# 2025 in heavy metal music

This is a timeline documenting the events of heavy metal in the year 2025.

## Bands disbanded

* Angra (hiatus)
* Eternal Tears of Sorrow
* Ithaca
* Lynch Mob
* Necrodeath
* Oceano
* One Morning Left
* Orange Goblin
* Riley's L.A. Guns
* Sarke
* Sum 41
* Void of Vision
* Zulu (hiatus)

## Bands reformed

* Black Sabbath (one-off)
* Mr. Big (four shows)
* Spineshank

## Events

* On January 15, Exodus parted ways with longtime vocalist Steve "Zetro" Souza for a third time. Former vocalist Rob Dukes would once again be his replacement.
* On January 30, Sum 41 played the final date of their farewell tour at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
* On March 7, Mastodon parted ways with longtime guitarist and vocalist Brent Hinds.
* On March 17, Katatonia parted ways with founding guitarist Anders Nyström.
* On April 19, Savatage will play their first show in nearly ten years at the Monsters of Rock festival in São Paulo.
* On July 5, Black Sabbath will reunite for one final farewell concert in Birmingham featuring the original lineup of Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward.
* Following major personnel changes in 2024, Grave frontman Ola Lindgren announced that the band's original members will reunite for select 2025 festival performances, highlighting their first three classic albums — Into the Grave, You'll Never See..., and Soulless — with no current plans for new material or extensive touring.
* After internal tensions that forced the band to cancel all 2024 live dates and go on hiatus, My Dying Bride announced that they are scheduled to return to live performances in 2025. These shows will feature guest vocalist Mikko Kotamäki of Swallow the Sun, temporarily filling in for founding member and vocalist Aaron Stainthorpe.
* Angra announced that the band will take a touring and recording hiatus after finishing the tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of their fifth album Temple of Shadows in March.
* Lynch Mob is scheduled to wrap up what was announced as a year-long farewell tour, titled "The Final Ride".
* Peso, drummer of Necrodeath, announced that the band will split up for the second and final time at the end of 2025, following the release of a final album and a farewell tour.
* Uriah Heep are scheduled to begin a farewell tour, titled The Magician's Farewell, in February, which will last for about two or three years.

## Deaths

* January 2 – Russ North, former vocalist of Cloven Hoof, died from undisclosed reasons at the age of 59.
* January 3 – Manfred Schütz, founder of SPV GmbH, died from undisclosed reasons at the age of 74.
* January 5 – Fredrik "Freddie Eugene" Lindgren, former guitarist of Unleashed and Terra Firma, died from undisclosed reasons at the age of 53.
* January 7 – Ragne Wahlquist, vocalist and guitarist of Heavy Load, died from undisclosed reasons at the age of 69.
* January 13 – Peter "P. Fluid" Forrest, former vocalist of 24-7 Spyz, was beaten to death at the age of 64.
* January 15 – Wayne Gerard Fabra, former drummer of Necrophagia, died from undisclosed reasons at the age of 58.
* January 16 – Cristiano Fusco, former guitarist of Torture Squad, died from bone marrow cancer at the age of 53.
* January 20 – John Sykes, former guitarist of Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy, Tygers of Pan Tang, and Blue Murder, died from cancer at the age of 65.
* January 27 – Aaron Rossi, former drummer of Ministry and Prong, died from a heart attack at the age of 44.
* February 5 – Dave Jerden, engineer, producer and mixer of numerous hard rock and metal bands including Alice in Chains, Anthrax, Jane's Addiction and Spinal Tap, died from undisclosed reasons at the age of 75.
* February 11 – Jan-Martin Jensen, founder and organizer of Inferno Metal Festival, died from cancer.
* February 15 – Pål Mozart Bjørke, former bassist of Madder Mortem, died from undisclosed reasons.
* February 19 – Karl Cochran, former guitarist of Ace Frehley and Joe Lynn Turner, died in a car accident at the age of 61.
* February 25 – Coburn Pharr, former vocalist of Annihilator, died from undisclosed reasons at the age of 62.
* February 26 – Graham "Gra" Scoresby, former drummer of Witchfynde, died in a car accident at the age of 68.
* March 2 – Sindre Nedland, vocalist and keyboardist of In Vain and former vocalist of Funeral, died from cancer at the age of 40.
* March 6 – Sergio Cisneros "Kiskilla" Anguita, former keyboardist and accordeonist of Mägo de Oz, died from COPD complications at the age of 58.
* March 11 – Joe McFadden, music industry executive who worked for EMI and Capitol Records and worked with numerous metal bands including Mötley Crüe, Megadeth, Iron Maiden, Five Finger Death Punch, Papa Roach, and The Hu, died from undisclosed reasons at the age of 77.

