APRIL 27th, 2021
INFERNO VIRTUAL MUSIC CONFERENCE EXCLUSIVE


Review By: Char Tupper

It was time to take part in the virtual experience of the Inferno Music Conference 2021. I remember taking part in the 2019 Inferno Conference in Oslo, NO, and all I can say is, I truly learned a lot about the metal industry through this event. I saw how metal is received differently outside of North America, how Ester’s photography has impacted the world of band photography, and how her photos, tell a story, expresses a band’s vision, or even something as simple as Satyr talking about Wongraven wines, and his process in creating his wines. This conference was such a unique experience compared to any event I’ve ever attended in Canada or the US, learning about various art forms within the metal scene and how countries express themselves so differently. It was a no brainer, that when I got invited to take part in the virtual conference this year, from April 22nd – 23rd, I took advantage of the opportunity to learn what new challenges and obstacles our beloved genre has had to overcome, the strength of music in Norway and the rest of the world, the importance of networking in a digital world, and so much more. Let me tell you a little about two topics that stood out for me.


It was quite exciting on the opening day, the opening statement for the conference, was delivered by Norway’s own Minister of Culture, Abid Raja. Something like that, is unheard of in North America, I’m sure metal is given the “cold shoulder” here at home, and to see a form of government, take the time to embrace this conference and encourage metal music and artistic expression, was both bizarre, but amazing to see compared to my country, where no one of political stature, would advertise metal in a positive way, concerts and music in general, isn’t seen as an industry we advertise or boost.  That being said, Canada is still very spoiled in the world of metal music, we aren’t sent warrants for starting a metal band, we aren’t convicted of offending “religious feelings”, that cannot be said for some countries around the world, like Iran, or even the European country of Poland. I thoroughly enjoyed the discussion titled “The War of Art: Blasphemy and Propaganda Against the System”, which had Frank Godla of Metal Injection as the host, with guests Sina Winter (From the Vastland), Nikan “Siyanor” Khosravi (Confess), and Małgorzata Ciuksza (Lawyer of Adam “Nergal” Darksi). All 4 speakers had quite the opinions on the subject, especially from the 3 guests speaking from a wide range of on-hand experience dealing with legal systems, police busting into your apartment with warrants, being thrown into jail with no explanation, all this over the fact of expressing artistic freedom. I never truly realized, how insane and how ridiculous it can be in some parts of the world, in the year 2021, where something as simple as expressing in an artistic form your opinion via music, or a simple post on Instagram, can start an entire court battle against your freedom. The panel continues to discuss as well, what programs are available to help artists around the world who have been convicted of such crimes, like Nergal for example, is campaigning with “Ordo Blasfemia”, he is pushing to change the ways of Polish law, and with the help of Małgorzata, we hope the battle pushes music forward and he conquers all! I wish all these musicians the absolute best in their legal battles, their fight for change, and for true freedom of expression someday in these corrupt and broken countries.

**follow link below to donate, sign petition, and more to help Nergal w/ his case**
ORDO BLASFEMIA LINK: https://www.ordoblasfemia.com/

Another unique discussion was “The Future of the Music Industry: Jack of All Trades”, touching base on the idea that the crew outside of the band, like managers, press officers, etc, need to expand their skills from outside the box, grow with the times. The music industry isn’t just a “one skill” ride anymore, and how it has expanded into so much more than just one “job title”. The host was Gunnar Sauermann, freelance writer of Metal Hammer since 2001, but also head of promotion for Prophecy Productions out of Germany. There are also 3 guests, which were Michael Berberian, the creator of Seasons of Mist back in 1996, Martin Koller, whom founded Prophecy Productions in 1996 as well, and Merle Doering, co-founder and Managing Director of Black Harbour Entertainment, an agency that not only books shows around the world, but provides other various forms of assistance for bands today. These guests had various opinions in how the industry has changed from what it was, even the pandemic adds a unique twist to this discussion. Tour Managers no longer are simply “a tour manager”, they develop other skills such as becoming a booking agent, or even band management, which involves directing the band in the right direction both artistically, and financially. One job title within the industry, is no longer the only thing you can rely on, to keep up with the times and demands of this world, being a “jack of all trades” is a must! I, myself, am not just “the photographer” for MetalTitans, I grew from my previous media outlets I worked for, and when forming the website with my co-owner, Pete Ruttan, I was no longer just a contributing photographer, I expanded my skills and became a co-owner, my own boss, but also grew and became a writer for concert reviews and CD reviews, I conducted on-camera interviews, even learned basic graphic design. Just goes to show, that no matter what road you choose in this industry, eventually, a fork in the road will steer you in a new and exciting direction that will only make you stronger in your field.

I truly admire the Inferno Music Conference and what light it sheds not only on the music, but on the other hidden “behind the scenes” aspect to the metal industry. Like I said earlier, it was such a great in-person experience back in 2019, and it was an honour to be invited to attend the virtual 2021 Music Conference, a huge thank you to the Inferno team, for the invite. I truly hope 2022 brings the experience back to Norway (in person that is, and fingers crossed, including myself), however, even with the virtual event, I learned a lot through the discussions over the 2 days.  The main goal of this conference has always been to bring forward the changes within the industry, to teach new ways of networking, building your skills, adapting to a digital world, will not only help bands on a global level, but record labels and media outlets too, and help them adapt to the ever changing world we all live and breathe, heavy metal!


 ***Please refer to Links below for festival inquires (2021 tickets, etc)


Official Festival Link: https://www.infernofestival.net/

Official Conference Link: https://www.infernomusicconference.com/

Tickets Link: https://www.ticketmaster.no/artist/inferno-metal-festival-tickets