Credit: Jen Rosenstein The guitar hero talks about his father figure Ozzy, last messages and values that remain forever Chris Caffery about feeling at home on the holy ground Filippa Nässil dreams of a special birthday cake at Wacken 2026 What’s new in 2026 about TE.N.T., Moshtel and the other areas #4 DECEMBER 2025! ll nine issues of The Bullhead from the past two years are availa- ble on the W:O:A home- page. Dive into timeless interviews with headliners like Johan Hegg from Amon Amarth, Rudi Schenker from the Scorpions, Robb Flynn from Machine Head, Sharon den Adel from Within Temp- tation, the members of Blind Guardian, Tarja Turunen, and many more. Go behind the scenes of merchandise production, ex- plore the depths of the Peru- vian Wacken jungle, or relive the highlights of the last two festival editions. The Bull- head is published bilingual and completely free of charge for fans—just click and start reading! hat do Wacken and Christmas have in common? Quite a bit, actually: the (metal) family comes togeth- er, people take their time, enjoy the days, eat, drink, and listen to fitting music. And of course, The Bullhead must not be missing from either occasion! For this issue, we’ve packed the pages full of Guitars & Bells: Guitar wizard Zakk Wylde (who shares the beard style with Santa Claus himself, doesn’t he?) tells us about his memories of his mentor Ozzy Osbourne; Chris Caffery talks about the legendary Savat- age and Trans-Siberian Orchestra show on the Holy Ground in 2015 and reveals what went wrong be- forehand. And Filippa Nässil of Thundermother looks back on what can only be described as an almost perfect year for the band. We also took it upon ourselves to personally check whether the Zillertal is ready for the metal- head community of Full Metal Mayrhofen, and were present when festival co-founder Holger Hübner gave a very special gift to the Charité blood bank: a dona- tion of his universal blood type, O negative. In addition, we spoke with his partner Thomas Jensen about next year’s anniversary edition of W:O:A and learned what has already been happening behind the scenes to better with- stand potential bad weather in the future. All in all, a program that we hope will provide you with plenty of good reading over the holidays. And with that, I sign off for 2025, wish everyone happy holidays and a great start to the new year, and leave the final words to the legendary Slade: “So here it is, Merry Christ- mas, everybody’s having fun. Look to the future now, it’s only just begun!” Andrea Leim, Editor in Chief The Bullhead is a product of WOA Festival GmbH Schenefelder Straße 17 25596 Wacken, Germany Managing Directors: Thomas Jensen, Holger Hübner, André Jürgens Editorial management: Andrea Leim Design: arne__creates Project coordination: Peter Klapproth Editorial team: Sabrina Boller, Christof Leim, Timon Menge, Celia Woitas Copy editors: Christof Leim IMPRINT #2 JULI 2025 Foto: Jeremy Saffer 85.000 Fans feiern die 34. Ausgabe des Metal-Festivals im lautesten Dorf der Welt - Guns N’ Roses feiern Tour- Abschluss - Beim Videodreh von Doro & The Butcher Sisters Galaktischer Besuch auf dem Holy Ground : Within Temptation Wolfgang Niedecken Sebastian Fitzek * - #3 AUGUST 2025 Foto: WOA Die Wacken-Chefs beim Mega-Konzert Metal-Dinos werden zu Headlinern der Herzen Die schönsten Bilder von Fans & Bands Falk Maria Schlegel von Powerwolf Phil Collen von Def Leppard Anders Fridén von In Flames 85.000 Metal-Fans feiern eine schlammtastische, laute Woche auf dem Holy Ground Dear Metalheads, an eventful year full of energy-charged highlights lies behind us — loud, intense, and unforgettable. None of this would be possible without your passion and loyalty, without the sense of togetherness that defines our Wacken family. You are the very heart of our community, our solid foundation, and the rhythm that drives our future forward. Even after all these years, the encounters with fans from all over the world continue to move us time and time again. They show us what we have created together: experiences that connect, and a community that stands united as a global metal family. We wish you a peaceful time surrounded by your loved ones and a Christmas just the way you want it: whether it’s with a bang or with Wham!, with growls or ringing bells, riffs or Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Because one thing is already certain: next summer, the volume will once again be turned up to 11, and metal will take over the Holy Ground. Loud and legendary! See you in Wacken, rain or shine. Holger, Thomas and AndréZakk Wylde was only 20 when Ozzy catapulted him onto the biggest stages in the world in 1987„ , . .