| Maryland Deathfest | |
| Location: | Baltimore, Maryland, |
| Years Active: | 2003–2019; 2022; 2024-present |
| Founded: | 2003 |
| Founders: | Ryan Taylor & Evan Harting[1] |
| Dates: | 22–25 May 2025 |
| Genre: | Heavy metal, death metal, doom metal, thrash metal, black metal, grindcore, experimental, hardcore punk, stoner metal, progressive metal[2] |
Maryland Deathfest (often abbreviated to MDF) is an annual American extreme metal music festival founded in 2003 by Ryan Taylor and Evan Harting. The festival is held in Baltimore, Maryland during Memorial Day weekend, and it features many bands from around the world that vary from a wide range of heavy metal subgenres. It is the biggest event of its kind in North America, attracting attendees from more than 40 U.S. states and 25 countries every year. More than 800 bands from more than 40 countries have played at MDF since 2003.
The concept of the event is "To bring to the world the best and most extreme bands the underground has to offer. Never conforming to trends, or being limited by genre restrictions, we want to showcase what extreme music, both new and old, is capable of."[3]
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, MDF was cancelled in 2020 and 2021, but returned on May 26–29, 2022.[4]
Shortly before the 2022 festival, the organizers of MDF stated that the event would not happen in 2023. On August 2, 2022, it was announced that MDF will return for its 19th edition on May 23–26, 2024.
Since 2003, MDF has featured over 750 bands from over 35 countries, many of which have made their US debut at the festival. The festival is promoted with the slogan: "America's biggest metal party of the year."
The first installment of Maryland Deathfest was held from Friday, May 23 to Sunday, May 25 at the Thunderdome.
| Lineup | |||
| Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Devourment Aborted Internal Bleeding Malignancy Circle of Dead Children Brodequin Incinerate Saprogenic Nemo Severed Head Scumbitch | Suffocation Dying Fetus Pyrexia Skinless Leng Tch'e Severed Savior Mortal Decay Foetopsy Drogheda Suture Putrid Pile Psychotogen Lust of Decay Rupture Christ Spinefed | Sublime Cadaveric Decomposition Necrophagist Soils of Fate Abuse Commit Suicide Malamor Retch Wasteform Gored Goratory Artery Eruption | |
Maryland Death Fest 2004 was held on Saturday, May 29 and Sunday, May 30 at the Thunderdome.
| Lineup | ||
| Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|
| Swarm of the Lotus Fleshtized Internal Suffering Neuraxis Brodequin Bile Malignancy Ion Dissonance Profanity Pig Destroyer Leng Tch'e Phobia Rotten Sound Repulsion | Bodies in the Gears of the Apparatus Biolich Circle of Dead Children Man Must Die Arsis Mortal Decay Dehumanized Misery Index Rompeprop Vomit Remnants The Red Chord Macabre Inhume Exhumed | |
Maryland Deathfest 2005 was held on Saturday, May 28 and Saturday, May 29 at the House of Rock.
| Lineup | ||
| Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|
| Screaming Afterbirth Prophecy Guttural Secrete Kill the Client Warscars Lord Gore Misery Index Pig Destroyer Leng Tch'e Wormed Gronibard Abscess Regurgitate Cryptopsy | Amoebic Dysentery Magrudergrind Despised Icon XXX Maniak Splatterhouse Ion Dissonance Bodies Lay Broken Ghoul Rotten Sound Birdflesh Aborted Impaled General Surgery Immolation | |
Maryland Deathfest IV was held on Saturday, May 27 and Sunday, May 28. This was the first Maryland Deathfest to be held at Sonar, which hosted every iteration of the festival from 2006 to 2012.
| Lineup | ||
| Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|
| Embryonic Cryptopathia Electro Quarterstaff Cenotaph Catheter Yacøpsæ Cliteater Sanitys Dawn Gorgasm Skinless Alarum Butcher ABC Anata Machetazo Demilich Haemorrhage Vital Remains | Quills Magrudergrind Total Fucking Destruction Mucupurulent Municipal Waste Embalmer Sayyadina Rompeprop Disfear Severe Torture Unholy Grave Cattle Decapitation Necrophagist Pungent Stench Dismember | |
Maryland Deathfest V was held on Saturday, May 26 and Sunday, May 27.
