The 31st edition of the Wacken Open Air, which will take place from the 30th of July until the 1st of August 2020, is sold out after less than a day. The advance sale of the 75,000 tickets had traditionally started after the festival at midnight on Monday, August 5th. Fans from 83 countries have purchased tickets.
“We are stoked that tickets for the Wacken Open Air 2020 have again sold out in a sensationally short period of time”, comments festival founder Thomas Jensen. “The great success of this year’s anniversary edition and our announcement of the first bands for next year have obviously convinced our fans that they can rely on us for which we are extremely thankful. Well, it also might be that the reason for this humbling vote of confidence is that metal god Rob Halford will celebrate 50 years of JUDAS PRIEST in Wacken.”
“It is our declared goal to create an even greater festival every new year,” adds festival founder Holger Hübner. “We can only thank our fans wholeheartedly for relying on our experience to put together another exciting band billing. Of course, metal music always comes first, but also the supporting program will again offer innovations. We will make every effort to live up to the advance praise of this quick sell-out.”
The Promoters point out that no third-party tickets should be purchased – with the exception of the official travel partners listed under the following link: www.wacken.com/en/all-information/official-travel-partners
The Wacken Open Air has already announced the following bands for the coming 31st edition of the festival in 2020: JUDAS PRIEST, AMON AMARTH, MERCYFUL FATE, AT THE GATES, VENOM, HYPOCRISY, SODOM, DEATH ANGEL, SICK OF IT ALL, BEAST IN BLACK, NERVOSA, CEMICAN
JUDAS PRIEST will celebrate “50 Heavy Metal Years” at the Holy Ground. It will be an honour to welcome the legendary British band for the fourth time. Swedish Metal Vikings AMON AMARTH first played at the Wacken Open Air in 1999 and will perform here for the ninth time next summer. MERCYFUL FATE are considered a classics in the history of metal and in Wacken frontman King Diamond will resturn to the stage after a long absence. AT THE GATES have laid the foundation for melodic death metal of the Gothenburg style and have thus shaped the whole genre. The Swedes’ cult album “Slaughter Of The Soul” from 1995 will be celebrated with a special show in Wacken. Their compatriots HYPOCRISY recorded a timeless live document in 1998 at the fesival and will finally be back in Wacken after an artistic break.VENOM have given the extreme style of black metal its dark name – their eponymous album. The uncompromising trio led by vocalist Cronos will strive to be “Too Loud for the Crowd” again. SODOM are a household name for thrashers around the globe. The band from Germany’s Ruhr area has reunited with guitarist Frank Blackfire and will celebrate their milestone classic from 1989 with a special “Agent Orange” set in Wacken. DEATH ANGEL are also being named as thrash icons, but belong to the so-called Bay Area scene, which has produced Metallica among other great bands. The unconventional Americans will enrich the Wacken Open Air next year as well as SICK OF IT ALL, who have decisively influenced the New York hardcore style and straight to the point fierceness. Traditional metalheads will definitely have fun watching Finland’s BEAST IN BLACK. The young Brazilians NERVOSA represent the next thrash generation. CEMICAN appear in the new trailer and were also on stage during the live announcement of the new bands. With their mixture of traditional instruments and hard metal, this Mexican band represents the culture of the Maya and Aztecs, who will be thematically present at the Wacken Open Air 2020 … in a culinary sense, in pictures, shows, and sounds. We can already reveal that much: You will be amazed.
See you in Wacken 2020 – rain or shine!
For more information, please check: wacken.com
About Wacken Open Air
Wacken Open Air is the largest heavy metal festival worldwide. Founded in 1990, its original attendance of 800 visitors has grown to more than 75,000 fans from all around the globe each year. For a handful of days, the village of Wacken with its roughly 2,000 inhabitants is turning into the third largest city of the state of Schleswig-Holstein. The ICS Festival Service GmbH as long-standing festival organiser is combining music related business areas such as band management, the “Wacken Foundation”, tour booking, music publishing, metal travel, merchandising, and ticketing. In cooperation with diverse partner companies, this network is the source of creative solutions and ideas that revolutionise each visitor’s festival experience, creates technical innovation and produces extraordinary event concepts such as the Full Metal Cruise or the Wacken Winter Nights. This year’s Wacken Open Air will take place from the 30th of July until the 1st of August 2020. Further information can be found at www.wacken.com.
