August has been a fortuitous month for Metal music. There are so many clips coming from Metal festivals in Europe that keep us Americans daydreaming about Wacken and Hellfest. Here are some of the best new videos out now.

Infected Rain “Fighter” at Wacken

Epica “Illusive Consensus”

Epica is celebrating its 20th Anniversary in September. They have remastered their very first DVD which was created as a promo for Epica. This is truly a monumental in-studio performance. It is one of the most special sets I have ever watched. They are also celebrating the special occasion with a live stream on this Saturday. You can buy tickets and merch for this special stream at epicastream.com

Soen “Trials” Performance

Soen is an emotive mix of Doom, Progressive, and Orchestra that captivates upon listening. This video comes from their tenth anniversary DVD and includes an orchestra. I’m most interested to see their reimagined version of Slipknot’s “Snuff”. You can preorder the Dvd here https://lnk.to/SoenATLANTIS

The 2022 Return of Queensryche

Queensryche is a classic Progressive Metal band from Bellevue, Washington. The legends seem to evolve in every era, and this track is the height of modern Queensryche. I hated that Geoff Tate left, but this new sound contains everything I loved about the original band. Todd La Torre is everything we could’ve hoped for and has become a quintessential addition to the band. This guy has one of the best voices I’ve ever heard. Digital Noise Alliance is out October 7th

“Pale Tortured Blue” by Draconian at Hellfest 2022

This video is sadly the last performance of Heike Langhans with Draconian, making way for Lisa Johansson to make a surprising return to the band. This is an absolutely classic track for Draconian, being the perfect send-off for one of the most beloved replacement vocalists in Metal history.

While I’m not a fan of this new direction so far, Architects seem to keep evolving and changing their sound and not settling in one genre. It’s sounding much less epic and heavy than the previous album “For Those Who Wish To Exist”. But, I honestly don’t expect a redux of that album. That album is so monumentally good, it’s one that there can’t be a sequel.

“King of Nothing” Threshold

One of my favorite British bands of all time is coming back in 2022. It’s weird not to hear the great Damian Wilson leading the gorgeous vocals. But, Glynn Morgan returning has breathed new life into the band and huge sounds. His range is delectable as well as his guitar playing. I can’t wait to hear what they do with this record. It’s sounding heavy and even more Progressive than past releases. You can pre-order the new album and save it here https://bfan.link/dividing-lines.yde

“Pazuzu” Therion

The original Symphonic Metallers are back with catchy Pazuzu off of Leviathan II out October 28th. This album features the epic Israeli choral group Hellscore led by Noa Gruman of Progressive Metal band Scardust. Therion always stacks the deck, putting the most they can into every release. I am not a huge fan, but I actually really enjoyed this song.

Is There Anybody Out There? Beyond the Black

German Hard Rock band Beyond the Black always brings a powerful and catchy chorus with some absolutely sick riffs. This song is completely different from the other single, Reincarnation, and even more different than the previous album “Horizons”.

“Shadowminds” by The Halo Effect at Wacken

The Melodeth Supergroup has a legendary debut at Wacken, helping celebrate the might festival’s 31st Anniversary. This is their debut single live. The mix leaves little to be desired, but it’s always a pleasure watching Mikael Stanne perform.

What are you currently listening to? Let me know below!