ZINE UNDERGROUND

Norway is synonymous with black metal and for over two decades, Inferno Metal Festival has been a fundamental component for Norway’s continued influence on extreme metal. Year after year, every Easter, the country’s capital celebrates some of the finest heavyweights, and killer underground gems, extreme metal has to offer. And with the festival’s accompanying Inferno Music Conference, that sees music industry representatives from all four corners of the world congregate to discuss and participate in industry panels, Inferno Metal Festival holds a special position in the festival calendar. 2025’s festival was overshadowed with the sadness of founder Jan-Martin Jensen‘s passing in February, but in fitting fashion, 2025’s festival served as a loud celebration of a man who gave his life for metal. As media partners for the festival, we were on the ground in Oslo to experience it all, let’s begin.

Thursday – April 17th

SIBIIR – Goldie

SIBIIR live @ Inferno Metal Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal

Over in the intimiate confines of Goldie, homegrown talents SIBIIR ignite Inferno Metal Festival under the mantle of responsibility of being one of the first bands of the festival. And they do not disappoint. A cacophony of blackened tinged hardcore proceeds to ignite a high octane live experience, with vocalist Jimmy Nymoen spending more time in the crowd than on stage. Delivering a sound that felt like if CANCER BATS dipped their toes into a more raw blackened edge, SIBIIR are a lot of fun and it sets the tone nicely for the weekend’s action.

Rating: 8/10

NECROPHOBIC – Rockefeller

Necrophobic live @ Inferno Metal Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal

Although they may not reach the same notoriety as some of their peers, Swedish outfit NECROPHOBIC are veterans of the scence through their blend of blackened death. At Inferno Metal Festival, they reflect a well oiled satanic machine with precision level execution. Buzzing riffing from guitarists Sebastian Ramstedt and Johan Bergebäck keep the pace hurtling forwards, whilst vocalist Anders Strokirk impresses with his confident stage aura and razor-sharp delivery. Albeit with some moment of stagnation, NECROPHOBIC deliver exactly what is expected; good, solid extreme metal. And they achieved just that.

Rating: 7/10

UDÅD – John Dee

UDÅD live @ Inferno Metal Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal

Spawned as a side project of MORK mastermind Thomas Eriksen, UDÅD‘s primary purpose is to allow Eriksen to explore the more primal elements of black metal. Unlike war metal contemporaries REVENGE or BLASPHEMY, UDÅD sits firmly in the realm of black metal that was once pioneered by Eriksen‘s countrymen in the 90s. Live at Inferno Metal Festival, under the compact backdrop of John Dee, UDÅD deliver a primal and earthly black metal experience. Material from last year’s self-titled debut sound mightily impressive here, with the likes of Blodnatten and Den Virkelige Apokryf sounding mightily nasty in the live environment. An impressive set from one of Norwegian black metal’s modern masterminds.

Rating: 7/10

TIAMAT – Rockefeller

Tiamat live @ Inferno Metal Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal

Swedish goth metal institution TIAMAT have a career that is fast approaching four decades and their long-standing career and blackened flourishes make them a solid palette cleanser on Rockefeller‘s main stage billing. Led by the swagger of Johan Edlund, the band twist and groove their way through a riff-laden feast and have enough bite in their bark to leave a lasting impression. It’s nothing particularly mind-blowing, but solid enough to catch your breath before the flurry of Friday’s evening billing.

Rating: 7/10

SPECTRAL WOUND – John Dee

Spectral Wound live @ Inferno Metal Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal

Arguably one of the biggst draws of the weekend, John Dee is packed to the rafters to greet Canadian black metal horde SPECTRAL WOUND. For a decade now, the Canadians have been whipping up a fierce reputation in the scene and their set at Inferno Metal Festival does not disappoint. Feral, vicious and captivating to witness, the band erupt and maintain a fierce energy that never dips during their time on stage. Material from last year’s excellent Songs Of Blood And Mire sound absolutely enormous here with the likes of Fevers & Suffering and A Coin Upon The Tongue igniting sheer bedlam amongst the crowd. And in Aristocratic Suicidal Black Metal, SPECTRAL WOUND have arguably one of the most infectious songs the genre has ever seen, and live, it stands as one of Inferno Metal Festival‘s greatest highlights.

