Asphyx and Benediction were headed towards the 20th edition of Maryland Deathfest 2025 in style, booking two shows ahead of the main event in Baltimore. The first took place on May 20th at Reggie’s in Chicago, while the second brought a wave of death and black metal to Brooklyn, New York, via Kingsland Presents. Black Curse was added to the bill at The Meadows, creating a mini-MDF-style night of brutality. With the loss of the Saint Vitus venue, extreme, underground, and dark music shows have dispersed across several intimate venues throughout the area. The Meadows has become a new hub for such shows, and it’s been drawing great crowds.
Opening the Brooklyn show, Denver’s Black Curse set the tone with their blackened death metal style. Demanding the lights be turned off, they performed in complete darkness, establishing a chilling atmosphere and kicking off the night with raw intensity. Light, brightness, and visuals were stripped away in favor of a shadowy atmosphere, allowing the music to take full control.
Black Curse
Photo Credit: Mathieu Bredeau
UK death metal legends Benediction came prepared, not just for the upcoming weekend at MDF but also with their latest album, Ravage of Empires. The casual “pre-show” setting allowed for some humor, including jokes with Asphyx, referring to them as the “supporting band.”
Benediction
Photo Credit: Mathieu Bredeau
Asphyx followed with a blistering set that blended relentless death metal and doom vibes. The Dutch veterans were clearly thrilled, noting this was their first time playing in NYC and expressing hope it wouldn’t be their last. The energy in the venue brought an old-school feel as chaos reigned with stage diving, a brutal mosh pit, and no barricade to hold the crowd back or push the photographers in the photo pit forward. It felt like a throwback to the 1980s underground metal scene. In true DIY spirit, merchandise sold out before the two headliners took the stage. The night was a successful warm-up to Maryland Deathfest 2025.
Asphyx will return to the West Coast later this year as part of the Maryland Deathfest Presents series, playing October 17th at 1720 in Los Angeles alongside Razor, Détente, and Civerous. Tickets are available at this location.
Asphyx
Photo Credit: Mathieu Bredeau
Meanwhile, Maryland Deathfest XXI has been confirmed for May 21–24, 2026. Early bird four-day passes go on sale this Friday (30th) at 1:00 PM EST. Grab your tickets here.
The first wave of bands announced for MDF 2026 includes:
Anatomia (Japan)
Batushka (Poland)
Blood Red Throne (Norway)
Cephalotripsy
The Crown (Sweden)
Dead Void (Denmark)
Death Angel — Performing ‘Act III’ in its entirety
Der Weg einer Freiheit (Germany)
Destruction — Performing ‘Infernal Overkill’ in its entirety
Emasculator
God Dethroned (Netherlands)
Grave (Sweden) — Old School Grave/Corpse set
Havukruunu (Finland)
Hellbutcher (Sweden)
Ossuary
Pathology
Putridity (Italy)
!T.O.O.H.! (Czech Republic)
Torsofuck (Finland)
Wolfheart (Finland)
Wrathprayer (Chile)
All photos taken by Mathieu Bredeau
