For over a decade at the world’s largest outdoor metal festival 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 world along with winning multiple prizes (prizes info). For the third year, Wacken Metal Battle USA is returning to America and will be hosting qualifying rounds in select cities across the nation. The national champion of those battles will perform at 30th edition of the festival taking place from August 1st – 3rd, 2019 in Wacken, Germany. The 2019 line up for Wacken Open Air includes Sabaton, Parkway Drive, Demons & Wizards, Powerwolf, Airbourne, Rose Tattoo, Within Temptation, Meshuggah and many more. Details here.

Battles will be held in Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, Austin, Corpus Christi, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Orlando, New York City, and Chicago with more to be announced.

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 29 years. The winner of Wacken Metal Battle USA will perform at the 2019 festival taking place from August 1st-3rd.

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL W:O:A METAL BATTLE
The Metal Battle takes place for the 16th time in 2019. Since then it brings together the worldwide metal scenes at the Wacken Open Air. The contest supported several bands at their starting point of their career, e.g. Drone, Torture Squad, Battle Beast and Hammercult.

But not only for the bands the Metal Battle is a fantastic option to represent themselves. Although many countries joined the Metal Battle which the metal world didn’t pay much attention to before; even as these countries have a great metal scene as well. That’s the reason why the Metal Battle grew and more than 40 countries joined the competition. Countries like Canada, Mexico, South Africa, the Middle East, Bulgaria, China, Japan (just to name a few) entered this worldwide network to figure out one band that represents their local scene at the international final round at the Wacken Open Air.

Traditionally the final takes place at the WET Stage and the Headbanger’s Stage of the W:O:A. The bands do have the option to give hell to the audience of the biggest metal festival in the world and to show them what metal is about in their home country.

In the end the jury will select a “top 5” and the bands will be rewarded with material and cash prizes.

Also the Metal Battle final at the W:O:A will be a forum for all participating bands where they can get in touch with producers, manager, booking agents and labels. So the Metal Battle gives a chance to all participating bands to establish contacts which can be useful for their musical future.

Last year’s battles saw the best from over 50 competing bands from the Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, Orlando, San Diego and Los Angeles areas. Crowned champions were Anaheim’s VOICES OF RUIN whom performed a beast of a set at the 2018 Wacken Open Air.

2018 – WMBU Winner
VOICES OF RUIN (Anaheim, CA) – http://www.voicesofruin.com

2017 – WMBU Winner
CORPSE HOARDER (Philadelphia, PA) – https://www.facebook.com/CorpseHoarder/
Live at Wacken 2017 – https://youtu.be/Qy9qkb6Fmc8

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 25th, 2019. The winner of the national final will move on to perform at the 30th 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

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 city 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 costs for the USA Metal Battle winning band to go to Germany will be partially supported by WMBU.
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?

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 2019.

Prizes for all winners
PopXport, the TV music magazine of Deutsche Welle is our media partner of this year’s WOA Metal Battle. Every winning band will receive an exclusive interview and portrait of them on their website and channel which will be filmed at the WOA 2019. Every TV report will be broadcast in German and English and will be provided to the bands for promotional use.

1st Place
– Slot to play at the Full Metal Holiday Festival in Mallorca including flight and accommodation 
– 5000€ from the Wacken Foundation 
– Paiste – Metal Ride 20 
– A backdrop from 400 x 300 cm from Vision Backdrops (visionbackdrops.com ) 
– MARKBASS Standard 104HR 
– Marshall Fridge + 2 Marshall Jack Rack 
– W:O:A Metal Battle is proud to announce Brain Stock Footage House as a 
sponsor of the 2018 Metal Battle! 
The video production company owned by true metalheads will 
award a voucher for a free music video (worth 4000 EUR) to the 
winner of W:O:A Metal Battle 2018! 
Headquartered in Bulgaria Brain Stock Footage House provides 
outsourcing of high quality video and audio production for the 
right price! 
The company’s ethos of helping independent artists is aligned 
with the W:O:A Metal Battle traditions and through their 
sponsorship the winner of the 2018 battle will have one more 
invaluable opportunity to popularize their music! 
Find out more about Brain Stock Footage House on their 
website https://www.brainstockhouse.com/  
________________________________
2nd Place
– 4000€ from the Wacken Foundation
– Paiste – Metal Crash 20
– A voucher of 100 Euro to be used from Vision Backdrops
– MARKBASS Little Mark III 15th Anniversary
– 2 Marshall Jack Rack
________________________________
3rd Place
– 3000€ from the company Pohl-Boskamp
– Paiste – Metal Crash 17
– A voucher of 100 Euro to be used from Vision Backdrops
– MARKBASS Compressore
– 2 Marshall Jack Rack  
________________________________
4th Place
– 2000€ from the Wacken Foundation
– Paiste – Metal Edge Hats 14 Bottom and Top
– A voucher of 100 Euro to be used from Vision Backdrops
– MARKBASS Mark Stand
– 2 Marshall Jack Rack  
________________________________
5th Place
– 1000€ from the Wacken Foundation
– A voucher of 100 Euro to be used from Vision Backdrops
– MARKBASS Bass Keeper
– Paiste – Hoody and Tshirts
– 2 Marshall Jack Rack  
________________________________
ALL NATIONAL WINNERS (To Be Determined)

