The Saturday Dinner

I skipped out on the last day of Inferno Festival. Reason being, is because Kjetil invited us, the band and the wives to dinner at his house.

Me, Jim, Stig, his wife Annette, Anders and his wife, Billy, and Espen (band photographer) walked through the Oslo streets en route to the host’s home. It’s a surreal feeling when you’re in the company of true black metal legends.

Fifteen minutes later we arrived. Kjetil’s home was perched atop a hill overlooking the Mathallen part of the town. We entered through the garage and ascended up the small steps that spiraled upward. The house itself was warm, inviting, and had that Scandinavian hospitality I had felt my entire time here. We brought Lena, Kjetil’s wife, tulips for her hospitality. Jim informed me that bringing flowers to the host and hostess is a very honorary and respectful thing to do. The table was beautiful. An array of olives, hummus, caviar, fresh bread, musk and reindeer sausage was carefully placed as a first course. The wine was Lebanese, and we were served in a fashion that has been painfully rendered obsolete in the U.S.

We sat and became better acquainted with Anders Odden. Anders is Order’s guitarist, and by all rights—he is the more stoic, hardened personality of the four. Anders and Jim drank wine and decided to converse in Swedish—as Norwegians can understand Swedes very easily.

The main course was homemade lamb that was cooked to a beautiful medium rare. Kjetil mashed the mashed potatoes to a perfect consistency; and while the potatoes were being procured, an assortment of Brussel sprouts, carrots and homemade gravy was passed around.

There was karaoke, laughing, singing, and at times, conversations about Varg Vikernes. To me, I’ll never get used to hearing about it from the horses’ mouth. Billy Messiah (lead singer) was good friends with Euronymous; so, as you can imagine, it’s not the most palatable topic to discuss. However, the lunacy in regards to Varg is something they all enjoy poking fun at. (If you’re not familiar with Varg and his behavior, Google it.)

At any rate, we laughed so hard that most of us at the table were crying from laughing so hard. I found out just how down to earth these black metallers were, and though they are given horrible reps from American metalheads—well, yes it’s bullshit.

This dinner was something I’ll not order for the rest of my life. And…well…even with Frost not being there, it was still aight lol.