The Enter the Eternal Fire festival has been around for over a decade, and this was my first time visiting. The line-up was really diverse and promising, so I was looking forward to it, even though the drive from Slovakia took seven hours.
Volyně, a small town near the Austrian border, has a beautiful location next to Šumava National Park, and its cozy historic center is absolutely stunning. After arriving at the festival site, I realized it was even better than I had imagined. This is definitely not a festival for the masses. There’s a swimming pool right in the center of the venue, from where you can easily watch the bands on stage, and last but not least, the prices for beer and food were absolutely great (beer for around €2? That’s hard to beat).
Day one
We arrived shortly before the first band of the festival started playing at 15:00. It was the Czech death/doom metal band Megelnyk, whom I had never heard of before. Okay, let’s give them a chance, especially when you’re the very first band of the festival. Huh… what was that? The very first band, I’m telling you, completely kicked my ass. That’s how surprised I was. In general, I’m not a huge fan of death metal, but Megelnyk play exactly the kind of style I prefer within the genre. They kinda reminded me of Asphyx. Nothing technically difficult or overcomplicated, but it has soul! The compositions and the lyrical concept based on various local legends—shut up and take my money. Right after the concert I went to buy their MC Proklaté příběhy z Píseckých hor. And we’re not done with Megelnyk yet, you’ll read about them again later in this article.
The next band was also from the death metal camp, but compared to Megelnyk, it was a completely different style. Brutally Deceased delivered something more melodic while still being aggressive at the same time. Some of their riffs reminded me of the old days of Entombed, but only here and there. Overall, it wasn’t bad at all, just a bit outside my comfort zone, but they still managed to keep me under the stage for a while.
What I really like about this festival is that there’s no second stage, no shitloads of bands, and there’s enough time between sets for changeovers and chatting with friends. At the same time, those breaks are short enough that the festival never loses its pace.
Soon enough, the trio Svardenvyrd took the stage. This resurrected atmospheric black metal band released their debut Obyčej slunovratu back in 2005, and it was one of the first pagan-oriented albums I listened to years ago. I was really glad the guys decided to start playing live shows. With Einsk handling both drums and vocals, they look minimalistic on stage, yet still interesting. The atmospheric riffs from both albums are better suited for the darker hours of the day, but even in the afternoon, surrounded by nature, they worked really well. Svardenvyrd don’t need any additional visual effects, the music speaks for itself. They definitely need to play live a bit more, though, as a dedicated fan could notice a few mistakes.
Usually, it’s impossible to see every band on a festival line-up, but since the festival area wasn’t that big, you could see the stage from pretty much every corner. So during the set of the Polish death metallers Embrional, I went to grab some food, and the pulled pork with French fries for about €8 was a great choice. Embrional play something closer to Brutally Deceased, but with fewer melodic passages and a more aggressive approach. Even though it wasn’t really my cup of tea, it was perfectly fine to listen to while enjoying a meal.
Now it was time for something I had really been looking forward to. Before the festival I had been listening to the latest album by the Slovenian band Srd, and it sounded really good. Vragvmesiton was released in 2024, and… it sounds a bit Polish. What do I mean by that? The sound and overall atmosphere are similar to black metal bands from Poland, especially the Kraków scene. Fortunately, Srd are not just another copy-paste version of Mgła or one of the many bands following that formula nowadays. I appreciate that among the songs built on slowly developing atmosphere, there were also tracks driven by rock’n’roll rhythms that really stood out. A big thumbs-up also goes to the singer for wearing a Zmyrna shirt. I guess it was a gesture of support for Michal, who’s currently going through the hardest time of his life. If you ever see Srd on a festival line-up, don’t miss their show.
As I said before, the festival line-up was really diverse, and after Srd it was time for Blaze Bayley. Blaze spent five years as the singer of the legendary Iron Maiden, but unfortunately his solo career never reached the same level of success or attention. For me, this was the perfect opportunity to catch up with friends I hadn’t seen in a long time, while plenty of people, both older fans and the younger generation, were having a great time in front of the stage.
Then it was time for black metal again, as the Norwegian band Jordsjuk were ready to hit the stage. I was really curious because I’d never heard of them before, and honestly, that was my mistake. Jordsjuk are a relatively new band, and they released their debut Naglet til livet last year. One guitar, one very prominent bass guitar, rock’n’roll drumming, and Mannevond on vocals, that’s a fucking good cocktail. I kept asking myself, „How the hell did I miss this band?“ They absolutely owned both the stage and the audience, and not a single song, even though there were plenty, became boring. Sure, you can hear a bit of a Satyricon vibe here and there, but Mannevond’s vocals are so distinctive and powerful that they overshadow everything else. Seriously, this guy could teach half the scene how to scream with that poisonous voice of his (and by the way, the Norwegian language fits this style perfectly). Jordsjuk’s songs are relatively short, but that’s actually one of their biggest strengths. I was also pleasantly surprised by the sound. It had already been very good throughout the day, but Jordsjuk’s set sounded almost perfect. I especially enjoyed the bass guitar. This band is definitely going straight onto my playlist.
I’m not gonna lie, after a seven-hour drive and a whole day filled with music and conversations, I was exhausted (+ still a bit sick). I told myself I’d just have a little rest before Bohemyst. I like their music, and I really wanted to see them, but I failed… and fell asleep.
