The Podcast That Rocked for 12/17/25. Discussion on the best and worst events of the year through heavy music. 2025 was a lot.
The BEST and WORST of 2025 | The Podcast That Rocked on YouTube
The BEST and WORST of 2025 | The Podcast That Rocked on Spotify
Discussion Topics: -The Legend of Ozzy Osbourne and Back To The Beginning -Amazing year for Sleep Token -Terrible year for Disturbed and David Draiman -Festivals are fun but too expensive -LiveNation and Ticketmaster are insane -AI in Music must be regulated -Venue security needs to chill -Asking Alexandria needs to anser a few questions -Warped Tour building off of 2025 success -Late Night gave rock and metal love -LOTS MORE
Thanks to everyone who listened, watched, and tuned in live to The Podcast That Rocked this year. We grew a bit in numbers and new listeners, and we want to improve in 2026. Please continue to like, leave comments, and tell your friends about what we do on Wednesday nights. We hope you all have a great holiday break, and we’ll see you in January.
Legendary guitarist Tom Morello joins metalcore powerhouse Beartooth with new single “Everything Burns” (out now on Mom+Pop Music) produced by two-time GRAMMY-nominated songwriter, musician and producer Tyler Smyth (Falling in Reverse, I Prevail, Blessthefall, Royal & the Serpent). This fierce collaboration fuses Morello’s signature guitar riffs with soaring, aggressive vocals from singer Caleb Shomo noting: “creating ‘Everything Burns’ was the definition of lightning in a bottle. Pressure makes diamonds. When I got a call saying Tom Morello wants you to sing on a song for a huge project and it’s due in a few hours I had no idea what would happen, but I gave it all I had and it turned into something that’s truly once in a lifetime. I couldn’t be more honored to be a part of this with Tom and the entire Final Fantasy family that made this happen. Life goal achieved.”
Yesterday, the song made its in-game debut for the latest update of Final Fantasy XIV, where players will get to experience the track in one of the most pivotal parts of the game – earlier today it premiered on SiriusXM Octane and is now available globally on all streaming platforms along with a music video directed by AxiA.
On his collaboration with Beartooth, Morello adds:
“Everything Burns is a high energy riff heavy banger that feels like it’s rising from the streets. Collaborating with Beartooth and super producer Tyler Smyth to forge this ferocious next single from my upcoming solo album was a real thrill.”
Tom Morello “Everything Burns” (ft. Beartooth)
Along with the release of the new single, Fender announced Tom Morello’s“Arm The Homeless” Guitar, an instrument faithfully recreating one of the most distinctive and influential guitars in rock history. This limited-edition launch serves as a deeply personal project for Morello, with Fender providing the craftsmanship, platform, and expertise to realize his vision. To recreate the instrument, Fender worked side-by-side with Morello to faithfully reproduce every nuance of the original, from its distinctive body shape and color scheme to its custom electronics and untrimmed strings on the headstock. A portion of proceeds will benefit Midnight Mission and Covenant House, two local Los Angeles organizations hand-picked by Morello for their dedication to providing shelter and dignity to people experiencing homelessness. The project embodies Morello’s lifelong activism, championing the power of creativity and connection to uplift communities.
Last month, Morello recently wrapped up his sold-out headline tour, featuring special guests each night including artists such as Corey Glover & Vernon Reid (Living Colour), Darryl McDaniels (Run DMC), Tim Mcllrath (Rise Against) and more. Next year, he will head on tour kicking off in Lollapalooza Chile on March 13, wrapping up in Bilbao, Spain at BBK Music Legends Festival on June 27 – all tour dates below with more announcing soon.Get your tickets HERE.
