For those who aren't able to get to Europe for the big blowout, the Live at Wacken 2012 3-DVD set is the next best thing. In all, 24 acts are represented; long-running Brit band Saxon turn in a three-song set that includes relatively new fan favorite "Hammer of the Gods," a trio from Testament includes the super-thrashy oldie "Over the Wall" and Cradle of Filth play several of their spooky psycho-metal tunes including "Nymphetamine Fix." Volbeat welcomes a few guests to their set; Kreator's Mille Petrozza and Michael Denner of Mercyful Fate join in on "7 Shots" and Napalm Death screamer Barney Greenway appears on "Evelyn" (none of those bands have sets of their own here.) And while pummeling metal songs like Hammercult's anthem "We Are Hammercult" are the order of the day, there's actually a pretty wide representation of sub-genres presented.

German band Schandmaul's music is folk inspired, making them sound a bit like a Teutonic Jethro Tull, Norwegian bands Djerv and Leaves' Eyes are both female-fronted and Moonspell is most definitely a prog band.

The crowd eats up every note of the show but Wacken is notorious for being interrupted by rain and a downpour during Suffocated's set leaves the guys playing their hearts out to an empty field.

Some of the others acts presented here are Edguy, hard rockabilly crew The Boss Hoss, Hammerfall, Overkill, Riotgod, Red Fang, Unearth and Graveyard.