Words and Pictures: Simon Ward
Beyond the Gates is an annual extreme metal festival that takes place every year in August in Bergen, Norway. The main stage is at USF Verftet, a refurbished sardine factory transformed into a venue.
For the second year running, our man on the ground, Simon Ward gives us his views on the four days kicking off on the WEDNESDAY with the beautifully named……
Whoredom Rife
An ideal way to kick off proceedings. Straight in with a ferocious black metal assault. A maelstrom of distortion and blastbeats batter the audience, as intimidating vocalist K.R. prowls the stage. Melodic at times, but never lacking in ferocity, Whoredom Rife have yet to fail to deliver in the live arena.
Watain
The by now infamous Swedish black metal act began by lighting their tridents with burning torches before throwing said torches to eager fans. Black metal was always supposed to have an element of danger, after all.
Leading the charge with Hymn to Qayin followed by Devil’s Blood, during which Erik took to the front row to anoint fans with blood, the band embarked on a setlist of mostly newer material, mostly from Lawless Darkness. No complaints from me, as that album translates very well to the live setting, in my view.
Sometimes, due to the spectacle and theatre, it’s easy to forget just how good Watain are live. A very well-oiled and tight machine that unleashed an utterly convincing performance upon a rabid audience.
Mayhem
A regular at Beyond the Gates at this stage, with this being their 4th performance in 6 years, Mayhem were nevertheless unwilling to dial it in for their 40th anniversary. This was definitely one of the better performances of theirs that I had seen since I first saw them in 2007. It was hard to find fault with the setlist, which was the most varied I had witnessed them play in years. A personal highlight was Illuminate/Eliminate from 2007’s superb Ordo ad Chao.
Even more special was the fact that the band were joined on stage by original vocalist and drummer Messiah and Manheim for the final songs of the set – material from Deathcrush.
If anyone is interested in seeing Mayhem live, this is the time to catch them.
Trelldom
I’ll admit that I didn’t know what to expect from Trelldom’s first ever concert, but I certainly didn’t expect to see a saxophonist take to the stage! Eschewing, for the most part, their black metal back catalogue, the band instead opted for a set mostly consisting of newer, more jazz-focused material. Not that this was a bad thing. Not in the slightest! If anything, it’s good to see that Gaahl isn’t afraid to tread some new ground musically and not play into peoples’ expectations.
Thursday
Bad Omen
Sleazy Dutch black’n’rollers Bad Omen were a very well chosen band to start the day. Dirty riffs and bags of energy were exactly what were needed to blow the cobwebs away this Thursday morning.
Doombringer
A blackened death metal band from Poland, featuring members of Bestial Raids and Cultes des Ghoules. Dark and sinister, as you might expect, with lots of twists and turns, musically.
Vocals varied from anguished screams to deranged rasps, and were delivered with utter conviction by a frontman who seemed to be on the verge of possession.
Venom
One of the most important bands in metal’s history, Venom were the first band to coin the term “black metal”, so it was great for me to finally be able to see them. It was hard to be disappointed by the setlist which featured plenty of tracks from their classic albums.
It was truly wonderful to see a crowd comprised of people of all ages fully enjoying their set in a packed Hallen.
Darkspace
The Swiss black metal trio were one of my personal highlights of the entire festival. If any band were ever able to capture through their music, the sense of cold, bleak, hostility and emptiness of deep space, it’s Darkspace. An absolutely flawless and entrancing set.
Behemoth
Opening with Once Upon a Pale Horse followed by the anthemic Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer, the band kicked off with a typically bombastic and pyro infused set. A very tight and well-oiled machine by now, this was a studio quality performance as one might expect.
Despite the seriousness of many of the band’s contemporaries, Nergal always seeks to inject some humour into proceedings, for example joking about how, at this stage, the band has outlived Jesus.
A tremendous set, with Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel being particularly well received.
Akhlys
The first Night Shift band of 2024 were one I had been looking forward to seeing live since I first heard The Dreaming I.
Dense tremolo picked soundscapes and demonic snarling vocals performed by a masked quartet who look like they’ve crawled straight from the nightmares that supposedly inspired frontman Naas Alcameth to embark on his creative journey. A uniquely sinister atmosphere, provided by one of those rare acts who seem to be able to channel something otherworldly.