TOUR DATES
2025 12/17 – HUDA Gymkhana Club, Gurugram Sector 4 – Gurugram, India 12/19 – Infinity Ballroom, Fairmount Mumbai – Mumbai, India 12/21 – Phoenix Marketcity – Bengaluru, India
2026 3/13 – Lollapalooza Chile – Santiago, Chile 3/15 – Festival Vive Latino – México, Mexico 3/17 – Pepper Disco Club – Zapote, Costa Rica 3/21 – Estéreo Picnic – Bogotá, Colombia 5/8 – Welcome to Rockville – Daytona Beach, FL 6/4 – Sweden Rock Festival – Sölvesborg, Sweden 6/5 – Rock im Park – Nürnberg, Germany 6/6 – Rock am Ring – Nürnberg, Germany 6/9 – Klub Stodoła – Warszawa, Poland 6/11 – Nova Rock – Nickelsdorf, Austrian 6/14 – Download Festival – Castle Donington, United Kingdom 6/16 – Bataclan – Paris, France 6/18 – Graspop Metal Meeting – Dessel Belgium 6/20 – Hellfest – Clisson, France 6/22 – Doornroosje – Nijmegen, Netherlands 6/24 – Copenhell Festival – Copenhagen, Denmark 6/26 – Tons of Rock – Oslo, Norway 6/27 – BBK Music Legends Festival – Bilbao, Spain
Testament Announces Spring 2026 “Thrash Of The Titans Tour”
Iconic Bay Area thrash band TESTAMENT‘s triumphant return continues in 2026 with the announcement of their “Thrash of the Titans” world tour landing in the US this coming spring! The trek unites the band with fellow thrash legends OVERKILL and DESTRUCTION for one of the fiercest tours of the new year.
Commenting on the tour TESTAMENT frontman Chuck Billy says:
“2026 looks like it is going to start with an explosion with the ‘Thrash of the Titans Tour.’ Joining us will be our Metal Brothers Overkill and Destruction. Our friendship has almost reached 4 decades. This is gonna be a Thrash Metal show you don’t wanna miss!“
OVERKILL’s founding vocalist Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth states:
“March can’t come soon enough. We are stoked to be part of this killer package, that will lay waste to the States! Let’s get this show on the road!”
Founding bassist for DESTRUCTION, Marcel “Schmier” Schirmer adds:
“This is killer news — the THRASH OF THE TITANS tour is finally hitting America! So many fans have been shouting for this, and now it’s happening. The best tours happen when you roll with bands you respect, bands you can raise hell with — and when the bill just hits hard.“
Exclusive Metal Injection Presale: Wednesday, December 17th @ 10:00 AM EST @ MetalInjection.net Artist Presale: Thursday, December 18th @ 10:00 AM LOCAL (PW: TITANS) Local/Promoter Presales: Thursday, December 18th @ 10:00 AM LOCAL On Sale: Friday, December 19th @ 10:00 AM LOCAL https://www.testamentlegions.com/
TESTAMENT’s“Thrash of the Titans” US Tour Dates: Mar 14 – Portland, OR – Roseland theater Mar 15 – Boise, ID – Treefort Music Hall Mar 16 – Salt Lake City, UT – Rockwell at the Complex Mar 18 – Denver, CO – Summit Music Hall Mar 20 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave Mar 21 – Minneapolis, MN – The Fillmore Mar 22 – Chicago, IL – Ramova Theatre Mar 24 – Detroit, MI – St. Andrew’s Hall Mar 25 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Ballroom Mar 27 – Worcester, MA – The Palladium Mar 28 – Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom Mar 29 – Reading, PA – Club Reverb Mar 31 – Atlanta, GA – Buckhead Theater Apr 1 – St. Petersburg, FL – Jannus Live Apr 3 – Houston, TX – House of Blues Apr 4 – Dallas, TX – The Bomb Factory Apr 5 – San Antonio, TX – Aztec Theatre Apr 8 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren Apr 9 – Los Angeles, CA – The Belasco Apr 10 – Berkeley, CA – The UC Theatre (No Overkill)
TESTAMENT’s lauded new album, Para Bellum, stands as both a battle cry and an observation of humanity’s uneasy alliance with its own creations. As technology accelerates and disconnection grows, Para Bellum sees TESTAMENT reflecting the modern chaos through music that’s urgent, sharp, and unflinchingly human. Purchase/Stream Para Bellum: https://testament.bfan.link/para-bellum
As spoiled as we were with great music this year, there was also some confusing albums at the bottom of the barrel. This video looks at the top 5 worst albums of 2025.
