____








____



____
REVIEWS
Featuring Legendary, Local and Undgeround Heavy Metal.
NEW UPDATES
BEST OF 2011
STAFF TOP 10
Jesse  •  M.J.  •  J.A. Burt  •  Peter    
Rottenbucher  •  Chris  •  Phil Wickstrand
Roswell47  •  Garett  •  Greg
THE DEMO CORNER
THE BLOG
REVIEWS
INTERVIEWS
CONCERT REPORT
BAND & SHOW INFO
All content © 2011 Metal Psalter Webzine  |  Bands, labels, artists and photographers retain their respective © to their logos, artwork and photos  |  Design and Layout © 2011 Dynamico Designs
July 6, 2009
Reporter: Jesse
Maryland Death Festival 7 - 2009

BANDS AND SHOW TIMES:

Friday - May 22, 2009
MAIN ROOM STAGE
Hero Destroyed - 3:30 - 3:50
Triac - 4:05 - 4:25
Jig-Ai - 4:40 - 5:10
Sayyadina - 5:25 - 5:55
Gnostic - 6:10 - 6:45
Pigsty - 8:00 - 8:30
Venomous Concept -
11:05 - 11:40
Victims - 11:55 - 12:25

OUTDOOR STAGE
Cattle Decapitation -
6:35 - 7:10
Cephalic Carnage - 7:25 - 8:10
Mayhem - 8:30 - 9:30
Asphyx - 9:45 - 11:00

Saturday - May 23, 2009
MAIN ROOM STAGE
Drugs of Faith - 11:45 - 12:05
Maruta - 12:20 - 12:40
Pretty Little Flower -
12:55 - 1:15
Unearthly Trance - 1:30 - 1:55
Crowpath - 2:10 - 2:40
Flesh Parade - 2:55 - 3:25
Weekend Nachos - 3:40 - 4:00
Rotten Sound - 4:15 - 4:50
Misery Index - 6:15 - 6:50
Birdflesh - 7:05 - 7:40
Pig Destroyer - 8:10 - 8:40
Phobia - 11:00 - 11:30
General Surgery -
11:45 - 12:25
Wolves in the Throne Room 
12:40 - to the end of night

OUTDOOR STAGE
Hail of Bullets - 4:45 - 5:30
Brutal Truth - 5:45 - 6:25
Immolation - 6:40 - 7:25
Atheist - 7:40 - 8:25
Napalm Death - 8:40 - 9:25
Bolt Thrower - 9:40 - 11:00

Sunday - May 24, 2009
MAIN ROOM STAGE
Complete Failure -
11:45 - 12:05
Agenda of Swine -
12:20 - 12:40
The Endless Blockade -
12:55 - 1:15
Lair of the Minotaur -
1:30 - 1:55
Magrudergrind - 2:10 - 2:40
Kill the Client - 2:55 - 3:25
Splitter - 3:40 - 4:10
Despise You - 4:25 - 4:55
Yakuza - 5:10 - 5:40
Catheter - 6:10 - 6:40
Krallice - 7:10 - 7:40
Antigama - 8:10 - 8:40
Trap Them - 9:15 - 9:45
Bolt Thrower - 10:00 - 11:00
Devourment - 11:00 - 11:35
Sigh - 11:50 - 12:35

OUTDOOR STAGE
The Red Chord - 5:00 - 5:30
Absu - 5:45 - 6:25
Abscess - 6:40 - 7:25
Aura Noir - 7:40 - 8:25
Destroyer 666 - 8:40 - 9:25
Wait a minute… Bolt Thrower?? Seriously? Wait, what…  TWICE???  Yes folks, that’s correct.  Ryan and crew were finally able to convince one of biggest and most influential death metal bands in the world to play Maryland Deathfest and due to the last minute cancellation of a headlining Sunday band, they agreed to stick around and surprise the fans with an encore performance.  Add to that the fact that Bolt Thrower’s live shows outside the UK and Europe are virtually unheard of, so with this major coup pulled off, tickets were certain to disappear at an alarming rate and disappear they did. So much so, that the organizers were forced to expand the venue to include an outside stage and have the road closed and fenced off in order to accommodate the overwhelming number of people trying to buy tickets.  This has never been done in the history of MDF, so there were naturally quite a few skeptics out there.  I mean, an outside stage in the middle of downtown Baltimore?  People moshing on cement and asphalt?  The weather?  An elevated expressway right above us?  How would it sound?  It seemed crazy and for the first time in my four years of attending this fest and with the desire to up the ante every year, I honestly thought that the organizers had finally bitten off more than they could chew.  But no matter, nothing was going to keep me from seeing Bolt Thrower.

