WITCH CLUB SATAN June 16, 2026 Substation Seattle, WA Review
WITCH CLUB SATAN
I spent another year around the sun by joining the North American coven of the Norwegian artists known as Witch Club Satan. The ritual was held on my actual date of birth which seemed fitting for what I was about to experience at the Substation in Seattle, WA.
Music for me has always been a “have to experience”, not a “want to experience” part of my life. It is a part of my Japanese American DNA as much as anything else in my world. From my first concert experience way back in 1979 to just a few impactful days ago in 2026 with Witch Club Satan, music flows within my very being.
The arts in many forms have become an all consuming part of my life as well, particularly since 2018 when I was first credentialed as a reviewer for the Broadway at the Paramount series of musical tours (such as Hamilton, Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, and such). I was fortunate enough to add more credentials to my resume in the fields of theatre, ballet, opera, film, film festivals, streaming material, dance, performance art, and other artistic areas of interest.
Eclectic Arts Media is exactly that - eclectic. I will bounce from covering a national touring musical one night to a local lineup of metal bands the next night to conducting a livestream interview with an artist from a faraway country the following night. I love the arts and I refuse to live by the confines of what society tells me I should or shouldn’t include in my media outlet.
I mention this all with great humility only to serve as a snapshot of my background before diving into this review.
My metal roots are longer than I care to mention but suffice to say metal is the foundation of my music library. One of my earliest encounters with the black metal genre would go back to 1997. If we’re talking Venom or Bathory, then that year would go even further back to the 1980’s. As a fellow musician, I have a deep seated love for different aspects of black metal music. The atmosphere, the power, the imagery, the history, all of those elements paint pictures in my mind anytime I hear a black metal band I am a fan of - either through their music or their live performance.
Witch Club Satan performed their first ritual in Seattle, WA on Tuesday evening and it was unlike anything I had ever experienced in a live performance setting.
As the stage was bathed in eerie red lights to set the mood, the three witches from Norway (Nikoline - guitar/vocals, Johanna - drums/vocals, and Hedda - bass/vocals) entered the crowd from the stage.
Carrying incense, they slowly walked through the fandom from stage right to stage left, making eye contact with those in the crowd - some who looked bewildered by the procession, others who took in the opening ceremony with pause and reflection before a single note of music was performed.
As Nikoline spoke to the fandom about letting go of any inhibitions, to embrace one’s power, and to do so as a communal coven, the three witches had set the tone for the entire evening.
From the first note of, “Hysteria” to the last note of “Solace Sisters”, the fandom in Seattle were mesmerized for the entire performance. Some moved their bodies to the music, some stared in awe at the stage, while others took in each musical song performance as the individual inspiration that they were.
The ritual was performed in what could be described as three acts - like a theatre production. Each act had its own, unique, identity while maintaining the overall theme of the evening. The wardrobe was changed during each act as well which, again, was reminiscent of a theatre production. A dark, powerful, theatre production.
There were moments of absolute silence in the room followed by bombastic black metal tidings, all seamlessly performed to an appreciative and respectful fandom. I can’t recall the last time I saw something similar at a black metal music performance.
I was so taken by the ritual that I found myself, for lack of a better term, giving in to the performance. The experience that was being presented on the stage took over and I wanted to let go of my modern trappings and just take it all in. And I did just that.
From the beginning of the third act when Hedda ventured out into the crowd, to pointedly scream the lyrics of, “You Wildflower” toward the female fandom - to connect with them through the power of those words - to the moment when Nikoline joined the fandom by crowd surfing on top of them, these witches wanted to show that we all are a part of the coven, and a stage in a venue isn’t going to separate the witches and the fandom. We are all - one.
Witch Club Satan writes, sings, and performs about past, current, and future social issues. They are damning the patriarchal confines that have existed for centuries in hopes of forging a new path, a worldwide coven, where the future is one of new, powerful, beginnings. Where women (and I would expand that to all marginalized communities) find their power within themselves to lead their lives as they see fit.
The new inductees to the coven of Witch Club Satan in Seattle, and all of the cities on this inaugural North American Tour, were forever changed by these three witches' live rituals.
Here’s to their triumphant return in the near future here in Seattle. The Witch Club Satan coven awaits with great anticipation of the next life altering ritual.
