Salt Art & Music, Oslo. March 12th 2024.
It’s time for a full evening at the magnificent Salt Art & Music in Oslo, Norway, hosted by the Orgivm Satanicvm festival, where Afsky played in January. Salt is primarily known for its sauna and various cultural events, but it has also made a mark on the metal scene in connection with the Inferno Metal Festival. Therefore, it’s a fitting stage when Danish Afsky comes to Norway on tour, which in addition to Oslo includes Kopervik, Stavanger, Kristiansand, and Bergen.
First up for the evening is Heimland from Karmøy and Bergen. The band started in 2016, but it wasn’t until last year that their debut album, “Forfedrenes taarer,” was released. Since then, the band has acquired a new vocalist. The new vocalist is Fanden, from the band Uhyre, where Heimland’s bassist Morgot also plays. In Uhyre, Fanden goes by the name Grellvis Pestley, so I assume we’re talking about some kind of comedy band. Enough about that and on to Heimland and tonight’s concert. The band plays well, but the performance is somewhat stagnant. Unfortunately, the guitars and bass drown out quite a bit due to the drums being too loud. It’s not so bad that it ruins the concert, but more guitar in the sound mix would be welcome. Other than that, I think the band does a good job. A little more movement on stage and less drums in the mix, and this will be great.
Next up is the Oslo-based band Messier 16, started by Jonas Ulrik Eide, who also plays guitar in Dødheimsgard. The band released their second album, “Death Poems,” last year. Messier 16’s music is progressive, downtuned, and inspired by both black metal and death metal. In other words, we’re talking about varied music here. Sometimes calm with beautiful parts – sometimes hard and brutal. The band also sounds very professional. These guys can play and do an excellent job. There’s little to complain about when it comes to the performance. The only thing I notice is the computer on stage. Something they could have hidden better as it looks a bit silly having a computer standing on stage like a sixth member. Other than that, it’s an engaged group on stage, fully immersed in what they’re doing.
Danish Afsky originally started as a solo project by Ole Pedersen Luk from Solbrud in 2015. The project was so well-received that he recruited live members and has been touring ever since. Afsky has now released three albums and an EP, and Ole recently left Solbrud. So there’s little doubt that Afsky has done well, and the fact that they fill almost the entire Salt on a Tuesday says a lot about how popular they have become. Years of experience also bear fruit as it is a very professional band we witness this evening. The performance is flawless, and the sound is perhaps not perfect, but not bad enough to complain about. The setlist for the evening is drawn from the band’s entire catalog, but last year’s album, “Om hundrede år,” is best presented. Afsky may lack the big climax to end the concert, but overall they deliver, and both the audience and the organizers are satisfied.
Text by Runar Pettersen. All photos by Diana Blajan.
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