Shillong, February 4 : Death metal band Stabwound emerged victorious at the Shillong Open Air – Wacken Metal Battle held on January 31 at the SRGT Parking Lot, Polo, earning the right to represent North East and Eastern India at the Wacken Metal Battle – Indian Subcontinent Finals in Bengaluru.
The competition, a major highlight of the annual Shillong Open Air (SOA) metal festival, witnessed participation from across the country, with more than 30 bands from states including New Delhi, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh submitting entries. After a rigorous screening process, five bands made it to the final stage — Necroscope (Shillong), Pole Shift (Assam), Annihilation X (Shillong), Stabwound (Shillong) and Crimson Gates (Jowai).
Following electrifying performances, Stabwound was declared the winner, while Annihilation X secured the runner-up position.
The contest was judged by a prominent panel comprising Nangsan Lyngsan, vocalist of Godless; Abbas Razvi, bassist of Godless; and Kaushik Baruah of Speedtrip, who evaluated the bands on musicianship, originality and stage presence.
With this victory, Stabwound will now compete at the Wacken Metal Battle – Indian Subcontinent Finals in Bengaluru against bands from Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The overall winner will get the prestigious opportunity to perform at Wacken Open Air in Germany, the world’s largest heavy metal festival, scheduled for the first week of August.
Apart from the Metal Battle, the Shillong Open Air concert attracted metal enthusiasts from across the region, featuring performances by seven bands. Legendary Indian heavy metal act Kryptos headlined the event, delivering a powerful closing set.
Shillong Open Air remains Meghalaya’s only dedicated open-air metal festival and continues to serve as a crucial platform for both emerging and established metal acts from the region and beyond.