“ By Christof Leim ome swear that Zakk Wylde must be eight metres tall. It sure looks like it as soon as he straps on a guitar and stomps around stage as a riff-wielding viking with frightening abilities on his weapon. And some can’t believe that there once was a cute young man beneath that beard. But indeed it was, when he was chosen to be- come Ozzy Osbourne’s guitar slinger at the tender age of 20, before forging his own path as front warrior of Black La- bel Society. In anticipation of their 2026 return to Wacken, Zakk, now a wise 58-year-old guitar Gandalf in leather and chains, shares his views about Ozzy’s last message, what the “Prince Of Darkness” meant to him and values that last forever. Zakk, is it fair to say you were closer to Ozzy than just being his sidekick? Zakk Wylde: Without a doubt. It’s a more family-type relationship. Whether I was playing with Oz or he was with Gus G. or Joe Holmes on guitar, or whether he was doing Black Sabbath, I’d always be in touch with Oz and Sharon, who I have referred to as “Mom” since I was 19 years old. Even if you’re not living at home anymore, if your mom and dad need you for something, you just go do it. Ozzy has been around the block and climbed every mountain and valley Rock’n’Roll has to offer. What lessons did he teach the young guitar hero? Zakk Wylde: My father was a World War II vet. Ozzy was more like an older brother. We have the same age difference as my oldest and youngest son. And I always say that Ozzy and my father taught me nothing that I didn’t already know. They just reinforced it. You’re either driven or not. You can’t teach a work ethic to somebody. We could take Arnold Schwarzenegger and put him anywhere. Or Lars Ulrich. If they weren’t successful in their field, they would’ve been successful somewhere else, even if it was with a lemonade stand in their neighbourhood. You want to get good on guitar? You want to learn how to play “Stairway to Heaven”? You got to sit down and work on it. I don’t need to be told that. You got to know Ozzy on a personal level. Was there a different Ozzy away from the spotlight? The berserkers will be upon us: Black Label Society, purveyors of riff-driven heavyness, will roll into our beloved village in Northern Germany next summer, lead by Zakk Wylde, legendary guitar wizard and former Ozzy sidekick. Beard icon and one of the best heavy guitarists in the world: Zakk Wylde at full throttleZakk Wylde: No. He had all the qualities you want in someone: being kind, compassionate, and just being resilient and hard as nails. Ozzy was the greatest, man. Just a heart of gold. Did you guys exchange a lot of “war stories” from back in the day? Did he give advice about touring, fame, business, drinking? Zakk Wylde: Yeah, of course. If something came up, Oz would always say: “I remember this one time, we were…” Whatever came up, Ozzy had seen it before. And the stories were hilarious, straight out of “Spinal Tap”, which is the best because you can’t even write them or make them up. And with Geezer (Butler, Black Sabbath bassist) in the band, I would hear all these Sabbath stories firsthand. And being such a huge fan, I felt like a contest winner. With Black Sabbath, Ozzy build the base of our musical world. And his solo career and overall personality underscores his importance for people even after his passing. Zakk Wylde: I’ve never heard anybody ever say a bad thing about Oz. He never cared about being Ozzy Osbourne and being famous. He’d always say: “All right, let’s just go do this thing so we can get home.” He was freaking hilarious. That’s what made him awesome, man. I remember Pete Mertons, who was Ozzy’s buddy since they were in school. He told me that’s the way Ozzy’s always been, that he hasn’t changed at all. No matter how famous he’s gotten or how much money he’s got, he’s just always been the same guy. I think that’s why everybody loved him. What went through your head when you heard that Ozzy wanted to play one last time, one big day in Birmingham? Zakk Wylde: It had been six years before we did this show, because he had that accident. He was still making records and stuff, but not a full gig. That was my concern, him singing all these songs without stopping. But just seeing how happy he was and everything – that’s the reason why he wanted to do it. Legendary football player Lyle Alzado once said: The thing I miss most about the game is the