Some pics of all the bands are now uploaded @ www.facebook.com/extremmetal. THE FULL GALLERIES ARE POSTED ON THEIR ACTUAL DATE/TIME SO SCROLL DOWN TO FIND THEM! Or check this pageextremmetal.se/2022-2023. The finished galleries are linked.
So next up will be the full galleries. Got some other galleries to finish first. Everything in (kind of…) order. Will take awhile:))
[Steelfest “Aftermovie” by Gronn Onland (check out his YouTube channel for more stuff!!!]
Anyways…my second Steelfest was pure awesomeness once again. For many, many reasons but most important ones: Great bands, great gigs, no nonsens @ good company.
Hugest thanks to Jani Steelfest, all the staff – especially my brightly shining coffee lady & pickle queen Johanna S., my flatmates (well…need to have a place to stay next year also. Need to play nice;)), everyone I met old & new friends & acquaintances. Aaaaaaaand the weather!!:D
If you for some reason have missed it for this long, the next dates are set: 16 to 18th of May 2024. All bands still TBA but expect nothing else than a perfect fest.
“WARMOON LORD is arguably the best-kept secret of the ever-fertile Finnish black metal underground. The band is the sole work of one Lord Vrajitor, a prolific figure in the wider Finnish music underground, but also concurrently the mainman of OLD SORCERY. But whereas that band largely/mostly works within the dungeon synth genre, WARMOON LORD is pure & proud black metal of a most fantastical nature – equally medieval, maybe even more so, but burning with icy-hot passion that so fired the second wave during the mythical 1990s.” – Werewolf Records, Bandcamp
The very last band out for this glorious 2023 edition of Steelfest. Shit tired but still managed to see most of the gig:)
Can´t wait for next years fest!
[Live clips by Gronn Onland, sarvi, Tales From The Frontline, Infinite Chaos Promotions]
One of the greatest at this festival!
Not spoiled with livegigs with these guys (only the second time ever) and both times they were absolutely brilliant! Last time was at the same festival but indoor stage and now playing as the last band outdoors, which suited them very well. Huge crowd and just freaking amazing performance! All hail Lauri Werwolf.
The first time I even listened to SATANIC WARMASTER was in a car travelling from Barcelona to Madrid for a second WATAIN / SHINING show on the trip(2011?). “Where Eternity Awaits”…#neverforget. Still one of the favourites.
[Live clips by Gronn Onland,Tales From The Frontline]
“When Trondr Nefas sadly passed away at the age of 34 on May 12th in 2012 this also sealed the end of URGEHAL. Out of friendship, respect and as a tribute to their late singer and guitarist, the Norwegians decided to go ahead with producing a final album. Half of the material on ‘Aeons in Sodom’ was written by Trondr with the other half contributed by guitarist Enzifer. URGEHAL invited close friend and band mates from other projects of Nefas to contribute and those honoured in this way all joined to pay homage.” – Season of Mist
URGEHAL has played some live gigs lately. Starting last year as 2022 was marking 10 years after Trondr Nefas passing. “Dødsmarsj for Nefas” also had a stop in Stockholm May last year. They will not go on forever with this, so if you have managed to catch them at some point, you´ve been lucky:)
Live lineup is original members Enzifer (guitar) and Uruz (drums) as well as long time member Mannevond (Koldbrann, Djevel) on bass. On lead guitar is Malphas (Carpathian Forest, Endezzma, Vulture Lord, HAGL). Vocals half the set each Trondr’s long time friends and fellow musicians Sorath Northgrove (Beastcraft, Vulture Lord, HAGL) and Morten Shax (Endezzma).
In 2016 the 13th of May, Nefas bands URGEHAL, BEASTCRAFT, and ENDEZZMA shared stage for the first and last time at the “Death Is Complete” memorial evening in Oslo featuring a great bunch of guest vocalists: Hoest from TAAKE, Nag from TSJUDER, Nattefrost from CARPATHIAN FOREST, Niklas Kvarforth from SHINING, Sorath from BEASTCRAFT, Mannevond from KOLDBRANN and M Shax from ENDEZZMA.
The great ones shall not be forgotten. Brilliant gig and ofc Goatcraft Torment as the first song.
[Live clips by Tales From The Frontline, Gronn Onland, Saatanan Aslakki]
Devil Metal legends from Cleveland, Ohio US formed in 1987. They´ve been active ever since, except a short break around 2015. After a million releases and a bunch of changes in the line up, the vocalist Don of the Dead (Donald Crotsley) is the only remaining original/founding member.
