Norway’s Blastfest made a special announcement a few months back that it will be celebrating its national metal scene by boasting a 100% Norwegian lineup and having already announced acts such as Abbath, Green Carnation, Ihsahn, Ancient and Gorgoroth, the festival has now announced another wave of bands that will be appearing at the festival in February 2016.
Inculter
Close to Bergen you find the municipality of Fusa. It’s quite small, but with guidance from Iscariah, of Immortal fame, and his Edged Cult Productions, there has been an enormous wave of new bands, most playing old school thrash and death metal. Amongst these you find Inculter, already leaving Norwegian venues in ruins with their thrash metal. Still in their teens yet sporting an image as if they were from the Bay Area of the early 80’s, they are sure to impress you, as they have all others. Witness a rising Norwegian phenomenon!
Viper Solfa
This band is relatively new, and houses members known from acts such as Limbonic Art, Trail Of Tears, Mayhem, Blood Red Throne, Tristania, and Ram Zet, all of them bands with international names and critically acclaimed. Recently they released an album under the title of Carving An Icon, and are now set on delivering the goods to Blastfest 2016. The festival hellcome them into their all-Norwegian lineup with what they themselves call ‘Poison music’!
Endezzma
Yet another rising star on the Norwegian night sky. Recently having released their debut album Erotik Nekrosis, these guys hailing from Hønefoss are set on showing Blastfest how proper black metal is executed.
Nocturnal Breed
Dating all the way back to 1996, Svartalv and his Nocturnal Breed have been amongst the classic four Oslo thrashers, or black thrasher if you will, along with Aura Noir, Audiopain and Infernö. Members from bands such as Dimmu Borgir and The Kovenant have been parttaking in the band over the years, and on their most recent album Nocturno Culto of Darkthrone lent them his vocal chords for a total of four songs. Blastfest felt they needed these guys and their supreme war-themed groviness in an all-Norwegian lineup, and they were lucky enough to get hold of them!
CVLT
This post black metal trio so far remains enshrouded by mystery and secrecy. No one knows who they are, or which allegedly famous bands they have also been part of. Do you know? Blastfest organisers themselves have no clue as to who they are, so they figured this would be somewhat the black metal equivalent of a Nigerian scam, and willingly complied to their offers. They basically got gullible as soon as they sent in the raw mixes of their upcoming release.
Dødheimsgard
Do you remember how these guys were heavily inspired by Marvel’s cartoon universe around their Supervillain Outcast album? You don’t? Well, they sure fit the role. Dødheimsgard are not only a highly esteemed second wave Norwegian black metal band, they have also since evolved heavily, and now find themselves in the outer reaches of the avantgarde, walking the fine line between the rest of the black metal genre and pure and the utter insanity of a true Marvel villain. Their recent offering, An Umbra Omega, was released to massive critical acclaim, and they left The Inferno Festival in ruins earlier this year. This is the snuff that great festivals are made of!
Nekromantheon
Being part of latter year’s revival of thrash metal in Norway, Nekromantheon fervently deliver the thrashing goods. Actually they do it so convincingly that their masterful effort Rise, Vulcan Spectre secured them the equivalent of a Norwegian Grammy. But you guys are too trve to be impressed by awards, surely. In addition to being blown away by the intense music itself, you might therefore rather appreciate to learn that these guys also are part of credible constellations like Obliteration, Deathhammer and Audiopain. De leker ikke butikk!
Execration
Winner of the Norwegian equivalent to the Grammy awards for their Morbid Dimensions album in 2014. Even before winning a ‘Spellemannsprisen’, and thus receiving the mark of approval from the pundit elite, these old school death metallers were held in high regard amongst the true connoisseurs of the death metal underground. Judging from their Inferno performance this year these guys will please both camps; be it bearded hipsters fond of neologisms or battlejacket-wearing sporter of the infamous mullet with a vocabulary mostly consisting of “ugh!”. As long as you remain conscious Blastfest are actually quite certain these guys will blow your minds.
One Tail, One Head
Part of the Trondheim (Nidrosian) black metal scene, One Tail, One Head is a fourfold force devoted to the fierce and the fiery. Climbing endless ladders towards the eternal above or diving down into the bottomless below forevermore: the paradox is perfect. Spewing forth blood and ashes from their lair in Nidaros, Norway, they are (un)known for their energetic, yet atmospheric live performances and they will deliver one of their rare and widely talked about live rituals at Blastfest 2016. Let it begin, once more, for eternity. Worlds open, worlds collide!
Svarttjern
The black metal fans visiting from near and afar will surely be pleased to see that Blastfest have gotten hold of Svarttjern, still flying high that TNBM banner of yore. Established in 2003, the band is somewhat new to the scene. However, the individual members have also been involved with bands like Sarkom and Ragnarok, proving that these are no new kids on the block in terms of the black arts.
Vulture Industries
Towering above their Bergen peers in terms of manic live performances Blastfest are pleased to announce the booking of Vulture Industries. Expect no less than you yourself being directly involved as they deliver one of the avantgarde performances which they have gotten notorious for by now.
Djevel
Praised for keeping the true Norwegian black metal still alive, Djevel is surely a worthy addition to the Blastfest 2016 lineup. Fronted by Kvelertak’s vocalist Erlend Hjelvik, and with legendary Dirge Rep (Gehenna, Enslaved, Orcustus etc) behind the drumkit this band are one of the Norwegian bands creating a buzz globally.
Arcturus
Last but not least Blastfest are proud to announce Arcturus to play the festival in 2016!
To thou who dwellest in the night: With a brand new album just unleashed upon us earthlings, and after recently turning Maryland Deathfest into their very own showcase, Arcturus have signed on to bring their eclectic and avantgarde take on metal to next year’s Blastfest. Seeing as how the musically amorphous, yet always steady all-star lineup of the spaced-out collective of artists have been part of the Norwegian vanguard of metal music ever since they started out, it would indeed be strange to have them absent from the poster of an all-Norwegian Blastfest. Luckily for the festival, that outcome never had to become more than a mere hypothetical. Put on your best cosmojammies, and come experience a Blastfest under the Arcturian sign. Per aspera ad astra!
