Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
Darvaza at Orgivm Satanicvm IV. Photo: NecrosHorns
A phenomenal extreme metal gathering in Norway’s capital – Orgivm Satanicvm IV
The year had barely started when bleak extreme metal was already howling in the heart of Norway’s capital. The fourth edition of the Orgivm Satanicvm festival brought a total of ten bands to the Parkteatret venue in Oslo on 3–4 January 2025. With plenty of rare-to-see bands and exciting debut gigs, I didn’t have to think twice about attending the event. The Scottish blackened speed metal act Hellripper, the Italian-Norwegian black metal phenomenon Darvaza, and the Norwegian industrial black metal masters Dødheimsgard performing under the new Doedsmaghird moniker were among the highlights.
Friday 3 January 2025
Arriving at Parkteatret, I again appreciated the combination of intimate feeling, great sound quality, and the possibility of seeing the stage even if you’re further away. As I waited for the first band to start, I had the pleasure of checking out the first Norwegian exhibition by the famed photographer NecrosHorns. Having worked with countless acts in the black metal genre, the Swedish photographer’s works displayed a unique capability of capturing the essence of the music, setting the tone for things to come.
But as the clock hit 6:30 P.M., it was time to welcome the first band to the stage for their debut gig. Led by Hades Almighty guitarist and keyboardist Jørn Inge Tunsberg, the Bergen-based Vathr channeled the golden age of Norwegian black metal with proper vigor and great musicianship. The solemn guitars buzzed with a misty but clear sound, and the brave vocal delivery gave a personal twist. It was clear that the musicians were experienced, but unlike so many of their still-active peers from the 90’s, they lacked any signs of laziness. Their hypnotic and mostly mid-tempo black metal painted majestic horizons in the vein of early Satyricon and other Norwegian pioneers, exploding into violent bursts at appropriate moments. Despite sounding familiar to many legendary acts of old, Vathr’s music didn’t notably pale in comparison. The only exception was a track short on the hypnotic keyboard melodies and mid-tempo wandering I grew so fond of. Either way, Vathr opened the festival with style.
The Czech black metal veterans Inferno continued the evening with a less traditional and even more mesmerizing approach. Formed already in 1996, the group combines catchy and minimalistic percussion with nightmarish melodies. Having been blown away by them last year, the group’s Norwegian debut was one of my most anticipated shows at the festival. To kick off the show, occult texts about the nature of reality were projected on the back end of the stage, and a menacing ambiance filled the space. Dressed in ritualistic robes, Inferno conjured a wall of captivating yet horrifying sound. While the music reminded me of Blut Aus Nord, the ritualistic atmosphere, clothing, and incense would have fit right in at a Batushka show—though Inferno are obviously an older band than the latter. Minimalistic but tight performance and personal vocal delivery elevated the music to new heights, and for me, Inferno is first and foremost a live band. By the end of the gig, the band had drawn me so deep into their ecstatic slumber that I felt like time had stopped. More of this, please.
After Inferno, came the first and luckily the last notable letdown of the festival. The blackened death metal band Order, whose vocalist Messiah and drummer Manheim are famous for their input on early Mayhem material, entered the stage 20 minutes late and came off as lazy. Having such a tight schedule and only one stage can have its challenges, but luckily the delay wasn’t the longest ever. Still, it was enough to undermine the anticipation and highlight that Order’s energy on stage was no match to their younger peers and the rest of the festival lineup. The music, however, shined with a good combination of violent riffs, gloomy melodies, and tempo changes. I seldom enjoy blackened death metal if it isn’t similar to the chaotic storm of Blasphemy, Revenge, and Archgoat, but Order sounded surprisingly fresh. The band, whose ranks include Cadaver leader Anders Odden, was technically skilled but ultimately fell flat. Towards the end of the gig, Messiah chanted words from a mysterious book, but with only a fraction of the awe-inspiring power of Inferno. The Mayhem cover “Deathcrush” ended the show on a high note but did not completely save it. Even so, it was a respectable choice to let the band play a full show and delay the schedule by 20 minutes.
