The XIII edition of the Finnish festival, gathering extreme metal enthusiasts from all around the globe for three days in the city of Hyvinkää, is quickly dawning upon us. Here is what to expect this year once the bands will be hitting the two stages at Villatehdas in front of a horde of international fans.
Thursday 15th
On Thursday TAAKE will come back on the Steelfest stage to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their third full-length “Hordalands Doedskvad”, while a unique performance to set your eyes on will definitely be the show in collaboration between HELLWIND (DESOLATE SHRINE, ex-SARGEIST, to name a few) and VHITRAHN (WHITE DEATH) who released together a record eloquently entitled “The Grand Glorification of Satan to Honor Him with Praise and Worship by Execution of Devilish Work in Thy Flesh and Blood”. Another special performance will be the original set by THE TRUE WERWOLF, entitled “Death Music Symphony”.
Many of the bands performing will be welcomed comebacks to the Steelfest stage, such as AURA NOIR, WARMOON LORD, URN… but many fans will be looking forward also to bands like the New Zealanders BARSHASKETH, or the Polish ARKONA.
Friday 16th
ABSU will have a long-awaited comeback on Finnish shores when they will perform – together with the Greek ZEMIAL – a special show in celebration of the 30th anniversary from their sophomore album “The Sun of Tiphareth”, while a very solid mix of Finnish bands such as ARCHGOAT, SARGEIST, KORGONTHURUS, will share the two stages with the likes of MISÞYRMING, IMPIETY, NAER MATARON, Korean black/noisegrind ensemble BIOLOGICAL WARFARE.
Add to the mix some dark ambient/dungeon synth with the Dutch duo OLD TOWER and an “all-star” group like NIGHT SHALL DRAPE US, or the live debut of former WARMOON LORD vocalist’s project, VULTYRIUM, and we are in for another fine day for all the metalheads who will be attending the festival.
Saturday 17th
The last day of the coming edition is also going to feature some unique show that will make it worthwhile to not miss this event:
Geraldo “Gerald Incubus” Minelli will take once again the SARCOFAGO mantle for a special “The Laws Kill Destroy”-set focused on the “The Laws of Scorge”/early 90’s-era of the legendary Brazilian band. OSCULUM INFAME will present an exclusive performance with the return at the vocals of Vlad Drakul, while Vincent Crowley‘s ACHERON will focus their set on their “Rites of the Black Mass” and “Anti-God, Anti-Christ” records from 1992 and 1996 respectively.
If this is not enough to get people excited, look forward to MORTIIS, BAXAXAXA, IMPRECATION’s exclusive Steelfest gig, ZEMIAL own gig (after the show with ABSU on the previous day), and many others, for a total of 40 bands in three days of uncompromising extreme music!
Good to know
Hyvinkää can be reached easily by train in less than 1 hour from Helsinki or the capital’s airport situated in the nearby city of Vantaa, or a similar amount of time if you are planning to drive. The festival area is conveniently located at a short distance from the railway station in the center of the city, a few hundred meters from Willa shopping mall, offering all kinds of necessities and services.
The festival offers accommodation packages in a nearby school ground, or at a local camping area. There are also e.g., Hotel Sveitsi or apartment rental options such as Airbnb. Closer to the festival, however, it might be more convenient to look for accommodation in one of the nearby cities or towns, depending on your transportation option, as the limited availability means that accommodation tends to fill up fast.
Close to the festival area, there is an excellent craft beer bar, Crafters, and plenty of food options for different price ranges and dietary preferences. The festival itself includes a wide selection of food and drinks once inside the gates, as the ticket allows only one entry per day.
For more details and other gotchas on Steelfest—or if you haven’t bought your tickets already—head to the official website, Steelfest.fi and get yours now!
