One band to rule them all! Toronto epic power/death metallers CRIMSON SHADOWS move forward to play the international finals of Wacken Metal Battle after winning last night's Canadian final in Toronto, ON that included some of the country's best, like VESPERIA, HOLLOW, DISSENSION and ADRENECHROME. 39 independent Canadian bands competed over nine qualifying rounds, three semi-finals and a national final that was judged by Glen Drover (ex-MEGADETH, KING DIAMOND), Martin Popoff (BW&BK;/HardRadio), Noel Peters (Inertia Entertainment), Adam Sewell (STEREO DYNAMITE RECORDS /MONSTER VOODOO MACHINE) and Rob Urbinati (SACRIFICE).

The Wacken Metal Battle international finals will be during this year's Wacken Open Air Festival from August 1st-3rd in Wacken, Germany, with Crimson Shadows playing alongside EVILE INVADERS (Belgium), INDUSTRIAL CITY (Georgia), ROTTEN SOULS (Central America), NIN TREASURES (China), SIV (Faroe Islands), KARMA ZERO (France), CHRONOSPHERE (Greece), KILL WITH HATE (Hungary), OPHIDIAN I (Iceland), OVEROTH (Ireland), BACKJUMPER (Italy), MYSTERIOUS PRIESTESS (Japan), LA CHUDRA (Lithuania), AN APPLE A DAY (Luxembourg), GNIDA (Poland), UTOPIUM (Portugal), GOD - THE BARBARIAN HORDE (Romania), TRALLERY (Spain), VENGHA (Sweden), BULL-RIFF STAMPEDE (UK), ROTTEN STATE (Uruguay) plus more to be announced.

Finalist info can be found at Metal-battle.com.

A free download compilation of competing bands is available here.

For more details visit Wacken.com.