[youtube]http://youtu.be/NDA6RHAkA1Y[/youtube]

This past Saturday, the 25th annual Wacken Open Air came to a conclusion after 3 solid days of heavy metal. Following the conclusion came a trailer advertising next year’s festival, how and where to order tickets, and also dropping the names of the first 15 announced for next year. It appears to have worked, as in less than 12 hours, all 75,000 tickets have already been snapped up and the festival is sold out.

While always a special occasion, there are a few things that are already starting to make Wacken 2015 stand out. With their only European shows next year being W:A:O, there will be a special back-to-back show by Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and Savatage, who are reuniting for their first live show in over a decade. Amorphis will also be going back into their catalog to perform the entirety of their Tales from the Thousand Lakes album. U.D.O., Udo Dirksneider of Accept’s band, will be playing a special orchestra show featuring the Bundeswehr Musikkorps, the orchestra of the German armed forces.

The full list of announced bands is:
Tran-Siberian Orchestra
Savatage
Sabaton
In Flames
Running Wild
Cannibal Corpse
Amorphis
In Extremo
U.D.O.
Death Angel
Powerwolf
Ensiferum
Kataklysm
Sepultura
Thyrfing

Here’s what Savatage and Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s Chris Caffery had to say via his Facebook page:

I am extremely happy to make this post! Today our friends at the Wacken festival announced that Savatage will be finally playing again! Wacken 2015! Both Savatage and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra will make an appearance! Savatage will close this magical evening following TSO’s first ever European festival appearance! I am used to two shows in one day with TSO so this will be like the most awesome version of a two show day for me ever! I have been waiting for them to announce this for a few weeks! It was hard to keep it a secret!
Yes Legion…our patience has finally paid off… Savatage will play again next summer!