Iron Fortress Records presents the inaugural IRON FORTRESS DEATH FEST 2025, a full day of death metal depravity featuring a sample of the Iron Fortress label roster that is taking place in October.
The IRON FORTRESS DEATH FEST is a label showcase that highlights the supreme debauchery of what Iron Fortress Records has to offer and includes sets by Decedent, Chorus Of Demons, Hamarr, Swampgrave, Dysmorphia, 1 Body 6 Graves, Scab Hag, Ripped Open, Pissrot, Cell Intruder, Ectospire, and Cryptual.
IRON FORTRESS DEATH FEST will take place Saturday, October 18th at The Black Circle in Indianapolis, Indiana, beginning at 2:00pm. Tickets will be $30 day-of the event, but can be acquired for $20 in advance.
Ben DePaoli, sole owner and operator of Iron Fortress Records and this event, states, “It’s time to gather into the inner sanctum of the Iron Fortress and explore its stench ridden corridors! IRON FORTRESS DEATH FEST was put together to showcase the Iron Fortress Records label roster, which is chock full of young and underground death metal bands eager for bloodshed. I can’t wait to gather all these incredible bands into one cavernous day of death metal. Come hang out, watch some brutality, mingle with the bands and I, throw back some demon juice, and headbang until you need a pain pill for your newly formed spinal injury!”
View the full IRON FORTRESS DEATH FEST lineup below. Tickets are available now at THIS LOCATION.
IRON FORTRESS DEATH FEST Lineup: October 18th, 2025: Decedent Chorus Of Demons Hamarr Swampgrave Dysmorphia 1 Body 6 Graves Scab Hag Ripped Open Pissrot Cell Intruder Ectospire Cryptual
Wacken 2026 – we’re coming back! Powerwolf will return to the holy ground for a full headlining metal mass. It’s going to be louder and wilder than ever before!
A new gathering in the Pacific Northwestern heavy metal community arrives, as the inaugural edition of SOLDIERS OF STEEL FESTIVAL comes to Seattle this Friday, August 1st and Saturday, August 2nd.
SOLDIERS OF STEEL FESTIVAL is a showcase of American Pacific Northwest traditional heavy metal and adjacent bands old and new. Its maiden edition will feature sets from The Lord Weird, Slough Feg, Leather Leone (Chastain set), Q5, Twisted Tower Dire, Danava, Greyhawk, Hammer Head (exclusive first reunion show), Taist Of Iron, and more! The festival is presented by NW MetalFest, NW Metalworx Music, Nameless Grave Records, and BabeFinder General LLC.
Brandon Corsair of Nameless Grave Records and more, one of the co-promoters of the event, states, “We – the NW Metalworx guys, Amy from Solicitor, and myself – felt like the region was really lacking in a suitable heavy metal centered festival post-COVID, with the last I can think of being NW Metalfest II and Eliminator Festival in 2019. We have such a rich scene – both of great modern bands and classic ones that are still active – that a festival like this felt almost like it had to happen, and so, SOLDIERS OF STEEL FESTIVAL was born! We can’t wait for everyone to headbang to the lineup that we put together for this first edition of the festival. See you there!”
SOLDIERS OF STEEL FESTIVAL will take place at Substation in Seattle, Washington. View the full festival lineup below. Tickets are available now at THIS LOCATION.
SOLDIERS OF STEEL FESTIVAL Lineup:
August 1st, 2025: Slough Feg Q5 Danava Taist Of Iron Serpent Rider Coven Blade Rope
August 2nd, 2025: Leather Twisted Tower Dire Greyhawk Hammer Head Hellslaught Solicitor Silver Talon Time Rift I Am The Intimidator Colony Drop
A new gathering in the Pacific Northwestern heavy metal community has been unveiled, as the inaugural edition of SOLDIERS OF STEEL FESTIVAL has been confirmed for the first weekend of August in Seattle.
