Photo Credit: Raph_PH / CC by 2.0
Metallica starts a nationwide marching band competition just days before their latest album’s release.
Ahead of the release of their latest album, 72 Seasons, later this week, Metallica has announced a new competition for marching bands of all levels to cover the group’s classic songs. Up to $150,000 in prizes are up for grabs for the best covers, with the winners selected by Metallica themselves.
The concept is for marching bands to come up with their own versions of Metallica songs — including “Enter Sandman,” “Master of Puppets,” “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” and their latest track, “Lux Æterna” — to be judged by a panel selecting finalists in five categories, with the final winners chosen by Metallica.
Each category — collegiate division 1, college divisions 2-3, high school, and fan favorites for collegiate and high school divisions — comes with different prizes. Metallica fans will also have the opportunity to vote for their favorite covers.
In addition to cash prizes, winners in each category will receive musical instruments from sponsors like KHS America, D’Addario, Gator, Tama, and Zildjian, in partnership with Sweetwater. Entry categories include:
- Collegiate Division 1 – $75,000 prize
- Collegiate Division 2, 3 – $40,000 prize
- High School – $15,000 prize
- Fan Favorite: Collegiate – $10,000 prize
- Fan Favorite: High School – $10,000 prize
Entries are due November 16, 2023, with voting to begin the following day. Winners will be selected on December 1.
Metallica’s latest album, 72 Seasons, releases on April 14 on the band’s own Blackened label, with twelve tracks and a more than 77-minute running length. The band also embarks on a two-year world tour next month, playing two shows in each city with different setlists and openers.
Metallica Tour Dates:
April 2023
- 27 | Johan Cruijff Arena — Amsterdam, Netherlands *
- 29 | Johan Cruijff Arena — Amsterdam, Netherlands ^
May 2023
- 17 | Stade de France — Paris, France ^
- 19 | Stade de France — Paris, France *
- 26 | Volksparkstadion — Hamburg, Germany *
- 28 | Volksparkstadion — Hamburg, Germany ^
June 2023
- 16 | Ullevi Stadium — Gothenburg, Sweden %
- 18 | Ullevi Stadium — Gothenburg, Sweden ^
August 2023
- 04 | MetLife Stadium — East Rutherford, NJ #
- 06 | MetLife Stadium — East Rutherford, NJ ^
- 11 | Stade Olympique — Montreal, QC #
- 13 | Stade Olympique — Montreal, QC ^
- 18 | AT&T Stadium — Arlington, TX #
- 20 | AT&T Stadium — Arlington, TX ^
- 25 | SoFi Stadium — Inglewood, CA #
- 27 | SoFi Stadium — Inglewood, CA ^
September 2023
- 01 | State Farm Stadium — Glendale, AZ #
- 03 | State Farm Stadium — Glendale, AZ ^
November 2023
- 03 | The Dome at America’s Center — St. Louis, MO #
- 05 | The Dome at America’s Center — St. Louis, MO ^
- 10 | Ford Field — Detroit, MI #
- 10 | Ford Field — Detroit, MI ^
Metallica Tour Dates for 2024
May 2024
- 24 | Olympiastadion — Munich, Germany *
- 26 | Olympiastadion — Munich, Germany ^
June 2024
- 07 | Olympic Stadium — Helsinki, Finland *
- 09 | Olympic Stadium — Helsinki, Finland ^
- 14 | Parken Stadium — Copenhagen, Denmark *
- 16 | Parken Stadium — Copenhagen, Denmark ^
July 2024
- 05 | PGE Narodowy — Warsaw, Poland *
- 07 | PGE Narodowy — Warsaw, Poland ^
- 12 | Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano — Madrid, Spain *
- 14 | Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano — Madrid, Spain ^
August 2024
- 02 | Gillette Stadium — Foxborough, MA #
- 04 | Gillette Stadium — Foxborough, MA ^
- 09 | Soldier Field — Chicago, IL #
- 11 | Soldier Field — Chicago, IL ^
- 16 | US Bank Stadium — Minneapolis, MN #
- 18 | US Bank Stadium — Minneapolis, MN ^
- 23 | Commonwealth Stadium — Edmonton, AB #
- 25 | Commonwealth Stadium — Edmonton, AB ^
- 30 | Lumen Field — Seattle, WA #
September 2024
- 01 | Lumen Field — Seattle, WA ^
- 20 | Foro Sol — Mexico City, MX @
- 22 | Foro Sol — Mexico City, MX ^
- 27 | Foro Sol — Mexico City, MX @
- 29 | Foro Sol — Mexico City, MX ^
* — with Architects & Mammoth WVH
^ — with Five Finger Death Punch & Ice Nine Kills
%– with Volbeat & Mammoth WVH
# — with Pantera & Mammoth WVH
@ — with Greta Van Fleet & Mammoth WVH