Black metal is another genre that is very fondly thought of in the Josefov Fortress judging from the sheer amount of bands booked. Which makes us quite happy of course.
Der Weg Der Freiheit is one of the younger bands out there but don’t let their lesser experience fool you. They tend to avoid hellish and demonic themes and gravitate more towards introspective subjects in their lyrics like human psyche, suffering. Then they adorn these with a harsh blend of black metal with a borderline postrock atmosphere which sums up to an insane combination.
Marduk is a Swedish black metal staple that needs almost no introduction. Being a forceful and uncompromising presence on the scene since 1990, their shows are equally as fierce. An absolute must see.
One of the first black metal bands in Eastern Block, Hungarian Tormentor gained prominence back in 1980’s, way before their most known member, Attila Csihar ever joined Mayhem. After an obstacle-filled run in the 80s and early 90s (courtesy to communist regime), band came back together in 2017. Pre-Mayhem Attila is a treat you cannot miss.
Carpathian Forest led by Nattefrost was always fueled by the early Norwegian black metal scene but with their unique spin on it creating a black n roll of sorts. Borderline punk at times even. It’s very crude, primitive black that one either loves or hates.
What becomes when you mix 80s style thrash metal in the vein of Sodom or Sarcofago and an obvious thick layer of norwegian black metal, very prominent during the time of bands inception? Aura Noir of course. Swimming meticulously against the tide since 1993, they still have plenty to show, especially live. No frills, no decor, but damn, if one just cannot help but headbang.
Swiss Bölzer proves that sometimes all you need to conjure demonic rampage on stage is “just” two guys. They’ve been a constant presence on the scene since 2008 but were almost stingy with treating their fans with releases. KzR and HzR released a few EPs and one album but one for the books! Even though they let plenty of death metal in their music space, the fire of black metal is still palpable.
To all who are still puzzled by the split, Батюшка written in cyrilic alphabet is the one that belongs to Krzysztof Drabikowski and the stylised in latin alphabet belonged to Bart Krysiuk (and later, after couple of lawsuits transformed into Патриархь). When we got this out of the way, the band will be back in Fortress to perform the black metal orthodox liturgy. You don’t want to omit that.
Blackbraid gained plenty of attention from the very beginning. Mainly for its unique combo of music – it’s a one man project spearheaded by Sgah’gahsowáh who plays atmospheric black metal with native american mythology themes. On top of that he does not take prisoners live. Blackbraid shows feel explosive and ferocious at the same time. We highly recommend their performance.
Norwegian all feminine black metal trio Witch Club Satan are newer members of the scene. With a couple of singles under their belt and a self titled LP released in 2024 they play very raw if not primitive black metal that would remind one of the very early days of the scene in Norway. If you feel nostalgic for early 90s black metal you definitely should see the trio. Their shows are unpredictable and intense like no other.
Sarcofago is a legendary Brazilian black metal band who influenced plenty of bands in their time but they sadly split up in 2000. However their founding members, bassist Gerald “Incubus” Minelli kept the torch burning and created The Laws. They not only focus on keeping the legacy alive but also to show the world that black metal in Brazil is doing just fine. If you were too young to jump on the Sarcofago train in the 90s, there won’t be a better chance!
Scotland’s marshes and heatherfields are not exactly the first place to search for black metal bands but alas! Saor and its father, Andy Marshall blend harshness of black metal with folk and even post metal elements to capture the listener for an eerie journey. Who said black metal can’t be beautiful?