SOLDIERS OF STEEL FESTIVAL is a showcase of American Pacific Northwest traditional heavy metal and adjacent bands old and new. Its maiden edition will feature sets from The Lord Weird, Slough Feg, Leather Leone (Chastain set), Q5, Twisted Tower Dire, Danava, Greyhawk, Hammer Head (exclusive first reunion show), Taist Of Iron, and more! The festival is presented by NW MetalFest, NW Metalworx Music, Nameless Grave Records, and BabeFinder General LLC.
Brandon Corsair of Nameless Grave Records and more, one of the co-promoters of the event, states, “We – the NW Metalworx guys, Amy from Solicitor, and myself – felt like the region was really lacking in a suitable heavy metal centered festival post-COVID, with the last I can think of being NW Metalfest II and Eliminator Festival in 2019.
We have such a rich scene – both of great modern bands and classic ones that are still active – that a festival like this felt almost like it had to happen, and so, SOLDIERS OF STEEL FESTIVALwas born! We can’t wait for everyone to headbang to the lineup that we put together for this first edition of the festival. See you there!”
SOLDIERS OF STEEL FESTIVAL will take place August 1st and 2nd at the Substation in Seattle, Washington. View the full festival lineup below. Tickets are available now at THIS LOCATION.
SOLDIERS OF STEEL FESTIVAL Lineup:
August 1st, 2025: Slough Feg Q5 Danava Taist Of Iron Serpent Rider Coven Blade Rope
August 2nd, 2025: Leather Twisted Tower Dire Greyhawk Hammer Head Rick Pierce Group Solicitor Silver Talon Time Rift I Am The Intimidator Colony Drop
Celebrating 15 Years of mountain moshing in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, Armstrong MetalFest unveils its conquering 2025 lineup with BORN OF OSIRIS, HAVOK, GLYPH, RIOT CITY, THE BROWNING, VIRVUM and lots more from across Canada and beyond.
All tickets provide general admission and grant access to the festival grounds, camping area, and arena from 9:00 AM on Friday, July 11, 2025, until 10:00 AM on Sunday, July 13, 2025. Free camping is included.
Tickets will be mailed starting after March 1st if you have chosen the “Ticket Mailed” option.
Hosted on July 11th and 12th in Armstrong, BC at the Hassen Arena, this year’s two days of moshing, headbanging, and camping is a very special one as festival council members comment:
“The band council worked hard on this year’s lineup. I am so excited to have the Browning back. They were amazing on stage. I have been wanting to see Born of Osiris play live for years. I love them, and now I get to see them in my own little town.” – Heather Valstar, Vice President of West Metal Entertainment Society
“I’m really excited about the diversity of this year’s line-up. The selection team has really put in the work. There’s sure to be something for everyone: a great mix of trusted favorites and new additions to your playlist for the rest of the year!” – Kate Kutzner, President of West Metal Entertainment Society
“This year’s festival is a work of art! I can’t believe we are on the 15th year already. Time flies when you’re setting up a festival full of crushing riffs, soaring vocals and down right nasty beats. Life rules, bring on the summer!” – Festival Co-Founder / General Manager – Jessie Valstar.
