A journey through introspection – Day 1 live report of Fortress Festival at Scarborough, UK

Fortress, like a few other events coming up in the UK, is emerging as a one-of-a-kind chance to delve deep into black metal and find underground music from both the mainland and beyond. Last year’s edition was fantastic, with some of the biggest artists from across the world, and this year’s roster sold out again.

As we meander across town, we arrive at the Scarborough Spa. It is such a lovely spot to be! The building greets you and sets the tone for a memorable weekend, but the location is really exceptional. It’s sort of dreary outside, neither too hot nor too chilly. The sun softly warms the skin, as seagulls sing out in the background. Quite picturesque.

As we approach the spa building’s 1880s design, the lineup of individuals dressed in black waiting to get their wristbands stands out strikingly. As our time arrived, we were greeted with amazing friendliness and organisation.

A huge thank you to Dominic from 3nation for having us!

Nemorous

There is no better way to start the first day than by plunging right into the UK metal scene. Nemorous‘ performance created intriguing sounds based on the mysticism of forests and seething tremolo, taking the stage at 12 p.m. Their deep and primordial black metal music suggested the cold winds and primaeval woodlands of their home country, the United Kingdom, and it definitely matched with the Saturday’s dismal emotions. Chris Walsh, vocalist, virtually dances to the music on stage, and their material was both vast and strong, capable of creating its own cosmos while still being genuinely emotional in execution. They are a creature of light and a beast of passionate black metal, and the audience was ecstatic to begin the day.

Photo: Peterson Marti

Aquilus

Around 2 p.m. the fierceness and beautiful melody of what appears to be black metal from a distant world have arrived. We witnessed a unique and amazing performance for their UK debut as fairy lights illuminated the main stage. Aquilus, travelled from Australia to create a stunning and enthralling blend of heavy metal and neoclassical grandeur. The auditorium echoed like a gothic opera as the imposing melodies from the Bellum I and Griseus albums came to life. This set featured some of the most profound traditional black metal mixes on top of the studied sound, so those who came to hear the music might also have a captivating time. The rolling drums progressively get louder as the songs moved into its first blackened whirlwind, fusing screams and oppressive heaviness with enraged violins. The black metal instrumentation, which includes blast rhythms, tremolo-picked guitars, and harsh vocals, has been carefully incorporated into each songs so that it almost gave you a behind-the-scenes look without taking over. We were all so absorbed in the intricate composition that we failed to notice the video effect.

Photo: Peterson Marti

Devastator

And in a split second, it was chaos! Definitely no fluff or frills in their performance as Thomas Collings, bassist and singer, made his arrival into the stage while brandishing the grim reaper scythe and invited the audience to join with screams. Their were fun, engaging and It was clear that these Brits have studied this style with feverish devotion and as a result the show got the horns raised high for those who drink deeply from the blackened thrash goblet. Only last week the band was in London supporting for Bewitcher! I must say, with all the more atmospheric and introspective sound of the rest of the festival, their thrashing sound, was the ideal dose of raw adrenaline to break the first day and give everyone a break. It was a full-throttle reminder of the wild beginnings of black metal.

Photo: Peterson Marti

Spirit Possession

Since the song’s opening note hit the crowd square in the face, there was no time to spare. The stage became a boiling whirlpool of chaos when Spirit Possession hit the main stage and made their presence in this Fortress Festival edition. Like a fever dream, their performance was filled with frantic energy, warped guitars, and unrelenting drumming. The duo, forgoing polish in favour of raw energy, gave a dizzying and perplexing performance that left the audience reeling—in the best possible way. The palpable energy, the red lighting, the steel stage presence, and the suspense all contributed to the presentation of thieir unique set. The audience was captivated by S.’s vibrant riffs and A.’s fierce drumming, although it was not nearly as headbang-friendly. Because of the incredible endurance and inspired feelings, the excitement was infectious. The band also showed fans how much their support means to them by signing vinyl records and having quick chats with fans just before their performance.

Photo: Peterson Marti

The Great Old Ones

As the evening draws near and the highly regarded acts begin to perform, we are transported to a world of Lovecraftian horror by the hypnotic music of The Great Old Ones. The band is no stranger to the United Kingdom; they just finished supporting the Cult of Fire tour, which made stops in the country. Their performance was absolutely electrifying, and their sound was almost flawless. Everyone was compelled to experience a certain kind of alluring fear right from the start of the set. The music, the hooded cloak, and the light lured you deeper into the liminal areas between worlds, where the unknown preys and what is meant to stay hidden creeps up on you. The stage act and each song were like a legendary invocation. In addition to being a performance piece, their show was an artistic exploration of insanity and grandeur. As a result, the Fortress history now has yet another magnificent performance.

Photo: Peterson Marti

RUÏM

As the first day drew to almost a close, we couldn’t miss RUÏM‘s exclusive appearance and UK premiere, which straddled the boundary between ceremonial and wild performances. The audience was given a preview of what was about to happen when the band’s logo appeared on the enormous screen and then a chanting mantra as the backtrack announced over and over, “They are seven, seven they are” or something similar. There was a noticeable sense of time travel when Blasphemer (Mayehm, Vltimas, Mezzerschmitt, Aura Noir, Earth Electric, and Twilight of the Gods, just to name a few) took the stage. The intensity of the drumming, the spirituality, and riffs from his time with Mayhem all came together to create something special and nearly unfathomable. Their performance was characterised by ritualistic movements, multiple levels of dissonance, and primal energy, all of which contributed to their commanding stage presence. This act stood out from the rest of the lineup thanks to their unique blend of traditional black metal and spiritual/tribal influences, which created a surreal atmosphere.

Photo: Peterson Marti

Akhlys

Twenty minutes before the show started, the queue outside the Ocean Room was already getting longer, and by the time we left, it extended all the way to the main stage, indicating that many people had missed the performance. Unfortunately, Ocean Room isn’t very roomy, and it was clear that a band like Akhlys deserved a bigger stage. Definitely a miss, and I’m sure many were disappointed but for those fortunate enough to witness their performance, we were transported to a nightmare dimension (in a good way!). Their performance was a strange and oppressive blend of ambient horror and black metal which seemed to delve into the subconscious, blurring the lines between dream and madness. The band’s extraordinarily unique energy and raw ferocity were palpable to the crowd and we felt that!

Photo: Peterson Marti

1349

Closing up day one, 1349 took the stage at 21.30 with their violent sound, presenting an apocalyptic headline concert for the 2025 festival edition. As the clock struck 21.35, Frost and Archaon entered the stage and spewed fire into the audience, almost as if to say, “Hey, now it’s no time to go back; hell is unleashed.” As towering vocalist Ravn walked to the centre of the stage, preparing the audience to go crazy, the Norwegian band opened their act with “Riders of the Apocalypse.” With an unpleasant gap after the second song, which seemed to be a problem with the drums, the audience used the opportunity to stimulate the band and comprehend the situation. But despite all, their sound intensity was unparalleled, with Frost blast rhythms and Ravn poisonous voices exploding like a controlled bomb. Cloaked in darkness and flames, the band reinforced their status as the apex of Norwegian black metal and their setlist spanned decades, culminating in a dazzling onslaught that left no one unharmed.

Photo: Peterson Marti