site.btaBurgas-Based Group Hellbound Ranks Third Among 30 Finalists in Wacken Metal Battle 2025

The Burgas-based group Hellbound has secured third place among 30 finalists selected from a total of 12,633 heavy metal bands that applied to take part in the international contest Wacken Metal Battle 2025 in Germany, the concert management company BGTSC reported on Thursday.

According to them, this achievement by the young musicians from the Bulgarian seaside city is remarkable, not just for the band, but also for the Bulgarian metal scene as a whole, which is receiving such widespread recognition in media coverage and fan comments across the globe for the first time.

Since 2014, BGTSC has been a partner of Wacken Open Air, and more specifically, of the Wacken Metal Battle competition. During seven editions held in Bulgaria, more than 900 applications have been processed, 18 festival days have taken place—some featuring up to 12 bands a day—and the jury has included figures such as Vasko Katincharov ("Fracture"), Martin Nikolov ("From the Other Side"), Eric Hutchins, Michael Thiessen, Sascha John, Jo Vasilev, and Boyko Gyurov. Bulgarian bands that have reached the finals of the competition in past years include Dash The Effort (2015), Lieveil (2016), Ophan (2017), Eufobia (2018), Badcast (2022), and Maltworm (2023).

The Wacken Metal Battle was established in 2004 with the core aim of discovering new talent and supporting the metal scene worldwide. Currently, the competition is active in over 100 countries, each holding national qualifying rounds with the right to send their winners to perform at Wacken Open Air. Every year, an international jury of over 40 members votes on the performances, and the top bands receive financial support, musical instruments and equipment, as well as the opportunity to network and connect with people from the global music industry.