This year, the Reaper Agency have curated a truly remarkable event, featuring not only two stages of black and extreme metal, but also a forum, where fans can meet and discuss music with some of the scene’s leading artists. A two-day event, Fortress festival is held at the prestigious Scarborough Spa, in the beautiful seaside town of Scarborough.
So goes the more obvious pointers, but there’s something a little different about Fortress that goes beyond the traditional festival experience, for this niche event has been curated by people with a genuine and abiding love of the genre. As a result, the focus of the line-up is on bands that have proved themselves worthy, rather than those that have proved themselves to be commercially appealing. Of course, there are some big names attending (Wolves in the Throne Room, Triptykon being clear examples), but the bulk of the line up comprises bands, both established and emerging, whose primary goal is to create art. As such, we could arguably list every band on the bill in this short feature, for there is little (if anything) that is not worth your time. However, from our perspective, here (and in no particular order) are six bands that you absolutely should not miss.
Polish black metallers Furia are aptly named. Hailing from Katowice, an industrial city in Silesia, the band slowly carved out their sound under the shadow of the Spodek, a giant, concrete venue that looks, somewhat bizarrely, like a flying saucer. With lyrics sung in the band’s native tongue , and sonic digressions that allow elements of jazz and art rock to enter the band’s icy sound, Furia are a unique band, capable of both soothing and savaging the listener with their uniquely engaging sounds. Furia play the main stage on Sunday at 16:50
An obvious choice, perhaps, but Wolves in the Throne Room remain one of those most pivotal bands in US black metal. Performing their classic sophomore effort, Two Hunters, in its entirety for this UK-exclusive set, WITTR’s heady mix of black metal and post rock is sure to bring the festival to the end, as the audience find themselves being slowly flattened by a barrage of atmospheric and immersive music. It’s as if the bands on Chemikal Undeground had been kidnapped by a nature-obsessed Norwegian black metal brigade, and it makes WITTR one of the most original and awe inspiring bands on the scene today. Best experienced live, the intimate Scarborough Spa venue could only be more perfect for this special event if lit solely by fire. Wolves In The Throne Room play the main stage on Sunday at 22:15
What more is there to say about Triptykon, the wonderfully enigmatic project from Hellhammer / Celtic Frost mastermind Thomas Gabriel Fischer, that has not already been said? With the band’s debut album, Eparistera Daimones conceived as a direct sequel to Celtic Frost’s oppressively awesome Monotheist swansong, Triptykon was forged in the flames of Fischer’s disappointment at that band’s failure, but it has become something much grander in scope in the intervening years. Both the darkly impressive Melana Chasmata and the band’s most recent release, the stunning Requiem (Live at Roadburn 2019), have shown that Triptykon has emerged from the shadow of that which preceded it to become a truly mesmerising act in their own right. Triptykon play the main stage on Saturday at 22:50
Formed in 2009, German extreme metallers Der Weg Einer Freiheit (the way of freedom) have earned a powerful name for themselves, touring with countless bands on the underground circuit over the years and honing their craft in the process. Influenced by the more progressive edge of black metal, the band list artists such as 1349 as influences and, despite their uncompromising music, they managed to achieve a position on the German charts with fourth album Finisterre. Check out the band’s punishing Live In Berlin for a taste of the band’s diverse and dynamic sound, which takes in a range of elements from icy riffs to post rock ambience. Der Weg Einer Freiheit play the main stage on Saturday at 18:35
Waldgefluster started life as a solo project, formed in 2005 by Winterherz, with themes centred on the raw power of nature. It would not be until 2014 that the band would become a fully-fledged entity, with live musicians Avagr (bass), Dominik Frank (guitars), Thomas Birkmaier (Drums), and Markus Frey (guitars) coming on board as full-time members. Having achieved no small amount of acclaim for their bold, progressive take on the genre, the fact that this is the band’s first-ever UK show is a remarkable coup for Fortress and an unmissable treat for fans. If you’ve somehow missed the band’s elemental power, Meine Fesseln (2013) comes highly recommended, but you could arguably start anywhere in the band’s catalogue, because once you’ve experienced one album, you’ll be working your way through the catalogue. A truly exciting prospect. Waldgefluster play the Ocean Room on Saturday at 14:25
Playing what they cheerfully describe as “suffocating death metal”, Abyssal hail from the UK and have built up a surprisingly comprehensive discography, including four full-length albums and various split releases. The band’s dense stock-in-trade includes influences from the likes of Suffocation, Immolation, and Incantation, played with a remarkable skill that marks out the band as rather more than the sum of their parts. With vocals drawn straight from the bowels of hell, the band’s ability to summon a doom-laden darkness amidst the ferocious riffs is border-line inhuman, while the gorgeous artwork that adorns their releases showcases the band’s dedication to producing something of lasting merit. Expect darkness. Abyssal play the Ocean Room on Sunday at 16:00
Fortress Festival is a remarkable achievement. Driven by a genuine passion for the genre, and set in a truly stunning venue, it eschews the commerciality inherent in your typical festival and can genuinely lay claim to be by fans, for fans. At time of writing, the festival is but a step away from selling out. If you’re on the fence, get the hell off it and get yourself to Scarborough, this is a festival that deserves your support.
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