Metal & Hard Rock News – December 17, 2025: Major Tours, Festival Headlines & Heavy Momentum

• Joe Satriani & Steve Vai announce 2026 North American tour — Two of rock’s most celebrated guitar heroes have joined forces for a monumental 2026 North American tour. The virtuoso duo will traverse the U.S. and Canada next spring, delivering a night-after-night showcase of elite guitar mastery. With progressive metal innovators Animals as Leaders joining as special guests, the tour is shaping up to be one of the most technically impressive live experiences of the year.

• GWAR confirm U.S. tour with Soulfly & King Parrot — Shock-metal icons GWAR are returning to U.S. stages with an especially brutal touring package. Joined by groove-metal mainstay Soulfly and Australian grindcore wrecking crew King Parrot, the tour promises a relentless mix of theatrical chaos and pit-level aggression. Fans can expect GWAR’s signature gore-soaked spectacle paired with a supporting lineup built for maximum impact.

• Lacuna Coil unveil U.S. tour with Escape the Fate, VOWWS & Axty — Italian metal veterans Lacuna Coil have announced a major spring 2026 U.S. run dubbed the Sleepless Empire Tour. Launching March 24 in New York City, the trek marks a high-profile return to North American stages for the band. With Escape the Fate providing direct support and atmospheric acts VOWWS and Axty rounding out the bill, the tour blends gothic heaviness with modern alternative metal energy.

• Marilyn Manson extends U.S. tour dates — Marilyn Manson has added a new stretch of U.S. dates to his ongoing One Assassination Under God tour, pushing the run into spring 2026. The extension gives additional markets a chance to experience Manson’s dark, confrontational live show as the tour continues its momentum into the new year. Australian electro-rock duo VOWWS will support the newly announced dates.

• Obscura announce U.S. tour with Allegaeon, Cognitive & Cryptosis — Progressive death metal architects Obscura have confirmed a spring 2026 U.S. tour that reads like a technical metal fan’s dream lineup. Joined by melodic shredders Allegaeon, brutal tech outfit Cognitive, and progressive thrashers Cryptosis, the tour promises precision, speed, and intensity across every stop. The run kicks off in mid-March and will spotlight some of the genre’s most accomplished musicianship.

• Erra & Currents reveal massive North American tour — Modern metalcore heavyweights Erra and Currents have announced a co-headlining North American tour for spring 2026. Known for balancing crushing breakdowns with melodic depth, both bands will share top billing across a run spanning March and April. Support comes from Caskets and Aviana on select dates, making this one of the most stacked metalcore tours of the upcoming season.

• Power Trip & Municipal Waste to headline Decibel Metal & Beer Fest 2026 (Philadelphia) — Decibel Magazine has unveiled Power Trip and Municipal Waste as the headliners for its 2026 Metal & Beer Fest in Philadelphia. Each band will close out a night of the two-day event, supported by a lineup stacked with extreme metal favorites. Equal parts pit chaos and craft beer celebration, the festival continues to cement its place as a must-attend destination for heavy music fans.

• Rock festival lineup announced for Bowl of Brooklands — New Zealand’s Bowl of Brooklands will host the Mānuka Phuel Full Metal Orchestra Rock Festival on December 29, delivering a unique fusion of orchestral arrangements and heavy rock power. Headlined by the Full Metal Orchestra featuring former AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd, the event also includes major Kiwi rock acts such as Blindspott and Devilskin. The festival promises a dramatic, genre-blending close to the 2025 live music calendar.