The concert industry is thriving once again, so much so that there are dozens of hard rock and metal tours taking place this fall. Here, we spotlight 11 of the outings that we feel are must-see live experiences.
Of course, we have to start with two major farewell tours: KISS are putting a wrap on their final outing with a North American run set to wrap up in early December, while Aerosmith just kicked off their goodbye trek. If this is indeed the end for both bands, it’s your last chance to see two of America’s greatest hard rock acts perform live.
For fans of a theatrical spectacle, the intergalactic barbarians of GWAR and the costumed McDonald’s-themed Black Sabbath tribute band Mac Sabbath will be out in full force this fall, not to mention the one-two punch of co-headliners Dethklok and BABYMETAL. From newer acts like Wolfgang Van Halen’s Mammoth WVH to established veterans like Tool, there’s a wide range of bands to see over the next few months.
Check out our list of 11 Essential Metal & Hard Rock Tours to Catch in Fall 2023 below.
- Aerosmith have been going strong for more than 50 years, but it appears the end is near for the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers. Steven Tyler and company just kicked off their “Peace Out” farewell tour with a North American leg that runs through late January. If the kickoff show in Philadelphia was any indication, fans are gonna be treated to a set filled with the band’s memorable hits, plus a few deep cuts.
- Baroness will be out in support of their new album, Stone, on their headlining fall tour, which kicks off October 13th in Baltimore. Not only will fans get to see one of the best metal bands to emerge in the 21st century, but also a ridiculously stacked rotating cast of support acts, including Jesus Piece, Portrayal of Guilt, Primitive Man, KEN Mode, Chat Pile, Soul Glo, Spotlights, and more. Get there early!
- Deafheaven are celebrating the 10th anniversary of their seminal album Sunbather in a big way. Not only are they releasing an expanded reissue of the blackgaze masterpiece, they’re embarking on a US tour commemorating the album. The November/December outing will feature special guests Touché Amoré, and follows Deafheaven’s September/October run supporting Coheed and Cambria.
- What may seem like an odd pairing at first actually makes a lot of sense. Dethklok and BABYMETAL each tell grand stories with their music, plus there’s a major theatrical element to both acts. As Metalocalypse/Dethklok mastermind Brendon Small told us, “I [thought], ‘If we did this together we would have an evening of one of the most entertaining shows you’re gonna see out there.’” The co-headlining trek runs through an October 11th show in Los Angeles.
- Get ready to get filthy! GWAR are heading out on a North American run this fall with a supporting cast including Negative Approach, X-Cops, and Cancer Christ. As always, the intergalactic barbarians are out to destroy your local venue, along with a number of unfortunate celebrities and political figures. Be sure to prep for your show with GWAR’s Bud of Gods CBD products, including their recently unveiled “New Dank Ages” line featuring flower, gummies, vape cartridges, and more.
- KISS have embarked on farewell tours in the past, but this time they promise it’s for real. They will wind down their ongoing “End of the Road” world tour with one final North American leg, culminating with a two-night stand at New York City’s Madison Square Garden in early December. If you’ve never seen KISS in concert or you want to see them one more time, this very well may be your last chance.
- A band that dresses up as pseudo-McDonald’s characters and injects fast-food lyrics into Black Sabbath classics? Count us in! Mac Sabbath have gotten approval from Ozzy Osbourne himself, so if you wanna hear songs such as “Sweet Beef” (instead of “Sweet Leaf”), “Frying Pan” (“Iron Man”), and “Pair-a-Buns” (“Paranoid”), go see this highly entertaining act. Their North American tour kicks off September 27th in Felton, California.
- Two of hard rock’s rising acts are hitting the road together, when Wolfgang Van Halen’s Mammoth WVH launch a headlining tour with direct support from Nita Strauss. Both Van Helen and Strauss can absolutely shred on guitar, and each has a new album to support. Wolfgang just released Mammoth II, while Nita unveiled The Call of the Void earlier this summer. The North American outing kicks off November 3rd in St. Louis.
- When it comes to technical precision and pure heaviness, few acts can rival the mighty Meshuggah. The Swedish extreme metal titans are hitting the road for a North American tour featuring a stacked bill rounded out by In Flames and Whitechapel. They’ll be out in support of their latest LP, Immutable, which landed in the Top 5 of Heavy Consequence’s list of the Top Metal and Hard Rock Albums of 2022. The trek kicks off November 21st in San Diego.
- Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor is set to release his second solo album, CMF2, on September 15th, and has launched a US tour that runs through early October. Judging by the LP’s first few singles, fans will be treated to a wide range of sounds when they catch Corey in concert, from hard rock and metal to alternative rock and punk — and maybe even a cover of the SpongeBob theme song. It’s also a chance to see the singer up close and personal, as he plays more intimate venues than he does with Slipknot.
- Back in the early part of the year, drummer Danny Carey teased a big tour announcement, and a few months later, Tool kept him to his word when they announced a fall North American tour. Following a headlining set at Louisville’s Louder Than Life festival in late September, Tool will properly kick off their tour on October 3rd in Loveland, Colorado, and you can be sure that the progressive-metal act’s diehard fans will be soaking in every intricate note along the way.
EXTREME Announce 2024 US Tour With LIVING COLOUR
When multi-platinum hard rockers Extreme debuted their single and video for “Rise” last March, it caused some sort of a cataclysmic event amongst lovers of the band – especially guitar aficionados, due to the fiery, Eddie Van Halen-infused, extended guitar solo from Nuno Bettencourt. The single paved the way for […]
