HELLBOTN METALFEST 2022 (Kolbotn, Norway)
August 26-27, 2022
by Jorge Patacas
If you’re into that cozy familiar feeling that smaller underground festivals bring, then Hellbotn Metalfest is definitely a must for you! As usual, this year’s edition was held at Kolben Kulturhus in Kolbotn, Norway, but this time there were two stages instead of three as it was the case last time we attended the event back in 2019.
Something that is really good about Hellbotn is that the schedule is organized in such a way that when a show ends on one stage, another begins on the other one, so the audience don’t have to miss any band.
Everything started with the Kolbotn local band Magmakammer and their psychedelic doom. The three-piece released their debut album “Mindtripper” in 2018 and an EP called “Bloody Diamond” one year later, both of them getting positive reviews. Influences from Black Sabbath and newer bands like Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats can be heard in their music and that was perfect to begin the evening. The crowd was still arriving to the venue when they were playing, but those who were present were able to enjoy their 45-minute set.
There were already more people when Vemod took the main stage. Hailing from Namsos, in central Norway, they started back in 2000 releasing their only album to date, “Venter på Stormene”, twelve years later, and this was enough to make a name for themselves. While waiting for new material, the crowd was invited to a new ritual where the four-piece showed what their ambient black metal, or dark ethereal metal as they describe it, is all about. As usual, they were able to build a dark and mysterious atmosphere by alternating the black metal parts with more ambient intercourses. A very solid performance.
Reptilian was a great surprise for those who didn’t know them. The band comes from Fusa, a small village in the western part of Norway, and has a violent sound that has its roots in the old school death metal and is combined with thrash riffs and even some elements of doom. Their performance was intense and full of energy with lots of headbanging thanks to songs like “Possessed by the Eyes of the Living God” and “Transmigration”, both featured on their first and only album to date, “Perennial Void Traverse”, that came out via the Norwegian label Edged Circle Productions back in 2016.
Then it was time for some black metal and Koldbrann was there to serve the purpose. As they did some days before at Midgardsblot festival, they confirmed once again how good they are giving their 100% on stage, playing their songs with conviction and managing to immerse the crowd in their world. Their latest record “Vertigo” came out in 2013, so we’ll see whether they come up with new material soon.
Myrkskog had to cancel their appearance at the festival last minute due to sickness, so the local band Abhorration took over and they definitely met the expectations. This band was formed in 2020 and features Magnus Garathun on vocals/guitars, Arild Myren Torp (Nekromantheon, Obliteration) on lead guitar and two Purple Hill Witch members, Andreas Hagen on bass and Øyvind Kvam on drums. Visceral riffs, menacing solos, speed, blast beats and raw sound in a show full of rage where they crushed everything on their path. You know old school spirit is still alive and well when bands like Abhorration exist. Give yourself a favor and go to their shows!
The headliners on the first day were the German thrash metal legends Destruction who became a four piece with the addition of Argentinian guitar player Martín Furia (Bark, ex Jesus Martyr) in 2021. The opener was the title track of their new album “Diabolical” and some of the fan favorites from different periods followed. “Nailed to the Cross”, “Mad Butcher”, “Release From Agony”, “Life Without Sense”, among others. They also played “Repent Your Sins” and “Tormented Soul” to promote their latest effort leaving the stage after another old school gem, “Total Desaster”. The encore started with a thrash metal anthem, “Curse the Gods”, followed by “Thrash Till Death”.
Unfortunately, many people started to leave before the end of the show, so now the room was half empty and the bassist/vocalist Schmier referred to it saying “do they have to go to church tomorrow morning?” before they continued with “Bestial Invasion”. It was a bit of a pity to see just a few people at the venue by the end of the show since we’re talking about one of the big four from Germany here!
Hailing from Kolbotn, Canoon opened the second day of the festival while most of the people were still arriving to the venue. The band has been playing for over twenty years now, so they had stuff from different periods to play including a song about Hellbotn itself called “Fra Kolbotn til Hellbotn and Back Again”. They closed their performance with the title track for their EP “Fire Folk og En Labrador” that was released in 2021.
A really interesting band to see live was Inculter which has two members from Reptilian in their lineup. In fact, both bands released a split CD back in 2013, but Inculter is more focused on thrash metal, or blackened thrash metal would suit them best actually, since there are hints of black metal in their music here and there. “Open the Tombs” was the one chosen to start their powerful show followed by “Shepherd of Evil”, both songs from their latest effort “Fatal Visions” (2019). There were also songs from their first album “Persisting Devolution” (2015) on their explosive set, including “Endless Torment” and “Diabolic Forest” which was the last one for the evening. Some bands are better in studio than live and vice versa, but these guys are insanely good in both. They sounded really tight on stage and definitely deserved the response they had from the audience.
Right after them, it was the turn for Diskord, an extreme metal trio formed in 1999 in the capital of the country, Oslo. The only original member left is the drummer Hans Jørgen Ersvik who is also the owner of the underground record label No Posers Please! If you are/were in the Oslo area, you have probably seen him at the record store Katakomben sometime as well. The band has released their third full-length studio album “Degenerations” in 2021, so in addition to the older songs, we also got to hear some of the new ones like “Loitering in the Portal”, “Bionic Tomb Eternal”, “Abnegations”, “The Endless Spiral” and “Beyond the Grime”. Songs are aggressive, fast and short, and all three members manage to sing in different songs, although the drummer is the main vocalist. Superb performance!
The legendary Impaled Nazarene from Finland were next at the main stage. On a performance that lasted almost one hour, they got the crowd moving with an explosive set that featured tracks not only from the new album “Eight Headed Serpent” (2021), but also revisited their roots with songs such as “Condemned to Hell” or “Sadogoat” from their debut “Tol Cormpt Norz Norz Norz…” (1992) and “Sadhu Satana” from the acclaimed “Ugra-Karma” (1993). They finished their set with two classics, “Armageddon Death Squad” and “Total War – Winter War” where the audience sang along.
Deathhammer’s vocalist Sergeant Salsten was in the audience during the Impaled Nazarene performance headbanging a lot and right after the show ended, he had to run towards the other stage to perform with his band. People know what to expect from a Deathhammer show and it was as wild and intense as usual. The minute they started playing their blackened thrash, the crowd went nuts. This is old school in all ways possible, from the aggression and speed of the music to the visual aspect reminiscent of the early thrash/speed/black/death metal bands from the 80’s and even more the attitude on stage. Even though Deathhammer has been playing for seventeen years now, they’re fortunately still young and passionate enough to do this for many more years and that’s good news.
One of the greatest achievements from Hellbotn’s organization this year was inviting the Swedish underground legends Nifelheim to perform as headliners on the last day of the festival. It’s not a band that one can see live everyday and many were very excited about it. With an amazing presence on stage in terms of visuals and theatrics, the band destroyed the place with some of the most blasphemic songs such as “Storm of the Reaper”, “Satanic Sacrifice” and “Possessed by Evil” getting an overwhelming response from the crowd who chanted the name of the band many times.
What a great way to close this year’s edition of Hellbotn. Already looking forward to 2023!
