Latest news with #Danes'
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Neckbreakker released one of 2024's most exciting metal debut albums. Now they're about to live their biggest dream
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. When Joakim Høholt Kaspersen co-founded Neckbreakker in 2020, aged 15, one of the Danes' dreams was to play Copenhell, his home country's premier metal festival. 'As a Danish band, that is the thing that you strive towards,' the guitarist says of the 35,000-capacity weekender. He was just 19 when that dream came true. 'We'd all been going to that festival for years before we played it,' he continues with a smile. 'It's a place where the entire metal scene unites every year, so, when we played, it was like playing a festival where half of the crowd are your friends.' Performing at one of Scandinavia's biggest festivals is just the first item on the list of colossal things these death metal upstarts have accomplished. Now aged between 18 and 22, they've already signed to Nuclear Blast and released propulsive debut album Within The Viscera in December 2024. In a 'full-circle' moment, they've also been announced as the opening act on Slayer's mega-gigs when they return to the UK in July, a fitting position considering the thrash legends were Joakim's gateway into extreme metal. 'I started listening to thrash and learned a bunch of Slayer [on guitar],' Joakim recalls. 'When I found Death's Scream Bloody Gore and to me that sounded just like Slayer but more aggressive. Before I knew it, I was listening to death metal and going to pretty much every metal show I could. I got exposed to a lot of different subgenres.' You can hear those influences on Within The Viscera, a tooth-gnashing, headbanging mix of the nastiest bits in death metal and beyond. Deathcore breakdowns and scathing lead guitar lines frequently join its melee of chainsaw-like riffs, while pummelling beatdowns are never too far away. 'I've gotten very, very much into hardcore,' Joakim says. 'But a lot of the drumming on the record was inspired by our old drummer Anton's [Bregendorf] love of rock music. His favourite drummer of all time is Dave Grohl.' Joakim formed Neckbreakker under the name 'Nakkeknaekker' in February 2020, . He admits it was hard work finding other members. 'I'm from Aarhus, which is a pretty big city,' Joakim says. 'But the other guys in the band are from smaller cities in Jutland. There just isn't a metal scene outside of the bigger cities in Denmark.' Making the search even harder was how young he was. 'When I went to shows and stuff, there weren't a lot of people my age,' he says with a shrug. 'Even the people that were, they probably didn't play any instruments themselves.' Nonetheless, Joakim did eventually gather a lineup…three weeks before COVID-19 forced shows to be cancelled for more than a year. Rather than impatiently split up, the band practiced incessantly for 18 months, holed away in their rooms perfecting their instruments. All that time writing and playing made their gigs as sharp as machetes once restrictions were lifted. 'I think it helped us because we didn't think about having to book shit or anything like that,' Joakim reflects. 'We just wrote songs and played them all day. I remember, we would have rehearsals that were 12 hours long, but we would just be playing the same four songs again and again.' Nakkeknaekker burst out of lockdown like a rabid pitbull, playing all over Denmark in 2022 before going international the following year. They dominated the New Blood stage at Bloodstock Open Air, where the crowd relentlessly moshed to their well-honed savagery. 'That was our second or third show out of Denmark and it was just incredible,' Joakim says. But while they'd enjoyed some serious momentum, the band soon realised they'd need to change things if they wanted to continue reaching international audiences. Their expansion abroad showed the band that the name Nakkeknaekker was no longer fit for purpose, with the members noticing how many people overseas struggled to pronounce it. So, they translated the moniker into English and added an extra K. The rebrand was unveiled in late 2024, when it was announced that the five-piece were the newest additions to Nuclear Blast's roster. 'There's no other label that I'd rather be on as a metal band, to be honest,' he enthuses. 'They're just amazing people. The whole team seems to really, really understand metal and understand music. You can throw any reference to anything at them and they'll know exactly what you're talking about.' Since then, exciting news from the band seems to come as frequently as the tide. Their set on the Sunday of Download will be followed one day later by a gig supporting deathcore mavens Fit For An Autopsy. Then, of course, will come the Slayer shows, taking place at Cardiff's 35,000-capacity Blackweir Fields and London's 45,000-capacity Finsbury Park – presenting possibly the biggest crowds the band have played to yet. 'Words can't describe how excited me and the guys are to get the chance to support Slayer,' he enthuses. 'It still doesn't feel quite real, but we are just honoured and grateful to be a part of such an insane lineup.' The guitarist struggles to think when asked what his band have left to achieve – granted, who could come up with an answer better than 'playing my dream festival as a teenager' or 'supporting fucking Slayer'? For now, he wants to stick the course, playing more places and climbing further up posters. 'We still want to tour the US and Australia at some point,' he says. 'We just hope everything is going to get bigger and bigger.' Within The Viscera is out now via Nuclear Blast. Neckbreakker will play Download on June 15 and London with Fit For An Autopsy on June 16. They'll support Slayer in the UK in July
