INFERNO FESTIVAL 2026 (Oslo, Norway)
April 2-5, 2026
by Jorge Patacas
2026 marked the 25th anniversary of Inferno Festival and our sixth time attending. This was the first edition without former director Jan-Martin Jensen, who sadly passed away last year. Fortunately, the new director and crew are carrying on his legacy maintaining the festival’s quality and identity intact.
As always, the main stages were located in the complex composed of the venues Rockefeller and John Dee, which are internally connected by a staircase. Rockefeller has a capacity of 1300 people, while the downstairs John Dee holds 500. Other nearby venues like Vaterland, Kniven, and Brewgata also held concerts as part of the festival as usual, and this year Crow Bar was added following the sudden closure of Goldie.
In addition to a great lineup, this edition had once again a lot more to offer, from guided tours to some important places related to the artist Edvard Munch’s life to the Black Metal Bus Sightseeing Tour where Anders Odden (Cadaver, Order) serves as guide taking you to some of the key places in the history of black metal such as the Holmenkollen chapel, Euronymous former record store Helvete (now Neseblod Records), his grave in Ski cemetery, and the Langhus station, the location of the famous photo of him and Necrobutcher lying on the bench.
The Inferno Metal Auction hosted by Tore Bratseth (ex Old Funeral) is also held annualy at the Clarion Hotel The Hub, which is the official hotel of the festival and is located in downtown Oslo, not that far from the venues. Here you have the chance to find some rare and unique pieces of black metal history straight from someone who was there in the early days. Also in the hotel there’s an art exhibition that this time included art from Nick Morte, Mathis Backe, Ina J. Lyngvær, Christian Voss, Chrigu Blum and Sara Iuso.
Wednesday, April 1:
We were once again invited to the Inferno Music Conference, which this year celebrated its 20th anniversary. This is always a great opportunity to meet other people in the music business and maybe make a good deal, no matter if you work on media, you’re a manager, agent or musician.
The event kicked-off with the annual warm-up party at the SALT venue, offering a chance to mingle and watch live performances. While previous editions featured bands signed to Indie Recordings, this year we got to see the projects from some of the members of the festival staff. The first one to take the stage was Nora Elise Stemland, head of digital marketing for the Inferno Music Conference, with her noise/dark ambient project Strangerous, followed by one of the production managers, Andreas Bjørke Sollien, with his punk rock band Anal Kanal. The last two acts were the metalcore outfit Anchors, featuring Andrew Haugstad (also production manager of IMC) on guitars, and Pastelljudas, which includes Hanna K Pettersen, who is in charge of the backline at John Dee.
Thursday, April 2:
The day started with panels held at the hotel as part of the Inferno Music Conference. Some of the music industry’s most important topics were discussed, and the audience was able to ask questions at the end of each session. We first attended a career talk with the legendary Napalm Death bass player Shane Embury, who was interviewed by his bandmate in Brujería and actress Jessica Pimentel. He opened up about mental health issues, addiction, sobriety, and of course, music. One memorable story he shared was his encounter with Ronnie James Dio where the legendary singer told him he liked Napalm Death and advised him to never give up. By the end of the Q&A session, Embury mentioned that the most exotic place he has ever played live was Manaos, Brazil, while the pinnacle of his career was his concert with Napalm Death in Chile in 1997.
Shane is currently promoting his book “Life?… and Napalm Death”, so you can check it out if you want to know more about his career and life’s journey so far.
Another interesting panel was the one called Accounting 101 moderated by Nathan Carson (Nanotear), where Sandra Pezold (Doomstar Bookings), Fredrik Andersson (Pace Management) and Andy Farrow (Northern Music Co.) discussed all the financial aspects surrounding a band, such as tours, merch sales, and tax rules in different countries.
Last panel of the day was called The Witch and The Wizard, again with Jessica Pimentel, but this time with her partner Thomas Haake (Meshuggah’s drummer) who we never see in an instance like this. It was a relaxed and unpredictable chat filled with hilarious moments, where Thomas was asked funny questions about hair care or his favorite cheese between serious topics. They also recounted the story of the first time they met back in 1998, and he also mentioned how he started playing drums in a church back in the day and described how small the scene was in Meshuggah’s hometown, Umeå, when they started in the late 80’s.
Right after this final panel, it was time to head to the Rockefeller venue, which is celebrating 40 years this year. Once inside, you could find merch and food stalls, a table set up for band signings, and the Inferno Tattoo Fair, where attendees could get inked by some of the most renowned local and international tattoo artists. Rockefeller features three floors and a rooftop bar, where you could hang out while musicians from the Norwegian metal scene acted as DJs, blasting a special playlist for Inferno.