camaraderie of us against the world with the guys. That energy and that life force. You can’t replace that. I think that’s what Ozzy missed a lot, too. I just assumed after it went over so well, we could do it yearly because it raised so much money for charity. I didn’t think Oz was going to be gone in two weeks and that was the last time I was going to see him. Because he was texting me afterwards: “Zakky, we should do another record like when you were going through your Alman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd phase when we were doing ‘No More Tears’. It was heavy, but it was melodic.” I answered: “Whatever you want to do, we’ll knock it out!” So that was my mindset. I didn’t think that my wife was going to be calling me, saying Jacky boy’s on the phone, Oz just passed away. I didn’t think that at all. You will still be rolling with Black Label Society, playing W:O:A for the third time next summer. Do you actually like playing festivals? Zakk Wylde: I’ll play in a phone booth, man. It doesn’t matter. When somebody shows up, who cares? A lot of the festivals especially in Europe happen outdoor, when the weather is just brutal at times. But everyone hangs out and has a great time, man, even if it’s cold or raining, and that’s awesome. It’s like a complete Viking fest. “We’re here now. The attitude to life on his battle vest: “GIFD” stands for “Get It Fucking Done”.We might as well have a great time.” You also play in Pantera, paying tribute to your friend Dimebag Darrell, and you tour with Zakk Sabbath, a three-piece playing original Sabbath music. In short, you tour a lot. Is your wife renting out your room by now? Zakk Wylde: I just do it so I could buy her that extra slice of pizza when I bring her out on date night. It’s said that she’s been your girlfriend since the sixth grade. Is that actually true? Zakk Wylde: Yes, it was the sixth grade, and then I think it was eighth grade. I took her to the movies to see “Urban Cowboy”. I tried to go up her shirt, and she wouldn’t let me, so I broke up with her on Monday. Then we ended up dating again in senior year in high school. Now I have no problems getting up her shirt because we have four kids. You have been together ever since, married in 1992. Was it hard to keep family and marriage together while touring the world constantly? Zakk Wylde: I think like anything, if you want something to work, you make it work. Nothing’s hard unless you say it’s going to be hard. If you want to get something done, you just get it done. I think that comes back to just being driven and being a lion. What excites you on guitar these days? Zakk Wylde: I still love listening. Who doesn’t like listening to great guitar playing? Be it the Eagles or Jared James Nichols and Richie Faulkner of the younger guys. It’s all inspiring. One of my buddies complained that there were no good bands anymore. That’s an old guy attitude. Like when Beatles or Stones fans thought Led Zeppelin and Sabbath were terrible. Same thing when Van Halen hit. And with Sinatra fans before Elvis. I’m not like that. I think every generation has their scene, their music, and it’s all good, man. Obviously, I still love all the stuff that we all grew up with –whether it’s Sabbath, Zeppelin, The Allman Brothers, Bad Company, Elton John. I still listen to those records. But again, when I hear newer stuff, it inspires me. When you hear Adele sing, how could you deny how awesome it is? “’ . .” He made the circular pattern part of his style early on: Zakk with a double-neck GibsonThomas Jensen talks about 35 years of Wacken Open Air, behind-the-scenes decisions, and the unique spirit of the village By Andrea Leim acken Open Air re- cently announced 55 bands at once – the larg- est wave of new acts in its history. Between prepa- rations for the anniversary edition, addressing weather challenges, and other tasks the festival brings, we sat down with co-founder Thom- as Jensen for an interview. Thomas, what’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about the past 35 years of W:O:A? Thomas Jensen: Incredible that we survived it! (laughs) But honestly, there isn’t just one first thought about Wacken. The festival is always on my mind, all the time. It affects my private life and free time. Wacken is always one of the first things I think about, and my whole year is planned around it. All those calling it “the fifth season” or similar – they’re right, it’s not made up. In 2026, long-time favorites like Savatage, Rose Tattoo, Saxon, and Uli John Roth will be back, but newcomers like Electric Bass Boy or President will also perform, some for the first time. How important is it to balance the lineup between established acts and new talent? Thomas Jensen: Very important. That said, booking is not a one- or even two-person show. Holger and I aren’t the only decision-makers. There’s a whole team behind it. They also take fan requests into account and coordinate with the rest of the crew. Plus, they travel worldwide, speaking with managements and other bookers. „’ .