For the second time operating, I’ve had the fortune of protecting Copenhell, Denmark’s premier heavy metallic and rock competition. Copenhell 2025 attracts its id from ‘Diana’, a clay sculpture by Danish artist Rose Eken, which reimagines the Roman goddess of the hunt, wilderness, and moonlight because the patron saint of chaos, crossroads, and primal energy. The ultimate lineup boasted over 70 bands, with artists flying in from so far as Australia, Colombia, Singapore, and the U.S. to unleash sonic mayhem on the Danish capital.
It’s troublesome to explain what it looks like to observe streams of followers, clad of their battle vests, lining as much as cost the venue at 10 AM on a weekday. My eyes, accustomed to watching metallic gigs in essentially the most unlikely venues in India, can barely consider what they’re seeing.
“It rots the thoughts, wrecks the morals, and erases all traces of humanity,” is what individuals would say to me rising up in Mumbai, the place heavy metallic remains to be handled like a contagious illness. In Denmark, although, nobody bats an eye fixed at followers in latex, leather-based, or corpse paint. It’s only a Wednesday at Copenhell.
To higher perceive the contrasting perceptions of metalheads and their tradition, I turned my lens towards first-time festivalgoers seeking to embrace the chaos and debut performances at Copenhell 2025. What adopted was a collection of uncooked, trustworthy, and unforgettable encounters.
Day 1
New blood, loud hearts, no mercy
Desirous to catch as many debut acts as potential, I bypassed the towering most important levels—Helviti and Hades—and made my option to the Boneyard. Tucked inside a repurposed transport container, the competition’s smallest stage got here alive as Canadian cowboys from the Bobby Tenderloin Universe kicked off the metallic mayhem with their rustic, eerie covers of metallic classics. It was the right kickoff to a high-octane day.
With Myles Kennedy’s last-minute cancellation, Copenhagen’s personal Vulvatorius stepped as much as open the Hades stage—and so they didn’t disappoint. Underneath stress, the Danish sextet delivered a blistering set, with frontwoman Ditte Krøyer igniting the gang right into a frenzy of circle pits. Copenhell 2025 had formally erupted. As the gang surged towards the principle stage for Skunk Anansie, I slipped again into the Boneyard for one thing grittier—Exhausting Classes!
Making their Copenhell debut with their affair album This Ain’t No Recreation, the hardcore outfit from Aalborg delivered a set that hit like a freight practice. “I simply write higher in English,” stated frontman Tore, who occurs to be a Danish trainer by day. “Hardcore isn’t simply in your countrymen—it’s for everybody.” Halfway by means of, they introduced out Tomas Pérez from Syracusæ for a shock visitor spot, and the power went nuclear.
Coming from the identical metropolis that birthed Mnemic, the band credit Denmark’s tight-knit metallic scene, stored alive by buzzing Fb teams and first-timer meetups, for the overwhelming assist. “We didn’t count on this,” Tore admitted. “Most individuals in all probability heard us for the primary time right this moment—however they stayed, and so they roared.”
Everlasting Sunshine of the Spotless Grind
Because the mud settled and my ears nonetheless buzzed from Exhausting Classes’ sonic assault, I adopted the path of denim and leather-based to Gehenna, the place issues had been about to get gloriously bizarre. Enter BattleSnake, a seven-piece spectacle from Down Underneath, wearing flowing white satin robes and armed with riffs. Nobody anticipated them to steal the present, however by the top of their set, they’d the gang consuming out of their fingers.
The Danish summer time warmth took its toll, and shortly the robes had been off, the occasion was on. The final Aussie act to shake Copenhell was Karnivool, who made their debut final yr. Once I interviewed them then, they teased new music. And final week, they delivered with their affair single “Drone.”
One in all Day 1’s standout acts was Singapore’s grindcore powerhouse Wormrot, making a thunderous return to Europe after 15 years. The trio had been met with open arms, with followers lighting up social media to reward their set. Their affair launch, TNT—a reside compilation of their best hits—is already making waves. By no means ones to play it protected, Wormrot’s daring inclusion of violin sections has earned them vital acclaim and the historic honor of being the primary Southeast Asian act to carry out at Glastonbury in 2017.
