Let's hear it for the repeat champions! After winning in 2012, Japan's Dir En Grey and their Dum Spiro Spero album have taken the Gold Medal in the second ever Extreme Metal Olympics. The tournament began with 16 contenders just under three weeks ago and with tens of thousands of votes cast, it's all over.

Dir En Grey represented the Devil Horn Region, taking it all against Headbanger Region victors Death (U.S.A.) and their widely influential Human album. A hair shy of a whopping 73 percent of the votes, Dum Spiro Spero steamrolled what many thought would be a much closer competition, especially considering Death's hot streak through the first three rounds. This is the second time that the Japanese act has defeated Death in the final head-to-head Extreme Metal Olympics matchup.

Leading up to the Championship Round, Dir En Grey took out some of extreme metal's biggest names. Cradle of Filth’s Dusk and Her Embrace (Great Britain) was the first to fall, followed by Immortal’s Sons of Northern Darkness (Norway) and then Gojira’s From Mars to Sirius (France) in the Semifinals. See all the matchups for the tournament below.

Congratulations to Dir En Grey and thank you to all the Loudwire readers for voting in the 2016 Extreme Metal Olympics!

Dir En Grey, Dum Spiro Spero

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2016 Extreme Metal Olympics Matchups

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