The Ukrainian band 1914 were the first to hit the main stage, wearing war outfits before a large audience. Formed in 2014, this five-piece is known for music, lyrics, and imagery inspired by the World War I. In fact, they dedicated most of their set to their latest record “Viribus Unitis” (2025), which narrates the story of a Ukrainian soldier serving in the Austro-Hungarian Army, detailing his experiences in chronological order. However, lead singer Dmytro Ternushchak used the breaks between songs on several occasions to address the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, urging the audience to continue supporting their country. Their blackened death/doom metal was very well received, making it a powerful way to kick off the first day.
Svarttjern delivered some old school raw black metal infused with thrash and punk elements, the latter heavily influencing their attitude as well, specially that of their frontman, HansFyrste. They won over the audience with songs like “Ancient Shadows Revelation” and “All Hail Satan”, alongside punk-influenced tracks like “Aluminium Bat Domina” and the Turbonegro cover “Prince of the Rodeo”. They also paid tribute to the late John Thomas “Jontho” Bratland, vocalist of Ragnarok, by performing Ragnarok’s “Blackdoor Miracle” with Taake’s Hoest as a guest vocalist. It was an intense performance by this Oslo outfit, which has been active for over twenty years and shows no signs of giving up.
The legendary Incantation, fronted by guitarist/vocalist John McEntee, delivered a masterclass in how to play old school death metal, showcasing total precision and almost inhuman vocals. This marked their first performance at Inferno, and they decided to treat the fans by playing their debut album “Onward to Golgotha” (1992) in its entirety, including the bonus track “Eternal Torture”. Although McEntee is the only remaining member from the lineup that recorded the album, the current iteration featuring Luke Shively (guitars), Chuck Sherwood (bass) and Kyle Severn (drums) proved to be solid, talented, and technically flawless. The audience responded with moshpits, crowdsurfing, and headbanging, eventually chanting the band’s name. Undoubtedly, one of the best shows of the first day.
One of the most anticipated performances of the festival was that of Hulder, the Belgian/American one-woman band fronted by Marliese Beeuwsaert, who has been acclaimed by both media and fans in recent years. That’s why John Dee was packed when she took the stage, backed by her solid live band. Hulder’s approach to black metal is definitely on the atmospheric side, with medieval themes serving as crucial inspiration in all aspects of her work. Songs sounded just as great live as they do on the studio albums, if not even better, earning a great response from the crowd.
Up next was Tormentor, one of the few Hungarian bands to gain international recognition. Known for their 80s releases like “The 7th Day of the Doom” (1987) and specially “Anno Domini” (1989), the band is also famous for being fronted by Attila Csihar before he joined Mayhem in the 90s. Tormentor initially split in 1991, followed by a brief two-year comeback between 1999 and 2001, before reuniting in 2017 with the classic lineup, the same that performed at Inferno this time. Their show started with “Tormentor I” from the aforementioned “Anno Domini” demo, and immediately, Attila’s theatrics and vocal delivery became the center of attention, backed by a tight band. There was always something happening on the stage: Attila was seen holding a skull, waving a knife near his bandmates, whipping himself, or wearing a pig mask. Their music captures what black metal sounded like before it developed into what we know today, and it was a delight for both older and younger fans in the audience to witness the early days of this subgenre that evening.
Contrary to expectations, John Dee was slightly less crowded when Carnivore A.D. closed the stage. Originally known simply as Carnivore, this New York band made a name for themselves in the 80s with their unique approach to thrash metal, featuring Peter Steele on bass and vocals years before Type O Negative. After an initial split in 1990, the band reunited briefly between 1994 and 1996, and again from 2006 until 2010, the year Steele passed away.
In 2017, original members Marc Piovanetti (guitars) and Louie Beateaux (drums) reformed under the name Carnivore A.D. alongside new members Joe Branciforte (drums) and Baron Misuraca (Vasaria) (bass/vocals), but Misuraca is the only one still in the band today. His Vasaria bandmate, Chuck Lenihan, joined on guitar, while Joe Cangelosi (Uncivil War) took over on drums. Surprisingly, Misuraca bears a physical resemblance to Steele and mimics his vocal style remarkably well. The guitarist and drummer also delivered a stellar performance of classics like “Jesus Hitler”, “Retaliation” and “Male Supremacy”, with the crowd singing every word. The trio also debuted a new song, “I Stand Alone”, from their new EP “Transmutation”, marking its first ever live performance.
