It was quite a year for the metal and hard rock music world in 2023. From unexpected bands getting back together and calling it a day to moments that were just plain weird, there were a lot of notable moments that happened this year. Here are just 10 of the most shocking moments in metal and hard rock from the past 12 months. Then tell us about some of the moments that shocked you this year.

01) Slipknot parting ways with Jay Weinberg

When Slipknot announced in November that the band let Weinberg go, it came out of the blue, not just for fans, but for Weinberg himself. The band cited “creative differences” in a social media post they later deleted. No word on what that means yet, but in a clarifying statement made to NME, M. Shawn “Clown” Crahan said the band’s current space was “thought about and generated mostly by the OGs.”

02) Sum 41 break up

Photo Credit: Travis Shinn

After more than two decades of metal-tinged  punk rock, Sum 41 are calling it a day. The band will release Heaven :x: Hell on March 29 followed by a world tour. 

03) Jared Leto climbs the Empire State Building

In a move that will usually get you arrested, Thirty Seconds To Mars frontman Jared Leto climbed the Empire State Building to promote the band’s upcoming world tour. 

04) The return of Foo Fighters

Following the passing of Taylor Hawkins last year, no one knew when the Foo Fighters would return. That happened this summer when the band released But Here We Are on June 2. Frontman Dave Grohl took over drumming duties for the record, the first time he did so since 1995.