Rising rock bands to compete at the Gate of Transylvania
Everyday, we all listen to music, don’t we? Music has been a vital part of our lives since it first appeared. No matter if we’re in train stations, walking down the street, waiting in line at the grocery store, music is always there. Our lives would definitely be different without music. In this article, we aim to highlight the emerging talents in the rock music industry that has seen steady growth in recent years.
A key contributor to nurturing young talent in the rock music landscape is the WTF (Way Too Far) Rock Festival, which introduced a novel concept to provide upcoming bands with the opportunity to showcase their performances on a large stage. Known as Rock Battle at the Gate of Transylvania, this initiative aims to bring together popular bands selected via online voting by the general public. To enter the competition, bands were required to submit both a live performance recording and a professionally recorded studio version of their original composition. From the preselection process, eighteen bands were chosen to demonstrate their skills on stage: Awake the Demons, Blackout, Carousel, Catun, Dezident, Hypnotical, Katharein, Lotus, Ruyned, Symphress, Twice Louder, Vathos, Wild Angels, alongside local bands from Bistrița including Besmeth, Riveria, Punkarta, Sadetica, and Vice Grip. The performance dates have been set from August 15 to August 17 at “Pietonalul Liviu Rebreanu” in Bistrița, where a panel of jurors from various musical and organizational backgrounds will assess the groups. The competing bands will vie for grand prizes as well as individual accolades like the best vocalist, guitarist, bassist, drummer, and song message, all awarding 200 euros each.
The top three bands from the competition will also earn the chance to perform at the next edition of the WTF Rock Festival in Vama Veche scheduled to take place from July 4-6. An exciting lineup of headliners will grace the stage, including Cargo, Hara, and the renowned Norwegian band Evergrey, much to the delight of the audience.
For more insights into the upcoming event, interviews were conducted with two participating bands, a jury member, and an event organizer. The bands Bësmeth and Sadetica are all set to compete in the Rock Battle at the Gate of Transylvania. It is events like these that allow burgeoning talents in Romania to shine and showcase their musical abilities alongside established bands.