INFERNO FESTIVAL 2024 (Oslo, Norway)
March 28-31, 2024
by Jorge Patacas
For the fourth time in a row we attended the Inferno Festival, which became a traditional event that takes place annually during Easter in the heart of Oslo, the capital of Norway. In each edition the organization not only cares about having an attractive lineup with some of the most important names in extreme metal, but also ensures that both local and foreign audiences complement their experience with unique activities. As a novelty, on this occasion, an art exhibition was held at the Clarion The Hub hotel (festival’s official hotel) where Zbigniew Bielak (Watain, Ghost, Mayhem, etc.), Costin Chioreanu (Emperor, At the Gates, Paradise Lost and a very long etc.), Jannicke Wiese-Hansen (Immortal, Enslaved, Burzum, etc.), among several other amazing visual artists, each with their own style. All this in addition to the already traditional fair with internationally renowned tattoo artists, a sightseeing bus tour around some of the most important places related to the history of black metal with Anders Odden (Cadaver, Satyricon, Mistra) as a guide, metal auction presented by Tore Bratseth (ex Old Funeral, Bömbers) where you have the opportunity to get some relics from the early days of the black metal scene, DJs making sure there’s good music at all times, meet and greets, screenings of films related to metal, hiking tours through different parts of the city and more.
But perhaps one of the biggest attractions of Inferno is that although it’s the longest running metal festival in Norway, it preserves that family atmosphere that is so appreciated by those who prefer smaller festivals rather than massive ones like Hellfest or Wacken.
As every year, the concerts took place in the two main venues, Rockefeller and John Dee, as well as other well-known pubs on the local scene such as Kniven, Rock In, Vaterland and Brewgata, adding this year the recently opened Goldie, located right around the corner from the main stages.
Wednesday, March 27:
For us the party began on Wednesday, March 27 at the SALT venue where every year the festival organizes a meeting for delegates in addition to the Indie Recordings Label Night event, where bands that are signed to this local record label present their material live. This year the event had two stages instead of one as it used to. So the Norwegians Fight the Fight, Oberst and Jordsjuk played on the main stage, Arktisk Scene, while Halcyon Days and Finland’s Mørket played on the secondary stage Langhuset.
Thursday, March 28:
On Thursday the activity began at noon at the Clarion hotel where once again the Inferno Music Conference was held, an event that brings together journalists, musicians, managers, promoters, press agents and other key players in the music industry to debate on different topics. It is a unique instance where participants from all over the world can make connections, and it is always very enriching to listen, learn and exchange ideas and points of view. On this first day of the conference, some of the highlights were the panel “Diversifying Revenue Streams: Beyond Music Sales” with Linda Melsom (Indie Recordings) as moderator, where Sonia Goldberg (Century Media), Martin Koller (SPKR Media) and Andy Farrow (Northern Music) discussed the different strategies to generate income in the current situation of the industry, and “Black Metal in Writing” where Harald Fossberg, author of the book “Nyanser av Svart”, and Dayal Patterson, author of “Black Metal: Evolution of the Cult”, talked about their experience writing about this genre, considering the fact that both books were recently reissued. In both cases, the books were revised and contain new cover artwork, while in the case of Patterson’s book, it contains more than twenty new chapters.
Shortly after, the Danish outfit Konvent would be the first to set foot on the Rockefeller stage in this edition of the festival. Unfortunately we could not be present at their show because we were doing an interview at that very moment, so when we arrived it was the Norwegians Keep of Kalessin who were about to start their show before a full house. Last year the band released their first studio album in eight years, “Katharsis”, so we had the opportunity to listen to some songs from this release such as the title track and “Hellride”, while vocalist and guitarist Obsidian C. announced that they will be releasing another album soon. The black metallers from Trondheim delivered a powerful performance with brilliantly executed riffs and their trademark melodies creating a truly epic atmosphere.