Very entertaining gig:)
“Deformed in 1987 by Don of the Dead (Bass) with Jer the Butcher (Guitar), Gregoroth (Vocals) and Behemoth Bill (Drums), the spawn called Nun Slaughter began spewing forth the sonic vomit known as Death Metal. Shunning the vile confines of a studio for the oppressive darkness of a basement tomb, they released their first demo in 1987 and christened it “Ritual of Darkness”. The raw sound of “Ritual” established N.S. as purveyors of true Death Metal. The bands line up experienced it first of many mutations in ’89, with Jer and Bill being replaced by Rick Rancid (Guitar) and John Sicko (Drums). NunSlaughter’s, second bastard offspring came screaming through the birth canal shortly thereafter, dragging it’s fetid placenta, “The Rolling Christ”. The next band-member morphogenesis occurred in 1991, when Gregoroth and Sick slithered away. Von the Impaler latched on as a drummer and Don of the Dead (still on bass) became Nun Slaughter’s vocalist as well. This repugnant assemblage produced the band’s third demo, “Impale the Soul of Christ on the Inverted Cross of Death”.”
– Band bio @ hellsheadbangers.com
“Nunslaughter is probably one of the oldest cult death metal bands around. Created in 1987, the band has been prolifically releasing material, with a particular affection towards EPs and split releases. After more than 35 years of activity, Nunslaughter remains incredibly loyal to the roots of the genre and continuing to play death metal in it’s purest form.”
[Live clips by sarvi,Tales From The Frontline,Saatanan Aslakki, Gronn Onland]
Collected notes & links: – Latest release: Fuck Off!!! (In the Name of Satan) Split (w Nuctemeron) 2022
– 2015 they released “In Memoriam” one month after their long time drummer Jim “sadist” Konya passed. Recorded live At The Hells Headbash, Valley City, OH, United States, August 9th, 2014 “Done in 100 copies only and was made to honour Jim Sadist who has sadly passed away last month. He’s greatly missed by many friends and fans. The single has coverart which is in the classic Nunslaughter tradition, but the inside is a photo collage of 74 different photo’s of Jim Sadist.”
– Interview @ Steelfest 2023 by Rauta
“Never one to find rest however, especially in peace, Lord Nosferatus (who has since transformed his ritual name to R. Nattefrost) restless spirit has led him to venture deeper downward and continue to torment the world with further evil endeavors. Crowning his side bands WORLD DESTROYER, HATEPULSE, BLOODLINE and GRIMM is his solo project and most unforgivable sin, the aptly titled NATTEFROST. This allowed him to be freed of the boundaries of being in a band and to do, “Whatever the fuck I wanted… total necro and narrow minded black metal!”” – Bio @ Season of Mist
Fukken Roger Nattefrost! The whole band wore ribbon badges and I asked why. So, those were for being a National Treasure xD Awesome and highly entertaining performance and definitely one of the highlights of this fest!
A long career with a huge amounts of chaos beats newfangled regulated bullshit anytime! Also, Roger is awfully nice:)
#neverforget #hugefan Doedsadmiral from DOEDSVANGR & NORDJEVEL made a guestappearance.
[Live clips by SilesianWoods Promotions, Gronn Onland, Saatanan Aslakki, Tales From The Frontline & Infinite Chaos Promotions]
Collected notes & links: – Latest release:Engangsgrill Split 2009 (Nattefrost / Fenriz’ Red Planet)
– Interview Carpathian Forest/Nattefrost 2023 w. Rauta @ Steelfest
– There is one more Rauta interview with Nattefrost from 2017 on YouTube. Look it up.
Death metal from Turku, Finland since 2002. “Formed in the spring of 2002 mostly out of fun and amusement for the band members. Torture Killer’s first-ever set consisted solely of Six Feet Under covers and they derived their name from an SFU song that they had performed that night. Shortly after this show, they decided to start writing original material” – Metal Archives
Heavy stuff and highly enjoyable. Good song writing, crushing live band!
I saw them once before in Stockholm ages ago (Shitty old pics: Kafé 44 w. Facebreaker & Demonical), right after the “Sewers” release. With Juri Sallinen as the vocalist.
They were great already back then but never saw them live again. Before now, that is:) The “new” vocalist (since 2011) Pessi Haltsonen is very convincing. Awesome voice!