Afterwards, Misuraca took the microphone to pay tribute to original members Keith Alexander and Peter Steele, who passed away in 2005 and 2010 respectively, earning a round of applause from the crowd. After one more song, the band set down their instruments and greeted the audience as some fans began leaving to catch the next act. Just when it seemed they were done, they unexpectedly grabbed their instruments once again and delivered an amazing version of “Sex and Violence”. It was the perfect choice to close John Dee for the day.
The last act to take the stage was Cult of Luna, delivering an hypnotizing performance that immersed the crowd in both sound and visuals. This Swedish outfit, founded in 1998, has mastered the art of pushing the boundaries of the genre with their post-metal sound, a feat that first put them in the spotlight with the success of albums like “Salvation” (2004) and “Somewhere Along the Highway” (2006). Their setlist at Inferno consisted of a selection of material from nearly all of their studio albums, including songs like “Blood Upon Stone” and “Cold Burn” from their latest release “The Long Road North” (2022). In addition to guitar, bass and keyboards, they had two drum kits on stage. At times, one of the drummers also played the tambourine, creating a perfect balance between atmospheric and crushing parts. Cult of Luna brought the first day to a spectacular close, proving exactly why they were chosen as headliners.
Friday, April 3:
More panels were held on Friday as part of the Inferno Music Conference. We made it to the one called “Out of Place: Making Space(s) for Music”, where Nora Dyrvik (Kulturrom), Fritz-Ragnvald Rimala Pettersen (Vaterland), Chris Sherrington (Music Venue Properties) and Hein Rikar Steen Michaelsen (Seb’s Hotel) talked about their experiences developing solutions for creating independent music venues and rehearsal places for the underground scene.
Opening the Rockefeller stage on this second day was Funeral, the legendary Norwegian band formed in 1991, known as one of the pioneers of the funeral doom genre. Their style is obviously quite different from the black metal that predominates at the festival, yet nevertheless a decent crowd arrived early to witness their performance full of slow-paced songs about mourning, grief, and melancholy. A great example of this is the title track from the album “From These Wounds” (2006), which appeared early in the setlist, followed by a few words from vocalist Eirik Krokfjord dedicated to the memory of their former vocalist, Sindre Nedland, who sadly passed away last year at only 40 years old. The band then continued with “Materie” from their album “Praesentialis in Aeternum” (2021). The technical versatility of the lineup was on full display, with the guitarist and violinist pulling double duty by providing tight, melodic vocal support alongside their instrumental roles.
The band chose to end the show with “Too Young to Die”, the first track from their latest album, “Gospel of Bones” (2024), featuring Kari Kleiven as a guest vocalist, just as on the studio recording. It was a deeply moving performance by a highly respected band with an impeccable career, which was very well received by the audience.
One of the bands that surprised many unfamiliar with them was Sovereign, a great underground act from Norway, who performed next at John Dee. These guys play furious old school thrash with vocals leaning toward death metal, displaying a relentless energy and attitude that seemed to shake the foundations of the venue. Their debut album “Altered Realities” was released in 2024, and naturally, the set featured tracks from it, showcasing the fast riffs and soaring guitar solos that are essential part of the band’s sound. Do yourself a favor and catch this band live if they ever play near your area.
Next on the main stage was Múr, a young and relatively unknown quintet from Reyjkjavik, the capital of Iceland.
Escaping traditional genre labels, they deliver a fusion of progressive structures and modern post-metal intensity, performing long songs written in their native language. Lead vocalist/keytarist Kári Haraldsson displays an impressive range, shifting seamlessly from haunting cleans to cries of desperation.
Despite not being a big name, they put on a captivating show on the main stage that left the audience pleasantly surprised, having had little expectation of what was to come. We’ll probably hear a lot more of them in the near future!
One of the most anticipated acts of the entire festival was The Kovenant, who reunited after fourteen years. The band originally started as Covenant, releasing two albums under that name: “In Times Before the Light” (1997) and “Nexus Polaris” (1998), the latter becoming one of the most respected symphonic/melodic black metal albums of its era. In 1999, they were forced to change their name due to a Swedish band having trademarked the same name. Adopting the name The Kovenant, they embraced electronic/industrial music, changing the sound and image for their next two albums, “Animatronic” (1999) and “SETI” (2003). The current live lineup feature some very well-known names from the scene, with founding member Nagash on vocals and bass, Hellhammer (Mayhem) on drums, and the amazing Sarah Jezebel Deva on backing vocals, as well as Sverd and Knut Magne Valle from Arcturus on keyboards and guitars respectively, and new member Ghul (Mayhem), also on guitars.
