BEYOND THE GATES
USF VERFTET/HULEN, BERGEN
Abbath, Emperor and Mayhem bring Bergen to the boil
WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY
This is Beyond The Gates’ third year since upscaling from the Garage, and if the line-up is short on the newer crop of torchbearers, Bergen’s status as a black metal epicentre remains a potent, energising force throughout. It’s not lost on WATAIN, playing a pre-fest show in the Hulen caves, given added… aromatic piquancy by the extra blood splashed on the walls by the Watain Disciples fanclub. “We have one mission: to open the gates… to life beyond,” declares Erik Danielsson, before the Swedes blast through a career-spanning set whose urgency feels concentrated by the confines of the venue, and amplified by a pong that will stick with you almost as long as the memories.
Day one proper and Oslo’s death metal stalwarts are opening proceedings. Unfazed, they rise to the task. Their quirky, occultic assault evokes the off-kilter obscurity of Darkthrone’s and the raw barbarity of Autopsy is well greeted. In tonight’s clash of Nordic execute Iceland’s contribution. The masked founders of Reykjavík’s current BM scene seem to have a bad day as their Deathspell Omega-inspired riff-miasma lacks both in tightness and conviction.