Top 5 WORST Albums Of 2025
Check out more of our videos below: The Most DISAPPOINTING Albums Of 2025 = https://youtu.be/PRhyofPFeTQ The BEST New Bands Of 2025 = https://youtu.be/J4CRZxHJkNQ Regretting The Past | AJR – The Click = https://youtu.be/emfWvG49sdQ 10 Great SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Rock Performances = https://youtu.be/U4kfZUizDAo
Nathan James “The Hanged Man”
mgk “Cliche”
Rise Against “Nod”
Within Destruction “Hide & Sick”
Dark Angel Extinction Level Event
I understand that a lot of people get touchy when a video like this gets posted. I stand by that in order to celebrate the great albums every year, you also need to have a comparison of what is truly bad. That way people know what to reference when understanding an opinion. That’s what this video is by the way, an opinion. Wild how many forget that. To the fans of Nathan James, Machine Gun Kelly, Rise Against, Within Destruction, Dark Angel, All That Remains, Machine Head, Buckcherry, and Puddle Of Mudd, please love what you love.
The Podcast That Rocked for 12/10/25. Can Avenged Sevenfold still make magic? Garbage VS Beach Balls, Gene Simmons is awful (again), and more.
Discussion Topics: –Avenged Sevenfold release new song through Call of Duty, announced co-headline tour with Good Charlotte -Good Things Fest in Australia featured an angry Shriley Manson of Garbage and beachballs –Gene Simmons claims Ace Frehley’s death was due to his “Bad Decisions” -The Pretty Reckless to play on Jimmy Kimmel Live, ft. Taylor’s Abs -More of our favorite albums from 2025 -Upcoming tours/albums and more
SONG OF THE WEEK Gore. “Wrath”
Gore. “Wrath”
“Surprise! Avenged Sevenfold have released a brand-new song, Magic. Following 2023 album Life Is But A Dream…, the Huntington Beach metallers have teamed back up with Call Of Duty to share a new track as part of the Season 01 patch for Black Ops 7. And just like LIBAD…, it’s one hell of a trippy ride…“Our new song, Magic, is out everywhere on streaming now,” A7X posted on their website. “Thanks to our friends at Call of Duty BO7 for letting us have some fun yesterday. Listen to the new song, watch the 360 VR music video, and enjoy the lyric video with incredible single art by Wes Lang here.” (Kerrang)
Amon Amarth & Dethklok Announced 2026 North American Co-Headline Tour: The Amonklok Conquest
Swedish metal titans AMON AMARTH join forces with DETHKLOK for THE AMONKLOK CONQUEST. The extensive co-headliner crosses North America Spring 2026 with special guests CASTLE RAT – bringing a night of pure theater and over the top heavy metal entertainment. The run will be the biggest raids of the year with the two titan sized bands co-billing for the first time ever. AMON AMARTH, have honoured the adventurous ethos of their Viking forebears by taking their music anywhere and everywhere, and are regarded as one of metal’s most vital and imperious live acts. Now hot off the back of a busy year across the tumultuous high seas supporting Slayer in the U.K. and their U.S. takeover with Pantera, these upcoming dates see the voracious quintet bringing an all new theatrical stage production for an extended set.
AMON AMARTH declare, “Three bands. One night. The strong will scream. The weak will fall. Limbs will be lost. We will crush skulls beneath our boots and tear the halls down stone by stone. This is not a concert. It is a reckoning. If you survive… perhaps the gods have other plans for you.”