Rating: 10/10

BATUSHKA – Rockefeller

Batushka live @ Inferno Metal Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal

Rewind the clock to 2015 and BATUSHKA were the burning star of modern black metal. Litourgiya had blown minds with its Eastern Orthodox aesthetic, Gregorian chants and hefty black metal but subsequent public legal disputes over ownership rights buckled momentum and caused widespread confusion. Now, in 2025 under the impressive Inferno Metal Festival main stage, with the legal issues resolved, BATUSHKA is reborn under the stewardship of band founder Krzysztof Drabikowski and the resulting performance is as immersive as it is atmospheric. Big and powerful Gregorian chants engulf the Rockefeller as a cacophony of percussive riffs and snarls swirl together organically. It’s a powerful reminder of that spark that first struck back in 2015, and looking ahead, the future is bright once again for BATUSHKA.

Rating: 8/10

ABBATH – Rockefeller

Abbath live @ Inferno Metal Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal

As a stalwart in Norwegian black metal, ABBATH commands respect and admiration but well-documented struggles have impacted his ability to remain consistently solid live as he once held fronting IMMORTAL. But, under the backdrop of Inferno Metal Festival‘s main stage as Thursday’s headliners, and a billed Abbath Doom Occulta set, we’re treated to a bountiful feast of IMMORTAL classics, all performed with razor-sharp precision from a man whose purpose and drive is seemingly reborn. And the material speaks for itself. Having an opening five song run of Withstand The Fall Of Time, Sons Of Nothern Darkness, All Shall Fall, Solarfall and One By One is quite simply, fucking ridiculous, and the likes of Blashyrkh (Mighty Ravendark) and Mountains Of Might in the set’s latter stages sees many in the crowd grinning like a Cheshire cat. The material speaks for itself, but what bolsters this is the fact that ABBATH, and his flanking bandmates, are on serious good form, helping deliver a set that celebrates some of the finest material the genre has ever produced.

Rating: 10/10

Friday – April 18th

GAEREA – Rockefeller

Gaerea live @ Inferno Metal Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal

The rise of GAEREA has been nothing short of stratospheric. The Portuguese masked collective have been turning heads aplenty with solid studio releases and dazzling live performances. At Fortress Festival last year, we witnessed something special, something that signalled that GAEREA are bound for greatness. At Inferno, message reinforced. As is now customary with GAEREA live performances, from start to finish, you are captivated as the band twist and contort in perfect synchorisation with the music, helping elevate its impact. The likes of Hope Shatters and World Ablaze (both taken from last year’s Coma) are thunderous slabs of top tier modern black metal whilst Urge and Mirage are dispatched with the utmost conviction. It’s a dazzling display once again from a band who seemingly can’t put a foot wrong.

Rating: 9/10

BLOOD INCANTATION – Rockefeller

Blood Incantation live @ Inferno Metal Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal

As one of death metal’s more intriuging outfits, BLOOD INCANTATION‘s expansive approach to death metal has seen them carve out a worthy reputation in modern extreme metal. And live, they are a force to be reckoned with. Arriving in Norway on the back of last year’s stellar Absolute Elsewhere, we’re treated to a full album playthrough of their epic. Flanked by two alien obelisks, the band proceed to take us on a journey that is equally horrifying as it is awe-inspiring as they power through The Stargate before jokingly asking to flip the vinyl before powering on with The Message. The sinister death metal riffs twist and contort whilst Paul Riedl dispatches his earth-shattering gutturals to monstrous effect. The added flourishes of psychedelic experimentation, where the band challenge us to look inwards as vintage Sci-Fi atmospherics swirl and ponder, is a wonderful component to the BLOOD INCANTATION sounscape, and live, it is a treat to experience. There is no one who comes to close to the majesty of BLOOD INCANTATION.

Rating: 10/10

KYLESA – Rockefeller

Kylesa live @ Inferno Metal Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal

Reunited and back for a select run of shows on our side of the Atlantic, Savannah, Georgia’s KYLESA arrive at Inferno Metal Festival to provide a welcome slab of sludge-soaked stoner to break up the blackened bite of the day’s action. And despite a shaky start where the mix isn’t quite right, the band quickly dust off the cobwebs and deliver a bountiful dose of rifftastic metal. The likes of Nature’s Predators and Running Red sound absolutely huge as the quartet, led by Laura Pleasants, power their way through their set like returning heroes. There’s no backdrop or visual flaire to KYLESA, just riff after riff of southern soaked metal. Glorious.

