< PreviousDeath Metal party in the Persian Gulf By Timon Menge ometimes things don’t work out as planned. Originally, the finale of the Wacken Metal Battle Middle East was supposed to have taken place in Saudi Arabia, but the planned event in the port city of Jeddah had to be cancelled. Instead, the four finalists met in Manama, the capital of the island state of Bahrain. The venue was the bar Digger’s, which not only offers chilled draft beer but also plenty of loud music. The metal scene in Bahrain is small, explains journalist Monika Bremer, who is very famil- iar with the Middle East and represents the Wacken Metal Battle there. „There are maybe five or six bands in Bahrain and they have all applied.“ With Necrosin, Bloodshel and Motör Mili- tia, three of them reached the final, together with Metarust from Dubai. In the end, the Death Metal band Necrosin won. This year, Panchabhuta will represent India, blend- ing metal with traditional Indian music. They man- aged to secure their place in the final for the Indian Subcon- tinent region, which annually takes place as part of the Ban- galore Open Air. “I knew from the mo- ment they applied that they had a great chance of winning,” says Bangalore Open Air or- ganiser Salman U. Syed. “Peo- Monika Bremer From Bahrain: Necrosinple want to hear something new, and that’s exactly what Panchabhuta deliver.” Will Syed’s dream finally come true in 2025, with a band from his home country, India, winning the Wacken Metal Battle? Mark My Words from Serbia are among those who will try to fight that. After all, the band wants to claim the competition at Wacken for themselves. They already won the preliminary round on March 7th at the Harder Than Rock Festival in Zagreb. Also competing were Divine Inferus from Slovenia, My Last Suicide from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slave Pit from North Macedonia, and Serpentslain from Croatia. Participating in the pre- liminary round for the Bal- kan region has already been a highlight for the bands. “We fulfilled all the conditions in their riders,” explains organis- er Stjepan Juras. “So they could at least feel like stars once in their lives.” For Mark My Words, the dream continues this sum- mer. To coincide with their performance at Wacken, their debut EP, which they’ve just finished recording, will also be released. They’ll be able to celebrate their release party on the Holy Ground as well. Perfect timing! Things are also heating up in the USA. Since January, 27 preliminary rounds have been taking place across the country, leading to ten region- al finals. A total of 413 bands are competing for a spot in the Wacken Metal Battle. “There’s a lot of music to listen to,” says Metal Battle organiser Sascha Jahn with a laugh. The US final will take place on June 21st in Clifton, New Jersey. Bloodshel from Bahrain Metarust from Dubai Motör Militia from Bahrain : Panchabhuta won the preliminary for India Fans loved the mix between metal and traditional Indian music The musicians from Mark My Words were able to win over the jury in Zagreb Credits: Corvan Wolf, Siniša Frangen@photorokaj.com, Bangalore Open Air, Monika Bremer, Bangalore Open Air 5.4. Sweden (Stockholm), Marshall 6.4. Mexico (Mexico City), Gato Calavera 26.4. Caribbean (San Juan), La Respuesta 3.5. Sub-Saharan Africa (Johannesburg), Solage 10.5. Iceland (Reykjavik), TBA 17.5. Spain (Barcelona) Terrassa 31.5. Denmark (Roskilde), Gimle 31.5. Canada (Vancouver), The Rickshaw Theatre 31.5. Switzerland (Luzern), TBA 31.5. Czech Republic (Prag), Palác Akropolis 1.6. Finland (Nummijärvi-Kauhajoki), Nummirock Festival 1.6. Hungary (Budapest), Barba Negra 2.6. USA (Clifton), Dingbatz 7.7. Germany (Neuk.-Vluyn), Dong Open Air Panchabhuta (Indian Sub Continent) ig: @panchabhuta_india Necrosin (Middle East) ig: @necrosin.bh Alpha (Uruguay) ig: @alphametaluy Mark My Words (Balkan Regions) ig: @markmywordsband Morsrot (Malta) ig: @morsrot These winners have been chosen already:The US-Americans have been back on stage and touring Europe since February After a year away from the big stages, Papa Roach returned to Europe in January with their “Rise of the Roach Tour” - and with a double bang. Not only were they celebrating their live comeback, but also the 25th anniversary of their breakthrough album “Infest”, which shaped a generation with anthems such as “Last Resort”. This summer, the US stars will play Wacken Open Air for the first time.By Andrea Leim ven many years of ex- perience can’t prevent a musician from getting the jitters before a gig. Especial- ly not when the band has had a long break from playing live. Papa Roach singer Jacoby Shad- dix admits in our interview that the nervousness didn’t just come a few minutes before the gig. It had already set in two or three months beforehand, he recalls. More precisely, with a text mes- sage from drummer Tony Paler- mo. „He asked me how things were going and when we could finally start rehearsing.