Deep within the earth lies a den of sin and debauchery filled with the wailing of lost souls and depraved individuals. Yes that’s right, we are talking about San Francisco’s Armory building.  It is here that creator Josh Randall and Director Kristjan Thorgeirsson stage one of their most ambitious and sprawling creations yet, Blackout Inferno.  Inspired by Dante Alighieri’s 14th century poem, Inferno (the Italian word for Hell) takes up the network of movie sets and passageways in the basement of the Armory, delivering a devilish mix of brainy scares and brute force. Much to the chagrin of its fans, this is the only staging of Blackout for 2015. If you can’t get to San Francisco, you won’t see it. Rest assured, it is worth the trip.

The experience began outside the Armory building. After scanning our tickets, the friendly armory staff allowed us to check anything we needed to at the door before proceeding. Making our way along the wall of the vast, empty concert hall we got to the foyer of the building. Here we are guided down the wide 1912 stairwell leading to a lower level where another usher stoically guided us by flashlight into another queue room.  A single red light shined down from an overhead lamp and we are shepherded around the room only to reach a velvet rope where we waited to proceed.

Out of the dark doorway before us Randall appeared.  Steely-eyed and fierce, he allowed three at a time to line up against the wall just on the other side of the rope.  The requisite face masks were offered and we were instructed to put them on, covering our mouth and nose.  “Do you have a heart condition?” Randall tersely asked, “Epilepsy? Any physical ailments?” After answering and giving the all clear we were lead back out the door and led behind a white sheet of plastic.  A thick fog and a blinding strobe played with our senses while we waited in the flashing light.  “You are the leader.”, Randall said to one in our group. “You are to lead the way.  Do NOT touch the actors.  DO NOT speak unless instructed to do so.  Do you understand?”

Bolting out we made our way into the bowels of the Armory.  We turned a corner to the right and approached a stairway that lead deeper into the earth. A light mist sprayed down from overhead as we navigated down a concrete staircase into the basement.  A beautiful actress, draped in thin ribbons of gauze, invited us into a dim, amber circle of light to set up what we are about to experience.  “Abandon all hope ye who enter here.” she bellowed ominously and expelled us into the endless darkness before us.

The Divine Comedy is probably one of the last things Halloween fans expect to find at a haunt this year.  The expected, however, is not something that these folks have ever delivered.  What followed was a surreal onslaught of scenes and images that aren’t soon erased from the mind’s eye. Vile creatures leered at us, pushed us around, grabbed us, threw plastic bags over our heads, subjected us terrifying imagery and then some.  The terror came from truly not knowing what would be in the next room, around the next corner. This is obviously a very loose interpretation of the epic poem, but it is one that will have a lasting effect,that will stay with you for days after.

In what has to be their biggest cast to date for any show, the ensemble here nails nearly every single scene. The actors that Randall and Thorgeirsson cast to play in their divine comedy go into this with full force.  Engaging and interactive, the cast trusts themselves at each audience member with a maniacal glint in their eyes.  Some play scenes in light costumes, some fully nude, some covered in full body make up, some are even soaking wet, in water features that are pretty much keeping them soaked for the entirety of their performance. These brilliantly dedicated actors play out scenes with guns blazing and are to be commended.

As far as the technical aspects of the show it is certainly an ambitious one as well.  Weaving a sprawling path through the basement of a 100 year-old building is not an easy task.  They pull it off though with the trademark black plastic sheeting, strobes, smoke fiery red lights along the path acting as beacons.  There are audio references to other Blackout shows peppered throughout as well.  We catch hints of music from last year’s Blackout House, along with the same cyclic clanking noise in one scene in particular.  It’s very effective and a nice easter egg for fans of the show.

Is this the most extreme haunted house you will ever go through?  Maybe, maybe not.  It depends on your expectations and what you are bringing into it. This could very well terrify some and bore others.  I personally found this to be one of Blackout’s best shows surpassing both Elements and House from the previous two years.  It is a relentless bombardment of images, notions, experiences, sounds, lights and sensations that is designed precisely to have a lasting effect on your psyche. Not a haunted house, but a haunting one.

Blackout Inferno runs select nights now through October 31st.

Tickets are $35 and are available here