DETHKLOK celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2026, marking two decades since Metalocalypse premiered on Adult Swim. As one of the most essential musical multimedia acts ever, DETHKLOK is both an animated phenomenon and a live metal juggernaut, combining intense musicianship with breakneck cinematic theatricality. Bringing the beloved larger-than-life characters of DETHKLOK to life once again will be Metalocalypse mastermind Brendon Small on guitar and vocals, legendary extreme metal drummer Gene Hoglan (Death, Dark Angel, Testament), bassist Pete Griffin (Steve Vai, Paul Gilbert, Zakk Wylde), and guitar shredder Nili Brosh (Danny Elfman). “We have to celebrate our 20th anniversary,” says Small. “And what a killer way to do it, with Amon Amarth and Castle Rat, who embody theatrical heavy metal.” The tour promises nothing less than total sensory immersion. “We’re going to entertain you as hard as we possibly can with the power of heavy metal in many kinds of ways, and many different iterations — from Viking battleships to Castle Rat to Dethklok with our music and fast-paced, insane animation,” says Small. The balance between brutality, comedy, and surprise defines the DETHKLOK live experience. “We challenge ourselves to get in as much material without wearing out our welcome,” the frontman explains. “We also get to be funny.”
Fantastical heavy metal band CASTLE RAT are thrilled to join as special guests each night. The Rat Queen heralds, “On the heels of the Vernal Equinox, our adjacent universes shall align as we bring .•.The Realm.•. of Castle Rat into battle alongside venerable vikings, Amon Amarth, and Metalocalypse metal-masters, Dethklok! Join us, as we seek to expand and defend .•.The Realm.•. from our arch nemesis: Death, Herself — The Rat Reaperess!”
For the newly announced North American dates produced by Live Nation, tickets will be available starting with a Citi presale (details below) beginning Tuesday, December 9 at 11am ET, followed by AMON AMARTH and DETHKLOK presales at 12pm ET same day. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general on sale beginning Friday, December 12 at 10am local time at www.amonklok.com.
Citi is the official card of the U.S. dates of THE AMONKLOK CONQUEST TOUR. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning Tuesday, December 9 at 11am ET until Thursday at 10pm local time through the Citi Entertainment program. For complete presale details visit www.citientertainment.com.
THE AMONKLOK CONQUEST TOUR
North America: Apr 15: Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre ~ Apr 17: San Antonio, TX – Boeing Center at Tech Port ~ Apr 18: Houston, TX – 713 Music Hall ~ Apr 20: Oklahoma City, OK – The Criterion ~ Apr 21: Kansas City, MO – The Midland Theatre ~^ Apr 22: Chesterfield, MO – The Factory ~ Apr 24: Minneapolis, MN – The Armory ~ Apr 25: Waukee, IA – Vibrant Music Hall ~ Apr 28: Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Paramount ~ Apr 29: Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall At Fenway ~ May 01: Toronto, ON – Great Canadian Casino Resort ~ May 02: Montreal, QC – Bell Centre ~ May 05: National Harbor, MD – The Theater at MGM National Harbor ~ May 07: Daytona Beach, FL – Welcome To Rockville May 09: Atlanta, GA – Coca-Cola Roxy ~ May 10: Nashville, TN – The Pinnacle ~^ May 12: Johnstown, PA – 1st Summit Arena ~ May 13: Detroit, MI – Fox Theatre ~ May 14: Bethlehem, PA – Wind Creek Event Center ~ May 16: Milwaukee, WI – Landmark Credit Union Live ~ May 17: Columbus, OH – Sonic Temple May 19: Denver, CO – JUNKYARD ~ May 20: Salt Lake City, UT – The Union Event Center ~ May 21: Las Vegas, NV – PH Live at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino ~
Whether it was high expectations or half-baked ideas, there were a few albums that let people down this past year. This video looks at the most disappointing albums of 2025.
The Most DISAPPOINTING Albums Of 2025
I wanted to be fair about what I listed as the most disappointing albums of 2025. After listening to all these again while making this video, I realized that most of them are NOT the worst of the year (most of them…), but they definitely leave much to be desired. If this video does well, I’ll make another next year in the same fashion.
