Like many black metal bands before them, there is absolutely no casual or passive way of introducing you to Witch Club Satan. From the bloody theatrics to the pummeling music and shrieking vocals, this Norwegian trio is simply a force you must reckon with on your own.
Hailing from the Land of the Midnight Sun, Witch Club Satan was founded in 2021 and is comprised of Victoria F. S. Røising, Nikoline Spjelkavik, and Johanna Holt Kleive. The all-female black metal band of self-described “resurrected witches” pays homage to the sound of their musical forefathers while boldly defying patriarchal foundations.
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(Also, I’m pretty sure their name is at least a little bit of a reference to British pop group S Club 7, but it could just be a coincidence and Røising did not mention this when asked in an interview with Cadaver’s Anders Odden).
Musically, Witch Club Satan is very in line with late ’90s black metal bands like Mayhem, Darkthrone, and Emperor. These second-wave black metal bands were very much influenced by thrash metal just as much as they were influenced by early black metal bands like Bathory, Celtic Frost, and Venom, who were influenced by punk bands.
It’s very clear that Witch Club Satan are fans of these bands, as well as more sonic black metal artists like Immortal or Behemoth. There’s a fine-tuned layering to some of their songs (“Black Metal is Krig”) while others are more on the speedy lo-fi side (“Blod”). It’s also important to note that the members of Witch Club Satan were previously in a punk band together, as revealed in this interview with Maud Amoretti.
Lyrically, the band is clearly out to provoke — a cornerstone of black metal — but not without purpose. On Witch Club Satan’s debut song, “Hysteria,” which they refer to as “an homage to female aggression and a wake-up call for the witches,” the band screeches, “Eat, vomit, sleep, repeat / Fat, stinky piece of shit / Greasy rivers, OLD MEAT / lip fillers, pain killers.”
Their most recent single is “Fresh Blood, Fresh Pussy,” and it features lyrics such as: “I eat a man every fourth week / I like my men medium rare / Cum shots from an ox.” Speaking of this song… Witch Club Satan released a music video for it that is a perfect segue into discussing the band’s imagery.
In the very NSFW video directed by Stian Anderson, fans are confronted by lots of blood, nudity, bloody nudity, and a strobe-light-soaked performance you should not watch if you live with epilepsy.
Among the images are a naked woman writhing as she chokes on blood, two women suckling at the breast of a “mother” character, multiple scenes utilizing Shibari, vampiric blood sucking, a sink full of… entrials?, a horde of naked women chaotically running, and good ol’ fire.
All of this is important to Witch Club Satan’s message of empowerment and strength, founding themes in black metal music and culture. They have their own personal feminist point of view as well, which is not far off from the tenets of traditional black metal ideology, but trades in the ego for confidence.
And, look, let’s be transparent, there are some really shitty sections of the black metal genre (*cough* NSBM *cough*), so a band playing traditional black metal while openly and unapologetically resisting the worst aspects of the culture is refreshing and admirable.
It’s clear Witch Club Satan seeks to alienate no one and is using the genre as a way of sharing their stories and bringing awareness to their truth, a truth that is universal for so many. I’ve offered some musical comparisons but the fact of the matter is this band is something wholly original in this current era of metal, and you should not sleep on them.
To find out more about Witch Club Satan and stream their music — including their 2024 self-titled debut album — check out their Bandcamp, Instagram, and Linktree.
