The day started with a pretty incediary show from Mephorash from Sweden. They did their best to create a pretty hellish atmosphere. Silver masked and using robes they set Rockefeller in flames. Sigils and all aside I think it is from the music that the real atmosphere comes, at least for me. It was also pretty interesting to see the graceful hand movements from the vocalist that looked like an orchestra director at times. I found the whole ritual concept behind the concert special because there is a whole Black Magic world behind it based on books written by G. De Laval. One can always appreciate the little extra some bands bring in addition to the good music.

 

Audn was something many around me were really looking forward to. It was a pretty good performance and a huge contrast to Mephorash. Audn got totally the post Black Metal look. So yeah looks aside their treatment of atmosphere and the tempo were completely different than Mephorash as well. One thing one can say about Icelandic BM nowadays is that they are creating their own particular sound and consolidating as a scene. Audn is perhaps one of the strongest acts out of Iceland. I still think Audn fits me best at home where I can appreciate the full impact of the atmosphere alone, but nonetheless was this a kick ass show by pretty good musicians.

When I heard Inferno was booking Origin I thought it was excellent but a bit out of character. Either Origin is getting big or Inferno is getting even cooler. Either way Origin is one of my favorite bands and every concert is a blast. The last time I saw them we, Origin fans, were in a completely ridicule childish crusade complaining because Origin released an album that was a bit less technical than normal. In addition they were playing a bit grind, kinda going Misery Index, which is still excellent, of course. But we were expecting for them to further raise the bar when it comes to technicality even though is already high up. I guess one finds insane expectations in this subgenre because it attracts exaggerated people. The stupid complaining we did ended up in them playing dubstep before their show just to prove their point and remind us that even if they had changed slightly they are still brutal and not have gone precisely dubstep. Origin being prone to those kinda weird things used their time in Oslo to try to teach the norwegian audience how to look more like a Death Metal audience. I think he succeed in getting a minority of cold black metallers to move. Many I talked to had not heard about Origin before, but all of them were dazzled by the way they played. Especially the bassist. I was satisfied they played Saligia and The Aftermath that are my hits. They also played songs from their latest album Unparalleled Universe that took them back on track except for about two “less technical and more grind” songs and Brujeria cover that I find odd to be in there.

 

 

So it was time for my third Emperor show. This time I had the best possible place to see them. I believe it was the best of the three Anthem shows I’ve seen. This is of course something everyone needs to experience because it can be properly explained. I think the concert went well except for some minor technical problems that happened right when Ihsahn had to say come on! And prob most of us uttered a nervous “come on!” while Ihsahn was trying to get his guitar to work, but in spite of all that it was the absolute best show of the whole festival. And I left after it was done because you don’t need much else after a show like that.