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Prologo

6:30 AM, awake after way too little sleep. The Prodigy are playing tonight and I want to be in shape, so I decide on a quick nap. I’m jolted awake by a Pling — “Where the f**k are you?” It’s past 1 PM. Panic sets in, and I drop the ultimate lie: “Five minutes!” I grab four random things from the pile, jump on my bike, and tear through the 10 kilometers to Refshaløen like a man possessed. On the way, messages keep chasing me: “Syracusæ are playing! They’re amazing, get moving!” …

Copenhell 2025 – Day 2: Unleashed Dogs

SYRACUSÆ

Bogotá meets Copenhell (Davide)

If you think being a metalhead in Italy is tough — buried under a tsunami of reggaeton — imagine being a metalhead in Bogotá! But sometimes, dreams really do come true, even at 2,600 meters above sea level in the Colombian Andes.

I knew this was going to be a must-see show when I spotted a message from the band’s singer in the Facebook group The Copenhell Family. With genuine warmth and enthusiasm, he invited everyone to come check out their set on the awesome Gehenna stage. Right then and there, I knew this band — who had opened for Lamb of God on their South American tour — was something special.

Why? Because they were about to bring pure enthusiasm, living Copenhell like a dream come true. And the Danish metal community didn’t hesitate — they welcomed them with open arms, and Syracusæ gave it back with a performance bursting with life.

At 14:30 sharp, Syracusæ exploded onto the Gehenna stage with enough force to shake the Danish ground.
Sure, there were a few technical issues at the beginning — but who cares! From the very first beat, they showed exactly why they deserved to be there.

Four guys on stage playing like there were eight. Tomas Pérez, the frontman, had it all: crystal-clear clean vocals that could dive into devastating growls. Meanwhile, his brother Alejandro Pérez Schuster behind the kit absolutely tore it up with drumming that fused salsa, Latin beats, and blackcore into a breathless whirlwind.

The kick drum sounded raw, dirty, perfect — like Lars Ulrich on St. Anger, but actually sounding good. The guitars launched razor-sharp solos piercing straight through your soul.

This wasn’t just a band playing metal — it was a band bringing the Colombian spirit to the heart of European metal. Every track had direction, purpose, a dramatic arc that pulled you in. For 45 minutes, I watched the dream of four kids from Bogotá come true. They proved that metal knows no borders, that passion crushes every geographical limit, and that sometimes the heaviest metal dreams are the ones that shine the brightest.

The Copenhell Comunity welcomed them like family — and Syracusæ answered with pure South American fire. It was metal diplomacy at its finest. A well-deserved 5 stars for Syracusæ — and a big shoutout to all metalheads chasing their dreams.

The Colombian Dream just conquered Denmark.

EYES x SYL

Detonating Friendship

I arrive just in time for the show I never wanted to miss: the band clash EYES versus SYL.

A quick intro: Victor’s EYES and Benjamin’s SYL are two of the most exciting underground forces right now in the Copenhagen alternative hardcore scene.

Cool, but what’s special about this gig?
The chemistry between Benjamin and Victor.

They’re nitric oxide and glycerin — it is no laughing matter – one spark and BLAST! a devastating exothermic reaction. And here we are, under the blazing sun, in the flames of Copenhell.

During John Cxnnor’s set (here’s our review and interview) they left us speechless (and breathless in the pit). At Copenhell, they brought the entire crew and their hardcore undiluted.

Two singers, two drummers, two bassists, and four guitarists. The result? The most devastating concert of Copenhell 2025.

Within seconds, the packed stage overflows with fast, shouted hardcore pouring onto the crowd.
Benjamin opens while Victor charges in running from the back of the stage. Two bands smashing, screaming, and shredding together. Twelve friends ready to make a hell of a mess. Forget those awkward shows where bands take turns and maybe do an impromptu duet.

Both lineups know each other’s tracks inside out, and the whole set is played together with tight style and cohesion. Every song is rearranged and rehearsed to be performed by all.

A delicate work, explosive chemistry, genuine and authentic. Hardcore.

An hour flies by in what feels like an endless instant.
At the end, I find myself running a checklist of the shock I just survived: nonstop pogo, relentless crowdsurfing, walls of death, singers in the pit, stage diving (from the barriers).
An hour of pure madness — and yet, we want more.

It was that special, maybe a once-in-a-lifetime.

GloryHammer

The charming prince of Fife

Alright, time to dial down the adrenaline; I’m off to sing and have some wholesome fun, perhaps snapping some photos, the cheerful GloryHammer are coming up. Always sharp, always stylish, always a show within the show inside He-Man’s castle walls.

