THE BEAST

ONE BAND TO CONQUER THEM ALL: MOURNING HIGH CROWNED 2025 WACKEN METAL BATTLE USA CHAMPIONS

The battle was fierce, the stakes were monumental, and the prize was nothing short of legendary. On a night seething with passion, riffs, and adrenaline, six of the most promising unsigned metal bands in the U.S. converged at the iconic Dingbatz in Clifton, New Jersey, for the National Final of Wacken Metal Battle USA 2025 . At the end of a crushing showcase judged by elite industry veterans, Mourning High emerged victorious, earning their place to represent the United States on the global stage at Wacken Open Air — one of the world’s largest and most revered metal festivals, already sold out and set to host over 80,000 diehard fans from July 30 to August 2 in Wacken, Germany.

🏆 THE CROWN GOES WEST: MOURNING HIGH RISES

Hailing from Southern California and Arizona , Mourning High, winners of the West Coast leg, brought unmatched energy and technical ferocity to the stage. Their performance stood tall among a powerhouse lineup that included:

PRIME PROPHECY (New Jersey Winner)

WHAT’S WRONG (Pacific Northwest Winner)

PONTIFEX (Florida Winner)

FIREHAZE (East Coast Winner)

BROKEN TIME (Texas Winner)

After deliberation, the panel of judges — Jeff Buttermark (FM Management), Shawn Quinn (Napalm Records/FM Management), and Rob Caggiano (ex-Anthrax, ex-Volbeat) — unanimously named Mourning High the national champions, sending them onward to battle the world’s best at the International Wacken Metal Battle in Germany.

🎤 A JOURNEY OF GRIT AND DEVOTION

Eric Dow, national organizer of Wacken Metal Battle USA, praised the victorious band:

"Mourning High defines grit and hard work. With members scattered across Coachella Valley and Arizona — where there is no metal scene — they’ve overcome every obstacle. Their fans followed them from the desert to Orange County, San Diego, and across the country to Clifton. And now? They’re going to Germany. That’s dedication. That’s metal."

🔥 MOURNING HIGH ON THEIR VICTORY

“We’ve dreamed of playing Europe for years — and now it’s real,” said Mourning High in a statement. “We’re honored to represent the U.S. at Wacken and can’t thank the WMBU team, the judges, our fans, and our crew enough. This victory is for all of us. Germany, get ready — it’s time to get rowdy!”

🏅 THE PRIZE

As WMBU 2025 champions, Mourning High will receive:

A performance slot at the 2025 Wacken Open Air Festival

Full professional backline provided

$1,000 USD travel assistance toward flights to Germany

VIP camping accommodations at the festival

🎬 Watch the Wacken Battle Trailer:

🎧 Stream the 2025 WMBU Finalists on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4kDedzW

🎸 Bonus Raffle: A lucky fan at the National Final walked away with a brand-new DEAN MDX QM TBB guitar , courtesy of Dean Guitars.

🇺🇸 A LEGACY CONTINUES

Mourning High now joins the ranks of past WMBU winners who have flown the U.S. flag at Wacken:

Cascade Effect (2024 – San Diego)

Fadrait (2023 – San Diego)

Mythraeum (2022 – San Diego)

Monarch (2019 – San Diego)

Voices of Ruin (2018 – Anaheim)

Corpse Hoarder (2017 – Philadelphia)

🤘 MEET THE FINALISTS: BROKEN TIME

One of the standout contenders this year, Broken Time brought Texas heat with their modern metalcore sound. Formed in 2021 in Temple, TX, the band fuses aggressive breakdowns with soaring melodies and intricate songwriting. Their emotionally charged single "Conscious" is available now:
🎥 Watch the video
📘 Broken Time on Facebook

Huge thanks to media partners BraveWords, Metal-Rules, and DEAN Guitars and special shoutout to Jon Asher of Asher Media Relations for continued support of this epic battle.

As the road leads to Germany, Mourning High will carry the flame of the American underground. All eyes now turn to Wacken Open Air, where the next chapter in their metal saga will be written under the thunderous skies of Wacken, Germany.

ONE BAND. ONE STAGE. ONE SHOT.
Long live Mourning High. Long live metal.

🖤 For more info on Wacken Metal Battle USA:
🌐 www.metalbattleusa.com