Rating: 8/10

SEPTICFLESH – Rockefeller

SepticFlesh live @ Inferno Metal Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal

SEPTICFLESH‘s consistency since 2008’s Communion is nothing short of sensational. The Greek’s blend of epic orchestration with the primal earthy tones of death metal has seen subsequent releases, particularly 2011’s The Great Mass, 2014’s Titan and 2017’s Codex Omega establishing SEPTICFLESH as a genuine juggernaut. At Inferno Metal Festival, the band draw on their rich modern catalogue of material to deliver a bombastic, gripping and high energy experience. The Vampire Of Nazareth‘s booming rolling percussion sounds huge, whilst Portrait Of A Headless Man‘s thumping riffs sees a sea of heads banging in perfect unison. It’s a highly polished set from a band that continues to fire on all cylinders, 35 years in and showing no signs of slowing down.

Rating: 9/10

1349 – Rockefeller

1349 live @ Inferno Metal Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal

Although forming at the tail end of the 1990s, Oslo’s 1349 have kept the spirit of Norwegian black metal alive through their own uncomprising and icy take on the genre. As a result, the band have grown to become one of the most reliably consistent names in black metal and they take the responsibility of headling Inferno Metal Festival in their stride. With copious amounts of towering smoke blasting through a sea of striking red stage lights amidst a backdrop of Satanic imagery, the band strike a menacing presence and their discography only reinforces this aura. Whether it’s material from last year’s The Wolf & The King (with Inferior Pathways and The God Devourer in particular sounding incredible live) or firm favourites in Atomic Chapel, I Am Abomination or Blood Is The Mortar, the band deliver a consistently evil live assault, one that demonstrates why they are held with such high regard.

Rating: 9/10

Saturday – April 19th

COVEN – Rockefeller

Coven live @ Inferno Metal Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal

Originally forming way back in 1967, for nearly six decades, Chicago’s COVEN have been conjuring their occult psychedelic rock. Helping to pioneer occult rock with their aesthetical presence, and behing held as an originator of the universal metal symbol, the signs of the horns, the band – helmed by Jinx Dawson – is a spiritual founder of metal. Although their music is a far cry from the cacophony of blastbeats, through vivid Satanic imagery projected on the screen behind them, or their ritualistic set opener in which Dawson elegantly steps out of a coffin, COVEN are a witchy good time. What helps is that they have some absolute bops to draw from, with the likes of White Witch Of Rose Hall and Black Sabbath sounding crisp and puncy, and Dawson elegantly glides across the stage and keeps the crowd entertained with her humout. “If you practise witchcraft, you can live forever, like me!” She jests at one point during their sermon, judging from her prowess and energy on stage, we’re inclined to agree.

Rating: 7/10

CADAVER – Rockefeller

Cadavar live @ Inferno Metal Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal

Although Norway is most commonly associated with spawning the iconic black metal bands of the early 1990s, the country’s influence extends to other pockets of metal. For CADAVER, they stand as a veteran of the death metal scence, with a career close to four decades. At Inferno, they are greeted with a heroes welcome with Anders Odden and company reciprocating the welcome with a well-refined and savage musical assault. The likes of Ignominous Eczema, Innominate, and recent cut The Age Of The Offended all hit with the weight of a sledgehammer with copious savage riffs and snarls dispatched with ease by Odden. And if there was ever a poignant moment in music this volatile, let it be Odden laying tribute to dearly departed festival Jean-Martin Jensen before a rip-roaring rendition of Mr. Tumor’s Misery. Just one of many tributes to a man who gave his life for our scene.

Rating: 8/10

AURA NOIR – Rockefeller

Aura Noir live @ Inferno Metal Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal

Arriving to inject a fresh bout of adrenaline, Norway’s AURA NOIR treat Inferno Metal Festival as a homecoming, and given the absolute bedlam that is unleashed from the crowd during their time on stage, that feeling is very much reciprocated. Buoyed by the crowd’s energy, the band unleash an absolute masterclass on blackened thrash, keeping heads banging and pits surging aplenty. Black thrash favourites like Black Thrash Attack, Conqueror and Hell’s Fire all pack a tremendous punch as the band blister their way with enough snarl and vigour to impress the stearnest of metalheads. It’s been seven years since their last record, but on the back of their endless energy at Inferno Metal Festival, we hope new music arrives sooner rather than later.

