Metal Contraband News For January 6th, 2026:
This week in Metal Contraband:
Happy New Year 2026! Welcome back to Metal Contraband, we hope you all enjoyed your Christmas, New Year’s, and Holiday season all around. The year is off to a busy start right away, we’ve got the new Charts and Adds uploaded to the site, and are preparing for NAMM 2026 in just a few weeks. Looking forward to reconnecting with all of our stations this week as we get the New Year started. Now, for the weekly editorial:
Megadeth announced the official release of their final studio album late last year, set for January 23, 2026 via Dave Mustaine’s Tradecraft imprint in partnership with Frontiers Label Group’s new BLKIIBLK label. Before the release, the band will head to the Nashville, TN area for Let There Be Shred: The Ultimate Megadeth Immersive Listening Event on Sat, January 17th, where they’ll host an acoustic performance, Q&A, masterclass, and more. For all the info, head to: https://www.megadeth.com/products/let-there-be-shred-the-ultimate-megadeth-immersive-listening-event.
Lacuna Coil has just announced the U.S. leg of Sleepless Empire Tour 2026, with special guests Escape The Fate along for the ride with VOWWS and AXTY. The tour kicks off in NYC on March 24th at the Gramercy, running through May 1st and wrapping up in Albany, NY. The band has also released a new music video, for the track “Hosting The Shadow”, shot during their set at Aftershock Festival in October 2025 alongside Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe. Check it out here: https://youtu.be/LI961ZhLJDg?si=EKLzJAlM8Gm1IMyq. Cristina Scabbia says, “Filming the video for ‘Hosting The Shadow’ at Aftershock, sharing the stage with my family in Lacuna Coil and with Randy Blythe was a truly cathartic experience. Randy is not only an incredible, professional musician, he’s also a precious friend and has added so much to our song. I think the video shows clearly the level of emotion and joy we shared both off and onstage – I used that positive energy to give it my all even though I was performing with a fever, ha ha! Please enjoy the video, I truly hope you like it!” Keep up with the band via: https://lacunacoil.com/.
Beyond The Black is just about to release their new studio album, with Break The Silence out on January 9th via Nuclear Blast. The album features special guests including Lord of the Lost, and Asami from Lovebites. You can check out the latest music video, “Ravens”, here: https://youtu.be/R-0fv0StQIw?si=G42MHBJuAyHw4ArG. Head to: https://beyond-the-black.com/ for more.
Spite released their new album, New World Killer on Halloween 2025 via Rise Records. In case you missed it, check out the single “Gavel” here: https://spite.lnk.to/NWK. Spite has announced their 2026 headline tour, featuring Emmure, Psycho-Frame, and Reverent, kicking off on May 29th and running through June 27th. For all the dates and details, head to: https://spitecultmerch.com/.
Rahway has just dropped a new single, with “Drowning” out now. The band says of the track, “‘Drowning’ began as a simple riff and turned into this full-blown opus about being a fraud in the age of social media—fake photos, AI flexes, pretend lifestyles. Everyone looks like they’re everywhere, doing everything, when really they’re alone in a one-bedroom apartment, drowning in bills and craving relevance”. Check out the track here: https://youtu.be/hPb5azNC5Jg?si=xq0xvHmV1io3Vsqk. Rahway is heading out on a tour alongside Scotty Austin (ex-Saving Abel) later this month. For more on the band, head to: https://rahwayband.com/
Chart Editor: Munsey Ricci from Skateboard Marketing Ltd.
Editorial By Chelsea Nelson-Fernandez & Munsey Ricci
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