Death metal outfit Vitriol will press forward following the dramatic mid-tour collapse that left frontman Kyle Rasmussen, his girlfriend, and their dog stranded in New York after the rest of the band abruptly quit. According to Rasmussen, now that he has returned home to Oregon and raised more than $10,000, he will continue with the […] The post Vitriol to continue winter 2026 European tour despite fallout first appeared on Metal Insider.

According to local News WSPA, ticket reseller StubHub issued an apology after a listing error led some fans to believe Lamb of God were playing Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium. In reality, the venue hosted Andrew Peterson’s Behold the Lamb of God, a Christian concert centered on the birth of Jesus Christ, which was correctly advertised on […] The post StubHub apologizes after Lamb of God mix-up leaves Spartanburg confused first appeared on Metal Insider.

Countdown to 2026: 36 Days SOOOOOOON, a word 70000tons of Metal cruisers know all too well, love it or hate it. 70000tons of Metal, The Original, The World’s Biggest Heavy Metal Cruise, returns for its 2026 edition from January 29 – February 2, 2026, setting sail from Miami, Florida to Nassau, The Bahamas aboard Royal […] The post Charting the course to 2026: reflecting on 70000tons of Metal 2025 Artist Spotlight: Pessimist first appeared on Metal Insider.

2025, what an incredible year for music. I want to thank our readers and the Metal Insider team for another year of metal. We sacrifice what we can to support metal and the scene. It’s what we live for. So, thank you for being part of the adventure. While it was depressing to lose several […] The post Metal Insider’s Zenae Zukowski’s Top 43 albums of 2025 first appeared on Metal Insider.

Dearest supporters of heavy music, Here we are! I hope you discovered some great music throughout 2025. Luckily, we had plenty of incredible records to guide us through times of unbridled joy, and debilitating pain. Yours truly celebrated three years this year writing for Metal Insider, and I can’t thank you enough for all of […] The post Ian’s Eleven Best Heffy Metal Albums of 2025 first appeared on Metal Insider.

An enormous amount of great music was released in 2025 across all genres of Rock n Roll and Heavy Metal, which always makes it a challenge when asked, “What is your favorite album released this year?” After scouring my playlists and reminiscing about concerts attended, I present “The Metal Insider Chris Loomis Top 10 albums […] The post Metal Insider’s Chris Loomis Top 10 Albums of 2025 first appeared on Metal Insider.

Countdown to 2026: 37 Days SOOOOOOON, a word 70000tons of Metal cruisers know all too well, love it or hate it. 70000tons of Metal, The Original, The World’s Biggest Heavy Metal Cruise, returns for its 2026 edition from January 29 – February 2, 2026, setting sail from Miami, Florida to Nassau, The Bahamas aboard Royal […] The post Charting the course to 2026: reflecting on 70000tons of Metal 2025 Artist Spotlight: Painful first appeared on Metal Insider.

Long ago, I learned that bum-rushing through all the music I haven’t listened to yet before list-making time is an ineffective way of composing my top albums of the year. I either don’t give the album the chance it deserves, or I knee-jerk decide it’s great and then never listen to it again. Instead, I […] The post Metal Insider’s Matt Brown’s Top 10 Albums of 2025 first appeared on Metal Insider.

Rainbow will celebrate the earliest and most influential years of their career with The Temple of the King 1975–1976, a comprehensive 9-CD box set arriving March 6, 2026, via Edsel Records. Newly mastered by Andy Pearce and Matt Wortham, the collection marks the first installment in a planned anthology series chronicling the musical legacy of […] The post Rainbow announce ‘The Temple of the King 1975–1976’ box set first appeared on Metal Insider.

Metallica are in the holiday spirit this year with a special seasonal release, a recording of James Hetfield reading the classic poem A Visit From St. Nicholas, widely known as “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.” The band dropped the festive track as a light-hearted gift to fans. Watch the clip below: The post Metallica share festive recording of James Hetfield reading “A Visit From St. Nicholas” first appeared on Metal Insider.

If you’re American, the easiest way to understand Gluecifer is to imagine what it would feel like if a band like the Ramones, or maybe the MC5, disappeared for two decades and then returned without any interest in explaining themselves. No oral history, no apology tour, no attempt to narrativize the gap. Their story makes […] The post Gluecifer drop “I’m Ready” Video first appeared on Metal Insider.

Milwaukee Metal Festival is gearing up for the 2026 edition returning to The Rave/Eagles Club from June 5–7, with a pre-party kicking things off on June 4. Alongside headliners Acid Bath, Killswitch Engage, and Ministry, the festival has expanded its lineup with Suicidal Tendencies, Pallbearer, Macabre, Hirax, and two special Agalloch performances: a retrospective set […] The post Milwaukee Metal Festival 2026 adds Suicidal Tendencies & Agalloch first appeared on Metal Insider.

New music continues to pile its way through. Since our chunk last week with 47 new songs, this week brings a festive batch of six new tracks as well as fresh videos from already-existing albums or live performances. Metal Insider has collected songs from Megadeth, Worm, Amorphis, and more. Dive in below to revisit what you’ve already heard […] The post Catch up now: 6 new songs/videos recently released – 12/22/2025 first appeared on Metal Insider.

