Flight of the Valkyries was an annual metal festival with editions held

Saint Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (often abbreviated St. Paul) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County, Minnesota, Ramsey County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, ...

, and beginning in 2010,

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...

, in the United States. The festival was dedicated to metal bands with female lead vocalists. In 2007 SwordLord Productions announced the first Flight of the Valkyries festival, dedicated to metal bands with female lead vocalists. Shortly after seeing the Minnesota promoter's festival announcement, Maryland-based promoter Bobbie Dickerson of BlackRoseMetalHeart Promotions contacted promoter Nathan Block of SwordLord Productions. The two immediately began working together to create and promote the US-based festival that showcased the talent and the diversity of women in the metal genre. In 2010, the Flight of the Valkyries festival began to grow under the guidance and promotion of BlackRoseMetalHeart Promotions to include an east coast show, aptly titled FotV East. FotV East debuted in Baltimore at The Ottobar on November 6, 2010. The FotV East Mini-Fest showcased regional female-fronted metal acts, attempting to gather more east coast support for future FotV festivals in Baltimore. Due to the positive response to the first FotV East festival in 2010, another festival was planned for Baltimore in 2011 featuring more well-known national acts.https://www.facebook.com/pages/Flight-Of-The-Valkyries/108365872060

History

The festival debuted at Station 4 in St. Paul, Minnesota in June 2007 featuring bands Doro, Vainglory, Earthen, The Ottoman Empire (now known as

Luna Mortis Luna Mortis, formerly The Ottoman Empire, was an American heavy metal band based in Madison, Wisconsin. The band was formed in late 2001 in Monroe, Wisconsin as The Ottoman Empire. In 2006, the band self-released their debut studio album, '' ...

), Visideon, Spiritual Decay, and Sirens of Titan. In June 2008, the Flight of the Valkyries continued with its second installment featuring

Unexpect Unexpect (often stylized as uneXpect, or unexpecT, and UnexpecT) was a Canadian avant-garde extreme metal band from Montréal, featuring a unique amalgamation of different metal subgenres like progressive metal, death metal, black metal and mel ...

, Shadowside, Benedictum, Dendura, Visideon, Earthen, Something to Fear, and Aria Sharp. In June 2009, Flight of the Valkyries held its third annual festival featuring Benedictum,

, Todesbonden (featuring Laurie Ann Haus), Hydrogyn, A.D.D., Sirens of Titan, Kaptivating Kate, Rott, and guest vocalist

Nina Osegueda A Sound of Thunder is an American heavy metal band from the Washington D.C. metro area, United States. This four piece band is known for its varying styles of musical composition, powerful female vocals, and energetic live shows. History Ba ...

. Flight of the Valkyries moved to Baltimore in November 2010, now titled Flight of the Valkyries East.

Past line-ups

2007 - St. Paul

DORO (Germany)
Vainglory (Georgia, USA)
Earthen (Chicago, Illinois, USA)
Visideon (Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA)
The Ottoman Empire (Madison, Wisconsin, USA)
Spiritual Decay (Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA)
Sirens of Titan (Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA)

2008 - St. Paul

(Canada)
Shadowside (Brazil)
Benedictum (San Diego, CA)
Visideon (Minneapolis, MN)
Dendura (Detroit/Grand Rapids, MI)
Earthen (Brookfield, IL)
Something to Fear (Minneapolis, MN)
Aria Sharp (Minneapolis, MN)

2009 - St. Paul

Benedictum (San Diego, CA/Arizona)

(Madison, Wisconsin, USA)
Todesbonden (Maryland/DC/Virginia)

Hydrogyn Hydrogyn is an American indie hard rock band from Ashland, Kentucky. The band was formed in 2004 by guitarists Jeff Westlake and Jeff Boggs and vocalist Julie Westlake. Achieving success with their second album ''Bombshell'', they have released ...

(Kentucky)
A.D.D. (Illinois)
Sirens of Titan (Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA)
Kaptivating Kate (Wisconsin)
Rott (Idaho)

2010 - FotV East - Baltimore

Black Widow USA (Baltimore, Maryland)
Operatika (New Jersey)
River Runs Scarlet (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)

A Sound of Thunder "A Sound of Thunder" is a science fiction short story by American writer Ray Bradbury, first published in ''Collier's'' magazine on June 28, 1952, and later in Bradbury's 1953 collection '' The Golden Apples of the Sun''. Plot summary In the y ...

(Washington, DC)
eist(Baltimore, Maryland)
Suhgarim (Columbia, South Carolina)
Dying Design (Baltimore, Maryland)
Cassandra Syndrome (Frederick, Maryland)

2011 - FotV East - Baltimore

Benedictum
Echoterra
DesDemon
Brave
Flames of Fury
Serpent Witch

2012 - FotV 6 - Baltimore

https://www.facebook.com/events/327765770728326/
A Sound of Thunder
MindMaze
Echoes Never Lie
Sekengard
Spellborne

2015 - FotV 7 - Baltimore

MindMaze
Echoes Never Lie
Sweet Suicide
Spellborne

2016 - FotV 8 - Baltimore

https://www.facebook.com/events/1122686967755073/
Sorrowseed
Dogs & Day Drinkers
Shokker
Novarium
Master Sword

References

External links

Official festival websites * https://web.archive.org/web/20190727164427/http://flightofthevalkyries.com/ * http://www.femalemetalfest.us * http://www.fotvfest.com{{Dead link, date=April 2024 , bot=InternetArchiveBot , fix-attempted=yes Official social media
FotV on Facebook

FotV on MySpace

FotV Official Forum on Ultimate Metal

FotV on YouTube

FotV Last.FM Group
Heavy metal festivals in the United States Music festivals established in 2007