A month or so before the fest would open the gates, the set lists were revealed and the boos and hisses began to be heard.  Due to an eleven pm curfew on the outside stage and the overbooking of lesser bands, they had no choice but to have some sets overlap by a few minutes and a few of these were bands that we really wanted to see the entirety of, namely Immolation and Birdflesh.  Also it was announced that the main bands would be playing outside which was sort of a shock to us at first, but it made sense overall.  I mean, what would be the point in expanding the capacity due to the main bands if they couldn’t fit everyone inside to see them?  I think more than anything, people just didn’t want the sound compromised and until we actually heard it, it would be a question that would linger.

Friday:  This time, we finally got our act together and booked rooms at the Tremont Plaza and didn’t regret the extra cost in the slightest.  A stone’s throw from the venue, the hotel was in crawling distance which was a huge improvement over the years past.  However, our luck checking in to hotel rooms on time in Baltimore was not about to turn.  An hour after check-in time, we finally get our room and made our way down to the Sonar hopefully in time to see Jig-Ai, but all for not as the line was wrapped around the building.  We had heard the rumors the minute we entered the hotel which were confirmed upon entry to the venue: Marduk had to cancel.  I was more than bummed.  One of the main bands I wanted to see.  So this shook up the set lists a bit.  Cephalic Carnage was now playing early instead of closing out the night.  This instantly made Friday quite unappealing with the exception of a few bands.  Cattle Decapitation would christen the outside stage and give people an idea of what to expect from then on.  They sounded pretty good, but it really depended on where you were, which would become a theme throughout the weekend on that stage.

Before and after Cattle, I spent much of the time both buying merch and socializing with people I had promised to find and meet up with, several of which I had not seen since last year’s fest and several new people I only knew online.  Speaking of merch, Bolt Thrower broke standard operating procedure by setting up their table a day early and the stuff was flying off the table.  I was told what was going on and instantly ran inside to get in line.  Luckily, there were still plenty of shirts left, but I heard from many people who were too late.
NEXT
NEXT

Mayhem
The first band that I was really interested in seeing would be next: Mayhem.  They were every bit as advertised.  Very intense and despite some sound issues during the first song, they sounded very good.  Attila has a great stage presence and an even greater receding hair line.  The songs that I recognized were “Pagan Fears,” Freezing Moon,” “Deathcrush,” and closed with “De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas.”  “Freezing Moon” was all that I could have hoped for.

Asphyx was the closer of the outside stage and would also be the last band of the night for us.  I’m not terribly familiar with their material, but I was thoroughly impressed with their set.  Their first show ever in the US, so I was happy to have been a part of it.  Due to the amount of socializing and bullshitting, I was quite drunk and didn’t stop there.  I would pay for it the next morning.
Asphyx
Saturday: Amid the remarkable hangover, we all congregated in the lobby to head down early to check a few bands out before eating.  Maruta was our draw, but PLF ended up being the surprise of the early bands.  I was standing in line to get General Surgery merch and heard this extremely aggressive grind band behind me and kept turning around wondering who the hell they were.  My friend Mike walked up and said what was on my mind and told me who they were. Pretty killer.   So we all had food on the brain and agreed to walk down to the harbor for some of the best hamburgers you’re going to find in the Northeast: 5 Guys Hamburgers. 

