{"id":15988,"date":"2025-10-13T23:36:19","date_gmt":"2025-10-14T03:36:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/heavensmetalmagazine.com\/?p=15988"},"modified":"2025-10-13T23:36:20","modified_gmt":"2025-10-14T03:36:20","slug":"news-wacken-metal-battle-usa-opens-band-submissions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/heavensmetalmagazine.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/13\/news-wacken-metal-battle-usa-opens-band-submissions\/","title":{"rendered":"News: WACKEN METAL BATTLE USA Opens Band Submissions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WACKEN METAL BATTLE USA Opens Band Submissions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One Band To Conquer Them All & Play Wacken Open Air 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One Band To Conquer Them All! After another successful year in 2025, to send one unsigned and independent American to play the world’s most prestigious and largest already sold-out metal festivals, Wacken Open Air<\/strong><\/a>, Wacken Metal Battle USA announces submissions for the 2026 battle are now open as of October 1st until December 1st.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I am beyond stoked to bring back the Wacken Metal Battle to the US. Every year we get invited to participate is an opportunity to grow. This year will be no different. We will be bringing back some cities that haven’t participated in a few years, and we will be adding at least one new city\/state to the competition. Do you have what it takes to represent the US at Wacken? Sign up now!” <\/em>– Eric Dow – Artist & Promoter Relations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

American bands interested in participating can apply at <\/strong>https:\/\/www.metal-battle.com\/countries\/<\/strong><\/a> (please select the United States as your country)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watch – Wacken Metal Battle 2025 – Aftermovie | Have You Heard the Future of Metal?<\/strong> – https:\/\/youtu.be\/nCulXiLlaSw<\/a>\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wacken Battle Trailer Video \u2013 <\/strong>https:\/\/youtu.be\/fjMugRXEc5g<\/a>\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2026 WMBU champion<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

At the 2025 WMBU <\/strong>national finals held this past June at Dingbatz in Clifton, NJ, Southern California and Arizona-based band \u200bMOURNING HIGH<\/strong><\/a>\u200b emerged as the seventh champion selected to represent the United States at the prestigious international showdown, Wacken Open Air<\/strong>, that took place from July 30th to August 2nd in Wacken, Germany, where over 185,000 attendees from around the world gathered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mourning High<\/strong>, crowned the West Coast Winner, competed alongside five other standout American bands: \u200b<\/strong>PRIME PROPHECY<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>(New Jersey), \u200b<\/strong>WHAT\u2019S WRONG<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>(Pacific Northwest), \u200b<\/strong>PONTIFEX<\/strong><\/a>\u200b (Florida), \u200b<\/strong>FIREHAZE<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>(East Coast), and BROKEN TIME<\/strong><\/a> (Texas). A panel of seasoned industry professionals, including Jeff Buttermark (FM Management), Shawn Quinn (Napalm Records\/FM Management),<\/strong> and Rob Caggiano (formerly of Anthrax and Volbeat), <\/strong>ultimately selected Mourning High<\/strong> as the top U.S. act to perform at the International Wacken Battle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spotify – 2025 WMBU National Finalists Playlist – <\/strong>https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/playlist\/5q7Or6tHAsWsAGg8zQSVgZ<\/strong><\/a>\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

List of previous WMBU national winners: Cascade Effect<\/strong><\/a> (2024 – San Diego), <\/strong>Fadrait<\/strong><\/a> (2023 – San Diego), <\/strong>Mythraeum<\/strong><\/a> (2022 – San Diego), <\/strong>Monarch<\/strong><\/a> (2019 – San Diego), <\/strong>Voices of Ruin<\/strong><\/a> (2018 – Anaheim), <\/strong>and <\/strong>Corpse Hoarder<\/strong><\/a> (2017 – Philadelphia).<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the last 7 years of battles (2017-2019, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025), Wacken Metal Battle USA<\/strong> has hosted battles across the country to send one independent metal band to perform at the world\u2019s largest metal festival, Wacken Open Air<\/strong> 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 2026 <\/strong>will be the 35th edition of the festival and will be held from July 29th to August 1st. The 2026 event is already sold out with a line-up that includes Def Leppard, Lamb Of God, In Flames, Powerwolf, Emperor, Sepultura, and Running Wild, among others. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wacken Metal Battle USA<\/strong> is part of an international competition that sees bands from across the country battle each other for the chance to win their spot among over 55 other countries\u2019 champions, and represent the USA in an international battle of the bands at the world\u2019s largest outdoor metal festival: Wacken Open Air<\/strong>. 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How it works:<\/strong>\u200b
\u200bParticipating 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Links:<\/strong>\u200b
\u200bMetal-Battle.com<\/a>\u200b
\u200bMetalBattleUSA.com<\/a>\u200b
\u200b<\/strong>Facebook.com\/metalbattleusa\u200b.official<\/a>\u200b
\u200bX.com\/MetalBattleUSA<\/a>\u200b
\u200bInstagram.com\/metalbattleusa.official<\/a>\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– 30 –<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sponsors \/ Partners:<\/strong>\u200b
Fatal Illness Management
Bravewords.com
Metal-Rules.com
V13.net
GhostCultMag.com
MetalDevastationRadio
Come And Take It Productions
Brick By Brick
Distilled Entertainment
Dingbatz
Piox Promotions
Tampa Bay Metal Scene
Last Light Presents
East Coast Metal Mayhem
Dean Guitars
Asher Media Relations<\/p>\n\n\n\n

—
ASHER MEDIA RELATIONS
Jon Asher – Music Publicist
#.514.581.5780
jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
Facebook – Asher Media PR News
Instagram – AsherMedia
Tweet – AsherMedia<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

WACKEN METAL BATTLE USA Opens Band Submissions One Band To Conquer Them All & Play…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":15989,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1022],"tags":[3295],"class_list":["post-15988","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-d70","tag-wacken-open-air"],"yoast_head":"\nNews: WACKEN METAL BATTLE USA Opens Band Submissions - Heaven's Metal Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/heavensmetalmagazine.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/13\/news-wacken-metal-battle-usa-opens-band-submissions\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"News: WACKEN METAL BATTLE USA Opens Band Submissions - 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