Queensrÿche Teases a Throwback Masterpiece While Sabbath's 'Born Again' Finally Gets Its Remix
There's a particular kind of thrill that runs through longtime metalheads when a band known for its classic-era sound starts talking about going back to the well. This week, that thrill belongs to Queensrÿche, the Pacific Northwest progressive metal institution whose influence on American heavy music runs deeper than most casual fans realize. Singer Todd La Torre and guitarist Michael Wilton sat down with Eddie Trunk on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation" and dropped a tease that's already got message boards buzzing: the follow-up to 2022's "Digital Noise Alliance" is reportedly channeling the spirit of "Rage for Order" and "The Warning" — two albums that, depending on who you ask, belong firmly in the conversation about the best metal albums of all time.
That's not a comparison a band throws around lightly. "Rage for Order" in particular is a weird, synth-laced, genre-defying record that still sounds unlike anything else from the mid-80s, and "The Warning" was the moment Queensrÿche announced they weren't just another one of the 80s metal bands chasing arena-rock formula — they were something stranger and more ambitious. If La Torre and Wilton are serious about tapping back into that well, it suggests the band is leaning into atmosphere and progressive songwriting rather than chasing modern trends. For a band that's spent the last decade rebuilding trust with fans after a messy vocalist transition, pointing back toward their most beloved early catalog is a smart, confident move. We'll be watching for release details as songwriting wraps up, but the mere fact that this is the reference point should have original-era Queensrÿche fans circling their calendars.
Tony Iommi Keeps Chasing the 'Born Again' Remix
Speaking of albums that deserve a second look, Tony Iommi is once again publicly committing to remixing Black Sabbath's much-maligned, oddly beloved 1983 record "Born Again." In a new chat with Planet Rock's Ian Danter, Iommi confirmed the band is "definitely gonna give it a go" on revisiting the mix of the only Sabbath record to feature Ian Gillan on vocals. If you've ever heard the original pressing, you know exactly why this matters — the muddy, bass-heavy mix has been a point of fan contention for over forty years, even as deep cuts like "Zero the Hero" and the title track have aged into cult classics. Iommi has floated this idea before, but hearing him reaffirm it now, amid a wave of renewed interest in Sabbath's legacy following Ozzy's passing, feels different. A proper remix could finally let "Born Again" breathe the way it always should have, and it's a reminder that even the deepest cuts in metal's origin story are still getting re-examined, re-mixed, and re-contextualized for new generations of listeners discovering the genre through streaming rather than vinyl crates.
Cover Songs, Duets, and Unlikely Pairings
Elsewhere in the "things nobody predicted" category, Bad Wolves have released a new version of their cover of Dolly Parton's "Jolene" — this time featuring Dolly herself on vocals, done with the blessing of her estate. The original Bad Wolves cover became one of the more unexpected hard rock hits of the last decade, and folding in Parton's actual vocal take closes a loop that's been open since the song first crossed over into rock radio. It's a good reminder that some of the most interesting developments in American heavy music right now aren't happening at the genre's extreme edges — they're happening in these cross-pollinated moments where country legends and hard rock bands find common ground in a song about heartbreak and jealousy that apparently transcends every format barrier that exists.
In a similar vein of honoring a voice that shaped rock and metal fandom, Scott Weiland's first-ever live album, "Scott Weiland: Live," is out now, with a visualizer for "Vasoline (Live At The House Of Blues, Anaheim)" accompanying the release. Whether you came to Weiland through Stone Temple Pilots or Velvet Revolver, hearing his live performances compiled and properly released for the first time is a genuine moment for a generation of rock and metal fans who grew up with his voice as a constant.
New Music and Tour Announcements Worth Tracking
The release calendar keeps churning, and there's a lot worth flagging for anyone trying to keep a pulse on new metal bands 2026 is going to be talking about. UK metalcore outfit Oceans Ate Alaska announced their new album "Purge" is due in January, marking the band's first full-length with vocalist Joel Heywood, and they're releasing it independently — a notable move for a band of their size and a sign of how much the self-release model has normalized even among bands with substantial international followings. The "Bring You Back" video is out now and gives a solid preview of where the band is headed post-lineup-shift.
Progressive outfit Entheos dropped "Empty on the Inside" today, continuing their streak of technically dense, emotionally raw releases, while former Skid Row frontman Erik Grönwall shared a video for "Twisted Lullaby," a cut off his "Bad Bones" solo record that came out back in May. Grönwall's solo output has been a consistent reminder that his voice is one of the most versatile in modern hard rock, equally capable of belting arena-ready choruses and digging into more vulnerable, insomnia-fueled material like this one.
Detroit's Eva Under Fire, fresh off touring with Five Finger Death Punch, released "Starshine," a stadium-sized single that's being talked about as one of the best heavy metal songs of the year from an act poised to break wider in 2026. Meanwhile, on the industrial end of the spectrum, A Place to Kill dropped a suitably brutal video for "Ugly World" — aggressive, mechanized, and a good gateway for anyone who thinks industrial metal peaked in the 90s. And if you're mapping out metal bands touring 2026 and beyond, Haywire's newly announced 2027 run proves some acts are already planning two calendar years out, which says something about how far in advance major tours now need to be locked in.
Keeping an Eye on the Underground
Big-name developments are great fuel for headlines, but the health of the US metal scene has always lived in its underground, and black metal continues to be one of the most active corners of that ecosystem. Raw black metal in particular remains one of the most prolific but least covered subgenres in the country, with hundreds of active acts and very little mainstream press attention to show for it. Bands like black metal outfit Embra and black metal act Capa represent exactly the kind of regional talent that tends to get overlooked between the big label announcements — acts worth digging into if you're bored of the algorithm feeding you the same twenty bands. If you're a fan of atmosphere-heavy, lo-fi, unapologetically raw black metal, these are names to have on your radar as you explore what's happening outside the festival circuit.
It's also worth remembering that the crust punk and heavy metal/NWOTHM corners of the index remain criminally under-discussed relative to how many bands actively work in those lanes. If your band fits into either camp — or any corner of the scene, frankly — submit your band and get on our radar; we're actively looking to cover more of the acts operating outside the major-label news cycle.
The Bigger Picture
What ties this week's news together is a scene that's simultaneously backward-looking and forward-moving. Queensrÿche wants to recapture a sound from forty years ago. Sabbath wants to fix a mix from forty-two years ago. Bad Wolves are closing a loop on a cover that's been circulating for the better part of a decade. And at the same time, bands like Oceans Ate Alaska, Entheos, and Eva Under Fire are pushing forward with new lineups, new labels, and new sounds built for a 2026 audience that consumes music differently than it did even five years ago.
That tension — between reverence for the genre's history and the constant churn of new material — has always been what keeps American heavy music interesting. The best metal bands working today understand that you don't have to choose between honoring where the genre came from and pushing it somewhere new. As always, keep tabs on upcoming shows near you, because no amount of streaming numbers or headline cycles replaces actually standing in a room while a band proves it live.