Inferno Metal Festival is one of the biggest metal events in Norway. Inferno has roots in Norwegian black metal, but every year brings bands from around the world to their stages. The festival takes place at two main venues, Rockefeller and John Dee. Additionally, there are plenty of smaller concerts in the bars nearby, a metal music conference, movie screenings, a tattoo convention, and trips around the city. This year’s festival took place over April 6th through 9th.
I started the last day of the festival with AFSKY’s concert, and they did not disappoint. Their concert was part of their Crepuscule Europa spring tour with UADA, who performed later the same day on Rockefeller’s stage. AFSKY performed songs from both previous albums and the newest, “Om hundrede år.” UADA brought pure darkness to the stage, performing without front lights, on a stage filled with smoke, where the only illuminating element was the florid graphics from their album, “Crepuscule Natura,” which will be released this year. UADA impressed us both visually and sonically by performing atmospheric near-10-minute-long songs such as “Black Autumn, White Spring” and “Cult of a Dying Sun.”
After UADA, on John Dee‘s stage performed the Norwegian heavy metal band, SLEGEST, followed by ABBATH, who performed on the main stage and attracted probably the largest number of festival attendees that day. ABBATH, as usual, performed a real black metal show and played songs from both his solo albums, as well as IMMORTAL’s song “Triumph,” while the songs “The Storm I Ride” and “Battalions” from his band, I. ABBATH, created enthusiasm within the audience by bringing burning torches onto the stage and presenting fire-breathers, which is characteristic for black metal concerts. After ABBATH, John Dee was completely full and the death metal band, UNLEASHED, began their concert. Inferno ended with a set from American progressive/doom band ELDER on the main stage in.
AFSKY
FLESHMEADOW
UADA
SLEGEST
ELDER
Text and photos by Aleksandra Majak