Deep forest eyes, nightingale voice, curly hair waving at the breeze, pick on the left — Michael is the prince charming we all wished to be as kids, before realizing we were born goblins.

So, among goblins and other fantastic creatures in the crowd, we summon him with our raggedy chants and fists in the air.
We sing and praise the melodic lords, and even if of ignoble race, we’re happy to be loyal subjects in the Kingdom of Fife.
Epic Metal Enchantment.

The Cult

Sonic Ceremony

At 16, I bought the compilation of singles of The Cult at the local store. From that moment on, Billy Duffy’s ethereal guitar sound never left me.
Psychedelic, hard rock, post-punk, and a touch of goth—the Cult’s blend rings crystal clear in every note. Being at their concert feels like an unexpected gift.

Ian is a mystical figure even beyond the sanctuary that’s currently up for sale.
The priest in hakama, eyeshadow, and a chignon performs a dreamlike setlist, where progressive and psychedelia merge with ’80s rock.

The setlist is packed with great hits flowing one after another: “Wild Flower,” “Love Removal Machine,” “Fire Woman,” “Lil’ Devil,” just to name a few.

A nostalgia full of beauty.

Exodus

Metal. Period.

They’re not Metallica, not Megadeth, not Slayer, and not Anthrax.

Exodus prove it’s a crime they’re not counted among the Big 4 of thrash metal.
They do it with a colossal show, unfortunately stuck in the too-tight afternoon slot on the Pandemonium stage.

No words, no special effects, no mega-screen animation: they scream it in your face with the best thrash metal of this Copenhell edition. The circle pit spins wild around Gary Holt’s blazing guitar solos. Tom Hunting’s bone-breaking violence was recently seen only with Phil Anselmo and his Pantera.

This is Metal: no commentary, no description — you just sweat it out in the pit.
Metal Olympus gods worshipped in a too-humble shrine.

If you don’t believe us, ask our Chief-in-Editor who reviewed them (LINK) for their Italian show…

The Prodigy

Prodigy Warriors

The warriors are lined up, Davide right up front.
I am escorting some rookies new to the Prodigy experience, and I take position midway through the crowd. All things considered, I care about my newbies.

Too dramatic? Anyone who’s been to a Prodigy live show knows better. This is one of those concerts where you really go hard: calloused Millennials and GenXers hit it heavy. Even if this is a metal festival with a mixed crowd, better safe than sorry.

Maybe it’s the Prodigy, or maybe it just feels like it.

Maxim kick off with “Voodoo People” and “Omen,” then slow down with some of the newer, more melodic tracks like “The Day Is My Enemy.” A tribute to Keith follows with “Firestarter,” carefully arranged so Maxim’s vocals don’t overlap Keith’s parts.

All in all, we got off easier compared to the “Army of the Ants Tour 2023,” where the opening triple threat started with “Breathe,” setting the crowd on fire from the first second. Still, it’s exactly that track that kicks off the climax near the end of the show, followed by “Smack My Bitch Up” and “Take Me to the Hospital”—a taste of the relentless madness of Prodigy live.

Technically, it was not perfect: the sound setup didn’t quite suit the band’s raw power, with bass and volume kept at levels not damaging for the human body. Still, we walked away with sore muscles and a few bumps.

“Psychosomatic addict, insane”—but suitable for everyone.

Wiegedood

Belgian Dystopia

We sacrifice Abbath and Lorna Shore for the Belgians Wiegedood, playing on the Gehenna stage.
Dark, filthy, and loaded with synths—which we absolutely love.
On their page, they describe themselves as “A first-hand look into pure disgust,” and indeed, their sludgy sound and tortured screams don’t disappoint.

I spent a few months in Flanders, so I totally get their need to unleash desperate, psychotic screams.
I want to climb on stage, hug them, and whisper: “I get you— it can rain forever.”

Festival Extra: Nordic Elite Wrestling e il burlesque delle Sweet Sensations

Tons of metal, loads of dust—but we never skip our goof-off moment.
The Biergarten treats us to live wrestling from Nordic Elite Wrestling. They don’t take themselves too seriously, mixing metal breaks into the show and putting on all the classic moves we are eager to see —moonsault included.
We raise our beers to them!

Riding high on our playful vibes, we dive right into the Sweet Sensations show.
The girls enchanted the Biergarten tent with their burlesque. We didn’t miss a beat—sensual and rockin’, they silenced the Biergarten, and us too. Charmed.