With so many amazing bands consistently putting out good music, it’s hard to keep track of everything that came out in 2025, and even harder to pick just 10 favorites. To narrow it down, I asked myself, “out of all the music released this year, what do I keep coming back to month after month?” […] The post Metal Insider’s Kyle Ostrander’s Top 10 Albums of 2025 first appeared on Metal Insider.

Sick of It All vocalist Lou Koller has shared a new update on his ongoing battle with esophageal cancer, revealing that his current treatment has reached “a stalemate.” In a video message shared on social media, Lou explained that while the tumors are no longer spreading or growing, they aren’t shrinking either. For now, doctors […] The post Sick of It All’s Lou Koller shares health update on cancer battle: “I’m at a stalemate” first appeared on Metal Insider.

Today (21st), the black metal community suffered the tragic loss of Ragnarok‘s legendary “Jontho,” John Thomas Bratland. We are both shocked and deeply saddened by the news of Jontho’s passing at just 48, as he was a true keeper of the black flame. Jontho will be fondly remembered for his pioneering role in the darkest […] The post Black Metal Pioneer Jontho of Ragnarok Has Passed Away at 48 first appeared on Metal Insider.

Metal By Numbers returns with a closer look at weekly metal sales from November, 7, 2025. Yes, we’re catching up, stay tuned, there’s more to come! From major releases to underground newcomers, we’re tracking how these New & Noteworthy releases debuted in charts. This week highlights new albums from Drain, Slash, Agnostic Front, Omnium Gatherum, […] The post Metal By Numbers: November…Is Your Friend in Charts 11/7/2025 first appeared on Metal Insider.

2025 was one hell of a year for metal releases, and it was absolute hell trying to narrow it down to my top ten. Here they are. Crucify me if I’m wrong. I will enjoy it. 10) Sodom, The Arsonist (SPV / Steamhammer) Release:6/27/2025 Sodom treats speed as a moral imperative, and yet there’s a […] The post Metal Insider’s Jordeana Bell’s Top 10 Albums of 2025 first appeared on Metal Insider.

Countdown to 2026: 42 Days SOOOOOOON, a word 70000tons of Metal cruisers know all too well, love it or hate it. 70000tons of Metal, The Original, The World’s Biggest Heavy Metal Cruise, returns for its 2026 edition from January 29 – February 2, 2026, setting sail from Miami, Florida to Nassau, The Bahamas aboard Royal […] The post Charting the course to 2026: reflecting on 70000tons of Metal 2025 Artist Spotlight: Onslaught first appeared on Metal Insider.

New & Noteworthy is Metal Insider’s weekly column highlighting some of the newest rock and metal releases coming out each week. This week sees new muisc from the likes of Peter Criss, Dead Sun and Lychgate amongst the many outstanding works hitting shelves. Don’t forget to check out our weekly playlist below. Enjoy! December 19, […] The post New & Noteworthy: Releases is a Grave – 12/19/2025 first appeared on Metal Insider.

Paws, Pets & Metal is Metal Insider’s ongoing column on bands with pets, discovering who watches them on the road, and more. Get to know more about these metal furbabies. We caught up with LA’s progressive power metal offering In Virtue guitarist Rami Khalaf as he revealed how his dog Nico enjoys Knocked Loose’s “Counting […] The post Pets, Paws & Metal: In Virtue’s Rami Khalaf says his dog responds to Knocked Loose’s “Counting Worms” first appeared on Metal Insider.

Countdown to 2026: 42 Days SOOOOOOON, a word 70000tons of Metal cruisers know all too well, love it or hate it. 70000tons of Metal, The Original, The World’s Biggest Heavy Metal Cruise, returns for its 2026 edition from January 29 – February 2, 2026, setting sail from Miami, Florida to Nassau, The Bahamas aboard Royal […] The post Charting the course to 2026: reflecting on 70000tons of Metal 2025 Artist Spotlight: Mork first appeared on Metal Insider.

“… it’s time to wage war again. Against the modern world.” ~ Mayhem legend Mr. Maniac As 2025 comes to an end, we reflect upon the year’s highlights and brutal disappointments. Top-notch masterworks came in the form of Funeral’s The Funereal EP, Green Carnation’s A Dark Poem Part I: The Shores of Melancholia, and Paradise […] The post Metal Insider’s Jillian Drachman’s Top 10 Black Metal Albums of 2025 first appeared on Metal Insider.

Cepheidae Variable has teamed up with Metal Insider to premiere the new guitar playthrough for “Zephyr of Ouroboros,” a standout track from the project’s debut album Primordial Reverie. Created by guitarist and composer Ryan Koepke, Cepheidae Variable began as a personal creative outlet and evolved into a conceptual instrumental project shaped in part by his […] The post Playthrough Video Premiere: Cepheidae Variable – “Zephyr of Ouroboros” first appeared on Metal Insider.

Metallica have shared professionally filmed footage of “The Day That Never Comes” from their historic first performance in the Kingdom of Bahrain. These legends held the concert on December 3 at the Beyon Al Dana Amphitheatre as part of their ongoing M72 world tour. Watch the pro-shot video below: Setlist: Creeping Death For Whom the […] The post Metallica share pro-shot video of “The Day That Never Comes” from first-ever Bahrain show first appeared on Metal Insider.