DARK EASTER METAL MEETING
DAY 2

DAY 2

Sweden had dominated Munich at this year’s fest with performances yesterday by Firespawn and Vinterland. Today, the likes of Lik, Thyrfing, and Grave are again raising that flag high. Yesterday was beautiful, a mix of sun and clouds, but today was much windier with the sky above threatening rain. You don’t want the rain at Dark Easter. Of course, all three stages are indoors, but the real draw of the fest is the maze of tree-lined beer gardens with ample seating. This is prime territory for socializing and taking a break with a pint in hand, and grabbing some delicious German grub at one of the many fairly-priced food vendors. Luckily, the rain held off for most of the day, only opening up briefly later in the evening. Let’s get this party started!

LIK

Formed in 2014, Sweden’s LIK are the modern torchbearers of the HM-2 pedal-driven sound pioneered by bands like Entombed and Dismember. Starting the second day off on Backstage Werk, which is the largest of the three stages at the venue, they immediately set the tone for a day that later featured legends like Enthroned, Triptykon, and Grave. The guys have been touring in support of their latest album, Necro (released in April 2025), and it showed in their performance, which was tight, highly energetic, groovy, and unapologetically Swedish death metal. Their set featured new tracks like ‘They’ alongside older fan favourites across their four full-length albums. An incredible set to start the day.

THRON

Founded in 2015 in the Black Forest region of Germany, Thron has rapidly ascended the ranks of the European metal scene. Squeezed in between performances by Triptykon, 1914, and Grave, these guys stood out with their unique blend of Swedish melo-death hooks and traditional black metal intensity (think Dissection meets Necrophobic). Tonight’s performance was all musicality, with little in the way of showmanship and leaned heavily on material from their latest release, Vurias and 2023’s Dust. The rabid crowd pushed their screams of approval to the limit when the band opened with ‘The Serpent’s Path’. Their set was punctuated by ‘Ungemach (Stilles Ende)’, a nine-minute voyage into truly epic territory.

ENTHRONED

Belgian Satanic black metallers Enthroned delivered what can be considered the weekend’s most ritualistic and relentless performance. The guys hit the stage late afternoon, a brutal bridge between Thyrfing and Lik. Frontman, Nornagest, led his malevolent crew through a setlist that included tracks from their latest album, Ashspawn, alongside classics from albums such as Prophecies Of A Pagan Fire. I wasn’t sure how the newest material would come across in a live setting, as it is a bit more complex, dissonant, and ambient than their older material. I am happy to report that, in the end, it was absolutely seamless. I can scratch another one off the bucket list, as I’m pretty sure these guys rarely get over to Canada, if ever.

SETLIST
‘Raviasamin’, ‘Deathmoor’, ‘Ashspawn’, ‘Hosanna Satana’, ‘Rites Of The Northern Fullmoon’, ‘Through The Cortex’, ‘Sightless’, ‘Basilisk Triumphant’, ‘Of Feathers And Flames’

THYRFING

Sweden dominates again. This time it came in the form of Pagan/Viking metallers, Thyrfing (named after a cursed sword from Norse mythology). The band hit the stage like a sledgehammer, launching directly into the song ‘Farsotstider’ from the 2005 album of the same name. Vocalist Jens Rydén (formerly of Naglfar) was particularly noteworthy, as the guy is truly an imposing and captivating master of ceremonies. It was a bit surprising that the guys ignored the last two albums (2021’s Vanagandr and 2013’s De ödeslösa), apart from the track ‘Veners Förfall’, choosing instead to hit fans with mid-era tracks. This is all well and good, as those albums from the first decade of the millennium is some of their best work.

SETLIST
‘Farsotstider’, ‘Vansinnesvisan’, ‘Sweoland Conqueror’, ‘Veners Förfall’, ‘Fredlös’, ‘Jag Spår Fördärv’, ‘…Ty Mörkret Skall Falla’, ‘Digerdöden’, ‘Från Stormens Öga’

RUÏM

Ruïm is the brainchild of the legendary Norwegian guitarist Blasphemer (Rune Eriksen), most famous for his work with Mayhem. Not unlike the mighty Mayhem, the band is steeped in Nordic-infused black metal… with a twist. There is an underlying ritualistic vibe to the music, one inspired by Brazilian witchcraft and the Umbanda tradition, a religion that blends elements of West African traditions (specifically Yoruba), Roman Catholicism, Spiritism (Kardecism), and Indigenous American beliefs. At the core of the belief are two paths: the right and the left-hand path. Blasphemer uses the Linha da Esquerda (The Left-Hand Path) as a metaphor for rebellion, hidden knowledge, and spiritual warfare.

True to the theme, the stage exuded a ritualistic atmosphere, awash in red hues and adorned with symbolic props and costumes, and focused heavily on their debut album, Black Royal Spiritism – I – O Sino da Igreja (released back in 2023 on Peaceville Records). They even pulled out a fitting cover of the Mayhem classic ‘Fall Of Seraphs’ (from ’97’s Wolf’s Lair Abyss EP), which Blasphemer originally wrote.

