Organizers of Inferno Metal Festival Norway 2023 (April 6-9) / Inferno Music Conference (April 6-7) have issued the following update:

Are you ready to take a journey through one of the darkest periods in music history?

Join us on our Black Metal Bus Sightseeing field trip through Oslo, as we travel back in time to the early days of Norwegian black metal, a genre known for its harsh sound and controversial history. Led by Anders Odden, a Norwegian black metal pioneer, this unique tour will take you to the actual locations where many of the most important events in the Norwegian black metal scene took place in the early 1990s. With exclusive anecdotes and personal memories from someone who was there, you will gain an insider's perspective into one of the most notorious and misunderstood genres in music. Whether you're a die-hard black metal fan or simply intrigued by its history, this is an experience that you won't want to miss. Are you ready to join us on a journey that will take you to the heart of the Norwegian black metal scene?

For the average music fan the story of Norwegian Black Metal is in essence something about murder, suicide and church burning. Between 1991 and 1993 many of the most important events in this dark chapter in Norwegian music history took place in Oslo and we have put together a field trip to the sights that takes you back in time. In the beginning, there is always just one man that starts something new and then gets people to follow his vision. This man was Øystein Aarseth aka Euronymous. He was through his record store, Helvete, and his band, Mayhem, the key person of the early Norwegian black metal scene, and his visions led to his demise. The equally infamous leader of Burzum, Varg Vikernes aka Count Grishnack killed Euronymous in his own apartment on the 10th of August 1993. This date marked the end of an era and the small scene that until then was totally unknown to the public was in the tabloid media and made headlines far outside Norway.  

Anders Odden formed his first black metal band, Slaught, in 1986 after attending a rehearsal with Mayhem at the age of 14. He was one of the pioneers in the infancy of the Norwegian scene dealing with tape trading, organizing concerts, and creating more and more extreme music on his own. He formed Cadaver in 1988 and released the first Norwegian death metal album on Earache Records in 1990. His band played shows with Dark Throne, Mayhem, Old Funeral, and many more bands of what would become the Norwegian black metal scene in the beginning.  This field trip has exclusive anecdotes and personal memories of the early life of the scene from someone who was there.

Black Metal Bus Sightseeing – A field trip through Oslo:

12:00 Departure The Hub, Inferno Festival hotel.
12:30 Holmenkollen Kapell, re-done after church-fire 23rd of August 1992
13:30 Visit to the crime scene of Varg vs Euronymous 1993
14:00 Visit to Neseblod Records the site of “Helvete” 1991-1993
15:00 Visit to Nasjonalbiblioteket - Black Metal Exhibition.
16:00 Return to the Hub, Inferno Festival hotel.

Tickets here.

In April 2023, the National Library in Oslo, opens a new exhibition investigating the dark and chaotic feelings of Norwegian black metal. Drawing from the library’s rich collection, the exhibition references ancient Norwegian cultural history and shows black metal as a music form with a distinct artistic expression The exhibition conveys how Norwegian black metal has had an impact far beyond Norwegian borders with a vast number of international followers.The National Library of Norway invites fans and other lovers of music and cultural history to dig deep and explore Norwegian black metal as a music genre and a cultural phenomenon.

Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to explore the dark and fascinating history of Norwegian black metal. Join us on our Black Metal Bus Sightseeing field trip through Oslo, as led by Norwegian black metal pioneer Anders Odden. Limited tickets remain for our trip on Saturday 8 April, so book your tickets now before they sell out!

The Inferno Music Conference takes place at The Hub, the official festival hotel, from 11 AM until 3:30 PM on Thursday 6th and Friday 7th of April. The ticket also includes welcome party and Indie Recordings Label Night at SALT on Wednesday the 5th of April.

Inferno Metal Festival Norway 2023 details can be found here.