| Lineup | ||
| Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|
| Saprogenic Foetopsy Flagitious Idiosyncrasy in the Dilapidation Nunwhore Commando 666 Gorod Skitsystem Cock and Ball Torture Rotten Sound Gorerotted General Surgery Regurgitate Vomitory Extreme Noise Terror Brutal Truth | Putrescence Exhale Fuck the Facts Jigsore Terror Odious Mortem Retaliation Misery Index Ghoul Birdflesh Cripple Bastards GUT Dead Infection Malevolent Creation Zyklon | |
Maryland Deathfest VI was held from Friday, May 23 to Sunday, May 25.
| Lineup | |||
| Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skarp Afgrund Torsofuck Ingrowing The Day Everything Became Nothing Phobia Squash Bowels Martyr Grave | Decrypt Defeatist Trap Them Keitzer Kalibas Waco Jesus Behold...The Arctopus Defeated Sanity Flesh Parade Disfear Coffins Fuck...I'm Dead Ghoul Monstrosity Anaal Nathrakh | Copremesis Infected Malignity Japanische Kampfhörspiele Engorged Gruesome Stuff Relish Hellnation Circle Of Dead Children Gadget Dead Impaled Dying Fetus Macabre Blood Duster Nuclear Assault | |
Maryland Deathfest VII was held from Friday, May 22 to Sunday, May 24, and was the first incarnation of the festival to feature a second stage outside the venue.
| Main Room Stage | |||
| Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hero Destroyed Triac Jig-Ai Sayyadina Gnostic Pigsty Withered Venomous Concept Victims | Drugs of Faith Maruta Pretty Little Flower Unearthly Trance Crowpath Flesh Parade Weekend Nachos Rotten Sound Misery Index Birdflesh Pig Destroyer Phobia General Surgery Wolves in the Throne Room | Complete Failure Agenda of Swine The Endless Blockade Lair of the Minotaur Magrudergrind Kill the Client Splitter Despise You Yakuza Catheter Krallice Antigama Trap Them Bolt Thrower Devourment Sigh | |
| Outside Stage | |||
| Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cattle Decapitation Cephalic Carnage Mayhem Asphyx | Hail of Bullets Brutal Truth Immolation Atheist Napalm Death Bolt Thrower | The Red Chord Absu Abscess Aura Noir Deströyer 666 | |
Maryland Deathfest VIII was held from Friday, May 28 to Sunday, May 30, with a pre-fest show taking place on Thursday, May 27.
| Main Room Stage | ||||
| Thursday (Pre-Fest) | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ex-Dementia XBRAINIAX Swarm of the Lotus Nekromantheon PLF Iron Lung Birdflesh General Surgery | The Communion Putrescence Defeatist Tombs Jesus Crost Birds of Prey Trap Them Watain Gride Coffins D.R.I. | Howl Sulaco Fuck the Facts Ingrowing Obliteration Jucifer Impaled Blood Duster Verbal Abuse Deceased Wolfbrigade Portal | Honkey Kong Rottenness Surroundings Massgrave Rompeprop Crucifist Gridlink Black Breath Captain Cleanoff Magrudergrind Capitalist Casualties From Ashes Rise Converge | |
| Outside Stages | |||
| Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nazxul Malignancy Gorguts | Fang Total Fucking Destruction The Chasm Sadistic Intent/Possessed Incantation Melechesh Asphyx Repulsion Autopsy | Krallice Gorod Sinister Necrophobic Eyehategod Pestilence Nirvana 2002 Pentagram Entombed Obituary | |
Maryland Deathfest IX was held from Thursday, May 26 to Sunday, May 29, 2011.