“ “For Holger and me, there is one rule: the festival is never finished, we are constantly working on improvements,” says Wacken co-founder Thomas JensenThe first Wacken Open Air took place on August 24 and 25, 1990. Nowadays, the festival starts in the days leading up to the first weekend of August. How did this change come about? Thomas Jensen: The first August weekend gradually became the standard because we looked for a time when nothing else was happening. Did that help with logistics? Thomas Jensen: Not at all (laughs). Because nothing else was happening, the bands weren’t available either. We underestimated that at the time due to inexperience. Anyone familiar with touring and the music business knows that June is traditionally a much better month for putting a band on the road. For example, U.S. bands travel through Europe then. We got a lot of rejections, even from people who would have loved to play Wacken. But Holger and I always tried to turn necessity into opportunity, and that mindset continues to this day. If you can’t get the bands you want, you have to improvise. So we exchanged ideas with other metal fans and figured out what we could do. We booked small scene bands that used to play in front of 50-60 people at the Knust in Hamburg. It was about uncovering something unusual. Today, international headliners are part of the lineup alongside young, lesser-known newcomers. And the audience is becoming increasingly international… Thomas Jensen: That’s true. With the festival, we’ve created something that unites people. The community comes together from all over the world, celebrating their lifestyle and music. Conflicts that matter elsewhere simply don’t happen here on the field. And that’s authorities, and experts, and in January we will continue to discuss possible measures. We plan to invest heavily to tackle these problems. As soon as it’s clear what can already be implemented for 2026, we’ll inform our fans. There have been questions from the community about paving certain areas or stabilizing the grounds. Would that even be possible? Thomas Jensen: We have to remember that W:O:A takes place on farmland. The farmers work their fields before and after the festival, and the land isn’t ours. For that reason, we couldn’t just pave anywhere. But we are working with the farmers on improvements. One focus is optimizing the network of paths while maintaining the natural character. We don’t want to build an arena. That wouldn’t be possible in Wacken. what it’s all about: one big, shared party. That’s how our motto “Party On!” came about. It represents the gathering of the global metal community. It also reminds us not just to look back, but to focus on the future. What’s next? Where are we heading? How will we evolve? Many fans have asked, especially after 2023 and this year, what measures are in place in case of truly extreme weather. What can you say about that? Thomas Jensen: In terms of rainfall and weather conditions, this summer was even worse than 2023. Had we not learned so much from the previous year, the weather would have hit us even harder – and I’m not sure the festival could have gone ahead. We are continuously working to improve W:O:A and, of course, address the weather issue. After the last edition, we immediately met with the whole team, Do problematic summers ever make you consider relocating the festival? Thomas Jensen: We could look for an easier location, but Wacken has grown naturally with the region, and the atmosphere is tied to the village. We don’t want to change that. The spirit of the region is part of it. Wacken can only happen in Wacken, and we’ve never really considered moving it elsewhere. Some fans have criticized you for not noticing the mud problem yourselves. How do you respond? Thomas Jensen: It’s not like we were floating above the festival on clouds, only being shuttled around and never standing in the mud. I walk around the festival on foot almost the whole time. This Time flies: the first festival poster compared to the current oneNext >