Winter Is Coming: The Metal Gigs Still Left To Savour In 2014

This year has been – no hyperbole intended – one of the healthiest for heavy metal this side of the millennium. A slew of bands have released career-bests and there are still more on the horizon as Bay Area heavyweights Machine Head and gods of the genre Slipknot are both due to unleash new creations in the next few months. October, meanwhile, will be dominated by the latest effort from renowned genius/puppet enthusiast Devin Townsend.

As autumn and winter approach, there’s another new feast for the discerning metalhead to get excited about. With festival season now little more than a decomposing corpse, the gig calendar is set to pick up drastically in the next few months.

So, before the Brussels sprouts rear their fetid heads and British Christmas-time locks the nation in its icy, slightly damp stranglehold, here are the metal gigs and tours to keep you going for the rest of 2014.

King 810 (September)

Amid an online shit-storm rivalled only by the likes of Bring Me the Horizon (more on them later, though), King 810 have infuriated keyboard warriors the world over in the last few months. While the band has received an unholy amount of attention in the UK press, it ain't without good reason. The Michigan mob's debut release, 'Memoirs Of A Murderer', is a sprawling, hour-long slog that has as much in common with Slipknot as it does with Lou Reed or Nick Cave. This is their first foray onto British shores, so it'll be a chance to see what the fuss is about up close.

In Flames (October)

Say what you will about In Flames' stodgy output in recent years, the former giants of Gothenburg death metal can still give bands half their age an absolute schooling in the live environment. With an arsenal of tunes under their belts including Bullet Ride, Take This Life and basically anything from 'Whoracle', there's going to be no shortage of anthems here. Following in tow are metalcore hopefuls While She Sleeps and As I Lay Dying offshoot Wovenwar, catering for tastes spanning the heavy metal palette.

Alestorm (October)

Do you like metal? Course you do. Do you like pirates? Course you do. Looks like you should be going to see Alestorm, then. Their unique brand of infectious, keytar-laden power metal is the perfect companion to an over-priced pint from whichever venue they play, with poop-deck lingerer Christopher Bowes frequently crowd-surfing towards the bar at the end of the set. Dubbed 'Piratefest', the bill consists entirely of pirate-metal bands. What's not to like?

Motörhead​ (November)

Alright, so our Lemmy isn't looking quite as riotous as he once was, but at the end of the day: it's Motörhead. Who knows if this will be the band's final bow? You'd be an absolute tit to miss it.

Sikth (October/November)

Those of us who didn't manage to catch Sikth at Download and Tech-Fest earlier this year (hand guiltily raised) can now finally get their nerd on for a massive, nationwide tour. This band essentially bears sole responsibility for the ‘djent’ (sorry) movement in the progressive and tech metal scenes today and Sikth's influence is one of unbelievable depth. Main support comes from Heart Of A Coward, a band that would probably sound a whole lot different were it not for the musical meddlings of the headliners.

Crossfaith (November)

Contenders for the 'Best Live Band In The Entire World, Ever' award, Crossfaith have enjoyed a quiet summer of smashing festival main stages to pieces across the globe. This tour marks the rave-metallers' first headline UK run and you can expect incomprehensible vertical movement, savage walls of death and slurred shouts of 'Why don't you take that drink and CHUG IT?'.

The Defiled (November/December)

We still have no idea why the Defiled haven't exploded into the mainstream like a musical Mr. Creosote, but these industrial metal tinkerers have only just started making waves. Fresh from a hangover-shaking performance on the Sonisphere main stage in July, this headline tour with hype-riding beasts Avatar should see them stepping up their game, smashing a fair amount of instruments and churning out some of the catchiest anthems of the past few years.

Mastodon (November/December)

With everyone from Metallica to David Letterman to Bill Bailey giving Mastodon the thumbs up, it seems that little stands in the way of their juggernaut and total world domination. Supremely confident in their abilities to meld mind-warping riffs with undeniably hummable melodies, Mastodon's latest release, 'Once More 'Round The Sun', is getting a full airing at every live show across the UK. So don't be an arse – get yourself  down there.

At The Gates (December)

Arguably the godfathers of melodic death metal, At The Gates have ceased their endless faffing about and announced a new album. Following years of 'will they? won't they?' that bordered on farcical, the Swedish pioneers are hitting the world with 'At War With Reality' next month, marking 19 years since their landmark masterpiece 'Slaughter Of The Soul' was released. Is the new album actually going to be any good? You'll have to wait for that answer, but rest assured they'll be airing some newbies on the subsequent tour, supported by the mighty, badger face painted bleakness of Triptykon. Strap yourself in and pray for clean pants by the end.

Bring Me The Horizon (December)

Battling accusations of 'That's not music, it's just a haircut that screams!', Bring Me The Horizon have, quite spectacularly, put naysayers to shame since the release of last year's 'Sempiternal'. Landing at #3 in the UK album charts, the Sheffield bruisers' current album is a monumental, planet-crushing effort that gained them legions of new fans and saw them hit new heights. It is only three years ago that they were viciously booed like a bad cabaret act at Machine Head's Wembley Arena gig, yet here we are in 2014 and they are booked to headline the iconic venue. Love them or hate them, Bring Me The Horizon are the UK's biggest export in years.

Machine Head (December)

If you were daft enough to miss out on the Head's obscenely intimate headline run in July, then now is your chance to get sweaty and drunkenly sing along to Halo. If Machine Head aren't enough for you (in which case, sort yourself out), then ex-Killswitch Engage mainman Howard Jones's new band, Devil You Know, is acting as support. Oof.

Behemoth (December)

Right, have you heard 'The Satanist'? Not only is it one of the best metal albums in recent years, it's one of the best albums in recent years, full stop. The blackened death metallers are in the form of their lives right now, decimating every stage they touch in an unholy ritual of blood, fire and excessive use of the word 'Satan'. Even if you're not a fan of the nastier side of metal, a Behemoth show truly is more than just a gig – it's a totally immersive, utterly hypnotic experience.

Morbid Angel (December)

They're playing 'Covenant' in full. This is going to be amazing. As long as they steer clear of anything from 'Illud Divinum Insanus', it'll be golden.

Kreator (December)

For those of you well versed in the art of thrash, Kreator's renewal is something of a fascinating one. Once thrash overlords, the Germans suffered a notorious dip in popularity after experimenting with industrial elements and, unforgivably, going through a pretty dodgy goth phase. But, they're back, and if 2012's 'Phantom Antichrist' is anything to go by, there's still plenty of staccato riffing and screams of 'Kill!' left in these old dogs. Arch Enemy are being dragged out with them and this will be the first opportunity for UK fans to see new vocalist Alissa White-Gluz in action. Bring a crash helmet and some paracetamol.

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