Metallica Announce Finalists For ‘For Whom The Band Tolls!’ Marching Band Competition

Metallica recently unveiled the finalists for their inaugural “For Whom the Band Tolls!” marching band competition.

Over 450 colleges and high schools across the U.S. signed up for the competition since Metallica invited marching bands to compete for $150,000 in prizes by crafting “their most exciting, unique, and impressive performances of some of the band’s most beloved songs.” Entrants were given access to official charts for “Enter Sandman,” “Fade to Black,” “Master of Puppets,” and more.

Metallica has selected five finalists in each division, ranging from the Division 1 collegiate ranks down through smaller high schools. The band members will choose the winner of each category “at a date to be determined in early January.”

Fans will also get to select their favorites, picking separate winners at the Collegiate and High School levels (each netting a separate $10,000 prize). The winner of each category will win musical instruments and gear for their school’s program, furnished by Metallica and sponsors including Tama, KHS America, Zildjian, D’Addario, and Gator, in partnership with Sweetwater.

Fans can view submissions and cast their votes via Metallica’s marching band competition

The finalists in each category are as follows:

Collegiate: Division 1 – $75,000 in prizing:

Auburn UniversityFresno State UniversityIowa State UniversityUniversity of IowaUniversity of Texas at Austin

Collegiate: Division 2, 3 – $40,000 in prizing:

Blinn CollegeEastern New Mexico UniversityManchester UniversityWest Texas A&M UniversityWestern Illinois University

High School: Small, Medium & Large – $15,000 each in prizing:

Small High School:

Cleveland High School – Cleveland, ALEdinburg High School – Edinburg, TXOakton High School – Vienna, VAOologah High School – Oologah, OKValhalla High School – El Cajon, CA

Medium High School:

Boerne High School – Boerne, TXDesert Mountain High School – Scottsdale, AZDeWitt High School – DeWitt, MIKell High School – Kennesaw, GAMalverne High School – Malverne, NY

Large High School:

Austin High School – Sugarland, TXDobyns-Bennett High School – Kingsport, TNLambert High School – Suwanee, GALorena High School – Lorena, TXPell City High School – Pell City, AL