Day two
Saturday started earlier, and the weather forecast promised it would be warmer than on Friday (although the night had been pretty cold for summer). I’ll be honest, I wasn’t particularly interested in the first few bands. Temora, a young death metal band with wannabe funny intros, didn’t really catch my attention, and Crippled Fingers were one of those modern groovy bands that are simply beyond my interest, so we used that time to grab some lunch.
The third band finally caught my attention. Austrian black/death metallers Graufar were completely unknown to me, but this first encounter was a very pleasant one. They released their second album, Via Necropolis, earlier this year, and after seeing their live performance, I’ll definitely have to give it a proper listen at home.
The following band, Trahir, was another new discovery for me (just like most of today’s line-up), and their bizarre-looking singer definitely caught everyone’s attention. In the end, the music wasn’t nearly as strange as his appearance might have suggested. Old-school heavy/doom metal with some really nice melodies. If you’re into nostalgia, Black Sabbath, and chicks, you’ll probably enjoy it. I certainly did, not bad at all.
More old-school stuff was about to hit the stage, but in a completely different way. While Trahir delivered slow, doom-ish tunes, the Polish band Hellfuck came to unleash some speed madness. The speed/thrash metal quartet released their new album, 9 Nails Hammered into the Flesh of God, this year. Even if you’re not a fan of this genre, it’s almost impossible not to get caught up in it live. Energetic music with a proper old-school spirit. A really good choice for the festival.
There are probably at least ten bands called Cromlech, and this one was the German black metal project, originally formed as a one-man band. I’d describe their music as atmospheric black metal with occasional blast beats and plenty of mid-tempo riffs. The keyboards added an epic layer to the atmosphere, which worked really well. Overall, I enjoyed their set, but this is another band I’ll need to revisit at home.
Excuse me, everyone, but I skipped the next two bands to spend some time talking with friends. First up was the Czech old-school band Vitacit (maybe next time), and to be completely honest, I’ve never been that into death metal in the style of Pestilence.
Finally, it was time for Saturday’s headliner, Ruïm, the international band founded and led by Blasphemer (Rune Eriksen), whom many of you probably know as the former guitarist of Mayhem. Ruïm ‚s line-up consists of musicians from Portugal and France, and I was really curious about how a band spread across different countries actually functions. Fortunately, I had the chance to speak with Blasphemer, who gladly satisfied my curiosity. So here’s a little bonus before we get to the concert.
S.: Hi Rune, let’s get straight to it. Your line-up is international, and you all come from different corners of Europe. How do you even rehearse?
Rune: You’re right. We usually rehearse separately. Me, living in Portugal, rehearse with guitarist João, while drummer Cesar and bassist Nico practice together in Dijon.
S.: So you practically never rehearse together, but I heard that…
Rune: We arrive one day before the show and rehearse here! It’s actually a really nice experience because Megelnyk, who have their rehearsal room not far from here in Písek, let us use it. That was very kind of them.
S.: That’s a pretty cool story. Considering that you’re also playing in Blood Fire Death – A Bathory Tribute, and this festival is named after a Bathory song, does that make it a bit more special for you?
Rune: Oh yes, definitely. Bathory, together with Metallica and Black Sabbath, were the most important bands when I was growing up and discovering metal. It’s great to pay tribute to them this way.
S.: One last thing—your drummer is insane. I know you’ve played with some of the best drummers in metal, but Cesar is really incredible.
Rune: I can definitely hear Hellhammer’s influence in his playing. He’s almost that good now.
S.: And younger… Okay, thank you for your time, and hopefully we’ll see you in Slovakia one day!
Now it was finally time for the headliner’s show, and the stage was ready. The setup was pretty minimalistic—just two fire bowls waiting to be lit and a distinctive microphone stand decorated with the Ruïm logo. The stage was bathed in red light, and the intro was a pleasant surprise: Coven in Charing Cross by the legendary occult rock band Coven from the ’70s. Oh, how much I love this music.
Ruïm have only one full-length album so far, Black Royal Spiritism – I. O Sino da Igreja (2023), and this was the perfect chance to hear it performed in its entirety. During the first song I was a little worried because the kick drums and bass were way too loud, but the sound engineer quickly fixed everything. Big thumbs-up for that! The lighting added a lot to the atmosphere- It was perfectly timed, emphasizing the right moments in every song. The fire bowls with fire, the minimalistic stage design, and the attention to detail all combined into an excellent visual presentation. Since I have absolutely no criticism of the music itself, I have to praise Cesar’s drumming. He’s incredibly talented, fast, technical, and precise. And then came another surprise. Two Mayhem covers, of course, with Lazarus of Medico Peste joining the band on stage. I Am Thy Labyrinth and Fall of Seraphs sounded absolutely grandiose. Without a doubt, this was the performance of the festival.
The final band of the festival was Medico Peste, and I had really been looking forward to their show because I’d recently reviewed their latest album. Lazarus and the rest of the band entered the stage wearing plague masks, and their unique performance began. A huge part of Medico Peste’s appeal is their unpredictability. Some parts of their music are almost jazzy and avant-garde, and the new drummer handled all those twists and turns brilliantly. I won’t lie—they had an incredibly difficult job following Ruïm, but they pulled it off very well. Some of the songs, especially towards the end of the set, had a distinct Peste Noire vibe, and that grotesque atmosphere is exactly the kind of thing I enjoy. Medico Peste stand out among the countless Polish black metal bands today, and they proved that once again with this live performance.
It’s late now. Not as cold as yesterday, just one more beer, and then I really need some sleep. Thank you for a fantastic festival and two days filled with great music. Even in the hardest times, music can still light a little spark of joy.
Written by S.
Photos: DMNVS
