70000tons of Metal 2025 Artist Spotlight: Pessimist

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 Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas. For booking and full details are available on the official website. Read our essential packing guide here. Check out the testimonials from several 2025 artists at this location.

70000tons 2025 Round 13: ARTIST 33 of 61 Pessimist

Stats

2025 Voyage:

Dates: January 30 – February 3, 2025
Destination: Miami to Ocho Rios, Jamaica
Ship: Independence of the Seas

Artist Spotlight

Band: Pessimist
Number of 70000tons Appearances: 1 (2025)
Set 1: January 31, 2025 – Studio B – Ice Rink – 7:15 pm
Set 2: February 1, 2025 – Star Lounge – 2:15 am
Attended: Set 1 – Yes, Set 2 – No
Country: Los Angeles, CA
Genre: Black/Death Metal
Latest Album: Slaughtering the Faithful (2002), Single “Keys to the Underworld” released in 2018.
Standout Moment(s):
Los Angeles blackened death metal veterans Pessimist made their cruise debut during the 2025 edition. The band dominated the Studio B Ice Rink stage with a crushing set of classic material during one of the busiest days of the trip, day two, which we caught for their first appearance. It was a refreshing surge of energy, bringing a sense of comfort through their aggressive material.

Pessimist – Set 1

Latest Pessimist News

Back in 2018, Pessimist were at work on their long-awaited new record, eventually releasing the single, “Keys to the Underworld.” Seven years later, an update finally arrived on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, confirming that mixing is complete and the album will be handed off to Season of Mist. If all goes as planned, this points toward a new full-length in 2026. The band has since embarked on a European tour to close out 2025 and has begun booking dates for 2026, including an appearance at Canada’s Piranha Pit Fest. There is clearly more on the horizon from these Los Angeles black/death metal veterans as we move into a new year.

What is the Artist Spotlight?

Well, it’s more than a review of their performance; as 70000tons goes, each band is a headliner, and we treat each one as such, giving them their own spread, discussing who they are and what they’ve been up to since the cruise. Each spotlight coincides with any updates from 70000tons organizers (if any), leading to days before setting sail. An extensive coverage like no other.

70000tons 2026 Lineup 51 out of 60:

Amorphis
Anthrax
Arkona
Beast in Black
Bloodred Hourglass
Cemetery Skyline
Darkane
Dark Tranquillity
Dødheimsgard
Dragonland
Dust Bolt
Eluveitie
Ereb Altor
Firewind
Gama Bomb
Groza
Haggard
Harakiri For The Sky
Heathen
Hiraes
Hirax
Hour of Penance
Ignea
Illdisposed
Illumishade
In Mourning
Insomnium
Izegrim
Kamelot
Kanonenfieber
Orden Ogan
Paradise Lost
Persefone
Rhapsody of Fire
Royal Hunt
Satan
Saturnus
Seven Spires
Skeletal Remains
Skyclad
Soen
Soilwork
Suidakra
Tribulation
Tyr
Vader
VBO
Vio-lence
Wind Rose
Wolf
Xandria