Metal Battle Japan picks one band to represent the country in the Metal Battle at Wacken Open Air in Germany. In 2026 that band was GIVEN BY THE FLAMES, a Tokyo group that describes its music as “Gothic metalcore from Japan.”

The Band

The founder is Willian, who started the band in 2013 on guitar and later moved to vocals. In a 2026 crowdfunding page Willian said the band began in Shizuoka around high-school graduation, and changed members and base several times after that.

The lineup in 2026:

  • Willian, vocals
  • Diekey, guitar and vocals, a member since 2017, ex-OLFEUS
  • Noi, drums
  • Shima, guitar, ex-SECONDLOW, listed as support in May 2026 and presented by Young Guitar in October 2026 as the band’s guitarist

Young Guitar’s interview describes the band as a four-piece without a bassist.

The Records

Its music is distributed through DistroKid. The releases include:

  • SALEM, the first EP, February 2018
  • 13, the first album, June 2019
  • GRAVEYARD, the second EP, six tracks, November 2020
  • singles from 2022 to 2025: “NEMESIS,” “PURGING NIGHT,” “VAINS,” “NIHIL” and “UNTIL WE MEET IN HELL AGAIN”
  • A BOOK OF AGONY, an album, 2025

Metal Battle

The Japanese final was held at Shibuya CYCLONE on 12 April 2026, with five bands. GIVEN BY THE FLAMES won it through the losers’ bracket. Sable Hills had taken the same route to Germany in 2022 and won the whole competition.

The trip was paid for partly by fans. A CAMPFIRE crowdfunding campaign from 29 May to 30 June 2026 raised ¥1,731,666 against a goal of ¥1.5 million, from 142 backers.

On 30 July 2026 the band played a 20-minute set on Wacken’s W.E.T. stage in the international Metal Battle final and placed third. Young Guitar noted that a rule change on backing tracks had made the band eligible that year. A live video of “R.I.P” from the festival is on the band’s YouTube channel.

The homecoming show, “AGAINST ALL ODDS,” was at Shibuya CYCLONE on 21 August 2026.

Why It Matters

GIVEN BY THE FLAMES reached the Wacken podium on a trip its fans helped pay for, with a lineup that had been rebuilt more than once since 2013.

Start with “R.I.P,” then “ABADDON.”