With such a formidable lineup, expectations were met. They opened with “The Sulphur Feast” and followed with “Bizarre Cosmic Industries”, while the band’s logo or the front cover of their masterpiece “Nexus Polaris” was displayed on the screen behind Hellhammer. During the songs released as The Kovenant, the screen switched the cover of “Animatronic”. Tracks like “Jihad” and “New World Order” from their industrial period were among the most celebrated by the audience. Following “New World Order”, Sarah left the stage and the band proceeded to play “Towards the Crown of Nights” from their debut album. This turned out to be the final song of the set, meaning Sarah was unable to return to the stage. It was a somewhat strange ending, but the performance was incredibly solid. Let’s hope they perform live more often in Norway from now on!
The black metal pioneers Mayhem headlined the second day, meaning Hellhammer and Ghul, who had just finished their set with The Kovenant, had double duty. The good news is that they managed to deliver a flawless performance without any issues. The band opened with “Realm of Endless Misery” from their brand new album “Liturgy of Death”, featuring Attila Csihar clad in pope-esque costume, delivering his signature theatrics. He changed outfits a few times throughout the show to match the specific era of the songs being performed.
Midway through the set, the lights shifted to blue and an image of the moon appeared on the backdrop. That meant it was time for their classic “Freezing Moon” from their masterpiece “De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas” (1994). The track sounded incredible and was undoubtedly one of the night’s highlights.
As usual, the encore was dedicated to the band’s early days. The lights turned red and a video montage of archival photos played on the giant screen behind the drum kit while the intro “Silvester Anfang” from their debut “Deathcrush” started. The band then returned to the stage to unleash “Deathcrush”, “Chainsaw Gutsfuck”, “Carnage”, and the chaotic “Pure Fucking Armageddon”. Perfect conclusion to a fantastic second day.
Saturday, April 4:
After Mayhem closed out the previous night, our third day kicked off with a guitar clinic featuring the band’s current guitarists, Teloch and Ghul. They performed select tracks, talked about their gear and shared technical tips. The duo also took questions from the audience, and some of their responses were absolutely hilarious. These guys truly have a great sense of humor!
On the main stage, the day kicked off with Darvaza, delivering a high dose of aggressive black metal. The project was formed in 2015 by Italian multi-instrumentalist Omega and Norwegian vocalist Wraath (Behexen, Mare, Ritual Death), releasing their first EP “The Downward Descent”, that same year. After two additional EPs, their debut album “Ascending into Perdition” arrived in 2022 via Terratur Possessions, followed by “We Are Him” last year, which they’re currently promoting.
Darvaza didn’t need flashy pyrotechnics or elaborate stage props to keep the crowd focused on the sonic assault they delivered. Wraath’s stage presence is unpredictable, shifting between stillness and explosive outbursts of rage in a way that felt dangerous. During the final song, he left the stage to get closer to the audience and then went straight to the backstage. It was a raw and unapologetic performance that solidified their reputation as one of the most interesting acts in today’s black metal scene.
Next at John Dee was Angell, a one-man band with elements of black, death and progressive metal started by none other than Angell Solberg Tveitan, the son of Ihsahn (Emperor) and Ihriel (Starofash), who is now 18 years old. He is backed by a live band that includes Vertum, son of Galder (Old Man’s Child, ex Dimmu Borgir), on guitars. They sound impressive despite being a new act, which proves once again that there’s future in the scene.
The audience enthusiastically engaged with their show, which featured songs from the two demos released to date, “Veiled by Woe” (2025) and “Unveiled” (2026), along with a cover of Morbid Angel’s classic “Where The Slime Live”, before finishing with “Veiled by Woe”. Post-concert impressions were very positive, leaving us looking forward to seeing how this project continues to evolve.
It was the turn of the Swiss legends Samael, whose career can be divided into two distinct periods. Originally a black metal band, they eventually evolved into their current industrial/electronic sound starting with the release of the album “Passage” (1996).
For their performance at Inferno, they spanned their discography with a set list that included early songs like “Son of Earth”, the classic “Baphomet’s Throne” from their acclaimed “Ceremony of Opposites” (1994), and “Into the Pentagram”, which was dedicated to Euronymous. Even a new song called “Hidden Empire” was also played live for the first time that night. Unfortunately, there were some sound issues during their performance, but that didn’t stop the audience from getting into it.
