Shillong, February 5: Death metal outfit Stabwound clinched the Shillong Open Air – Wacken Metal Battle on January 31, earning the right to represent Northeast and Eastern India at the Indian Subcontinent Finals in Bengaluru.
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| Members of Stabwound |
Held at the SRGT Parking Lot in Polo, the competition is a flagship segment of the annual Shillong Open Air (SOA) festival. This year’s edition drew entries from over 30 bands across India, including acts from New Delhi, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh. After a preliminary screening, five finalists advanced to the final round: Necroscope (Shillong), Pole Shift (Assam), Annihilation X (Shillong), Stabwound (Shillong) and Crimson Gates (Jowai).
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Stabwound emerged winners after high-energy performances, with Annihilation X finishing runner-up. The judging panel comprised Nangsan Lyngsan and Abbas Razvi of Godless, along with Kaushik Baruah of Speedtrip.
The Shillong-based band will now compete in Bengaluru against regional winners from Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The overall champion at the subcontinent finals will secure a coveted slot at Wacken Open Air in Germany, the world’s largest heavy metal festival, scheduled for the first week of August.
Beyond the Metal Battle, the festival featured performances by seven bands and was headlined by veteran Indian heavy metal act Kryptos. Shillong Open Air remains Meghalaya’s only dedicated open-air metal festival, continuing to provide a vital platform for emerging and established acts in the genre.
