Texas Independence Fest w/ Dying Fetus, Thy Art Is Murder, Carnifex, Oceano, Fit for an Autopsy, Sworn In, Evergreen Terrace, the Browning, Rivers of Nihil, Enterprise Earth, Spite, Darkness Divided, Bodysnatcher, Buried Above Ground, Shadow of Intent, Sanction, Purifier

Hardscrabbling together “Texan Pride, heavy metal music, [and] BBQ” since 2008, Come and Take It Productions tops the 2018 iteration of its annual Texas Independence Fest not with a regional monster, but rather a Maryland institution. Grindcore trio Dying Fetus joins previous headlining imports Down, Behemoth, and Goatwhore. They’ll represent the Republic nonetheless.

“Texas is one of the best places to play in the world,” writes drummer Trey Williams.“We love the Lone Star State.”

Last summer’s eighth LP from the progressive death merchants, Wrong One to Fuck With (Relapse), splattered one of the group’s best albums overall and its top seller, which even cracked the Billboard charts.

“We put a lot of time and effort into this album,” acknowledges the beat master. “Every detail was reviewed and reviewed again. This album grabbed the ear of the fans, and we’re grateful for the positive reception.”

So now it’s deodorant commercials, Netflix series soundtracking, and extreme sport spots!

“[We’re] not meant for the mainstream,” counters Williams. “Open your eyes and look at the content of most band shirts. The general population can’t and won’t stomach that kind of content/imagery. Also, I think most of America sees hard music as a joke.”

But “Fixated on Devastation” and “Ideological Subjugation” are so ... catchy.

“We’ve always tried to have good songs. If the end product is ‘catchy,’ then it is what it is. We just do what we do: mix grind, death, hardcore, and thrash into a human blender.”

– Raoul Hernandez