Rockefeller and John Dee are in the same complex, so it was possible to move from one stage to another via an internal staircase, so we moved to the smaller of the two stages, John Dee, which has a capacity for 400 people. The band performing there was Crypta, which was formed in 2019 by former Nervosa members Fernanda Lira (vocals and bass) and Luana Dametto (drums), whose current lineup is complemented by Tainá Bergamaschi and Jéssica Falchi on guitars. This being their first time at the festival and the first show of their European tour, the audience filled the venue several minutes before the show started and some had to wait a few minutes until someone came out to enter. With a great attitude on stage, sharp riffs and thunderous blast beats, the Brazilians made an audience hungry for good death metal vibrate. They opened with “The Other Side of Anger” and dedicated almost the entire show to their second and latest studio album to date, “Shades of Sorrow” (2023). At the end they played “From the Ashes”, the first single from their debut album “Echoes of the Soul” (2021), putting an end to an intense performance that impressed several in the crowd.
The doom metal pioneers Candlemass delivered a solid show as usual. Since Johan Längquist’s return as vocalist in 2018, they have remained with the same line-up and are going through a great phase in their career having released their latest album “Sweet Evil Sun” in 2022. Using the cover artwork of their masterpiece “Epicus Doomicus Metallicus” (1986) as backdrop, their slow, heavy and melodic songs sounded great in a vibrant set which included some classics such as “Mirror Mirror”, “Crystal Ball” and “A Sorcerer’s Pledge”, after which bassist Leif Edling recalled his first time on that same stage as the opening act for the mighty Slayer. The show came to a close with “The Bells of Acheron” and the inevitable “Solitude” that always evokes emotions in each of the fans of this genre.
It was expected that the Cattle Decapitation show at John Dee was going to be packed, just as it happened with Crypta, therefore there were several people who this time entered the venue several minutes before to ensure a good spot. The Americans are promoting their latest release “Terrasite” (2023), which garnered very good reviews from both press and fans. They opened with the brutal “Terrasitic Adaptation” and immediately the vocalist Travis Ryan in an inexplicable attitude asked the photographers who were doing their job to leave the photo pit, which is why there are no photos of the band in this review. They continued with “Scourge of the Offspring” and from then on it was one blast after another shaking the venue’s foundations with their fierce combination of death metal and grindcore. A very intense and energetic show that had a great reception.
Thursday’s headliners were Norway’s Kampfar, who had last played the festival two years ago. In 2024 the band is celebrating thirty (!) years of career, so this performance at Inferno was a special occasion to span their vast discography. So much so that they even played gems like “Lyktemenn” from their third album “Kvass” (2006), being one of the highlights of the evening. The visual aspect is also important for the band and this time they had smoke, pyrotechnics and of course Norwegian flags decorating the stage, which together with the strong stage presence of the vocalist Dolk and a great job by the rest of the members, proves that Kampfar is more relevant than ever.
Once their show was over, it was time to rest and recharge batteries for the second day.
Friday, March 29:
Just like the previous day, more interesting panels took place before the shows began on the main stages. The first one we attended was “To RL or AI: That is the Question”, a panel moderated by Erin Lynch (FlyingFox) which featured visual artists David Thiérrée, Nick Morte, Kim Diaz Holm and Costin Chioreanu discussing artificial intelligence and how it will affect their work and the music industry in general as it continues to develop. A very interesting talk that unfortunately was short considering that it is a very important topic that not only can severely affect the entire artistic field, but also has implications for the future of humanity itself. Therefore, it can be assumed that there might be another panel on this topic next year, but we’ll see if it happens.
The next panel “Dracula Unveiled” was dedicated to the history and mystery surrounding the region of Transylvania and its role as a source of inspiration in different cultural areas such as music and Bram Stoker’s novel, “Dracula”. For this, the Romanian historian Andrei Pogacias together with the German journalist Gunnar Sauermann (Metal Hammer) gave an excellent presentation where they talked about Vlad The Impaler and the myths surrounding the Bran Castle, vampires and the story of Dracula.
