HELLBOTN METALFEST 2019 (Kolbotn, Norway)

August 30-31, 2019

by Jorge Patacas

Hellbotn Metalfest started out in 2014 in the city of Kolbotn located 20 minutes from Oslo, known for being the hometown of bands like Darkthrone. Since the beginning, the organizers had the idea of creating a festival for local bands, adding bigger names from the Norwegian scene year after year. This edition was held once again at Kolben Kulturhus which, as the name suggests, is a cultural center where, among other things, there are concert halls. Previously they used only the small stage, but in 2019 only the first day had concerts in that room, while for the second stage they added the larger main stage and another hall as a secondary stage.

DAY 1

It all started on Friday, August 30th with sold out tickets, where four bands were part of the lineup. Filthdigger straight from the Norwegian capital city were the first to appear on stage, and they had no mercy, attacking from the beginning with their old school Death Metal full of power and energy. Unfortunately, the fire alarm went on during their performance due to the smoke machine installed on the stage, so the venue had to be evacuated for about fifteen minutes until we were told to re-enter, and so the band was able to resume their set that featured songs from their only album album so far, “Damned by the Living Dead” (2016).

Incinerator was the next group on stage, with members of Austrian, Bulgarian and Norwegian origin, but based in Kolbotn and Oppegård. They have just released their debut EP “Awakened by Evil” on cassette through the local label Snake Oil Kassettforlag, so they played songs included in it, with “Angel Slayer” being a highlight. Very interesting Black/Thrash band that is worth watching live.
Another band that came out of Kolbotn is Nekromantheon, who played next. Among its ranks are Arild Myren Torp (guitar/vocals) and Sindre Solem (bass/vocals), who also share duties in Obliteration, but unlike their other project, Nekromantheon have more Thrash influences, although the old school flame is there too. Excellent performance with Solem really into the show encouraging the audience to scream at all times.
After five years of silence when it comes to studio albums, Nocturnal Breed returned this year with “We Only Came For The Violence”, an album containing pure Black/Thrash tracks such as “Choke On Blood”, “Nekrohagel” and “War-Metal Engine” which we got to hear that evening, as well as older material such as “Alcoholic Rites” and “Nocturnal Breed”.
Something that has always been part of this quartet is the theatrical side of their performance, and that’s why on this occasion two girls dressed as nuns appeared on stage, with inverted crosses and gas masks, spilling “blood” on the vocalist. The show went on until the fire alarm sounded again to our surprise, and it was midnight already, so many people decided to leave, while approximately half of the audience was still there once the show was resumed a few minutes later. The band managed to finish their set with “Armageddon Nights” and the cover of Death, “Evil Dead”.
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AGNOSTIC FRONT at Parkteatret (Oslo, Norway)

Special Guests: WEIGHT – KNUSTE RUTER

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

by Jorge Patacas

Celebrating 35 years of their debut album “Victim in Pain”, the New York Hardcore pioneers Agnostic Front arrived in Norway after eleven years, so it was a perfect opportunity to see them live once again on that Tuesday night.
The first of the two opening bands started their show at 7:30 p.m., exactly as it was announced. It was Weight, a new band from Oslo that has members who are well-known in the scene for their work with other local bands. Their sound is based on the New York Hardcore of the late ’80s in the style of Cro-Mags, so it was well received by the audience.

At 8:15 p.m. with more attendees on the venue already, the second and last warm up act took the stage. Knuste Ruter is a Hardcore Punk outfit with vast experience in the Norwegian scene, and it has members of Freedumb, Negativ, Summon the Crows, among other bands. They have been playing live for over ten years now and tonight they had the opportunity to play just before one of the most important bands of the genre. They are currently working on new studio material, but this time they played songs from their previous records. Thirty minutes were enough to leave the audience satisfied, so now everything was ready the New York legends.
After half an hour wait which included some soundchecks by drummer Pokey Mo, the legendary Vinnie Stigma entered the stage and the audience welcomed him energetically. He was followed by the rest of the band consisting of the aforementioned Pockey Mo behind the drum kit, Craig Silverman on guitar, Mike Gallo on bass and another legend of the genre, Roger Miret on vocals. By the way, the documentary “The Godfathers of Hardcore” was released, which revolves around the life of Miret and Stigma.
If there’s something that characterizes an Agnostic Front show, it’s the energy emerging from the stage, and this occurs from the first to the last minute. Since the start with “The Eliminator” and “Dead To Me”, the intensity was 100%, with Miret asking for a circle pit and Stigma who deserves a separate article about him. The guitarist is the definition of personified attitude; At 63, he is constantly moving on the stage, encouraging the audience to shout and doing anything necessary not to be just another show, but a true pure Hardcore party where the crowd participates actively.
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BEYOND THE GATES 2019 (Bergen, Norway)

August 21-24, 2019

by Jorge Patacas

Beyond The Gates (formerly Hole in the Sky) is one of those festivals that always offer an interesting lineup, especially for those who are into the extreme metal subgenres. It’s held in the usually rainy city of Bergen, located in western Norway, which has breathtaking landscapes, in addition to Bryggen, an area next to the harbor with colorful houses that in some cases date from the 18th century, which is on the UNESCO list for World Cultural Heritage sites.
The festival began on Wednesday, August 21 in a small place with very limited capacity called Hulen (The Cave, in Norwegian), which opened in 1969 and has its premises in an old bomb shelter. Imha Tarikat, Ritual Death and the swedes Watain performed there, in front of an audience who sold out the venue and got thrilled by a show that those who were there described with mostly positive comments.
Rise! has been invited to the next three days of the festival, where the venue was USF, which stands for United Sardines Factories, and yes, it is a sardine factory that turned into a concert venue, which has two floors. The first includes the stage, merchandising stands and bars, while on the second floor there’s a VIP area with a perfect view of the stage and another bar.
In addition to the live bands, the festival offers extra activities such as listening sessions of new releases both at the Apollon Records record store/bar and at the Galleri Fjalar, Gaahl’s art gallery, who welcomed us when we attended the session of the “Seafarer” album by Lindy-Fay Hella, who is known for her work with Wardruna. The album that comes out on September 20 via Ván Records, was produced by herself with Herbrand Larsen and contains nine highly recommended tracks.

