Advent, Advent, here come the bands!

Is it Christmas already? Not quite, but for the second Advent, as promised, we're releasing the next confirmations for the upcoming Wacken Open Air 2022, including quite a few fan favourites and some W:O:A premieres. 
But before that here are the first winners of our daily X-Mas raffle! To enter, simply go to xmas.wacken.com, open the current door and enter your details in the form. Good luck!

01.12. - One of ten W:O:A Collectors Coins from MDM each go to: Niklas S. from Überherm, Sarah L. from Munich, Thomas S. from Sindelfingen, Steffen K. from Geestland, Sascha P. from Hamburg, Tina L. from Pansdorf, Udo K. from Schramberg, Frank K. from Varde (Denmark), Janne P. from Lapinlahti (Finland), Angelique H. from Zevenaar (Holland).
02.12. - The big W:O:A x Frilufts camping package from Globetrotter goes to: Moritz G. from Hünfelden
03.12. - The Powerwolf Streaming & Drinking package was won by: Bianca B. from Frankenberg
04.12. - One of three W:O:A X-Mas merch packages will go to: Marc U. from Solms, Anders J. from Horten (Norway), Richard G. from Doncaster (Great Britain).

Congratulations! All winners will also be informed by e-mail in the coming days. Today we are giving away 20(!) annual calendars in W:O:A design by Heel. So enter now at xmas.wacken.com!

And now for the bands: Overkill clearly belong in the category „Fan Faves“ with six appearances at Wacken. Founded more than four decades ago, the New York thrashers are still among the best bands of the genre and for many are at least equal to the "Big 4". In 19 albums, some classics have come together, let's look forward to a firework of hits and salute these Jersey Boys with a heartfelt "We don't care what you say - Fuck You!“

At The Gates, who honour us for the third time, are similarly legendary. With their albums like "Slaughter Of The Souls", the Gothenburgers shaped melodic death metal in the nineties like hardly any other band. And exactly this album will be celebrated in Wacken with a very special show. See you in the pit. 

We are also looking forward to Tiamat's third visit. With Johan Edlund, the Swedish band has one of the most charismatic frontmen and greatest visionaries of the metal scene. Their works like "Wildhoney" combine hard metal with Pink Floyd or King Crimson influences to create a unique mixture. And now, after 1995 and 2010, we can finally experience this again in Wacken.  

Ill Nino have visiting uns twice and both times they left behind a completely enthusiastic audience, who rocked the field to the modern metal sounds of the US band ("I Am Loco" or "How Can I Live", anyone?). Just the thing for open minded metalheads. 

Even though Suicidal Angels have long since become one of the established greats of the European thrash scene, almost exactly 20 years after their first demo, we only had the pleasure of banging ourselves into a neck coma to the Greeks' crushers in 2010. About time to change that, we think! 

Although Cadaver mastermind Anders Odden has already been a guest at Wacken several times (for example as a member of Satyricon or Celtic Frost), he will celebrate his W:O:A debut with the Norwegian death metal legend. A "real" Wacken premiere will be provided by Implore, who will cause tongues to click, especially among grind/death connoisseurs.

Friends of classic rock anthems should mark their calendars for the performance of Brian Downey's Alive And Dangerous. The Thin Lizzy drum legend has gathered a new band around him, which - as the name suggests - is dedicated to the greatest hits of his former band. The Boys are not only back in town, but in the village for the first time! 

With international metalpunks Indian Nightmare and German high-speed metallers Vulture, we are also happy to welcome two of the most hopeful new bands to Wacken and look forward to great debut shows that will be remembered for a long time. 

And don't forget: The next announcements are already next Sunday from 0:00 in our Advent calendar at xmas.wacken.com!