song, they would give a brief backstory on it, which most certainly had to do with trees, before launching into a medieval tavern sing-song. Even though some of my companions turned on their heels and went in search of coffee by the second song, I could not help but be enamored, not only by the diversity of this festival, but also by the gumption of this band to be the oddballs.

After the show, while the band was milling about talking to the crowd, the vocalist, Sierra Fox, mentioned that she was on her way to sing for the Pope’s visit to the United States. What a wonderful leap from pagan wooded rituals to sacred hymnals.

A Moonlit Path by Ashagal

So much can be said about the highlights of thefrom. During the last night, a few of the security guards came by the fire and talked with the rest of us, regaling us with stories of working Maryland Deathfest and West Coast metal ritual festivals. They mentioned how metal festivals are the easiest to work since their fans seem to be of the more relaxed variety. I somehow like that notion that perhaps the darkest and most evilly tuned music makes for the most relaxing weekends, and that somewhere between lounging by a lake for the weekend and offering your soul to the void lies Shadow Woods.



Velnias



Occultation



Hivelords



Unsacred



Day of the Beast



Snakefeast



Falls of Rauros



Sentient