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The Danish thrash/power concept masters in MANTICORA have been confirmed to play at the World’s largest heavy metal festival, WACKEN OPEN AIR in 2019!It is the second time, the band plays at the legendary festival – last time was in 2012, where MANTICORA played an awesome set in the Bull-tent.Guitarist, Kristian Larsen states:We are absolutely stoked and super-thrilled to join the club of bands that have played at Wacken several times. It’s not really something that happens to a lot of Danish bands, so for us it shows that the Wacken promoters have liked the huge concept of our new album and novel enough to put us on the fantastic roster in the Holy Land next year!! It’s fantastic that more and more promoters are seeing the light!We are looking forward to play some of our new songs for the fans, as well as some of our good old tunes.After receiving fantastic feedback for their new album “To Kill To Live To Kill”, and having torn up the North American continent live, as support for Persefone in August and September, MANTICORA are also ready to pound Europe on their upcoming 4th European headliner tour, happening already on the spring.The tour, which will see the band again visiting a large part of Western Europe and Scandinavia will be taking place in March and the band promises to step it up on all parameters, when meeting the fans eye to eye.-MANTICORA have released 8 critically acclaimed albums (and a 334 page novel), since 1999, and toured numerous times around Europe as well as in North America + played at prestigious festivals, such as Wacken Open Air, Sweden Rock Festival, ProgPower USA, etc.Line-up: Kristian Larsen – guitars Lars F. Larsen – vocals Stefan Johansson – guitars Sebastian “Ceppe” Andersen – bass Danni Jelsgaard – drums
Discography:
Roots Of Eternity (1999)
Darkness With Tales To Tell (2001)
Hyperion (2002) 8 Deadly Sins (2004)
The Black Circus – part 1 (2006)
The Black Circus – part 2 (2007)
Safe (2010)
To Kill To Live To Kill (2018)
Bibliography:
To Kill To Live To Kill (2018)
Manticora Live:
European Tour 2019, featuring Loch Vostok and Hexed:
01.03.2019: DK – Viborg, Viborg Metal Festival*
07.03.2019: DE – Hamburg, MarX
08.03.2019: DE – Karlsruhe, Substage
09.03.2019: FR – Paris, La Boule Noire
10.03.2019: UK – London, The Underworld Camden
12.03.2019: FR – Lyon, Ninkasi Kao
13.03.2019: IT – Milano, Barrio’s Live
14.03.2019: DE – München, Backstage
15.03.2019: NL – Hoofddorp, Podium Duycker
16.03.2019: DE – Essen, Turock
06.04.2019: DK – Copenhagen, Kometen
More dates to be announced…Additional dates:
03.05.2019: NO – Karmøy, Karmøygeddon festival
02.08.2019: DE – Wacken, Wacken Open Air
* = Not Hexed
Manticora online:
www.facebook.com/manticoraband
Manticora Video links:
“Echoes Of A Silent Scream”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhqZtxtqAoQ&list=RDYhqZtxtqAoQ&start_radio=1
“From The Pain Of Loss…” (2010 video from the album “Safe”) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stxeF6tYicc
Manticora Labels:
ViciSolum Records
Marquee/Avalon (Japan/Korea)
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The Danish thrash/power concept masters in MANTICORA have been confirmed to play at the World’s largest heavy metal festival, WACKEN OPEN AIR in 2019!It is the second time, the band plays at the legendary festival – last time was in 2012, where MANTICORA played an awesome set in the Bull-tent.Guitarist, Kristian Larsen states:We are absolutely stoked and super-thrilled to join the club of bands that have played at Wacken several times. It’s not really something that happens to a lot of Danish bands, so for us it shows that the Wacken promoters have liked the huge concept of our new album and novel enough to put us on the fantastic roster in the Holy Land next year!! It’s fantastic that more and more promoters are seeing the light!We are looking forward to play some of our new songs for the fans, as well as some of our good old tunes.Please use the attached artwork for eventual updates on news pages.-After receiving fantastic feedback for their new album “To Kill To Live To Kill”, and having torn up the North American continent live, as support for Persefone in August and September, MANTICORA are also ready to pound Europe on their upcoming 4th European headliner tour, happening already on the spring.The tour, which will see the band again visiting a large part of Western Europe and Scandinavia will be taking place in March and the band promises to step it up on all parameters, when meeting the fans eye to eye.-MANTICORA have released 8 critically acclaimed albums (and a 334 page novel), since 1999, and toured numerous times around Europe as well as in North America + played at prestigious festivals, such as Wacken Open Air, Sweden Rock Festival, ProgPower USA, etc.
