Once again this year, the Impericon Festival Band Contest gives up-and-coming bands the opportunity to earn a slot in our festival lineup. The winning band will open Day 2 of the Impericon Festival 2025 on Saturday, June 28 – followed by artists like Paleface Swiss, Imminence, and Motionless In White. And let’s not forget the headliners of the day: Bullet For My Valentine and A Day To Remember!
Band Introduction & Voting
Of course, the final decision is in your hands: the community gets to choose which of these bands will hit the stage this summer. Check out all four finalists below and dive into their music. Don’t forget to follow their social media channels – we’ve linked them too! Voting will take place on May 21 via our Instagram channel, so be sure to tune in and take part!
Forty37
Forty37 from Bremen, Germany, blend powerful punk rock with modern pop-punk influences and a solid dose of 2000s emo vibes. Founded in 2021, their songs invite you to both lose it in the pit and reflect deeply – sometimes loud and energetic, sometimes melancholic and introspective. Their latest single, “Vertigo”, is a contemporary anthem of longing that captures the sound of an unforgettable era.
Save Your Last Breath
Save Your Last Breath from Zurich, Switzerland, deliver uncompromising blackened metalcore with an intense live presence. Their sound – a mix of crushing breakdowns, dark black metal riffs, and relentless blast beats – is both brutal and emotionally charged. Influenced by bands like Neaera, Heaven Shall Burn, and Make Them Suffer, Save Your Last Breath make a bold musical statement with their latest album Elegies – dark, atmospheric, and crushing.
Corbian
The Metalcore band Corbian is a well-known name in the Frankfurt am Main region in Germany. This three-piece outfit from Offenbach has carved out their niche in the metal scene over the past decade by blending their music with subgenres like deathcore and hardcore.
Corbian have supported bands like Avatar, Gaerea, and Cattle Decapitation, and even joined Ektomorf on a full European tour. They’re no strangers to contests either: in 2024, they won the Wacken Metal Battle Germany and made it to the finals alongside nine other bands from around the world. Now, they’re bringing that same energy to Impericon!
Their latest single, “Ignited”, is a fiery preview of what’s to come:
Hard Times Don’t Last
Hard Times Don’t Last – more than just a band name, it’s their promise: “We Create Heavy, Hopeful, Honest Music.”
Bound by friendship and a shared love for heavy music, they combine emotional atmospheres, raw vocals, and crushing breakdowns to process the struggles that weigh on them. Their EP No Apathy to Misery takes a stand against social injustice, while “Until the Stars Collide” tells a deeply personal story that resonates and breaks emotional boundaries.
Get a taste of their sound here:
Those are our four finalists! We can’t wait to hear your thoughts and are beyond excited to welcome the winning band into our lineup. So get voting and make your voice heard!
