Dear friends, we are back! It took a bit longer, as the season festivities got a little out of hand (as evident from the latest X-Mas Special video), yet we are operational again and ready to dive back in to the festival happenings. And what better way to start in the new year, than with a fresh batch of confirmed bands!

We are not going easy on you, so get ready for:

BENIGHTED (fr)

When Julien Truchan established BENIGHTED as his side project in 1998, he did not anticipate that 20 years later this outfit shall stand among the foremost French brutal death metal acts. On the other hand, already their first releases propelled the band from the underground onto a higher standing on the scene, whereupon the project was transformed into a full-fledged band, aiming for the metal heights. BENIGHTED thus soon appeared on European top metal festivals, including Neurotic Death Fest, Hellfest or Wacken. Of course, there is little need to emphasize that such appearances have been backed up by solid studio work, with the latest release “Necrobreed” (2017) receiving wide acclaim. O MGCDF 2019, you will get the chance to hear this album live, but be warned, it tells a story of a deranged individual, haunted by a severe childhood trauma, who is working out his issues in very particular way. Should you then feel mentally unbalanced after the show, please consult your local physician.

SPASM (cz)

The heavy caliber of (not only) Czech goregrind scene that describes its music, aptly, as “drum'n'bass gigolo goregrind”, for it features drums, bass, vocals and nothing else, and follows, music-wise as well as lyrics-wise, all the written and unwritten rules of goregrind. Since the beginning, the goal of the band has been to play extreme music with the most original concept possible. Now, nearly 20 years later, is it clear that such mission was accomplished. Four acclaimed full-lengths, a headliner tour over Mexico, as well as appearance on With Full Force, Neurotic Death Fest, Grindhoven or Brutal Assault all speak to renown of SPASM. This year MGCDF joins the list to our delight, and we are looking forward for all the mayhem that is sure to happen.

CRANIOTOMY (sk)

To be honest, none of us here at MGCDF have any special knowledge of medicine and/or surgery, but from what we found out, craniotomy (also known as osteoplastic trepanation) is one of several types of brain surgery, during which a piece of the skull is removed. Apparently, the skull is first drilled into, and then the bone is cut through in between the holes (and good luck getting this image out of all our heads). In any case, it was this term that inspired in 1998 a group of guys from Slovakia, who decided to make music in kind. Lead by Roman Halmo (guitars) and Lukáš Šiška (drums), CRANIOTOMY stepped onto a path of brutal death metal, and they have been successfully following it ever since, as attested by numerous live shows (including being the support for the iconic Suffocation) and five full-length albums, with the first two being hopelessly sold out (a relief came in 2017, when the first three recordings were re-released on a compilation “Old Poetry of Rotting Flesh”). The band is in full force, one show follows another, and there is little doubt that on MGCDF, CRANIOTOMY will orchestrate a helluva cut through any and all skulls.

SHAMPOON KILLER (cz)

Prague-base squad established as a joint venture between various notable personalities of the local extreme scene. The line-up of Žlababa (Brutally Deceased or Heaving Earth), Cifron (ex-Poppy Seed Grinder), Gábin and Nikola (ex-Sarcom) determined the musical direction of the utmost brutal death with significant anti-disco vibe, which is also reflected in the band name itself. In 2015, SHAMPOON KILLER unleashed their opening salvo of fury with “666: The Battle of Discopylae”, prompting all the “shampoos” far and wide to run for their lives, as since then, their safety was no longer assured. And if one of those ran to Červený Kostelec, he will have to seek safe haven elsewhere after SHAMPOON KILLER roll over MGCDF 2019. The rest is cordially invited into the moshpit to make hell!

PURNAMA (cz)

The Czech outfit PURNAMA has been rampaging on the scene for some time now. There is plenty of energy and soul in their music, as apparent from their kick-ass debut album “Lioness” (2017). Where others however end, PURNAMA takes it one step further. Thus, their initiative gave birth to a project called “Metal for Hope”, which is a community of people organizing charity metal shows and generally involving all those that are involved in metal in the name of a good cause. Said shows are nothing haphazard, but carefully orchestrated, thus bearing notable fruit (take for instance the show at Trosky castle that brought 52K CZK for a girl suffering from cancer). In this regard, PURNAMA is pretty unique and should thus not escape your attention. For 2019, the band has plenty of shows scheduled, MGCDF 2019 included. So, bear that mind and see you there!

Enjoy and more next time!