Line-up:
Kristian Larsen – guitars
Lars F. Larsen – vocals
Stefan Johansson – guitars
Sebastian “Ceppe” Andersen – bass
Danni Jelsgaard – drums
Discography:
Roots Of Eternity (1999)
Darkness With Tales To Tell (2001)
Hyperion (2002) 8
Deadly Sins (2004)
The Black Circus – part 1 (2006)
The Black Circus – part 2 (2007)
Safe (2010)
To Kill To Live To Kill (2018)
Bibliography:
To Kill To Live To Kill (2018)
Manticora Live:
European Tour 2019, featuring Loch Vostok and Hexed:
01.03.2019: DK – Viborg, Viborg Metal Festival*
07.03.2019: DE – Hamburg, MarX
08.03.2019: DE – Karlsruhe, Substage
09.03.2019: FR – Paris, La Boule Noire
10.03.2019: UK – London, The Underworld Camden
12.03.2019: FR – Lyon, Ninkasi Kao
13.03.2019: IT – Milano, Barrio’s Live
4.03.2019: DE – München, Backstage
15.03.2019: NL – Hoofddorp, Podium Duycker
16.03.2019: DE – Essen, Turock
06.04.2019: DK – Copenhagen, Kometen
More dates to be announced…Additional dates:
03.05.2019: NO – Karmøy, Karmøygeddon festival
02.08.2019: DE – Wacken, Wacken Open Air* = Not Hexed
Manticora online: www.manticora.dk www.facebook.com/manticoraband
Manticora Video links: “Echoes Of A Silent Scream”:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhqZtxtqAoQ&list=RDYhqZtxtqAoQ&start_radio=1
“From The Pain Of Loss…” (2010 video from the album “Safe”) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stxeF6tYicc
Manticora Labels:
Marquee/Avalon (Japan/Korea)
Manticora Publishing: Enorm Music GmbH
Marquee Music Publishing Ltd (Japan/Korea)
Manticora Endorsement: Engl Amplifiers
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2018 Wacken Metal Battle Canada Champions: Centuries of Decay
Video of Winner Announcement: https://www.facebook.com/MetalBattleCanada/videos/1211679585636178/
Free Download – Vol 5. Compilation featuring over 3 Hours of Canadian Metal – here.
Wacken Metal Battle Canada Promo Video: http://youtu.be/gQcxqsxchkQ
Wacken Metal Battle Canada is proud to announce this year’s 2018 National Final winner Toronto’s CENTURIES OF DECAY. Hosted on June 9th at The Opera House in Toronto, ON, the national final that sends one independent Canadian metal band to perform at Wacken Open Air in Wacken, Germany witnessed the best of the West, Calgary’s HAMMERDRONE face off against the beast of the East, Toronto’s CENTURIES OF DECAY. The two top bands from over 70 that participated this year from across the country unleashed their own brutal assault upon the national final crowd winning over fans and judges. Only one could be crowned by the panel of metal industry consisting of Gustavo Valderrama (Electric Flow, Navaja Music), Andrew Epstein (Zombitrol, Alan Cross’ A Journal of Musical Things), Charlie Felix (Sound & Noise, Live Talent), Oscar Rangel (Operus, Ex-Annihilator), Wojtek Sokolowski (Wacken Metal Battle Canada), Luc Lainé (CFLX 95.5FM). CENTURIES OF DECAY will now move on to perform on the Headbanger Stage on August 1st at 1:55pm local time to represent the nation at the international Metal Battle just before Wacken Open Air officially begins from August 2nd to 4th. CENTURIES OF DECAY also join the list of previous Canadian winners Hamilton’s Profaner (2016), Oshawa’s Vesperia (2015), Montreal’s Mutank (2014) and Toronto’s Crimson Shadows (2013).
