Interview: GOLDEN CORE

by Jorge Patacas Photos: Storm Drabitius Golden Core is a Norwegian duo formed in 2014 by Simen Jakobsen (guitar) and Johannes Thor Sandal (drums/vocals) when they were kids. Since then, they have been very active mainly on the local scene but also abroad, getting positive comments from both media and fans. Their music is a blend of many different genres, from stoner to black metal, and their lyrics are in Old Norse. “Kosmos Brenner” is the name of their third album that will be released in February 2024 and they’re…

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Concert Reviews: HELLBOTN METALFEST 2023 (Kolbotn, Norway)

HELLBOTN METALFEST 2023 (Kolbotn, Norway) August 25-26, 2023 by Jorge Patacas   The last metal festival in Eastern Norway this summer was Hellbotn Metalfest, a small but great event with a family-like atmosphere, held annually at the Kolben Kulturhus in Kolbotn. The venue has a large space to hang out as soon as you enter, including tables and seats where you can chat while having a drink from the bar and listening to a selection of metal songs curated by DJs who are usually found in rock/metal bars around Oslo.…

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Album Reviews: ONE MIND MINISTRY – “Gates of Time”

ONE MIND MINISTRY “Gates of Time” (Independent) by Jorge Patacas Twelve years after their formation, the German quintet One Mind Ministry finally released their first full-length album “Gates of Time”, which was recorded, mixed and mastered at Soundlodge Studios in Germany. Right from the start with “No Funeral”, we get an in-your-face dose of extreme metal with thrashy riffs and 90s black metal-inspired melodies courtesy of guitar players Havoc and Sacul, while Al Sahmut on bass brings the groove and Kaos does a phenomenal job on drums both in the…

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Concert Reviews: INFERNO FESTIVAL 2023

INFERNO FESTIVAL 2023 (Oslo, Norway) April 6-9, 2023 by Jorge Patacas Traditionally, most Norwegians look forward to Easter holidays to have some rest at home or at their cabins in the mountains, go skiing, have some good food, read crime novels (yes, that’s a thing over here!) or just relax. For most metalheads, however, the Easter tradition is to be in Oslo city centre to attend Inferno festival which has been an annual meeting since 2001 with visitors not only from Norway, but from abroad as well. Some of the…

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Interview: JANNICKE WIESE-HANSEN

by Jorge Patacas During the last edition of Inferno Festival in Oslo, Norway, we were able to talk to Jannicke Wiese-Hansen, the artist who created logos for bands such as Immortal and Enslaved, as well as the album covers for the now legendary first two Burzum albums. She’s a tattoo artist who has her studio called Nidhogg in Bergen and was invited to the festival as part of the art exhibition. We discussed the beginning of her career, the inspiration behind some of her most iconic artworks, the early Black…

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