2025 Was A Bad Year For Heavy Metal
A look back 0n the year in heavy metal.
Despite so many things working against us, we’ve made it through another year. As predicted, 2025 was a bad year for all of us with seemingly no end in sight. I say all of us, because the only ones doing well (millionaires, billionaires, tech freaks, oligarchs, and their ghoulish devotees) don’t read this site anyway. I’m not here to use this space to recap all the awful ways we’re collectively struggling. You know it because you’re living it. Instead, I’m here to look back on how 2025 was actually a pretty bad year for heavy metal.
What makes one year worse than any other in terms of music? A lot of it can be subjective and personal opinion. One’s joy can be another’s annoyance and all that. Here are a number of stories from 2025 that were undoubtedly bad for heavy metal. Some are bad in the here and now. Others will have long-reaching consequences. Take a look.
First and foremost, 2025 saw a number of high-profile deaths among heavy metal musicians. The biggest was, of course, Ozzy Osbourne. While it has been well known for many years that Ozzy was in bad health, it still came as a shock. Only a few weeks before, Ozzy and Black Sabbath played their heavily-advertised final show. It was a big celebration of the man who in many ways was the face of heavy metal. Thanks to the legendary status of Black Sabbath as the fathers of heavy metal, his own massive solo career, incredible stories, and mainstream appearances in television, movies, and even Super Bowl commercials, Ozzy transcended metal. He was an icon and there will never be another one like him. Ozzy Osbourne’s death left a massive hole in the heavy metal community that can and will never be replaced.
A death in 2025 that shocked the metal world was for Brent Hinds, formerly of Mastodon. It was a sad and surprising end for Hinds who had only a few months before been kicked out of Mastodon after twenty plus years. We never got the full story about why he was dismissed from the band and now we probably never will. Hinds hinted out some things on social media, but that was it. Life is such a fragile thing and we take it for granted all the time. One bad decision, one mistake, one car accident and then it’s gone. Mastodon will continue, but there will always be that depressing asterisk for the rest of their careers.
Another passing in 2025 came in the form of Tomas Lindberg from At The Gates. ATG was a highly influential melodic death metal band and with Lindberg as the vocalist the band helped cement the Gothenburg sound as a legitimate sub-genre. Beyond that, so many mid-00’s metalcore bands aped their sound, they should have been referred to as At The Gatescore. Lindberg was in treatment for cancer, but sadly it took his life at the age of 52.
Whether you believe that KISS is metal or not isn’t really relevant in the mentioning of the death of Ace Frehley. The list of rock and metal guitarists inflicted by “Space Ace”, through KISS or even Frehley’s Comet is numerous. His style and even his face paint left a huge impression on young guitar players at the time. Another surprising loss of a highly-recognizable legend that meant a lot to a generation of metal musicians and fans.
The death of Limp Bizkit bassist Sam Rivers hit nu-metal music fans not too long ago. Only 48 years old, many cited Rivers’s playing style as the backbone of the band. It was a shock to the band and a generation of people quickly hitting the age where health problems become more serious. It’s a bit of a shock to the system when you hear people just a few years older than you passing so suddenly. Speaking of shocking, the horrific murder of 24/7 Spyz vocalist P. Fluid made national news outlets. While the band never fully got their due in the funk/rap/metal game, P. Fluid’s style and the band’s sound can be heard in some of the more popular bands to follow in their footsteps.
It was not only deaths that made 2025 a bad year for metal. As previously mentioned, Black Sabbath had their final show. It was a triumphant send off and while we should be grateful that they were able to do it, it’s hard not to feel sad about the entire thing. We’ve seen so many bands have countless farewell shows or endless “final” tours, while still playing festivals or having random one-offs. We’ve also had bands continue on even after members die. This is different, though. Yes, there were other Sabbath vocalists, but with out Ozzy or Dio, it doesn’t feel right to try to do something. There will probably be re-releases and newly discovered demos, so the music will still be there. That’s something, but this time, it really is the end for the most important heavy metal band of all time.
Then there’s bands that continue on, despite, well, everything saying they should now. Somehow, some way, As I Lay Dying continues to make new music and tour. Tim Lambesis is now on his third try. You would think trying to hire a hitman to murder your wife would be the end of your career, but no. You would think abusing your second wife and dog would be the end of your career, but again, no. AILD continues, at least in Russia and the Baltic states for now. Inevitably, there will be some musicians with questionable morals or low scruples that will play for just about anyone. That doesn’t explain why a major label like Napalm Records would want to hook up with this dangerous train wreck, but apparently there’s a dollar (or rubles) to be made.