Wacken Metal Battle Canada organizer JJ Tartaglia comments:
“Very happy with the result of the Final. Looking forward to sending off Centuries Of Decay to the metal holy land, I’m confident they will make us proud.”
The national final was combined with this year’s 2nd annual Boonsdale Fest with Borealis, Operus, Mokomokai presented by Boonsdale Records also organized by WMBC founder JJ Tartaglia. This year’s 5th battle edition of Wacken Metal Battle Canada was hosted in nine cities across the country (Full List of 2018 battles and participating bands can be found here).
2018 Wacken Metal Battle Canada Finalists: Hammerdrone & Centuries of Decay
2018 Wacken Metal Battle Canada: Centuries of Decay w/ Judges
About:
Wacken Metal Battle Canada is part of an international competition where over a hundred band’s from across the country battle each other for one to be selected and join over 20 other countries for an international battle of the bands at the world’s largest outdoor metal festival Wacken Open Air, which has been taking place in Wacken , Germany for the last 28 years.
Wacken Metal Battle 2014 Canada Finals by Ondeschocs.com: http://youtu.be/RrOGyBtqwaQ
For more info on Metal Battle Canada, please visit these links:
Official Website: http://www.metalbattle.ca
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MetalBattleCanada
Twitter: @MetalBattleCAN
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/WackenMetalBattleCAN
For more info on Wacken Open Air, please visit http://www.wacken.com
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Wacken Metal Battle USA Promo Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_xjt8Qp3TE
FREE DOWNLOAD – Wacken Metal Battle USA – 2018 MoshPit Sampler featuring 3 hrs of headbanging metal!
https://metalbattleusa.bandcamp.com/album/wacken-metal-battle-usa-2018-moshpit-sampler
Wacken Metal Battle USA is proud to announce the 2018 American champion California’s VOICES OF RUIN. From over 50 competing bands in this year’s qualifying battles, VOICES OF RUIN along with Philadelphia’s EYES OF THE LIVING and Florida’s WITHERING EARTH shared the stage in the top 3 national final hosted in Los Angeles this past weekend on May 26th at The Viper Room. Judged on various criteria by metal industry representatives Marco Barbieri (M-Theory Audio), Lloyd Grant (Metallica) and Bill Metoyer (Producer – Slayer/Bitch), VOICES OF RUIN unleashed an assault worthy to be selected and to perform at Wacken Open Air. VOICES OF RUIN will now headbang on Wacken Open Air’s Wet Stage for the festival’s global competition of independent metal bands for a chance to be crowned the international champion along with winning multiple prizes from the organization and their partners (prizes info). Wacken Open Air, the world’s largest outdoor metal festival will be taking place from August 2nd – 4th in Wacken, Germany.
Wacken Metal Battle USA organizer Jon Asher comments:
“This year’s American battles witnessed Wacken Metal Battle USA’s expansion to more cities, more bands and more metal! I’m always excited to see who will be the king of the ring from all the bands participating. I want to thank all the bands for entering and performing in the competition, all the judges and city promoters plus all our partners that helped spread the word and making our 2nd year an amazing event. We’re looking forward to next year and sending more independent American metal to Wacken!”
During the months of March and April over 50 bands competed in Wacken Metal Battle USA qualifying rounds hosted in Los Angeles, San Diego, Philadelphia, Orlando and Tampa Bay. Full list of participating bands can be found at www.metalbattleusa.com. The 2017 battles saw the best from the Philadelphia and Boston areas, Corpse Hoarder, Goblet, Power Theory, and Upheaval perform in the national final. Crowned champion was Philadelphia’s Corpse Hoarder whom performed a furious set at Wacken Open Air. Watch live video of their Wacken set at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qy9qkb6Fmc8
About:
Wacken Metal Battle USA is part of an international competition that sees bands from across the country battle each other for the chance of winning their spot among 29 other countries’ champions, and representing the USA in an international battle of the bands at the world’s largest outdoor metal festival: Wacken Open Air, which has been taking place in Wacken, Germany for the last 28 years. The winner of Wacken Metal Battle USA will perform at the 2018 festival taking place from August 2nd – 4th.