SETLIST
‘Blood.Sacrifice.Enthronement’, ‘The Triumph (Of Night & Fire)’, ‘The Black House’, ‘Black Royal Spiritism’, ‘Evig Dissonans’, ‘I Am Thy Labyrinth’, ‘Fall Of Seraphs’, ‘O Sino Da Igreja’

1914

As is tradition with Ukrainian extreme metallers 1914, the guys took to the main stage in period-accurate WWI uniforms, caked in mud and grime to evoke the “thousand-yard stare” from the front lines of the Great War (World War I). Much of the performance featured material they have been playing on the “War That Never Ends” tour, which included tracks from the album Viribus Unitis (released last year) and their 2021 breakout album, Where Fear And Weapons Meet. To amplify the war setting, the guys made good use of props, including projected battle imagery and sounds of artillery fire and wartime alarms. Frontman, Dmytro Ternushchak, took the opportunity to speak about the horrors still being committed in his home country, which was welcomed with support and understanding from the packed house.

SETLIST
‘War In (The Beginning Of The Fall)’, ‘FN .380 ACP#19074’, ‘Vimy Ridge (In Memory Of Filip Konowal)’, ‘1914 (The Siege Of Przemysl)’, ‘1916 (The Südtirol Offensive)’, ‘1917 (The Isonzo Front)’, ‘Passchenhell’

TRIPTYKON

Eleven long years had passed since Swiss dark metallers Triptykon last played the Dark Easter Metal Meeting. This time, they brought something special: a twentieth anniversary performance of Celtic Frost‘s classic album, Monotheist. Though they played second to last (right before Grave), this was perhaps the festival’s crowning moment. You could not fit another soul into Werk (the largest of the festival’s three venues). Tom G. Warrior and his crew absolutely did justice to the CF songs, which came across far heavier than on wax: a downtuned, crushing wall of sound that reverberated deep inside your chest. This makes absolute sense, as Monotheist is certainly the one album that most resembles Triptykon‘s original material. They even threw in one Triptykon track to appease fans: ‘Goetia’ from their debut album, Eparistera Daimones, released all the way back in 2010. If this performance was any indication, this is certainly not the last time we’ll see Triptykon at Dark Easter.

SETLIST
‘Totengott (Celtic Frost Song)’, ‘Progeny (Celtic Frost Cover)’, ‘Ground (Celtic Frost Cover)’, ‘A Dying God Coming Into Human Flesh (Celtic Frost Cover)’, ‘Goetia’, ‘Altar Of Deceit’, ‘Sorrows Of The Moon (Celtic Frost Cover)’, ‘Aurorae’, ‘Circle Of The Tyrants (Celtic Frost Cover)’, ‘Domain Of Decay (Celtic Frost Cover)’, ‘Synagoga Satanae (Celtic Frost Cover)’, ‘Winter (Celtic Frost Song)’

DARKHER

As the solo project of West Yorkshire artist Jayn Maiven, Darkher was a haunting and atmospheric departure from the extremity over the last two days of the festival. She played a late-night set, providing a sombre, meditative close to the festival’s second stage. Fittingly, the stage was draped in darkness, the ambient light just bright enough to cast Jayn in a glowing fog that perfectly captured the forest/folk vibe of the songs. The sound emanating from the stage was thick and cavernous, which transcended the songs into the otherworldly. Backing her up was bassist/guitarist Christopher Smith and Ariel S. on drums and percussion. Together, they weaved through tracks from Jayn’s most recent studio efforts, The Buried Storm and Realms. After the set was complete, I watched the throngs leave in a trance-like state. This speaks volumes to the unadulterated melancholy and talent of Darkher. An incredible set that will go down in the Dark Easter books.

GRAVE

It seems 2026 has been the year of Grave. Having been relatively quiet over the last few years and undergoing some lineup changes, the Swedish death metal legends have returned to the festival circuit this season stronger than ever. To say there was a buzz in the air all weekend for their performance is an understatement. In a year that saw numerous Swedish heavyweights take to the Dark Easter stages, Grave was perhaps the most anticipated. Headlining the final evening of the festival, the guys leaned into a multitude of classics from albums such as ’91’s Into The Grave and ’92’s You’ll Never See… Vocalist Ola Lindgren was an absolute beast behind the mic, delivering a truly brutal performance. The guys even resurrected a few tracks from Corpse (pre-Grave band), playing all three songs from their 1987 demo, Black Dawn.

SETLIST
‘Deformed’, ‘Day Of Mourning’, ‘Morbid Way To Die’, ‘For Your God’, ‘Christi(ns)anity’, ‘Black Dawn’, ‘Life In Disgrace’, ‘Rise Again’, ‘Into The Grave’, ‘Extremely Rotten Flesh’, ‘Brutally Deceased’, ‘You’ll Never See’, ‘And Here I Die’