- Posted By: Dark Emperor
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After finally getting some proper sleep, we managed to get ourselves down to the lobby of the festival hotel, Clarion Hotel The Hub, to attend a couple of sessions of the Inferno Music conference. More than just a music festival, Inferno has many faces, as they hold a few sessions about the music industry, with interviews with festival runners, music agents, and they even offer some clinics. This is definitely a side of the event that many don’t get to experience, but it is highly relevant for bands trying to break out and/or people trying to network with their peers when their main job is Metal music.
Just after a couple of sessions, we made our way to get something to eat at the Oslo Street Food court, which has a good variety of food styles for everybody to enjoy. With a full belly and a good night of sleep, we queued up at the venue to catch our first band of the day: Hamferd. For an opening act, this suited-up Doom Metal band had a great turn out, and it was perfectly earned as their music delivers the perfect amount of melancholy alongside heavy growls and a hefty dose of theatrics.
Full photo gallery here.
Against our best judgment, we made our way down to John Dee to photograph Solbrud, an up-and-coming melodic Black Metal outfit that packs a good punch with their intense guitar work and aggressive style. Obviously the band didn’t disappoint and getting sandwiched in for the first couple of songs during their set was a solid decision on our part.
Full photo gallery here.
While the running order is quite hectic, there is always time to grab a beer and take in the festival while meeting new people. We found the upstairs bar to be one of the best places to do both, and pop in to enjoy some songs while up there. Anyways, we made our way to watch Einherjer and their signature Viking Metal style. As one of the signature bands of the genre, their live show is quite solid and turns on the crowd very quickly.
Full photo gallery here.
Being huge Black Metal fans, we had to make our way back down to the dungeon to catch Ducth outfit Asagraum and their vicious music. Packed to the brim, this band filled John Dee with ravaging intensity through a very eerie and punishing show. There is nothing like watching all band members wearing full-on corpse paint and blasting away at their instruments. This was the perfect warm-up for the next band on the main stage.
Full photo gallery here.
The legendary Ved Buens Ende has just recently returned from hibernation and while we have seen them before at Ascencion 2021 most recently we are pscyched to catch them again. As one of the originators of Avant-garde Black Metal, this band has a pretty solid live show, delivering intricate compositions with great ease making them look easy to pull off.
Full photo gallery here.
Gorgoroth needs no introduction when it comes to Norwegian Black Metal. Even though the band hasn’t been too active in the last few years, the band comes out of hibernation to play selected dates. Now with Taake’s Hoest on vocals, the band delivers killer renditions of their catalog of crushing songs. The band’s live show is intense, hellish, and totally awesome for any fan of the genre.
Full photo gallery here.
Finally taking a break between bands, we made it up to the roof top bar to cool off and catch a breath after this superbly crushing set. At this point, we came to the realization that so far everything had been running without a hitch, with most bands starting on time, sounding awesome, and all the venue staff being there just to keep the order by being super nice and flexible. We certainly wish that all festivals were as organized as this one.
Closing our evening we have Venom, a band that had the venue completely packed with very small room to move around and fully enjoy. As one of the originators of Black Metal, this band was a great fit for the headlining spot this evening. Delivering some of their classics with pummeling intensity and gracious gusto.
Full photo gallery here.
Overall, the second day of this event was even better than the first as we were not rushed after just arriving from the USA. As an added bonus, shows at the main stages start at 16:30, giving attendees more than enough time to sleep. Thanks to the organizers at Inferno (Runar Pettersen) for hooking us up with accreditations for this event and making this coverage possible.
