Courtesy Ko\u0304LAB Studios<\/p>\n
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Denver metalheads, rejoice! There\u2019s a new homegrown extreme music festival coming to town this summer, courtesy of longtime local producer Dave Otero.<\/p>\n
The owner and operator of Flatline Audio<\/a> announced full details on Thursday, January 8, for the inaugural Flatline Fest<\/a>, which will bring a stacked lineup to the Oriental Theater<\/a> for two days this summer.<\/p>\n The weekend kicks off Saturday, June 13, with Canadian tech-death titans Archspire<\/a>, Belgian brutal-death machine Aborted<\/a> and Nashville technical melodeath merchants Inferi<\/a>, alongside Colorado acts Nuclear Power Trio<\/a>, Of Feather and Bone<\/a>, and Clusterfux<\/a>. The second day, Sunday, June 14, features California deathgrinders Cattle Decapitation<\/a>, LA tech-death crew the Zenith Passage<\/a> and Denver death-metal legends Cephalic Carnage<\/a>, as well as native heavy-hitters Allegaeon<\/a>, In the Company of Serpents<\/a> and Necropanther<\/a>.<\/p>\n Yeah, absolutely stacked. Two-day passes are $90; single-day tickets are $50. There are also a limited number of early bird passes available for $85. All are available online<\/a> now. Pricing does not include ticketing platform fees.<\/p>\n With such a diverse lineup, the connective tissue between all of these bands is Otero.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve collaborated with every band in this lineup in the studio over many years and have always wanted to put something like this together,\u201d he says. \u201cThe fest is a chance to celebrate those friendships in one of our favorite independent venues.\u201d<\/p>\n Highlighting the healthy and thriving home state scene, which Otero\u2019s been involved in since he was a teenager playing in punk bands, was also part of the plan and indicative of his enduring relationships with performers such as Clusterfux, the 1990s Denver crossover group that recently reactivated.<\/p>\n \u201cThey were one of the bands that I decided I\u2019d like to include way early on just to tie it back as early as I could,\u201d Otero says, adding that brothers Josh and Justin Lent were there for some of his first shows. \u201cThose dudes I\u2019ve known longer than anyone else, honestly. They\u2019ve had a resurgence, then they do Chain Reaction, which is so awesome. They\u2019re still around, and I was around from so long ago, it goes way deep.\u201d<\/p>\n Then there\u2019s Nuclear Power Trio, the satirical three-piece that gained a viral following in 2020 for bringing together some of the most powerful and divisive political figures on the planet in the name of metal. No one knew Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jung Un could shred so hard, and Flatline Fest will be the masked Metal Blade<\/a> project\u2019s live debut.<\/p>\n \u201cThe most insane people, musicians and music. Sounds like nothing else. It\u2019s got a lot going for it,\u201d Otero says. \u201cIt\u2019s crazy, I sit here and stare at the lineup and I\u2019m like, \u2018This is fucking wild.\u2019 Every single one of these bands, I have all these memories and whole experiences tied to.\u201d<\/p>\n Like Cattle Decapitation, a group Otero\u2019s worked with on four records now, and as a result, have spent a lot of time in Denver.<\/p>\n \u201cThat whole band has essentially lived with me for an entire year, if you put it all together, which means they\u2019re practically Colorado residents,\u201d he says, adding that Flatline Studio serves as a home away from home to a lot of artists who come through. \u201cI feel like some of these bands have slightly outsized Colorado followings because of that. People know the connection and bands are here for two months and we\u2019re going out to shows. The Denver scene has a reputation for just showing up. For bands, they fucking love it.\u201d<\/p>\n The idea of Flatline Fest was teased on social media a couple of weeks ago and quickly lit up the online metalsphere, as popular websites such as Metal Injection<\/a> helped spread the word. The initial excitement and reception caught Otero off guard.<\/p>\n \u201cThe response to that blew me away. It was more than I anticipated, so that was surprising, but super cool and gratifying,\u201d he shares. \u201cIt felt like the time and effort I\u2019ve put into music over the last 25 years actually does mean something, which makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.\u201d<\/p>\n Otero is navigating the first foray into the festival game with his fianc\u00e9 and current co-promoter, Chelsea Lowe. The couple actually got engaged<\/a> on-stage during an Aborted set at Brutal Assault<\/a> in 2024. Now they\u2019re ready to tie the knot the same weekend as Flatline Fest. \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe catalyst for doing the fest at this point, even though it\u2019s been in the back of my head for years, is how do we get all of our best friends out for our wedding to celebrate with us? No better way to ensure they\u2019re available and they won\u2019t be on tour than to pay them to be here,\u201d Otero says with a laugh. \u00a0<\/p>\n He hints at future plans, but this first year is going to prove to be a big one for many reasons.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019d be silly to not keep it going,\u201d Otero concludes. \u201cIt\u2019s been so rewarding, why would I not do this again in the future?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nDenver Flatline Fest Lineup, Tickets and Dates<\/h2>\n
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