Rating: 8/10

ROTTING CHRIST – Rockefeller

Rotting Christ live @ Inferno Metal Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal

Celebrating their astonishing 35 year career, ROTTING CHRIST are a genuine juggernaut in today’s black metal scene. Much of this is down to their consistently solid arsenal of records, but live, ROTTING CHRIST ooze energy and community and this atmosphere translated perfectly into one of the best sets of the festival weekend. Starting strong with 666 and P’unchaw kachun‐Tuta kachun, the band craft and unleash a primal aural force, one that threatens to shatter the building’s foundations. Led by Sakis Tolis, who effortlessly commands the crowd and holds them in the palm of his hand, the band keep the momentum surging with Fire, God And Fear and Elthe Kyrie being delivered with the utmost conviction. It’s sheer aural power and utterly exhilirating to experience. 35 years in and ROTTING CHRIST are in the form of their lives.

Rating: 10/10

SETH – John Dee

Seth live @ Inferno Metal Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal

French horde SETH have been carving their own niche within the black metal ecosystem for some time now, three decades in fact. Using their time at Inferno Metal Festival to focus largely on recent efforts, 2024’s La France des maudits and 2021’s La morsure du Christ, SETH deliver a razor-sharp and particularly vicious assault to the masses. With the stage adjourned with prosthetic severred heads on pikes, a fitting visual reminder of the brutal French revolution, the likes of La Destruction des Reliques and Insurrection hit with the force of a freight train, whilst frontman Saint Vincent leads the assualt with utter conviction. They may have experience on their side, but based on their live prowess and renewed sense of purpose on the back of their recent studio output, it’s a captivating performance from a band whose stock is set to continue to rise.

Rating: 8/10

SATYRICON – Rockefeller

Satyricon live @ Inferno Metal Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal

The finale of day three exploded with an energy that barely paused for breath after the mesmerising performance by ROTTING CHRIST. One might wonder how any band could match such vigour and intensity. However, when one of Norway’s most iconic and groundbreaking black metal bands, SATYRICON, stepped onto the stage, it marked a moment that had been highly anticipated throughout the festival. Their presence carried the weight of their significant influence, delivering a performance infused with the unique gravitas that only SATYRICON can provide.

As Now, Diabolical crashed into the venue, it unleashed a torrent of unified fury, seamlessly transitioning into classics like Black Crow On A Tombstone and Walk The Path Of Sorrow. It was a joy to watch the synchronised headbanging as the night unfolded into the early hours of the morning. The air within Rockefeller crackled with electric tension, creating an atmosphere that only decades of raw defiance can conjure from a group that has influenced black metal for over three decades. The collective energy peaked during Phoenix, as all witnessed Norwegian rock legend Sivert Høyem take centre stage and deliver an exhilarating performance. The Rockefeller crowd was fully immersed in the spectacle as Mother North crushed the audience, and K.I.N.G. brought the night to a grand close, marking another triumphant moment for Satyricon on the Norwegian stage.

Rating: 9/10

Sunday – April 20th

LAMENTARI – Rockefeller

Lamentari live @ Inferno Metal Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal

Danish outfit LAMENTARI might be one of the newer names on the Inferno Metal Festival lineup but they leave a lasting impression with a visual and aural feast to ignite the festival’s final day. A lethal cocktail of blackened death metal with extra orchestral flaire, the band ooze theatricity in their presence and songcraft. Pulling largely from last year’s excellent Ex Umbra In Lucem, the band cloaked and masked captivate as their symphonic blackened death metal connects with twisting riffs, big symphonics and expertly dispatched vocals from Daniel Lønberg. A mid-stage costume change, in which the members are blessed with incense from Lønberg before being derobed and unmasked is a subtle but impactful touch, helping shift the momentum in the band’s set. A highly impressive affair from one of black metal’s newest stars.

Rating: 9/10

SCHAMMASCH – Rockefeller

Schammasch live @ Inferno Metal Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal

To experience SCHAMMASCH is a reflective and meditative experience. The Swiss collective’s approach to black metal is more measured in its approach, but its delivery is utterly enormous, and live, their sound translates expertly well against the backdrop of Rockefeller. Initial sound gremlins threaten to destabilise initial momentum, but ocne resolved, experiencing SCHAMMASCH is a breathtaking experience. The likes of A Paradigm Of Beauty and Winds That Pierce The Silence (both taken from 2019’s stellar Hearts Of No Light) are astounding atmospheric treats, whilst They Have Found Their Master sees the band deliver a breathtaking rendition in which the harmonised vocals cut through the meditative riffs like a hot knife through butter. It’s a stunning set from one of black metal’s most immersive outfits.

