NEDF prepares for version 1.0

While I was hacking my lungs out over the weekend, various people in the death metal scene finished up the groundwork and have now started to put the word out about NEDF, which will be premiering in August. Currently on the bill are:

Mortal Decay (NJ)
Terminally Your Aborted Ghost
Sexcrement
Sikfuk (MN)
Mucopus (NY)
Dysentery
Goreality
Leukorrhea
Proteus
Abnormality
Parasitic Extirpation
Composted
Strappado

with more bands to be confirmed later, both as bands finalize their touring and/or recording plans and as time goes by so that the organizers can keep the fest in people's minds by regularly announcing updates. I'm definitely looking forward to this one; sure, it's a first-year fest and it will be in R.I., but if I can come home from Wacken and then see this many good bands -- to say nothing of the other bands that'll be announced -- the immediately following weekend, I'm certainly not going to be complaining.

For those who don't follow the death metal scene in eastern New England that obsessively, the locals listed above represent a significant fraction of who's active and awesome in the area. TYAG, often reputed one of the founders of the modern slam-death sound, are back after an extended hiatus, and Sexcrement have often been called the best slam band currently operating; Dysentery is close on their heels and Composted, featuring members of many of the last 3 bands mentioned, are a fully fledged "GWAR for /b/tards", with riffs that would jump out into the audience and beat up cakes even if they didn't have a sideline member dedicated to that purpose. Parasitic Extripation follows on from Porphyria and continues to play awesome music; Goreality follows on from Anoxia, and has an extensive history of playing awesome music. There is not a bad band announced so far, and the scene is so deep in this part of the country that they could bring in a long part of that planned 20+ bands without tapping anyone there'd even be an argument about in that regard, and there's no shortage of NYDM-affiliated nationals to top the bill without having to reroute a tour.

Definitely something to look forward to (especially if you aren't in Germany the previous weekend); there's also some chatter about doing a black metal festival in this area, which may go down earlier in the summer -- and is more likely to be outdoors, as there's quite a few BM fans/musicians in this area in the "live out in the woods" population. Eventually, this part of the country will unfreeze, and with the leaves will come back the healthy eastward-looking urge to hold an underground gig/party outdoors; maybe it'll work out better this year than last, and even if it doesn't go down, the kickass indoor fest already announced will be cool enough.