Countdown to 2026: 15 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 54 of 61 The Zenith Passage

Stats

2025 Voyage:

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

Artist Spotlight

Band: The Zenith Passage
Number of 70000tons Appearances: 1 (2025)
Set 1: January 31, 2025 – Star Lounge – 8:00 pm
Set 2: February 2, 2025 – Studio B – Ice Rink – 3:30 pm
Attended: Set 1 – No, Set 2 – Yes
Country: Los Angeles, CA
Genre: Technical Death Metal
Latest Album: Datalysium (2023)
Standout Moment(s): 

The final day of the cruise is always a race; trying to catch bands you haven’t seen yet, mixed with the low-level panic of wondering if you’ll miss both sets entirely. At the same time, there’s the temptation to finally put the cameras away and use that last hour to socialize, say a few goodbyes, or crash early to prepare for the long journey home after another successful year.

By 3:30 PM, tough choices had to be made. Skipping the All Star Jam and a few other acts wasn’t easy, but we made it just in time for The Zenith Passage, and it was absolutely worth it. Back in the dark, Ice Rink Theater, the band delivered a relentless set, showcasing their latest lineup following reformations, with most members tied to 2023’s Datalysium. It marked a significant moment for the group, solidifying this lineup and their first appearance on the metal seas. It remained brutal and powerful; we’re glad we were there to witness it.

The Zenith Passage – Set 2

Latest The Zenith Passage News

The group closed out 2025 with their new single, “Fleshbound Reliquary,” making it clear there’s much more to come in 2026.

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 53 out of 60:

Ad Infinitum
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
Jag Panzer
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

Artist Spotlight 2025:

Abysmal Dawn
Arcturus
Benighted
Beyond Creation
Cabrakaän
Candlemass
Crownshift
Decapitated
Delain
Destinity
Dirkschneider
Emperor
Ex Deo
Fabulae Dramatis
Finntroll
Flotsam & Jetsam
Fractal Sun
Hammerfall
Hate
Ihsahn
In Extremo
Incantation
Kalmah
Kissin’ Dynamite
Krisiun
Lutharo
Majestica
Matalobos
Metsatöll
Mork
Onslaught
Painful
Pessimist
Powerglove
Reaping Asmodeia
Samael
Septicflesh
Sepultura
Seven Kingdoms
Sonata Arctica
Stormruler
Stratovarius
Striker
Subway To Sally
Suffocation
Super Monster Party
Swallow The Sun
Symphony X
Tankard
Tenebrarum
The Dread Crew of Oddwood
The Kovenant
The Mourning

2025 Recap

2025 Testimonials
Review/Photos: 70000 Tons of Metal 2025 – another successful voyage where metal meets the Caribbean Seas

Artist Spotlight 2024:

2024 Artist Spotlight

Artist Spotlight 2023:

2023 Artist Spotlight

author avatar
Zenae Zukowski