A really strange suggestion for a ProgPower headliner...

[Barking Pumpkin]

Here was the lineup from 2005 (I've only heard of 3 of the bands, and by the way I did not imply that all acts are related to hardcore, but many are):

Immolation
Cryptopsy
General Surgery
Regurgitate
Abscess
Impaled
Birdflesh
Rotten Sound Wormed
Gronibard
Aborted
Pig Destroyer
Misery Index
Leng Tch'e
Ghoul
Lord Gore
Bodies Lay Broken
Splatterhouse
XXX Maniak
Despised Icon
Kill the Client
Ion Dissonance
Guttural Secrete
Magrudergrind
Warscars
Prophecy
Amoebic Dysentery
Screaming Afterbith



Shall I go on? You are certainly entitled to your own opinion, but I do NOT define those lineups as quality death metal

The bolded bands are all at least worth seeing in my opinion, and the yellow ones are top notch. And I recognize several others that I just haven't heard. Pig Destroyer are grindcore, but still top notch. I also consider 'None So Vile' the best death metal album I've ever heard, so obviously I think it's a good lineup. I can pick more bands I love and would go see on their own out of this lineup than I can out of the Prog-Power roster this year.

Would you just mention some death metal bands you consider quality? Just those few I bolded right there cover a rather large spectrum in types of sounds.

Edit: And your evaluation of whether it's a quality lineup or not is based on whether you have heard of the bands?

 

[Dark One]

The bolded bands are all top notch in my opinion. And I recognize several others that I just haven't heard. Pig Destroyer are grindcore/experimental, but still topnotch. I also consider 'None So Vile' the best death metal album, so obviously I think it's a good lineup. I can pick more bands I love out of this lineup than I can out of the Prog-Power roster this year.

I respectfully disagree wholeheartedly.

Would you just mention some death metal bands you consider quality? Just those five right there cover a rather large spectrum in types of sounds.

Sure - and again, remember my criteria (not just straightforward death metal, but "death/thrash/black/traditional (or melodic/progressive variations thereof)".

Naglfar
Unleashed
Dew Scented
Immortal (yes, I know they're defunct)
Opeth
Dawn
Morbid Angel (specifically Altars of Madness, Blessed are the Sick and Domination)
Darkane
Defleshed
Satyricon
Dismember
Dissection
Old Man's Child
Carpathian Forest
Primordial
Melechesh
Moonsorrow
Suidakra
Susperia
Godgory

To name a few.

 

[Dark One]

Edit: And your evaluation of whether it's a quality lineup or not is based on whether you have heard of the bands?

Going for semantics? Ok, I'm sorry - I can't say that Screaming Afterbirth, General Surgery, Amoebic Dysentery, Gutteral Secrete, XXX Maniac, Splatterhouse, Vomit Remnants, Bodies in the Gears of the Apparatus, Man Must Die and Bile don't have value since I've never heard of them.

Can't wait to check them out.

 

[The Invisible Guest]

While I don't think this logic is without merrit, I also don't agree with it. I simply think it makes more sense to describe bands based on where they are today, especially when they've altered their sound in a way that suggests they won't be going back to their roots. Calling Ulver Black Metal at this point in their career seems erroneous at best. Just my $0.02.

Zod

Agreed!! If band X releases a prog metal disc in 2001, a power metal disc in 2003, and a death metal disc in 2005, they are now currently a death metal band. When discussing the previous material it can then be noted what style they were at that time.

Britt

 

[Barking Pumpkin]

I respectfully disagree wholeheartedly.



Sure - and again, remember my criteria (not just straightforward death metal, but "death/thrash/black/traditional (or melodic/progressive variations thereof)".

Naglfar
Unleashed
Dew Scented
Immortal (yes, I know they're defunct)
Opeth
Dawn
Morbid Angel (specifically Altars of Madness, Blessed are the Sick and Domination)
Darkane
Defleshed
Satyricon
Dismember
Dissection
Old Man's Child
Carpathian Forest
Primordial
Melechesh
Moonsorrow
Suidakra
Susperia
Godgory

To name a few.

