When Joakim Høholt Kaspersen co-founded Neckbreakker in 2020, aged 15, one of many Danes’ desires was to play Copenhell, his residence nation’s premier metallic competition. “As a Danish band, that’s the factor that you just attempt in the direction of,” the guitarist says of the 35,000-capacity weekender. He was simply 19 when that dream got here true.
“We’d all been going to that competition for years earlier than we performed it,” he continues with a smile. “It’s a spot the place the complete metallic scene unites yearly, so, after we performed, it was like taking part in a competition the place half of the group are your pals.”
Acting at one in all Scandinavia’s greatest festivals is simply the primary merchandise on the listing of colossal issues these dying metallic upstarts have achieved. Now aged between 18 and 22, they’ve already signed to Nuclear Blast and launched propulsive debut album Inside The Viscera in December 2024. In a “full-circle” second, they’ve additionally been introduced because the opening act on Slayer’s mega-gigs after they return to the UK in July, a becoming place contemplating the thrash legends have been Joakim’s gateway into excessive metallic.
“I began listening to thrash and discovered a bunch of Slayer [on guitar],” Joakim recollects. “When I discovered Loss of life’s Scream Bloody Gore and to me that sounded similar to Slayer however extra aggressive. Earlier than I knew it, I used to be listening to dying metallic and going to just about each metallic present I may. I received uncovered to lots of totally different subgenres.”
You’ll be able to hear these influences on Inside The Viscera, a tooth-gnashing, headbanging mixture of the nastiest bits in dying metallic and past. Deathcore breakdowns and scathing lead guitar traces steadily be a part of its melee of chainsaw-like riffs, whereas pummelling beatdowns are by no means too distant.
“I’ve gotten very, very a lot into hardcore,” Joakim says. “However lots of the drumming on the report was impressed by our outdated drummer Anton’s [Bregendorf] love of rock music. His favorite drummer of all time is Dave Grohl.”
Joakim fashioned Neckbreakker underneath the title “Nakkeknaekker” in February 2020, . He admits it was laborious work discovering different members. “I’m from Aarhus, which is a reasonably large metropolis,” Joakim says. “However the different guys within the band are from smaller cities in Jutland. There simply isn’t a metallic scene exterior of the larger cities in Denmark.”
Making the search even tougher was how younger he was. “Once I went to exhibits and stuff, there weren’t lots of people my age,” he says with a shrug. “Even the those that have been, they in all probability didn’t play any devices themselves.”
Nonetheless, Joakim did finally collect a lineup…three weeks earlier than COVID-19 compelled exhibits to be cancelled for greater than a 12 months. Quite than impatiently cut up up, the band practiced incessantly for 18 months, holed away of their rooms perfecting their devices. All that point writing and taking part in made their gigs as sharp as machetes as soon as restrictions have been lifted.
“I believe it helped us as a result of we didn’t take into consideration having to e book shit or something like that,” Joakim displays. “We simply wrote songs and performed all of them day. I keep in mind, we’d have rehearsals that have been 12 hours lengthy, however we’d simply be taking part in the identical 4 songs time and again.”
Nakkeknaekker burst out of lockdown like a rabid pitbull, taking part in throughout Denmark in 2022 earlier than going worldwide the next 12 months. They dominated the New Blood stage at Bloodstock Open Air, the place the group relentlessly moshed to their well-honed savagery. “That was our second or third present out of Denmark and it was simply unbelievable,” Joakim says.
However whereas they’d loved some severe momentum, the band quickly realised they’d want to alter issues in the event that they needed to proceed reaching worldwide audiences. Their growth overseas confirmed the band that the title Nakkeknaekker was not match for function, with the members noticing how many individuals abroad struggled to pronounce it. So, they translated the moniker into English and added an additional Ok. The rebrand was unveiled in late 2024, when it was introduced that the five-piece have been the latest additions to Nuclear Blast’s roster.
“There’s no different label that I’d somewhat be on as a metallic band, to be trustworthy,” he enthuses. “They’re simply wonderful individuals. The entire staff appears to actually, actually perceive metallic and perceive music. You’ll be able to throw any reference to something at them they usually’ll know precisely what you’re speaking about.”
Since then, thrilling information from the band appears to return as steadily because the tide. Their set on the Sunday of Obtain will probably be adopted at some point later by a gig supporting deathcore experts Match For An Post-mortem. Then, in fact, will come the Slayer exhibits, happening at Cardiff’s 35,000-capacity Blackweir Fields and London’s 45,000-capacity Finsbury Park – presenting probably the most important crowds the band have performed to but.
“Phrases can’t describe how excited me and the fellows are to get the possibility to help Slayer,” he enthuses. “It nonetheless doesn’t really feel fairly actual, however we’re simply honoured and grateful to be part of such an insane lineup.”
The guitarist struggles to assume when requested what his band have left to realize – granted, who may provide you with a solution higher than “taking part in my dream competition as an adolescent” or “supporting fucking Slayer”? For now, he desires to stay the course, taking part in extra locations and climbing additional up posters.
“We nonetheless wish to tour the US and Australia sooner or later,” he says. “We simply hope every thing goes to get greater and larger.”
Inside The Viscera is out now by way of Nuclear Blast. Neckbreakker will play Obtain on June 15 and London with Match For An Post-mortem on June 16. They’ll help Slayer within the UK in July