| Main Room Stage | ||||
| Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cathedral Tragedy Buzzov•en Extortion Flesh Parade Lack of Interest Miasmal Noisear Shitstorm Witchaven | Marduk Exhumed Kylesa Cripple Bastards Machetazo Pulling Teeth Nails The Impalers | Inquisition Hooded Menace Acid Witch Defeated Sanity Doom Dropdead Blood Freak The Kill Cretin Mammoth Grinder Creative Waste Innumerable Forms Masakari | Ghost Last Days of Humanity Wormed Doubled Over Bastard Noise Skinless Repugnant Dead Congregation Bad Acid Trip Nightbringer Oak Visceral Disgorge | |
| Outside Stages | |||
| Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neurosis Corrosion of Conformity Aura Noir Funebrarum Nocturnal | Voivod Exhorder Impaled Nazarene Hail of Bullets In Solitude Nunslaughter Cianide Avulsed | Coroner Nuclear Assault Citizens Arrest Orange Goblin Malignant Tumour Nokturnel Gravehill | |
Maryland Deathfest X was held from Thursday, May 24 to Sunday, May 27, 2012.
| Main Room Stage | ||||
| Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Autopsy Agalloch Eyehategod Absu Dying Fetus Rorschach Needful Things Die Pigeon Die Extermination Angel | Nasum Setherial Unsane Negură Bunget Today Is the Day Ghoul Nashgul Castevet | Winter Haemorrhage Tsjuder Noothgrush Horna Archgoat The Devil's Blood Black Witchery Dragged Into Sunlight Looking For an Answer Bloody Phoenix Infernal Stronghold | Mortuary Drape Bethlehem Sargeist Nausea Yob Ulcerate Rwake Cough Agents of Abhorrence Coke Bust Backslider | |
| Outside Stages | |||
| Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Godflesh Napalm Death Artillery Macabre Demigod | Morbid Angel Brujeria Confessor Anvil Deviated Instinct Morbid Saint October 31 Hellbastard | Electric Wizard Saint Vitus Suffocation Pentagram (Chile) Church of Misery Morgoth Demonical Disma | |
Maryland Deathfest XI was held from Thursday, May 23 to Sunday, May 26, 2013. It was the first incarnation to feature the Baltimore Soundstage, a separate venue that catered primarily to grindcore, punk and hardcore acts. It was also the last incarnation of the festival to be hosted at the former Sonar Compound, following its sale and rebranding as the Paparazzi Nightclub.
| Outdoor Tent | ||||
| Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bolt Thrower Cobalt Abigail Pallbearer Deiphago Noisem | Pelican Evoken Ingrowing Ahumado Granujo Ambassador Gun | Antaeus Vinterland Revenge Aosoth Loss Anhedonist Kommandant Asthma Castle | Speedwolf Ascension Integrity Gride Contrastic Cruciamentum Speedwolf | |
| Outside Stages | |||
| Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carcass Righteous Pigs Repulsion Pig Destroyer Benediction Convulse | Down Ihsahn The Melvins Broken Hope The Obsessed Weedeater Iniquity | Venom Pentagram Sleep Manilla Road Sacred Reich Pagan Altar Midnight Glorior Belli | |
| Baltimore Soundstage | |||
| Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tragedy Rotten Sound Ringworm Hellshock Sete Star Sept Full of Hell Heartless Old Lines | Infest Terveet Kädet Vitamin X Weekend Nachos Massgrav Eddie Brock Like Rats Wake Disciples of Christ | Converge Citizen's Arrest Magrudergrind Iron Lung Kromosom Tinner Ilsa | |
Maryland Deathfest XII was held from Thursday, May 22 to Sunday, May 25, 2014. The main stages were located at the Edison Lot in Baltimore, near the former Sonar location. It is the second incarnation to feature the Baltimore Soundstage, again catering primarily to punk, grindcore and hardcore. It is the first year to feature additional bands at Rams Head Live!, which featured mainly black, death and doom metal.