After Order’s flat show, a maelstrom of pure violent energy filled the venue. Scotland’s Hellripper have stormed into the forefront of extreme metal both live and on record and were one of my most anticipated acts of the weekend. The group’s short bursts of hectic but melodic blackened speed metal are right up my alley. To make it even more amusing, Hellripper consists of only one official member. But the moment the band entered the stage, it was clear that the live musicians only elevated the hectic and raw aura. The group executed their material with such breath-taking energy that even complete festival lineups could fall behind. It could be argued that the songs were rather monotonous for the most part and offered few brand-new ideas, but if the show and the music are of such a high quality, I don’t think that’s important. Their music didn’t speak to me with the same depth as Inferno, but speed metal shows can barely get better than this.
The first day of Orgivm Satanicvm was headlined by no other than the legendary Aura Noir, Vltimas, and ex-Mayhem guitarist Rune “Blasphemer” Eriksen. Or more correctly, his and drummer CSR’s black metal band Ruïm. Formed in 2020, the duo released a masterpiece of an album in 2023 called “Black Royal Spiritism – I – O Sina da Igreja.” The album was hailed as a stellar continuation of Mayhem’s experimental work “The Grand Declaration of War” (2000) and drew me in from the first notes to the last. Raw, majestic, and multifaceted, the album is a breath of fresh air in a genre sometimes hindered by being too clung to certain traditions. And now, for the first time, Ruïm entered the stage with a full live lineup.
With a stylish stage setup reminiscent of Watain, the group evoked a sense of awe in me. They didn’t possess as reckless energy as the Swedes, but the nightmarish melodies sent shivers down my spine. Blasphemer, who had an epic-looking cape, performed his guitar magic with masterful skill and presence. In addition, he proved to be a great vocalist, complementing the music with violent gnarls and clean chanting. The group had clearly prepared well for their live debut, but none of it felt calculated. The spontaneous and mesmerizing performance didn’t reach Inferno’s level, but it was a more than satisfying way to end the first festival day. Even more so, when Darvaza vocalist Wraath took over the microphone and performed old Mayhem songs with breath-taking recklessness. It’s a shame that more people didn’t witness this.
Saturday 4 January 2025
The second day was kicked off with a good dose of black/thrash metal madness when Daeva played their first show outside the USA. I was skeptical if they would sound merely like a lazier version of the mind-blowing Hellripper, but I was quickly proven wrong. Even though the overall energy didn’t reach the same level, Daeva performed their catchy material with appropriate aggression. The mid-tempo riffs and drum patterns were particularly tasty, and the songs were surprisingly dynamic for the genre. Daeva greatly benefitted from having a dedicated vocalist, who filled the stage with delightful charisma. Compared to older black/thrash bands like Aura Noir, Daeva seemed to have fewer individual highlights in their setlist but set the bar remarkably high for the rest of the evening. Former Mayhem vocalist Messiah, who also performed with his band Order on the first day, joined Daeva on stage for an intense cover of the Mayhem classic “Deathcrush.” With Messiah’s great vocal delivery and Daeva’s hungry energy, the monumental track was brought to life in a manner I hadn’t even imagined experiencing. At the same time, Order’s cover of the same exact song on the first day suddenly started to feel boring.
The Italian-Norwegian black metal entity Darvaza have made a name for themselves in the underground, but my first proper introduction to the group happened here at Orgivm Satanicvm IV. Darvaza‘s debut album “Ascending into Perdition” (2022) had enjoyed a few listens on my headphones, but it was only now that I fully immersed myself in their music. With vocalist Wraath having experience from such acts as Behexen and Whoredom Rife, it should have come as no surprise that the band played perhaps the best traditional black metal show I have ever seen. But little did I know that they would rule the stage with such explosive energy. Darvaza channeled the spirit of their violent but grandiose black metal perfectly, and each musician carried a mind-blowingly strong aura. Most bands would be lucky to have just one member of such caliber, but with a full lineup, Darvaza stole the show. Wraath’s inhumane screams were some of the best I have heard in the genre, and the songs struck an excellent balance of respecting traditions and carving one’s own path. Had I been more familiar with the songs, Darvaza’s gig could have spoken to me on an even deeper level. But perhaps the surprise factor was just what I needed.
