Florida metal bands fight it out for a slot on the Wacken Festival this weekend

Germany’s Wacken Open Air Festival has become the fest destination of choice for connoisseurs of metal in all its varying shades of heaviness over nearly three decades of events. And this year there’s a fight to the (musical) death for a spot on the lineup, and the final round of Florida competition is taking place in Orlando later this month!

After four grueling rounds of qualifiers in both Orlando – with competitors including Meka Nism, Thicket and Withering Earth – and Tampa – including a final Tampa round this weekend – the final round of Florida competition will see one lucky band crowned the heaviest. That band will then compete in the East Coast Finals in Philadelphia on April 27.

The Florida Finals of the Battle for Wacken happens next Friday, April 13 (appropriate), at 7 p.m. at the Haven Lounge in Winter Park. The event is free. Wacken 2018 is set to begin on Aug. 2 in Wacken, Germany.

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This article appears in Apr 4-10, 2018.