## Albums expected
### January

| Day | Artist | Album |
| 3 | Paleface Swiss | Cursed |
| 10 | Ex Deo | Year of the Four Emperors (EP) |
| 10 | The Halo Effect | March of the Unheard |
| 10 | Stick to Your Guns | Keep Planting Flowers |
| 10 | Tremonti | The End Will Show Us How |
| 17 | Dark Fortress | Anthems from Beyond the Grave (live album) |
| 17 | Eidola | Mend |
| 17 | Grave Digger | Bone Collector |
| 17 | Necrodeath | Arimortis |
| 17 | Tokyo Blade | Time Is the Fire |
| 22 | Nemophila | Apple of My Eye |
| 24 | Avatarium | Between You, God, the Devil and the Dead |
| 24 | Blacktoothed | Headway |
| 24 | Bonfire | Higher Ground |
| 24 | Bumblefoot | Bumblefoot ...Returns! |
| 24 | Dax Riggs | 7 Songs for Spiders |
| 24 | Harakiri for the Sky | Scorched Earth |
| 24 | Labyrinth | In the Vanishing Echoes of Goodbye |
| 24 | Oni | Genesis (EP) |
| 24 | Riverside | Live ID. (live album) |
| 24 | Thin Lizzy | Acoustic Sessions |
| 30 | Enterprise Earth | Descent into Madness (EP) |
| 31 | All That Remains | Antifragile |
| 31 | Confess | Destination Addiction |
| 31 | Pentagram | Lightning in a Bottle |
| 31 | Revenge | Violation.Strife.Abominate |
| 31 | Thomas Erak | (AU) |

### February

| Day | Artist | Album |
| 7 | 16 | Guides for the Misguided |
| 7 | Dream Theater | Parasomnia |
| 7 | Impending Doom | Towards the Light (EP) |
| 7 | Jinjer | Duél |
| 7 | Majestica | Power Train |
| 7 | Marko Hietala | Roses from the Deep |
| 7 | Obscura | A Sonication |
| 10 | Septicflesh | Amphibians (EP) |
| 14 | Bleeding Through | Nine |
| 14 | Church Tongue | You'll Know It Was Me (EP) |
| 14 | Crazy Lixx | Thrill of the Bite |
| 14 | Dawn of Solace | Affliction Vortex |
| 14 | Dynazty | Game of Faces |
| 14 | Lacuna Coil | Sleepless Empire |
| 14 | Mantar | Post Apocalyptic Depression |
| 14 | Raven | Can't Take Away the Fire (EP) |
| 14 | Scorpion Child | I Saw the End as It Passed Right Through Me |
| 14 | Twiztid | Welcome to Your Funeral |
| 14 | With Blood Comes Cleansing | With Blood Comes Cleansing |
| 18 | A Day to Remember | Big Ole Album Vol. 1 |
| 21 | David Lee Roth | The Warner Recordings 1985–1994 (box set) |
| 21 | Killswitch Engage | This Consequence |
| 21 | Nachtblut | Todschick |
| 21 | Pissgrave | Malignant Worthlessness |
| 21 | Sacrifice | Volume Six |
| 21 | Scour | Gold |
| 28 | Architects | The Sky, the Earth & All Between |
| 28 | Arion | The Light That Burns the Sky |
| 28 | Avantasia | Here Be Dragons |
| 28 | Brainstorm | Plague of Rats |
| 28 | Cloakroom | Last Leg of the Human Table |
| 28 | Dirkschneider | Balls to the Wall – Reloaded (covers album) |
| 28 | Enemy Inside | Venom |
| 28 | Eric Bass | I Had a Name |
| 28 | Hirax | Faster than Death |
| 28 | Master | 40 Years and Killing (EP) |
| 28 | Robin McAuley | Soulbound |

