One Band To Conquer Them All! Wacken Metal Battle USA is proud to announce its 2025 rounds and participating bands (more to be announced) across the country, which will see one unsigned band crowned champion and perform at one of the world’s most prestigious and largest already sold-out metal festivals Wacken Open Air (July 30 – August 2) (Attendance of over 80,000 people in Wacken, Germany for over 30 years).
List of previous WMBU national winners, Cascade Effect (2024 – San Diego), Fadrait (2023 – San Diego) Mythraeum (2022 – San Diego), Monarch (2019 – San Diego), Voices of Ruin (2018 – Anaheim) and Corpse Hoarder (2017 – Philadelphia).
The 2025 WMBU champion will receive the following:
– A slot at the 2025 Wacken Open Air Festival.
– Full professional backline provided.
– $1,000 USD towards flights to Germany.
– VIP camping at the festival.
2025 USA Wacken Battles – The national final will be held in Clifton, NJ on June 21 at Dingbatz.
Texas Battles:
January 31 – Dallas, TX – Trees w/ IH8, Dead Stereo, Vein, Gravehuffer, Divide, From the Grave
February 1 – Dallas, TX – Trees w/ Lyric Noel, Wolvera, The Funeral Procession, Oklahoma Blood, Hand Over Fist
February 2 – Austin, TX – Come And Take It Live
February 8 – Houston, TX – BFE Rock Club
February 22 – San Antonio, TX – Rock Box
February 23 – Corpus Christi, TX – House of Rock
March 9 – Austin, TX – Come And Take It Live
California Dates:
February 8 – Oakland, CA – Toot’s Tavern w/ Taunted, Midnight Mass, Dev1ous
February 22 – Santa Ana, CA – Stages w/ Mourning High, Kumsumption, Against The Sun, Final Summon, Vendetta XIII, War Goul, Illusions of Grandeur
February 28 – Sacramento, CA – On The Y w/ Diamantide, Cross, Jnx, Replication
March 1 – Santa Ana, CA – Stages w/ Sentinel Hill, Stryke, Hazard, Nox Sinister, Andsoul, John Demena
March 7 – Oakland, CA – Toot’s Tavern w/ Creepo, Project Mayhem, Burden of Oath, Modern Monsters, Swept To Sea
March 22 – Sacramento, CA – On The Y w/ Way II Stoned, Rail Rage, Exacto, O’Craven
April 5 – Santa Ana, CA – Stages w/ Deface The Dream, Parabellum, Subtle Tension, Hellheart, Tomb of Minerva
April 5 – Sacramento CA – On The Y
April 12 – Oakland, CA – Toot’s Tavern w/ Thares, Catapult Collision, No Fucking Good, Sonus, Tungsten Reigns
April 18 – San Diego, CA – Brick By Brick w/ Avadan, The Provoked, Sleeping Faceless, Door 13 and more…
April 19 – San Diego, CA – Brick By Brick w/ The Norse, Brutalator, Of Glory and Decay, Fire & Flesh, Gannondorf and more…
May 3 – Oakland, CA – Toot’s Tavern
May 17 – San Diego, CA – Brick By Brick
May 31 – San Diego, CA – Brick By Brick
Maryland Battles:
February 8 – Catonsville, MD – Morsbergers Tavern w/ Omen//Skye, Voids, For Fear Itself, Nights Edge, What Are The Odds?, Delenda
March 1 – Catonsville, MD – Morsbergers Tavern w/ Dying Oath, Bedroom Floor, Traverse The Abyss, Feed Me To The Wolves, Space Lumberjacks and more…
March 22 – Catonsville, ND – Morsbergers Tavern w/ Watersdeep, Gone Cold, Babies For Brunch, Within Me, Desolation, Fupa Goddess
New Jersey Battles:
February 28 – Clifton, NJ – Dingbatz w/ Prime Prophecy, Gore, Psilo, PERN, Before I Die, Youth Death Club
March 1 – Clifton, NJ – Dingbatz w/ Deadly Ascension, Falsify, Jackpipe, Ultraviolet, FireHaze, The Age of Ore
April 4 – Clifton, NJ – Dingbatz
May 17 – Clifton, NJ – Dingbatz
June 21 – Clifton, NJ – Dingbatz – National Final
New York Battles:
March 6 – Brooklyn, NY – Woodshop Brooklyn
March 7 – Brooklyn, NY – Lucky 13 Saloon
April 12 – Brooklyn, NY – Our Wicked Lady
Florida Battles:
March 15 – Tampa, FL – The Brass Mug w/ Wirethrone, Varanger, Nocturnal Dawn, Claux, Endurus, Forfeiture
April 19 – Tampa, FL – The Brass Mug w/ Pontifex, Othalan, Nibiru, Piss On Christ, Corrupted Saint, Donefor
May 17 – Tampa, FL – The Brass Mug
Washington Battles:
March 28 – Seattle, WA – The Funhouse
Oregon Battles:
March 29 – Portland, OR – Dante’s
April 19 – Portland, OR – Dante’s
For the last 6 years of battles (2017-2019, 2022, 2023, 2024), Wacken Metal Battle USA has hosted battles across the country to send one independent metal band to perform at the world’s largest metal festival Wacken Open Air in Wacken, Germany. 2019 saw the festival celebrate its 30th anniversary, but due to Covid, the 2020 and 2021 editions were both canceled. As the metal community regains its strength, Wacken Open Air 2025 will be the 34th edition of the festival and will be held from July 30 – August 2. The 2025 event is already sold out with a line-up that includes Machine Head, Saltatio Mortis, Papa Roach, Gojira, Apocalyptica, Saxon, Within Temptation, Dimmu Borgir, Ministry, and many more. Details here.
Wacken Metal Battle USA is part of an international competition that sees bands from across the country battle each other for the chance to win their spot among 30 other countries’ champions, and represent the USA in an international battle of the bands at the world’s largest outdoor metal festival: Wacken Open Air. The battles have been hosted at the festival for over a decade and give independent bands the opportunity to showcase their talents to an international audience along with the chance to win multiple prizes.
How it works:
Participating cities will host qualifying rounds plus a city final organized by a local city concert promoter where one band will move forward to the American national final (date and city to be determined). The winner of the national final will move on to perform at the Wacken Open Air 2024 and compete against the winners of 30 other countries in a final global battle. All bands will be judged during battle rounds by respected local music industry representatives.
Further details here.
Sponsors / Partners:
Fatal Illness Management
BraveWords.com
Metal-Rules.com
V13.net
GhostCultMag.com
MetalDevastationRadio
Come And Take It Productions
Brick By Brick
TMI Collaborations
Dingbatz
Piox Promotions
Tampa Bay Metal Scene
Last Light Presents
East Coast Metal Mayhem
Dean Guitars
Asher Media Relations