Morning Metal – Wacken Metal Battle Canada Live Review!
The Ottawa edition of Wacken Metal Battle Canada took place at Mavericks on Saturday night, with Mavericks having a decent turnout, which isn’t a huge surprise considering Ottawa’s metal community. Wacken Metal Battle Canada is essentially a battle of the bands in which a winner is crowned in different cities, to be put into a final round with the bands having a chance to play Wacken Open Air in Germany later this year.
Ottawa’s edition opened with From the Deep, a band that has surprised me since I first saw them live awhile ago. Energetic, usually topless, and hairy metal – just the way it should be. Deathrow Six took up arms next, thrashing through some heaviness to warm the crowd up for what was about to come.
Unfortunately, local hard rock band Scarecrowz couldn’t make it due to an unfortunate car accident, in which the band posted on Facebook to address. Chariots of the Gods were on next, who plowed through a set of gnarly headbangers before setting the stage for A Scar For The Wicked.
A Scar For The Wicked, the 4th band on the bill, did what they usually do – made a hellish mess of things. I have always been a fan of these guys, even writing up a review of their debut EP, The Necrobutcher.
Finally, Ottawa’s blackened death metal titans, Endemise, closed off the show. Releasing their long awaited second full length, Far From The Light, in late 2013 and most recently, “Nocturne”, Endemise have been making a continuous climb in the metal world.
My favourite thing about the Wacken Metal Battle is the guest judges, one of which happened to be none other than Ottawa’s favourite comical genius guitar virtuoso, Jeff Waters. The night finally ended with A Scar For The Wicked securing first place, which really came as no surprise.
A Scar For The Wicked have entered the semi-finals in Toronto on June 6th, 2015 – two rounds away from playing Wacken Open Air in Germany. Bands have been battling throughout the rest of Canada, so we’ll see who makes the finals!
If you have any photos of the Ottawa show, please send them to darkmatterrelations@gmail.com and ashermedia@gmail.com so they can go up, and be given credit!