 

Wacken Open Air 2019 Promo - The Manamal Streaming Radio

Recently performing with the Dead Daises, the Michigan based band is no stranger to the rock music industry. With a multitude of performances at the Machine Shop for heavy hitting headliners (and headling shows of their own), Spiral Crush does one thing for certain, hook listeners with it's addictive sound. An honest 1980's/1990's vibe from guitar riffs and raw vocals, Spiral Crush draws the audiences with their habit forming hooks. No gimmicks, no smoke screens, just pure, unadulterated rock music.

Spiral Crush With catchy, hard-hitting riffs, heavy bass and relentless percussion, Spiral Crush is one of Michigan’s premier rock bands that cannot be ignored. Consistently delivering high-energy, unforgettable live performances, this band reminds us what loving and experiencing rock n’ roll is all about. Their sound is diverse and contains undertones of classic and alternative rock.

Consisting of brothers Shaun Smail (vocals, guitar) and Scott Smail (drums) along with longtime friend Jimmy Conrad (bass), this trio grew up together always knowing that music would be part of their past, present and future. They say that their shared passion for music, from writing to performing, is one of the many reasons why they work and play so well together.

The band independently released their self-titled debut album in 2001 before Scott and Shaun joined another band, Throttlebody, in 2004. With Throttlebody in full swing the Smail brothers decided to end Spiral Crush and concentrate on their new band. However, just as Throttlebody was starting to really gain a following, two of their members, Andy Patalan and Kyle Neely, got the call to Join the Platinum selling band, and Detroit native, SPONGE. It was time to move on.

In 2007, the guys came back together with a new bass player and childhood friend Jimmy Conrad and released their second album, Nothing To Lose. The album showcased their in-your-face rock n’ roll and was well-received by Detroit rock stations 89x and WRIF 101.1
In 2011, after countless live performances the band took a hiatus. While they stilled played shows occasionally they did not write or record any new material. Instead Spiral Crush took to playing many well paying gigs as a cover band. Finally in 2014, after admitting to themselves that they had been swept up in the cover band scene, because it paid so well and getting paid to play music is AWESOME, they once again decided that writing and playing original material is their true passion.

In 2015 Spiral Crush released their 3rd full length CD of original material. The album titled Electric Life showcases some of the bands best work as well as their growth as songwriters and musicians.

Spiral Crush continues to build a reputation as an aggressive and impressive live act that is hard to follow!

Spiral Crush releases new song "Magnum"
An infusion of rock from yesterday and today with a blast of lyrical grit and honesty. Spiral Crush is obliterating the air waves with their new song "Magnum".

Spiral Crush Promo 2018

Up and coming UK rockers City of Thieves will release their debut album "Beast Reality" on October 12th via Frontiers Music Srl.  The debut album was produced by Toby Jepson and the band, and is one of the best debuts in some time.

BAND MEMBERS:

Jamie Lailey: bass and lead vocals

Will Richards: drums

Ben Austwick: guitars

GENRE: Hard Rock | Metal 

FOR FANS OF: AC/DC, Airborne, Blackstone Cherry, Inglorious, Wayward Sons.

Since making their live debut at Camden Rocks Festival in May 2015, the buzz has been spreading about City Of Thieves – no frills, no messin' around, no gimmicks – it is heavy rock in it’s purest form and will send you straight to the front of the stage with no nonsense sledgehammer riffs, hooks and melodies.

Working with acclaimed artist and producer Toby Jepson (Wayward Sons, Little Angels, The Answer), City Of Thieves frontman/bassist Jamie Lailey knew at an early stage the band wanted to take rock by the scruff of its neck and give it a good shake. "We knew what we wanted to do, we'd been devouring the songwriting and if we were inclined, we could have released a ton of material out of the gate. Toby took what we had and refined it. I'm glad we sat back and digested things with him, it was a major turning point for the band."

With Jepson at the helm, Mike Fraser on mixing duties and mastering by Simon Francis (Kodaline, Kaiser Chiefs, Primal Scream) the vision of this new material was in the best of hands. When asked what he thought about City Of Thieves, Mike Fraser simply replied "Killer band...Killer songs". This is not a throwaway comment, this is from a true craftsman whose worked on albums for Metallica, AC/DC, Slipknot, Aerosmith and more.