### March

| Day | Artist | Album |
| 1 | Love/Hate | Punk Rock Fiesta! |
| 4 | Avulsed | Phoenix Cryptobiosis |
| 6 | Raging Speedhorn | Night Wolf |
| 7 | Balance Breach | Save Our Souls |
| 7 | Carnal Forge | The Fractured Process (EP) |
| 7 | Christian Mistress | Children of the Earth |
| 7 | Destruction | Birth of Malice |
| 7 | Edge of Paradise | Prophecy |
| 7 | Lacrimosa | Lament |
| 7 | Rainbows Are Free | Silver and Gold |
| 7 | Sadist | Something to Pierce |
| 7 | Smith / Kotzen | Black Light / White Noise |
| 7 | Spiritbox | Tsunami Sea |
| 7 | Whitechapel | Hymns in Dissonance |
| 7 | The Wildhearts | Satanic Rites of the Wildhearts |
| 14 | Coheed and Cambria | Vaxis Act III: The Father of Make Believe |
| 14 | Dead Rabbitts | Redefined |
| 14 | Heathen | Bleed the World: Live (live album) |
| 14 | Manntra | Titans |
| 14 | Nightstalker | Return from the Point of No Return |
| 14 | Purified in Blood | Primal Pulse Thunder |
| 14 | Red Fang | Deep Cuts (compilation album) |
| 14 | Ricky Warwick | Blood Ties |
| 14 | Rwake | The Return of Magik |
| 14 | Simon McBride | Recordings 2020–2025 |
| 14 | Temperance | From Hermitage to Europe (live album) |
| 14 | Warbringer | Wrath and Ruin |
| 21 | Bloodywood | Nu Delhi |
| 21 | Cradle of Filth | The Screaming of the Valkyries |
| 21 | Disarmonia Mundi | The Dormant Stranger |
| 21 | Drudkh | Shadow Play |
| 21 | Imperial Triumphant | Goldstar |
| 21 | Lordi | Limited Deadition |
| 21 | Molotov Solution | Void (EP) |
| 21 | Pop Evil | What Remains |
| 21 | Rush | Rush 50 (box set) |
| 28 | Alien Weaponry | Te Rā |
| 28 | Arch Enemy | Blood Dynasty |
| 28 | The Darkness | Dreams on Toast |
| 28 | Deafheaven | Lonely People with Power |
| 28 | Don Airey | Pushed to the Edge |
| 28 | Judicator | Concord |
| 28 | Memphis May Fire | Shapeshifter |
| 28 | Ministry | The Squirrely Years Revisited |
| 28 | Underoath | The Place After This One |

### April

| Day | Artist | Album |
| 4 | Allegaeon | The Ossuary Lens |
| 4 | Benediction | Ravage of Empires |
| 4 | Bleed from Within | Zenith |
| 4 | L.A. Guns | Leopard Skin |
| 4 | Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs | Death Hilarious |
| 4 | Rotting Christ | 35 Years of Evil Existence – Live in Lycabettus (live album) |
| 4 | Thornhill | Bodies |
| 11 | Elvenking | Reader of the Runes – Luna |
| 11 | Epica | Aspiral |
| 11 | In the Woods... | Otra |
| 11 | The Man-Eating Tree | Night Verses |
| 11 | Mark Morton | Without the Pain |
| 18 | Divide and Dissolve | Insatiable |
| 20 | Heavy Heavy Low Low | Pain Olympics |
| 25 | Caliban | Back from Hell |
| 25 | Cancer | Inverted World |
| 25 | Eluveitie | Ànv |
| 25 | Employed to Serve | Fallen Star |
| 25 | Ghost | Skeletá |
| 25 | Harem Scarem | Chasing Euphoria |
| 25 | Jack Starr | Out of the Darkness, Part II |
| 25 | Landmvrks | The Darkest Place I've Ever Been |
| 25 | Machine Head | Unatøned |
| 25 | Pagan Altar | Never Quite Dead |
| 25 | Sacred Steel | Ritual Supremacy |
| 25 | Wednesday 13 | Mid Death Crisis |
| 25 | Yngwie Malmsteen | Tokyo Live (live album) |

