Day Three of Copenhell 2026 – Nostalgia, Noise and Extreme Contrasts

The third day has hit Refshaleøen, and hangovers have firmly made their presence known across the festival grounds. However, today’s programme has offered the perfect remedy in the form of an incredibly diverse lineup, giving the audience everything from much-needed laid-back nostalgia to pure underground aggression. The concerts have spanned a wide range of genres, testing both energy levels and the durability of the mosh pit under the blazing sun.

Jacob Stegelmann & Aarhus Symphony Orchestra

There are few things better than sitting with third-day hangovers in the now-dry grass on the hill in front of the Helviti stage, quickly drinking an overpriced energy drink before the blazing sun heats it so much that it goes from refreshing beverage to scalding mango-flavoured lava.

All the while, you can relax to the familiar voice of Jacob Stegelmann himself, accompanied by a full symphony orchestra. It is a show filled with quiet nostalgia and impressive musical precision, and it not only speaks directly to the huge overlap between nerd and metal culture, it also provides a break from the hardships of the previous days and the chance to lie back and listen to music from everything from Star Wars to Gremlins.

However, that does not stop the few hardcore fans from forming an ironic but enthusiastic circle pit in front of the stage to the sound of classical music. If you ever get the chance to see this show, you should immediately go for it. It is full of humour, nerd culture and fantastic music.

All Them Witches

The quartet was formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 2012, and through an extensive discography they have built a reputation for creating an organic and dark universe. Their music draws heavily on early heavy blues rock, dusty stoner rock and elements of space rock.

Their musical style is centred around a deeply laid-back, jam-based energy, where songs are allowed to breathe and evolve over long passages. The sound is defined by smooth rolling basslines, a dynamic rhythm section, and guitar riffs wrapped in heavy fuzz, reverb and echo. The focal point is frontman Charles Michael Parks Jr.’s slow, deep vocal delivery.

By pairing dark southern blues with psychedelic atmospheric soundscapes, the band has created a unique, mature and unfiltered sound that proves heavy rock does not need fast tempos to be interesting. There was not much wild movement in the crowd either, and many simply enjoyed being close to the stage and taking in the music without expending too much energy.

P.O.D.

P.O.D. (Payable on Death) stands as one of the most iconic names from the late 90s and early 2000s. At this year’s festival, they are another example of high-nostalgia bands from that era. However, they were significantly better than Papa Roach. And of course, we got to hear our two favourite earworms, now with more years behind them than most people care to admit to themselves: ‘Alive’ and ‘Youth of the Nation’.

What people later realised is that the band was actually quite religious, something that was difficult to sell in the metal scene at the time. Still, they managed to bring a positive note into the nu-metal wave based purely on musical talent. Since forming in San Diego, California in 1992, the San Marcos guys have maintained a style that stands out from the darker and angrier metal scenes of the time.

Their music fuses nu metal with elements of reggae, punk rock and hip hop into a dynamic and varied soundscape. The focal point is frontman Sonny Sandoval’s versatile vocal style, shifting between fast hip hop flow, melodic and melancholic hooks, and raw punk-infused outbursts.

By combining heavy breakdowns with Jamaican-inspired rhythms, they have created a recognisable sound that has secured them long-lasting relevance in the industry. The crowd was massive. Everyone showed up for their set, and some had clearly come specifically to see their teenage idols. The atmosphere was different, in a positive sense, compared to some of the other big shows this year, and it only grew stronger throughout the concert as people clearly enjoyed the performance.

Voice of Baceprot

After several days of heavy sounds, we have reached the festival’s next chapter, and today’s programme features a very special global act that truly challenges stereotypes within the metal world. While the main stages are often dominated by familiar Western heavyweights, this lineup shifts the focus to acts that challenge assumptions about where hard-hitting rock and metal actually come from.

The trio was formed in 2014 in a small village on the island of Java in Indonesia by three teenage girls wearing traditional Muslim headscarves. It is a rare story in the metal world, but it reminds us of the genre’s true rebellious spirit.

Their music is an energetic confrontation with prejudice, delivering a style that draws heavily from funk metal, thrash and classic heavy rock. The performance may not be the most technically polished at the festival, neither instrumentally nor vocally, but the energy required to step onto the stage is undeniable, and these three girls deliver it in full.

A solid crowd has gathered at the smaller Gehenna stage. It also offers a welcome cultural insight when the lyrics switch from English to Sundanese. It is a band that is impossible not to respect, regardless of whether you are a fan of the genre or not.

Paleface Swiss

Sometimes all you want is pure, brutal punishment without much fuss. And the Swiss deathcore guys deliver exactly that. Since forming in Zurich in 2018 under the name Paleface, the four Swiss musicians have built a solid reputation as one of the most aggressive acts on the scene. Their music is a hard-hitting crossover between extreme deathcore and the rawest side of beatdown hardcore.

Their sound is built on relentless, machine-like heaviness, where tempo shifts and brutal breakdowns dominate the sonic landscape. The guitars are tuned deep into the mud, delivering a constant stream of mechanical chug riffs that rarely leave room for melody.

The focal point is frontman Marc Zellweger’s vocal work. He delivers a rapid-fire, spitting style that is torn apart by deep growls and piercing fry screams, radiating uncontrollable rage. By combining this aggressive vocal delivery with breakneck tempo, the band has created a recognisable and dangerous sound that once again pushes the mosh pit into overdrive. The crowd clearly came with one mindset: destruction. And it is great to see people being able to let loose completely.

Photo’s (c) Morten Holmsgaard Kristensen