By Ash Moon
Occultism, Environmentalism, Egalitarianism and Feminine Rage
In a genre of mostly men and shaped by a patriarchal system that often diminishes marginalized voices, this triad of women from Norway are creating a coven of witches of their own.
Identifying as a witch myself and, in another life, a touring black metal musician, it felt only natural that after discovering Witch Club Satan and joining the Colorado Feminist Metal Collective, I would host the third monthly listening gathering known as Hexensabbat during Women’s History Month on March 25th, 2026.
In an atmosphere befitting the genre, people began arriving at my home where they were welcomed to a fitting space: filled with plants, candles, bones, oddities and artwork complementing the listening pilgrimage that is Witch Club Satan.
Before sitting down to listen to the album we enjoyed some food and beverages followed by a reading of an article by Hannah May Kilroy (Metal Hammer). The band talks about reclaiming words like “witch,” “hysterical,” and “whore” to name a few. Something resonates with me; echoing how LGBTQIA+ folk reclaim “queer,” “fag,” “dyke,” and so on. Language holds power. It shifts, evolves, and, in the right hands, becomes a tool of liberation. Even “feminist” is often weaponized, despite movements like feminism, Black Lives Matter, Free Palestine, and the legacy of the Stonewall riots existing to uplift voices that are too often silenced or distorted by fear. None of us are free until all of us are free.
The article continues, exploring anger as something generative rather than destructive. “We want to understand what's inside a woman when she's not being kind and beautiful. We want to deconstruct and open what’s inside of her,” says drummer and vocalist Johanna. “It’s a big contrast between what you see in a woman and what's inside.” This struck something deep within me: the tension between societal expectations of womanhood and the complex, chaotic, powerful realities of who women actually are. There is beauty in that chaos, in being fully in touch with oneself.
Black metal has long positioned itself as anti-establishment, anti-capitalist, and anti-mainstream. Values that, in many ways, align with liberatory politics. Yet, the genre is also prevalent with contradictions, including bands that perpetuate racism, misogyny, and hatred toward marginalized communities. Witch Club Satan stands as a refreshing and necessary disruption within that space. As guitarist and vocalist Nikoline puts it, “The feeling that music should be unpolitical to me feels impossible.” I share that belief. Everything is political: How we spend our money, what we watch, where we show up. Participation is endorsement, whether conscious or not.
Impressively, prior to forming, Witch Club Satan had little to no experience with playing their instruments or performing in a band, Yet they proved they have what it takes to write, record and perform across Europe and North America on the horizon. They didn't let the lack of experience stop them. “That is also an act of feminism,” Victoria says. “Doing something that we don't know, that we’re not really good at, and still having confidence. That feels not typical for women, especially women in their 30’s.” To me, it's extremely inspirational to hear; not only being in my thirties, but as a trans woman navigating new beginnings and starting completely over.
Candles burned as the Hexensabbat gathering and our listening journey through Witch Club Satan’s self-titled debut album began. Unlike previous gatherings, I curated a series of visuals to accompany the experience: lyric videos and music videos aligned with specific tracks, as well as the album artwork displayed alongside the lyrics. Given Witch Club Satan’s deep roots in the performing arts, I felt essential to incorporate the visual world they’ve created into the listening experience, allowing us to engage with the album as a fully realized, multidimensional work.
The Album
The album starts with the song “Birth.” True to its name, it arrives as a raw wall of feminine rage anchored in a classic yet refreshingly modern black metal sound. It delves into themes of pregnancy, motherhood, and creation. There’s something about a woman’s growl within black metal that feels more fitting, more visceral, more honest, and more real to me.
The momentum of the album is carried into “Fresh Blood, Fresh Pussy,” an undeniably powerful and catchy track. It explores menstruation, sexuality, relationships, and liberation, with an unapologetic intensity, that feels both confrontational and celebratory.
It’s then followed by “Black Metal is Krig,” meaning “black metal is war.” The band has explicitly dedicated "Black Metal is Krig" to crises like Gaza, using their platform to oppose oppression and call for awareness. Musically, it hits hard, driven by sharp riffs and an undeniable energy that simply slaps.
With “Steilneset,” the album shifts into a slower, more ritualistic space. The track commemorates the 91 people executed for witchcraft in Vardø, Norway, during the 17th century. The song is named after the Steilneset Memorial in Vardø, Norway, which honors victims of 17th-century witch trials. “We feel that the spirits of these witches have somehow come to us. They are telling their stories through our lyrics.” Says Victoria
“Reverse This Fuck” leans into a more classic black metal sound, with driving guitar riffs with emphasis of raw energy, rage, and feminist power. It feels both familiar and recharged with purpose.
Then comes “Mother Sea,” a haunting and atmospheric departure. Blending oceanic imagery with a plea to the Earth, the song calls for environmental consciousness while showcasing a more melodic, expansive side of the band, complete with piano elements that broaden their musical range beyond traditional black metal.
“Hysteria,” originally debuted in 2022, stands as what the band calls “an homage to female aggression and a wake-up call for the witches.” It pulses with urgency, reclaiming a word long used to silence women and transforming it into something powerful and defiant.
“Wild Whores” continues themes of unfiltered feminine rage, propelled by bombastic drums and thrashy riffs. The lyric “Free as birds, chained to beds” lingers, unsettling, and deeply resonant with me. The visual of something that can typically fly anywhere, yet remains chained feels like the existential dread I feel in the world. Often I feel like a bird that can not fly away.
“Hex” emerges as a standout to me. It's haunting, melodic, and undeniably magnetic. With a subtle black ’n’ roll feel and piercing screams this one is one of my favorites on the album
“I Was Made by Fire” is another undeniable high point with a fiery rejection of hyper-masculine norms within black metal, delivered with intensity and conviction.
On “Salvation,” the tone turns inward and dissonant. The song explores existential dread, abandonment, and longing, painting the image of a woman or entity waiting to have her soul claimed by someone who never arrives. It’s haunting in both sound and feeling.
Finally, “Mother” closes the album with a reflection on maternal sacrifice and the bond between mother and daughter. Its simplicity is its strength, a steady, memorable guitar riff carries the emotional weight, lingering long after the song ends.
Thank you
Witch Club Satan offers a refreshing take not only in message and lyrics, but in performance. Their live shows feature ritualistic elements, costume, and at times nudity, even during pregnancy, making them feel like a deliberate act of reclamation. It’s raw, confrontational, and deeply intentional, embodying feminine rage while celebrating the beauty within it. In doing so, they carve out space for women and marginalized identities within a genre that has not always made room for them.
This isn’t just a band I enjoyed discovering, it’s one I genuinely needed to find. Even fellow hexensabbat attendees who don’t usually listen to black metal were drawn in by the album, the artistry, and the raw energy these women put out into the world.
I want to extend deep gratitude not only to Witch Club Satan, but to the Colorado Feminist Metal Collective for helping to reignite the fire within me. For reminding me to take up space. For reminding me that I am still allowed to be loud, to be seen, to belong.
As someone who has, in many ways, stepped away from metal, this feels like coming home.
If you haven’t already, I highly recommend experiencing Witch Club Satan for yourself.
- Ash Moon (Witch, Woman, Queer, Trans, Fag, Dyke)