Speaking of making a dirty dime, Marilyn Manson still exists. His image has been rehabbed by Nuclear Blast Records and by more mainstream metal outlets like Revolver who happily post music and video clips. There’s no need for any of this, especially from larger labels and outlets. It’s annoying at best, shameful at worst. When longtime musicians and bands do bad things, it’s okay to let them fade away. Unfortunately, some of the biggest and most influential tastemakers can’t seem to not do that.
Maybe that should be the case for Cradle of Filth. Earlier this year, band members Zoe Federoff and Ashok left the band after a very public falling out with leader Dani Filth and management. Revelations of poor pay, bad contracts, and unpleasant working conditions spilled out into a loud back and forth, leading Filth to slander Federoff. While most metal fans may generally know about touring musicians enduring things like low pay and shaky job security, this is quite clear that one of the biggest modern black metal bands is just another business. Not only are you replaceable, but you are not worth the money and you’re stupid for joining. All of this was followed up by a large lawsuit from multiple former Cradle of Filth members alleging copyright infringement, unpaid royalties, unauthorized use of likenesses, and more. It’s a big mark against a frequent festival headliner and a big warning to young musicians looking to make a living.
Don’t want to join a well-established band? You could get in on a new band like Dogma, the all-lady sexy nun band. And if you do that, you’re in for a world of manipulation, mistreatment, misuse of your image and work, and lies by management. And when all is said and done, the management will probably just try again. Maybe with a different name, maybe with a different gimmick, but you know this won’t be the last time you hear about this type of thing. 2025 is the year of bad contracts and greedy management that will grind you down and discard you for someone else that will do it even cheaper. Hmm, where have we heard that before?
Think extreme metal is free of bad working conditions? Just look at Vitriol whose members literally dumped band leader Kyle Ramussen at a gas station in the middle of tour, along with his girlfriend, dog, and gear. Alleging extremely bad working conditions, verbal abuse, and drug usage, the band had enough in the middle of nowhere. A successful GoFundMe and a bizarre social media post later, we’re now just waiting for Vitriol to reform with new members and probably do the same thing again. People may laugh at the absurdity of the events, but when you’re making little money and stuck in cramped spaced with difficult or dangerous people, it’s hell. It’s hard enough being a touring musician for a niche genre. All of this nonsense just makes it worse.
It’s not all bad tours and contracts in 2025. A lot of it is just the general “enshitifcation” of the world and the music business. Every year, we cover the top metal/hard rock songs on Youtube and every year it’s the same bands. While some of that may be expected (They’re popular! Of course they show up all the time!), the stark reality is that even when new bands show up, they are all cut from the same cloth. “Modern metal” has that smooth, studio magic sheen that squashes down any rough edges that may make a band stand out. These bands look the same, sound the same, even have the same videos. It works in the short run for quick views, but they’re indistinguishable from each other. It’s a morass of bad haircuts, neck tattoos, and meaningless “emotion”. Why be a fan when you can just wait for the next single that will sound just like the last one? Why perfect your craft as a songwriter when you can crank out background TikTok music. It’s a hollow victory because while it may create a general interest or attention, it breeds no loyalty, no desire from a fanbase. Will people fly across the world for an intimate performance of the band whose music was used for a viral video? I doubt it. Will these be the bands headlining major festivals once the real headliners finally go away? I doubt it.
Speaking of festivals, this year has seen a growth in the major music festival. More of the same bands, but for more days and more money. Want to see your favorite band play a 20-minute set with shitty sound under a blazing sun? No, of course you don’t, but you might have to because this may be the only chance you get to see them this year because often these festivals prevent the bands from playing anywhere within hundreds of miles of the fest. Better get ready to pay for tickets, travel, lodging, parking, food, drinks, air conditioning, charging stations, clean toilets, fees, fees, and more fees. What happens if there’s bad weather? Tough shit, read the back of your ticket. No refunds. Don’t like this festival so you’ll go to that other one? It’s probably run by the same company.