Best,
Mark Sugiyama
Eclectic Arts Media
Connect with Eclectic Arts Media: Social Media and Email Links
Seattle, WA
June 16, 2026
June 16, 2026
(All Photos - Mark Sugiyama for Eclectic Arts Media (c) 2026)
I spent another year around the sun by joining the North American coven of the Norwegian artists known as Witch Club Satan. The ritual was held on my actual date of birth which seemed fitting for what I was about to experience at the Substation in Seattle, WA.
Music for me has always been a “have to experience”, not a “want to experience” part of my life. It is a part of my Japanese American DNA as much as anything else in my world. From my first concert experience way back in 1979 to just a few impactful days ago in 2026 with Witch Club Satan, music flows within my very being.
The arts in many forms have become an all consuming part of my life as well, particularly since 2018 when I was first credentialed as a reviewer for the Broadway at the Paramount series of musical tours (such as Hamilton, Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, and such). I was fortunate enough to add more credentials to my resume in the fields of theatre, ballet, opera, film, film festivals, streaming material, dance, performance art, and other artistic areas of interest.
Eclectic Arts Media is exactly that - eclectic. I will bounce from covering a national touring musical one night to a local lineup of metal bands the next night to conducting a livestream interview with an artist from a faraway country the following night. I love the arts and I refuse to live by the confines of what society tells me I should or shouldn’t include in my media outlet.
I mention this all with great humility only to serve as a snapshot of my background before diving into this review.
My metal roots are longer than I care to mention but suffice to say metal is the foundation of my music library. One of my earliest encounters with the black metal genre would go back to 1997. If we’re talking Venom or Bathory, then that year would go even further back to the 1980’s. As a fellow musician, I have a deep seated love for different aspects of black metal music. The atmosphere, the power, the imagery, the history, all of those elements paint pictures in my mind anytime I hear a black metal band I am a fan of - either through their music or their live performance.
Witch Club Satan performed their first ritual in Seattle, WA on Tuesday evening and it was unlike anything I had ever experienced in a live performance setting.
As the stage was bathed in eerie red lights to set the mood, the three witches from Norway (Nikoline - guitar/vocals, Johanna - drums/vocals, and Hedda - bass/vocals) entered the crowd from the stage.
Carrying incense, they slowly walked through the fandom from stage right to stage left, making eye contact with those in the crowd - some who looked bewildered by the procession, others who took in the opening ceremony with pause and reflection before a single note of music was performed.
As Nikoline spoke to the fandom about letting go of any inhibitions, to embrace one’s power, and to do so as a communal coven, the three witches had set the tone for the entire evening.
From the first note of, “Hysteria” to the last note of “Solace Sisters”, the fandom in Seattle were mesmerized for the entire performance. Some moved their bodies to the music, some stared in awe at the stage, while others took in each musical song performance as the individual inspiration that they were.
The ritual was performed in what could be described as three acts - like a theatre production. Each act had its own, unique, identity while maintaining the overall theme of the evening. The wardrobe was changed during each act as well which, again, was reminiscent of a theatre production. A dark, powerful, theatre production.
There were moments of absolute silence in the room followed by bombastic black metal tidings, all seamlessly performed to an appreciative and respectful fandom. I can’t recall the last time I saw something similar at a black metal music performance.
I was so taken by the ritual that I found myself, for lack of a better term, giving in to the performance. The experience that was being presented on the stage took over and I wanted to let go of my modern trappings and just take it all in. And I did just that.
From the beginning of the third act when Hedda ventured out into the crowd, to pointedly scream the lyrics of, “You Wildflower” toward the female fandom - to connect with them through the power of those words - to the moment when Nikoline joined the fandom by crowd surfing on top of them, these witches wanted to show that we all are a part of the coven, and a stage in a venue isn’t going to separate the witches and the fandom. We are all - one.
Witch Club Satan writes, sings, and performs about past, current, and future social issues. They are damning the patriarchal confines that have existed for centuries in hopes of forging a new path, a worldwide coven, where the future is one of new, powerful, beginnings. Where women (and I would expand that to all marginalized communities) find their power within themselves to lead their lives as they see fit.
The new inductees to the coven of Witch Club Satan in Seattle, and all of the cities on this inaugural North American Tour, were forever changed by these three witches' live rituals.
Here’s to their triumphant return in the near future here in Seattle. The Witch Club Satan coven awaits with great anticipation of the next life altering ritual.
Best,
Mark Sugiyama
Eclectic Arts Media
Connect with Eclectic Arts Media: Social Media and Email Links
(All Photos - Mark Sugiyama for Eclectic Arts Media (c) 2026)
(All Photos - Mark Sugiyama for Eclectic Arts Media (c) 2026)
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