Metal Insider’s Zenae Zukowski’s Top 43 albums of 2025
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...
Ian’s Eleven Best Heffy Metal Albums of 2025
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...
Metal Insider’s Chris Loomis Top 10 Albums of 2025
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...
Charting the course to 2026: reflecting on 70000tons of Metal 2025 Artist Spotlight: Painful
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...
Metal Insider’s Matt Brown’s Top 10 Albums of 2025
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...
Rainbow announce ‘The Temple of the King 1975–1976’ box set
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...
Metallica share festive recording of James Hetfield reading “A Visit From St. Nicholas”
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...
Gluecifer drop “I’m Ready” Video
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...
Milwaukee Metal Festival 2026 adds Suicidal Tendencies & Agalloch
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...
Catch up now: 6 new songs/videos recently released – 12/22/2025
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...
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Raven unleash cover of Metallica’s “Metal Militia”
Silver Lining Music will release No Life ’Til Leather – A Tribute To Metallica’s Kill ’Em All on Friday (14th), an homage to Metallica’s 1983 debut. The latest single from the compilation comes from metal legends Raven, delivering a rendition of “Metal Militia.”...
Cold Steel break out with debut album Discipline & Punish, share Top 5 influences
Hailing from Tampa, Florida, Cold Steel stepped into the spotlight with their ferocious debut album, Discipline & Punish, out November 7, 2025, via Spinefarm Records. Blending hardcore and thrash elements, the record was produced by Arthur Rizk (Power Trip, Blood...
Nuclear Blast Records signs Finnish rock supergroup HOKKA
Nuclear Blast Records has signed HOKKA, a new Finnish rock supergroup featuring former Blind Channel frontman Joel Hokka, The Rasmus founding guitarist Pauli Rantasalmi, and rising drummer Jimi Aslak. The band makes their official musical debut with a video for their...
New & Noteworthy: Renovate Releases 12/6/2024
New & Noteworthy is Metal Insider’s weekly column highlighting some of the newest rock and metal releases coming out each week. Entering the final month of 2024, this New Music Friday features new music from the likes of White Denim, Until I Wake and The Old Dead...
New & Noteworthy: Dreaming the strife for releases – 11/29/2024
New & Noteworthy is Metal Insider’s weekly column highlighting some of the newest rock and metal releases coming out each week. This final week of November sees albums from the likes of Bedsore, Astral Doors, The Gates Of Slumber and Mefitis, among the many,...
New & Noteworthy: The Last Will and Releases 11/22/2024
New & Noteworthy is Metal Insider’s weekly column highlighting some of the newest rock and metal releases coming out each week. This week’s roster of releases includes albums from the likes of Body Count, Kim Deal and Opeth, as well as the debut of Crossbone...