Headlining opening night, Friday, July 11th, Denver thrashers HAVOK are no strangers to the mosh pits, these veterans have unleashed five studio albums – Burn (2009), Time Is Up (2011), Unnatural Selection (2013), Conformicide (2017), V (2020) – and recently surprised fans this past November with the EP “New Eyes”. Music Video – Death Is An Illusion – https://youtu.be/hkUgz-DeFAo
Also supporting the Friday night stage, the Pacific Northwest’s Glyph (ft. members fromGatekeeper, Greyhawk, Hjelvik), which is not just a heavy metal band, they are a crew of intergalactic mercenaries escaping a dying planet in their spaceship, the VSS Dragonlord. Clearly, Glyph isn’t just writing songs, they’re building worlds and they bring it forth in their latest album “Honor, Power, Glory” released in March 2024. Lyric Video – March of the Northern Clan (feat. Nathan Harrison) – https://youtu.be/htSyUb25wD4
Another highlight for Friday is the screaming heavy metal from Calgary’s speed demons Riot City, who bring forth theirsteel, spikes and leather! A youthful band that represent the new face of Canadian metal. An amalgam of ripping and hot heavy metal, created in pure and youthful madness, they’re bullet belts feature two full lengths “Electric Elite” (2022), “Burn The Night” (2019) and their latest live album “Live in Newcastle” (2023). Album Stream – Electric Elite – https://youtu.be/j3hA1nrG7M0
Saturday, July 12th will be headlined by international tour de force, progressive deathcore titans, Chicago’s BORN OF OSIRIS. The group is signed to Sumerian Records and has released seven full lengths and two EPs. Their album, A Higher Place, reached number 73 on the Billboard 200. Their second full-length album, The Discovery, debuted at 87 on the Billboard 200. The band unveiled their latest single “In Desolation” this past August. Visualizer – In Desolation – https://youtu.be/9OyMRRAq9fI
Also featured on Saturday is AMF alumni Kansas City’s THE BROWNING who will be unleashing their unique eclectic blend of electronicore and deathcore. This past November, they released their sixth album “OMNI” that features 10 powerful tracks, including collaborations with Nik Nocturnal and the eponymous song with THE DEFECT. Music Video – OMNI (feat. THE DEFECT) – https://youtu.be/VhyuduP3MdY
Performing for the first time at AMF and adding to the nostalgia of Saturday night, VIRVUM, progressive / technical death metal all the way from Zürich, Switzerland that many in Canada have been waiting a long time to witness. There’s no better place to see them along with the backdrop of the Canadian Rockies than at AMF 2025. The Cypher Supreme – https://youtu.be/9W9Kp38I9yY
Other to be treasured highlights of this year’s fest not to miss is Montreal, QC up and coming thrashers DROWNING IN BLOOD, who are notorious pit mongrels and have made quite a name for themselves in Eastern Canada. Vancouver’s GRAVEMASS,they might be a new band, but they feature some serious experienced metalheads from Zimmers Hole, West of Hell, The Golers, Punch Drunk, 3 Inches of Blood and Revocation. Switzerland’s technical death/black metal Stortregn, they deliver a mix of charging riffs, blast beats and brutality that leaves the listener begging for more.
The Defect is an electronic rock/metal project created by husband and wife duo – Jonny McBee (The Browning) and Moon McBee. Their debut album “Death X Destiny” was recently released on Feb 7th, 2025 under record label FiXT. From the Salish lands of Spokane, WA, Hísemtuks Hími•n introduce their Indigenous melodic black metal of hard hitting riffs, fast paced drumming and a lot of melody. This project has strong roots in the Spokane Tribe/Nez Perce. Most songs are about Native American mythology, history, and folklore.
AMF 2025 Lineup: Havok (Denver, CO) Born of Osiris (Chicago, IL) Glyph (Seattle, WA) Riot City (Calgary, AB) The Browning (Kansas City, KS) Virvum (Zürich, Switzerland) Atavistia (Vancouver, BC) Drowning In Blood (Montreal, QC) Convictions (Fremont, OH) Scalding (Vancouver, BC) Syryn (Calgary, AB) Stortregn (Geneva, Switzerland) The Defect (Kansas City, KS) Gravemass (Vancouver, BC) Lover (Calgary, AB) Yegg (Vancouver Island, BC) Hísemtuks Hími•n (Spokane, WA) The Spruce Moose (Edmonton, AB) Volt (Fort McMurray, AB) Jisei (Vancouver, BC) Nomad (Okanagan Valley, BC) Planetkiller (Kelowna, BC) Shackled To The Throne (Edmonton, AB) The Cadavor Dog (High River, AB) Famous Strangers (Edmonton, AB) Valley of Despair (Edmonton, AB) Naitaka (Kelowna, BC) FloodGate (Kelowna, BC)
Partners: WCMFA AlumaPro Welding & Fabrication Ltd Vox and Hops Rancho Vignola Creative BC Province of BC Shepherds Hardware Askews Foods ACE Containers Asher Media Relations Staggs Head Sunbelt Rentals Bravewords V13 Metal-Rules Absolute Underground Mag Broken Neck Radio Ghost Cult Magazine This Day In Metal Valstar Electric Voets
Avant-garde extreme metal act TRIPTYKON, the group fronted by singer/guitarist Tom Gabriel Warrior (Celtic Frost / Hellhammer / Triumph Of Death), announce long overdue vinyl re-press versions of their legendary first two albums EparisteraDaimones (2010) and MelanaChasmata (2014) via Prowling Death Records / Century Media Records.
