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UNLEASHED, the Chief Vikings of Swedish Death Metal, as one of this years exceptions from the basic Steelfestian black metal line up. 
Also the third and last of this years Swedish bands which all played on Thursday.
Keep an eye on »» RAUTA @ YouTube! There will be an interview with Johnny from UNLEASHED and a bunch of other bands from the festival. Eventually. Always interesting stuff.

 

[Live clips by GRONNENHELL, Tales From The Frontline & sarvi]

 

 

Notes & links:
– UNLEASHED @ extreMMetal.se
– Tomas printshop Helloil.com has lots of official t-shirts & other stuff https://www.helloil.com/
www.facebook.com/unleashed
Steelfest.fi

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Highlight of the day: the first of 3 HORNA sets from different eras/vocalists.
This one with the great  Nazgul (Werwolf from Satanic Warmaster etc) from the original HORNA line up.
A fukken treat!! The lights were not with us but whatever:D
Hoath from Behexen & Bythos also appeared at some point.

 

HORNA W. NAZGUL  (from E. Metallum)
Vocals (1996-2001), Keyboards (1999)

 

1997 Hiidentorni (Demo) Vocals, Lyrics (track 1) (as “Nazgul von Armageddon”)
1998 Kohti yhdeksän nousua Lyrics (track 2), Songwriting (track 3), Vocals
1999 Haudankylmyyden mailla Guitars (solo) (track 4), Vocals
1999 Sota (EP) Vocals (as “Nazgul von Armageddon”)
1999 Perimä vihassa ja verikostossa / Whispered Myths (Split) Vocals (as “Nazgul von Armageddon”)
2000 Perimä vihassa ja verikostossa (EP) Vocals, Keyboards
2000 Horna / Musta Surma (Split) Vocals
2001 Sudentaival Vocals (as “Satanic Warmaster”)
2002 Korpin hetki (EP) Vocals
2005 Vihan vuodet (Split) Vocals (tracks 1, 2) (as “Nazgul von Armageddon”)
2009 Herran edessä 15 vuotta (EP) Vocals (as “Nazgul von Armageddon”)
2016 Live Armageddon 1999​-​2000 (Live album) Vocals (as “Satanic Warmaster”)

 

 

[Live clips by Doomed 2 travel, GRONNENHELL (Nazgul and Hoath), sarvi, TopiKoo & Desde las Catacumbas]

 

 

 

Notes & links:


– Review of the first HORNA full length “Kohti yhdeksän nousua” (repress 2019) / Rauta YouTube
– HORNA has been experiencing shitloads of troubles on social medias w. hijacked accounts etc so nothing official to link to for the moment.
https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Horna
spotify.com
Steelfest.fi

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Norwegians did great of course. They always do :D
Frode “Eld” already played a gig with HELLBUTCHER just awhile ago.

 

[Live clips by GRONNENHELL & sarvi]

 

“AETERNUS was formed by Ares in 1993 in Bergen, Norway. AETERNUS pioneered the genre Dark Metal; combining Black Metal and Death Metal with elements of classical and folk music. The band creates its trademark sound by layering superlative guitar playing and haunting, melodic interludes.”
– Agonia Records

 

 

 

Notes & links:
– Interview with Ares (Rauta @ YouTube September -23)
– Latest album “Philosopher” released November 2023 (Agonia Records)
– AETERNUS @ extremmetal.se
https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Aeternus/922
https://www.facebook.com/Aeternusofficial
https://www.instagram.com/aeternusofficial/
Steelfest.fi

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ANTIMATERIA! Cosmic Black Metal From Finland  is basically work from this one guy, Ahma, but like many “one man bands” he also got himself a really good bunch of musicians for live gigs. Second time I´ve seen them and this time ofc I even knew the songs:)


As I probably have mentioned before, the “atmospheric” stuff could be whatever, but when it´s good, it´s really good. And this is an awesome band! Just heard that they may come over to Sweden for a couple of gigs in the spring (-25). New album coming up also. First single below the live clips.
Very few pictures. Very very foggy on stage.

 

[Live clips by GRONNENHELL, sarvi, Noncho Savov & Ireth Sargeist]

 

 

 

Notes & links:

https://www.facebook.com/Antimateria
https://www.instagram.com/antimateria_official/
Steelfest.fi

 

 

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HELLBUTCHER! Fantastic gig and the best I´ve seen so far with these guys. 

 

A couple of weeks still to go until the release of the debut album but they played the entire thingy and also added a couple of covers (Bathory & Venom ofc:))

 

Perra Karlsson replacing Devastator on stage at least for some time. In general there is a LOT to say about HELLBUTCHER but need to hurry up a bit with all the pics from Steelfest:) I may make some updates later in some posts.
Check the links for the latest news from the band!

 

[Live clips by GRONNENHELL & The Metal Crypt ]

 

“Wimps and posers beware. From the depths of the black metal underground, one of its most elite figures returns with a new band and an even more evil attitude. As frontman of legendary Swedish maniacs Nifelheim, Hellbutcher upheld the bad name of real black metal with an iron fist. Now with this eponymous new band, the frenzied mission continues: nothing less than total metal mania will do. “The core of Hellbutcher encapsulates the true essence of metal,” he declares. “We are METAL, striving to refine and evolve our music and image to become the purest and heaviest among all extreme metal bands throughout history. Disregarding predefined trends and fashions, we will persist in the authentic path that metal was meant to follow!“ “
– Metal Blade Records

 

 

 

 

Pics from the photo shoot in January -24. The first one from the very first HELLBUTCHER gig (Motala Oct -23)

Notes & links:
– HELLBUTCHER @ extremmetal.se
– Interview for Metal Remains (YouTube)
https://www.facebook.com/hellbutcherband
https://www.instagram.com/hellbutcherband
Steelfest.fi

 

 

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COMMANDER AGARES a.k.a the Festival General Jani with band from Hyvinkää. Very good gig this year also!  All hail Jani!!

