Bands

How do you reconcile the hellfire-like blast furnaces and kilometre-deep shafts of the Ruhr region with the recurring waves and stormy breezes of the sea? The Full Metal Cruise XII will get to the bottom of this question in 2025 and bring the thrash legend Kreator on deck!
he epicness with which Mille and co. pack their steel-hard and ultra-brutal riffs is now unrivalled internationally - quite a few see them as having arrived on the thrash throne after Slayer's retirement.
The band has been raising the ‘Flag of Hate’ for 42 years and shows no signs of ageing on their latest release ‘Hate über alles’.
And just as steel needs water during the forging process in order to harden completely, Kreator and the Full Metal Cruise will also form a strong metallic bond and set the sea boiling.

All aboard? The captain speaks! Björn Strid is no stranger to the Full Metal Cruise. This year he and his pirate brothers in Soilwork are taking over the ship. Just in time for their 30th anniversary, the Swedish sextet will churn the seas into a raging storm with their powerful Melodic Death Metal. We sure as hell won’t complain.

Captains of Alternative Metal, charting a course for destruction for decades. With storm guitars, waves of rage, and lyrics deep as the ocean. Therapy? bring classics like Screamager to a boil on deck – goosebumps at gale force 10!

The cello sorceress with thunder at her fingertips. Elegance meets epic waves – where metal kisses classical. Tina Guo is the goddess of the seas: enchanting & fierce. A storm of strings, style, and soul.

Attention! When the ship’s horn sounds, it’s the unmistakable call of legends. When Peavy and his crew board the Cruise, the name of the game is Rage. And when Rage is on deck, it means Metal until the Baltic Sea is on fire! Are you ready?

Warkings - Die Götter des Battle Metal sind aus Valhalla herabgestiegen. Mit Schwert, Helm und Doublebass stürmen sie das Deck. Hier wird nicht verhandelt – hier wird erobert! Wer mitsegeln will, braucht Mut und ein Nackenshirt.

Symphonic metal with a heading for legends and elements. Romance on the high seas, with soul storms and roaring winds. Sailors of sound, ready to conquer your heart. The voice of the ocean has a name: Visions of Atlantis.

Sweden’s Power Metal captains with a Broadway soul. Here, it’s sailing and singing! Icy winds, dragon wings, and fantasy tales stretching beyond the horizon. With their latest voyage Power Train, it’s pure majesty, like a tall ship at sunset. Aye – cinematic magic under full sail!

Rising from the depths of a raging sea, Masterplan deliver pure Power Metal. With thunderous anthems like Enlighten Me, they shatter the silence. Their melodies drift like fog over black waters – ominous and strong. This crew sails full force through dark tides, straight into the hearts of the Cruisaders.

Shining like a treasure chest on the ocean floor, Kupfergold's range is a romantic cutter full of emotion. Sometimes folky, sometimes melodic – always on course straight to the heart. Beware: the gold rush might get you!

From the engine room straight to the deck – ETS hurl modern hardcore into the waves with full force. Ready to dive into brutal sonic tides? Strap in, it’s going deep.

Armored superheroes on a sacred quest – guided by the unicorn compass! The Grailknights sail the seven seas with their mighty Power Metal. Straight outta Castle Grailskull, they’re heading into an epic plunder voyage!

This Spanish crew navigates the wild storms of the '80s with classic flair. High-pitched sirens clash with flaming guitars – a hurricane of riffs sweeps the deck. Buckle up, it's gonna get loud!

A northern storm is rising – and it's bringing Pagan Metal with it! Like a Viking ship full of growls and accordion madness. Dance on deck, mead in hand, horns to the sky! A berserker ride across the seven seas.

Dark, raw, and blood-red – like the sea at sunset after battle. Groove rules here, pulling everything in its wake. Seven Blood deliver metal with heart, fist, and a touch of madness. Ready for blood, sweat, and mosh?

Wacken’s very own house band boards the cruise! With anthems, hooks, and guaranteed headbangs. Skyline is your safe harbor in the wild metal sea. But don’t get too comfy – even harbors can explode!