### May

| Day | Artist | Album |
| 1 | Death SS | The Entity |
| 2 | Crematory | Destination |
| 2 | Nightfall | Children of Eve |
| 9 | Behemoth | The Shit ov God |
| 9 | Candlemass | Black Star (EP) |
| 9 | Ghost Bath | Rose Thorn Necklace |
| 9 | Haken | Liveforms: An Evening with Haken (live album) |
| 9 | Novelists | Coda |
| 9 | Sleep Token | Even in Arcadia |
| 9 | Tetrarch | The Ugly Side of Me |
| 16 | Bury Tomorrow | Will You Haunt Me, with That Same Patience |
| 16 | The Callous Daoboys | I Don’t Want to See You in Heaven |
| 16 | Confessions of a Traitor | This Pain Will Serve You |
| 16 | Pelican | Flickering Resonance |
| 16 | Sleep Theory | Afterglow |
| 16 | Steve Von Till | Alone in a World of Wounds |
| 23 | ...And Oceans | The Regeneration Itinerary |
| 23 | Onslaught | Origins of Aggression |
| 23 | Ronnie Romero | Live at Rock Imperium Festival (live album) |
| 30 | Rivers of Nihil | Rivers of Nihil |
| 30 | Vildhjarta | + Där skogen sjunger under evighetens granar + |
| 30 | Wolves at the Gate | Wasteland |

### June

| Day | Artist | Album |
| 6 | Gaahls Wyrd | Braiding the Stories |
| 6 | King Parrot | A Young Person's Guide to King Parrot |
| 6 | Orthodox | A Door Left Open |
| 6 | Volbeat | God of Angels Trust |
| 13 | Fallujah | Xenotaph |
| 20 | Alestorm | The Thunderfist Chronicles |
| 20 | Malevolence | Where Only the Truth Is Spoken |

### July

| Day | Artist | Album |
| 4 | Visions of Atlantis | Armada Live Over Europe (live album) |
| 25 | Feuerschwanz | Knightclub |

### August

| Day | Artist | Album |
| 8 | Lord of the Lost | Opvs Noir Vol. 1 |

### September

| Day | Artist | Album |
| 5 | Primal Fear | Domination |
| 26 | Igorrr | Amen |

### October

| Day | Artist | Album |
| 31 | Mystic Circle | Hexenbrand 1486 |

## Artists with material in production

* Abysmal Dawn
* Ace Frehley – Origins Vol. 3 (covers album)
* Acid Reign
* Adema
* Agent Steel
* Agnostic Front
* Amorphis
* Anthrax
* Armored Saint
* Atheist
* Avatar
* Biohazard
* Black Label Society
* Blackbraid – Blackbraid III
* Blind Illusion – Crushing the Universe
* Bullet for My Valentine
* BulletBoys
* Chevelle
* Clutch
* Coroner
* Corrosion of Conformity
* Crimson Glory
* Dark Angel
* Death Angel
* Def Leppard
* Dismember
* Disturbed
* Doro (live DVD)
* Down
* Drain
* Drowning Pool (album/EP)
* Electric Wizard
* Europe
* Excel
* Exciter
* Exumer
* Fear Factory
* Finger Eleven
* Five Finger Death Punch
* For My Pain...
* Forbidden
* Glenn Hughes
* Halestorm
* Hatebreed
* The Haunted
* Heathen
* Helloween
* Incite
* Iron Maiden
* Joe Lynn Turner
* Keep of Kalessin
* King Diamond – Saint Lucifer's Hospital 1920
* Last in Line
* Limp Bizkit
* Living Colour
* Manowar
* Mastodon
* Mayhem
* Megadeth
* Mercyful Fate
* Metal Allegiance
* Metal Church
* Michael Schenker
* Misery Index
* Mob Rules
* Moonspell
* Motionless in White
* Mötley Crüe
* Nine Inch Nails
* Papa Roach
* Paradise Lost
* Pestilence – Portals
* Poison the Well
* Possessed
* Primus
* Revocation
* Running Wild
* Sacred Reich
* Samael
* Savatage – Curtain Call
* Sepultura (EP and live album)
* Slipknot – Look Outside Your Window
* Sodom
* Soulfly
* Spinal Tap
* The Storyteller
* Testament
* Three Days Grace
* Tony Iommi
* Triptykon
* Trouble
* Unleashed
* Vader – Humanihility (EP)
* Vicious Rumors
* Vintersorg – Vattenkrafternas spel
* W.A.S.P.
* Whiplash – Old School American Way
* Woe, Is Me
* Wormrot
* Xentrix