I would like to think that Horna is the music that would have been created, had early pagan cultures had access to electrified instruments. The roots of this Finnish group's music certainly dates back to bygone centuries and old "country" ways.Formed in 1993, this highly melodic black metal group stays true by singing in their …
Countdown to MDF X: (28) Black Witchery
Somehow in the sunny, Disney-fied, land of Florida (or perhaps because of it), one of the most wretched, satanic, and brutal black metal bands in existence has been spawned. Listen to Black Witchery and you'll be convinced that they have crept directly from the pit of hell. I think this is the effect they are …
Countdown to MDF X: (29) Archgoat
The satanic black metal band, Archgoat, hails from Finland and has been performing their blasphemous rituals since about 1989. They will perform Saturday evening, May 26, at the 2012 Maryland Deathfest.The trio that is Archgoat plays fairly straightforward, traditional black metal, but with more death metal vocals and certainly better recording techniques. Expect serious blastbeats …
Countdown to MDF X: (36) Dragged Into Sunlight
Sometimes you hear music that makes your jaw drop. I did that the first time I heard Dragged Into Sunlight (DIS). The second time I listened to them, I knew I would never be the same. Dragged Into Sunlight will perform mid-day at the 2012 Maryland Deathfest on Saturday, May 26. I hope they are …
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Worshipping the riff with Infernal Stronghold’s Gunslut
As part of my series on every single band playing at the 2012 Maryland Deathfest, I have also tried as often as possible to get a few comments from some of the bands. Usually, I send them an email and see what happens. Gunslut, drummer for Internal Stronghold, was kind enough to reply to some …
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Countdown to MDF X: (38) Infernal Stronghold
Philadelphia's Infernal Stronghold delivers unadulterated blackened thrash that neither apologizes for its no-holds-barred sound or blasphemous lyrical content. Founded in 2002, Infernal Stronghold somehow seems to have crawled out of the same hellish void that spawned bands like Mayhem, Darkthrone and Bathory.With songs like "Your Soul Stinks Like Shit" and "Crashing Trucks Into Churches," there really is no …
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Negru of Negură Bunget talks about Maryland Deathfest, first US tour
Among the most mysterious acts performing Friday night at the Maryland Deathfest is Romania's pagan black metal collective Negură Bunget. I first heard of this band just two years ago on MySpace (yes, I still maintain a profile there), when they reached out to friend me, randomly of course, probably trying to increase their fan base. …
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Countdown to MDF X: (47) Setherial
Sometimes it is best to listen to a band without the distractions of the visuals presented in a storyline video. That is what I had to do with Setherial, a Swedish black metal band founded in 1993. I prefer to just listen to Setherial's excellent musicianship without watching their videos. The reason being, that in some …
Countdown to MDF X: (52) Castevet
Friday, May 25 at the Maryland Deathfest begins with Castevet, a post-harcore, black metal outfit from New York City. Like several of their Big Apple black metal peers, Castevet relies on shrill vocals against a backdop of wall-of-distorted-guitars sound propelled by a crashing backbeat and nearly inaudible bass. Their two recordings, Mound of Ash (2010) …
Countdown to MDF X: (54) Agalloch
If the Decemberists were a metal band, they might a little sound like Agalloch. In terms of musical genres, one could argue that Agalloch does not really belong at the Maryland Deathfest. The reason I say they don't really belong there should become evident when you hear them. It really is not death metal and could only …
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