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Slipknot's confirmed-then-deleted Sid Wilson exit and a bitter Dee Snider/Kelly Osbourne feud dominate headlines this week, but Europe's raw black metal, grindcore, and death metal underground keeps quietly grinding on regardless.
From Ronnie Wood joining Hollywood Vampires at The O2 to Tony Iommi's upcoming Birmingham talk and a fresh Death/Massacre feud, this week's metal news bridges Europe's founding legends with its still-underrated deathcore and death metal underground.
European Metal Index data shows new band formation across Europe peaked at 2,679 in 2020 and has fallen every year since, down to 1,588 in 2025 — a 41% drop — even as Black Metal and Death Metal continue to dominate new-band genre counts.
From Rose Tattoo's abrupt tour cancellation to Ritchie Blackmore's long-awaited Deep Purple return and Avatar's Metallica-approved rise, this week's headlines reveal a European metal scene split between an aging touring circuit and an underground that's still criminally under-covered.
Behemoth's Nergal joins Icelandic black metal band Misþyrming for a full-album Sventevith performance at Hellsinki Metal Festival 2026, while Rose Tattoo's tour cancellation and Dez Fafara's health scare force the scene to reckon with its aging frontmen.
From Thy Art Is Murder's new vocalist to a hardcore tour fallout over Nazism allegations and Within Temptation's unflinching politics, this week's European metal news shows a scene actively arguing over its own identity.
Megadeth's newly announced European farewell tour with Testament and Black Label Society leads a week dominated by legacy thrash and gothic metal news, while Europe's black metal, post-metal and power metal underground keeps building quietly beneath the headlines.
Wacken's early 2027 lineup drop puts Helloween, Heaven Shall Burn and DragonForce back in the European spotlight, while Tony Iommi's new solo record and Max Cavalera's candid words on legacy remind the region why its metal roots still run deep.
Bring Me The Horizon's refusal to repeat itself, Godsmack's massive Pol'and'Rock headline slot, Lacuna Coil's reflections on a changed industry, and Bruce Dickinson's finished solo vocals — this week's European metal news proves the region's restless spirit is alive and well, with regional sludge and thrash acts HAW and Roots quietly building their own momentum.
Electric Bristol leads European Metal Index's venue rankings with 16 tracked shows — more than London's Underworld or Wolverhampton's Rob Halford-affiliated KK's Steel Mill, both tied at 14.
The Gathering's 30th anniversary finale in Amsterdam and Bosnia's DOLIA drawing from Slavic mythology highlight European metal's unique ability to honor its pioneering past while embracing regional cultural heritage.
Darkthrone's Nocturno Culto announces his AVRAK heavy rock project's debut album while Archspire transforms pop hits into technical death metal masterpieces, showcasing European extreme metal's creative evolution and boundary-pushing innovation.
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