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 in Los Angeles on May 26th, 2018. The winner of the national final will move on to perform at the 29th edition of Wacken Open Air, and compete against the winners of 29 other countries in a final global battle. All bands will be judged during battle rounds by respected local music industry representatives.Rules: https://metalbattleusa.com/rules/
For more info on Wacken Metal Battle USA, please visit these links:
Official Website: http://www.metalbattlusa.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/metalbattleusa
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/metalbattleusa
For more info on international battle, please visit: http://www.metal-battle.com
For more info on Wacken Open Air, please visit http://www.wacken.com
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Free Download – Vol 5.
Compilation featuring over 3 Hours of Canadian Metal – here.
Wacken Metal Battle Canada Promo Video: http://youtu.be/gQcxqsxchkQ
It’s coming down to the wire for this year’s 2018 Wacken Metal Battle Canada national final, where one band will be crowned Canadian champion and represent the nation at the international metal battle at the world’s largest metal festival Wacken Open Air in Germany. For this year’s 5th national final, WMBC organizer JJ Tartaglia, whom also runs Boonsdale Records is bringing together two passions as one at the 2nd annual Boonsdale Fest.
Tartaglia comments:
“This is all part of the new strategy to minimize travel for the Metal Battle finalists and to have them play to a packed venue. I’m happy to say that Boonsdale Fest 2018 is looking very promising. The idea is to keep growing it year after year and eventually move it to an outdoor location. We want to fill the gap of an open air metal festival in Toronto and we want it to have some of that spirit of Wacken!”
This year’s 2018 Boonsdale Fest will be held on June 9th at the Opera House in Toronto, ON and will feature bands Borealis, Operus, Mokomokai, Hammerdrone (WMBC Western finalist) and the soon to be announced WMBC Eastern finalist.
Event Details:
Boonsdale Fest 2018
Saturday, June 9th @ Opera House, Toronto
Featuring:
Borealis
Operus
Mokomokai
Hammerdrone (Metal Battle Western Finalist)+ Metal Battle Eastern Finalist TBA
Event Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/1635420189827650/
From 2013 to 2016, Wacken Metal Battle Canada has crowned previous winners Hamilton’s Profaner (2016), Oshawa’s Vesperia (2015), Montreal’s Mutank (2014) and Toronto’s Crimson Shadows (2013) to play Wacken Open Air.
Full List of 2018 battles and participating bands in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City can be found here.
Remaining Battle Rounds:
Quebec Final Venue: Piranha Bar (680 Saint-Catherine St W.)
Event Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/236223013621597/
Bands: Dumpster Mummy http://dumpstermummy.bandcamp.com – MTL Round 1 WINNER
Sovereign Council http://sovereigncouncil.bandcamp.com – Ottawa WINNER
Skullmace http://skullmace.bandcamp.com – MTL Round 2 Winner
Nordheim http://www.facebook.com/nordheimofficial – Quebec City Winner
Eastern Final
Date: Saturday, May 12
Venue: Piranha Bar (680 Saint-Catherine St W.)
Event Link: TBA
Bands: Lutharö http://www.facebook.com/Lutharoband
Centuries of Decay http://www.centuriesofdecay.com
About:
Wacken Metal Battle Canada is part of an international competition where over a hundred band’s from across the country battle each other for one to be selected and join over 20 other countries for an international battle of the bands at the world’s largest outdoor metal festival Wacken Open Air, which has been taking place in Wacken , Germany for the last 28 years.
Wacken Metal Battle 2014 Canada Finals by Ondeschocs.com: http://youtu.be/RrOGyBtqwaQ
For more info on Metal Battle Canada, please visit these links:
Official Website: http://www.metalbattle.ca
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MetalBattleCanada
Twitter: @MetalBattleCAN
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/WackenMetalBattleCAN
For more info on Wacken Open Air, please visit http://www.wacken.com
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