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Last day, first band on the outdoor stage.
“Spawned by the mind of infamous composer BST (Aosoth, The Order Of Apollyon) in total isolation, during the first lockdown of 2020, Sotherion is a one-man project paying homage to the late ’80s and early ’90s, the second wave of black metal. Inspired by disgust for the modern world and its deification of mediocrity and glorification of rats and motivated by a search for old ways of recording razor-sharp guitars and low-pulsing kick drums, the debut demo Schwarmgeist came to be in a heartbeat, acting as a beacon for what was next to come.”
– terrarelicta.com 2022

So far just the demo is released but hopefully more to come soon! The band is new but BST and the live guys have been around for a longer time. Checked a bit on Metal Archives and basically they play and have played in loads of (great) bands. So not exactly a bunch of newbies. And the band was clearly way better than my (quite few) pictures. Brutal mid day sunlight.

Very nice ofc for the general wellbeing but very hard to get the camera settings right. Some of the overly bright/stupid coloured crappy ones I just gave a layer or two of something for the more artsy feeling. And I can call myself a “Visual Artist”. Seems very popular these days..;) Death before auto settings!

“While the Mütiilation kind of sound typified French Black Metal during the 90’s, It were bands like Deathspell Omega, Antaeus, Arkhon Infaustus and Aosoth that brought a significantly different sound to the French Black Metal table. Bestial, wild and with a solid Death Metal edge to it, yet quite challenging with all kinds of contrarian and slightly dissonant riffs. To that tradition we can count Sotherion too” – thewhisperingdarkness.com March 2023

[Live clip by Gronn Onland]

Collected notes & links:
– Latest release: Schwarmgeist Demo 2022
– Label: World Terror Committee Productions
– Buy the demo
www.facebook.com/sotherion
metal-archives.com/bands/Sotherion
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Aesthetics of Death, Misery & Suffering From Kouvola, Finland since 2003. Not so many releases,tho. A couple of demos and a compilation of both demos.

“RUTTOKOSMOS are one of the great “what if?”s of Finnish black metal. The band formed sometime in 2003 and released the five-song Ja minä näin kuoleman demo in 2006 and then the six-song Kärsimys demo a year later. Afterward, nothing was heard from RUTTOKOSMOS ever again. Only one member concurrently played in Divina Inferis, and the other two members either disappeared and played pseudonymously in other bands” – werewolf.fi

Very early (12.30PM) on the last, and very very tired, day so needed my second large bucket of coffee. Breakfast is THE most important thing:) But I never leave a gig without having some kind of an idea what it´s all about when it comes to new (for me) bands. Ofc not always enough, but if I find something interesting, I´ll go all in after getting back home, digging up everything I can find. So many bands I´ve never even heard of and can´t recall any boring or shitty gigs these 2 years I´ve been visiting Villatehdas. Ofc everything in relation so the scale is pending from “good” to “awesome beyond belief”. Also some very rare performances. Like this one. When did they even play live the last time?
[Live clips below by Gronn Onland & sarvi (also one from rehearsals]

Collected notes:
– Latest release: Kärsimys Compilation 2021 (released by Werewolf Records)
– Independent / not signed for the moment
– For the Japanese: Disk Union have the compilation in stock
(There are several Disk Unions in Tokyo. You´ll find the Hard Rock/Metal one in Shinjuku!:))

spotify.com
www.metal-archives.com/bands/Ruttokosmos
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The one and only Roger Nattefrost ! Dunno what to say more than it was a blast and the best CF show I´ve seen so far:D Such an awesome band and Nattefrost totally ruled on stage.
[Live clips by Gronn Onland, SilesianWoods Promotions, HCSE]

Collected notes & links:
– Latest release: Likeim EP 2018

www.facebook.com/carpathianforest
shop.season-of-mist.com/band/carpathian-forest
spotify.com
– Interview Carpathian Forest/Nattefrost 2023 w. Rauta @ Steelfest
www.metal-archives.com/bands/Carpathian_Forest
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The band existed already 1994-1996 as Lords of the Left Hand.
“Behexen adopts to highly satanic lyrics and imagery.
Vocalist and lyricist Hoath Torog identifies himself as a satanist. Torog explained in an interview following the release of their album Nightside Emanations, “Behexen is a magical tool and channel formed in 1995, which brings the voices of our gods to be heard, and works as an intermediary for their destructive emanations on this world. Our journey has taken nearly twenty years, and has included many phases, but today our temple shines the light of our lord brighter than ever before.”
 – nordicmetal.net