After Darvaza, came something even better. Being a great fan of industrial music and black metal, I think combining the two genres has resulted in some of the best music ever. At the forefront of this union is Norway’s own Dødheimsgard, who have been pushing the boundaries of black metal since 1994. While the early works are amazing in their own right, the main attraction for me has been the experimental and industrial-tinged material. In 2023, the group once again demonstrated this with the masterpiece “Black Medium Current”, but what came after, is even better. In contrast to the calculated and contained approach of the last DHG album, mastermind Vicotnic has created the alter ego Doedsmaghird to explore more hectic and spontaneous soundscapes. The first full-length under this name, “Omniverse Consciousness” was not only my favorite album of 2024, but perhaps my all-time favorite DHG album. Therefore it felt monumental to hear the new songs for the first time.
With tripping visuals and Vicotnic’s personal stage costumes and trickster-like energy, the live aspect of the band was captivating. What really sucked me in was the much stronger use of electronic elements, which would have been good even on their own. But combined with the buzzing guitars and thundering drums, Doedsmaghird opened a portal to an infernal disco floor where I would have gladly wandered for even longer. Despite being rather long, the songs never came off as boring. On the contrary, most of them included brave and mind-bogglingly good surprises. Compared to Darvaza, Doedsmaghird’s energy manifested much more clearly in a single person, Vicotnic, though the whole band did a great job. That said, I would have loved it if Vicotnic had come off the stage into the middle of the audience like the last time I saw DHG. Nevertheless, Doedsmaghird hit the mark and offered a weird but compelling show that will stay with me for times to come. To highlight the band’s experimental nature, Vicotnic closed the gig with a synthpop-like ballad after peeling his costume off to reveal a black full-body tracksuit. Perhaps this symbolized peeling off one’s skin and letting the subconscious roam free. If this masterpiece of a gig is the result, that doesn’t sound like a bad idea at all.
Craft from Sweden called us back into more traditional black metal realms. Formed in 1998, the band has released five full-length albums, among them the amazing “Fuck the Universe” (2005). Their thick-sounding and often mid-paced black metal has sounded amazing on record, but vocalist Nox has ruined each gig I have seen with his flat performance. That wouldn’t be a problem this time since Nox had been replaced by one of Norway’s premiere black metal vocalists, Mannevond from Koldbrann and formerly of Djevel. As expected, he delivered the pissed-off vocal lines with utmost vigor, finally elevating Craft to their full potential. The whole band was on fire, this time without the commando masks of old, and filled the stage with a violent but catchy aura. Craft weren’t as explosive in their delivery as Darvaza but played an amazing show that I can wholeheartedly recommend catching whenever you can. To the delight of fans, they also played an infectious new track, which promised great things for the next release. Mannevond truly showed his place on his first Norwegian show with Craft.
The honor of closing the festival fell on the shoulders of the Italian extreme metal veterans Mortuary Drape, who have been in the business since 1986. Carving their own path, the band has created a catchy blending of black, thrash, death, and traditional heavy metal. Imagine the catchy pounding of classic Celtic Frost, the traditional heavy metal melodies of Mercufyl Fate, and deep growls on top of it all. When the band entered the stage in their ritual robes and unleashed their filthy grooves, it was difficult not to nod along. After the near-perfect gigs of Darvaza and Doedsmaghird, it was nice to hear something different. Being the heavy metal fan I am, I thoroughly enjoyed Mortuary Drape’s material, especially the heroic guitar melodies. But while the group shined with originality and delivered a good show, I was left hungry for a more energetic performance. Luckily, this kind of music doesn’t need to be hectic on stage to be enjoyable. That said, the bassist ruled the stage with exceptional charm. Moreover, the band had an extraordinary amount of bass, swaying on the thin line between outrageous and comical. But when the Mortuaty Drape ended their set, the people still at the venue seemed to greet them with utmost enthusiasm. What a beautiful way to end the festival.
Orgivm Satanicvm IV proved to be an excellent festival for extreme metal enthusiasts. The lineup was delightfully varied and offered a carefully curated but almost singlehandedly amazing collection of some of the most exciting acts out there. Parkteatret functioned very well as a venue for an event of this kind, and the atmosphere was welcoming and intimate. The small delay of Order’s show slightly hindered the atmosphere, but it wasn’t a big deal in the long run. It would have been nice to be able to buy food instead of only drinks, but the festival days weren’t so long that I would have started to starve. The second day drew a notably bigger audience, though the venue was far from empty on Friday as well. I want to thank everyone who contributed to the festival and very much look forward to the next edition on 9–10 January 2026, also at Parkteatret!
Photos: NecrosHorns (Instagram/Facebook/website)