When Bolt Thrower called it a day in 2016 — a year after drummer Martin "Kiddie" Kearns died — they left a gap nobody has filled since. Three decades of war-themed death metal out of Coventry, moving at tank pace, never once chasing a trend: from "Realm of Chaos" (1989) through "War Master" (1991) to the farewell record "Those Once Loyal" (2005).
Spearhead from Hanover have kept that catalogue alive on stage since 2017 — a tribute band that takes the job seriously. The name of the new tour says it all: "Return of the War Master 2026/27" quotes the 1991 album many still consider the definitive Bolt Thrower record. It is the longest run in the band's history: 17 dates across five countries, spread over almost a year.
Three nights in NRW
It opens on Friday, 21 August at the Pitcher in Düsseldorf (19:00, from €23.20); fittingly, the ticket reads "Bolt Thrower by Spearhead", and the band has promised an extra-long set. On 27 November comes the Lükaz in Lünen alongside Phantom Corporation and Catbreath. And on 12 February 2027 they play the Don't Panic in Essen — there in a tribute double bill with Blood Fire Death (Bathory) and Subconscious.
- 22 Aug Mosh Open Air, Cham — free entry
- 4 Sep Café Glocksee, Hanover — with Blutgott
- 19 Sep Metal im Woid, Schrobenhausen — sold out
- 9 Oct Beta, Copenhagen 🇩🇰
- 10 Oct ZOFF Vol.4 at Zephyr's Odem, Berlin
- 6 Nov Sedel, Lucerne 🇨🇭 — with Blutgott
- 7 Nov Soundcheck One, Waldbronn — with Blood Fire Death and South Of Hessen (Slayer)
- 27 Nov Lükaz, Lünen
- 28 Nov Lucie's Felsenkeller, Annaberg-Buchholz
- 19 Dec Escape, Vienna 🇦🇹 — RTE Festival, 15th edition
Every date in 2026
- 16 Jan Logo, Hamburg — with Blutgott
- 12 Feb Don't Panic, Essen
- 13 Feb Met-Bar, Lenzburg 🇨🇭
- 20 Mar Hellfire over Ilsenburg Part V, Ilsenburg
- 16 Apr Helles & Hellfire, Püchersreuth
- 10 Jul Obscene Extreme, Trutnov 🇨🇿
And 2027
So the route runs from Copenhagen via Vienna and Lucerne all the way to Trutnov, a stage Bolt Thrower themselves never played — for a tribute band, an Obscene Extreme booking is about as close to knighthood as the European grind and death underground gets.
If you never caught Bolt Thrower live, this is as close as 2026 gets.
