Two of modern metal's most commanding live acts — Massachusetts metalcore titans KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and Bay Area groove-metal icons MACHINE HEAD — have launched their co-headlining North American tour, which kicked off June 3 in Detroit at The Fillmore. The package, which also includes crossover thrash outfit IRON REAGAN and HAVOK, runs through June 27 in San Francisco and marks one of the most powerful metal touring packages of 2026's summer season.
KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's Jesse Leach set an appropriately fired-up tone: "This is a stacked and powerful crew of bands that will electrify and dominate wherever we roll up to." MACHINE HEAD's Robb Flynn was equally enthusiastic: "Getting back into major cities like New York, Chicago, Minneapolis with this kind of energy is exactly where Machine Head belongs."
KILLSWITCH ENGAGE arrive fresh from renewed creative momentum. The Massachusetts band, known for explosive albums like "The End Of Heartache" and "As Daylight Dies," remain one of the most consistently excellent live acts in metalcore, with Leach's emotional range and the technical guitarwork of Adam Dutkiewicz providing a singular live experience that rewards both casual and devoted fans.
MACHINE HEAD, meanwhile, are one of heavy metal's great survivors — a band that has reinvented itself across three decades from the groove-thrash fury of "Burn My Eyes" to the progressive ambition of "The Blackening" to more recent explorations. Under Robb Flynn's fierce directorship, MACHINE HEAD maintain a reputation for physically brutal, intensely committed live performances.
The full tour runs: Detroit (June 3) → Minneapolis → South Bend → Raleigh → Brooklyn → Boston → Bethlehem → Orlando → Atlanta → Dallas → Houston → San Antonio → Albuquerque → Tempe → Los Angeles → San Francisco (June 27). The Brooklyn Paramount stop (June 11) and Hollywood Palladium (June 25) represent some of the most prestigious rooms on the North American metal circuit.
With IRON REAGAN bringing crossover thrash chaos and HAVOK delivering old-school thrash fury in the support slots, the package offers something for virtually every corner of the heavy music spectrum. If there is a single touring package this summer that encapsulates the breadth and vitality of contemporary metal, this is it.