The best staging of the entire festival was by Kanonenfieber, who performed at Rockefeller. The music, lyrics, and image of this German band are 100% inspired by World War I, and they’ve grown significantly in recent years. Their show included pyro, war-themed props and soldier outfit changes, proving that for them, the visual aspect is just as important as their music -a mix of black and death with an industrial touch- and their lyrics are in German. The audience’s reaction to such an incredible performance was fantastic. It looks like they’re headed for even greater success in the near future. At the very least, they have everything it takes to make it happen.
Downstairs at John Dee, the audience was ready for a masterclass in fast, raging, violent old school death metal straight from Los Angeles, California. Sadistic Intent took the stage for the first time at Inferno, and all hell broke loose, with the audience starting moshpits while they played one banger after another, spanning a career of forty years (!). Guitarist Rick Cortez took the microphone to defend “true” old school metal and ranted against “fake metal bands that use keyboards”. With a setlist featuring tracks like “Existence”, “Numbered with the Dead”, “Ancient Black Earth”, “Untimely End” and “Funerals Obscure”, the band delivered a relentless performance that left nothing standing in its path. Forty years later, Sadistic Intent still have the same energy, and it seems they’re not going to stop anytime soon.
Funny enough, the next band at Rockefeller included a keyboard on stage, but they’re far from being “fake”.
Enslaved were the headliners on the third day, performing at Inferno for the first time in ten years. This is a band that has changed its sound over the years, embracing prog metal more and more with each release, even though the Viking theme is still at the core of their songwriting. They opened with “Ethica Odini” followed by “Homebound”, which showcased excellent clean vocals by keyboardist Håkon Vinje and drummer Iver Sandøy. After some interaction with the audience by bassist/vocalist Grutle Kjellson, who always has a very particular sense of humor, they continued with some songs from their latest album “Heimdal” (2023), including “Forest Dweller” and the eight-minute title track. The audience erupted in cheers with the classic “Havenless”, always a must-play, which in this case acted as a transition to their early black metal material.
The old logo appeared on the screen at the back of the stage as they played “Fenris” from their 1994 album “Frost”. This was followed by another classic, “Isa”, before coming to an end with “Allf?ðr Oðinn”, another gem from their early days included in their first EP “Hordanes land” (1993).
Sunday, April 5:
Before heading to the Rockefeller/John Dee complex, we went to one of the other venues: Kniven. Despite it being early on the last day, a surprisingly decent crowd had gathered to see Raumer, a rising Norwegian black metal band formed in 2020. I personally remember attending their very first show; despite some lineup changes over the last four years, they have stayed true to their musical roots while gaining significant experience, a growth clearly demonstrated by their performance at Inferno. Their setlist consisted mostly of songs from the EPs “World Ablaze” (2023) and their latest, “De Døde” (2025), where “Nazareth”, “No Remorse”, “Obedience of the Enslaved” and “The Beast” were highlights.
This was their first time at Inferno, and hopefully not the last!
Thomas Eriksen is the mastermind behind Mork, who opened the Rockefeller stage in front of a large audience. Although the band had been part of Inferno’s lineup in previous years, this marked their first time on the big stage, a fact that Eriksen himself highlighted during the set. Right from the beginning, pyrotechnics were used. While many bands utilize this effect at the festival, Mork was one of the few to do so in this year’s edition. The setlist spanned the band’s extensive discography, including the title track from “Eremittens dal” (2017), “Heksebål” from the “Syv” album (2024) and “Torden” from their upcoming album “Monolitt”, among many others.
Mork knows how to perfectly balance the raw intensity of primitive black metal with more atmospheric passages. This performance solidified their reputation as a pillar of the modern Norwegian scene.
Looking and sounding as if they stepped straight out of the 80’s, Abhorration took the John Dee stage with an incredible amount of energy. The lineup features members of Nekromantheon, Obliteration, and Mabuse, and as you can imagine, they play very violent death metal. Their setlist was drawn primarily from their debut album “Demonolatry”, which was released in 2024 to positive reviews.
Seeing this four-piece live when they had just started was impressive, but this performance was a whole lot better. Don’t miss the opportunity of seeing these guys live, trust me, you won’t regret it!
Another black metal band, but without corpse paint and definitely far more atmospheric is Auðn, who were next to take the Rockefeller stage. This is one of the four bands from Icelend present at the festival this year, a fact that speaks volumes about a scene that has grown significantly in a country with fewer than 400.000 inhabitants. Quite amazing.