“ It was clear at that moment that things had to get going again. Palermo’s message was the spark that reig- nited the band’s fire. Before the actual tour started, you organized a warm-up concert in Berlin at short notice. Did you prefer to take the first step on a smaller scale? Jacoby Shaddix: There was a lot of anticipation leading up to this moment as there was a lot on the line with all these shows throughout Germany and almost the entire tour throughout Europe was sold out. We felt that we needed to put on a show for the fans that had another level. But after playing that first new song in Berlin and then jumping into the classics, it felt like: “We’re back in the fucking game. Let’s go!” You opened the show with a song nobody had ever heard before: „Even if it kills me.“ Jacoby Shaddix: That was part of the jitters, too. It was like: You’ve never heard this, we’ve never played this. Let’s ride! Did you ever play a show that went really bad? One you would rather forget about? Tony Palermo: We haven’t had anything that was too maliciously bad, right? Jacoby Shaddix: I have dreams about that but I can’t recall any show that went really bad. I remember there was one show where our guitarist Jerry fell off the stage. And there was another one where our bass player Tobin fell off the front of the stage. We’ve messed songs up before, but we’ve never stormed off stage in a rage or told a crowd to fuck off. No! Doesn’t a messed up song happen to everyone every now and then? Tony Palermo: Of course. It humanizes us. You regularly donate part of the money from your concerts to charities that support suicide prevention and mental health. Why are those topics so important to you? Jacoby Shaddix: I’ve had my bouts with my mental health struggles throughout my life. I think I’ve come to a place now where I’ve really learned how to work through those times. Since the beginning of our career, we’ve been singing about it: “Last Resort” was a cry for help, it was about my best friend that attempted suicide, and Frontman and singer Jacoby Shaddix Papa Roach formed in 1993 when Jacoby Shaddix and guitarist Jerry Horten, who knew each other from high school, were still teenagers. The band achieved their international breakthrough in 2,000 with their biggest hit “Last Resort”that was traumatic for me. And so the mental health struggle has been real to me. I’ve seen it in my own life, I’ve seen it in peoples’ lives around me, I’ve lost friends that have died by suicide. Just the trauma and the struggle is real. I think the next level of health for humanity is the mental health space. I’ve come up with a lot of solutions that I don’t want to be too detailed about. But it’s the food that I eat, the media that I consume, my spiritual health, my physical health, talk therapy that’s been helpful – all these things come into play into the overall health of myself. I think just bringing the conversation to the forefront is awesome and it’s cool to see that society is coming around to the idea of ‚let’s talk about this‘. How do you feel when fans reach out to you and tell you how your music helped or even saved them from drowning into a dark space. Tony Palermo: It’s so deep. When we are doing meet and greets, we get to hear it firsthand. When somebody’s walking in, you can just see it on their face that they’ve been holding in this story to tell you until they finally break it out. All you can think is: “Oh, God. Thank you for still being here!” After we hear stories like that, we sometimes need a second to ourselves to reflect. Jacoby Shaddix: It’s pretty awesome to know that our music is a source of strength and hope to people. This year you will play Wacken Open Air for the very first time. What do you know about the festival so far? Jacoby Shaddix: I know it’s an iconic German festival. I was telling my friend, Hermann, the German (Editor’s note: A former 12 or 13 years ago. It was called Rock Fest, but when we played, it started to rain and the festival went from Rock to Mud Fest. But it was iconic! They still talk about it on the radio till this day. There’s something special when weather like this happens. You know what it is? It’s the feeling of all of us being in this together, Band and Fans. Rain or shine, no matter what, we are with you! Do you go out in the crowd after your own shows at festivals and see other bands play? Tony Palermo: Yes, of course. We would do the show, put on a hoodie afterwards and get out there. We’ve seen everybody from Kings of Leon to Slipknot. We’ll go out in the crowd and definitely party. Jacoby Shaddix: I was in the moshpit at a Lamb of God show at Rock im Park. Throwing the fuck down. I loved that. Did people recognize you? Jacoby