WACKEN METAL BATTLE 2026 : Vancouver Island Elimination Round. March 20, 2026 @ Lucky Bar
Schedule
Fri, 20 Mar, 2026 at 07:00 pm
UTC-07:00Location
Lucky Bar, Victoria | Victoria, BC
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The Invisible Orange presents: WACKEN METAL BATTLE 2026 : VANCOUVER ISLAND ELIMINATION ROUND.Challengers: BUTCHER, ELECTRIC DRUIDS, EMPALEMENT, and GATE THEORY
BUTCHER
Butcher is a death metal band from Nanaimo British Columbia, formed in December of 2023 Butcher has sought to encapsulate the old school death metal roots with the raw aggression of brutal death metal and hardcore.
In the few short years butcher has been around they have been dedicated to pushing the envelope on just how crushing a show can be, since the original release of the homicidal ideation demo in the summer of 2024 butcher has built a following playing up and down the island, earning a reputation for aggressive live performances and riffs that make you want to leave nothing unsmashed.
Butcher continues to expand their arsenal, releasing the live EP “live after the beheading” this past August as-well as getting ready to release the 10 track LP “You will never rot” later this year.
https://www.instagram.com/butcherb.c/
https://butcher.bigcartel.com/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0G8pyY5yyUChA52deOCi1o
EMPALEMENT
Empalement is an extreme metal band from Victoria, BC, Canada. Inspired heavily by second-wave black metal, their sound also draws from death, grind, and other forms of extreme music, combining unholy aggression with a dark, cinematic atmosphere.
https://www.instagram.com/empalement/
https://www.facebook.com/Empalement
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4Ph9iovG0i6yyKwphl4f2b
ELECTRIC DRUIDS
"So we've got a Beer Festival next Saturday and every band has cancelled" brought about the birth of Electric Druids back in student days; post-show with big grins they’d clearly caught the bug - so couldn’t stop there. The UK's 'Kerrang!' described them as somewhere between Rush and Soundgarden, while others frequently cite Electric Druids as part of the New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal.
Based in Victoria, British Columbia, the trio can currently be found playing up and down Vancouver Island promoting their most recent release: Ubernicht.
https://www.instagram.com/electricdruidscanada/
https://www.facebook.com/ElectricDruids
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0t7yMy9eJnsf4bFsbOUUnC
GATE THEORY
Hard hitting experimental metal band that launched in 2024 from Victoria, BC, Canada. Unwilling to be boxed into one sub-genre, they are the sonic alchemists. Their brews will take you on a constantly shifting musical journey. You will never suspect where their elixirs will take you next.
2025 was a busy year for Gate Theory. They kicked things off with the introduction of two new members, just before being contestants in The Wacken Metal Battle 2025. The band then toured on and off Vancouver Island in support of our demo releases, which have been featured on commercial, college and community radio stations in Canada, The United States, The United Kingdom, Mexico, India, Australia, New Zealand, and The Netherlands. In 2026, the band plans to drop their heavily anticipated debut EP, so stay tuned!
https://www.instagram.com/gate.theory/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552327835895
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2q89wjeTOFgpuufuumMUEx
WACKEN METAL BATTLE is an international band contest, established in 2004, that aims at discovering new talent and supporting the scene worldwide. With this, the Wacken Open Air supports up & coming artists on a global scale, offering its resources and stages (https://www.metal-battle.com/).
The Metal Battle has grown to include 62 countries that hold national heats and are eligible to send the winners to Wacken. An international jury votes on the performances, the best groups receive financial support from the Wacken Foundation as well as instruments and equipment provided by Metal Battle’s partners. Last but not least, the contest offers the possibility to get in touch with people from the music business worldwide. The contest has supported several bands throughout the years and has been a pivotal career launchpad for bands like Drone, Torture Squad, Battle Beast and Hammercult, to name a few.
***Ages 19 and over***
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Where is it happening?
Lucky Bar, Victoria, CanadaEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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