Inferno 2024 Festival and Conference wrap Pt.3
The concluding third installment of the Slow Dragon Music experiential wrap write-up of this year’s Inferno Metal Festival and Conference.
It has taken us some time, but after talking about the kick off days in Part 1, and that start of the actual festival in Part 2, it’s time drop in on the final days of extreme music bliss, from this year’s Oslo expedition! Some might say two full days of metal is a festival unto itself, and it has, as per usual, been an experience already. Time to straighten helmets, lace boots, and go in again!
IMF DAY THREE
One thing which we’ve missed out on so far this year is the satellite shows at some of Oslo’s other venues.
To put this (somewhat) right, Saturday begins at the Kniven Stage. (This continues to confuse me, residing in the Revolver basement, and down the road from where we first trod the bar of this name, many moons ago – AVZD).
The first band, Horrifier, play to an already packed room, albeit slightly fragile and quieter than usual. Things lift immediately as they hit the stage with some dirty OSDM. Following them, Imbalance launch into blackened thrash, after overcoming doubts of being able to play due to a surgery. A first for inferno, the guitarist asks to actually turn down the amp for some reason. If the (anti)christening beer of the day wasn’t enough to wake us up, both bands in this sweatbox certainly do the trick, fading hangovers into another day of debauchery.
Our thirst for brutal noises fully reinstated, we quick march over to Rockefeller.
Scotland is well and truly in the house, as Saor open up the main stage. Their folksy black metal is reportedly a bit too “uplifting” for some, but that isn’t the prevailing opinion. The set warms us up better than a brisk morning beach walk in Angus, and thankfully the thronging crowd feel the same, indulging in the mist-swathed romanticism.
Inferno 2024 Festival and Conference wrap Pt.3
Downstairs, Tilintetgjort (Annihilated in English) dive into a more feral sphere, vaguely reminiscent of a handful of second wave BM artists. There’s a touch of the avant-garde, as robed figures and throat singing abound, which ain’t at all bad.
Just over a decade old, but rapidly growing from strength to strength, come Swedish groovesters Orbit Culture.
(They bring the absolute fucking thunder, like a para regiment of of stridsvagn tanks. Definitely a highlight for me – Slow Dragon) While armed with a massively blasting sound, they also cater the melodic side of (black?) metal, playing with undeniable vigor.
Feels are a bit more gothic down on the John Dee stage with In Twighlight’s Embrace, complete with candles and single-colour lighting. It is noticeable that the bands who really stand out are those who fit the core genre of the fest, but throw in some deviation. Their closer is a particularly fine display of slow paced dynamics.
Me and That Man hit the main stage, with Adam “Nergal” Darski luring the odd unsuspecting fan in search of corpse paint, but the majority of the crowd are aware of this ongoing “side-project”. Not quite in the same vein as Behemoth but with a good ol’ lyrical dollop of the man in red (no, not Santa), this is a well-polished, whole, stand-alone band. (Personally, with the exception that I was hoping Niklas Kvarforth would fly down from the rafters for Confession, I loved the set. The bluesy bass lines wafting through husky vocals provided a tipsy nostalgia to the room – AVZD) … (Opinions vary – Slow Dragon)…
Inferno 2024 Festival and Conference wrap Pt.3
Heading back to the John Dee stage for Jo Quail, there are some reservations, and they are not unfounded.
Much of the audience are verbally enthusiastic, although it is the German and Finnish speakers stood with us who are singled out for “shushing” by a random. Strangely, the shusher then talks audibly over the whole set, while blocking the view with a giant phone. People, eh? Maybe that sullied the experience, but, while it’s easy to appreciate the haunting strings, the placement isn’t where we’re at. With blood pumping, it’s not quite bedtime yet!
Keeping things in tone for what is the “prettiest” night of the week, Borknagar none the less push things back into more metal realms. Having just released their twelfth studio album a month prior, the Bergen dreadnaughts play a mix from a three decade career, with the relatively newer track, 2019’s The Fire That Burns standing out.
Local Oslo squad, Khold, follow this up easily, putting on the performance of the day at John Dee, thick with Nero era Satyricon vibes. Raw, primitive and anthropogenic musings drift over, luring us in like a siren’s call. They are a superb shout for the JD stage headliners, and another notable highlight.
After indulging in the full rendition of that performance, it is absolutely impossible to get anywhere near seeing the night’s headliners, Dimmu Borgir.
