Dutch veterans Cirith Gorgor represent decades of unwavering dedication to traditional black metal. Their music balances melodic darkness with aggressive drive, rooted firmly in the classic European sound while maintaining a distinctive identity.

Expect a performance driven by experience, authenticity and the kind of craftsmanship only long-standing underground acts can deliver. There is something special about black metal coming from the Benelux area and we’re delighted at the fact that get a taste of it at Steelfest this year again.

For those in Finland who are already missing the Nordic winter, you might want to go see these guys. Known for their frostbitten aesthetic and relentless speed, Imperial Crystalline Entombment bring icy aggression straight from the depths of underground extremity.

Blending theatrical presentation with ferocious musicianship, I.C.E. injects a dose of cold, high-energy chaos into the final festival day. Perfect fuel for audiences determined to keep the intensity alive until the very end and compared to the majority of acts a quite unique satanless take on black metal, but oh so fitting since winter can be devastating and bleak.

You’re in Finland, if there is one thing Finnish people and bands do well, it’s melancholy. For a realy proper dose of melancholics, this will be one for you. Finnish funeral doom masters Shape of Despair offer a stark contrast to the weekend’s relentless speed and violence. Their slow, monumental compositions create moments of reflection and emotional weight rarely found within festival environments.

As dusk settles, Shape of Despair’s immersive melancholy may become one of the most atmospheric experiences of the entire weekend. We fondly remember past performances of this quite iconic Finnish bands at Steelfest as being some of the most profound and touching shows.

Swedish cult act Lifelover occupies a unique space between black metal, post-punk melancholy and emotional rawness. Revered by a devoted following, their music captures fragility and darkness in equal measure.

Live appearances remain rare and emotionally charged, making this performance an essential moment for longtime fans and curious newcomers alike. We’re already predicting to be one of the highlights of the weekend easily.

Few bands carry the same mythical aura as Tormentor. Emerging from Hungary in the late ’80s, the band helped shape extreme metal long before black metal had fully defined itself as a movement. Their cult classic Anno Domini became underground scripture, influencing an entire generation of musicians, most famously through vocalist Attila Csihar, whose voice would later become inseparable from the legacy of Mayhem.

What makes Tormentor special is that they never sounded bound by genre rules. Thrash aggression, primitive black metal darkness and eerie theatrical atmosphere collide into something unmistakably their own. Decades later, their performances still feel less like nostalgic reunions and more like witnessing a living piece of extreme metal history unfolding in real time.

At Steelfest, Tormentor represents a direct connection to the roots of the underground. A reminder that before trends, aesthetics or scenes solidified, there was pure experimentation, danger and unpredictability. For anyone interested in understanding where black metal truly began, this is essential viewing.