We can hope for tours to come by to our local venues. If your local venues are still open. Increasing ticket prices and certain venues charging bands a cut of their merch has hurt bands, fans, and even venues themselves. There’s less places for metal bands to play than ever and you can see it in how bands route their tours. Same major cities, same handful of venues. In a second or third-tier market? Good luck. Live in a different country? Good luck. Ticket prices are too high and it’s devastating to bands and fans alike. It’s not like there’s been too many “can’t miss” tours anyway, but it gets deflating as you sadly check your local places and see nothing worth the large price of admission. When there’s a lack of big tours and a lack of shows in your area, it cuts off local bands from getting a chance to play in front of receptive crowds and dulls the power live music has on young fans that are passionate and want to become musicians themselves.
Not like those young musicians don’t have an industry actively working against them. Bands continue to sell off their discographies to labels and management companies. Get ready to hear Slipknot in an Eli Lilly commercial soon. “Are you tired of feeling (sic)? Well, if you want to liberate the madness, then try this.” Those places aren’t interested in the next big thing. They want in on a going, proven thing. If they do want something new, well, they can just hook up with a band of industry insiders, give them a ready-made gimmick, and stick them in a prime festival spot for their first show before they even have music out! Don’t worry, they’ll make sure that metal outlets like Revolver and Metal Hammer will endlessly promote them, especially on social media, to make sure the word gets out every single time the band does something, no matter how mediocre it sounds. But don’t call them industry plants!
At least all of that music is made by real people. Humanity has really stumbled face-first into AI in 2025 and music is no different. Long-respected bands have turned to cheap slop for music videos, album art, and even in the creation of their own music. Our inbox is slammed on with AI music or art on a weekly basis. Just go to Bandcamp and look through the weekly metal releases to be inundated with soulless slop. AI music has slimed its way onto music charts, whether by falsifying numbers or tricking people into listening to it. We used to say “seeing is believing”. Now we have to look with watchful eyes and listen with discerning ears just to make sure what we’re enjoying is actually, y’know, real.
Places like Spotify have done very little, if anything, to stem the tide of AI songs showing up on people’s playlists. It’s not just unknown AI bands slinging their trash at anyone foolish enough to click play. Legitimate bands have had their names used for fake music. Inactive bands seem to be more susceptible to this as there is no one guarding the gate, so to speak. Eagle-eyed and close listening fans, whose initial excitement on getting to hear new music from dormant bands turns to frustration, are usually the ones to speak out. I’ve seen these fake songs published under real bands personally. I grabbed screenshots:
I was happy for about 3 seconds to see bands like Flowing Tears and Dead Poetic putting out new music. Of course, it was all fake. Hasn’t American Heard Charge been through enough already? Hell, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard publicly left Spotify and are now having to deal with AI horseshit aping their name and style. Even when you want no involvement, you get dragged into this mess against your will.
And then there’s just the general awfulness of so many people in metal. Ronnie Radke still succeeds despite everything. Tommy Vext is Tommy Vext. Frankie Palmieri is still a numbskull. Daron Malakian and John Dolmayan of System Of A Down continue to prove why Serj is right to keep them at arm’s length. Abusers and creeps still rear their ugly heads. Nazi shitheads and those that give them a pass are still exist. I’m sure there’s more, that I’m forgetting. It’s all overwhelming and disappointing.
When laying this out as I’ve done, 2025 was pretty bad. That’s not even getting into things like a genre stagnation, constant retreads and revivals of well-worn genres, previous breakthrough bands putting out albums to diminishing returns, long-running bands slowly falling apart, and a general entertainment malaise. I’m sure there’s more I could have included here as well.
All that being said, there were good things that happened. I’m sure each and every one of us have new favorite songs and albums released in 2025. New bands formed and old bands reformed. We even got a new Spinal Tap movie this year. There’s now more bands than ever putting at music that is easily listenable and purchasable. As long as there are people unhappy with the way things are, there will be heavy metal.
Will 2026 be worse? It’s possible. It can always get worse. We know that. So where do we go from here? We can only move forward. Help those who need it. Make music. Go to shows. Buy albums and merch. We must work towards a better scene in any way we can. There’s a lot working against us. There always has been, but that has never stopped us before. We’ll have new bands to discover, new albums to love, new genres to create. Be the change we want to see. Not just in heavy metal, but in every day life.