Proven to be genre-redefining, modern milestones and more than ever relevant for the extreme Metal movement, the new TRIPTYKON vinyl versions will be available in their original packaging with cover art by H.R. Giger, as Gatefold 2LP editions on exclusive coloured 180g vinyl, each including two posters, printed inner sleeves (and 16 page LP booklet for Melana Chasmata) on May 2nd, 2025 in the following limited variants:
The Electric Highway Festival is excited to announce the full lineup for the 2025 edition of the Festival being held inCalgary, AB on April 4 & 5 at Dickens (1000 9 Ave SW).
Canadian veteran sludge metal band BISON headlines the whole festival while doom metal band CASTLE headlines Friday night. They will be joined by Southern California band FEVER DOG, and various Western Canadian bands including LA CHINGA, BUFFALO BUD BUSTER, THE GETMINES, 88 MILE TRIP, and more.
The Final Full Line Up by Day:
Friday, April 4, 2025 Castle (San Francisco/ Vancouver) Buffalo Bud Buster (Calgary) Blacksmith and Brewer (Vancouver)) CHÛNK (Vancouver) Hydracat (Edmonton) The Astral Prophets (Calgary) BUNS (Calgary) Doors 5pm – Show 6pm
Saturday, April 5, 2025 Bison (Vancouver) La Chinga (Vancouver) Fever Dog (Southern California) The Getmines (Vancouver) 88 Mile Trip (Vancouver) Lover (Calgary) GEOFF (Calgary) Doors 5pm – Show 6pm
Advance 2-day passes are available for $75. Advance single-day tickets are $40 for Friday and $45 for Saturday
The Electric Highway Festival hosts various genres that range from Desert Rock, Stoner Metal, Doom, Sludge, Trippy Psychedelic, Surf Rock, Acid Rock, Noise Rock, Fuzz Rock, Space Rock, Blues Rock, Heavy Psych, Heavy Blues, Southern Rock, Fuzzy Punk, Sludgy Hardcore bands and variations of any of the previously mentioned styles. The festival includes a vendor area with interesting goods for attendees to take home with them.
Previous editions of the festival featured one of the event’s past favorites Californian headliners Sasquatch, Juno Award-winning Canadian band ANCIIENTS, Vancouver’s La Chinga, Space Queen, Dead Quiet, and more, Gnarwhal from Yellowknife, NWT, Calgary’s Gone Cosmic, Hombre, Flashback among many more, and a whole host of other great bands.
CHAOS & CARNAGE 2025: DYING FETUS / CRADLE OF FILTH FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE / NE OBLIVISCARIS UNDEATH / VOMIT FORTH / CORPSE PILE
TOUR DATES: 04/17 Berkeley, CA @ UC Theatre 04/19 Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern 04/20 Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren 04/22 Albuquerque, NM @ El Rey Theater 04/24 Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater 04/26 San Antonio, TX @ Vibes Event Center 04/27 Houston, TX @ House of Blues 04/29 Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl 05/01 New York, NY @ Palladium Times Square 05/02 Richmond, VA @ The National 05/03 Reading, PA @ Reverb 05/04 Worcester, MA @ The Palladium 05/06 Montreal, QC CAN @ L’Olympia 05/07 Toronto, ONT CAN @ Rebel 05/08 Pontiac, MI @ The Crofoot 05/09 Chicago, IL @ Radius 05/10 Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom 05/12 Wichita, KS @ TempleLive 05/14 Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
Nestled in the badlands of Drumheller, AB, one of Canada’s loudest decibel-breaking open-air extreme music events, LOUD AS HELL FESTIVAL will host its 13th annual festivities from August 1st to 3rd, 2025.