 

I first saw (and got aware of) them when visiting my first Steelfest in -22.  During the festival weekend COMMANDER AGARES released a split with GRAVELAND (who also played at the festival) and they sold it in the merch tent:) Cool stuff always happens at this fest.
This year the Commander released a split with The True Werwolf. One song each. Just found out about it myself and listening right now.
Released in January this year @ Inferna Profundus Records.

 

[Live clips by GRONNENHELL, sarvi  & Desde las Catacumbas]

 

“By dyad spells of darkness dirge black metal triumph do two entities hailing from the darkest corners of the Finnish hinterlands conspire oaths of wolven shadow, these by herald of The True Werwolf and Commander Agares, their bloodstained black barbarism to shake even the immortality of the world tree itself. “
– Inferna Profundus Records

 

 

 

Notes & links:
– COMMANDER AGARES @ extremmetal.se
https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Commander_Agares/3540491485
https://infernaprofundusrecords.bandcamp.com/
Steelfest.fi

 

 

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The last live gig with Nox. The next one (in July at Metal Theatre Festival in Kalmar) will be fronted by Mannevond (Koldbrann etc) who also will appear on the next CRAFT album. While Nox has his reasons to step back, he will still be a part of the band and involved in whatever they will be up to.
Yep, I´m a bit sad still:)
But it was great to see the gig and because they never made a bad song, there were only hits on the setlist xD
Hot and sunny ofc.

 

“The rawness of Nox vocal delievery has been essential to the sound of Craft since our inception and we would truly not be the band that we are without him. We want to make it very clear that Nox is still a part of Craft. It is however important for us to keep bringing forth new material and especially performing it live, and for now – this simply does not fit with Nox’s other commitments. Nox will be a part of the new album, however not as lead singer.” –  statement from the band earlier this year

 

 

Notes & links:

– The very first live gig in Stockholm September 2014
– More CRAFT @ extremmetal.se
– Flyer borrowed from Steelfest
– CRAFT merch @ https://shop.season-of-mist.com/band/craft

www.facebook.com/craftblackmetal
www.instagram.com/craftblackmetal
Steelfest.fi

 

CRAFT ALBUMS W. NOX @ Bandcamp. Flawless, every each one of them!
craftofficial.bandcamp.com

 





 

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Finnish AEGRUS indoors this year (some pics from the sunny outdoor stage in 2022). Great gig!!
A bit more familiar with the songs this time. So much I´ve learned about Finnish black metal these past 3 years at Steelfest:))

 

“Once again, the band finds a nearly perfect way to present itself. The songs shine with musicality, maturity, coherence, atmosphere, aggression, high velocity, density and fervour. “Temple of Ardent Worship” is a piece that brings all these elements into full bloom. Some of its parts burn with apocalyptic intensity, while other sequences do not forget the melodic, immaculately flowing guitar lines.” – Album review 2023 by Felix 1666 @ metal-archives.com

 

[Live clip by GRONNENHELL]

 

 

Notes & links:
www.facebook.com/Aegrusofficial
Steelfest.fi

 

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DEATHCHAIN death/thrash from eastern Finland. With members from Ajattara, Horna etc. The latest album released back in 2013 so it´s been awhile.

“Ritual Death Metal succeeds on the strength of massive, lumbering midtempo riffs and super-grim, almost-black metal blastbeat sections. The band wisely breaks up the wall-to-wall brutality with some nice atmospheric touches. The harmonized intro to “Like Worms Upon the Lands” is a fine example of this, as is the clean guitar at the opening of “Tiamat’s Eyes of Death.” In the hands of a lesser band, details like this would detract from the heaviness of the music. In the case of Deathchain, it just creates a sinister vibe that cannot be conjured by riffs alone.”  –  Album review @ angrymetalguy.com 2013

[Live clip by GRONNENHELL]

 

 

Notes & links:
– Kassara (Lauri Rytkönen,drummer) kept busy this weekend. At least 5 gigs with 3 different bands

https://www.facebook.com/deathchainband
https://www.instagram.com/deathchainband
Steelfest.fi

 

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The first band out @ this years edition of Steelfest. Originally from Poland but    Just arrived to the place so not totally focused but it was really good. Not much I knew about these guys except they released a split with Ofermod & Acherontas last year and were supposed to tour with Ofermod but it didn´t happen. Ofermod were on the bill to Steelfest also but dropped out. Anyways, had a casual chat with Darius/Shadow at some point and he actually gifted me with the split. Great stuff from all the bands and I have also listened properly to everything from Black Altar since I got back home and they for sure are one of my best findings at this years festival.
Didn´t find any live clips yet but will add later  if I do.

 

Notes & links:

www.facebook.com/blackaltar
www.black-altar-horde.com
https://blackaltar.bandcamp.com/
www.metal-archives.com/bands/Black_Altar
Steelfest.fi

 

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