Wacken Metal Battle USA set to make West Coast debut; Band Submissions for 2018 Now Open

After its inaugural edition which saw participation from Philadelphia and Boston, the Wacken Metal Battle USA is back, bigger and better! Its second edition will witness bands from various cities battle it out for one coveted spot to represent the USA in the global battle at Wacken Open Air 2018, and the USA battle is all set to makes its debut on the West Coast, with Los Angeles and San Diego already among the confirmed cities, along with Philadelphia, New York, Tampa Bay and Orlando. And what’s more, your favorite metal portal Metal Assault is not only a media partner for the event series, but has also been chosen as the city promoter for Los Angeles!

That’s right, we will be organizing, curating and hosting the preliminary rounds as well as the regional final round in LA in early 2018 (dates and venue to be announced). Winners from regional finals will advance to the national final, to be held in New York City, and of course, the winner of that will perform at the 29th Wacken Open Air, to compete against winners of 29 other countries in a final global battle, for one winner to be crowned champion of the world, along with winning multiple prizes! All bands will be judged during battle rounds by respected local music industry representatives. If you’re in a band and you have what it takes, submissions are now open! Visit the official WMB USA website (linked above) to apply now. Submission deadline is December 31 11:59 PM EST.

RULES

All bands that wish to participate in the Metal Battle must read the following rules and guidelines. Bands who send in an application automatically agree to the rules and terms.

● Your band doesn’t have a record deal and isn’t about to sign to a label in the near future.
● Your band can easily play a 25 minute set consisting of your own songs. (No Covers). Full set performance time is 25 mins.
● PA, lighting, and sound engineer will be provided for all bands.
● Backline arrangements TBC by local promoter.
● The bands must bring their own instruments such as guitars, bass, drum breakables, keyboards and effect pedals and may also bring and use their own guitar and bass amps.
● To keep the changeover times as short as possible, bands with left handed drummers will play as first or last band. All bands have to follow the directions given by the promoters or stage manager.
● Semi playback is not allowed. All bands must play live. Background orchestrations are permitted as long as all vocals, guitars and bass are live. Intros / interludes are also permitted.
● Jury of respected music industry folk will decide the winners each night.

If a band overruns its allotted performance-time, then the band members should be aware of the fact that their sound might be faded out. Time allotment on-stage will also be considered by the judges, who can give bands a lower score for not respecting the 25 minute schedule. The running order for the concert will be released a few days before the event takes place.

Please Note:

Travel costs for the winning bands to the USA Metal Battle National Final (as well as city/ regional/state final) is at their own expense.

Travel for the USA Metal Battle winning band to go to Germany is at their own expense.

Accommodations at the festival will be in the form of camping in the VIP area.
Full professional back line will be provided for performance.

TICKETING SYSTEM

Qualifying:
● Discounted advance tickets will be made available for the bands to buy, but not obligatory.
● Bands may sell those tickets to their fans for the price they choose. (No obligation to sell, but encouraged for good crowd)
● Walk-in Price TBC.

Semi-Finals:
● Discounted advance tickets will be made available for the bands to buy, but not obligatory.
● Bands may sell those tickets to their fans for the price they choose. (No obligation to sell, but encouraged for good crowd)
● Walk-in Price TBC.

Finals:
● Advance ticket price TBC.
● Walk-in price TBC.

Arrangements will be made with the bands by local city promoters directly to provide them with the tickets.

This ticketing system is in place for the following reasons:
● To ensure bands will perform in front of a good audience.
● Offers bands a chance to earn some money from their ticket sales.
● Ticket prices may differ from city to city.

JUDGING – EXPLANATION OF CATEGORIES FOR CRITIQUE OF BANDS

Overall Performance:
This would be how well the band gels onstage. Are they tight? Are they entertaining to watch? What is their level of showmanship?

Originality:
What does this band bring to the scene that’s new in respect to the genre they claim to represent?

Musicianship:
Does the band excel with musical prowess and abilities?

Image/Representation:
Is the idea of the band clear and focused. Does their image do a good job at representing their sound? Are they marketable?

Crowd reaction/Interaction:
Does the crowd seem to be enjoying the performance? Is the band putting an effort into communicating with the audience?

Time Efficiency Onstage:
Does the band balance the use of their time well between addressing the crowd between songs and performing? Do they take too long to set up or hinder the next band’s starting time because of changeover delays they’re responsible for?

GLOBAL METAL BATTLE PRIZES

The international jury will select 5 bands with a ranking from 1 to 5 out of all participating bands from the final round of the Metal Battle at the Wacken Open Air 2018.

1st Place

– Markbass Standart 104HF
– 5000€ from the Wacken Foundation
– Metal Ride 20
– T Shirt Paiste Logo
– Schecter Guitar, C-6 Deluxe
– Ernie Ball Guitar Strings (2 x)
________________________________

2nd Place

– Markbass Little Mark III 15th Anniversary
– 4000€ from the Wacken Foundation
– Metal Crash 18 und Metal Crash 17
– T Shirt Paiste
– Ernie Ball String Winder (electric)
– Ernie Ball Guitar Strings (2 x)
________________________________

3rd Place

– Markbass Compressore
– 3000€ from the Company Pohl-Boskamp
– Alpha Serie Becken 14 Metal Edge Hihat
– T Shirt Paiste
– Ernie Ball Tool Kit
– Ernie Ball Guitar Strings (2 x)
________________________________

4th Place

– Markbass Mark Stand
– 2000€ from the Wacken Foundation
– Metal Splash 10
– Paiste Hoodie
– Ernie Ball Guitar Belt (2 x)
– Marshall Headphones (5 x)
– Ernie Ball Guitar Strings (2 x)
________________________________

5th Place

– Markbass Bass Keeper
– 1000€ from the Wacken Foundation
– Paiste Hoodie
– T-Shirt Paiste Logo
– Ernie Ball Guitar Belt (1 x)
– Marshall Headphones (5 x)
– Ernie Ball Guitar Strings (2 x)

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