A Bergen Girl’s Black Metal Story

By Liam Carroll Seated in her tattoo studio, wearing a black dress that leaves her fully-tatted arms exposed, Jannicke Wiese-Hansen reflected on her role in the madness of the black metal story. Wiese-Hansen, 44, grew up on the west coast of Norway in Bergen, and began getting into heavy metal music around the age of …

Gaahl: The most evil man alive?

By Liam Carroll Once dubbed ‘the most evil man alive’ by Terrorizer magazine,  the ex-lead singer and founding member of black metal giant Gorgoroth – Gaahl – sat down for a chat not long after completing a grueling, yet exhilarating, performance with his new band, Gaahls Wyrd. Dressed in his usual black overcoat, with an …

Oslo’s bright colors reflect Pride

By Jenna Herrick Cities all over the world spend the month of June celebrating the LGBTQ community and Oslo is showing its Pride this week. According to the Visit Norway website, Oslo's first gay pride celebration – called "Gay Days" – was held in 1982; the name was changed to Oslo Pride in 2014. The Oslo …

Radio pros at Bergenfest

By Billy Ray Malone NRK P1 music reporter Hilde Zahl scanned the crowd at Bergenfest – the annual music festival in Bergen, Norway – and spotted a woman wearing a Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds tee shirt. Zahl walked right up to the woman, crossed her ankles, dipped into a curtsy and, without skipping …

Sibiir: metal band seeks work/life balance

By Leila Baxter Sibiir opened the second day of the Tons of Rock festival in Halden, Norway with a dynamic performance. Half-way through their second song, a screaming Jimmy Nymoen, the band's vocalist, leapt into the pit of photographers below the stage. Concerned for his  safety, security stuck close by Nymoen when he jumped onto …

Meet Attan, a genre-bending metal band poised for success

By Dalton Spangler “The first EP was a lone wolf chomping at your throat. This is like being chased by a pack of wolves and a bulldozer,” explained Attan frontman Remi Semshaug Langseth. Langseth discussed the differences between the band's first EP “From Nothing” and their latest, “End of,” scheduled for release on September 7 …

Datarock: Grumpy, middle-aged men making happy music

By Liam Carroll The band Datarock took the stage at Miniøya in matching sweatsuits and large sunglasses, playing upbeat music that brings kids and parents right to the edge of the stage. After seeing this outburst of joy, you might be shocked if you heard lead singer Fredrik Saroea describe the band members as a …

Oslo Mayor Marianne Borgen talks about car-free Oslo

By Ethan Reddish With dozens of metro tunnels running underground, tram lines criss-crossing most of the roads, and articulated buses around every turn, it seems as though there is little need for personal transport in the city of Oslo. While there is still car traffic, it is far less than in large cities such as …

The Most Important Part of Music Festivals May Be the Food

By Shannon Kehoe A roar of music hit the stage on a cool Saturday afternoon at Frogner Park in Oslo, Norway. Piknik i Parken or Pipfest was in full swing. Picnic tables covered with food ranging from tacos and burgers to fish and grilled cheese were surrounded by happily munching adults and running children with ice …

Cups for Kroner

By Jenna Herrick There are lots of sights to been seen at Piknik i Parken, otherwise known as PiPfest, in Oslo. Looking around, you'll spot musical performances, an abundance of food trucks, and children carrying large stacks of empty cups. Wait. What? Yes, dozens of four-foot-tall children walking around with stacks of cups almost as tall …