Showcasing the best up-and-coming Canadian and international talent to roar through the country’s largest dinosaur fossil grounds, LAH has launched its early bird weekend passes.
This weekend pass grants you full access to all the headbanging, moshing, and metal mayhem that Loud As Hell Open Air has to offer. Don’t miss out on this limited-time offer!
The early bird weekend pass price is $140 CAD (this includes camping on-site). The weekend pass full price of $175 CAD will be in effect when the festival 2025 lineup is announced in the new year.
In additional news, LAH has revamped their website www.LoudAsHell.ca with a fresh new look and design, along with online shopping of LAH merch, pictures, and videos to reminisce of years past along with updated festival Information and FAQ section.
About: LOUD AS HELL OPEN AIR FESTIVAL has hosted hundreds of Canadian and international bands annually since 2012 with the exception of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During its decade of showcasing Canadian and international bands, the festival has grown into a pilgrimage for metalheads from across the country.
LOUD AS HELL OPEN AIR FESTIVAL 2025 will be celebrating its thirteenth festival event presented by Loud As Hell Productions, Jurassic Ink Custom Tattoo, Prairie Fire Events, and Asher Media Relations. LAH always works its hardest to deliver the best lineup in the West ready to melt your face off. Featuring bands from across Canada and beyond, you won’t want to miss any of it. And don’t forget about their freak shows, burlesque dancers, clinics, vendors, and dinosaurs!
After a successful return of Milwaukee Metal Festival in 2023, the iconic midwestern, multi-day event is now revealing the first wave of bands for what is already shaping up to be a diverse and hard hitting lineup!
MKE Fest co-organizer and Hatebreed frontman Jamey Jasta comments, “We’re extremely excited to have Milwaukee Metal Fest not only coming back for another insane year but this time around we have added power metal, more black metal, more doom and some other surprise elements that were not logistically possible last year. This is just the first of many announcements on the horizon and I can’t wait to see everyone in Milwaukee next May!”
Sound Talent Group’s Tim Borror adds, “Milwaukee Metal Fest 2023 was so awesome but more importantly, it’s a stake in the ground of how important and vital metal music is. Especially extreme metal! 2024 is going to be even more incredible. Come hang with us in May”
The current bands who will appear at next year’s edition are as follows:
MR. BUNGLE
BLIND GUARDIAN
SLAUGHTER TO PREVAIL
IN FLAMES
HATEBREED
DEICIDE
KATATONIA
KAMELOT
MARDUK
POSSESSED
METAL CHURCH
INCANTATION
SKINLESS
THE RED CHORD
HEATHEN
INTERNAL BLEEDING
EMBRYONIC AUTOPSY
EYES OF THE LIVING
& MANY MORE!
The festivities will kick off with a pre-party on May 16while the main festival will run May 17 – 19 at The Rave/Eagles Club in Milwaukee, WI and is promised to have bigger headliners, more food, vendors, live podcasts and other surprises!
The festival returned to prominence in 2023 under the watchful eye of Hatebreed frontman and podcaster Jamey Jasta and Sound Talent Group’s Tim Borror, as well as the team at The Rave / Eagles Club, where so many of the original festivals took place.
Early bird tickets are on sale now and available for a limited time! 1, 2 & 3 day options zero interest payment plans available at Etix.com
Fans can visit the official Milwaukee Metal Fest site and sign up for the mailing list for first access to information and exclusive content HERE.
