal Fest began to fall out of favor, which used to be popular in the 1990s. Apparently, Evan said, the organizer of that fest charged the bands to perform.

The team didn’t have a budget to work with, in fact, Evan said, even now they don’t have a budget set aside for the event. Instead, the money comes from ticket sales.

“We figure if we announce a lineup like this, and we get a minimum of this many people, then we will estimate that we will get this amount,” Evan explained. And so far, their formula has worked. “People appreciate the fact that we have done this for 10 years without any financial help.”

Of course, a little help from your friends does not hurt. Evan said that despite the fact that they have never organized a huge event before, they were not entirely unknown in the metal scene.

“We had both been in bands and had played out, especially Ryan,” Evan said. “The first Maryland Deathfest was initially only supposed to be a day-long fest with bands from the East coast. But as soon as we announced it, it went viral, and bands started writing to us from all other the place. It ended up being a 3-day fest the very first year,” Evan said. “I think people were just happy that someone was just giving it a shot.”

In addition to fulfilling an apparent hunger for live death metal, the team’s networking also led to a significant headlining act that first year.

“We ended up getting the reunion show of Suffocation, and that really helped things to start off. We had some other cool names on there, but having the reunion of Suffo really pushed it to the next level,” Evan said. (By the way Suffocation will play again this year on Sunday at 7:20 p.m.)

Over the years, the bands asked to play MDF have reflected the organizers’ somewhat obscure musical tastes. Essentially, they put together a lineup that does not mirror market trends but instead, demonstrates their deep knowledge of the genre and all its subgenres. The lineups at MDF over the last decade also seem to have become more diverse.

“As the festival grows, we still try to have an underground touch to it,” Evan said, “We listen to some obscure bands, so we like to keep that as part of it. And even before this current festival is over, we will already be talking about who we are going to have next year.”

Evan said that he has developed long lasting relationships with some of the groups that have played MDF. “It is really cool when we have bands come back and they aren’t even playing but they just come and hang out. We also know that we have friends all over the world; if we needed a place to stay, that would never a problem. For some of these big name bands, it has been cool to meet them on a personal level.”

Although they have been at it for 10 years, Evan said he and Ryan have no intention of calling it quits. “We will continue to do it for as long as people keep coming and without selling out and as long as we aren’t getting washed up bands.”