The band created a truly immersive environment, evoking feelings of desolation and loneliness with a sound shifting from quiet, sorrowful moments to explosive outbursts.
At one point during the show, the vocalist Hjalti Sveinsson made a special mention of Jan-Martin Jensen, who ran the festival from its inception until his passing on February 10, 2025 and who had helped the band immensely. The audience responded with enthusiastic applause. Highly recommended to see Audn live if you are an atmospheric black metal fan.
The Irish band Primordial, led by the vocalist (and podcaster!) Alan “Nemtheanga” Averill, has performed in Norway several times, but it had been nine years since their last appearance at Inferno. From the moment the band took the Rockefeller stage, the large crowd seemed hypnotized by their unique Celtic folk-influenced approach to black metal. Nemtheanga knows exactly how to command the audience and once again impressed with his precision in both screams and clean vocals. “The Coffin Ships”, with its great riff, and “Empire Falls” were highlights of a performance by a band that never disappoints.
Another highly anticipated band at this year’s edition was Old Man’s Child, who are back after a long hiatus. The symphonic/melodic black metal band was founded in 1989 under the name Requiem, changing it to Old Man’s Child in 1993 and releasing three albums in the 90’s. In 2000, Galder joined Dimmu Borgir. As a result, the band stopped playing live, though they continued to release studio material. They put out four more albums, the last being “Slaves of the World” in 2009, after which they ceased all activities.
Two years ago, it was announced that Galder had departed Dimmu Borgir to focus on Old Man’s Child, marking the band’s return. This lineup features members from Susperia, guitarist Cyrus, bassist Elvorn and drummer Tjodalv. The band returned to the stages at the Tons of Rock festival in Oslo last summer with Hoest (Taake) on vocals. This time, however, Galder took over vocal duties in addition to his guitar work.
They opened with “Towards Eternity” from their third album, “Ill-Natured Spiritual Invasion” (1998). The first impression was that the symphonic structures translated into a much more intimate experience when played indoors. “King of the Dark Ages” from their debut “Born of the Flickering” (1996) and “Hominis Nocturna” from “Revelation 666: The Curse of Damnation” (2000) followed. These tracks, along with the rest of the set that concluded with “The Millennium King”, devastated the venue with their blend of aggressive riffs and highly melodic structures. The band sounded incredibly tight and surpassed all expectations. Hopefully we’ll get new music from them soon!
Closing the John Dee stage were the Swedish death metallers Firespawn, a band formed in 2014 by Entombed vocalist L.G. Petrov, bassist Alex Impaler, guitarists Victor Brandt and Fredrik Folkare, and drummer Matte Modin. Originally called Fireborn, they changed their name to Firespawn just one year later when they issued their debut album “Shadow Realms”. After releasing “The Reprobate” in 2017 and “Abominate” in 2019, they entered a period of inactivity when Petrov was diagnosed with cancer in 2020 and lost the battle the following year. R.I.P.
In 2025 the band announced they were back together to pay tribute to their friend, bringing in Jörgen Sandström (ex Entombed) as vocalist. As soon as they opened their show with “The Gallows End” and “Full of Hell”, the characteristic sound of Swedish death metal was present. The band was full of energy and Sandström delivered. “Imperial Burning”, “Death and Damnation”, and “Ruination” were among the most celebrated songs on the setlist. Petrov was mentioned more than once, with the most emotional moment coming when a vest hung from a mic stand and Alex Impaler said Petrov was now the “Chief Rebel Angel”, referring to the Entombed song of the same name, before they played “The Emperor”. There were also references to Tomas Lindberg, another legend from the Swedish death metal scene who passed away recently, and the aforementioned Inferno’s Jan-Martin Jensen. Let’s hope they play the festival again soon!
More old school death metal, but this time from US legends Deicide, closed the festival on the main stage. A large crowd awaited a show that wasn’t heavy on lighting or audience interaction but was brutal right from the start with “When Satan Rules His World” and “Bastard of Christ”. Glen Benton’s vocals remain brutal, aggressive and iconic within the death metal genre despite him being already 58 years old, and the band as a whole sounds like a well-oiled machine. More sonic violence followed with the classic “Once Upon the Cross”, their first song ever “Sacrificial Suicide”, and the title track from the 1997 album “Serpents of the Light”. There was a lot of moshpit in the crowd as more classics appeared toward the end of the set (“Dead by Dawn” and “Lunatic of God’s Creation”), and even a wall of death erupted on the final song, “Homage for Satan”. What a perfect way to close the performance and the festival. Already looking forward to 2027!
