Denmark may be famous for hygge, but its underground has been growling, blasting and riffing since the late 1980s.
Which hugely influential Danish band plays classic heavy metal rather than death metal?
Volbeat's hidden death side
Illdisposed
Mercyful Fate
Iniquity
Spot on! Mercyful Fate, fronted by King Diamond, play traditional heavy metal, though their dark themes inspired countless extreme bands.
It's Mercyful Fate. King Diamond's band is classic heavy metal; Illdisposed and Iniquity are genuine Danish death metal bands.
Illdisposed, among Denmark's longest-running death metal bands, comes from which city?
Aarhus
Copenhagen
Odense
Aalborg
Correct! Illdisposed formed in Aarhus in 1991, a city that became a real hub for Danish heavy music.
It's Aarhus. Copenhagen isn't the only metal city: Aarhus has produced Illdisposed, Hatesphere and Baest.
The Copenhagen band Undergang has a Danish name. What does it mean?
Underground
Undertaker
Underworld
Downfall
Yes! 'Undergang' means downfall or doom, a fitting name for their filthy, cavernous death metal.
It means 'downfall'. Danish words can look like English ones, but 'undergang' is about ruin, not going underground.
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Illdisposed vocalist Bo Summer has fronted the band for over three decades, through more than a dozen albums.
What was the title of Baest's debut album, released in 2018?
Necro Sapiens
Danse Macabre
Justitia
Venenum
Right! Baest from Aarhus debuted with 'Danse Macabre' on Century Media, reviving an old-school sound.
It was 'Danse Macabre' (2018). 'Necro Sapiens' and 'Justitia' came later in Baest's career.
Copenhell, Denmark's big metal festival on Refshaleøen, was first held in which year?
1995
2005
2010
2016
Correct! Copenhell began in 2010 and grew from a small event into a major international metal festival.
It started in 2010. It's much younger than many assume, yet it quickly became a key stage for heavy bands.
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Many Danish death metal bands sing in English, but Undergang often uses Danish words in titles, like 'Misantropologi'.
Did you know?
Baest come from Aarhus
Mercyful Fate play death metal
Iniquity formed in Copenhagen
Death metal began in Denmark
Copenhell is a metal festival
Where did death metal first take shape as a genre in the mid-1980s?
Florida and California, USA
Stockholm, Sweden
Copenhagen, Denmark
Oslo, Norway
Exactly! Bands like Death and Possessed in the USA shaped the genre, and Scandinavian scenes followed soon after.
It was the USA, especially Florida and California. Scandinavia built famous scenes, but slightly later.
Tue Madsen is a big name in Danish metal. What is he best known as?
Illdisposed's original drummer
Founder of Copenhell
Owner of Century Media
Producer at Antfarm Studios
Yes! Tue Madsen runs Antfarm Studios in Aarhus and has produced bands such as The Haunted and Heaven Shall Burn.
He's a producer, running Antfarm Studios in Aarhus. Danish studios like his have shaped the sound of many heavy records.
Which guitarist, known from Death and Testament, played with Copenhagen's Konkhra?
Andy LaRocque
James Murphy
Chuck Schuldiner
Trey Azagthoth
Correct! American guitarist James Murphy played on Konkhra's 1997 album 'Weed Out the Weak'.
It was James Murphy. Andy LaRocque is the Swedish guitarist of King Diamond, a different link to Danish metal.
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What links Baest to medieval art?
Baest took their debut title from the 'danse macabre', the medieval image of Death leading people of every rank to the grave.
Which vocal style is typical of death metal bands like Illdisposed?
High operatic falsetto
Clean melodic singing
Deep guttural growls
Thin high-pitched shrieks
Right! Deep guttural growls are the hallmark of death metal, delivered from the diaphragm rather than the throat.
It's deep guttural growls. Falsetto belongs to King Diamond's heavy metal, and high shrieks are more typical of black metal.
Iniquity, one of Denmark's earliest death metal bands, formed in Copenhagen in which year?
1989
2001
2008
1994
Correct! Iniquity formed in 1989, making the Danish scene almost as old as the genre itself.
It was 1989. Danish death metal took root in the late 1980s, long before the newer wave of Baest and Undergang.
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Question 1: Which hugely influential Danish band plays classic heavy metal rather than death metal?
Question 2: Illdisposed, among Denmark's longest-running death metal bands, comes from which city?
Question 3: The Copenhagen band Undergang has a Danish name. What does it mean?
Question 4: What was the title of Baest's debut album, released in 2018?
Question 5: Copenhell, Denmark's big metal festival on Refshaleøen, was first held in which year?
Lightning round 1
Question 6: Where did death metal first take shape as a genre in the mid-1980s?
Question 7: Tue Madsen is a big name in Danish metal. What is he best known as?
Question 8: Which guitarist, known from Death and Testament, played with Copenhagen's Konkhra?
Question 9: Which vocal style is typical of death metal bands like Illdisposed?
Question 10: Iniquity, one of Denmark's earliest death metal bands, formed in Copenhagen in which year?
Made with AI. This quiz was made with AI, which can make mistakes.
