Sketchycon

Steelfest is a festival taking place since 2012 in Hyvinkää, Finland. It is run by Jani Laine, who also runs the project Commander Agares, is part of the live setup of Vargrav and was involved in Sawhill Sacrifice and Azaghal.

The festival cooperates with members, shops and labels of the finnish NS(BM)-scene, e.g. Horror Shop, Werewolf Records and KVLT Shop.

There is a large amount of festival-photos over the years on the internet of band members doing Nazi salutes on stage (e.g. Jaakko Lähde of Goatmoon, 2016), band members showing off Nazi-Tattoos on stage (e.g. Henri Hirvonen with Azazel, 2017) and of show attendees doing Nazi salutes in the crowd (see e.g. below article).

The festival always has some NSBM acts on the lineup. It looks like this is purposely done to mix reight-wing extremist bands with ‚mainstream‘ act to provide them a bigger audience. In 2022, many ‚major‘ metal bands were booked to the festival line-up followed by a big wave of NSBM or adjacent bands which sparked a major discussion about e.g. Sodom sharing the stage with these bands. Some bands (e.g. Sodom, Melechesh or Samael) refrained from playing the festival then, some did not.

2013

Sodom, Mayhem, Destruction, Belphegor, Vomitory, Tsjuder, Horna, Blood Red Throne, Urn, Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult, Satanic Warmaster, Baptism, Barathrum, National Napalm Syndicate, Necromancer, The Crescent, Putenance, Dark End, Lie in Ruins, Kadotus, Flame, Tyranex, Skirmish, Gorephilia, Mörbid Vomit, Malicious, Nuclear Omnicide, Plaguebreeder, Unhoped

2014

Primordial, Inquisition, Deströyer 666, Vader, Necrophobic, Aura Noir, Nifelheim, Urfaust, Baptism, Convulse, Aeternus, Archgoat, Alghazanth, Desolate Shrine, Valkyrja, Raven Woods, Mustan Kuun Lapset, Hautakammio, Maveth, Manheim, Apocryfal, Lantern

2015

Dark Funeral, Nokturnal Mortum, Asphyx, Unleashed, Dead Congregation, Temnozor, Satanic Warmaster, Svarttjern, Melechesh, Demilich, Sargeist, Ketzer, Sotajumala, Evil Angel, Torture Killer, Kawir, Wyrd, Vorum, Cosmic Church, Axegressor, Mor Dagor, Coprolith, Dim Aura, Winterfront

2016

1349, Gorgoroth, Blasphemy, Sadistic Intent, Graveland, Ragnarö(o)k, Batushka, Horna, Kroda, Denial of God, Skyforger, Sarkom, Impaled Nazarene, Azaghal, Demonical, Goatmoon, White Death, Necromancer, Diabolical, Sawhill Sacrifice, Saturnian Mist, Mörbid Vomit, Malicious, Inferno, Lathspell, Sarkom, Necrowretch

2017

Marduk, Peste Noire, Carpathian Forest, Behexen, Sinister, Mgla, Enthroned, Firespawn, Shape of Despair, Lvcifyre, Sargeist, Baptism, Thyrane, Cut Up, Necrowretch, Azazel, Skepticism, Kalmankantaja, Front, Anal Blasphemy, FIN, Korgonthurus, Nightbringer, Purtenance, Zuriaake

2018

Mortiis, Watain, Tormentor, Nokturnal Mortum, Moonsorrow, Satanic Warmaster, Deströyer 666, Forteresse, DHG, Archgoat, Necrophobic, Alghazanth, Saor, Baise Ma Hache, Nattfog, Asagraum, Cult of Fire, Demilich, Malokarpatan, Skogen, Hin Onde, Cohal, One Master, Havukruunu

2019

Mysticum, …and Oceans, Marduk, Immolation, Mgla, Nargaroth, Horna, Belphegor, Vital Remains, Naglfar, Gaahl’s Wyrd, Kroda, Asphyx, Grave Miasma, Evil, Einherjer, Totalselfhatred, Aeternus, Arkhon Infaustus, Myrkskog, Antimateria, Deiphago, Délétère, Monarque, Morbosidad, Odium, Vargrav