Sounds like the European festivals would be a lot more suited to your taste. I respect what you listen to (listen to a good bit of it), but the lineup of the Maryland Deathfest fits the description of death metal and grindcore. It's not a black metal festival, it's not a progressive festival. They pick a wide range of sounds in Death Metal, but it's still going to be death metal. The bands I highlighted are some of the top non-mainstream death metal bands right now. I can name real progressive bands I'd like to see more of on Prog-Power all day, but it doesn't change the fact that Glenn picks the best lineups for the genres of the festival. So you don't like the lineup of the Maryland Deathfest, because that's not your kind of stuff for the harsher side of metal, but that doesn't make it a poor lineup for a death metal festival.

 

[TheWhisper]

Well, as for PP being about up-n-comers, or younger bands getting their shot, that would exclude Stratovarius, Therion & PC 69 from this year's line-up...wouldn't it? Didn't Strato's first album come out in...oh no...the late 80's? For that matter so did PC 69's first one. All three bands have been at this for 15, or so, years, so just what is the cutoff point for old geeser bands vs. young up -n-comers. Is it 15...20 years.

This would also exclude the big one, that most here would want, Fates Warning...right? Hell, their first album came out in...again, oh no...the 80's...1984. Not to mention the other bands that have been around a long time, that others have already mentioned, that have played PP. Of course, some of the more well known 'classic' acts are not right for PP, but some other lesser known 'classic' acts are a very good fit, imo. To have an older, 'classic' artist on the line-up some years is not going to throw the universe into chaos...but then again, you never know.

 

[Dark One]

Sounds like the European festivals would be a lot more suited to your taste. I respect what you listen to (listen to a good bit of it), but the lineup of the Maryland Deathfest fits the description of death metal and grindcore. It's not a black metal festival, it's not a progressive festival. They pick a wide range of sounds in Death Metal, but it's still going to be death metal. The bands I highlighted are some of the top non-mainstream death metal bands right now. I can name real progressive bands I'd like to see more of on Prog-Power all day, but it doesn't change the fact that Glenn picks the best lineups for the genres of the festival. So you don't like the lineup of the Maryland Deathfest, because that's not your kind of stuff for the harsher side of metal, but that doesn't make it a poor lineup for a death metal festival.

No problem - I agree that just because the MDF is typically a poor lineup for me, it certainly can (and does) appeal to others. I never really meant to speak in general for anyone. As far as my own tastes are concerned, yes, the big Euro festivals often carry lineups that have many of the heavy elements I look for - again, I just wish there was a comparable festival in the U.S. (although I completely understand that the money it would take to pull it off simply precludes it from happening).

I've been to Wacken Open Air twice (2001 and 2003) along with the Sweden Rock Festival in 2004 and they all were absolutely among the greatest experiences of my life.

 

[General Zod]

...the lineup of the Maryland Deathfest fits the description of death metal and grindcore.

In fairness, what started this sub-thread, was the suggestion that there's this over-abundance of Death Metal festivals, for those of us who like such music, to attend. I've seen this same assertion, time and again, whenever anyone suggests a wildcard act that uses even the slightest quantity of harsh vocals. However, I think it's fair to say that there are no U.S. festivals (at least none that I'm aware of) that are anywhere near the level of progPower in terms of quality, for more aggressive music. Glenn brings the premier Power and Prog Metal acts to his festival. And while you might feel the line-up at last year's MDF was the shit, I wouldn't exactly call those acts the "premier" in Death Metal.

Zod

 

[Barking Pumpkin]

My guess is that if you asked about the quality of the Maryland Deathfest over at the General Music Discussion boards, there would be more positive answers than negative answers. There are lots of bands popular in the death metal community there. If you look down the lineup, they have a lot of the qualities of Prog-Power. There are one-off type performances of bands that don't really tour (Ghoul), there are bands from other countries that wouldn't be in the US otherwise (Wormed, Demilich, Necrophagist), some classic bands (Immolation, Suffocation, Macabre), and probably some "oddball" bands that don't quite sound like anything else there. No festival caters to everyone's taste every time, but there are generally either a good five bands from each year's lineup I would want to go see, or a smaller number and one or two bands I would really love to see.

