Maryland Deathfest 2011 -- Day 1 in pics & review (Cathedral, Tragedy, Lack of Interest, Flesh Parade, Buzzov-en & more)
words & photos by BBG
Tragedy @ MDF
There’s four days of this?
Maryland Deathfest 2011 (May 26-29 at Club Sonar) kicked off at the early hour of 4:45PM Thursday with a set from Witchaven, an LA thrash four piece that is currently on the road with Nocturnal (who play the 2nd outdoor stage today, 5/27). The band was followed by the blasting grind of Shitstorm, a fantastic side project featuring 2/3 of Torche and Eric from Capsule. Noisear followed Shitstorm. The New Mexico quintet played pieces from their recent Subvert The Dominant Paradigm (out now on Relapse). Miasmal (who have a new LP) was next, and their throwback nod to Swedish Death Metal of yesteryear was a good palette cleansing after two sets of grind destruction.
One of my favorite sets of the day followed. LA’s Lack of Interest killed the stage with their lightning fast hardcore. The show was the band’s first on the East Coast, and the crowd responded appropriately with singalongs. Flesh Parade followed LOI with a set of brutal grindcore while the MDF Party Brigade tore up the pit with inflatable items and costumes (like Teletubbies, Ketchup outfits, a shack boy and more).
Next was Extortion‘s speedy hardcore which represented well live, though the band had some technical difficulties… though no where near as many as Buzzov-en. Buzzov-en fried a bass head before they could even start, and took a little while to set up. I don’t know how K.Lloyd could function on stage (he seemed a bit, um, impaired) but regardless they ripped a killer set.
Tragedy, as usual, was amazing. The band’s crusty d-beat incited pits and stage dives. Between them and LOI, I would have been content with an excellent day of shows. Cathedral‘s last-ever US show closed out the evening. I have always like Cathedral, but was never as mad about them as some…. but Sonar’s soundsystem did them right last night. They sounded amazing.
Today is Neurosis! More pictures from Day 1 are below…
Witchaven
Shitstorm
Noisear
Miasmal
Lack of Interest
Flesh Parade
Extortion
Buzzov-en
Tragedy
Cathedral