Then it was the turn of “Navigating through the PR landscape in 2024”, a panel where Katy Irizarry (Suspiria PR), Jessica Otten (Future Cult / Hold Tight PR), Laetitia Abennes (Northstar Media / AISA Music) and Leoni Dowidat (Nuclear Blast) discussed ways to promote bands nowadays, from traditional media such as printed magazines to webzines, podcasts, YouTube channels and social media. An interesting talk that also had an active participation of the audience.
The last activity of the day before the concerts was a workshop called “The Banshee Within” where Kathrine Shepard, better known by her stage name Sylvaine, talked about the different techniques related to screaming, particularly the fry scream, as well as providing advice on what to do and what not to do to achieve the expected result without causing damage to the vocal cords.
The legendary Arthur Brown, self-described “The God of Hellfire”, was given the task of opening the Rockefeller stage. Having served as an inspiration for shock rock icons such as Alice Cooper and many others who appeared later, Brown is still touring at 81 (!) years old, more than fifty years after the hit “Fire” that was featured on his band Crazy World of Arthur Brown’s self-titled debut album. The British artist appeared on stage with his face covered in makeup backed by a great lineup to deliver a very theatrical show that had several costume changes, including the traditional burning helmet during the aforementioned “Fire”. Other gems from the past such as “Nightmare” and “Sunrise” were also part of the set, the latter originally from his former band Kingdom Come, which delighted psychedelic rock fans. Even though his style is not what you expect to see at Inferno, there was an excellent response from a large part of the audience, even more so in the moments when Brown sang almost a capella. Great start to the second day!
The supergroup Vltimas was the next to take the stage, this being their second performance on Norwegian soil, but their first at Inferno. Their line-up is comprised of David Vincent (ex-Morbid Angel) on vocals, Rune “Blasphemer” Eriksen (ex-Mayhem) on guitar and Flo Mounier (Cryptopsy) on drums, although the latter could not be present on this occasion, so he was replaced by Pawel Jaroszewicz (Antigama, Batushka) who did a phenomenal job. The rest of the lineup is complemented by the Dutch Ype Terwisscha van Scheltinga on bass and the Portuguese João Duarte on guitar. The band released their second album “Epic” last March and from this one they played some songs such as the title track which opened the show, “Mephisto Manifesto” and “Invictus”, which had a very good reception among fans. Fortunately the sound helped and each instrument could be distinguished, in addition to Vincent that continues to impress with his brutal voice sometimes giving way to a semi-clean voice that fits perfectly with the blackened death metal the band plays. Vltimas reflects on stage the experience of its members and offers a show that is as intense as it’s dark.
Umbra Conscientia took over the John Dee stage some minutes later, unleashing raw and aggressive black metal. Comprising of members from such different countries as Germany and Costa Rica, they performed their second show in Norway after their successful performance at Beyond the Gates festival in Bergen in 2022 and impressed again this time. Their second effort “Nigredine Mundi” was released via Terratur Possessions in 2022. Highly recommended.
While Inferno’s main focus is on black metal, there has always been space for bands from other genres and this year they have welcomed Extermination Dismemberment, a slam/brutal death metal band from Belarus, who has gained people’s attention for some time now. The four piece delivered a show full of energy (and lots of breakdowns!), conquering an audience which immediately responded by starting moshpits and even a small wall of death.
German duo Mantar demolished John Dee with their unique sound that combines sludge, black metal and rock n’ roll. Located opposite to each other, vocalist/guitarist Hanno Klänhardt unleashed all his fury on both vocals and guitar, while Erinc Sakarya pounded the drums with enviable energy. Besides some technical issues that Klänhardt referred to on several occasions, they managed to satisfy the audience by giving their 100% on stage.
Saturday, March 30th:
The third day of Inferno on the main stages began with Saor, the project of Scottish multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Andy Marshall, who has a band for live shows. Although there were less people in the venue at that time of the day, a considerable number were present and witnessed their atmospheric folk/black metal with lyrics that tell stories and myths from the Caledonian mountains.