Shaddix: No. I had a hoodie on. I was in the crowd slaying! Tony Palermo: I’m good because I’m just the drummer, so nobody cares. (laughs) You guys have been working on new music and released a new song in January. Is a new album on the way and will you maybe play more new music in Wacken? Jacoby Shaddix: Yeah. Throughout this year, we will continue to release new music, and it will be leading up to a brand new Papa Roach album. The soonest release date is the end of 2025, early 2026. But we already have a bunch of new music and as we tour throughout the year, we’re going to be dropping just rippers on the people. It’s exciting to know that the new era of Papa Roach is upon us. I’m just excited to keep going on this journey with you guys. “’ .” On the day of their last German concert in Düsseldorf, the band presented a cheque for 20,000 euros to the non-profit organisation Metality, which creates a worldwide network of metalheads who support, help and encourage each other and help anyone who falls flat on their face in the mosh pit of life. “We aim to always Leave A Light On for those who are struggling, and encourage anyone to seek help they may need. Working together with Metality, along with organizations around the globe, we are pleased to raise awareness for the cause of mental health and suicide prevention.” pro wrestler), that we were going to perform at Wacken and he told us: “Oh, this is going to be amazing!” Just having that conversation with him and seeing his reaction to the fact that we were headlining one of the nights, got me excited. We are bringing a show that is going to fucking just pop off. Wacken is known for its unsure weather conditions. Rain or shine is the festivals go-to phrase. What do you prefer? Jacoby Shaddix: We played through it all. We actually played a festival in Kansas City that went down in history, probably about Papa Roach played to a sold-out audience in Frankfurt Credits: Bryson RoachSEASIDE ENTERTAINMENT PROUDLY PRESENTSIn 2025, they will play the Holy Ground for the fourth time on, but for the first time with a new lineup: Callejon’s frontman BastiBasti talks about what makes a successful restart, how their first test went, and what all this has to do with honeymoon vibes. Callejon with the new line up: Guitarist Denis „Mille“ Milenkovic, bass player Thorsten “Thorti” Becker who has been with the band since 2006, singer BastiBasti, guitarist Alan Kassab and drummer Daniel „Pampo“ PambuchBy Andrea Leim and Victoria Schaffrath reed, excited, thrilled: Callejon, the band from Düsseldorf, is all about new beginnings. Af- ter saying goodbye to Bern- hard “Berni” Horn, Christoph “Kotsche” Koterzina, and Maximilian “Kotze” Kotz- mann last year, three highly motivated replacements have been confirmed: Alan Kass- ab, Denis “Mille” Milenkovic, and Pampo. Is someone actu- ally called Pampo? “His real name is Daniel Pampuch, but I want to establish the name Pampo,” lead singer BastiBasti jokes. It sounds as if they already feel quite comfortable with one another. Looking at your social media posts, you appear to be a band in the honeymoon phase. Does it feel that way to you too? BastiBasti: Yes, definitely. The new guys bring a whole new spirit with them. It’s exciting and fresh, and the great thing is: we all share this feeling – it’s really like being on honeymoon. I can definitely confirm that! (laughs) Was there already a first storm in paradise, the first test? BastiBasti: No, not at all. Our test was our first concert at the Escalation Fest by Electric Callboy in Oberhausen, right in a big arena. We originally planned to be stage-ready with the new lineup in April. But then Electric Callboy called, and we thought, “That’s pretty cool, we should do it.” So, we hit the gas and pulled it off, which was basically the first stress test. Everything worked out, and it was amazing. The first show, right in front of 15,000 people. Had Alan, Mille, and Daniel ever played in front of such a large crowd before? BastiBasti: No. They all bring different levels of experience, but I don’t think they’ve played in front of such a big crowd before. I must admit, I haven’t played that many arena shows myself. It was quite intense, but also a great introduction. (laughs) When it became clear that three of the five members would leave: How hard was it to keep the drive to continue? BastiBasti: The moment Berni told me he was leaving was obviously tough, and I had to digest it. But we parted on good terms, and we’re still friends today. Still, it was difficult because Bernhard and I founded Callejon together. But I always knew: Callejon will never end. Callejon will stop when I die. So, even with the departure, it was never an option for me to end it. Is it also painful when the person who’s been there from the start considers the story over? BastiBasti: Yes, of