Maryland Deathfest announces venue details, tons more bands

by Doug Moore

Immolation @ Gramercy, 2013 (more by Greg Cristman)

The Maryland Deathfest lineup for 2014 grows ever spookier. The fest’s organizers have taken advantage of Samhain to announce a whole string of new bands — no huge names in this round, but there are a bunch of notables, including Castevet (who just played an IO-sponsored record release show), Sweden’s Entrails and the hilarious Birdflesh, Germany’s Necros Christos, Japan’s Coffins, Canada’s Mitochondrion, Austrialia’s Whitehorse, plus local favorites Immolation, Incantation, and Mutilation Rites. That’s a lot of -ations.

This announcement is extra noteworthy because it included venue details, which have been the subject of much speculation since the fest announced that it would not return to the former Sonar compound. The short version is that MDF 2014 will take place in three places: a parking lot a few blocks from Sonar, the Baltimore Soundstage (again), and the Rams Head Live. Here’s the full announcement:

3 stages, including the 2 main stages, will be located at 545 N. High Street (Edison Parking lot), which is 1-2 blocks from the old location of Sonar. The setup at the Edison space will eliminate a variety of logistical problems and will ultimately lead to a better experience for you at MDF next year. This space has an approved capacity that is significantly higher than what we’re used to, we can open the entrance 2 hours before the first band each day, we won’t be getting in the way of the Farmers Market on Sunday, we don’t have to close off streets, and once again, we will have MORE space. In addition to adding more shaded areas, there is already existing shade here, so if it gets hot, you won’t be roasting on concrete all day. As far as parking goes, there is an enormous parking lot next to the space we’re using that you’ll be able to park at, and as always, metered parking is possible under the highway that everyone is familiar with from previous years.

On Thursday, bands will only be playing at Rams Head Live, located in the Power Plant Live! section of downtown Baltimore at 20 Market Pl. On Friday-Sunday, bands (death and black metal) will be playing at Rams Head Live between the hours of 10 pm – 2 am, (bands will conclude at the Edison parking space at 11 pm).

On Friday-Sunday, once again, we are doing a grind/hardcore/punk/crust stage at Baltimore Soundstage, located across the street from Rams Head Live at 124 Market pl. Unlike last year, bands will play here all day/night and there won’t be any large gaps between bands.

Generally speaking, this setup was the most sensible solution for us, as it allows us to book a lot of bands, give bands respectable set lengths, eliminate many issues/concerns from last year, and keep the fest close to hotels and other downtown conveniences that everyone is used to.

As early as next week, we will break everything down so you know who is playing where. We will also announce more bands at that time. We still have a few up our sleeve for the main stages, but mostly, we’re down to rounding out the Soundstage billing before being completely finished with booking.

The parking lot in question was in use as an actual, y’know, parking lot at this year’s festivities. Some of you undoubtedly drank beers out of a cooler there. The prospect of an mostly outdoor version of MDF makes me a little nervous, given the mid-Atlantic’s rainy late spring, but we all survived last year, right?

Check out the full list of newly announced bands and the complete lineup to date below…

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NEWLY ANNOUNCED BANDS (10/31/13)
Aeternus (Norway) – Exclusive US appearance!
Arcagathus (Canada)
Birdflesh (Sweden)
Castevet
Coffins (Japan)
Creative Waste (Saudi Arabia)
Cryptic Slaughter
Dropdead
Enthroned (Belgium) – Exclusive US appearance!
Entrails (Sweden)
Final Conflict
Immolation
Incantation
In Disgust
Mesrine (Canada)
Mitchondrion (Canada)
Mutilation Rites
Necros Christos – Exclusive US appearance!
Noothgrush
Orator (Bangladesh)
Ratos de Porão (Brazil) – Exclusive US appearance!
Rotting Out
Shitstorm
Sick/Tired
Stapled Shut
Theories
Torche
War Master
Whitehorse (Australia)
Wrathprayer (Chile)

COMPLETE MDF 2014 LINEUP TO DATE
AETERNUS (Norway)
ARCAGATHUS (Canada)
ASPHYX (Netherlands)
AT THE GATES (Sweden)
BIRDFLESH (Sweden)
BÖLZER (Switzerland)
BONGRIPPER
CANCER (UK)
CANDLEMASS (Sweden)
CASTEVET
COFFINS (Japan)
CREATIVE WASTE (Saudi Arabia)
CRYPTIC SLAUGHTER
THE CHURCH OF PUNGENT STENCH (Austria)
CROWBAR
DEATH TOLL 80K (Finland)
DIOCLETIAN (New Zealand)
DROPDEAD
ENTHRONED (Belgium)
ENTRAILS (Sweden)
EXCRUCIATING TERROR
EXTINCTION OF MANKIND (UK)
FINAL CONFLICT
GOD MACABRE (Sweden)
GORGUTS (Canada)
GRAVES AT SEA
HEMDALE
HOODED MENACE (Finland)
IMMOLATION
INCANTATION
IN DISGUST
MACHETAZO (Spain)
MESRINE (Canada)
MGLA (Poland)
MITOCHONDRION (Canada)
MUTILATION RITES
MY DYING BRIDE (UK)
NECROS CHRISTOS (Germany)
NOCTURNUS A.D.
NOOTHGRUSH
ORATOR (Bangladesh)
RATOS DE PORAO (Brazil)
ROTTING OUT
SACRIFICE (Canada)
SARKE (Norway)
SICK/TIRED
SOILENT GREEN
SOLSTAFIR (Iceland)
STAPLED SHUT
TAAKE (Norway)
TANKARD (Germany)
THEORIES
TORCHE
ULCERATE (New Zealand)
ULVER (Norway)
UNCLE ACID & THE DEADBEATS (UK)
UNHOLY GRAVE (Japan)
UNLEASHED (Sweden)
WAR MASTER
WHITEHORSE (Australia)
WINDHAND
WITCHRIST (New Zealand)
WRATHPRAYER (Chile)

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