Fadrait Wins Wacken Metal Battle USA 2023!

One band to conquer them all and play Wacken Open Air! Wacken Metal Battle USA is proud to announce this year’s national champion from the 2023 battles that were hosted across the country is San Diego, CA’s Fadrait, who performed alongside other finalists Deathblow (Salt Lake City, UT), Steellake (El Paso, TX), Final Girls (New Jersey), Anubis (Los Angeles, CA), Villains In Vain (Eugene, OR), and Autumn Lies Buried (Clarksville, TN).

The 2023 National Final was held in San Diego, CA, on May 13th at the Brick By Brick, where the seven finalists were graded on various categories of professionalism and musicianship by experienced industry professionals that included Rod Kukla (Silver Lining Music/Wacken), Mark Vieira (Parts Unknown Management), and Dylan Marks (Atheist, White Wizzard).

Fadrait will be representing the USA at the international battle that hosts 29 other participating countries at one of the world’s most prestigious stages and the largest metal festival Wacken Open Air (Aug 4 -6), which has an attendance of over 80,000 people, and held in Wacken, Germany for now over 30 years.

Comments WMBU Promoter and Artist Relations Eric Dow:

“Every year this competition gets fiercer and more exciting to watch. This was the first year we held the National Final in San Diego and the amazing metal community there did not disappoint. Moving the National Final to San Diego also allowed us to add another band to the National Final which resulted in 7 of the most talented unsigned bands from across the country absolutely destroying the stage. It was a delight to witness and I feel sorry for the judges who had to pick only one band to represent the U.S. in the Wacken Metal Battle in Germany. I want to thank everyone involved and I hope we can keep growing this battle!

Wacken Metal Battle USA 2023 winner Fadrait

Fadrait joins the list of previous bands to perform on metal’s most prestigious stage, San Diego’s Mythraeum (2022), San Diego’s Monarch (2019), Anaheim’s Voices of Ruin (2018) and Philadelphia’s Corpse Hoarder (2017).

This year’s 2023 WMBU national finalists are the following:

DEATHBLOW – Salt Lake City, UT – https://www.facebook.com/deathblowofficial
FADRAIT – San Diego, CA – https://www.facebook.com/Fadrait
STEELLAKE – El Paso, TX – https://www.facebook.com/SteellakeEPTX
FINAL GIRLS – New Jersey – https://www.facebook.com/FINALGIRLSNJ
ANUBIS – Los Angeles, CA – https://www.facebook.com/AnubisBandOfficial
VILLIANS IN VAIN – Eugene, OR – https://www.facebook.com/villainsinvain
AUTUMN LIES BURIED – Clarksville, TN – https://www.facebook.com/autumnliesburied

Wacken Metal Battle USA National final 2023 poster