A line stretching several blocks is always a sure sign of a band’s success. While it may feel as if Orbit Culture rose to fame almost overnight, the reality is that the band has been steadily building its reputation for more than 12 years. Tonight, they play a sold-out Rockefeller together with the mysterious Gaerea and Finland’s Atlas. The massive queue outside quickly transforms into an equally massive line at the merch stand inside. I’ve never seen such a long and persistent merch line at this venue — yet another unmistakable marker of success. 
 
This is my second time seeing both Gaerea and Orbit Culture in Oslo this year — Gaerea played Inferno Festival, while Orbit Culture appeared at Tons of Rock. However, this is my first encounter with Atlas. On Spotify, the band is described as “modern metal,” a comfortably vague term that usually signals a fair amount of genre fusion — not a bad thing at all. Their sound blends melancholy with intense rhythms in a healthy balance. The mic stand is decorated with leafy branches, while the lighting remains mostly dim, punctuated by strobe flashes that evoke a thunderstorm. Vocally, the band moves between growls and clean passages, though I must admit I prefer Atlas on record rather than live, primarily due to the vocal sound. 
 
Intricate symbols appear on stage, signaling that Gaerea are next. Their show at Inferno earlier this year was excellent, though it didn’t quite feel like their core audience — perhaps because some old-school metal fans still see Gaerea as commercial newcomers. What’s interesting tonight is that they are warming up for Orbit Culture, rather than the other way around. Judging by the crowd, a significant number of attendees are clearly here for Gaerea. 
 
The band knows exactly how to present themselves visually — from striking merch adorned with their symbols to carefully designed lighting and uniform outfits with faces concealed. Remaining anonymous in today’s music scene is no easy task, yet Gaerea continue to maintain their mystique effortlessly. 
 
Their eight-song set opens with Hellbound. By the third track, Hope Shatters, I’m struck by how much Gaerea recall elements of both Behemoth and Moonspell — a comparison I welcome wholeheartedly. The crowd agrees: by now, the venue is packed, and crowd-surfing is in full swing. Gaerea are undoubtedly a powerful live band, and I highly recommend catching them — next time they return to Oslo will be at Tons of Rock 2026. 
 
Orbit Culture’s stage design is intricate and imposing, with large banners rising toward the ceiling, evoking the atmosphere of a gothic cathedral and adding a sense of vertical grandeur. The lighting is equally distinctive, with beams of red and blue cutting into the audience and rendering the musicians mostly as silhouettes. The set opens strong with Death Above Life from the band’s latest album of the same name, followed by The Storm — a song seemingly made for mass sing-alongs — and The Tales of War. North Star of Nija, one of the band’s most well-known tracks, comes next. Every song conveys raw, uncompromising energy. 
 
My only criticism concerns were the sound: near the stage, both vocals and guitars were not prominent enough. Further back, however, the mix felt much more balanced, allowing the full power of the performance to come through. 
 
Despite minor sound issues, the evening stands as a clear testament to the momentum Orbit Culture and Gaerea have built through years of persistence and artistic vision. From the overflowing queues outside to the packed venue inside, this show felt less like a stepping stone and more like a declaration. If this night at Rockefeller is any indication, both bands are no longer on the rise — they have arrived.