The Battle Begins: Wacken Metal Battle in Photos

Posted on March 22, 2018. Written by Montreal Rampage Team

Dumpster Mummy in action. Wacken Metal Battle. Photo Lawrence Sim.

Text and Photos Lawrence Sim

The Wacken Metal Battle Canada is part of an international competition where over a hundred bands 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.

In short, this is the “Olympics of Heavy Metal”, as one of the many bearded dudes in attendance last Friday night at Piranha Bar puts it. Canada apparently has a strong showing in the international battle in recent years, placing 1st in 2013 and 2015 and 2nd in 2016. Round one for the Quebec top spot proved to be a visceral and ear splitting affair. The four bands Distort Head, Ultyma, Dumpster Mummy, and Behind An Empire played, growled and screamed their hearts out. In the end, Dumpster Mummy, from Halifax took home the victory and moves onto the Quebec final which takes place on April 27 at the Piranha Bar in Montreal.