Pretoria steps up: Wacken Metal Battle hits Railways

The Pretoria heat of Wacken Metal Battle Africa takes place at Railways Cafe on 4 April, with Days Without Incident, Us Not Them, Moshmallow and Super Mammoth on the competition bill, while Die Gemeente appear as special guests.

Every heat has its own mood. Some lean on experience. Some feel more open, with newer bands trying to turn one slot into something bigger. Pretoria looks like one of those nights. There are bands at different points in the journey, different sounds on the bill, and the usual sense that 20 minutes can change a few things if the set lands the way it should.

“I’m just grateful to have the opportunity to play in front of a crowd that supports the industry.”

For Days Without Incident, the appeal starts with the chance to be there in the first place. “Super sick to be able to be a part of this. Being able to play on a lineup with a bunch of bands that have been on the circuit consistently is sick. The international vibe doesn’t really phase me personally. I’m just grateful to have the opportunity to play in front of a crowd that supports the industry.”

Moshmallow’s Marty is looking at the bigger picture around the night, not only the result. “The Wacken Metal Battles are always an incredible opportunity. You get to showcase yourself as a band, connect with your community, open new doors and, most importantly, build friendships. Although we take Wacken very seriously, we also understand that it’s not the end of the world if we don’t win a heat and go through to the finals. That’s never been our goal. If that happens, great. If not, we cheer for the bands that do and get our butts back into the practice room.”

For Super Mammoth, Fred sees the heat as a chance for a newer band to get in front of more people. “It’s a great opportunity to give our relatively new band some much-needed exposure, and hopefully we can make some new fans and get our message across to a new audience.”

Once the excitement settles, the real question is what a band does with the set. That is where these nights usually get interesting. No one has the time to wander. Every song choice does a job.

Days Without Incident have used the shorter format to narrow their focus. “We’re trying our best to tighten up and be more serious. It’s cool to be able to practise a couple of songs instead of the entire set. It helps us focus on the songs and give them the attention they need individually.”

Moshmallow have been thinking about it in a similarly practical way, but with an extra push around the release itself. “The Wacken setlists are always much shorter than your standard setlists and stage time. So preparing for that always requires careful and critical thinking, because you have to choose the right songs, the right order, and also make sure your set doesn’t run over. We always try to release new music before a Wacken battle to create extra hype. So we are releasing a brand new song and a striking music video to go with it the day before our Wacken heat. We did the same last year.”

Super Mammoth have had to think hard about the clock too. Bren says, “We’ve had to focus much more on keeping the set within the 20 minutes allotted. That can be a bit trickier than you may think.” Fred picks up from there. “We do believe our set is going to be very intense and energetic, as we had the chance to pick our heaviest and most fitting songs for a metal battle. The boys are super pumped for this gig, to be honest.”

The answers become more revealing once the bands start talking about where they came from and what it actually takes to keep one going in South Africa.

Days Without Incident describe a band that has been around for a while and is still trying to push into more spaces. “We’ve been playing a lot lately, but not nearly as much as most bands. In my mind, this should open up more gigs for us. The metal scene in Joburg right now is insane. There’s so much support from the people, and it’s such a sick vibe to be a part of.”

“You have to work hard. There is no other choice.”

Moshmallow’s story starts from a more personal place. Marty says, “I created MoshMallow for a number of reasons. I needed to create a space where femininity could be celebrated and equally respected. I also wanted to push my vocal abilities. I started out as a clean singer only, and more recently I have been developing harsher vocal skills for this project in particular, then continuing that journey as we shape our sound. I also wanted to push myself as a musician by creating something that was my own instead of joining someone else’s project and submitting to their ideas. MoshMallow is the space where what is in my head can reach its full potential. It’s almost like self-actualisation, just in the form of a band. And the reality of building a metal project in South Africa, in simple terms, is hard as fuck. But it is so worth it. You have to work hard. There is no other choice. You have to creep out of your shell. You have to learn, fall, learn, fall, embarrass yourself, fall some more, have diarrhoea from sheer nerves, then get over it, stand up and become what you have worked so hard for.”

Super Mammoth are newer, but their lineup already tells its own story of how bands come together over time. Bren says, “The band started taking shape in November 2023. Fred and I put the initial songs together. Callie the Animal, our bassist, joined the project sometime in 2024. Eventually Gustavo, our drummer, joined in mid-2025, and recently Ryno joined us on lead guitar. A lot happened in between, but that’s the summarised version.”

The last part is what people only really understand once they are standing in front of the stage.

For Days Without Incident, that comes down to consistency and the effort behind it. “I think the dedication, practising every week and showing up, is most of it. We all have our own personal lives and intense work schedules, but this is something that we care about so deeply. Being able to play our music and have our music appreciated is the craziest thing for me personally, and that shows in our music.”

Marty says the live side of Moshmallow is where the balance inside the band becomes clearest. “My absolute inability to be hardcore [she laughs]. I am literally just a girl. No, really, it’s the dynamic we have in the band and the balance between extreme femininity and still giving people what they want from metal and a metal show. Headbanging, breakdowns, pits, performance, sweat and banter, all while looking cute as fuck.”

“We genuinely believe we do not sound like another heavy band on the local circuit.”

Super Mammoth answer that question from two sides. Fred points to the band’s sound and what sits inside the lyrics. “We genuinely believe we do not sound like another heavy band on the local circuit. Super Mammoth spent hours, days, weeks and months fine-tuning and crafting a distinctive sound. Our aim is to have people think a bit after a show because of our social commentary-filled lyrics, and if we can have just one person enjoy our show and go home with a warm heart, then we found gold.” Bren brings it back to the actual feel of the set. “In my opinion, I would say the intensity. The semi-controlled chaos. It is intended to be a raw experience, unfiltered and imperfect.”

AFRICA.ROCKS also tried to speak to Us Not Them for this piece, but had not received a reply by the time of publication.

That is Pretoria this weekend. Four bands, a short set each, and one of those nights where a room can tell you a lot very quickly. The talking part only goes so far. After that, it is down to the songs, the set, and what each band can make happen in the time it has.