Rating: 9/10

NAGLFAR – Rockefeller

Naglfar live @ Inferno Metal Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal

Swedish black metallers NAGLFAR have been part of black metal’s living room furniture for decades at this point. Emerging at the genre’s most influential and volatile period in the early 1990s, the Swedes have remained extremely prolific in their output and over three decades in, they resemble a finely tuned machine. And this is reflected in their performance on Inferno Metal Festival‘s Rockefeller main stage. The band power through a set that pulls upon many touch points of their weighty discography with Vortex Of Negativity finely representing their latest record, 2020’s Cerecloth, and Blades (taken from 19998’s Diabolical) given an outing to please the diehards. It’s a polished and unsurprising set that ticks all the boxes of what you can expect from a black metal performance from one of the genre’s reliable contributors.

Rating: 7/10

BYTHOS – John Dee

Bythos live @ Inferno Metal Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal

BYTHOS rarely perform live so to experience the Finnish black metal band live in action is a spectacle indeed. A packed crowd greet the band as they proceed to unleash a powerful and intimidating blast of black metal, made all the more immersive thanks to the intimate backdrop of John Dee. Pulling from their excellent two records – 2024’s Chthonic Gates Unveiled and 2020’s The Womb Of Zero, the band deliver an abundance of razor-sharp riffs, booming double bass drums and a hugely impressive display from frontman M.S.. Sorath The Opposer is a particular highlight where the band fire on all cylinders and leave a lasting impression. Although the crowd notably thins in the closing moments to file back upstairs for TSJUDER, we can only hope BYTHOS increase their live appearances.

Rating: 9/10

TSJUDER – Rockefeller

Tsjuder live @ Inferno Metal Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal

As NAGLFAR illuminated the stage with their precise melodic fervour, it was time for another Norwegian legend to take the spotlight on the Rockefeller platform. With over three decades of unrestrained darkness, the black metal trio TSJUDER paid an invigorating homage to the very roots of the genre. The blistering speed, combined with ice-cold aggression, captivated the Norwegian audience, paving the way for one of the most intense performances of the evening. Renowned for their unrestrainedly powerful approach, TSJUDER infused the venue with primal energy through tracks such as Possessed, Mouth Of Madness, and Kaos. The songs surged as the first half of the set not only captured attention but also engaged the hearts and minds amidst the chaos of riff and shrieks.

A significant highlight of their performance was a tribute to BATHORY, which further deepened their connection to the legacy of black metal during the second part of the performance. With bassist Frederick Melander leading the charge, the band honoured songs such as The Return Of Darkness and Evil, Satan My Master, and the closer, Born For Burning. The thrilling display generated immense anticipation, not only for the music itself but also for the immersive experience that unfolded, leaving every spectator feeling truly privileged to be part of this dark celebration.

Rating: 9/10

BEHEMOTH – Rockefeller

Behemoth live @ Inferno Metal Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal

BEHEMOTH have achieved what few extreme metal bands could even muster, eclipsing the confines of the genre to bring a theatrical spectacle whilst retaining their aural extremity that made them such a treat in the first place. CANNIBAL CORPSE have achieved just that for death metal, but flying the black for the more blackened metal persuasion, BEHEMOTH arrive to close Inferno Metal Festival and it is an aural and visual treat. Fire engulfs the stage at numerous moments throughout the set, with the pyro blasts accompanying the crushing riffs of Ov Fire And The Void allowing your adrenaline to surge, whilst the various constume changes allows Nergal and his bandmates to successfully deliver a Satanic specatacle on Easter Sunday no less.

Despite its questionable title, material from the band’s new record, The Shit Ov God, slot into the set nicely with the likes of The Shadow Elite and the title track being received particularly well. Although there are moments where the momentum falters, with Lvciferaeon and Bartzabel not quite connecting as hard as their early barrage, but rolling back the years and getting renditions of the likes of Christians To The Lions, Cursed Angel Of Doom and Chants For Eschaton 2000 more than makes up for it. And as a thundering and triumphant rendition of closer O Father O Satan O Sun! draws the curtain on Inferno Metal Festival 2025, one thing is clear, black metal and all its persuasions has never been stronger.

Rating: 8/10

Check out our extensive photo gallery of all the action from Inferno Metal Festival 2025 from Sabrina Ramdoyal here: