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Another edition of the Inferno Metal Festival burned up Oslo, Norway from April 6-9 – the annual fest focuses on extreme metal and was founded by Borknagar guitarist Jens F. Ryland in 2001.

Day 1
On a European tour with fellow acts Dark Funeral and Cannibal Corpse, British death metal band Ingested performed at full capacity with frontman Jason Evans screaming into the audience, “Can you feel it Oslo! Can you feel it, then let’s fucking go show me what you got!” before the crowd went into oblivion.

Vaterland Bar & Scene is a bar, restaurant with a stairwell leading into a venue upstairs within walking distance to Rockefeller. Renowned for their satanic pizza and hot sauce “Satan Saus” made from a witch brew for oral violence. Reminiscent of Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn, Vaterland is a haven for metalheads to gather during the festivities of Inferno Metal Festival.

Upon my arrival to Oslo, visiting Norway for the first time, I was greeted by locals with a shot of Akevitt at Vaterland headbanging to Ingested’s brutality early in the afternoon, a warm-up to the first night.

Ingested are scheduled to tour North America in May/June with Devourment, Extermination Dismemberment & Organechtomy; a tour not to be missed.

Nervosa’s frontwoman and guitarist Prika Amaral spoke out against violence against women before performing “Kill The Silence” an empowering song for people to fight the injustice and unite together, telling the audience they’re not alone at John Dee, a venue nestled in the basement adjacent to the Rockefeller venue.

With a recent line-up change announcement prior to their European run and Inferno Metal Festival being the second date on the tour with Prika freshly shifting on vocals effortlessly in addition to guitar, Hel Pyre on bass, guitar goddess Helena Kotina and Michaela Naydenova on drums did not hinder Nervosa in the slightest from being a quartet powerhouse and is a force to be reckoned with performing their latest and deliciously addictive single, “Endless Ambition”.

The line-up change is next level in carrying the flaming torch of Nervosa’s new chapter as a band. Having toured with thrash kings Destruction, I would love to see Nervosa open for Metallica.

I have seen Cannibal Corpse in their original home base Buffalo on the Decibel Magazine Tour when Erik Rutan joined on guitar in 2019. It was a full circle moment seeing Cannibal Corpse perform live in Oslo with Erik Rutan right at home many years later more lethal than ever. It was their first time performing at Inferno, fans across Norway and abroad travelled afar to witness the death metal legends in action exceeding their expectations.

Norway’s very own Mork set the stage of John Dee with a wave of blue lit mist and ordained with candles burning for their set. With a fresh album release Dypet on Peaceville, Mork unleashed their new material live, “Bortgang”.

As a returning guest to the festival, black metal Norwegian kings Emperor performed a special performance for fans closing the set with “Ye Entrancemperium On A Full Moon”.

To Emperor fan’s delight, Ihsahn hosted a guitar clinic at the Inferno Metal Conference.

Day 2
Pioneers in their own right, Godflesh performed at Inferno Metal Festival for the first time, a monstrous industrial machine duo on stage with classics from their extensive catalogue such as Streetcleaner, Predominance and Like Rats backlit with various cinematic imagery. With a latest single release, “Nero”, a new album Purge is set for release in June.

Lili Refrain stood tall underneath rays of light where John Dee was the perfect intimate setting, you could not help but be mesmerized by her grandeur stature and pulled into her trance and powerful performance.

Wolves In The Throne Room transformed the Rockefeller stage into their very own atmosphere of Cascadian black metal.

Colombian death metal veterans Masacre’s landed in Norway for the first time and were an onslaught at John Dee with shredders Jorge Londono and Juan Carlos Gomez on guitars. Frontman Alex Okendo fed off the energy of the crowd up close and personal and waved the Colombian flag with fans. I have been fortunate to see many death metal acts in my lifetime, Masacre holds a top contender in my books. Pure savagery at its finest!

Amorphis was the headliner for the second night, Tomi Joutsen’s charismatic stage presence is infectious, a prime example of the definitive frontman. Amorphis performed the timeless “Black Winter Day” and “My Kantele” along with recent material from Queen Of Time and Halo.

For more on the 2023 edition of the Inferno Metal Festival and for information on 2024’s dates – head to infernofestival.net.