One other standout on Day 1 was Danish-Swedish progressive outfit Vola, returning to Copenhell after their 2022 debut. Acting on the Pandemonium stage, the band elevated each side of their present—tight musicianship, immersive soundscapes, and a lightweight present that pulsed completely with their sonic textures. Earlier this yr, drummer Adam Janzi additionally collaborated with Pune-based prog-metallers Celestial Teapot on their affair launch, “Locus of Management,” including an thrilling cross-continental layer to Vola’s rising affect. The competition proved as soon as once more that its magic lies not simply within the headliners, however within the sudden moments and rising voices that shake the bottom beneath them. If this was just the start, the times forward promised even louder surprises.
Day 2
After a thunderous Day 1 filled with debut acts and sonic surprises, Day 2 was all in regards to the contemporary faces within the crowd. I got down to meet first-time competition goers—these diving headfirst into the chaos, camaraderie, and catharsis of Copenhell. 4 years into dwelling in Denmark, I’m nonetheless studying the rhythms of Danish life, and top-of-the-line locations to faucet into the Copenhell spirit is the Fb group Copenhell Household. It’s the place followers discover misplaced gadgets, new pals, and share uncooked, real-time reactions. A easy submit I made in English asking to talk with first-timers sparked extra responses than I anticipated
First Time in Hell: What Makes Them Say Sure to Steel?
Festivals are extra than simply music—they’re a celebration of shared id. Within the heavy metallic subculture, self-expression takes centre stage. It’s loud, uncooked, and unapologetic—a dwelling metaphor the place sound and elegance collide to mirror who you’re. Heavy metallic festivals are an area for followers to congregate and escape mainstream society.
Dennis Friedrichsen, a postdoc from Aarhus College, was at his first Copenhell—however no stranger to metallic. “It’s the group,” he advised me. “You possibly can share a beer with a stranger and immediately join.” His phrases made me look nearer. That spirit of inclusion runs deep—from sensory-friendly zones and accessible platforms to Nails and Needles, a brand new house the place followers can get their nails painted or unwind with acupuncture.
For Kenneth Ekman, a 49-year-old senior engineer at NVIDIA Denmark, Copenhell 2025 was a first-time plunge into the chaos—and he dove straight into the deep finish. Entrance row, face-to-face with the storm about to be unleashed by Colombian hardcore band Syracusæ, Kenneth was all smiles. “It’s been thrilling, thrilling, and a whole lot of enjoyable to this point,” he stated. He wasn’t alone—by his aspect was colleague and Copenhell veteran Sebastián Rodríguez, who chuckled as he recalled his personal origin story: “I got here as soon as as a result of I didn’t know the place else to go… and earlier than I knew it, it turned custom.”
Amp Down, Crowd Up!
You’ve waited over 20 years for this second. A lifetime of riffs, rehearsals, and near-misses—all main right here. With a stroke of luck and the energy of a village behind you, you land a slot at Copenhell. Your identify now shares a poster with legends like King Diamond, Dream Theater, Carcass, and Lorna Shore. You claw your manner by means of monetary pressure and immigration crimson tape, and now, you’re within the wings. The stage lights blaze as a tide of black surges towards the barricades. Colombian flags unfurl like battle requirements within the entrance row. You haven’t struck a single chord, however already, you’re feeling it; that is now not only a present. It’s a reckoning. And simply as you’re about to ignite the chaos… your gear dies. Silence.
As pressure crackled within the air, Tomas Pérez—vocalist and the band’s latest heartbeat—stepped into the highlight. With the calm of a person who knew precisely what this second meant, he raised the mic and declared, “Right now, you’re Latinos.” It was electrical! You couldn’t have scripted it higher. The group applauded in solidarity. And when the gear lastly got here to life, what adopted was all the pieces this subculture stands for: a band pouring out each ounce of soul and fury, and an viewers prepared them to triumph. They didn’t simply play—they conquered. Collectively.
As the ultimate notice rang out, Sebastián stood immobile with others within the entrance row, eyes full. “It felt like just a little piece of dwelling paid me a go to,” he stated. For Colombia’s metalheads in Denmark, it was a state of belonging. Beside him, Kenneth smiled broadly “The band was unimaginable. You may really feel the love within the crowd. This received’t be my final Copenhell.” Backstage, the band was nonetheless buzzing. “I couldn’t hear the clicking observe for 5 of the seven songs,” guitarist Diego Rodríguez admitted with a smile. “Nevertheless it didn’t matter—we felt the love. And we realised we’ve discovered a brand new viewers for our music.”
