Categorizing Sunn O))) as drone/doom metal is only really appropriate when the duo are at the peak of their Earth-tribute mode. This was very much in evidence last night at Sonar, where at least half the band’s 90-minute set was more like avant-garde noise played really, really loud. Sunn O))) can be a bit inscrutable, but their live show is a beast of glacial proportions: fog so thick one can barely see fellow audience members, much less the performers on stage; hellish red light outlining black-robed band members; and, of course, so much sound that it is a physical presence in the room.

More photos after the jump and at the full gallery.

Read More “Photos: Sunn O))) @ Sonar” »

Alright, that’s it for this year. Saturday might have been the big draw at Maryland Deathfest 2009, but Sunday was no disappointment either, unless you were a Pestilence fan. Pestilence cancelled due to visa issues and were replaced by a second set of Bolt Thrower, who played the same set as Saturday in a different order, and on the inside stage where things got a bit more intense (and a lot hotter) than Saturday’s outdoor show.

The highlights of the day for me were Kill the Client, ridiculously intense political grindcore from Texas, and Yakuza, who were really a nice change of pace with their atmospheric, deliberately paced compositions and their prominent use of saxophone. More thoughts and photos after the jump – and the full Sunday gallery with nearly 200 photos is here.

Read More “Photos: Maryland Deathfest VII Sunday” »

So this belongs pretty clearly in the Better Late Than Never department, but those of us who attended Maryland Deathfest this year are already looking forward to next year’s installment, so consider this, uh, a preview of MDF VIII. Yeah.

Between photography and sheer metal overload, I saw a number of bands about which I couldn’t tell you a single word about, musically at least. Flesh Parade, Birdflesh, Misery Index, Phobia, Immolation… they may have played some great music, and I might have photographic evidence of them, but I have absolutely no memory of their sets. So instead of attempting to do a verbal recap, I’ll just let the photos do the talking, after the jump. There’s also a full Saturday gallery here, with 227 photos.

Read More “Photos: Maryland Deathfest VII Saturday” »

So that was fun. Festival organizers estimated that some 2,700 people attended this year’s (incredibly well-run) Maryland Deathfest. I missed the first day, but will post more about Saturday and Sunday of MDF VII later. For now, here are a few photos and my thoughts in superlative form, after the jump.

Read More “Quick & Dirty Recap: Maryland Deathfest VII” »

Maryland Deathfest is about to kick off its first day in a couple hours, but better late than never, right? I’ll be covering Saturday and Sunday, but for anyone still thinking about heading up to Baltimore (tickets are still available, but not many of them!), here is my absolutely non-comprehensive and subjective preview of select bands I want to see. Keep in mind that my knowledge of classic 90s death metal is limited, and I’m more into the modern grindcore and experimental stuff.

MDF takes place at Sonar, 407 East Saratoga St Baltimore, MD 21202, today through Sunday, on the main stage inside as well as an outdoor stage. Tickets will be available at the door for varying prices depending on the day.

FRIDAY (today!)

• Cattle Decapitation – outside – 6:35-7:10 – Pretty good modern grindcore. Their latest album throws some curveballs, including the inclusion of Jarboe and Grayceon cellist Jackie Perez-Gratz, but I still like their old stuff best (Karma Bloody Karma etc). Listen at Myspace.
• Mayhem – outside – 8:30-9:30 – Mayhem was at the center of the violent early-90s Norwegian black metal circus, with two original members murdered by other musicians in the scene. Somehow they’re still going and still scary. Expect fake human heads impaled on stakes onstage. Listen at Myspace.
• Cephalic Carnage – inside – 12:40-end of night – My favorite song of theirs is indicative: “Black Metal Sabbath,” a tongue-in-cheek spoof of black metal’s tremolo riffing and screeching vocals that then transforms into an equally tongue-in-cheek but totally awesome Sabbathy sludge riff. Listen at Myspace.

Check out my Saturday and Sunday picks after the jump. Photo above of Bolt Thrower (playing Saturday) courtesy their Myspace page.

Read More “What to See at Maryland Deathfest” »

Less than two weeks out from the festival’s kick-off on Friday, May 22, Maryland Deathfest organizers have announced that, in order to accommodate higher than expected ticket sales, the fest will have a stage set up outside Sonar, in addition to the Sonar main stage. As of today, tickets are available again for purchase but have gone fast in previous onsale intervals.

The running order for all 54 bands has also been announced. Cephalic Carnage headlines Friday, while, interestingly enough, a pair of black metal bands close out the night on Saturday and Sunday – Wolves in the Throne Room and Sigh, respectively. Check out the festival’s Myspace post for full running order details.

Yours truly will be covering Saturday and Sunday of the fest, so stay tuned for all the gory details (and photos).

I don’t really have many true “favorites” when it comes to music, simply because there’s too much good stuff out there to single out particular bands or albums. That said, Despised Icon is far and away my favorite metalcore band. I’m only slowly coming around to the mixing of extreme metal and hardcore, but DI are basically an awesome death metal band who happen to use a bunch of “core” elements (gang vocals, breakdowns, pig squeals etc). They do it way better than any other metalcore band I’ve ever heard—their breakdowns in particular aren’t as predictable and extraneous as with most other bands of this style.

Sonar was the closest DI came to D.C. on their “Montreal Assault Tour,” which showcased four other metalcore bands from, you guessed it, Montreal. This was supposed to be a tour in support of a new DVD, but that DVD has been delayed and the dudes aren’t happy about it. In any case, of the four other bands, Neuraxis was some solid death metal and I also found Carnifex surprisingly enjoyable. But DI blew them all away, and it’s clear they haven’t lost a step despite the recent departure of guitarist Al Glassman.

More photos, including a few of each of the other bands on the tour, here.

Well, it’s at Sonar in Baltimore, not in D.C., but the continent’s best extreme metal festival (according to me) deserves a mention here anyway (according to me). Three days… two stages… 55 bands… wow. And ouch. My head hurts just thinking about it. The lineup, which was recently finalized, is pretty great this year, too.

I’m not familiar with every single name on the roster – if you are, you’re a freak and you don’t need me to tell you to go to this. But: if I were to go (and I would, except I can’t, but don’t talk to me about that because it makes me angry), I would make sure I saw: Crowpath, Car Bomb, Pig Destroyer, Cattle Decapitation, Kill the Client, Napalm Death, Cephalic Carnage, Immolation, Jig-Ai, and Sigh… just for starters.