Wacken has a good thing going because they don't really stray too terribly far into any genre with their lineups. There's some kind of band in every genre, but they don't have many bands that are going to be not liked by all but fans of one particular genre. Lots of "melodic" variants (Naglfar, Amon Amarth), toned down bands (Satyricon, Carpathian Forest), and bands that are just super popular in general (Cannibal Corpse, Deicide). But you're not going to see much that just appeals to death metal fans or just appeals to black metal fans. So if that's your definition of a quality festival with extreme bands in the US, then no, there isn't one. But for actual death metal stuff that appeals specifically to death metal fans, I think the Maryland Deathfest is good.

 

[FatesFan]

In fairness, what started this sub-thread, was the suggestion that there's this over-abundance of Death Metal festivals, for those of us who like such music, to attend. I've seen this same assertion, time and again, whenever anyone suggests a wildcard act that uses even the slightest quantity of harsh vocals. However, I think it's fair to say that there are no U.S. festivals (at least none that I'm aware of) that are anywhere near the level of progPower in terms of quality, for more aggressive music. Glenn brings the premier Power and Prog Metal acts to his festival. And while you might feel the line-up at last year's MDF was the shit, I wouldn't exactly call those acts the "premier" in Death Metal.

Zod

I see what you are saying. I'll be the first to admit that I don't know shit about Death Metal. I don't want to. Therfore I wouldn't know a good Death Metal festival from a bad one. To me it is all bad. (for me)

I have been one to say that there are plenty of death metal shows going on all the time. Maybe they are not "festivals" and maybe they are third rate acts, but they are there. I would have no way of saying if any one of those shows would be comperable to PP in the terms of acts due to my ignorance of the death metal sceene.

I understand that the types of bands that play PP that use Death vox are not "Death Metal bands". And I suppose that I have been educated to a certain degree about these(what I call) sub genres and have come to terms with the fact that they are here to say. It's taken me a while and many hours of therepy to say that. Just kidding on the therepy.

All I know is that the time before last when Manowar was at Ziggy's, they had 3 Death Metal acts in support and it was brutal. And not in a good way. One band was Havocate I think and the other one was like usuber (not sure about the spelling ) and one other . For a dude that dosen't like DM it was not fun. This last Manowar was much better with Rhapsody and Holy hell.

Okay, back on topic , sort of. Maybe glen should put on a Metal show that would cover 80's metal amongst others seeing that there are plenty of Old School metal fans here.

 

[Joe-×]

If Glenn were to go old-school...

Glenn will not go old school. He isn't old enough. He's just a young punk. Old school for him would be Bon Jovi. (Please don't get him started on that). Glenn knows nothing about old school metal. A few years back I met up with him at a show in Baltimore. Raven was playing. Naturally, I wore my hockey helmet. Who didn't? Glenn didn't! A couple of us checked him hard. When he called us a bunch of wackos, he had us fooled for a second. So we yelled out "Hear the Call!" He just stood there like a moron.

Old school? Ha!

Joe

 

[Barking Pumpkin]

Maybe there's someone else Glenn needs to tell to fuck off.

 

[Yngvai X]

Wacken has a good thing going because they don't really stray too terribly far into any genre with their lineups. There's some kind of band in every genre, but they don't have many bands that are going to be not liked by all but fans of one particular genre. Lots of "melodic" variants (Naglfar, Amon Amarth), toned down bands (Satyricon, Carpathian Forest), and bands that are just super popular in general (Cannibal Corpse, Deicide). But you're not going to see much that just appeals to death metal fans or just appeals to black metal fans. So if that's your definition of a quality festival with extreme bands in the US, then no, there isn't one. But for actual death metal stuff that appeals specifically to death metal fans, I think the Maryland Deathfest is good.

Wacken is the best metal festival, hands down. They have numerous bands play, all top quality, from numerous genres. A reason they can get away with this is that in Europe the metal subgenres are less divided in terms of fans. There are more "crossover" fans to different genres, so to speak. Metal fans in the US tend to stick to one or two genres (usually related...such as prog/power and death/black) and thats it. So, just in terms of diversity I could never see a fest like Wacken happen here.