Friday
Fír
Old school raw Dutch black metal. Sounding at times like early 2nd wave Norwegian fare, but with enough personality of its own to not be lost in a sea of pretenders. One of the newer bands on the bill, and one to pay attention to.
Syn
I was privileged to witness Syn’s first gig last January in Trondheim, and was definitely looking forward to catching them once again. Hints of Vemod, Forgotten Woods and early Primordial material are what come to mind when listening to their only release “Villfarelse”.
Live, the ante is upped considerably, with a very intense and intoxicating performance amplified by the frenzied gesticulations of their hooded, anonymous frontman. Excellent stuff, once again!
Dødheimsgard
Dødheimsgard released one of the best albums of 2023, in my view, so I was very much looking forward to seeing them kick off proceedings on the first of 2 evenings at Grieghallen. A weird band, for sure. But in the very best way.
Frontman Vicotnik is someone who very clearly enjoys being on stage. Whether it’s interacting close-up with photographers and the crowd or mock-interfering with his bandmates, “distracting” them with paint powder and his antics, you get the sense that he is very much in his element. A wonderful band, who provide precisely the entertainment one might expect from hearing their recorded output.
Djevel
A band I have seen a good few times at this stage, and who have yet to disappoint. It was truly great to see them perform to such a large audience this time around. Traditional, 2nd wave style Norwegian black metal with earworm inducing wandering bass lines, wintery riffs and impeccable drumming courtesy of Bard Faust. There are many worse ways to spend a Friday evening.
Enslaved
As has been the way for several performances at Beyond the Gates of the years, Enslaved would play one of their classic albums in its entirety. This year, Frost was that album. A stage adorned with icy stalagmites and a backdrop of the album art were a perfect visual accompaniment for the cold, atmospheric music, which still sounded fresh, thanks to the enthusiastic and energetic delivery from the band. It’s great to see 30 year old material still being played with such relish from musicians who are obviously very much into what they do.
Satyricon
The Grieghallen days would be heavily dominated by all things Satyricon. The foyer area was adorned with old band photographs as well as promo material from back in the day displayed behind protective glass. That plus the fact that the band would perform 2 distinct sets on both nights. I had assumed that there would be some sort of theme distinguishing the sets, perhaps one of earlier material and one more contemporary. This would not prove to be the case, and I couldn’t help thinking that this was a squandered opportunity. Regardless, what we got was flawless in its execution. A variety of old material from Dark Medieval Times and The Shadowthrone, as well as from my personal favourite Nemesis Divina and then up to and including Deep Calleth Upon Deep. Additionally, the band were joined by Satyr’s wife who provided vocals for Phoenix.
Aura Noir
Norwegian black thrash stalwarts were a suitable final Night Shift act for this year’s event. Frenzied, thrashing madness is what we wanted, and exactly what we got! A perfect way to end the evening!
Saturday
Vemod
This was my first time seeing Vemod since the release of their fantastic and emotive 2nd album The Deepening.
Given the nature of their music and performances of theirs that I had witnessed in the past, it was a real treat to see them play in a venue as prestigious as Grieghallen. Their ethereal and atmospheric soundscapes punctuated by blastbeats during heavier sections, dual clean and harsh vocals and bright, ringing guitars had never sounded better. Melancholic and yet uplifting, this was indeed splendid to witness.
Bathory
All of this brings us to, for many, the highlight of the entire festival.
Along with Venom, Bathory’s contribution to the scene is immeasurable. It’s difficult to overstate the impact they had on the development of black metal as a whole. With that in mind, it was only fitting that some of the current scene’s luminaries joined forces to pay tribute to the musical legacy of Quorthon in the hallowed environs of Grieghallen.
Oden’s Ride over Nordland began playing over the PA in what was a genuine goosebump-raising moment. Gaahl, accompanied by core bandmates from Aura Noir, Enslaved and Djevel took to the stage and began with a particular rousing rendition of A Fine Day to Die.
The set mostly featured older songs, with nothing after Hammerheart. Not that it matters, as there’s such a wealth of material to choose from. Personal highlights included Raise the Dead (Satyr on vocals and original Bathory bassist Frederick Melander on bass!) and Enter the Eternal Fire (Erik Danielsson on vocals).
It’s notable too that I witnessed several people in the crowd shedding tears throughout the performance. A testament to the fact that Quorthon and Bathory meant so much to so many people.
https://www.beyondthegates.no/
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