Articles by Chris Chantler

Chris has been writing about heavy metal since 2000, specialising in true/cult/epic/power/trad/NWOBHM and doom metal at now-defunct extreme music magazine Terrorizer. Since joining the Metal Hammer famileh in 2010 he developed a parallel career in kids' TV, winning a Writer's Guild of Great Britain Award for BBC1 series Little Howard's Big Question as well as writing episodes of Danger Mouse, Horrible Histories, Dennis & Gnasher Unleashed and The Furchester Hotel. His hobbies include drumming (slowly), exploring ancient woodland and watching ancient sitcoms.

Articles by: Chris Chantler

Grand Magus J.B. Christofferson press image

"It was the ‘giggle grass’, so everything struck me as hysterically funny for about three hours." Grand Magus frontman J.B. Christofferson on laughing fits, Beowulf and heavy metal's next generation

By Chris Chantler published 12 February 25

With a stable line-up since the beginning, Sweden's Grand Magus have been staunch defenders of the faith for over 25 years

Paradise Lost posing for a photograph in the early 1990s

“There were death threats flying around. They were burning my effigy at punk bonfires”: The tumultuous story of Peaceville Records, the underground label that helped shape extreme metal

By Chris Chantler published 8 February 25

Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson performing in Crimean War uniform in 2005

We made a timeline of everything that’s happened in human history using only Iron Maiden songs

By Chris Chantler published 23 January 25

Iron Maiden have written songs about dinosaurs, the Second World War and many, many things in between. So, here’s the history of Planet Earth as told through the metal legends’ lyrics.

Metal Hammer's 50 best albums of 2024

By Metal Hammer published 31 December 24

From Judas Priest's Invincible Shield to Nightwish's Yesterwynde and Opeth's return to extremity, these are the metal albums that ruled 2024

Manowar posing for a photograph in the 80s

“We wanted to look like something never before seen in heavy metal. What would be wilder than denim and leather? Animal fur!” How Manowar helped invent power metal with Hail To England

By Chris Chantler published 22 December 24

Bow down before Manowar’s false metal-slaying third album, 1984’s Hail To England

“Our favourite bands didn’t chicken out on their third record. That’s not how Master Of Puppets or Number Of The Beast got made”: How Ghost teamed up with Katy Perry’s producer to kick things to the next level with Meliora

By Chris Chantler published 16 November 24

Ghost’s third album Meliora found them going darker and poppier than ever before – and the result pointed towards what was to follow

"I’m so glad I still live in a world where Ozzy walks the Earth." The greatest Ozzy Osbourne songs as picked by members of Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Halestorm and more

By Rich Hobson published 17 October 24

To celebrate Ozzy Osbourne's solo induction into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame, we asked some of metal's biggest stars for the ultimate Ozzy playlist

"A veritable Traveling Wilburys of Nordic melodeath." Musicians from Dark Tranquillity, Amorphis, Sentenced, Omnium Gathium and Dimmu Borgir go goth on stunning Cemetery Skyline debut album

By Chris Chantler published 9 October 24

Not content with mastering melodeath Mikael Stanne is leading a goth pop revolution with Cemetery Skyline's debut, Nordic Gothic

The 20 songs that defined Slayer's career (and the stories behind them)

By Dave Everley published 4 October 24

The ultimate guide to thrash metal titans Slayer - as told through their greatest songs

"The future of music is not Taylor Swift." Monster Magnet's Dave Wyndorf shares his wisdom on AI, aliens and the state of rock'n'roll

By Chris Chantler published 19 September 24

Monster Magnet's space lord has a lot to say on rock'n'roll, the future and what it takes to become stoner rock royalty

"Nightwish sound heavier and livelier than they’ve been for years." Yesterwynde proves Nightwish remain the undisputed heavyweight champs of symphonic metal

By Chris Chantler published 17 September 24

Yesterwynde is as much a chance for Floor Jansen to spread her wings as it is a showcase of Nightwish's incredible ambition

The releases you should definitely listen to on Neat Records, the kings of NWOBHM

