From The Prodigy to Lorna Shore: Copenhell Celebrates Metal’s Diversity

The second day of Copenhell in Denmark once again proved why it stands among Europe’s premier metal festivals, delivering a diverse lineup that showcased both emerging talent and established legends. From last-minute stage swaps to genre-bending performances, this year’s festival demonstrated the resilience and passion that define the metal community. The following acts each brought their unique energy to the Danish stages, creating unforgettable moments for thousands of devoted fans.

KOYA

Taking over for Hardy, who had to cancel last minute, Danish post-metalcore band KOYA stepped up and took the big stage instead, while still playing their planned time slot as well. Having seen them at Lasher Fest in late 2024, they still deliver on the brutal vocals and technical skills. Like many other bands coming out of Scandinavia, true to tradition, their sound is dark, bleak and powerful with a lot of speed and energy.

Their stage show was obviously not much to speak of, and the small backdrop they put up looked comically small on such a big stage, but it’s worth mentioning that they still managed to synchronise the pyrotechnics with the vocals, which is impressive in such a short time. The band is very likeable though, and they address the unexpected upgrade with humour and humility, noting that “we’re a small band on a big stage, and later today we’ll be a small band on a small stage”.

It truly does feel like they belong there, though, and I won’t be surprised in a few years when we see KOYA be a common sight at venues of that size around the world. While the crowd isn’t more than a few thousand, and a lot of them are recovering from the night before and have taken up residency on the hill, they do eventually draw a bigger crowd. The show ends strong with a track that is especially fast and brutal. I can’t recommend seeing KOYA enough, if you ever get the chance!

DANEFAE

Danefae mixes old Danish folk tales with prog-metal in a melodic and harmonic way. The use of piano and stirring vocals from Anne Olesen to create the atmosphere is reminiscent of bands like Myrkur, Kalandra and Gåte.

If a band wants to make it to the international stage, it can be a hurdle if the lyrics are sung in their national language, since it will inevitably lessen the part of the audience who can understand it, but this doesn’t seem to affect Danefae who recently won Wacken Metal Battle and is steadily moving up in the world. And the band can draw a crowd; the area is pretty much filled up with very enthusiastic fans, a lot of them with their eyes closed, grooving to the music.

For a band of this kind, which focuses mostly on a melancholic ambience and vocals, they have some surprisingly heavy drops, and it works well when they allow room for things like the growling guest singer Frederik. This genre, while often beautifully performed, runs the risk of becoming repetitive, but Danefae incorporates enough variety to set them apart, which is likely why they’re on the rise. At the end of the show, horns were raised from the front to the very back.

ASHES OF BILLY

Possibly one of the youngest bands to play at Copenhell ever, every member being below 17 years of age. This trio of youngsters plays a grungy, heavy style of metal, with clear inspirations from the Seattle grunge scene that took place years before any of them were even born. Their mix of heavy riffs with melodic choruses and balanced vocals made me think of bands such as Breaking Benjamin and other alternative metal bands of that style.

Having played for the last 2 years and released several EPs, they’re already used to being on stage, and they have great energy. The lead singer is all over the stage, the bass player crowd surfs while playing, and they have pyro and giant balloons. It’s nice to see the new generation of metalheads get their shot at the bigger festivals and succeed in such a big way.

Like Danefae, they played the Gehenna stage, but so many people showed up to support them that half the guests never even got into view of the band and had to settle for listening in from outside the stage area. There’s no doubt in my mind that we’ll see a lot more of these dedicated youngsters in the future.

THE PRODIGY

A lot of people have differing opinions on what kind of music The Prodigy plays, and whether or not they even belong at a rock & metal festival. They’ve been called things like techno, electro rock, trip hop and electronic punk. No matter the opinion on the music itself, the sheer number of fans who showed up ultimately proves how much they do belong here. Most people know at least the two biggest hits from the group, ‘Firestarter’ and ‘Smack My Bitch Up’ and the crowd roared in unison when they were played.

This is perhaps the one show at the festival which is best enjoyed from the hills in the back, where you can see the scope of the complicated and extensive light show. Smoke, fire, screens with flashing gritty numbers, and of course lasers, everything helps build the vibe, and this is the electro part that The Prodigy does incredibly well. By the end, most of the standing crowd is jumping along to the beat, and people on the hills stand up to dance.

LORNA SHORE

I knew about the existence of this Batman-inspired deathcore band, but had never really taken the time to get into it. That was admittedly a huge mistake, as they were an absolute must-see at this year’s Copenhell. Intense gutturals, pig squeals, fast drums, incredible shredding, all of it adds up to a truly evil-sounding symphony.

The crowd this night was much bigger than for yesterday’s closer, too, and people were riled up from the start. By the second song, a giant mosh pit had formed, and people were expending the very last of their energy. The air was on fire, literally. A LOT of pyrotechnics were used in tandem with the guitar and vocals to punctuate a particularly heavy riff or deep growl. Cleverly, the lights seemingly worked to the beat of the drums instead. Lorna Shore will likely be featured on the biggest stage the next time they hopefully visit Copenhell.

A Festival That Celebrates Metal’s Diversity

From KOYA’s humble adaptability to The Prodigy’s electronic chaos, and Danefae’s folk-infused melodies to Lorna Shore’s brutal symphony, Copenhell 2025 showcased the incredible diversity within the metal community. The festival’s ability to nurture young talent like Ashes of Billy while honouring established acts demonstrates why it remains a cornerstone of the European festival circuit. Each performance told a story of passion, dedication, and the unifying power of heavy music, leaving fans eagerly anticipating what next year will bring to the Danish stages.

Photos (c) Morten Holmsgaard Kristensen