Tilintetgjort is a band that has been doing several shows in the Oslo underground circuit since its inception in 2020. Consisting of members from bands such as Whip, The 3rd Attempt, Troll and Den Saakaldte, what they do is black metal with a strong influence of the 90’s sound from bands like Darkthrone or Gorgoroth, but open to experimentation as well. Fans and curious filled John Dee to see their show that included a new song called “The Oracle”, as well as material from their debut album “In Death I Shall Arise” (2023) where we can highlight “Vinter og Høst” and “Hex”, a song that has an official video clip. This is a band that definitely has a promising future.
One of the best performances of the day was that of Sweden’s Orbit Culture, who since their formation in 2013 has been growing to the point of building a large fan base thanks to convincing releases and tours, which recently included one with In Flames, At the Gates and Imminence and another with Fear Factory and Machine Head. Their style is oriented towards modern metal with influences ranging from melodic death metal to groove with certain industrial elements, which explains their current popularity mainly among the younger audience who did not hesitate to start moshpits and circle pits during the performance. Will they be the next Gojira? Time will tell.
Behemoth has played a few times in Norway in recent years, but this time we had the opportunity to see their vocalist/guitarist Nergal’s side project, Me and that Man, where he shows another side oriented towards a mix of dark folk rock, country and gothic blues. Accompanied by a great lineup, Nergal seems very comfortable in this style. This became even more noticeable when at one point in the set he introduced Sivert Høyem from the Norwegian band Madrugada as a guest vocalist to perform the song “Coming Home” just as they do on the studio album “New Man, New songs, Same Shit Vol. 1” (2020), and the Madrugada cover, “Look Away Lucifer”, perhaps the Norwegians’ darkest song, where Jørgen Munkeby (Shining, Emperor) also joined as a guest on saxophone that evening.
Other highlights of the show were the single “My Church Is Black”, “Burning Churches”, the cover of the immortal Roky Erikson, “White Faces”, and their own song “Losing My Blues”, with which they closed their performance.
This third day was sold out and that was clear the moment Borknagar began their performance on the main stage. The band is promoting their most recent material, the acclaimed “Fall”, released last February and therefore they opened their show with “Nordic Anthem” included on this album, but of course there was room to play songs from the rest of their discography, where folk, black and progressive metal coexist in one entity. Some of the highlights of the show came with “Dauden” from the debut album “Borknagar” (1996) and the more recent “Up North” and “Voices”, which got a huge singalong by the crowd.
The Norwegians Khold who had the difficult task of playing just before the headliners, put on a brilliant performance at John Dee. Despite some technical problems at the beginning while they were playing “Vanviddfaren” from their latest effort “Du dømmes til død”, the rest of their performance continued without any major issues and they got the audience moving with their black n’ roll that is catchy and aggressive at the same time.
Dimmu Borgir closed the day with a very special show celebrating its 30th anniversary in front of a Rockefeller so packed that it was almost impossible to move. They started their set with an old-school gem like “Raabjørn speiler draugheimens skodde” from their debut “For All Tid” (1994) and then came “Spellbound (By the Devil)” and “Entrance”, two great songs from their masterpiece “Enthrone Darkness Triumphant” released in 1997. Symphonic black metal in all its glory! Next, vocalist Shagrath invited three of the band’s former members, ICS Vortex (bass and clean vocals), Mustis (keyboards) and Tjodalv (drums) to come on stage to play “The Insight and the Catharsis” from their album “Spiritual Black Dimensions” (1999), a surprise that was one of the highlights of the show and the festival itself. Without a doubt a magical moment for those nostalgic for that golden era of the band. They then continued with their current lineup for a set with some fan favorites like “The Chosen Legacy” and “Dimmu Borgir” with which they left the stage for the first time.
The encore began with “Blessings Upon the Throne of Tyranny”, and soon after came the majestic “Progenies of the Great Apocalypse”. Considering what had happened before with the former members coming on stage, it could be assumed that ICS Vortex would also be present on this song, considering the role he has on the original recording, but this ultimately did not happen. Then came the classic “Mourning Palace” and for the last time the audience burst into ecstasy, thus closing an unforgettable night. Without a doubt one of the best shows of the festival.