As powerful as a storm on the open sea. This crew braves rough waters with raw Alternative Rock. Bundle up – a tidal wave of emotion is coming. Stonem rocks the deck – loud, honest, and direct.

The band of the legendary night prowler Maschine. Here, everything that has a name, a riff, and a damn good sound is unleashed. The Guerillas are the pulse of the Cruise, fueling the decks with attitude, fire, and riffs that get even the toughest Metalheads moving.

Hard Rock from another galaxy – literally. A Cruise without extraterrestrial visitors? Unthinkable. Neither Maschine’s Late Night Show nor the decks are safe from this cosmic invasion of riffs and power. 

Henning Wanner, already known as the Ozzy incarnation, now pays tribute to another legend. The former White Lion member rolls out the heavy artillery with Savatage. Buckle up – this set will hit like a broadside! But Henning also reveals his softer side: his Piano Ballads set. Even die-hard Kreator maniacs might find themselves a little misty-eyed. Don’t worry – the ship is stocked with enough tissues.

Maschine in the… machine room? Good thing he’s not – otherwise this cruise would be over before you could say “Late Night Show.” Instead, the one-man wrecking crew unleashes night after night of chaos, charm, and conversations with legends, comrades, or Holger Hübner himself. Every show is different – but one thing never changes: the war cry thundering across the decks – “Who loves you and who do you love? Maschine!”

Metal Yoga Bones – scream it out! If you’ve never let out your primal scream in downward dog with Saskia, don’t be surprised enlightenment hasn’t hit yet. On the 12th FMC you’ve got another shot – join the Goddess of Metal Yoga for daily sun salutations, sweat, and steel in your heart.

The string sorcerer, the guitar whisperer, the wizard of tone – Uli Jon Roth. When his hands touch a guitar, even the stormiest seas fall silent. And when he weaves in tales from decades of Rock ’n’ Roll, even Poseidon himself listens in awe. Let yourself be spellbound!

Bahn Backstage – straight behind the curtains.

Moderator Uwe Bahn opens the gates to where music is really forged. Expect insights, live demos, and stories from the world of Rock and Pop. A wild mix of lecture, talk show, performance, and interactive workshop. Here, music isn’t just discussed – it’s lived, played, and decoded in real time.

How do you reconcile the hellfire-like blast furnaces and kilometre-deep shafts of the Ruhr region with the recurring waves and stormy breezes of the sea? The Full Metal Cruise XII will get to the bottom of this question in 2025 and bring the thrash legend Kreator on deck!
he epicness with which Mille and co. pack their steel-hard and ultra-brutal riffs is now unrivalled internationally - quite a few see them as having arrived on the thrash throne after Slayer's retirement.
The band has been raising the ‘Flag of Hate’ for 42 years and shows no signs of ageing on their latest release ‘Hate über alles’.
And just as steel needs water during the forging process in order to harden completely, Kreator and the Full Metal Cruise will also form a strong metallic bond and set the sea boiling.

All aboard? The captain speaks! Björn Strid is no stranger to the Full Metal Cruise. This year he and his pirate brothers in Soilwork are taking over the ship. Just in time for their 30th anniversary, the Swedish sextet will churn the seas into a raging storm with their powerful Melodic Death Metal. We sure as hell won’t complain.

Captains of Alternative Metal, charting a course for destruction for decades. With storm guitars, waves of rage, and lyrics deep as the ocean. Therapy? bring classics like Screamager to a boil on deck – goosebumps at gale force 10!

The cello sorceress with thunder at her fingertips. Elegance meets epic waves – where metal kisses classical. Tina Guo is the goddess of the seas: enchanting & fierce. A storm of strings, style, and soul.

Attention! When the ship’s horn sounds, it’s the unmistakable call of legends. When Peavy and his crew board the Cruise, the name of the game is Rage. And when Rage is on deck, it means Metal until the Baltic Sea is on fire! Are you ready?

Warkings - Die Götter des Battle Metal sind aus Valhalla herabgestiegen. Mit Schwert, Helm und Doublebass stürmen sie das Deck. Hier wird nicht verhandelt – hier wird erobert! Wer mitsegeln will, braucht Mut und ein Nackenshirt.

