Arrival in Scarborough was accompanied by the best possible weather. You could wear shorts and just a shirt, and it wasn’t too hot, neither was it cold. Accommodation for one person was a little pricey (for central European person), but at the end of the day, it was worth it. Just a 10-minute walk from the venue and close to the beach. Oh yes, Fortress Festival was happening right next to the beach, and the location was beyond perfect.
So after getting a proper English breakfast, it was time to head to Scarborough Spa – the place where everything was happening. For those who are reading about Fortress for the first time: there were practically 3 “venues” – two stages + theatre. Concerts were happening in all 3, and dungeon synth/ambient acts were playing in the theatre. The only time clashes were between the dungeon synth acts and the black metal bands. And for those who are here (on the Bes Webzine page) for the first time – warning, I am very honest with reviews, there is no place for senseless glorification (if the music/concert really doesn’t stand out). Of course, I was here just as a fan, with no media pass, which means I didn’t see everything. (If you would like to know, how much costs the trip to this festival, wait for the second part of the overview). Btw, no photos of the bands, since my camera is shit and you will definitely find on web valuable photos from the festival, rather than some blured bullshit.
Day one
The first band I went to see on Saturday was German act Groza. To be completely honest, I find them to be just another copy of Mgła. But since Mgła is not playing live currently, it was nice to hear some of their tunes. Like really, dressing similarly, playing very similar music, with a band name taken from the first album of their worshipped artist, heh. So, if you’ve seen Mgła or listened to them, here you have a more polished and user-friendly version. Not a bad show, but you know what I mean.
After Groza, I moved to the Ocean Room (understand: the small stage), where the first band was Black Cilice from Portugal. A pretty unknown act with no socials (good old days?) and no members displayed. And so was their show – completely covered in fog. Like really, you couldn’t see the members, just listen to the music. A raw and straightforward portion of black metal. As I remember them from recordings released by Iron Bonehead, this was exactly it. Minimalism served at its finest.
It was so hot in the Ocean Room that my brain almost boiled, so I missed Mesarthim in the Grand Hall and the forum talk about Akercocke, and came back to the Ocean Room for Aeon Winds. Sure, I have seen them many times, but I couldn’t miss a Slovak band performing on English soil. The set was pretty unique; they played songs that are not very common in their live sets. I consider their last album their best, so playing only one song, Unveiling the Citadel was a bit of a pity. But we got some nice satisfaction in the form of guest vocalist Dis Pater from Midnight Odyssey, who joined them for songs Za Tmou sa Poberal. Of Shadows and the Blind and a cover of The Cure – A Forest. That ending was just brilliant.
My next steps were directed towards filling my stomach. I got baited by the black buns of a goth burger. Well, unfortunately, that wasn’t a good pick (it was really dry). The guys were saying that the Thai food next to it was much better. Never mind, next time.
Midnight Odyssey was a purely atmospheric and static show, with a drum machine in the background. All I can say is that I usually enjoy their music more at home on CD. Dis Pater did a great job with Aeon Winds on stage. I would really like to see their collaboration on the stage continuing.
Next up in the Grand Hall was Akercocke playing Choronzon from 2003. I have to admit I had never heard of them, and after two songs I left the venue. Unfortunately, they didn’t match my taste at all.
My friend recommended that I watch Totenwache. Again, I had never heard of them, and maybe it was time to discover something new that would stick in my playlist. And that was it! This German trio caught my attention from the first tones, and their melodic and catchy black metal finally made people move slightly. I mean just a bit, because the mosh pit consisted of only a few individuals. Now I am retrospectively listening to their newest album, Der Thron der Uralten (2026), and it is definitely great music.
Now it was time for one of the festival’s headliners. Dødheimsgard is one of the most iconic black metal bands that is not strictly “just” black metal. Their avant-garde and industrial approach to the genre made them famous for it. Vicotnik is an insanely good composer, and this was a special opportunity to see their latest album, Black Medium Current (2023), performed live in full! I have realized that the Fortress organizer has such an interesting and specific taste that they invite bands with really special performances – this is proof of that. Was it special? Oh, hell yes. All the choir parts you can hear on the recording were sung live by three singers, and that was stunning. Oh, and that bass guitar. How I enjoy it when the bass stands out, and this is exactly the type of music where it really does. More performances like this in the world, please!
Another headliner of the festival for me was playing right after. Whoredom Rife! Oh gods, how I love their last album, Den vrede makt (2024), probably the best album of that year. The Ocean Room was still hot, even though it was already after 21:00. When Whoredom Rife started playing, that fact became almost non-existent, and finally some madness erupted among the fans. I am really glad that Vyl left Keep of Kalessin, which used to be one of my favorite bands, but later they went to shit. Whoredom Rife is a completely different story, and Vegard Larsen fully demonstrated his talent as a multi-instrumentalist. Amazing show!
I am tired from the heat and also from a few beers… I will probably regret that I am going to miss Old Man’s Child, one of the headliners, but tbh I never listened to this band.
See you next day!
Written by S.
