Visiting Norway’s Neseblod Records

October 18, 2011

Last week, Invisible Oranges ran a story and photo set by New York City metal blogger Stefan Raduta, who shared with us his recent pilgrimage to Norway for the 12th and final Hole In The Sky festival. While Stefan was in Norway, he made a stop at legendary Oslo record store Neseblod Records, and he documented that experience, too. I was blown away by both of Stefan’s photo sets, but I found the Neseblod shots (which were actually taken over the course of three visits to the store in two years) to be especially exciting, evocative and personal. Neseblod is a shop I have long wanted to visit, and Stefan’s shots made me (A) feel like I had been inside the store myself, and (B) want to go there even more. To read Stefan’s full account of his Neseblod experience, and to see his complete photo set, check out his blog, Transylvanian Hungerrr.

—Mike Nelson, editor

There is a place in Oslo which is a heavy metal heaven – or nightmare, depending on how you filter what you see there. Neseblod Records started in 2003, when Kenneth and a couple of friends decided to put all their personal collections together and start something. Today, it’s rightfully considered the new Helvete – in fact, Kenneth bought a lot of rarities and traded with Euronymous while his legendary store was still going.

There are countless one-of-a-kind items that are not for sale, just for display: framed letters from Euronymous, Burzum rarities that you’d give your eyeteeth to own, Mayhem and Gorgoroth memorabilia, Darkthrone test press LPs, every single issue of Slayer magazine in pristine condition, and a Sarcofago test press I.N.R.I. LP that, every time I see it, I just want to grab and run off with.

There is not an inch in those two small rooms that is not used. Everywhere you look there are demo tapes, CDs, records, 7-inches, magazines, rare promo CDs, framed memorabilia, T-shirts, bullet belts, patches, box sets… The store itself has become a part of the Norwegian underground, and every metalhead passing through Oslo ought to pay a visit.

— Stefan Raduta

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