| Rams Head Live | ||||
| Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffins Crowbar Seven Sisters of Sleep Sourvein Torche Whitehorse | Aeternus Enthroned Incantation Putrisect | Asphyx Bolzer Hooded Menace The Church Of Pungent Stench War Master | Immolation Diocletian Mutilation Rites Ulcerate | |
| Edison Lot | |||
| Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|
| At the Gates Cancer Castevet Mgła Necros Christos Sólstafir Taake The Ruins of Beverast Agalloch | Dark Angel Diocletian Entrails Goat Torment God Macabre Machetazo Nocturnus AD Orator Sacrifice Sarke Tankard Unleashed | Bongripper Candlemass Gorguts Graves at Sea Misery Index Inquisition My Dying Bride Pseudogod Soilent Green Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats Windhand Wrathprayer | |
| Baltimore Soundstage | |||
| Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Impaled Capitalist Casualties Creative Waste Cripple Bastards Endorphins Lost Final Conflict Mesrine ACxDC Pneumatic Slaughter Kill the Client | Archagathus Birdflesh Black Breath Dropdead Excruciating Terror Extinction of Mankind Noothgrush Sick/Tired Stapled Shut Theories Victims БУТ | Death Toll 80k Enabler Internal Rot Left for Dead Maruta Ratos de Porao Shitstorm Unholy Grave | |
Maryland Deathfest XIII was held from Thursday, May 21 to Sunday, May 24, 2015. For the second time, both main stages were located at the Edison Lot in Baltimore, near the former Sonar location. It is the third incarnation to feature the Baltimore Soundstage venue, again catering primarily to punk, grindcore and hardcore, and the second to feature additional bands at Rams Head Live!, again featuring mainly black, death and doom metal. Notably, both Triptykon and Ufomammut were scheduled to appear, after having dropped off of last year's bill. Mobb Deep's performance marked the first appearance of an act outside of heavy metal, hardcore or punk as part of the festival.
| Rams Head Live | ||||
| Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conan Iron Man Jex Thoth Mantar Primitive Man Ufomammut Usnea YOB | Aeternus Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult Drawn and Quartered Vattnet Viskar | Adversarial Demoncy Gnaw Their Tongues Tsjuder | Impetuous Ritual Knelt Rote Portal Thantifaxath | |
| Edison Lot | |||
| Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bloodbath Funebrarum Lock Up Suffocation Vallenfyre Artificial Brain Aura Noir Cianide Master Obituary | Blood Red Throne Bulldozer Solstice Razor Serpentine Path Twilight of the Gods Arcturus Einherjer Fulgora Morpheus Descends Triptykon Vulcano | Neurosis Skepticism Tombs Winter Amorphis Anaal Nathrakh Demilich Masacre Primordial Prosanctus Inferi | |
| Baltimore Soundstage | ||||
| Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devourment Internal Bleeding Mortal Decay Origin Skinless Mobb Deep[5] | Flagitious Idiosyncrasy in the Dilapidation Ghoul Homewrecker Napalm Death Nekrofilth Noisear Noxa Splatterhouse Triac | Agoraphobic Nosebleed Antigama Backslider Cephalic Carnage Chainsaw to the Face Engorged Full of Hell Inter Arma Lycanthrophy Martyrdöd P.L.F Wolfbrigade | Coke Bust Corrupt Leaders Dirty Rotten Imbeciles Early Graves Grin and Bear It Melt Banana Mother Brain Pizzahifive Spazztic Blurr Water Torture | |
| Rams Head Live | ||||
| Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Offering Crypt Sermon Buzzov*en Bongripper Weedeater Claudio Simonetti's Goblin Earth | Demonic Christ Svarttjern Secrets of the Moon Angelcorpse | Auroch Saturnalia Temple Grave Miasma Dragged into Sunlight Craft | Phobocosm Mitochondrion Zhrine Mystifier | |
| Edison Lot | |||
| Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demonical Deranged Hirax Hail of Bullets Exciter Testament Hellbringer Gruesome Tulus Atrophy Impaled Nazarene Nuclear Assault | Denouncement Pyre Nocturnal Graves Desaster Interment Demolition Hammer Venom Shed the Skin Wombbath Bongzilla Incantation Satan | ||
| Baltimore Soundstage | ||||
| Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visceral Disgorge Waco Jesus Dehumanized Putrid Pile Jungle Rot Disgorge Severe Torture | Skullshitter Ground Sick of Stupidity BruceXCampbell The Afternoon Gentlemen Hemdale Yacopsae Magrudergrind Rotten Sound Repulsion | Whoresnation Priapus Gets Worse Malignant Tumour Severed Head of State Despise You General Surgery Haemorrhage Infest Negative Approach Wormed | ||