Sunday, March 31:
Upon arriving at the venue on the fourth and final day of the festival, it was clear that the audience was smaller compared to the previous days, but there was still a significant number of attendees who witnessed the show of the Icelandic black metallers Misþyrming, who were finishing their performance.
We then moved to the John Dee stage where Sweden’s Dödsrit would deliver their first show on Norwegian soil. The quartet formed in 2017 impressed with guitar-driven melodic black metal and melodies as catchy as they are dark, with a lesser amount of the crust and hardcore influences from their early days. Lighting that barely allowed the members to be seen helped create the ideal atmosphere for a set with very long songs that had a very good response among those who stayed until the end.
Another band that had never played at this festival before was Winterfylleth, who have a particular sound that is rooted in black metal, but with a strong atmospheric element and folk influences. Originally from Manchester, England, these guys don’t need corpse paint or a big stage production to captivate their fans. They achieve this by flawlessly executing their extensive compositions where different climates coexist, from aggressive moments to more atmospheric ones, with the ability to keep the audience mesmerized at all times. Some of the highlights were “A Valley Thick With Oaks” and “The Reckoning Dawn” from the album of the same name released in 2020, but we were also lucky enough to hear a new song, “To The Edge of Tyranny”.
From western Norway, more precisely from Bergen, Phantom Fire arrived to destroy everything on John Dee’s stage. Their second and latest album to date is called “Eminente Lucifer Libertad” and was released last year through local record label Edged Circle Productions. Their fusion of speed, thrash and black metal infected the audience from the beginning with songs like “The Ninth Gate” or “Sweet Jezebel”, leaving a very good impression even among those who were not familiar with the band.
When mentioning Seattle, the first musical reference that may come to mind is the grunge explosion of the 90’s, but it’s also the birthplace of several metal bands including this duo composed of Dylan Desmond (bass and vocals) and Jesse Shreibman (drums and vocals), who brought a good dose of funeral doom to John Dee. In a very minimalist way they manage to create a truly dark and gloomy atmosphere, perfect for those who love this genre. Extremely slow, dense, heavy and emotional songs that immerse one in an unparalleled experience.
One of bands most anticipated by the crowd was Finntroll, the Finns who know how to perfectly combine folk and black metal. From the moment they went on stage (with troll ears included!) a party atmosphere began that continued throughout their show on the Rockefeller stage, especially in classics like “Trollhammaren”, one of the most celebrated by the crowd. Some even decided to crowdsurf at different times and it was clear that they wanted more once the party came to an end.
A band that never disappoints is Koldbrann and this was no exception. Their style of black metal is raw and direct, with sinister riffs and a vocalist like Mannevond, who spits the lyrics with authority and a defiant attitude, being one of the best in the Norwegian underground scene in this regard. The set had everything, from the recent single “Den 6. Massedød (Manna fra en annen himmel)” to the first song composed by the aforementioned vocalist in their 2002 demo. It is inexplicable how this band with a career of more than twenty years never went further when they have plenty of potential to achieve it. Here the audience responded accordingly to a furious display of old school Norwegian black metal.
As in 2022, the band selected to close the festival was Taake. Led by their frontman Hoest and his intimidating presence, the Bergen outfit put on an epic show that began with “Fra Vadested Til Vaandesmed”.
During the set there was no shortage of great songs like “Nordbundet” or “Myr”, which includes the banjo solo, something the band dared to experiment with at the time, achieving a positive result. In fact, it is one of the most anticipated songs by fans at shows. There was also room for songs from their recently released album “Et hav av avstand” (2023), such as “Denne forblaaste ruin av en bro” and “Et uhyre av en kniv”. The end came with “Nattestid Ser Porten Vid I” and thus also concluded a new edition of Inferno, a festival that always guarantees a good time, with great shows, interesting activities, as well as meeting old friends or meeting new ones. Don’t hesitate to attend if you have the opportunity! See you there in 2025!