The Sun
2 hours ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Aaron-Wooi Yik Exit Indonesia Open in First Round
KUALA LUMPUR: Just days after securing the Singapore Open 2025 title, national men's doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik were handed a surprise first-round defeat at the hands of Denmark's Rasmus Kjaer-Frederik Sogaard at the Indonesia Open 2025 in Jakarta, today. During the Super 1000 tournament held in Istora Senayan, the third seeds got off to a shaky start, losing the first game 13-21, but bounced back to take the second set 21-19. Despite leading 11-7 in the decider, a string of unforced errors saw Kjaer-Sogaard rally to a 21-18 win, sealing the match in 59 minutes. This marks the Danes' second win over the Malaysians in five encounters. Speaking to the Badminton World Federation after the game, Wooi Yik admitted that their opponents played much better than them and vowed to comeback stronger in future tournaments. Last Sunday, Aaron-Wooi Yik were crowned the Singapore Open 2025 champions, their third title this year, with a hard-fought rubber-set victory over South Korean duo Kim Won Ho-Seo Seung Jae, 15-21, 21-18, 21-19. Meanwhile, it was the end of the road for two other men's doubles pairs namely Choong Hon Jian-Muhammad Haikal Nazri and Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi. Hon Jian-Muhammad Haikal Nazri were outplayed by 2021 world champions from Japan, Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi, 13-21, 9-21 while Yew Sin-Ee Yi lost to fourth seeds from China, Liang Wei Keng-Wang Chang, 21-23, 20-22. In the meantime, national top women's doubles pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah did not have any problem to clear the first round hurdle as they dumped Sung Shuo Yun-Yu Chien Hui of Taiwan, 21-16, 21-17. The fourth seeds will next take on local pair Lanny Tria Mayasari-Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti after the Indonesians came from behind to eliminate another Malaysian duo, Go Pei Kee-Teoh Mei Xing, 19-21, 21-16, 21-19. In men's singles action, national shuttler Leong Jun Hao kicked off his Indonesia Open 2025 campaign with a bang as he silenced the home crowd, thanks to a commanding straight sets win over Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo, 21-13, 21-12 in 40 minutes. Next up for Jun Hao in the second round tomorrow is the winner of the other first round tie between fourth seeds Li Shi Feng of China or Brian Yang from Canada.
The Sun
3 hours ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Danes send Aaron-Wooi Yik packing early in Indonesia Open
KUALA LUMPUR: Just days after securing the Singapore Open 2025 title, national men's doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik were handed a surprise first-round defeat at the hands of Denmark's Rasmus Kjaer-Frederik Sogaard at the Indonesia Open 2025 in Jakarta, today. During the Super 1000 tournament held in Istora Senayan, the third seeds got off to a shaky start, losing the first game 13-21, but bounced back to take the second set 21-19. Despite leading 11-7 in the decider, a string of unforced errors saw Kjaer-Sogaard rally to a 21-18 win, sealing the match in 59 minutes. This marks the Danes' second win over the Malaysians in five encounters. Speaking to the Badminton World Federation after the game, Wooi Yik admitted that their opponents played much better than them and vowed to comeback stronger in future tournaments. Last Sunday, Aaron-Wooi Yik were crowned the Singapore Open 2025 champions, their third title this year, with a hard-fought rubber-set victory over South Korean duo Kim Won Ho-Seo Seung Jae, 15-21, 21-18, 21-19. Meanwhile, it was the end of the road for two other men's doubles pairs namely Choong Hon Jian-Muhammad Haikal Nazri and Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi. Hon Jian-Muhammad Haikal Nazri were outplayed by 2021 world champions from Japan, Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi, 13-21, 9-21 while Yew Sin-Ee Yi lost to fourth seeds from China, Liang Wei Keng-Wang Chang, 21-23, 20-22. In the meantime, national top women's doubles pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah did not have any problem to clear the first round hurdle as they dumped Sung Shuo Yun-Yu Chien Hui of Taiwan, 21-16, 21-17. The fourth seeds will next take on local pair Lanny Tria Mayasari-Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti after the Indonesians came from behind to eliminate another Malaysian duo, Go Pei Kee-Teoh Mei Xing, 19-21, 21-16, 21-19. In men's singles action, national shuttler Leong Jun Hao kicked off his Indonesia Open 2025 campaign with a bang as he silenced the home crowd, thanks to a commanding straight sets win over Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo, 21-13, 21-12 in 40 minutes. Next up for Jun Hao in the second round tomorrow is the winner of the other first round tie between fourth seeds Li Shi Feng of China or Brian Yang from Canada.