Brilliant gig and closing the outdoor stage for friday. I do like the all the albums a lot, but the first BEHEXEN album i ever heard (in a car while driving with friends between 2 Watain gigs in Spain 2011) “My Soul for His Glory” from 2008 will always stay on the top. Immediate impact:)

[Live clip by Gronn Onland, Tales From The Frontline & sarvi. Full albums: Debemur Morti Productions via Black Metal Promotion]

Collected notes & links:
– Latest release: The Poisonous Path Full-length 2016
– Label: Debemur Morti Productions
– The band (live): vocals –  Hoath Torog (also in BYTHOS, for many years vocalist in SARGEIST)  guitar –  Mynni “Infection” (also in HORNA, BYTHOS, CHAMBER OF UNLIGHT etc)   Kristiina “Evisc”  has been the live bassist in the band the past ten years after Sargofagian (Lord Sarcofagian of BAPTISM that is) left the position.  Horns – the drummer has been in the band ever since the Lords of the Left Hand days (also in SARGEIST for a bunch of years)

www.facebook.com/behexen.official
debemur-morti.com/en/29-behexen-shop
open.spotify.com
behexen.bandcamp.com/
www.metal-archives.com/bands/behexen
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I love the first  “Spells”. Some of the later albums are ok but not on my best list. I think the last album I´ve heard in full  was  “Adimiron Black”.

Anyways, the gig was pretty good in which case. Maybe one or a couple of songs from “Spells” bu quite a many from the “Ww” album.  I saw GEHENNA  some years back at Blekkmetal in Bergen and they only played The early stuff. But that was the whole point  there so I never heard the newer material live. Better than expected:)

 

“Gehenna was formed in January 1993 as a nameless project by Sanrabb, Dolgar, and Sir Vereda. They didn’t give the band a name until they had enough material, which would represent their voice.” – The Metal Archives

 

“Though Gehenna’s “Murder” is in the death metal field, most of this Norwegian band’s time has been spent in the black metal camp. Debuting in 1994 with the EP First Spell, Gehenna’s relaxed, somber melodic black metal was rather unique, highlighted by some interesting eerie synth work from then-keyboardist Sarcana. Though the band has had a pretty steady recording career quality-wise, many will still point to this first effort as the band’s best.

The next two albums showed a move toward a more aggressive, but still melodic, black metal style, somewhat like Emperor at that time. With the move to a new record label (Moonfog) came the transition album Adimiron Black. Still black metal, but decidedly harsher, with keyboards far less prominent, this pointed toward a bigger change to come. And come it did, in the form of 2000’s Murder. With only scant traces of their black roots, Gehenna has really gone full-tilt toward death metal, with even the vocal style abruptly shifting from the typical black metal snarls of the early days toward a low-pitched death growl. Indeed, if Murder and First Spell were played back-to-back, one would be hard pressed to believe they both came from the same band. The group has continued to straddle the death/black in recent years, with 2005’s WW veering back toward the black territory” – bnrmetal.com

 

[Live clip by Tales From The Frontline & Gronn Onland]

 

Collected notes & links:
– Latest release: Unravel Full-length 2013
– Label: Indie Recordings

www.facebook.com/PerfectHate
www.ludewigs.net/gehenna
https://gehennaofnorway.bandcamp.com/
open.spotify.com
www.metal-archives.com/bands/Gehenna
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Black metal from the Steelfest town Hyvinkää since 2011. Loads of releases since then so the guys have been really productive.

The main guy is Grim666 (Aki Klemm) who, since the beginning, has played all the instruments on the albums. The vocalist Tyrant (Niko Lindell) has been on board since 2016. Not sure about the live guys so I just mention the 2 that are listed as current line up so if someone has all the names, let me know. Checking back to last years gig it was the same situation:)
Nevertheless, it was a great bunch of guys on stage, and now it was the second time I saw the band live AND also have listened to some of the material so it was pretty cool.
Band: Grimm666  Tyrant

[Live clip by Gronn Onland]

Collected notes:
– Latest release: Surun saattomailla Relese March 2023


https://www.facebook.com/kalmankantaja/
https://www.instagram.com/kalmankantaja/
https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Kalmankantaja/3540342889
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6cvfJNOW4ZAMiSVLEbeP8P
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Labeled on the Metal Archives as Experimental Black Metal. Dunno, but RFR was awesome!! Really, really good:D
Interesting Finnish band delivering Darkness, Evil & Satan since 2001.
Drums: HAIL CONJURER (Harri Kuokkanen), who performed with a brilliant solo thingy on thursday!