In the long run, it wasn’t nearly a flawless set or technical perfection—it was about connection.
Day 3
Day 3 was steeped in nostalgia. A decade in the past, I attended my first metal festival, BIG69 in Mumbai, the place U.Ok. legends Carcass headlined. I nonetheless bear in mind getting my t-shirt signed by guitarist Invoice Steer. Ten years on, Carcass stays as brutal as ever, and Denmark’s love for loss of life metallic and circle pits hasn’t waned. As I scanned the gang, a well-known identify caught my eye—Demonic Resurrection, emblazoned on a t-shirt spinning within the pit. The Indian loss of life metallic pioneers had opened for Delhi’s Bloodywood in Copenhagen earlier this yr. Nevertheless it wasn’t a one-off. All through the competition, Bloodywood, Kryptos, and Demonic Resurrection shirts dotted the ocean of black like symbols of a rising world presence.
And when Kreator hit the principle stage, there was little question left—they’re not simply veterans; they’re masters. A long time in, their precision is surgical, their power volcanic. Each riff, each scream, each blast beat landed with the pressure of a band nonetheless hungry, nonetheless livid, nonetheless on the high of their sport. In a style constructed on chaos, Kreator is pure self-discipline wrapped in fireplace.
Because the night time deepened and the distortion light from Kreator’s last assault, a special form of electrical energy took maintain. Enter Soiled Honey—no pyro, no theatrics, simply pure, unfiltered rock ‘n’ roll swagger. Making their Copenhell debut, the Los Angeles quartet stepped onto the aspect stage prefer it was Madison Sq. Backyard. And for a second, it was.
Marc LaBelle, all grit and appeal, belted into the mic with the boldness of a frontman who is aware of the percentages—and doesn’t care. “They often put the totally different ones on the aspect levels,” he advised me earlier. However tonight, they weren’t the outliers. They had been the revelation.
The group leaned in, hooked on each riff, each groove. New songs had been road-tested reside, and Copenhagen responded with open arms. “We felt the love,” LaBelle stated, nonetheless buzzing post-show. And it’s no surprise—their affair album was produced by none aside from Nick DiDia, the sonic architect behind Mastodon, Incubus, Karnivool, The Offspring, Pearl Jam, and extra. That pedigree echoed by means of each notice.
From unsigned hustle to Minecraft film fame, Soiled Honey is writing their very own playbook—loud, free, and unapologetically alive. And similar to that, Day 3 closed with a easy reminder: that in a competition constructed on fury, generally it’s the groove that steals the night time.
Day 4
And we’re again to raging. Yosemite in Black, a hardcore band from the American South, took the stage with fireplace of their riffs and humility of their hearts. It was their first time in Europe, and so they weren’t simply right here to play—they had been right here to attach.
“Being invited out to Copenhagen was such an honor,” stated vocalist Luke, nonetheless soaking within the second. “We strive to enter all the pieces with no expectations… whether or not it’s 10 individuals or 100,000, we simply wish to give the perfect present we are able to.” That mindset carried them by means of a set that felt uncooked, actual, and deeply private.
There have been hiccups, positive. Their merch didn’t make it to the competition attributable to a logistical mix-up. However the heat of the Copenhell crew made up for it. “We’re only a bunch of silly People attempting to navigate this,” Luke laughed. “However the workers right here has been so accommodating. It’s been an absolute pleasure.”
As night time fell over Copenhell for the final time, Slipknot took the Helvíti stage like a storm breaking free. The Iowa juggernauts unleashed their signature chaos—scorching riffs, pounding drums, and a stage present that felt straight out of a Michael Shawn Crahan fever dream. However even legends have their limits. In uncommon moments when the band’s power flickered, the gang roared louder, surged tougher, and jolted them proper again.
However the last phrase belonged to Blood Incantation. Simply three years in the past, they had been melting minds on one of many smaller levels. Now, they stood tall because the competition’s closing act—otherworldly, unrelenting, and totally in command. Their set was a cosmic descent into the void, a swirling fusion of loss of life metallic precision and psychedelic insanity. It was the form of efficiency that mirrored the true spirit of Copenhell, a worthy proving floor for heavy music.