Extreme metal fans checking their feeds early this morning got a massive surprise. Maryland Deathfest (MDF) organizers had scheduled the first-wave lineup drop for its XXII (22nd) edition to go live at 11:00 AM EST. But the underground rarely waits for a schedule, and the highly anticipated roster made its way into the wild hours ahead of time.

The early look started circulating after California death metal staples Sadistic Intent shared the official flyer on social media around 1:00 AM EST—a solid ten hours before the festival’s planned announcement. MDF also announced the lineup early on their own channels, pushing the official flyer out around 8:00 AM EST. By the time most bleary-eyed fans woke up, the news had already completely blanketed the global metal community.

Once the initial excitement of the early drop settled, the focus shifted entirely to the sheer depth of the bill. Scheduled for May 27–30, 2027, the 22nd edition leans heavily into rare, exclusive US appearances from across the international black, death, and doom metal landscapes.

Leading the charge are Norwegian progressive black metal pioneers Enslaved, who will perform a rare, exclusive set of their seminal 1994 debut album, Vikingligr Veldi, in its entirety. They are joined by Swedish epic doom icons Candlemass and Canadian thrash legends Voivod, who are treating fans to a special old-school set packed with deep cuts.

True to the festival’s curation style, the undercard is a goldmine for underground purists. The lineup features incredibly rare bookings like Japanese black/thrash masters Sabbat, UK blackened death outfit Cruciamentum, and Irish black/death dealers Coscradh. The domestic front brings plenty of its own firepower, including highly coveted festival sets from New Jersey’s Ceremonium and New York death-doom purists Funebrarum.

Following the morning scramble, tickets officially went live at 12:00 PM EST, triggering an immediate feeding frenzy. MDF initially released a limited tier of 750 Early Bird passes priced at $290 (plus a $3.00 fee). Demand was so overwhelming that the entire allotment vanished in just three minutes.

For fans who missed out on the first tier, there is no need to panic. Standard 4-day, all-venue passes were immediately active and are currently available for $388 (plus a $3.00 fee).

While ticket prices across the festival circuit continue to rise, veteran attendees expected a bump given skyrocketing global logistical costs and premium international visa processing fees. Fortunately, the MDF crew is legendary for navigating the complex visa process, consistently working miracles behind the scenes to ensure their international bookings actually make it to the Baltimore stages.

First Wave Confirmed Lineup:

• Akercocke (UK) – Performing ‘Choronzon’ in its entirety
• Ancient Death
• Candlemass (Sweden)
• Cerebral Effusion (Spain)
• Ceremonium
• Coscradh (Ireland)
• Cruciamentum (UK/US)
• Demolition Hammer
• Enslaved (Norway) – Performing ‘Vikingligr Veldi’ in its entirety
• Exhumed (Gore Metal set) – Performing ‘Gore Metal’ in its entirety
• Fleshless (Czech Republic)
• Funebrarum
• Gorerotted (UK)
• Ingrowing (Czech Republic)
• Nagifar (Sweden)
• Obscura (Germany)
• One of Nine
• Sabbat (Japan)
• Sadistic Intent
• Saturnus (Denmark)
• Thulcandra (Germany)
• Voivod (Canada) – Old School Deep Cuts
• Vreid (Norway)