The BEST New Bands Of 2025
10 Great SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Rock Performances
Regretting The Past | AJR – The Click
10 Bands With TOXIC Fans
Please hit the like button on this video if you enjoyed it and subscribe on YouTube for the next list videos coming on the worst and best albums of 2025. This was overall a strong year for heavy music, but I’d be lying if I said it was perfect.
Five new songs to counter the holiday cheer with some heaviness. What are you listening to?
HEAVYS Metal Picks | 12/5/25
Poppy “Guardian”
Ov Sulfur “Vast Eternal”
Mayhem “Despair”
Sylosis “The New Flesh”
Kreator “Satanic Anarchy”
“Fresh off announcing a tour with recent collaborators Evanescence, Poppy have dropped another single from her upcoming seventh studio album, Empty Hands. Produced by Jordan Fish, new track Guardian continues Poppy’s passion for expansive, infectious metal, buoyed by that unmistakable voice and desire to push any boundary you care to mention. It’s the third song to be released from Poppy’s forthcoming LP, following Bruised Sky and Unravel.” (Kerrang)
“KREATOR have unleashed “Satanic Anarchy,” the brand new single from their highly anticipated sixteenth full-length, Krushers Of The World, which will be out on January 16 via Nuclear Blast Records. The song bears all the hallmarks of KREATOR’s best material of the last few decades — fast-paced thrash riffs, a catchy, anthemic chorus, and a masterful guitar solo — all wrapped into three-and-a-half minutes.” (Kreator Press Release)
Mirrorcell continues their momentum with the release of “Ichi” featuring VCTMS out on Friday, December 5th through InVogue Records. The single arrives with a music video and serves as the official announcement of their upcoming full length album Long Nights in Lovescape, landing all streaming platforms in February. Pre-order/pre-save for the upcoming album will be live on December 5th at 12pm ET.
Vocalist Nate Cell shares: “Our upcoming single, ‘Ichi’ shows the heavy roots ingrained within our band delivering a darker tone from our past singles. Inspired by “Ichi the Killer” (2001) Directed by Takashi Miike – this single creates the idea of being completely empty and unsatisfied by any corporeal thing in the world. Exploring themes of identity and consumerism in a downward spiral. Leaving the glaring question repeated throughout the song’s lyrics ‘would you change yourself if you could’.”
Pre-save their upcoming album Long Nights in LovescapeHERE
“Ichi” carries a darker energy than the singles Mirrorcell has shared throughout the year. The song speaks to the feeling of being hollow on the inside and searching for something that actually fills the space. It moves through questions of identity, desire, and the things we chase even when they hurt us. VCTMS brings an added intensity that makes every moment feel shaper and more emotional.
Mirrorcell will head out on their first U.S. tour run alongside Siamese and Hawk in February of 2026. See dates below: 2/20 – New York, NY @ Meadows 2/21 – LeMoyne, PA @ The Champ 2/22 – Richmond, VA @ The Canal Club 2/24 – Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506 2/25 – Nashville, TN @ The End 2/26 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Purgatory) 2/27 – Bradenton, FL @ Oscura 2/28 – Orlando, FL @ Conduit 3/2 – Houston, TX @ Secret Group 3/3 – Dallas, TX @ TX Tea Room 3/5 – Mesa, AZ @ The Underground 3/6 – Anaheim, CA @ Parish Room – HOB 3/7 – Fresno, CA @ Fulton 55 3/8 – Sacramento, CA @ Starlet Room – Harlow’s 3/10 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court 3/11 – Denver, CO @ Marquis 3/13 – Chicago, IL @ Cobra Lounge 3/14 – Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups 3/15 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Preserving Underground
Looking at some of the best new bands of 2025 from rock, metal, alternative, etc who had a debut LP release this year. Here are five that we picked out and recommend supporting as they are about to take off big.
The BEST New Bands Of 2025
This video is the first of four year-end list videos for December 2025 on the channel. Here, we are looking at five of the best new bands of 2025, including Vianova, End It, High., Sleep Theory, and The Pretty Wild. You can check out some of their music above. Next time will be the five most diasspointing albums of 2025. Going to break some hearts with that one.
