I've been to Wacken every year since 2004 and I love Wacken. However I don't think anybody can refute the fact that Hellfest is surely kicking Wacken's butt in terms of line-up. I really don't understand why there is no word from the organisation regarding a further line-up and why the biggest and most famous non-mainstream heavy metal festival is taking a sure backseat to a relatively young festival that has confirmed so many big names for their festival.
Could it be that they are sitting comfortably idle now that the festival is sold out and they don't *really* have to book any more big name bands? Not that I'm saying that they would, I am totally not (they are really cool people), but I just can't help but think they are coming off as lazy or something. I don't think they have been this slow in announcing their lineup in years, and other festivals, especially Hellfest, are railroading them in terms of creating juicy well balanced line-ups.
Wacken has confirmed to date 31 bands! As of March 3 2008, a total of 57 bands had been confirmed for Wacken 2008 and as of March 7 2007, a total of 56 bands had been confirmed for the 2007 edition. In 2006, 36 had been confirmed by March 7 and in 2005, 39 bands had been confirmed by 3 March. So this year is the slowest year in terms of confirmation in at least 4 years (I didn't look further back).
oh yeah, Hellfest has confirmed its final line-up. These are the bands playing, :
ABORTED
ADAGIO
ADX
ALL SHALL PERISH
AMEBIX
AMON AMARTH
ANTHRAX
ASPHYX
AUGUST BURNS RED
AURA NOIR
BACKFIRE
BACKYARD BABIES
BETRAYED
BLACK DAHLIA MURDER
BLOCKHEADS
BLOODCLOT
BRING ME THE HORIZON
BRUTAL TRUTH
BUCKCHERRY
BUSINESS
CATHEDRAL
COALESCE
CRADLE OF FILTH
DAGOBA
DEICIDE
DESPISED ICON
DESTROYER 666
DESTRUCTION
DEVILDRIVER
DOWN
DRAGONFORCE
DREAM THEATER
EDGUY
ELECTRIC WIZARD
ENSLAVED
ENTOMBED
EPICA
EUROPE
EYEHATEGOD
GAMABOMB
GIRLSCHOOL
GOD FORBID
GOJIRA
GORGOROTH
GRAND MAGUS
HACRIDE
HATEBREED
HEAVEN & HELL
HEAVEN SHALL BURN
HOLYHELL
IMMOLATION
JARBOE
KATAKLYSM
KEEP OF KALESSIN
KICKBACK
KILLING JOKE
KMFDM
KORITNI
KYLESA
MACHINE HEAD
MAD SIN
MANOWAR
MARILYN MANSON
MASTODON
MELECHESH
MISERY INDEX
MISFITS
MOONSORROW
MOONSPELL
MÖTLEY CRÜE
NACHTMYSTIUM
NAPALM DEATH
NASHVILLE PUSSY
ORAKLE
ORANGE GOBLIN
OUTLAW ORDER
PAIN
PAIN OF SALVATION
PAPA ROACH
PARKWAY DRIVE
PENTAGRAM
PESTILENCE
PIG DESTROYER
PROVIDENCE
QUEENSRYCHE
SACRED REICH
SATAN JOKERS
SKINLESS
SLAPSHOT
SOILENT GREEN
SOULFLY
SQUEELER
STRATOVARIUS
SUICIDAL TENDENCIES
TAAKE
TERROR
TORCHE
TREPALIUM
UFOMAMMUT
VADER
VISION OF DISORDER
VOIVOD
VOLBEAT
W.A.S.P.
WATERTANK
WHITECHAPEL
WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM
A total of 107 bands... and the funny thing is that most of the big names on Wacken are also playing Hellfest...