 

[Jibrille]

Wacken is the best metal festival, hands down. They have numerous bands play, all top quality, from numerous genres. A reason they can get away with this is that in Europe the metal subgenres are less divided in terms of fans. There are more "crossover" fans to different genres, so to speak. Metal fans in the US tend to stick to one or two genres (usually related...such as prog/power and death/black) and thats it. So, just in terms of diversity I could never see a fest like Wacken happen here.

I'd have to say a listen to a little bit of everything. The only thing I can't stand is 'core metal and that's mostly because of the kids who go to those shows.

 

[Kenneth R.]

Maybe there's someone else Glenn needs to tell to fuck off.

like you perhaps... again.

i'm going to have to agree with Dark One, Zod, et. al.

 

[Barking Pumpkin]

They don't agree with you though.

 

[FatesFan]

Glenn will not go old school. He isn't old enough. He's just a young punk. Old school for him would be Bon Jovi. (Please don't get him started on that). Glenn knows nothing about old school metal. A few years back I met up with him at a show in Baltimore. Raven was playing. Naturally, I wore my hockey helmet. Who didn't? Glenn didn't! A couple of us checked him hard. When he called us a bunch of wackos, he had us fooled for a second. So we yelled out "Hear the Call!" He just stood there like a moron.

Old school? Ha!

Joe

Sweet. I saw Raven with Slayer and Wasp back in the day. Raven kicked ass.

Hell Patrol.

 

[General Zod]

All I know is that the time before last when Manowar was at Ziggy's, they had 3 Death Metal acts in support and it was brutal. And not in a good way. One band was Havocate I think and the other one was like usuber (not sure about the spelling ) and one other . For a dude that dosen't like DM it was not fun.

Understandable. There's nothing bad than really bad, really aggressive music.

Okay, back on topic , sort of. Maybe glen should put on a Metal show that would cover 80's metal amongst others seeing that there are plenty of Old School metal fans here.

To your point, I wonder if Glenn has considered a second festival, in support of different genres of music.

Zod

 

[Creeps]

I don't know, I just don't want to see geriatrics on my ProgPower stage if I can help it. ProgPower is for new blood that never got their shot at the Billboard charts. Accept and Dio have been there. ProgPower is a springboard for entry into the US market for a lot of younger bands who are living hand to mouth. I just see little reason for Glenn to throw one of those old rich guys who made millions in the 80s unless that's the only way he can sell tickets.

Now Savatage I feel is an exception. Even if their sound hasn't changed much since 1990, it was still very influential and related to today's Prog and power metal sound. Helloween also qualifies. But Accept? Classic rock. Dio? Classic rock.

You'd be suprised at how long some of these musicians have been around that might fall into that "geriatrics" category. Kai Hansen springs to mind 1st and foremost.

Accept is metal. In no way is "Fast As A Shark" being played on any classic rock station in my area. They are also very influential to the PP artists. Check out some of the bands that are on their many tribute albums. I know for sure one is playing THIS year's PP.

As far as DIO, he would fit, hell he's probably 1/2 the reason we have fantasty-themed power metal. But he tours regularly.

 

[Creeps]

In fairness, what started this sub-thread, was the suggestion that there's this over-abundance of Death Metal festivals, for those of us who like such music, to attend. I've seen this same assertion, time and again, whenever anyone suggests a wildcard act that uses even the slightest quantity of harsh vocals. However, I think it's fair to say that there are no U.S. festivals (at least none that I'm aware of) that are anywhere near the level of progPower in terms of quality, for more aggressive music. Glenn brings the premier Power and Prog Metal acts to his festival. And while you might feel the line-up at last year's MDF was the shit, I wouldn't exactly call those acts the "premier" in Death Metal.

Zod

What he said. I do like some death, I like a lot of the Euro bands as well, here's some I like; Obituary, Napalm Death, Death, Darkane, the Defaced, At the Gates, Disincarnate, In Flames, COB, etc..