What metal bands do you think will hold the niche held in previous decades by...
Metallica/Megadeth? (Note: we'll use ...And Justice for All-era Metallica as the cut-off, not Black Album-era Metallica, as it's obvious no metal band will ever get as big as Black Album-era Metallica ever again)
Slayer?
Pantera?
Behemoth/Mayhem?
Iron Maiden/Judas Priest?
Cannibal Corpse?
This is mainly inspired by a discussion I had a few years ago with someone when Slayer announced their farewell tour, and what band would take Slayer's place in Slayer's venues. The answers were (much to the dismay people would have here) Slipknot, Five Finger Death Punch, and Avenged Sevenfold.
Sad to say it, but I see where they were coming from.
Slayer have already called it a day.
Pantera called it a day in the early 2000s, and then Dimebag was murdered not long afterward. Vinnie Paul dying a few years back officially meant that Pantera would never play a live show again (there was the rumor for a while that Pantera could play some live gigs with Zakk Wylde filling in for Dimebag, but I felt the chances of that happening were paper thin at best; once Vinnie Paul died, that made it nonexistent).
Cannibal Corpse never played at arenas/stadiums (at least not as a headliner), but they're the only death metal band who are able to get by financially on their music alone and not need to resort to day jobs. So I'll mention them for proper death metal.
Iron Maiden and Judas Priest will go on their final tours in the 2020s. Judas Priest even announced one farewell tour already, only to change their mind partway through the tour.
I predict Megadeth will release maybe two more albums before Dave retires from music. I wouldn't be surprised if Metallica stops touring within the next 10 years.
I mention Behemoth and Mayhem because they're the most famous black metal bands. Behemoth are not arena/stadium headliners in North America (they have played those venues as an opening act, such as when they opened for Slayer), but they're huge in Europe. Nergal is a multi-millionaire, so he can get by on his music alone financially.
I remember some people mentioning bands like Gojira and Amon Amarth for heavier bands who will move up to bigger venues. However, those bands have members mostly well into their 40s and released their debut albums 20 years ago or more, so they're not going to play venues any bigger than the ones they've already played after the pandemic ends and things go back to normal. That is, unless they open for a bigger name band.
So please, don't mention any band who released their debut albums 10 years ago or more. Preferably bands who've released their debuts within the last five years.