New York's Necrofest Looks To Be A Repulsively Good Time

There are music festivals where sundress-clad influencers soak up the sun and see the next hot young DJ, and then there's fucking Necrofest. The New York City-based festival, going down 9/20 to 9/21 at Brooklyn Bazaar and Saint Vitus Bar, is a cornucopia of death metal, grindcore, hardcore punk, and everything in between. Throw in vendors like Gutter Christ Productions, Haunted Hotel Records, and Syrup Head Recordings, as well as a wrestling deathmatch, and you've got yourself two days of being fed through the cultural meat grinder.

We spoke to festival organizers Zakk Mild, Josh Walton (also of Pink Mass) and Jackie Bett (of death metallers Oxalate) about what sets this multi-day cesspool apart from the rest.

What should the average metalhead expect from Necrofest?

Zakk Mild: Total controlled chaos and truly intense experiences catered towards complete fucking maniacs.

Josh Walton: Fans can expect to be hit with some of the heaviest hitters in the underground of death metal and grind, while also getting exposed to the world of deathmatch wrestling and some newer heavy hip-hop acts.

What's something about Necrofest that you think makes it stand apart from other local death metal fests?

JW: The diversity of the lineup and the joining of different underground communities is probably the biggest thing that sets us apart. The other thing I think is that we are highlighting bands who have cult followings, but you wouldn’t necessarily see at bigger fests because they are worried about filling larger venues. Basically, you’ll get a festival-type experience in a regular-sized venue, up close and personal

Jackie Bett: Aside from the diversity of the line up, our fest’s main focus is to expose a lot of rising underground talent that doesn’t get the appreciation it deserves, from rap to punk, metal, grindcore, etc. Our fest is trying to bring everyone together regardless of what preferences some people may have. We got it all in one.

ZM: Probably the complete and utter lunacy that ensues will be the stuff of infamy. We hope that we can make Mortician proud in terms of the level of sheer ignorance and heaviness on display.

Did you always want to put together such a varied crew of bands for this festival?

JW: Anyone who’s been to a fest that is strictly one genre knows that you get exhausted hearing bands that sound the same after two or three days. At Necrofest, you’ll get hit with so many different sights and sounds that it will continue to be interesting. Meanwhile, many music fans have never seen wrestling live in a small venue, and a lot of the wrestling fans might not know the bands that are playing. Necrofest is the place for those crowds to merge and party together!

What it is about Vitus that you think suits a fest like this?

ZM: Saint Vitus is without question the best underground music venue around. Having worked there for over five years, I can say from experience that I have never seen another venue completely nail the combination of good sound, good vibe, good booking, great bartenders, etc. From the top down, it’s a classy organization that has become a beacon of the underground and staple of the extreme music community. ALSO, THE PICKLEBACK SHOTS ARE DEADLY!

Who is a band you're personally excited about seeing?

JB: I’m mostly excited to see Canadian grindcore savages Kickass Violence and Ohio’s sludge and thrash metal bands Fistula and Subtype Zero.

ZM: So many great bands on this fest, but I cannot wait to see Taphos's U.S. debut at Necrofest, and I'm super stoked for Outer Heaven, WHO CRUSH EVERYTHING ALWAYS!

Tickets for Necrofest can be purchased at Saint Vitus' website.