Florida Metal
Open Nerve
Miami nu-metal / post-hardcore four-piece. Faith No More + Deftones + Glassjaw DNA; a Las Rosas headliner.
⭐ Photos from the pit ›Next show
Nothing on our calendar right now — we're watching.
Florida Metal
Florida Metal
Ramtha
Tampa thrash/death — friends of the channel, always on the Florida DIY bills worth driving for.
Next show
- Sat, Aug 29, 2026 Ramtha + Walled City + Humanband + Nocturnal Dawn + Dead Reef @ Moontower — Dunedin, FL — Aug 29 2026
Florida Metal
Mind Virus
Florida underground metal, Big Ear Booking regulars. The Summer Weekender run put them on our radar.
Next show
- Fri, Sep 4, 2026 No Raza / Mind Virus / Revenant Curse — Guadalajara Night Club, Fort Pierce FL
Florida Metal
We All Rise
Miami modern-metal four-piece with '90s roots, built by South Florida scene veterans. WAR to the faithful.
⭐ Photos from the pit ›Next show
Nothing on our calendar right now — we're watching.
Florida Metal
Silenmara
Miami melodic death metal in the Gothenburg tradition. Twin-guitar melody over a death-metal engine.
Next show
Nothing on our calendar right now — we're watching.
Florida Metal
Maximum Friction
West Palm Beach power trio, Sabbath-to-Slipknot heavy. Battle-of-the-bands winners climbing the local circuit.
Next show
- Sat, Aug 29, 2026 Nicko McBrain's Titanium Tart + Maximum Friction — The Barn, Sanford FL
Florida Metal
Nocturnal Dawn
Orlando progressive / melodic death metal, independent and prolific since 2022.
Next show
- Wed, Aug 12, 2026 Nocturnal Dawn + Pariah + RSI + Gnarcoossee @ Conduit — Winter Park (Orlando), FL — Aug 12 2026
- Sat, Aug 29, 2026 Ramtha + Walled City + Humanband + Nocturnal Dawn + Dead Reef @ Moontower — Dunedin, FL — Aug 29 2026
Florida Metal
Follow Me, Fox!
Orlando rock / pop-punk with video-game-themed hooks. High-energy live, newer project from experienced players.
Next show
Nothing on our calendar right now — we're watching.
Florida Metal
Medic
Miami metal on the local watch — a 305 band earning flyers and room on the bill.
⭐ Photos from the pit ›Next show
Nothing on our calendar right now — we're watching.
Global Metal
Global Metal
Given by the Flames
Tokyo gothic / symphonic metalcore — Japan's Wacken Metal Battle national winner. Won their country to earn the Wacken stage; a rare Japanese metalcore export with a dark visual identity.
Next show
Nothing on our calendar right now — we're watching.
Global Metal
Blood Command
Bergen, Norway 'deathpop' — melodic hardcore with metal teeth and pop hooks. A European festival mainstay.
Next show
Nothing on our calendar right now — we're watching.
Global Metal
Hämatom
Masked German Neue Deutsche Härte. Theatrical industrial metal, chart regulars, a costumed live spectacle.
Next show
Nothing on our calendar right now — we're watching.
Global Metal
Unzucht
Long-running German dark rock / gothic metal — melodic gothic vocals over hard riffing.
Next show
Nothing on our calendar right now — we're watching.
Global Metal
Islander
Greenville, SC nu-metal / metalcore. A steady-touring US act with a devoted following since 2011.
Next show
Nothing on our calendar right now — we're watching.
Global Metal
RE:O
UK-based 'Japancore' project fronted by Japanese vocalist Rio Suyama — metalcore fused with dark J-pop. Opened the London J-metal bill.
Next show
Nothing on our calendar right now — we're watching.
Global Metal
El Chivo
Monterrey stoner-doom — Mexico's Wacken Metal Battle national winner. Heavy fuzz and riff worship that carried them from the local scene all the way to Wacken.
Next show
Nothing on our calendar right now — we're watching.
Global Metal
God-Kings
Hungarian metal out of Budapest — on our radar as the European scene keeps feeding the watch list.
⭐ Photos from the pit ›Next show
Nothing on our calendar right now — we're watching.
Global Metal
Force
Chile's Wacken Metal Battle team — and the OVERALL 2026 champion. They won the whole thing at Wacken. The purest local-to-global story on this list.
Next show
- Sun, Nov 1, 2026 HANABIE. @ Hamamatsu FORCE — Hamamatsu, Japan — Nov 1 2026
- Fri, Nov 20, 2026 DragonForce — House of Blues, Lake Buena Vista (Orlando) FL
Japanese Metal
Japanese Metal
LOVEBITES
Japanese power metal at the top of the form. Twin-guitar precision, operatic range — the band the whole watch list orbits.