By Chris Chantler published 10 September 24

Run from an office above a bingo hall, Neat Records released the debut recordings by Venom, Raven, Tygers Of Pan Tang and more

The Exorcist/Saw 3D/Queen of The Damned/Mad Max: Fury Road/School Of Rock/Thor: Ragnarok/Trick Or Treat/Midsommar

The 50 most metal movie moments ever

By Metal Hammer published 14 August 24

From the sinister appearance of Count Orlok to Iron Man rocking out to AC/DC, these are the 50 most metal movie moments ever

"Avenge The Fallen can be dubbed ‘more of the same’, but every album stands or falls on the strength of its songs." Hammerfall remind everyone why they remain one of heavy metal's most trusted defenders

By Chris Chantler published 5 August 24

Power metal icons Hammerfall return another another top notch slab of epic bombast with Avenge The Fallen

"Lars felt so sorry that he got us a slot on the main stage.” Apocalyptica's Eicca Toppinen on stoned soundguys, collaborating with Metallica and how they helped revolutionise both metal and classical music

By Chris Chantler published 29 July 24

Raised in one of Finland's worst suburbs, Eicca Toppinen would go on to form Apocalyptica and change metal - and classical music - forever

The 100 Songs That Changed Metal

By Metal Hammer published 18 July 24

From founding fathers like Black Sabbath, Rainbow and Judas Priest to metal's modern leaders such as Ghost, Sleep Token and Spiritbox, these are the songs that have defined a genre

“There are so many bands who’ve been influenced by us, even if they don’t f***ing know it”: why the world needed death metal sickos Carcass to reunite and make Surgical Steel

By Chris Chantler published 6 July 24

The story of Carcass’ 2013 comeback album Surgical Steel

Public Enemy posing, Rob Halford posing and Dee Snider at the PMRC Senate Hearing

"Tipper Gore, as misguided as she may have been, her heart was kind of in the right place." Inside Cover Your Ears, the thoughtful new documentary on music censorship starring Dee Snider, Chuck D, Jello Biafra and more

By Chris Chantler published 3 July 24

Cover Your Ears attempts to take a fair and balanced look at the phenomenon of music censorship

New Battlesnake album The Rise And Demise Of The Motorsteeple is proof that you can be a) heavy metal, b) silly as hell and c) really quite good

By Chris Chantler published 19 June 24

Battlesnake's mix of Aussie daftness and big, memorable tunes is a winner

Jason Newsted and his band in front of a graffiti covered wall

“Metallica can play 60 more Lulus. They’ve earned the place to do whatever they want”: how Jason Newsted escaped the shadow of metal’s biggest band to forge his own career

By Chris Chantler published 12 May 24

In 2013, Jason Newsted released Heavy Metal Music, the debut album by his band Newsted – proof that he was at ease with his own past

"The wave of legacy bands striking new gold in their twilight years continues unabated." Almost 50 years in, German heavy metal legends Accept have found a new career peak with Humanoid

By Chris Chantler published 23 April 24

Accept have put together an absolute banger with their brilliant new album, Humanoid

Every Bathory album ranked from worst to best

By Chris Chantler published 18 April 24

They remain one of the most innovative and influential bands in extreme metal, but there can only be one Bathory magnum opus…

"We've got maybe another 10, 15 years? Playing a Dragonforce set is not easy": Guitar hero Herman Li talks technique, helping popularise power metal and the next generation of shredders

By Chris Chantler published 6 April 24

We put your questions to Herman Li on everything from teaming up with Polyphia and Animals As Leaders to video-games, power metal and how long the band can continue

Bruce Dickinson next to posters for various films

We reviewed every film Iron Maiden have ever written a song about

By Chris Chantler published 23 March 24

From Charge Of The Light Brigade to Children Of The Damned, we’ve watched and critiqued every movie The Beast have taken a track from

"Wacky avalanches of overripe gorgonzola delivered with the band’s trademark OTT exuberance and virtuosic flair": Dragonforce's Warp Speed Warriors might be more meme than music, but it still delivers the goods

By Chris Chantler published 11 March 24

Dragonforce prove they are still guitar heroes through and through

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Chris Chantler

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