course. It wasn’t easy. But it didn’t come out of the blue – it had been developing for years. And friendship also means accepting when things change. Do you still keep in touch to discuss how things are going and what’s next? BastiBasti: Absolutely, we talk almost weekly. How did you actually get Alan, Mille, and Daniel involved BastiBasti: Pampo! He prefers to be called Daniel, but I want to make Pampo stick. (laughs) ... Alan, Mille, and Pampo? Did they have to audition, or did you already know each other? “ .” Bastian Sobtzick, Frontmann und founder of the Band, better known as BastiBasti First crucible test in a sold out Arena Oberhausen at the Escalation FestBastiBasti:I directly asked Pampo because we’ve known each other for a long time. He’s an exceptionally amazing drummer and a great guy. Alan was also active in the hardcore- punk scene between the Ruhr area and Düsseldorf. Back when Callejon was just starting out in 2003, he was in another band called Daylight. They were already bigger than Callejon, and I was a huge fan of them. I recently found out that Alan was in that band. We’ve crossed paths a few times since, connected via social media, and we got along well. So, when I asked him to meet up, it was a quick decision. Mille plays in a Düsseldorf band, and we share a rehearsal room with them. He basically applied for the spot, saying he could already play all the songs. Just like, “Hi, I’m here!” At first, I didn’t take it too seriously, but when we talked again, I realised how much I liked him. (laughs) He’s such a warm-hearted guy, the kind of person you want to hug all the time. I’m really happy he’s on board. You’ve already started working on new songs. Are the processes different now than before? BastiBasti: Not too much. We don’t write the core of a song together as five people in the rehearsal room. Instead, we have a two-person, at most three-person songwriting team. But everyone can contribute ideas. The details are then worked out in the studio. That’s always been the case. What remains the same: if there are, say, six tracks, and you realise an album is taking shape, I start thinking about the concept. That develops alongside things like artwork or video ideas. This way, even after six songs, you can already tell what’s missing to create an album that’s not just a collection of singles but a complete work. Even though the trend with streaming services is going in a different direction, I still believe in the importance of tie tracks because they make the songs flow into each other. That’s when an album makes sense. Even though we have to adapt to the times, I don’t want to give up the idea of a cohesive work. Does streaming make this harder for you? BastiBasti: I have nothing against streaming, but I disagree with how Spotify & Co. set their algorithms. The users aren’t at fault – we use what’s available. But the policies of these services devalue music. This summer, you’ll be playing at Wacken. Not new for you, but probably for the three new guys, right? BastiBasti: Yes, definitely. For them, it’s just phenomenal. I’m excited too, because the last time we played Wacken was nearly ten years ago in 2016. I’m just glad to return to the Holy Ground. And we get to open one of the main stages again. That’s a great slot, and the crowd will be super pumped. It’s going to be insanely good! The other guys are of course excited. From the moment they joined the band, they kept asking us: “We’re playing Wacken, right? Right?” (laughs) What makes Wacken so special for you as musicians? BastiBasti: Wacken was the first festival I ever went to as a visitor. W:O:A is the festival for any metalhead. There are lots of great festivals, but Wacken is still the grand finale and an exceptional experience every time. My goal is to perform at Wacken at least ten times! In 2013, our album Blitzkreuz had just been released, and we got to open the main stage. That was the top festival moment of my life. It felt like there were 50,000 people in front of the stage, you couldn’t even see the end of the crowd. That experience had a lasting impact on me. How old were you at your first festival? BastiBasti: I think I was 18. Berni and I came there by bus. Dimmu Borgir were headlining, and it was the first time I wasn’t reprimanded for drinking beer. (laughs) Since you’ve revamped your live show: Do you have big plans for Wacken? BastiBasti: The most important thing: to endure, perform, and entertain the crowd. We’re still working out the set, and after 20 years of being in the band, it’s not easy to fit all the songs into one festival set. “ .” Guitarist “Mille” is already fully immersed in his new role with Callejon A toast before the performance - everyone drinks their favourite schnapps Credits: David Müller, Oliver Freuwörth, Chris DohleMPS HANSEATIC PROUDLY PRESENTSNext >