⭐ Photos from the pit ›Next show
- Sat, Aug 29, 2026 LOVEBITES — Outstanding Tour — Zepp Fukuoka, Japan
- Sun, Aug 30, 2026 LOVEBITES — Outstanding Tour — Hiroshima Club Quattro, Japan
Japanese Metal
NEMOPHILA
All-women Japanese metal built for the live room — Mayu's roar over relentless riffing. Ten Fes is theirs.
Next show
- Mon, Oct 12, 2026 TRiDENT @ EX THEATER ROPPONGI (NEMOPHILA Ten-Fes) — Tokyo, Japan — Oct 12 2026
- Mon, Oct 12, 2026 NEMOPHILA — Ten Fes (天曲 Fes / Tenjō Mugyū Gekion Dōchū) — EX THEATER ROPPONGI, Tokyo JP
Japanese Metal
HANABIE.
Harajuku-core: candy-colored, breakdown-heavy, touring the US non-stop. The gateway drug for the whole scene.
⭐ Photos from the pit ›Next show
- Mon, Aug 31, 2026 HANABIE. @ Tokyo Garden Theater — Tokyo, Japan — Aug 31 2026
- Sat, Sep 19, 2026 HANABIE. @ Chiba LOOK — Chiba, Japan — Sep 19 2026
Japanese Metal
BAND-MAID
Maid-café aesthetic, hard-rock chops that silence the doubters the second Kanami solos.
Next show
- Sun, Aug 16, 2026 BAND-MAID @ Summer Sonic (Makuhari Messe) — Chiba, Japan — Aug 16 2026
- Sun, Sep 20, 2026 BAND-MAID @ Legacy TERA — Taipei, Taiwan — Sep 20 2026
Japanese Metal
BABYMETAL
The ones who kicked the door in. Kawaii metal as a global stadium act; still the reference point.
Next show
- Fri, Aug 14, 2026 BABYMETAL @ Summer Sonic (Expo '70 Park) — Osaka, Japan — Aug 14 2026
- Sun, Aug 16, 2026 BABYMETAL @ Summer Sonic (ZOZO Marine/Makuhari Messe) — Chiba, Japan — Aug 16 2026
Japanese Metal
Rolling Quartz
Korean hard-rock five-piece crisscrossing North America on the MY TURN tour. Loud, tight, relentless.
Next show
- Tue, Aug 11, 2026 Rolling Quartz @ Piranha Bar — Montreal, QC, Canada — Aug 11 2026
- Thu, Aug 13, 2026 Rolling Quartz @ El Mocambo (Under the Neon Palms) — Toronto, ON, Canada — Aug 13 2026
Japanese Metal
Broken By The Scream
Metal-screaming idol act, Metal Blade signees, Wacken alumni. Caught live at The Dome with a meet and greet.
⭐ Photos from the pit ›Next show
- Tue, Aug 11, 2026 Broken By The Scream @ Szene Wien — Vienna, Austria — Aug 11 2026
- Sat, Aug 22, 2026 Broken By The Scream @ CLUB SEATA — Tokyo, Japan — Aug 22 2026
Japanese Metal
Fathomless Skywalker
Tokyo symphonic metalcore led by classically-trained Chihiro. 'Pirates of the Fathomless Sea' hit #4 on Japan iTunes Metal.
Next show
Nothing on our calendar right now — we're watching.
Japanese Metal
SiM
Japanese reggae-metalcore heavyweights on the HOOMAN AFTER ALL world tour. The heaviest groove on the list.
Next show
- Sun, Aug 23, 2026 SiM @ WILD BUNCH FEST. 2026 — Yamaguchi, Japan — Aug 23 2026
- Sun, Aug 30, 2026 SiM @ RUSH BALL 2026 — Osaka, Japan — Aug 30 2026
Japanese Metal
FATE GEAR
All-women steampunk / gothic power metal. The Frozen Abyss tour took them to Europe for the first time.
Next show
- Wed, Sep 9, 2026 FATE GEAR @ Legend Club — Milan, Italy — Sep 9 2026
- Thu, Sep 10, 2026 FATE GEAR @ Schüür — Luzern, Switzerland — Sep 10 2026
Japanese Metal
ZILQY
Heavy-metal supergroup — ex-Aldious guitarist Toki's new vehicle. The 'Birth of Riot' tour is one of the fall's hottest tickets.
Next show
- Sun, Aug 16, 2026 ZILQY @ SUMMER SONIC 2026 (Pacific Stage) — Tokyo, Japan — Aug 16 2026
- Sat, Aug 22, 2026 ZILQY @ Spotify O-EAST — Tokyo, Japan — Aug 22 2026
Japanese Metal
Lonesome_Blue
Melodic-metal supergroup fronted by Sally (ex-BRIDEAR). 'FOURTH DIMENSION' out this year; built for the big stage.
Next show
- Wed, Aug 26, 2026 📀 Lonesome_Blue — FOURTH DIMENSION — RELEASE
Japanese Metal
SAKI
Guitar virtuoso (NEMOPHILA, ex-Mary's Blood) stepping out solo — a major debut album and her own project.
Next show
Nothing on our calendar right now — we're watching.