“When I’m composing, it’s always kind of a hunt. This is very intriguing and a big part of that sound-chase for me. Finding a sound, like a simple powerful riff or dirge that keeps going and swallows your soul. There is something undeniably pagan and earthly to it.” – Harald Mentor, interviewed for Bardo Methodology 2022

[Live clips by Gronn Onland, Tales From The Frontline, sarvi]

Collected notes & links:
– Latest release: Born Alive Abortion Live album 2023
– Interview with Harald Mentor @ Bardo Methodology 2022
– Interview with Harald Mentor @ Bardo Methodology 2018
– Band: Nordic Elukka (Heidi Kettunen) Bass Harald Mentor (Sami Kettunen) Vocals J. Pervertor Guitars Hail Conjurer Drums

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100047389216185
https://rideforrevenge.bandcamp.com/
https://shop-hellsheadbangers.com/ride-for-revenge.asp
https://fuckyoga.limitedrun.com/products/search?q=Ride+for+revenge
https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Ride_for_Revenge/48305
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“WITCHTRAP is an old school thrash metal power trio band formed by the two brothers Carlos Uribe a.k.a. Burning Axe Ripper & Hugo Uribe a.k.a. Witchhammer in Medellín – Colombia. The band started in early 1992 under the name “Dark Millennium”, playing classic death metal, but a year later changed their style to thrash metal and the band’s name turned to WITCHTRAP.” – Bancdamp bio

Great live band!! Very expressive individuals all the guys in the band, so besides they sounded good, they were also very entertaining to watch:) GO Colombian thrash!

[Live clips below by WITCHTRAP official, Tales From The Frontline]

Collected notes:
– Latest release: Evil Strikes Again Full-length 2020
– Band: Witchhammer Drums Burning Axe Ripper Vocals, Guitars Enforcer Bass
– Interview by Rauta (Youtube)

https://www.facebook.com/WITCHTRAP/
open.spotify.com
https://witchtrap-official.bandcamp.com/album/evil-strikes-again
https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/witchtrap
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Depressive Black from Helsinki since 2005.
“The band was found to create truly melancholic and desperate soundscapes and to unravel the blackened thoughts, the blessing and the curse of the inability to think either black or white nor inbetween. To narrate about the ability to find clarity in madness positivity in the negativity shelter in the dark…” – Osmose Productions

Have seen them only once before at Stockholm Slaughter 2019. Kinda lost them back then but this time I got to be more focused.  Festivals are a bit tricky when it comes to get the best out of bands you never heard before. But this time, super gig!
One of my favourite songs in the first clip below↓ Just harrowing and beautiful.

Band: Aleksis Laakso (I) Drums Alex (A) Vocals, Guitar, Keyboard Mikko Rissanen (N) Bass Juuso Heikkilä (J) Guitar

[Live clips by Gronn Onland & Tales From The Frontline]

Collected notes:
– Latest release: Solitude Release April 2018
– Current label: Osmose Productions
– Merch: @ Osmose productions
– Interview by Rauta https://youtu.be/hIlc2RsiuyI 2022

https://www.facebook.com/totalselfhatredofficial
https://osmoseproductions.bandcamp.com/album/totalselfhatred
https://open.spotify.com/artist/155cULXraV93ztC81ncvBz
https://www.instagram.com/totalselfhatred_official/
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Melodic Death from Canada (Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador). Quite a new band, formed in 2018.

Not too much info to find, but some bits & pieces: Lyrics are about War, History, Anti-religion & Politics and musically they are inspired by inspired by “the controversial US band Aghroslent” according to a review. The band calls their style “Sentimental Death Metal”. The vocalist Adam Sharr is also in a black metal band called Nocturnal Prayer.

“Mount Pearl death metal outfit GRENADIER are one of the newest extreme metal groups to emerge from the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
While releasing their first full-length album, GRENADIER are easily pushing the standards of melodic death metal to a higher level. “Trumpets Blare in Blazing Glory” grants you with tons of groovy riffs, epic vocals and blasting drums.So load your musket, grab your sword, run into the battle and get ready for a devastating charge!”
– Drakkar Records

[Live clip by Gronn Onland]

Collected notes & links:
– Latest release: Trumpets Blare in Blazing Glory Full-length 2022
– Label: Drakkar Productions

https://www.grenadiernfld.com/
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