Wacken Metal Battle Sub-Saharan Africa 2024 | Mini-Documentary

In 2024, the Wacken Metal Battle invited 6 countries across the African continent to compete for one lucky slot to play at the Holy Grounds of heavy metal; Wacken Open Air.
Each band brought their unique essence and style to the finals held at Sognage, Johannesburg on the 4th of May, with bands competing from South Africa, Botswana, Angola, Namibia, Kenya and Mozambique. At the end of the night, South African progressive metal band Sunken State took the glory as this year’s winners.
We follow Sunken State all the way to Wacken in Germany as they took to the stage and placed 7th out of the 30+ other countries who competed, making their mark at the WMB whilst creating unforgettable memories to last a lifetime.
DIRECTED BY:
Midnight Energy
PRODUCED BY:
Midnight Energy
Emalyth Events
Wacken Foundation
IN ASSOCIATION WITH:
Wacken Open Air
Wacken Metal Battle Sub-Saharan Africa
Wacken Metal Battle
PROMOTERS:
Emalyth Promotions
Patrick Davidson (Metal4Africa)
Matthew Ryan Howes
Deadzone Productions
Rock Society of Kenya
Vulture Overthrust
Stino Matola
KB Amos
FINALS JUDGES:
Neil & Francois De Villiers
Rachelle Lessing
Kizito Thibile
Sthembiso Kunene
Ian van de Merwe
Cami Skinner
Euclides Anatolly
Johni Holiday
Tim Moolman
Tshomarelo Mosaka
Stino Matola
HEATS JUDGES:
Robert Pereira
Brandon Render
Jina Min
CONTENT:
EDITED & PRODUCED BY
Zainab Hoseini
Sean Gaisford
FINAL MIX & ONLINE BY:
Sean Gaisford
SHOT BY:
Midnight Energy
Not Russell Crow Productions
Kurt Sassenberg
SOUND BY:
Joshua van der Spuy
LIGHTING BY:
Mahdi Hoseini
PHOTOGRAPHY BY:
Alexander Wolf
Keets Productions
Christelle Duvenage
Kurt Sassenberg
Portia T. Mugai
Caz Haines
FINALS SOUND ENGINEER:
Ashley Gaisford
REGIONAL CONTENT:
Calvin de Swart
Tshomarelo Mosaka
Euclides Anatolly
KB Amos
Stino Matola
MUSIC BY: Sunken State
To Pieces
Pure Hate
Egyptian Pariah
Separation Has Begun
This Is The End
I Am Divinity
Crimson King
Abyss
2024 FINALISTS:
Sunken State
Desert Mother
Fading Gray
Human Nebula
As Night Fades
Your Cynical Sanity
Doomtrigger
Last Year’s Tragedy
Samehunduans
Ressurreição
Scratch
VENUES:
Sognage, Johannesburg
Rumours Lounge, Johannesburg
Bailey’s Bedfordview, Johannesburg
Smoking Kills, Johannesburg
Railways Cafe, Centurion
Westville Warehouse, Durban
Woodstock Brewery, Cape Town
Gil Vicente Cafe, Maputo
Fundação Arte e Cultura, Lunda
Nairobi Street Kitchen, Nairobi
Rosepan Hotel, Letlhakane
SPECIAL THANKS TO:
Sashquita Northey
Alana Britz
Heidi Ziegel & Ivaylo
Chris Oakley
Jon Enright
Sludge Underground
Marcel Smuts
Nasiphi Zwane
Danny Helsing
Brian Smith
Michael Bower
Neil & Francois De Villiers
Sognage Stage Tech & Crew
Facing The Gallows
Red Helen
Middle Grounds
Marshall Music
Lefokolodi
Handpicked Heathens
Luke Swanepoel

[@francetheplanet]

World class docco and band 💜🔥

[@ItumelengMokhele-v6p]

🙌🏾🙌🏾🔥amazing

[@kcush-111]

wholesome, really amazing!

[@KeeshKush]

Ag this so amazing, so well done, so emotionally captivating, just blady epic! well done guys. A moment in history captured so beautifully. Can't wait for more. ❤❤

[@uraghband]

Great documentary, it’s awesome to see the talent, passion and unity in the African metal scene. It was amazing to hang out with the Sunken State lads and the lovely WMBSSA team at Wacken. Much love from Ireland 🙌❤🤘

[@EmalythLive]

Miss you guys!

[@sunkenstate2684]

miss you dudes

[@DemonSlayer16]

Well done on such a great documentary, guys

[@marcelsmuts2197]

"We're being driven to play at a place that we're at already"
-Matthew
Best line of all time

[@sergiobarresi9200]

So sick!

[@noctali8049]

Awesome 🔥

[@Jak_Low]

This was so sick, well done to all the bands and especially everyone involved making this. Makes me super keen to participate one day!

[@francoisdevilliers9678]

Well done to everyone involved!

[@fadinggrayband]

🤘🤘

[@vanblerkhavenga3930]

Lekke!

[@sludgeunderground]

Was such a pleasure being involved in this!

[@gidiaosocrates4540]

🥳🥳🥳🥳🤟🤟🤟🏴‍☠

[@EmalythLive]

🔥🤘🔥

[@doomtriggercore]