Noctis Valkyries Metal Festival

Noctis Valkyries Metal Festival

Location(s)	Calgary, Alberta, Canada: MacEwan Hall - University of Calgary The Distillery Ramada Hotel (Conference)
Years active	2007 - present
Genre	Metal

The Noctis Valkyries Metal Festival (often shortened to "Noctis") is an annual metal festival held in Calgary, Canada. It is organized by Scarab Metal Productions.

The first festival was held at MacEwan Hall in 2007, and hosted several small local bands, as well as larger international acts such as Melechesh and Wolves in the Throne Room. In 2009, the festival was expanded to two days, and took place in two separate venues. It also included a conference with guest speakers from bands such as Woods of Ypres and Novembers Doom, as well as several record labels, including Metal Blade and Seasons of Mist.

Festival dates and lineups

2007: Noctis Valkyries

September 22, 2007
MacEwan Hall Ballroom

• Melechesh
• Inquisition
• Infernäl Mäjesty
• Dark Forest[1] [2]
• Wolves in the Throne Room
• Insidious Omen[3]
• Norrath[4]
• Lords of the Mountain[5]
• Wargod[6]

2008: Noctis II - Age of Darkness

October 4, 2008
MacEwan Hall Ballroom

• Korpiklaani
• Woods of Ypres
• Ahab (band)
• Verbal Deception
• Dark Forest
• Begrime Exemious
• Urheimat

2009: Noctis III - Tritagonist

October 2 & October 3, 2009
October 2nd
The Distillery (Club Night)

• Novembers Doom
• Slough Feg
• Ares Kingdom
• Kilyakai
• Norrath
• Tosca
• Truck

Ramada Downtown Hotel (Metal Conference)

Live Interviews

• Martin Popoff - Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles
• Paul Masvidal and Sean Reinert - Cynic
• Paul Kuhr and members of Novembers Doom
• Michael Scalzi and members of Slough Feg
• Chuck Keller and members of Ares Kingdom

Guest Speakers, Panels, and Q&A

• Michael Faley - President of Metal Blade Records
• Michael Berberian - President and CEO of Season of Mist France
• EJ Johangton - President of Prosthetic Records USA
• Dan Rozenblum - Thunderdome Touring
• David Gold - Woods of Ypres
• Mira Born - Freelance photographer, Netherlands
• Josh Hogan - Diminished Fifth Records Halifax
• Sacha Laskow - Divinity
• Greg Musgrave - Exit Strategy, Phantom Limb
• Therese Lanz - Exit Strategy, Kilbourne, Tosca
• Derek Orthner - Begrime Exemious
• Tomislav Crnkovic - Viathyn, Axe Music
• Pamela Porosky - http://pitchblack.ca
• James Stangroom - Freelance Photographer, Calgary
• Joshua Wood - Co-Host Megawatt Mayhem
• Kevin Woron - Co-Host Megawatt Mayhem

October 3rd
MacEwan Hall (Main Stage)

• Cynic
• Suffocation
• Destroyer 666
• Aura Noir
• Exit Strategy
• Begrime Exemious

The Den U of C (Second Stage)

• Death Toll Rising
• Sacred Ally
• Akakor
• A Bloodshed Nightmare
• Hrom
• Fornication

Press releases

2007

Calgary, AB Canada (September 10, 2007) Scarab Metal Productions was pleased to announce Noctis Valkyries, a Metal Fest at the University of Calgary’s MacEwan Hall Ballroom on Saturday Sept 22, 2007. Headlining the show was Sumerian black thrashers Melechesh whose acclaim is still rising worldwide since the 2006 release of their album Emissaries, recently chosen as an album of the month by the renowned Canadian based international metal magazine, Brave Word and Bloody Knuckles. Also featured was the legendary black metal band, Inquisition in a rare Canadian show, which followed headlining summer festival appearances in Berlin and Los Angeles. Their 2007 release of Nefarious Dismal Orations was hailed as a rare gem from the black underground.

