Caracas / Quito / Bogotá – May 2025 – Metal Battle South America continues its rise as one of the most significant platforms for the development and projection of Latin American metal. In a new milestone for the region, the national final of Metal Battle Venezuela was awarded “Event of the Year” at the 2025 Melomaniac Awards in Venezuela, a recognition that confirms the event’s production quality, audience engagement, and cultural relevance.
This achievement adds to the award obtained in 2024 by the Metal Battle Ecuador final, which was recognized in the same category by the Maniac TV Awards in the South American country. Additionally, the promoters of the circuit received an homage at the 2025 Subterránica Colombia Awards, where they were distinguished for their work in strengthening the independent scene and their contribution to the artistic circulation of metal bands across the continent. In just two years, the event has been recognized multiple times as one of the most impactful platforms in the region.
Since its inception, Metal Battle South America has been characterized by its decentralized vision, territorial integration, and independent ethos. Far from replicating the elitist logics of other music circuits, Metal Battle South America has developed a collaborative model involving promoters, managers, collectives, and alternative media from five countries in the region. The objective: to create a solid route that allows bands to compete for a spot at the prestigious Wacken Open Air festival in Germany, the most important metal stage worldwide, and to establish the most significant metal circulation circuit in the region. This has been achieved convincingly with the participation of over 300 bands in each of its two editions.
According to its coordination team, these recognitions are not just a celebration of the event itself but a reflection of the sustained work that has been carried out from the cultural foundations of the metal movement. “It’s not just about competing, but about building a scene, generating networks, strengthening the sense of community, and projecting talent of high artistic and conceptual level,” says Felipe Szarruk, Latin America promoter of Metal Battle.
A Circuit That Transcends Borders
What sets Metal Battle South America apart is its commitment to geographical and musical diversity. Far from focusing solely on major capitals, the finals and eliminations have traveled to secondary cities and peripheral areas, bringing metal to spaces historically marginalized from the international circuit.
In this sense, the recognition of the Venezuelan final gains even more value: it was held amid complex conditions in a country with deep logistical and structural difficulties but with a powerful scene that has managed to reinvent itself through self-managed work. The 2025 Melomaniac Awards not only acknowledge the quality of the event itself but also the resilience and professionalism of its organizers.
The selection process of the bands that reach the South American final also reflects increasing rigor. Each participating country develops its own national route, with local juries and artistic follow-up, culminating in a continental final that has gained symbolic and media weight.
The Impact of a Necessary Platform
Beyond the prestige of Wacken Open Air, Metal Battle South America has generated a far-reaching effect on national scenes. It has fostered the emergence of new bands, the professionalization of promoters, and has reactivated regional collaboration networks among collectives from countries like Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Argentina, Peru, and Bolivia.
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The visibility offered by the circuit has allowed bands to access festivals, labels, and specialized media at the continental level. Likewise, the event has motivated cultural journalists, researchers, and independent media to record and analyze the processes of Latin American metal in greater depth.
Vhill: Recognition and Representation
As part of the results of this process, the Venezuelan band Vhill was selected to represent South America at the 2025 edition of Wacken Open Air. The group, originating from Ciudad Guayana, was also recognized with three Melomaniac awards: Breakthrough Artist, Best Live Band, and Best Extreme Metal Band.
Vhill has just released their first studio album, accompanied by the music video for the single “Extinción,” and is preparing to represent the region with a solid modern death metal proposal that combines technique, critical lyrics, and a powerful stage presence.
Metal Battle South America not only exports talent; it exports narrative, culture, and resistance. It does so from the deep roots of Latin American metal, with a long-term vision and a network of committed actors who are finally receiving the recognition they deserve.
