September 2025 Metal Insider Wrap Up

September is at its end. The days are getting darker and colder as we enter the final quarter of 2025. It’s been a beat since Metal Insider’s last newsletter. Here are a few highlights to recap the events of the last few weeks. Don’t forget to check out the latest New & Noteworthy and Metal By Numbers to see new releases and how albums have debuted in charts.

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Tours/Events/Festivals:

Opeth announce 2026 North American Tour w/ Katatonia

mclusky announce 2026 North American tour

System of a Down announce 2026 European stadium tour

Beyond the Gates 2026: Emperor to reunite with Mortiis & Faust

Imperial Triumphant to Headline Jazz From Hell Festival in December

Nevermore, The Gathering, Eluveitie, Ensiferum confirmed for ProgPower USA 2026

Hell’s Heroes VIII announces full 2026 lineup

Reviews:

Album Review: Mors Principium Est – ‘Darkness Invisible’

Photos/Review: Halestorm brought Everest to Madison, WI – 9/21/25

Album Review: Amorphis – ‘Borderland’

Album Review: Revocation – ‘New Gods, New Masters’

Photos/Review: Powerwolf and Dragonforce ignite Detroit with an evening of epic power metal – 9/18/2025

Gig Review: Alestorm Keelhauled Brooklyn’s Warsaw – 9/15/25

Album Review: Paradise Lost – ‘Ascension’

EP Review: Wolfheart – ‘Draconian Darkness II’

Photos/Review: Be’lakor triumphs on first-ever North American tour stop at The Forge – 9/13/2025

Album Review: Novembers Doom – ‘Major Arcana’

Photos/Review: The Darkness bring ‘Dreams on Toast’ to Irving Plaza – 9/10/2025

Movie Review – ‘Spinal Tap II: The End Continues’

Album Review: Lorna Shore – ‘I Feel The Everblack Festering Within Me’

Album Review: Der Weg einer Freiheit — ‘Innern’

Photos/Review: Crypta – Shades Over Brooklyn – 09/05/2025

Photos/Review: Pearcy | DeMartini deliver an electric night of RATT n ROLL in Anaheim – 8/30/2025

Photos/Review: Chevelle bring ‘Bright as Blasphemy’ to New York City’s Rooftop Pier 17 – 8/26/2025

Lists:

Catch up now: 53 new songs/videos released this week – 9/23/2025

Explore 26 New albums just announced – 9/22/2025

Metal Insider roundup: 13 recent tour and festival announcements – 9/22/2025

Catch up now: 50 new songs/videos released this week – 9/9/2025

Explore 20 new albums just announced – 9/03/2025

Features/ Interviews:

Interview: Amorphis’ Jan Rechberger and Tomi Joutsen discuss new album ‘Borderland’

Interview: Rage mastermind Peter “Peavy” Wagner on new album, book, and unstoppable creativity

Hei’An’s Matic Blagonič share track-by-track guide for new album ‘Kiss Our Ghosts Goodbye’

The Vintage Caravan share track-by-track guide to new album ‘Portals’

Video Premiere: The Mist – “Brain – Gappetto’s Song”

Album Review and Interview: Castrator – ‘Coronation of the Grotesque’

Der Weg Einer Freiheit break down new album ‘Innern’ with track-by-track guide

Dark Music’s Most Promising: Storm’s Mastermind Discusses the Band’s Debut Album, ‘Join the Storm’

Interview: Lorna Shore’s Adam De Micco talks new album ‘I Feel The Everblack Festering Within Me’

Månegarm’s Erik Grawslö shares his Top 5 viking metal bands

Ambush’s Osker Jakobsson share his Top 5 NWOTHM bands

Vimic premiere new track “Parasite Persona” + Kalen Chase interview on honoring Joey Jordison

News:

Judas Priest share charity version of “War Pigs” featuring Ozzy Osbourne

Kreator announce new album ‘Krushers of the World,’ share new single “Seven Serpents”

Heavy Music Collective, backed by Metallica, debuts to support bands with royalty collection

GWAR’s Blöthar responds to Riot Fest backlash: “It’s a cartoon, it’s Looney Tunes”

Agnostic Front share “Way of War” single; new album arriving in November

Deicide perform first show with new guitarist Jadran “Conan” Gonzalez

The Lurking Fear announce indefinite hiatus following Tomas “Tompa” Lindberg’s passing

Ozzy Osbourne documentary to air on BBC in October

Watain announce final chapter, eighth and last album set for 2028

Craft mark new era with new vocalist

Soundgarden continue work on final recordings with Chris Cornell

Saxon’s Biff Byford shares update after completing first round of chemotherapy

Mötley Crüe kick off 2025 Las Vegas residency after Vince Neil’s recovery

Sharon Osbourne thanks fans for support after Ozzy’s passing

Watch Candlemass perform with Messiah Marcolin for first time in nearly 20 years

Dimmu Borgir finish work on first album since 2018

Bruce Dickinson performs U.S. national anthem at Steelers vs. Seahawks game

Metallica share pro-shot “Master of Puppets” video from intimate New York show

Twisted Sister to rock again in 2026: “Twisted Forever, Forever Twisted”

Black Cross Hotel (The Atlas Moth / Stabbing Westward) announce new album; unveil “The House God Doesn’t Visit”

Bruce Dickinson surprises New Orleans busker with Judas Priest cover

Baroness issue statement on the passing of Allen Blickle

MTV VMAs 2025: Ozzy Osbourne honored by Steven Tyler, Yungblud, & Nuno Bettencourt

Former Sodom drummer Atomic Steif has passed away

Poppy, Amy Lee & Courtney LaPlante unite for “End of You”

Nine Inch Nails drop new video; faces unexpected Santa moment on tour

Slipknot’s “Duality” hits one billion streams on Spotify

Carla Harvey announces The Violent Hour’s touring lineup

In Vain bassist Alexander Bøe exits band

Daron Malakian joins System of a Down tribute band on stage in Chicago

Police report reveals details of Brent Hinds’ (ex-Mastodon) fatal crash

70000tons Artist Spotlight:

Flotsam & Jetsam

Fractal Sun

Finntroll

Fabulae Dramatis

Ex Deo

Emperor