Fire in the Mountains took place last year in the wilderness of the Grand Tetons in Jackson, Wyoming. It's about as breathtaking and scenic as you could imagine. The outdoor festival brought in magnificent acts like Krallice and Panopticon as well as Wayfarer, Wovenhand, and many others earlier this year. The entirely DIY festival was certainly a spectacle to see,
"Last year was as 'start from scratch' as it gets, so we certainly learned a whole lot. A lot of it is on the boring to discuss but infinitely essential end of organization, as building a stage in the mountains in the middle of Wyoming for bands from around the world to play and hundreds of people to camp, ends up taking a lot of work, and a lot of coordination with things like the Forest Service, and the City and County. Having pulled it off without disaster in our first official year, we're looking forward really to just having much more preparation for the magnitude of the thing," Shane McCarthy, one of the festival's organizers and a member of Wayfarer says.
Wayfarer; photo by Bobby Cochran
"We're also slowly working toward the goal of making an experience one of a kind, which it already is because of its setting nestled in the grandeur of the Tetons, but the aim we are pursuing is presenting a show made of up a combination of things that offer more than just a metal fest, with some performers who are maybe not so easy to catch stateside, and an all-encompassing experience that can also reach beyond the music itself," he continues.
"Organization is very important when you are creating a festival that's an hour away from civilization." Manager, Jeremy Walker adds. "You can't just go down the street for supplies. Everything we need to pull off a multi-day festival next to our National Parks in bear country needs to be available at our fingertips at all times."
McCarthy and Walker are wasting no time gearing up for the next go-around. It's currently slated for July 13 and 14 at the Heart Six Ranch and if these first three bands announced are any indication of what is to come, this is going to be one of the must-see festivals of 2019. Scottish solo act, Saor will bring his masterful atmospheric and folk black metal to the US for the very first time. Also joining him will be the mighty German force, The Ruins of Beverast, in a one-off US performance as well as the gothic country/indie rock group, Munly & The Lupercalians.
"Our aim in general, this year and beyond, is to create these once in a lifetime experiences, to bring people out of the chaos of urban life and the monotony of the day-to-day to escape to a truly beautiful place that still retains much of its natural purity," McCarthy describes. "The central thing bringing them all together is music. The bands we choose to invite are all of some vague connection, even as they may sound vastly different, they all have something about them that fuses with the atmosphere of a show beset by fires in front of one of the world's most awe-inspiring natural formations."
Panopticon; photo by Bobby Cochran
Walker states, "Rather than a festival located at normal music venues in cities, Fire in the Mountains takes place literally on the border of Grand Teton National Park with the Tetons as the backdrop for the bands while they play. The Buffalo Fork river flows just a few feet away from the stage."
McCarthy concluded by saying, "We aim to create something that people have never seen before, beyond just a show with a lot of name bands, something that will stick with them. We are growing, slowly but surely, with the aim of being able to better achieve that idea, and bring people together for something genuine and incredible, deep in nature, surrounded by unique and incredible music, and both like-minded and open-minded people. We don't aim to grow to be the next Wacken Open Air and get as many huge bands in one place. We want bands to play, and atmosphere created, and a scenery surrounding that will stick with people when they get back to 'real life'"
More bands are going to be announced as time unfolds, so make sure to keep your eyes and your ears peeled. Follow the festival on Facebook and check out photos from last year's spectacular event at CVLT Nation.
