Why Metal Bands Are Surprise-Releasing Albums

When Avenged Sevenfold dropped their progressive metal opus The Stage on October 28, 2016, they caught the entire rock world flat-footed. Despite rumors of new music, nobody waking up that morning expected 73 minutes of fresh tracks waiting for them. Driven by fatigue from protracted rollouts like 2013’s Hail To The King—not to mention fears of label sabotage from Warner Bros—the band decided to bypass the traditional hype machine entirely.

“We could sense the boredom in our fans,” rhythm guitarist Zacky Vengeance recalled. “This time, we gave them nothing and then we gave them the album, like, ‘Here you go. Make up your mind!’”

The Rise of the Surprise Drop in Heavy Music

While Radiohead famously upended the industry with In Rainbows back in 2007, metal has embraced the unannounced release tactic with unique fervor. Recent months have seen black metal band Ultha, doomsters Spirit Adrift, and returning post-metal icons Neurosis all drop records with zero prior notice. Converge unleashed their 10th album, Love Is Not Enough, in February, quickly following it up with a companion piece titled Hum Of Hurt. Avenged Sevenfold themselves revisited the strategy with their Statica EP.

For Spirit Adrift mainman Nate Garrett, whose surprise album Infinite Illumination was also their last, the tactic stems from the same exhaustion. “I think bands and artists have two choices,” Garrett told MusicRadar. “You crawl out on your fucking hands and knees with the shit kicked out of you, or you walk away on your own two feet.”

Weighing the Commercial Risks

On paper, releasing a record without singles or press interviews looks like commercial suicide, and commercially, it often is. The Stage became Avenged Sevenfold’s lowest-charting record since 2007. When A Day To Remember surprise-released Big Ole Album Vol. 1, their chart position plummeted from the previous album’s number 15 spot down to 155. Tom Williams of Stray From The Path acknowledged the steep commercial slump surrounding his band’s final album, Clockworked, but noted he was entirely unfazed.

“Charting was important in 2016, but charting in 2025, no one cares,” Williams told Guitar.com. “Right now, it’s more important for me to present the record in a way that’s fun and exciting and fulfilling.”

In an era where streaming yields minimal recorded music profits for most underground and heavy artists, bypassing the costly, time-consuming promo grind makes practical sense. As Zacky Vengeance bluntly put it regarding The Stage: “Album sales weren’t as good, but at what point do people critique success on how many fucking albums you sell in a week rather than how big your balls are?”

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Modest Mouse announced on Friday that guitarist Simon O’Connor will not join the band for their upcoming tour. The decision follows recent accusations on Reddit that O’Connor sent inappropriate messages to a minor on social media.

Modest Mouse live concert — Modest Mouse, Photo: Matthewvetter, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

“Simon O’Conner will not be joining us on the upcoming tour,” the band said in a statement shared on Instagram. “The good news is that Seth Jabour of Les Savy Fav will be jumping in to play guitar.”

Les Savy Fav live band — Les Savy Fav, Photo: Rama, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0 fr, via Wikimedia Commons

O’Connor’s tenure with Modest Mouse began in 2021, and he plays on the group’s recently released album An Eraser and a Maze. He is also a touring guitarist with MGMT. The allegations against him surfaced when a 17-year-old Reddit user posted screenshots of a conversation, claiming O’Connor sent an erotic image and commented on bikini pictures while she was 16 years old.

Simon O’Connor Responds to Allegations

O’Connor responded directly within the Reddit thread to address the situation. He wrote that he unequivocally opposes any sexual behavior toward minors and stated that it disgusts him as a human and a parent.

The guitarist explained that he mistook the user for someone who had previously targeted him online. “Throughout my adult life, there has been a person who has popped up from time to time with the intention of, for lack of a better term, messing with me,” O’Connor wrote, adding that the individual repeatedly creates and deletes social media accounts while posting similar photos.

According to O’Connor, after a long night, he noticed a profile interacting with his Instagram posts and stories. Believing it was the same individual, he admitted to reaching out with a tasteless meme, a sticker reading “Simon calls your bluff,” and an attempt to call out the barrage of likes. He stated that he realized his mistake after a few minutes, unsent the messages, and ceased communication.

“I’m genuinely sorry to the person who received those messages,” O’Connor added. “They didn’t deserve to be put in that position, and I’m sorry for the stress and attention this has brought them.”

Tour Schedule and Status

Despite the explanation and apology, Modest Mouse opted to leave O’Connor off the upcoming tour lineup. A representative for the band declined further comment beyond the group’s Instagram statement.

Modest Mouse’s tour is scheduled to kick off on August 4 at the Libbey Bowl in Ojai, California, and conclude on October 23 in Sacramento. The band concluded their statement by writing, “We look forward to being out there with you all.”