Symphonic metal with a heading for legends and elements. Romance on the high seas, with soul storms and roaring winds. Sailors of sound, ready to conquer your heart. The voice of the ocean has a name: Visions of Atlantis.

Sweden’s Power Metal captains with a Broadway soul. Here, it’s sailing and singing! Icy winds, dragon wings, and fantasy tales stretching beyond the horizon. With their latest voyage Power Train, it’s pure majesty, like a tall ship at sunset. Aye – cinematic magic under full sail!

Rising from the depths of a raging sea, Masterplan deliver pure Power Metal. With thunderous anthems like Enlighten Me, they shatter the silence. Their melodies drift like fog over black waters – ominous and strong. This crew sails full force through dark tides, straight into the hearts of the Cruisaders.

Shining like a treasure chest on the ocean floor, Kupfergold's range is a romantic cutter full of emotion. Sometimes folky, sometimes melodic – always on course straight to the heart. Beware: the gold rush might get you!

From the engine room straight to the deck – ETS hurl modern hardcore into the waves with full force. Ready to dive into brutal sonic tides? Strap in, it’s going deep.

Armored superheroes on a sacred quest – guided by the unicorn compass! The Grailknights sail the seven seas with their mighty Power Metal. Straight outta Castle Grailskull, they’re heading into an epic plunder voyage!

This Spanish crew navigates the wild storms of the '80s with classic flair. High-pitched sirens clash with flaming guitars – a hurricane of riffs sweeps the deck. Buckle up, it's gonna get loud!

A northern storm is rising – and it's bringing Pagan Metal with it! Like a Viking ship full of growls and accordion madness. Dance on deck, mead in hand, horns to the sky! A berserker ride across the seven seas.

Dark, raw, and blood-red – like the sea at sunset after battle. Groove rules here, pulling everything in its wake. Seven Blood deliver metal with heart, fist, and a touch of madness. Ready for blood, sweat, and mosh?

Wacken’s very own house band boards the cruise! With anthems, hooks, and guaranteed headbangs. Skyline is your safe harbor in the wild metal sea. But don’t get too comfy – even harbors can explode!

Mystic sounds from the depths of a pirate’s treasure chest. A mix of Eastern wisdom and dark groove. Philosophy meets metal – the sea falls silent and listens. Chuan-Tzu is the soundtrack to the storm within your soul.

Dark seasons on the open sea. Melancholy meets riff storms – Seasons in Black are like fog wrapped in thunder. Blackened metal with a heart of ice and fire. Sail with them through the tides of twilight.

Henning Wanner, already known as the Ozzy incarnation, now pays tribute to another legend. The former White Lion member rolls out the heavy artillery with Savatage. Buckle up – this set will hit like a broadside! But Henning also reveals his softer side: his Piano Ballads set. Even die-hard Kreator maniacs might find themselves a little misty-eyed. Don’t worry – the ship is stocked with enough tissues.

Maschine in the… machine room? Good thing he’s not – otherwise this cruise would be over before you could say “Late Night Show.” Instead, the one-man wrecking crew unleashes night after night of chaos, charm, and conversations with legends, comrades, or Holger Hübner himself. Every show is different – but one thing never changes: the war cry thundering across the decks – “Who loves you and who do you love? Maschine!”

Metal Yoga Bones – scream it out! If you’ve never let out your primal scream in downward dog with Saskia, don’t be surprised enlightenment hasn’t hit yet. On the 12th FMC you’ve got another shot – join the Goddess of Metal Yoga for daily sun salutations, sweat, and steel in your heart.

The string sorcerer, the guitar whisperer, the wizard of tone – Uli Jon Roth. When his hands touch a guitar, even the stormiest seas fall silent. And when he weaves in tales from decades of Rock ’n’ Roll, even Poseidon himself listens in awe. Let yourself be spellbound!

Bahn Backstage – straight behind the curtains.

Moderator Uwe Bahn opens the gates to where music is really forged. Expect insights, live demos, and stories from the world of Rock and Pop. A wild mix of lecture, talk show, performance, and interactive workshop. Here, music isn’t just discussed – it’s lived, played, and decoded in real time.