The Star
28-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Aaron-Wooi Yik continue strong form in Lion City
PETALING JAYA: Top men's doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik maintained their impressive form at the Singapore Open with a victory over Denmark's Frederik Sogaard-Rasmus Kjaer on Wednesday (May 28). In the first-round clash at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, Aaron-Wooi Yik started strongly in the opening game. Although the Danish duo attempted a comeback in the second game, the Malaysians, buoyed by their triumph at the Malaysian Masters last week, secured their second-round spot with a 21-19, 24-22 win in 44 minutes. This marked their second victory over Sogaard-Kjaer, having previously defeated them in the Malaysian Masters quarter-finals at Axiata Arena, considered by many as payback for the Danes' controversial win over the younger pair, Aaron Tai-Kang Khai Xing. Also advancing to the next round were Wan Arif Wan Junaidi-Yap Roy King, who defeated France's Eloi Adam-Leo Rossi 21-13, 21-18 in just 36 minutes. However, Choong Hon Jian-Mohd Haikal Nazri saw their Singapore Open campaign end in the first round, losing to India's Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty 16-21, 13-21. Earlier, men's singles shuttler Leong Jun Hao advanced to the second round after receiving a walkover following the withdrawal of China's Lei Lanxi.
The Sun
24-05-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Aaron-Wooi Yik set up all-Malaysian final against Wei Chong-Kai Wun
MALAYSIA is guaranteed its first men's doubles title at the Malaysia Masters in 12 years as national pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik booked their spot for a historic 'civil war' against compatriots Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun for the 2025 edition, here, tomorrow. Buoyed by a dominant performance from Wei Chong-Kai Wun in the earlier semi-final today, the fourth-seeded pair did not disappoint the roaring home crowd in Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil, here, as they stunned Denmark's top seeds and defending champions, Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen in 64 minutes. Aaron-Wooi Yik were not at their best early on, trailing 9-11 at the interval but they rediscovered their rhythm to edge ahead 15-14 and held their nerve in the closing moments to clinch the opening set 21-19. The world number three pair then lost their grip in the second set, struggling to find momentum as they surrendered the second set to the world number one duo, 17-21. In the decider, the 2022 world champions came out firing at all corners, racing to a commanding 9-1 lead and marched to their maiden Malaysia Masters final with 21-15, thanks to a deadly powerful front shot from Wooi Yik. Aaron-Wooi Yik's best Malaysia Masters outings previously were reaching semi-finals twice in 2019 and 2022 since making a debut in the 2018 edition. Aaron said winning the opening set was crucial in setting the tone for the match and credited the strong support from home fans for inspiring them to derail the Danes' hopes of defending their Malaysia Masters title. The 28-year-old also hoped that he and Wooi Yik, together with Wei Chong and Kai Wun, can deliver a memorable all-Malaysian final to thrill the home fans especially with both pairs tied at two wins apiece in their head-to-head record. Wooi Yik, meanwhile, admitted that playing in back-to-back (individual) tournament finals after clinching the Badminton Asia Championships 2025 last month followed by Thailand Open 2025 title last week was a new and valuable experience for the pair. 'It is very difficult (playing back-to-back finals) but we will try to overcome this. We cannot set our mind that we are tired and cannot play, but we must keep going on,' he told reporters after the match. Wei Chong-Kai Wun had earlier dismantled Japan's 2021 world champions Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi 21-12, 21-14 to book their second Malaysia Masters final appearance in two years. The world number eight duo emerged as the 2023 runners-up after going down to South Korea's Kang Min Hyuk-Seo Seung 15-21, 24-22, 19-21.