Brace yourself, Austin! The city known for its vibrant music scene is about to get a new blitzkrieg of a bash. Announcing the first ever Austin Death Fest, a two-day death metal extravaganza set to reverberate through Austin on April 27th and 28th, 2024 at the Mohawk.
Today, the festival has announced WITCH VOMIT, MORTUOUS, MAUL, CIVEROUS, TORTURE RACK and LUNAR CHAMBER will be joining thepowerhouse lineup. Previously, headliners MORTIFERUM, OUTER HEAVEN, TOMB MOLD, and PHOBOPHILIC were announced.
The festival founder, Jason Dahlke, shares his vision: “The goal with Austin Death Fest is to showcase the best contemporary bands in the genre on one of the coolest stages Austin has to offer. So many of the bands on the lineup are churning out some of the best records in modern death metal and grinding it out in clubs or DIY venues, playing for the die hard fans of the culture. Paying homage to previous Austin festivals such as Chaos in Tejas, I wanted to bring back a festival that got people excited for what’s happening currently in the scene and hopefully inspire them to start up their own bands, start attending more local shows, and putting their passion into the scene to help it further grow.”
Austin Death Fest not only offers a platform to the greatest in contemporary death metal but also hopes to revive and grow the love for the genre within Austin’s eclectic community of music enthusiasts.
Mark your calendars, gather your crew, and prepare for a weekend of headbanging, electrifying riffs, and the raw energy that is the essence of death metal. Austin Death Fest is coming!
Currently, weekend passes are on sale at Early Bird pricing. Tickets can be purchased HERE. All Early Bird passes cover the entire weekend – two days of solid death metal! Single day passes will be made available at a later date.
About Austin Death Fest:
Founded by Jason Dahlke of LEFT TO ROT, Austin Death Fest is a new festival aiming to celebrate and grow the death metal community in Austin, Texas. With an inaugural lineup that promises a sensational experience, the festival seeks to be a cornerstone event for all death metal enthusiasts.
Tennessee Metal Devastation Music Fest is proud to unveil its lineup for its 2023 edition in Jackson, TN on October 14th. The lineup will feature the following:
Casket Robbery Raven Black Summoners Circle Fires In The Distance Autumn Lies Buried Blood Stained Dusk The Red Mountain Gravehuffer Tombstone Blue The Band Repent Temple Of The Fuzz Witch Crazy Mad Ride The Gunpowder Plot (Exact order and set times to be announced at a later date)
About: The Tennessee Metal Devastation Music Fest is a one-day heavy metal music festival held in West Tennessee. It features bands from all over the USA, along with numerous art, craft, and food vendors, and is the only event of its kind in the Jackson, TN area. The aim of the festival is to connect bands and artists with new fans and supporters. The festival organizers are paving the way in allowing the bands and artists to perform and sell their goods while keeping 100% of their merchandise revenue with no vending fees or merch cuts.
Official Sponsors: Dragonfly Hemp Company Lisa Adkins Photography & Marketing Black Doomba Records Dark Sails Entertainment Charlotte’s Mystical Web Sacred Adornments Reverie Compass The Herbal Connection (More spots available, contact us today!)
Media Sponsors: Pete’s Rock News And Views Asher Media Relations (More spots available, contact us today!)
Over 40 Food & Craft Vendors TBA! If you are interested in sponsoring the event or playing at next year’s event or have any questions regarding the event please send an email to submit@metaldevastationradio.com
Don’t forget to enter the raffle at the official Metal Devastation Music Fest Booth on October 14th and get a chance to win a brand new Ibanez guitar pictured below!
w/ RAZOR, WHIPLASH, SKULL FIST, WARSENAL, DROWNING IN BLOOD
This coming May 12th, Montreal, QC will be host to this city’s first-ever Piranha Pit Fest presented by Loudtrax, the one-stop online shop for everything swag from the biggest names in Loud Music.