Other listening sessions were the new albums by Solstorm, Asagraum, 1349, Darkend and Costin Chioreanu, and there was also a panel comprised of record label owners, managers, festival promoters, among others, where they discussed the future of The music industry.
The activity in terms of concerts on Thursday began at 7 p.m. with Obliteration, who released their fourth studio album, “Cenotaph Obscure”, last year via Indie Recordings. They deliver some good Old School Death Metal, a lot of speed and aggression to start the day.
Svartidauði (Black Death in Icelandic) with their particular Black Metal style was next. They were formed in 2002, but only have two full-length albums released, both with very positive reviews by fans and media. Songs from both albums were performed that night, with raw vocals by Sturla Viðar, killer riffs by Þórir and G.E. and heavy drumming by Magnús, alternating the most aggressive sections with the quieter almost Doomy parts.
Behexen, for their part, delivered a six-song set of pure Black Metal proving that there are quality exponents of this genre in Finland too. They started with “Cave of the Dark Dreams” from their most recent effort “The Poisonous Path” (2016) followed by a journey through their discography playing songs like “Wrathful Dragon Hau-Hra”, “By the Blessing of Satan”, “Mouth of Leviathan”, “My Soul For His Glory” and “Death’s Black Light”.
A high dose of the most visceral Black Metal came from Marduk, who mercilessly fired bombs like “Panzer Division Marduk”, “Baptism By Fire”, “Werwolf” and “Throne of Rats” devastating everything in their path. Without major surprises, but fulfilling expectations, the Swedes had a solid performance that makes it clear why they achieved the status they have today on the scene.
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MIDGARDSBLOT 2019 (Horten, Norway)

August 15-17, 2019

by Jorge Patacas

The fifth edition of Midgardsblot was held last August. This is a festival that has been growing year by year thanks to the constant work of the managers and volunteers. There is an aspect that distinguishes it from the rest of the European summer festivals, which is the concept, since music and history centered on the Viking period coexist perfectly through shows, DJ sets, seminars, guided walks, thematic games, Viking market and all kind of activities related in one way or another with the medieval world. For making this happen, the organization chose the perfect location in the town of Borre, Horten, approximately 90 km away. south of Oslo. There is a large park (182,000 m²) where Borre’s mounds can be found, this area is considered one of the main cultural heritage of the country. It was active between the years 600 and 900, having a leading role in Viking history. A few meters away is the Midgard Viking Center, where you can see interesting exhibits that show different aspects of the history, as well as activities for kids. It is a place that undoubtedly attracts both locals and foreigners who come to these Nordic lands to live an unforgettable experience. Many choose to camp on the site during the days of the event, and there are three areas for it. There’s an area which is exclusive for volunteers, another one for those who choose outfits and tents according to the medieval era, and then there is the general campsite, which is located approximately fifteen minutes away from the festival area, crossing the park with the mounds mentioned above, by the sea. There when it gets cold at night, a bonfire is lit and it becomes the best environment for long talks between people from different parts of the world, in addition to people singing traditional songs such as “Herr Mannelig”, the Swedish ballad that has been covered many times by bands from different genres. Unforgettable memories.

In the same area, during the morning, there is a race of inflatable unicorns in the sea, which is definitely very fun to watch.
But something that is undoubtedly a must see are the seminars held at the aforementioned Midgard Viking Center, presented by Vicky Mikalsen, who is a board member of the festival. These were called Mimir Talks, since Mimir is one of the important figures in Norse mythology, renowned for his knowledge and wisdom. Upon entering the room where the talks were held, we could see an illustration of Mimir created by the French artist David Thièrrèe, who has worked with bands such as Behemoth, Gorgoroth, Enslaved, among others.
Personally, one of the seminars that most aroused my interest was that of the British author Dayal Patterson, who has written for magazines such as Decibel, Terrorizer and Metal Hammer, and now owns the publishing company Cult Never Dies, for which he has released a number of books related to metal with amazing content, including the series dedicated to Black Metal that began with the renowned “Black Metal: Evolution of the Cult”, published in 2013.
In his presentation, Patterson discussed this book, explaining its approach, which is very different from other publications on the genre that focus more on the well-known facts of the early 90’s. Among other aspects, he talked about the importance of tape trading at the time when the genre emerged, long before the Internet was a thing, and this helped the mysticism surrounding the pictures and music, something that it would not have happened in the same way these days where many musicians post even what they had for dinner on social media.
Through Cult Never Dies, Dayal has also published books on different fanzines that were essential in the development of the genre, retrieving interviews originally published at that time. Among his most recent publications are the official biography of Rotting Christ, written together with the band’s vocalist, Sakis Tolis, and another one about the Portuguese act Moonspell.
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Recently, West Bound released its first album “Volume 1”, that brought another great option for melodic hard rock fans.
Chas West (Bonham) talked to rock journalist Lucas H. Gordon about this new band and record, and the possible reunion with Jason Bonham.