Bands: Win a record deal with NUCLEAR BLAST and play WACKEN

Info for this year's metal battle below. Good chance for an Irish band to get signed by a big label.

2012 Wacken Metal Battle Ireland Gives Irish Bands the Chance to Sign with Nuclear Blast Records

November 2011: Wacken Open Air, the world’s biggest heavy metal festival, has teamed up with Nuclear Blast Records, the biggest independent heavy metal label in the world, for the next evolution of the Wacken Metal Battle, the biggest heavy metal battle of the bands competition in the world. Next year, for the first time ever, the winner of the Wacken Metal Battle will be offered a recording contract with Nuclear Blast and get to join an artist roster which includes the likes of Sepultura, Testament, Nightwish, Hammerfall, Kreator and Accept.

Irish bands have a chance to compete for the coveted recording contract by entering the Wacken Metal Battle Ireland competition which takes place throughout Ireland in early 2012. The winning band will go forward to represent Ireland at Wacken Open Air next August and battle it out with bands from over 30 countries. They’ll also get to play as part of a line-up that already includes bands like Machine Head, Scorpions, Amon Amarth, Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir.

The competition was first run in Ireland in 2011, with Dublin’s Coldwar chosen to represent Ireland at Wacken in northern Germany. Coldwar guitarist Paul Nash said; “To be involved was a great experience. We were picked up at the airport and taken straight to the backstage VIP area where you get to rub shoulders with some of the bands playing on the main stage along with managers, agents, media and other industry people from all over the world. On the day we played we had access to a great backline, dressing rooms, technicians and a very loud PA! It was great to see the Coldwar logo on the festival t-shirts underneath legends like Ozzy and Judas Priest. Any Irish band that wants a chance to play Wacken next year should enter the metal battle. Even if you don't win you get to play at the legendry Wacken and get a VIP pass for the full weekend.”

Andy Siry, A&R Manager for Nuclear Blast Records said: “We’re looking forward to this cooperation with the Wacken Metal Battle. Supporting young talent means paving the way for a diverse and prosperous international heavy metal scene in the future. Plus it’s always great to see how many musical rough diamonds are out there, who deserve much more attention than they currently receive.”

Irish bands interested in entering the competition should send an e-mail to wackenmetalbattle@gmail.com A panel of judges will select a shortlist of acts who will compete with one another at a series of heats throughout Ireland in a lead up to a national final which will take place in Dublin in April 2012. The deadline for receipt of entries is Friday 23rd December 2011.

More information can be found at www.facebook.com/metalbattleireland