Another year, another successful Metal Hall of Fame! 2025 marked the 9th Annual Metal Hall of Fame event, taking place in Anaheim, CA and surrounding the events of NAMM 2025. This year’s inductees were: Dimebag Darrell, Rikki Rockett, Tony MacAlpine, Dangerous Toys, Life of Agony, KNAC Radio, Alissa White-Gluz, Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein, Cannibal Corpse, Burton C. Bell, and Jeff Young. This year’s event featured a new virtual aspect, as it also served as a fundraising livestream telethon to benefit the Southern California wildfire victims. 

SoCal Guitarist Ronny North started the show with some shredding perfect to set the tone for a night of metal. Metal Hall of Fame Founder Pat Gesualdo joined Hosts Eddie Trunk and Cathy Rankin as they arrived to announce the 9th Annual Metal Hall of Fame Gala. New York’s Wicked kicked off the night’s festivities with two explosive rock n’ roll tracks to bring up the energy in the room. 

The first award was given to Jeff Young, who also performed early on in the Gala, showcasing the heavy sound of his new band.

KNAC Radio gathered a slew of personalities to accept the award on behalf of the radio station as a collective. 

Dangerous Toys was inducted into the Metal Hall of Fame by their first manager, Tim Heyne, who told the story of how he first signed the band, and Jason McMaster spoke about Bloody & Bruised: The Untold Story of the Back Room documentary, which includes much of the band’s story. 

Alissa White-Gluz was given the responsibility of two awards in the same night – one for herself, and one that she accepted on Doyle’s behalf. She accepted both gracefully, with expressions of gratitude and appreciation for the metal community at every turn. 

Pamela Parks introduced Rob Barrett of Cannibal Corpse to induct the band into the Metal Hall of Fame. 

Munsey Ricci, President and CEO of Skateboard Marketing, Ltd. and Metal Contraband – also a past Metal Hall of Fame Inductee – gave two induction speeches this year: one for Tony MacAlpine, who was present to accept his award, and the other for East Coast-based Life of Agony, who were not able to attend in person, but sent a video message to show their gratitude to the metal community. Munsey accepted Life of Agony’s induction on their behalf, with a promise to get together with the band and present their award to them in person. 

A performance from local LA band Alibis momentarily shifted away from the awards ceremony, keeping the energy up with a strong Hard Rock sound. 

A video compilation highlighting Burton C. Bell’s career followed Pamela Parks’ speech, as she told of her evolution from fan to friend of Burton in the course of their lives. Burton delivered a heartfelt speech expressing his journey as an artist and thanking fans for the support as he accepted his award. 

Thumpdrag featuring Chris Poland hit the stage for the next performance, including “Peace Sells” in their set, followed by another heavy set from Kill Devil Hill. 

Inductee Rikki Rockett was unable to be present due to the unexpected incident of a wildfire evacuation near his home. It was noted that his home was still standing at the time of the event, but due to the extenuating circumstances, it was understandably not possible for him to reach the show. Tommy London accepted Rikki Rockett’s award on his behalf, telling stories of his first memories of hearing Poison and crediting their legacy. 

The awards gala came to a close with a video tribute to Dimebag Darrell, featuring Phil Anselmo and Zakk Wylde. Pamela Parks returned to the stage alongside Eddie Trunk and Billy Graziadei of Biohazard to present the award. Dimebag’s widow, Rita Haney, not only accepted his award but was given a Metal Hall of Fame Induction of her very own, for all that she does to keep his name and legacy alive. 

The All-Star Jam took over the stage for the rest of the night, with a rotating lineup including Marc Lopes, Jeff Young, Chris Poland, Tory Stoffregen, Dewey Bragg, and many more, alongside a raffle with Chris Poland’s amp amidst the prizes, and all proceeds benefiting the American Red Cross. 

As always, the Metal Hall of Fame Gala was preceded by a red carpet, where I spoke with Marc Lopes, Wicked, Pat Gesualdo, Alissa White-Gluz, Eddie Trunk, Burton C. Bell, Britt Lightning, and Tommy London. Check out the video below: 

Thank you to everyone who attended and participated in the 9th Annual Metal Hall of Fame!