2020

(Cancelled due to Covid-19)

Akitsa, Melechesh, Borgne, Misthyrming, Cadaver, Mörk Gryning, Deicide, Osculum Infame, Denial of God, Diocletian, Druadan Forest, Faustian Pact, Havukruunu, Hecate Enthroned, Infernal War, Impaled Nazarene, Moonsorrow, Primordial, Profanatica, Shape of Despair, Sodom, Totenwache, Venom Inc., W.A.R., White Death

2022

Deströyer 666, Taake, Inquisition, Satanic Warmaster, Mortuary Drape, Horna, Denial of God, Osculum Infame, Akitsa, Morbosidad, Antimateria, Sargeist, Blasfemia, Alfahanne, Graveland, Warmoon Lord, Beelzeebubth / Mystifier, Acherontas, Borgne, Infernal War, Totenwache, White Death, Morgal, Sarkrista, A.M.S.G., Maquahuitl, Aegrus, Doedsvangr, Cénotaphe, Valkyrja, The Stone, Corpus Christi, Tenebrae, Kalmankantaja, Blood Chalice, Chamber of Unlight, Commander Agares, Malignament, Slagmaur, Gorgon, The Order of Apollyon, Hellboozer Union, Impenetrable Darkness, Ars Veneficium, The Mist from the Mountains, IKU, Turso, Azazel

2023

Carpathian Forest, Gehenna, Marduk, Nokturnal Mortum, Austere, Azazel, Behexen, Coraxul, Deströyer 666, DHG, Evil Incarnate, Gaurithoth, Gravespawn, Horna, Infernal, Loits, Merrimack, Nattefrost, Nocturnal Sorcery, Nordjevel, Nunslaughter, Pensées Nocturnes, Pest, Ride for Revenge, Rienaus, Ritualization, Ruttokosmos, Sacrilegious Impalement, Sex Messiah, Sotherion, The Committee, Torture Killer, Totalselfhatred, True Black Dawn, Tsatthoggua, Urgehal, Urn, Utuk Xul, Varathron, Ved Buens Ende, Vornat, Withtrap, Ymir

2024

Mysticum, Gorgoroth, Inquisition, Blasphemy, Unleashed, Kroda, DHG, Horna, Misphyrming, Craft, White Death, Ofermod, Hellbutcher, Sarkrista, Aeternus, Antimateria, Strid, Ifernach, Acherontas, Denial of God, Diocletian, Ved Buens Ende, Délétère, Ragnarok, Commander Agares, Inferno, Aegrus, Barathrum, Deathchain, Corpsessed, Thornspawn, Chamber of Unlight, Cadaveric Incubator, Marrus, Torsofuck, Black Altar, Erishkigal, Licht der Urteils

2025

Absu, Taake, Sarcofago, Archgoat, Sargeist, Osculum Infame, Misthyrming, Acheron, The True Werwolf, Aura Noir, Mortiis, Demoncy, Whoredom Rife, Impiety, Warmoon Lord, Naer Mataron, Ad Hominem, Zemial, Severoth, Deus Mortem, Imprecation, Masacre, Baxaxaxa, Old Tower, Urn, Arkona, Korgonthurus, Morok Barshasketh, Biological Warfare, Nightside, Hellwind & Vritrahn, Night Shall Drape Us, Curse Upon A Prayer, Vultyrium, Trollheims Grott, Poltergeist, Flame, Vulkan Grit, Azazel

2026

Tormentor, Beherit, Revenge, Satanic Warmaster, Akhlys, Forteresse, Inquisition, White Death, Shape Of Despair, Commander Agares, Surrender of Divinity, Warmoon Lord, Ifernach, Erzebet, Concrete Winds, I.C.E., Holocausto, Morgal, Chamber of Unlight, Mavorim, Vitsaus, Torture Killer, Famulus Ab Satanas, Hiist, Autumn Strife, Heinous, Thy Antichrist, Sabathan, Malignament, Deathchain, Cirith Gorgor, Demonical, Bezmir

Links

Article about the Steelfest by finnish Varis network.