So what about the songs? "The new material has bags of groove, different speeds and attitude. We mix it up but keep it genuine and made sure everything flows. Why play something that's monotonous, I'm not saying we're reinventing the wheel but if you think your own music is boring, why inflict that on your audience?" says Will Richards (drums). "We can't wait to unleash the other tunes and get on the road to play live" chips in Lailey.

With Planet Rock Radio play listing 'Incinerator' and festival & shows to be announced - City Of Thieves released their debut EP in September 2015 and the 1st album scheduled to be unleashed in October 2018 on Frontiers Music Srl.

These guys aren't just here to steal your soul for the love of rock n' roll...they're here to DEVOUR it. Tune in, turn it up...we'll see you down the front.

City Of Thieves Web

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City Of Thieves Promo 2018

Over 10 years ago, fresh on the Greenville, NC rock scene came Stairwell. Pulling from all scopes of music their originals are a true testament to who they are. With radio friendly rock songs and meaningful lyrics, they have made a permanent mark on the Greenville music scene for years to come.

Stairwell BIO
 
Stairwell is based out of Greenville, NC.  As all bands, they started out as a cover band and have grown into what they feel is their true original sound. Stairwell is comprised of: Fred Watkins on bass, Shawn Pierce on drums, Jamie Rawls on rhythm/lead, Mark Richardson on lead/rhythm, and Jeremy Monette on lead vocals. Stairwell pulls from all scopes of music: Alternative, Pop, Rock, 80's hair metal. Since forming in 2006, they have strived to get their music heard by listeners everywhere.  Stairwell released their first national sound quality album the self titled "Stairwell" on Sept 24, 2010.  Their sophomore album “Undermining the Silver Lining” was released September 19, 2014 showing a very wide range of musicality. They have opened for several national acts such as Collective Soul, Pop Evil, Sponge, Saving Abel, Nonpoint, Gemini Syndrome, Fuel, Jerrod Neimman, Framing Hanley, Blackberry Smoke, & home-town favorites Parmalee.
Stairwell has toured all over North Carolina, Virginia, and South Carolina and is broadening their horizon everyday.  Stairwell has performed in numerous cities and for numerous benefits. They have also been featured and had their music played form several stations across North Carolina. From Rock 105.5 WXQR on the coast to 99.5 WXNR in eastern NC.  They have also done several acoustic “in-house” shows for these stations and local college radio.

A note from Stairwell:
 
We are a rock and roll band. Nothing more. Nothing less. We make music that we love to play. We pride on giving our songs a meaning. We strive to be different than the normal. We want to play and we want to be heard. We have over 500 shows on our roster and have been playing for over six years.  We are a tight act; we always get positive responses from new places that we play, whether it is from the club owners, the staff, or the fans. We work the crowd, put on high energy shows and are very professional.  We promote all of our shows and work with club owners on pricing.  It’s a tough economy right now and in order to keep rock music alive we need to work together.
 
Check out our originals, at www.facebook.com/StairwellOfficial or you can check us out at ReverbNation at www.reverbnation.com/stairwellmusic.
 
Music is available on iTunes, Amazon, CDBaby.com and several other digital distributors.

iTunes
eMusic
Napster
CD Baby
myspace.com/stairwellnc
twitter.com/StairwellNCFan
stairwellrock.com
twitter.com/StairwellNC
www.facebook.com/StairwellOfficial
facebook.com/pages/page/198911524987
www.reverbnation.com/stairwellmusic

STAIRWELL PLACES IN TOP 15 OF "SIGN ME TO" ROAD RUNNER RECORDS!!!!!” Greenville Times

“Your album rocked so much we added your songs "Truth is Shown" and "Blind and Ignorant" to our regular rotation (not just specialty rock shows)!”SIMON, ALEX, GEMMA - 96.7 FM THE PHOENIX

“STAIRWELL ALWAYS PUTS ON A GOOD HIGH ENERGY PERFORMANCE” BLANDO - 99.5FM WXNR

“STAIRWELL BAND PICKED TO BE IN TOP 50 OF GUITAR CENTERS "YOUR NEXT RECORD" WITH SLASH” Paula Ryand - G-Vegas Magazine

“I really like "Truth Is Shown". Are you guys signed to a label?” Sweetwater Sound

“DUDES! the new recordings sound killer!” Strongtone Media

“Hey guys...Your sound just rocks.” Xfactorygear.net

Like Stairwell, join them on ReverbNation and buy their music
www.reverbnation.com/stairwellmusic

 
For booking information contact:
Jeremy Monette
stairwellnc@gmail.com
(252) 229-2249

The Manamal Streaming Radio - "Stairwell is a extremely versatile band, whom you could put on a country, rock, or prog metal stage, and they would sound great playing there!"
"Stairwell fits into multiple genres, whether you like rock or metal they will be there"

Stairwell promo 2018