Mid-Island heavy melodic death metal band Krypteia is competing for a chance to perform at what lead singer and Nanaimo resident Justin Kleinsasser says is known amongst metalheads as “one of the most prestigious, if not the most prestigious, festivals that’s on the planet.”
Every year Germany’s Wacken Open Air festival hold its international Metal Battle competition, in which unsigned bands from around the world face off to represent their country at Wacken.
Kleinsasser said “it blew all of our minds” when he and his bandmates – lead guitarist Nolan Bell from Nanaimo, rhythm guitarist Cameron Grobe and drummer Lucas Mendes from Duncan and Parksville bassist Ryan Chek – heard that they were selected to compete in the B.C. battle. Round 1 takes place at Logan’s Pub in Victoria on March 9. Krypteia will be going up against fellow Island groups Electric Druids, Liberatia and Forever Frost.
Krypteia recently played a show at Logan’s and Kleinsasser said it will be helpful competing at a familiar venue.
“Everything’s trial and error and the last show we played there, for example, I kicked out one of my guitarists patch cords because it’s kind of a small stage,” he said. “And now going into it, I know that we’ve got to [have] careful footing. It’s not worth it to rock out that hard to the point where we’re knocking over drum cymbals.”
Kleinsasser said making it to Wacken would “mean the world” to the band. He said as young, aspiring musicians it’s hard to stand out and even harder to make a living. He said Wacken can change that.
“With an opportunity like this, it actually brings it to reality that you could do what you love, you could make music, and then end up paying your bills with it and taking care of your family with that,” he said. “And we all have day jobs, but I think it would take us to that next level where we wouldn’t need day jobs and we could just do what we love.”
WHAT’S ON … Krypteia plays at Logan’s Pub, 1821 Cook St., Victoria, on March 9 at 8 p.m. $10.
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