Mumbai-based heavy psych and sludge metal band Midhaven has won Wacken Metal Battle India 2026, earning the opportunity to represent the country at the Wacken Metal Battle World Final, held as part of Wacken Open Air in Germany.
The band secured the title after competing against underground metal acts from across India and will now perform at the international finals during one of the world’s largest heavy metal festivals.
Commenting on the win, vocalist and guitarist Karan Kaul said, “We’re extremely humbled and grateful to have won the Indian leg of Wacken Metal Battle and to represent our country at one of the largest metal stages on the face of the earth.”
Lead guitarist and vocalist Aditya Mohanan added, “It’s a privilege to share the stage with bands we’ve grown up listening to and to represent Indian culture on the world stage.”
Midhaven’s music blends heavy psych and sludge metal with elements of Indian ragas, drawing inspiration from mythology, philosophy and classical music. The band released its second full-length album, Of The Lotus & The Thunderbolt, in 2021, followed by the single The Veiler, inspired by Raag Todi.
The Wacken Metal Battle India victory follows the band’s recent European tour, which included performances across 19 cities in seven countries, including the UK, France, Germany, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands. The tour also saw Midhaven become the first Indian band to perform at Desertfest London.
Reflecting on the tour, Mohanan said, “It’s proof that audiences are embracing not just Indian metal, but the distinctly Indian identity within it.”
Kaul added, “We’re still processing the fact that we were the first Indian metal band to play Desertfest and Paris Grand Sludge.”
Formed in 2011, Midhaven released its debut EP, Tales From the Tide, in 2013 before signing with Universal Music Group. The band’s debut album, Spellbound, was released in 2014.