Piranha Pit Fest will feature headliners RAZOR, the Canadian thrash legends who have been recognized as one of the country’s pioneers of the metal genre. RAZOR released their ninth studio album Cycle of Contempt this past September, making it their first album in 25 years. RAZOR will also be supported by another legendary thrash band, New Jersey’s WHIPLASH, one of the first American East Coast thrash metal bands of the 1980s to inspire many who followed in their footsteps. Also joining the lineup is the 2023 Juno nominated (Metal/Hard Music Album Of The Year) and international tour de force, Toronto’s high-flying heavy metal shredders SKULL FIST along with local Montreal moshers Warsenal and Drowning In Blood.
Piranha Pit Fest will be held at Piranha Bar 680 Sainte-Catherine St W, one of the city’s metal strongholds for extreme music events.
From all of us at Witherfall to all of you Dark Melodic Music Fans and Friends we wish you a very warm and intoixicated Christmas. (or insternt Holiday of Choice) For now we leave you with a Witherfall Festival Announcment: We are excited to be headlining this years All Things Metal Festival in Fort Worth Texas! Tickets are available Here http://ow.ly/6KlE50Mc6Xy
Canada’s premier melodic and power metal festival HYPERSPACE is proud to announce its full lineup for its 2023 edition being held on April 13-15 in Vancouver, BC at The Fox Cabaret and Rickshaw Theatre.
Joining the final lineup is Calgary’s speed demons Riot City, Atlanta power thrashers Paladin, power prog saviours Immortal Guardian, Denver fantasy heroes Celestial Wizard along with locals, epic metallers Atavistia, and one-man instrumentalist Zack Brannon.
EXMORTUS
The lineup also features previously announced headliners California melo-death warriors EXMORTUS, Edmonton Juno Award winners, and heavy metal champions STRIKER along with HMF alumni JUDICATOR and LORDS OF THE TRIDENT among many more for the three-night event. (festival day-by-day schedule listed below).
Unfortunately, Odinfist and Hrom have had to pull out of HMF4. There will be plans to welcome them again in future years.
Festival organizer Joey Hockin of Journeyman Productions adds:
“We’re excited to have our 2023 lineup complete. This fourth year of the fest is going to be another great gathering of metal’s best and upcoming power and prog-influenced bands. We look forward to seeing everyone making the trek to Vancouver this April.”
Saturday, April 15th (Rickshaw Theatre) Exmortus Judicator Lords Of The Trident Paladin Immortal Guardian Lutharo Hyperia
JUDICATOR
Over the three editions of Hyperspace Metal Festival, bands from all over the world have come to play power, prog, melodic death, and speed metal on the Canadian West Coast. The festival has presented lineups that have included performances by Into Eternity, Witherfall, Planeswalker, Iron Kingdom, Helion Prime, Ravenous, Crimson Shadows, West of Hell, Judicator, Odinfist, Tanagra, Scythia, Greyhawk, The Order of Chaos, Red Cain, and many more.
Wacken Metal Battle Canada announces its return in 2023 to cities across the country. Hosting battles from coast to coast since 2013, Wacken Metal Battle Canadaselects one unsigned Canadian band to perform on one of the world’s most prestigious stages and largest metal festival Wacken Open Air, with over 80,000 people in attendance, held in Wacken, Germany for over 30 years.
WMBC has been on pause since 2019, due to the Covid pandemic, and has hosted battles across Canada from 2013 until 2019, with one skip year in 2017.
Band submissions will open on November 29th at 6 AM PST and close on December 19th at 11:59 PM PST.
Battles will be hosted in the following cities:
Vancouver, BC, Edmonton, AB, Calgary, AB, Toronto, ON, Hamilton, ON, Ottawa, ON, Montreal, QC, and Quebec City, QC.
All bands will be performing in front of experienced music industry professionals who will be making judgments at each qualifying round based on various categories of professionalism and musicianship.
The National Final will be hosted in Toronto, ON in May 2023 (full date to be determined).