I needed grease and red meat to draw the blood away from my brain and clog it in my heart so I could think straight.  On the way down there, we met some little crackhead chick who gave us the lowdown on the cops in the area and the jerks down at central booking and warned us not to get arrested seeing as we were tourists and they hate tourists and whatnot.  It was enlightening.  Then she walked off down porn alley.
Hail of Bullets
After the food, we got back in time to see Rotten Sound who always deliver.  Incredibly intense, but left a few minutes early to get a good spot for Hail of Bullets.  Maybe it was just me, but I think Van Drunen was way more into this set than he was for Asphyx and I certainly enjoyed it more.  It was hotter than piss though and sweat was careening down his face the whole time.  At one point, we wondered if they were going to make it to the end of the set.  Great sound though and a great set.  Brutal Truth was next (and conveniently weren’t overlapping with anyone) but I had no interest in them so we hung out inside the venue drinking and waiting for Misery Index.  After about an hour of sound checking, Misery Index had probably the best sound of any band during the entire weekend.  The hometown faithful probably got some home field cooking on that one, but it was much appreciated on our end.  Wow, they were explosive and ultra tight and blew the place up.  As was the theme however, we had to step outside a few minutes early to catch the anti-christian veterans, Immolation. Their  set  was  going  to  be
overlapped by one of the other must-see bands of the weekend, Birdflesh, so I was desperately hoping for some of their best songs early on and my calls were answered.  They played “Father, You’re Not a Father” nearly right off the bat which produced goose bumps all over me.  I had seen them a few years ago on the Rotting Christ tour and they didn’t play it, so I was skeptical that they would play it this time.  Probably  their best song. So, sastisfied in that regard, I didn’t mind having to leave to head inside for what would be probably the most fun set of the fest.  Birdflesh are the goofiest grind  band  to   ever   rip  your  face  off.
Intense and wacky, the trio were in full form musically and aesthetically.  One wearing a huge pink, shag wizard’s hat, the other in a mesh dress with panties on over it and the drummer wearing a karate headband and white robe. The great thing about them is that their antics don’t distract from their grinding madness.  “The Goatrider” was the highlight for me.
Birdflesh
Light.”  Just the mere fact that I was seeing them in person so close up was enough to make my head spin.  But then, without stopping, they bled the end of the first song right into “World Eater” and the crowd literally went fucking berserk.  Bodies were flying everywhere and the pit even reached our end.  They didn’t play the whole thing though; it was sort of a medley of “World Eater” and “Cenotaph” which pleased the crowd immensely.  The rest of the set included “The IVth Crusade,” “Warmaster,” “Remembrance,” “For Victory,” “The Killchain,” “Entrenched,” “Mercenary” and a few others that are a bit hazy.  Somewhere in the middle of the set, Willetts was announcing the next song.  “We’re going to take you back to 1987.  This is the first song we ever recorded!”  And  everybody  who’s  anybody  knew  exactly  what  he  was talking about… “In
Napalm Death are as predictably kick ass as any band can ever hope to be.  From Barney’s political rants to him running around the stage like a spaz, to Shane Embury’s bald spot, Napalm doesn’t ever disappoint. Now, the moment I've basically been waiting for since I was a freshman in high school.  The crowd didn’t disperse much which I expected, but enough so that I could squeeze up closer to the stage.  I had noticed that the pits had been mostly fixed to the right-center of the stage, so I parked myself about fifteen feet from the speakers on the left side of the stage.
MDF 7 - Streets
Battle There Is No Law.” Once again, the crowd was in an absolute frenzy.  I  don't think anyone could really believe what they were hearing.  They ended the hour and thirty minute set with “When Cannons Fade” and a much satisfied yet battered, beaten, bruised, fatigued and awestruck crowd slowly dispersed.  The carnage of plastic cups and trash that littered the street was impressive.
Instead of going back outside in the heat, we decided to stay inside and wait for Pig Destroyer.  Once again, another seriously awesome grind band except this time, there was no humor, just anger and aggression.  I didn’t stay for the whole set as Napalm Death was setting up outside and I needed to get a good spot because that would also mean getting a good  spot  for  Bolt  Thrower.
Within minutes, it became so packed that we were all literally holding each other upright.  Then the lights went down and the sirens blared.  Karl Willetts, Jo Bench  and  crew  came  out  and blazed into their set with  “At First
Bolt Thrower
Photos courtesy of Brandi Valenza