Rounding out bill was Canada’s black thrashers Infernäl Mäjesty from Vancouver; folk heavy metal act Verbal Deception, and pagan black metal band Dark Forest, both from Calgary; Wolves in the Throne Room, blackened folk doom from Washington, Insidious Omen, black metal from Edmonton and three local openers, Norrath, Lords of the Mountain and Wargod.

2008

Calgary, AB Canada (July 22, 2008) Scarab Metal Productions was pleased to announce NOCTIS II – The Age of Darkness Metal Fest, a Folk-Black-Pagan Metal Fest at University of Calgary’s MacEwan Hall Ballroom on Saturday, October 4, 2008. Headlining the show was Finland’s premier folk metal act, Korpiklaani, who made their first appearance on North American soil. Their use of genuine folk instruments, such as the juhikko, accordion and violin, along with a combination of rough and yoik vocals and “a fierce twist of metal” have earned them a spot as one of the most original acts in metal today. Fuelled by high energy and a love of beer, Korpiklaani is one of the most popular acts at metal festivals across Europe.

Also featured was underground Canadian black/doom/folk metallers Woods of Ypres. Their most recent album Woods III: Deepest Roots and Darkest Blues was released to critical acclaim and was the best selling album for 4 weeks in a row at The End Records. The German funeral doom metal band Ahab (band) also appeared in their first North American appearance. Their 2006 debut CD “Call of the Wretched Sea” retells the story of Melville’s Moby Dick and captured intense underground interest.

Rounding out the bill was support from folk/heavy metal act Verbal Deception, and pagan black metal band DARK FOREST, both well-known Calgary metal acts; and BEGRIME EXEMIOUS, black/death metallers from Edmonton, who returned to the scene after a short hiatus and a line-up change. The metal fest also introduced URHEIMAT, an experimental black metal act from Calgary featuring members of Dark Forest, Nebucadnezzer and I Die Screaming.

2009

Calgary, Alberta. Canada (July 30, 2009) Scarab Metal Productions is proud to announce NOCTIS III: TRITAGONIST; a metal festival taking place over two days at the University of Calgary’s Den and MacEwan Hall; and the Distillery Nightclub in downtown Calgary. Headlining the Main Stage on Saturday, October 3rd, will be progressive metal veterans Cynic (USA) whose comeback album Traced in Air earned critical acclaim after a 12-year absence in the metal scene. The show will also feature war metalers Destroyer 666 (AUS-NLD) in their first ever-Canadian appearance, fresh off the July release of their new album Defiant; and black thrashers Aura Noir (NOR) who played the Maryland Deathfest this year. Headlining the show on “Club Night” at the Distillery on Friday Oct. 2, 2009 will be Chicago’s Novembers Doom, with support from the underground folk/heavy metal favourites Slough Feg (USA), and death/thrashers ARES KINGDOM (USA).

Opening the shows will be Alberta bands: EXIT STRATEGY, BEGRIME EXEMIOUS, DEATH TOLL RISING, SACRED ALLY, KILYAKAI, NORRATH, AKAKOR, and the new, two-woman sludge band, TOSCA. An all ages band showcase featuring A BLOODSHED NIGHTMARE, HROM, and FORNICATION will open the second stage.

The Festival also now includes a METAL MUSIC CONFERENCE to be held on Friday October 2nd at the Ramada Hotel, downtown Calgary. A partial list of speakers includes guest appearances from Martin Popoff (Toronto) famed metal author/ music reviewer and the former Editor of the now retired Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles magazine; Paul Masvidal and Sean Reinert of Cynic, Michael Berberian, (France) CEO of Season of Mist Records, Mira Born (Holland) a freelance metal music photographer for metalshots.com, Metalhammer, and Terrorizer; Dan Rozenblum (Florida) Thunderdome Touring; David Gold (Ontario) from Woods of Ypres, and . Topics for the conference will include items of interest to metal bands and fans and will feature live interviews; discussions on what it takes to get signed to a label; how to get endorsements and distribution deals; the latest in DIY recording; how to promote your band; improving your live metal photography; etc.

Footnotes

• Official Website