WMBC organizer JJ Tartaglia adds:
“Very stoked to be getting this going again after a long 3-year break. Our team is back together and excitement is in the air. Really curious to know what bands have been up to during this time, which new bands have formed, I know there are some hidden gems out there and hope to see them emerge for the Metal Battle.”
Wacken Metal Battle Canada 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 represent Canada in an international battle of the bands at the world’s largest outdoor metal festival: Wacken Open Air. The battles have been hosted at the festival for over a decade giving independent bands the opportunity to showcase their talents to an international audience along with the chance to win multiple prizes.
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 Canadian national final (date and city to be determined). The winner of the national final will move on to perform at the Wacken Open Air 2023 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.
On December 11th, 1982 – Billy Idol made his American Bandstand debut, where he performed his hits Hot in the City and White Wedding. Whoa, man! Above photo credit: American Bandstand.
On this day in 1987 – Comedy/Dark Comedy film Throw Momma From The Train was released to wide-screen theaters, via Orion Pictures. This film stars two of the funniest men of our time, with Danny DeVito and Billy Crystal. Kim Greist and (the late) Anne Ramsey (as Momma) also star.
On December 11th, 1991 – The fantasy film Hook was released to wide-screen theaters, via TriStar. The legendary Steven Spielberg directed this holiday season box office smash, as it starred the great and late Robin Williams as Peter Banning and Peter Pan. Dustin Hoffman portrayed Captain Hook and Julia Roberts portrayed Tinker Bell. The screenplay for Hook was written by James Hart and Malia Marmo.
On this day in 1993 – Guns N’ Roses entered the Billboard 200 Albums Chart at #4 with their covers album “The Spaghetti Incident?”. This would mark their last album to feature original members Slash on guitar and Duff McKagan on bass.
On December 11th, 2007 – Avenged Sevenfold performed a concert at the Rainbow Ballroom in Fresno, California. A7X were touring is support of their self-titled and 4th studio album.
NIKKI SIXX
Born on December 11th, 1958 wasNikki Sixx. Happy birthday, Nikki! Whoa! Nikki Sixx, a native Californian, is world-famous as the bass guitarist, songwriter and co-founding member of the super legendary Mötley Crüe. With 9 studio albums, several live albums and countless touring since 1981, Mötley Crüe have influenced and amazed fans of Heavy Metal and Hard Rock. Mötley Crüe’s very successful farewell tour has taken place for the better part of 2014.
Nikki Sixx has also seen his Hard Rock band Sixx:A.M. skyrocket, with fellow members band members James Michael and DJ Ashba. Sixx:A.M. have released three studio albums since 2007, with all three albums charting world-wide. The newly released Sixx:A.M. studio album is: Modern Vintage. This new album has peaked at #20 on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart, during 2014.
Nikki Sixx also boasts his highly successful nationally syndicated radio show: Sixx Sense.
Other notable bands that Nikki Sixx is a former member of: Brides Of Destruction, London, Sister and 58. Metal be thy name!
ZACKY VENGEANCE
Zacky Vengeance was born on December 11th, 1981, in Olympia, Washington. Happy birthday, Zacky! Yeah! Zacky Vengeance is globally famous as the co-founding member and rhythm guitarist for the powerful Avenged Sevenfold. As a self-taught and left-handed guitarist, Zacky Vengeance is also a co-songwriter and backing vocalist for A7X.
A7X have recorded six studio albums and one live album since 2001 and I personally credit this band for keeping the flame of Heavy Metal burning strong, during the Millennium Decade. One of the first band’s that Zacky was a member of was Society Down; a Crust/Punk band. Another pre-A7X band Zacky was a member of was Mad Porno Action aka MPA.
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Metal Odyssey's Rock, Hard Rock and Heavy Metal Hall of Fame! These Are The Rock And METAL Legends Wrongfully Ignored By "The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame"
Metal Odyssey > Heavy Metal Music Blog 
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