Beyond the Gates, one of the best black metal festivals and one of the biggest ones in Norway is finally back in its original form after 2 years of pandemic. The festival brought Bergen’s black metal scene to life from August 2nd to August 6th. The performances take place at three different venues: Kulturhuset Club, USF Verftet, and Grieghallen. There are also plenty of events and DJ sets during the whole festival so attendees can have fun both during the day and at night, regardless of the time.
During the last 2 days of the festival, concerts took place at Grieghallen, where the legendary Grieghallen Lydstudio is located. The first concert at the Grieghallen was ENSLAVED performing their debut studio album „Vikingligr Veldi,” which was released in 1994. Next up was another black metal classic band, EMPEROR. Although EMPEROR is not famous for its spectacular shows with pyrotechnics and scenery, I must admit that it was the best concert I saw during the entire festival. Former members of EMPEROR, Mortiis and Faust, joined current members of the band on the stage and played „I Am the Black Wizards” and „Wrath of the Tyrant.” They also played covers of BATHORY’s „Call From the Grave” and CELTIC FROST’s „Innocence and Wrath” and „The Usurper.” The fourth day of Beyond The Gates ended with MAYHEM’s epic performance of the „De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas” album. The fact that the „De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas” album was recorded in the same building in 1992-1993 added even more magic to the show. The same day, there was a sudden change in the lineup: PERTURBATOR’s concert has been canceled due to travel difficulties. They were replaced by the Norwegian doom metal band SAHG.
Photos by Aleksandra Majak