Been listening to way too little Death metal lately…
[Live clips below by Gronn Onland, sarvi, saatanan Aslakki,]
Collected notes & links: – Latest album: Phobia Full-length 2013 – Latest release: Dead Inside EP 2022 – Band: Tuomas Karppinen Guitars Tuomo Latvala Drums Jari Laine Guitars Kim Torniainen Bass Pessi Haltsonen Vocals
– Haltsonen is also the vocalist in BLOOD CHALICE
– Chris Barnes (Six Feet Under, ex-Cannibal Corpse) joined TK in 2004. No live shows but he is the vocalist on “Swarm” (2006). Juri Sallinen performed all live vocals after the album release.
“According to Desolate, Austere technically started before 2005 as a solo project of his, but he did not release anything until 2007, when Sorrow had already joined the project. The band eventually split up on May 19, 2010 and returned in 2021. Austere played their first live performance on July 28th, 2022 at the Dark Bombastic Evening in Alba Iulia, Romania.”
– Metal Archives
Realized (now) that they played their very first gig ever last year at Dark Bombastic in Romania. One of my favourite festivals and I wasn´t there!
No Dark Bombastic at all this year, but if Doru (the main guy) ever puts together another festival, just go! Always a great experience.
Anyways, got to hear this band for the first time now:) Just beautiful! Will definitely go and see again if possible.
Note: Aleksi Schorn, the vocalist from TOTALSELFHATRED played guitar on this set.
[Live clips by Gronn Onland & H C S E. And as an extra bonus: The very first livegig in full by @raulnegoita. 28-07-2022 Alba Carolina Fortress, Romania]
Satanic Black Metal from Finland since 1992 (As Nocturnal Feast to begin with, changed -93 to Black Dawn, added “True” to it in 2002)
Approved by Infection & Spellgoth of HORNA:) Their bandmate VnoM also being the drummer of TBD. I heard about the “Meathook Mystery Theater” at the 2018 Steelchaos, but this one was without any side show. Not needed. Good stuff! And again…there is so much to Finnish Black Metal I had no idea of. Especially the true underground side of it. Steelfest being my main source of education in that field the past couple of years:)
“True Black Dawn have been doing Satan’s good work for nearly a quarter century, since the 1992 release of the Hymn to Darkness demo under the name of Nocturnal Feast. Add to that Finland’s penchant for raw, black metal filth, and these guys have got some serious anti-Christian heft (/scene cred).” – Decibel Mag. 2016
“Spectrophobia (fear of mirrors) and Dementophobia (fear of becoming insane) come to mind as fitting mental aberrants. A distorted reflection lurking in the looking glass, a shadow self grinning in the dark recesses of the mind, a soundless laughter echoing inside.” – Wrath describes True Black Dawn in an interview October 2018
[Live clips below by Gronn Onland, Saatanan Aslakki]
Helvetes Regent!Satanic Extreme Metal!
“Nordjevel was started in the unholy year of 2015 by Doedsadmiral. He had a talk with Widigs (Marduk) and then Nord about this project and decided to start making music together.” – Band bio, Osmosis Productions
Awesome gig! One of the performances I watched til the end and enjoyed the shit out of it all. It´s a bit hard to take the time if you are shooting all bands and there are 2 stages. “3 first songs, no flash” as usual:) But this year I allowed myself to stay at quite a few gigs. And then run like an idiot to the other stage because the band there already started playing. All that excercise!
There were a bunch a Norwegian bands at the festival and I think that Doedsadmiral guested all of them at some point. Last year he was at Steelfest with his other band DOEDSVANGR.
Also freaking great to see Broddesson (HILD, Funeral Mist, Marduk etc) on guitar. I met him earlier somewhere in the back area and he gave me some cool HILD stuff. Only one album (Valfreya) and some singles out so far and made as an one man project (everything by Broddesson) but with a great live line up they do gigs every now and then. Very nice and violent black thrash. Haven´t seen yet but I will asap. The other Swedish guy in NORDJEVEL is the drummer Nils ‘Dominator’ Fjellström who replaced Widigs (Great drummer but not in any band these days. Focusing on other stuff.) some years ago. Band:DezeptiCunt Bass Doedsadmiral Vocals Dominator Drums Broddesson Guitars
[Live clips below by Gronn Onland, Saatanan Aslakki & Tales From The Frontline. Check out their channels!]
Collected notes:
– Booking @ District 19 district-19.com/portfolio-item/nordjevel
– RAUTA interviewed Doedsadmiral a month or so before Steelfest @Inferno: https://youtu.be/W6IVd4zeREg
Upcoming gigs in Sweden:
07-10-2023 Morkaste Smaland: Slaktmanad Hultsfred
04-11-2023 Stadsgårdsterminalen Stockholm
One of the greatest at this festival!
