Germany's annual Wave-Gotik-Treffen (WGT) is one of the world's biggest gatherings for everything gothic, industrial, metal, (neo-)folk and medieval as well as dark literature and cinema. Taking place in more than 30 venues all over the city of Leipzig during the holiday of Pentecost there's a lot to be done, a lot to be seen and a lot to be bought at what has become the world's biggest marketplace for gothic fashion. But as the average metalhead isn't so much into showing off his newest renaissance dress or flokati gauntlets, or into re-enacting the days of yore, there's also a whole lot of live music with more than 200 live bands performing at the festival, of which many are immensely interesting for fans of heavy metal.

The biggest highlight, at least for metalheads, probably is the first - and maybe only - concert of the acclaimed gothic metal/neofolk band Empyrium. The dual-core of the band consisting of vocalist Thomas Helm and guitarist Ulf Theodor Schwadorf will be complemented on stage by Neige (Alcest, Amesoeurs, Lantlôs, Peste Noire) and Eviga (Dornenreich, Angizia) on guitars, Fursy Teyssier (Les Discrets, Amesoeurs, Alcest) on bass and Allen B. Konstanz (The Vision Bleak) on drums. Yes indeed, that's a three guitar lineup for one of metal's most interesting bands!

More live premieres will be by French folk-gaze act Les Discrets and long-running Swedish black metal band Vinterland. And then there's of course a whole lot of less exclusive, but no less attractive bands like Tiamat, Anathema, Fields Of The Nephilim, Eluveitie, Lake Of Tears, Killing Joke, Lacrimas Profundere, to name just a few metal-relevant ones. A full listing of all announced bands can be found below.

Most of the concerts will take place at the Agra Hall on the Leipzig exhibition grounds, but the festival wristband allows you to use trams and buses in Leipzig as much as you want; just in case you want to check out some other venues, hit the clubs, stroll through the pagan village, watch a special screening at the Cinestar theatre or attend a reading in the crypts of the Monument of the Battle of Nations, the tallest monument in Europe and one of Leipzig's main landmarks.

The price of a regular 5 day ticket amounts to 81 ?. If you want to camp on the grounds right in front of the Agra Hall, you'll have to purchase a so-called "Obsorgekarte" for 25 ?, which includes the WGT program book and a CD with artists performing there. Purchase is possible via the festival's website at this location.

The city of Leipzig is located in Eastern Germany, about 170 km south of Berlin. It is connected to three German autobahns, is home to Europe's largest railway station and is served by the international Leipzig/Halle Airport. Check the airport's Wikipedia page to get a quick overview of airlines and destinations.

Need any more information? The unofficial guide to WGT at [url= http://sadgoth.com/]sadgoth.com[/url] should answer all remaining questions.