3 Classic Metal Bands That Refuse to Retire

2025-08-16

Metal band Metallica.

In honor of these trailblazers, Audio Ink Radio names three classic metal bands that simply refuse to retire. – Author: Anne Erickson, Photo from Ross Halfin

It came as quite a surprise when metal legends Megadeth announced their retirement on Friday, August 15. The band will release their final album soon, although no release date was given in the announcement, and embark on their farewell tour. It’s so sad to see a band like Megadeth call it quits, but they’ve had a fantastic run.

Many other heavy metal bands have recently retired, too. Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne played their farewell show in early July, and then, of course, Osbourne sadly passed away just a few weeks later. But, thankfully, there are plenty of heavy metal bands from decades ago that are still together and going strong. In honor of these trailblazers, Audio Ink Radio names three classic metal bands that simply refuse to retire.

Classic Metal Bands Still Going Strong

Iron Maiden

Bruce Dickinson and Iron Maiden have rarely talked about retirement, and their actions don’t show that they’re planning to wind things down. Iron Maiden’s most recent studio album is “Senjutsu,” which takes listeners on a wild metal ride. Dickinson is also very active with releasing solo material, and his latest solo album, “The Mandrake Project,” arrived in 2024. Dickinson is also touring in support of his solo release, and chances are, the guys of Iron Maiden will be back at it soon, too.

Judas Priest

Metal legends Judas Priest have been going strong for more than 50 years, and they aren’t slowing down. The band released “Invincible Shield” in 2024, and it was one of the strongest metal albums of the year. Judas Priest are also road warriors and continue to tour the globe. Frontman Rob Halford is 73 years old and will turn 74 on August 25, but he still sounds as great as he did when he and Priest were first starting out.

When asked by Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio if there will be a follow-up to “Invincible Shield,” Halford sounded positive. He replied, “So, even though we haven’t gone into that world yet, into that new world of Priest music, I think that it’s inevitable there will be something else. When it will happen, I have no idea, because, again, this band thrives on the metal that we make, the time that we spend with each other, because there’s a lot of love in this band for each other.” Halford added, “We appreciate that we need downtime to go and be who we are outside of the band, which is important. So, you can decompress and take a deep breath and rest and shield and then prep for the next metal assault.”

Metallica

Thank God for Metallica. The band who is arguably responsible for bringing metal to the masses with “The Black Album” is still as active as ever. Metallica played a big part in the final Black Sabbath farewell show, and they’ve remained on the road in support of their 2023 studio album, “72 Seasons.” Whenever Metallica decides to call it quits, it will be a super emotional day, and I’ll shed a tear or two when that moment arrives. Check out 10 of Metallica’s greatest songs of all time in this Audio Ink Radio feature.

Anne Erickson
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Posted by Anne Erickson | Features, Metal, Music