Wacken Metal Battle USA has announced its return in 2022 after two years of missed battles across America due to the Covid pandemic. For its last three years (2017-2019), 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 2022 will be the 31st edition of the festival and will be held from August 4th to 6th. The 2022 event is already sold out with a line-up that includes Slipknot, Till Lindemann (Rammstein), Judas Priest, Limp Bizkit, As I Lay Dying, Lacuna Coil, Danko Jones, Gwar, Death Angel, Tarja, and many more. Details here.

For over a decade at Wacken Open Air, independent metal bands from around the globe have been performing in front of thousands and competing against one another for one to be crowned champion of the international battle at the festival along with winning multiple prizes. For 2022, Wacken Metal Battle USA is returning to America and will be hosting qualifying rounds in select cities across the nation.

Current cities confirmed for 2022 battles are the following: 

Los Angeles, CA San Diego, CA Orange County, CA Sacramento, CA Oakland, CA San Francisco, CA Portland, OR Seattle, WA Phoenix, AZ Tucson, AZ Tampa Bay, FL Atlanta, GA Las Vegas, NV Austin, TX Corpus Christi, TX Dallas, TX Houston, TX Lubbock, TX San Antonio, TX El Paso, TX, and Akron, OH.

Battle Submissions:

Applications for 2022 will open on August 26, 2021 at 6AM PST and end on November 14, 2021 at 11:59PM PST. Bands interested in participating in 2022 battles can apply at MetalBattleUSA.com.

Concert promoters interested in hosting a Wacken battle in their city can apply here.

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 2022 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 for participating here.

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 30 years. The winner of Wacken Metal Battle USA will perform at the 2022 festival taking place from August 4 – 6th 2019’s national final was hosted in Los Angeles, CA and featured Dissentience (Winners, East Coast), Monarch (Winners, West Coast), Nahaya (Winners, Texas), Toxic Ruin (Winners, Chicago), Violence System (Winners, Atlanta) whom were selected from over a hundred bands that participated in battles across the USA. The national final battle was judged by a panel of metal industry that consisted of Alex Distefano (LA Weekly), Marco Barbieri (M-Theory Audio) and DJ Will (KNAC.COM).