Making history! Metal band Morsrot to represent Malta at the prestigious Wacken Open Air Festival 2025
This summer, Malta is set to make history as the country will, for the first time ever, be represented at the world-famous Wacken Open Air Festival in Germany. Recognised as one of the most prestigious heavy metal festivals on the planet, Wacken has been the ultimate stage for the genre’s biggest names for over three decades, drawing thousands of fans from across the globe.
Leading Malta’s charge into the international metal spotlight is Morsrot, a rising force in the local scene. The band secured their place at Wacken Metal Battle 2024 after emerging victorious in Malta’s Wacken Battle of the Bands competition, held at The Garage in Zebbug, one of the island’s most influential live music venues. Their standout performance caught the attention of Michael Berberian, founder of the renowned metal label Season of Mist, who personally selected Morsrot to represent Malta on the legendary Wacken stage this July.
Formed in 2021, Morsrot’s sound has evolved from its early Death Metal roots into a more refined, distinctive identity, merging intensity with technical precision. Their Wacken debut is the latest milestone in an already impressive journey, which has included performances at the Farsons Beer Festival, where they shared the stage with metal legends like K.K.’s Priest (featuring former Judas Priest guitarist K.K. Downing) and Metal Church.
The band is also currently working on their debut album, which is being recorded at Temple Studios and is set for release later this year.
Morsrot’s journey to Wacken is not just a major achievement for the band, it’s a defining moment for Malta’s underground music scene. The band sees their success as part of a broader push to elevate the country’s alternative arts culture, challenging attitudes that they believe have held local artists back.
‘There’s a lot of great music coming out of Malta, but sugar-coating and complacency are holding the scene back,’ the band states. ‘Constructive criticism fuels change and change fuels growth. If we set the bar too low, we’ll never know how far we could have gone.’
Beyond the music industry, Morsrot advocates for young artists to prioritise passion over perceived security, challenging the notion that creative careers are a risk. ‘You can lose your day job anyway – so why not take the chance to do what you love?’
With their Wacken debut on the horizon, Morsrot is gearing up to deliver a performance that will not only demonstrate their talent, but also put Malta on the global metal map. Find more information about Morsrot and their journey to Wacken on the festival’s website.
Best of luck to Morsrot – rock on!