FEATURE: Top 10 heavy metal, punk, hard rock tours of the summer
Photo: Alice Cooper teams up with Judas Priest and Corrosion for Conformity for a September-October tour. Photo courtesy of the artist / Provided by press site.
The stadiums, arenas and ballrooms are booked, and heavy metal thunder is ready to descend upon the United States this summer. Some of the best acts in the music genre are gearing up to hit the road in May, June, July, August and September for what promises to be memorable (and expensive) gigs for thousands of sonic devotees.
Here are some of the acts that Hollywood Soapbox cannot wait for.
Honorable Mention: Volbeat / Halestorm / The Ghost Inside — This one is an excellent bill, but some fans might switch Volbeat and Halestorm in the lineup. Hasn’t Halestorm done enough to consistently headline venues? Nothing against Volbeat, who are building a dedicated fan base and deserve headlining status as well, but Halestorm is next level and continue to impress. This one will be solid, no doubt, but Lzzy Hale and company should finish the night. Period.
Honorable Mention: Gene Simmons — Cue the laughter. Yes, the legendary bass player for Kiss canceled some dates on his solo tour, which kicks off in a couple of days, but still fans are excited to catch him on stage. He still has his singing voice and undeniable stage presence, so here’s hoping the remaining dates on the calendar do in fact stay on the calendar. Expect to hear the classics and hopefully some rarities.
10. System of a Down / Korn / Polyphia — For many metalheads, this will be the tour of the summer — and for good reason. System of a Down almost never comes around, and to pair them with Korn seems absolutely mind-blowing. The only reason it’s not higher up on the list is because the tour is sticking to huge stadiums in only select cities. Many people will have to travel quite far to see this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
9. Testament — The iconic Bay Area thrashers are preparing for their “An Evening With Testament” tour, which promises an introspective look into the album Practice What You Preach. Expect to hear plugged-in tunes, plus stories about the making of the recording. It should be a different vibe for Testament, which is most welcome news.
8. Static-X / Gwar / Dope / A Killers Confession — This reviewer was quite surprised by the sold-out crowd at a recent Static-X show. They were co-headlining with Sevendust, and the ballroom was packed with metal fans. The band tore through a best-of set list that left nothing on the stage; they were dynamite, scarily in sync with one another and solidly infectious. When they team up with the likes of Gwar, there’s no telling what might happen.
7. BABYMETAL / Black Veil Brides / Bloodywood — For 21st-century metal, there’s no better bill than the party BABYMETAL is about to throw in the United States. The Japanese band continues to grow, playing larger and larger theaters and arenas around the country, and now that they’ve combined with Black Veil Brides and Bloodywood, two well-respected outfits in their own right, seats are flying and anticipation is growing.
6. Summer of Loud Tour featuring Beartooth / I Prevail / Killswitch Engage / Parkway Drive / The Amity Affliction / The Devil Wears Prada / Alpha Wolf / TX2 / Kingdom of Giants / Dark Divine — This is a lot of metal, so get ready for a memorable (and loud) concert experience from some of the best and heaviest bands that are making waves in the metal genre in 2025. This is the touring festival of the summer, in this reviewer’s humble opinion.
5. Ghost — This week is a major one for Ghost. They have released a new album, and record stores are selling out of copies left and right. They are the deserved talk of the town, as they have been for the past few years, and it’s a minor miracle they keep growing and show no signs of slowing down. Let’s put this in perspective: They are going to headline Madison Square Garden in July, and it’s a hot ticket to purchase. For those who have been by the band’s side for the past few years, that is a monumental achievement.
4. The Warning — This reviewer first caught The Warning as the opening act on the Halestorm and The Pretty Reckless tour a couple of summers ago, and now the three sisters that make up the band routinely headline spaces themselves. And each year, their influence grows, with venue sizes growing larger and larger. No joke: Nabbing a Warning ticket for this summer was tougher than most other bands on this list. They sell out so fast; there’s no doubt they will be headlining arenas soon enough.
3. The Damned / The Adverts / The Bellrays — Punk rock history would be quite different without the songs and influences of The Damned. The band’s classic 1980s lineup is heading to the United States for a month of gigs, so these concerts should be some of the most anticipated gigs of the summer. Dates are selling out, so don’t wait.
2. Metallica / Pantera / Limp Bizkit / Suicidal Tendencies / Ice Nine Kills — Metallica’s M72 world tour is thankfully receiving a third year in 2025, and metalheads couldn’t be happier. The boys are heading to some new markets, offering both one-nigh-only gigs and two-concert weekends (this former format is what 2023 and 2024 looked like). Expect to hear a similar set list to previous years, but no one can say they’re not firing on all cylinders at the moment.
1. Judas Priest / Alice Cooper / Corrosion of Conformity — In September and October, these three acts head out on the road for what promises to be a wild time. Judas Priest and Alice Cooper are some of the best in the history of heavy metal and hard rock. They may be up there in age, but they still rock out for the throngs of fans who dish out the cash for some “Breaking the Law,” “No More Mr. Nice Guy,” “Painkiller” and “Poison.” Cooper’s band, in particular, is the strongest in the business, with Nita Strauss, Ryan Roxie, Tommy Henriksen, Chuck Garric and Glen Sobel. Adding Corrosion as an opening act was an expert move.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