The floor is beyond rammed, with bodies wedged in every available space. But hey, you make your bed, you lie in it, and I am totally good with that. It gives us a great chance to catch up with Antonio from A&P Reacts, who is, it has to be said, a very lovely chap.
IMF DAY 4
Inferno 2024 Festival and Conference wrap Pt.3
Easter Sunday gets off to a good start with the grim and bloody tones of Misþyrming, and the altar of riffs is open to an almost full congregation.
They drop an absolute belter of a show, with really strong travel, using their time on stage to weave a tale, rather than just play some songs. The crowd are surprisingly awake for the last day. The Icelandic black metal speaks for itself with little audience interaction from the band themselves, but who put on a stellar performance of eerie and desolate beginnings.
On the contrary, Swedish/Danish hybrid Dödsrit crash to the John Dee stage, playing guttural ping-pong with the crowd from the get go. Playing blackened, crusty metal, working at a more relaxed pace at times, and hurling some old school riffs, they make for a solid counterpart. giving the crowd another kick up the arse to party like it’s the last days.
UK black metallers, Winterfylleth are up next, rocking up second on the main stage.
Their 45 minutes of blastbeating bleakness, and pure atmospherics moves fairly slowly, but the breathing space is nice. Confidence and tightness have built for this band, and it really shows. They just seem more comfortable, tweaking and adding to their already solid back-catalogue, making every new show more enjoyable and unique to the predecessor.
Inferno 2024 Festival and Conference wrap Pt.3
After a catch up with Teodor from Viction (long overdue) we head back into John Dee for the sweaty, extreme rock n roll of Phantom Fire. This is a new name to us, but it’s a nice switch to the vibe once more, and Sunday is proving to be pleasantly diverse, without losing form. The crowd is a bit sparse, but those present are still going strong.
Taking things out into further realms, it’s time to get proggy with US death metal legends, Cynic.
The general anticipation seems to be high, with a well rounded out attendance. However, the band doesn’t give a lot of action on stage, and the sound is slightly fuzzy and murky for their style. The live environment does lend a level of volume-power not accessible on recorded works, though, and it was a mandatory tick-list set (albeit not as mind-blowing as I’d hoped – Slow Dragon).
Bell Witch are possibly too much of a draw for the John Dee stage. It’s one in, one out again before they’re even started. They don’t come much slower or heavier than this, and about halfway through their set I’m pretty sure they haven’t even finished the first song. Maybe it’s all just one massive track..? This is truly an experience, which feels like it could summon something unspeakable from ancient thalassic slumber. (Quick thanks to the merch team for allowing me to pick up a few items when BW had already packed up. Appreciated more when I realised that it was still a couple of weeks off before their tour hit Scotland so I might be the only one wearing the tour tee here for a bit – AVZD)
It’s time for pointy ears, oompah beats, and folk whistles, as Finntroll hit the main stage.
You can literally feel the floor moving, all the way to the back. This is the extreme metal definition of fun for all the family, and a good “party” band to keep the momentum going as we draw into the later hours of the evening.
Downstairs there is just one band left…
It genuinely sucks to realise we won’t be doing this again tomorrow. Koldbrann, however, see out John Dee in style. And that style is old school black metal, blast beats, d-beats, and abrasive fury. The space heaves with one last desperate frenzy, and it would be hard to pick a more suitable closer for the smaller room than this well-established, solid unit.
Now, Taake tackle the main stage, as the conclusive act of Inferno Metal Festival 2024.
Thirty odd years shine through a mix of their entire catalogue. Starting out with older, firm fan favourites, they progress to playing newer material, and it’s clear why they have been selected to finish the celebrations. What is a shame is that, before they returned to delving into some further classics, the crowd had already partially started to eek out of the door. Things finally conclude for real, and we follow suit. Despite the aching bodies and exhausted wallets, Inferno leaves us wishing meekly “one more day..?” But there’s always next time.
Slow Dragon & AVZD
Inferno 2024 Festival and Conference wrap Pt.2
Catch Pt.1 here and Pt.2 here.
Inferno Metal Festival and Inferno Music Conference tickets are on sale now. Find out more here: https://www.infernofestival.net/no/Festival/News.aspx
Inferno 2024 Festival and Conference wrap Pt.3
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Inferno 2024 Festival and Conference wrap Pt.3
