Maryland Deathfest 2026 - Day 5 (Sunday, 5/24)

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When I woke up Sunday morning, I was elated to see that the Sun had finally decided to make an appearance and the rain had finally subsided. It was still cold, grey and dreary as it could be, but at least it was dry. For my last full day in Baltimore, I took this opportunity to get out and find some good coffee. It's always fun to see other early risers out and about at a festival, how quickly we can recognize our own. Everyone's wearing a band t-shirt with an unreadable logo, we all look tired and under nourished, and we're all headed to the same barista shop.

Sunday Sunday Sunday, the last day of Maryland Deathfest. There were only a few bands on my list to see on Sunday, and with an early flight home the next morning I was already planning on making an early exit.

Caveman Cult was first up on stage, I don't get it. It's thrashy, they're barbarians, I guess it works? In all seriousness, it takes a real set of brass cajones to be the first daily band on any festival stage. Nobody's really there to see you, but everybody who is there is watching and judging you.

England's Cancer was one of the bands I was really stoked to see on Sunday, as they were slated to do a Death Shall Rise full album performance. Vocalist/Guitarist John Walker is the lone holdout from the original lineup and has been touring and releasing new music for years with a rotating cast of supporting players half his age. But Walker couldn't make it to the States in time for the show, so we were "treated" to a karaoke performance of Death Shall Rise by different singers from bands at the fest, and the 2 guys that are currently playing in Cancer for the last couple of years. Give the fest promoters an "E" for effort in trying to salvage the gig, but it was disappointing.

Death Angel were next, and was the one "must see" band for Sunday. Performing their classic Act III album in its entirety, the Bay Area's finest brought the goods to Baltimore. The band was in prime fighting shape, and vocalist Mark Osegueda still sounds phenomenal. During DA's set, I saw on the socials that Sweden's Grave (another "must see" Sunday band) had also had some travel issues and would be playing as a 3-peice and would be doing their best under the circumstances. After the awkward mess that was Cancer's set, I didn't want a repeat with Grave and decided I wanted to end the week on a high note. Hearing songs like "Seemingly Endless Time" and "The Organization" live and with a fully functioning band was the right way to end a long week of metal, so I decided it was time to call time of death on Maryland Deathfest 2026.

I had aspirations of seeing Poland's Batushka, but of course they were scheduled after midnight, allowing their liturgy to officially close the ceremony. Thankfully I'd also seen them before (pre all of the legal drama), so it was an easy concession to make.

Also thankfully, there are a number of fabulous Thai restaurants near the Inner Harbor area. Nothing makes you feel like an adult again than eating at an establishment with cloth napkins after a week of festival food and hotel room provisions.

Thus endeth 5 days of the heaviest of metal. Was it worth it? Absolutely. Will I be going back for another round? I don't think so. I realized on this trip that despite what my brain tells me, I'm not in my 30's anymore. 5 days of loud music, physical exhaustion and inclement weather hit a lot harder these days than they used to, and with less of a payoff. I also realized that my relationship with the music has changed as well. I love the bands that I love, but I don't have the nagging obsession to see every band ever anymore. I'm looking at the MDF lineup they've announced for 2027, and all of the bands that I'd want to see I've already seen (some several times over). Chalk that up to privilege and a life well lived, but I know that some kid next year is going to be seeing Candlemass for the first time and their world is going to change for the better. That's the power of heavy metal my friends.