Copenhell 2025 – Wednesday Night: A Diverse Metal Showcase
The opening night of Copenhell 2025 showcased an eclectic mix of metal genres, reaffirming why this Danish festival has become a cornerstone of the European metal scene. From British thrash fusion to animated death metal, Wednesday’s lineup showcased the diversity and evolution of heavy music, with each act bringing their unique flavour to Copenhagen’s metal faithful.
SYLOSIS
Sylosis is British metal fusion at its best. A foundation of Bay Area thrash, mixed with progressive, core, and melodic elements, makes for an interesting and unique sound. They certainly aren’t the only ones doing that, and the influences from bands like Testament, At the Gates and Scandinavian metal are clear, but they manage to make it their own, in no small part due to lead guitarist and vocalist Josh Middleton, who is the only active member from the band’s formation in 2000. The melodic growls are reminiscent of early In Flames. The music is fast, energetic and showcases some impressive guitar shredding.
Six studio and two live albums, 14 singles and a whole slew of music videos under their belt, these guys aren’t amateurs on the stage either, and they manage to capture the crowd as soon as they hit the stage with some early pyrotechnics. A very decent number of people showed up to see them, and it doesn’t take more than a minute or two into the first song before the first mosh pit breaks out. By the second number, it’s already evolved to a full-blown circle pit, which sets the mood for every song for the rest of the show.
KITTIE
Continuing in the vein of fusing genres comes Canadian all-girl metal band Kittie. First appearing on the nu-metal scene in the late 90s with a sound heavily influenced by Seattle grunge, the band was fairly popular, especially since an all-female lineup was even more uncommon back then. While they weren’t the first, they definitely helped break barriers in that regard, which is also why a lot of fans were saddened by their decade-long hiatus starting in 2012. They returned in 2022 with a new sound, heavier and groove-inspired, more polished and perhaps even mature than earlier albums, but still with the same raw energy. By the performance today, it seems they’ve conquered another genre, and without forgetting their roots.
Special props go to guitarist and vocalist Morgan Lander, who produces some quality screams and growls during the harder-hitting parts of their music. In my opinion, the new tracks are vastly superior, but that’s all up to taste, and judging by the size of the crowd at the Pandemonium stage, which is filled, a lot of people have been looking forward to seeing them.
The ladies have a lot of stage presence and are used to being on stage, at one point power posing next to each other and headbanging in tandem, which is just a great visual.
WITHIN TEMPTATION
One of the definite headliners of Copenhell this year is Dutch symphonic metal band Within Temptation. Gothic and doom metal themes have always permeated this seasoned band, and after 25 years of touring and 8 studio albums, one could fear that they would lose their relevance and feel dated.
Luckily, this isn’t the case, and especially the songs from their latest album ‘Bleed Out’, lean towards a heavier and more modern metal sound, incorporating metalcore, more electronics and prominent riffs, while also moving a bit further away from the operatic vocals of Sharon den Adel. That isn’t to say that she can’t still bring it and hit the high notes, which she proves in abundance while singing from the older albums.
Pageantry and theatrics have always been a large part of their live shows, and Sharon enters the stage, which is decorated with giant ruined pillars, wearing a spiked mask resembling a crown. The mood is set, and during the show, she expertly addresses the crowd, making them sing along. She also wins extra points with a lot of people when dedicating a song to the victims of the Ukraine war.
POPPY
Some might remember Poppy from her early YouTube days, where she posted surreal videos of herself as a doll-like robot repeating her name. Since then, she’s set her eyes on the music world and has been experimenting with a lot of genres on all ends of the spectrum, from pop and ska to electropop and then finally settling (for now), on metal. Being a true multi-talent, she genre-bends this as well, which is especially noticeable on tracks like ‘They’re All Around Us’ where she showcases her range and aptitude for harsh metalcore screams while also mixing in soft vocals.
Poppy embodies the experimental side of the metal scene in a lot of ways, and isn’t bound by any genre, tradition or gatekeeping. The result is unpredictable and chaotic, which is honestly refreshing. A lot of people in the crowd didn’t know what to expect from the rather cutesy intro, and were taken by surprise when she burst into her first metalcore scream. One thing that seemed weird was the complete lack of any stage props, which you would kind of expect from her propensity towards being very visual in all other media. The stage is empty, the musicians are masked, and all attention is on her. She does have stage presence, though, and balances overly cute and powerfully confident. She commands the crowd and even has them do a wall of death, which could have had a bit of a longer buildup, though. At the end of the last number, there is a simultaneous roar from the crowd, which is a very good note to go out on.
DETHKLOK
How does one translate a fictional animated death metal band made by basically just two guys in a studio to a live performance? The answer is simple: you do it well! Most metalheads know the show well; who among us hasn’t hummed the ‘Duncan Hills coffee jingle’ while making our black morning brew? Of course, you can’t do a show like this without a full band, but it doesn’t take away from the experience at all, and the rest of the crew are all experienced professionals. The creator, Brandon Small, is still doing the vocals, Gene Hoglan (Death, Devin Townsend, Testament) is on drums, Bryan Beller on bass and backup vocals, Pete Griffin on bass and finally Nili Brosh (Dragonforce, The Iron Maidens) masterfully handles the guitar riffs. All of them are completely downplayed, though, covered in darkness and only appearing as silhouettes; the focus is on the animation playing on the screen behind them.
Cleverly mixing in animated bits from the show, rapid images and some very funny breaks with the animated mascot Facebones teaching us about concert etiquette and responsible drug use, you get completely immersed. Brandon Small even took the time to learn some facts about Denmark and the country’s history and affinity for black liquorice, which adds a much-appreciated personal touch. The music is mostly the hits from the show, although changed slightly. Unfortunately, closing the first day is an unforgiving task, and most people have tired out and left the festival by now. I, for one, am glad I got the opportunity to experience the live show and would recommend anyone to do the same.
Wednesday’s diverse lineup at Copenhell 2025 proved that metal continues to evolve and surprise, offering something for every taste within the genre’s vast spectrum. From Sylosis’s technical prowess to Poppy’s genre-defying experimentation, and from Within Temptation’s theatrical grandeur to Dethklok’s animated antics, the festival’s opening night set a high bar for the days to come. Despite the inevitable fatigue that sets in by the end of a festival day, each band managed to leave their mark on Copenhagen’s metal scene, promising an exciting continuation of this year’s Copenhell experience.
Photos (c) Morten Holmsted Kristensen
