Chris Chantler

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

Doro Pesch looking majestic

"I’m not so lonely now, there are other girls to talk with and exchange tips and tricks on how to survive a tour!" Heavy metal Queen Doro on a career in rock, near-death experiences and, erm, fighting ducks

By Chris Chantler published

We interviewed living metal legend Doro Pesch using questions from her biggest fans

Green Lung in front of an old rock

Green Lung's This Heathen Land: London's stoner-doom heroes have brewed up a beguiling, surprisingly diverse concoction of killer riffs, bewitching folklore and knockout songs

By Chris Chantler published

Green Lung are one of the most hyped young metal bands in the UK right now, and on This Heathen Land, they show exactly why

Various Iron Maiden Eddies across the years

Metal Hammer's writers battle it out to decide which is Iron Maiden's best album

By Merlin Alderslade published

Iron Maiden have made some absolute classics across their near-five decade career, so we got the Maiden megafans in our ranks to argue over which is the greatest album of them all

KK's Priest

New KK's Priest album The Sinner Rides Again isn't reinventing any wheels, but when you have K.K. Downing and Tim 'Ripper' Owens together on this kind of form, who cares?

By Chris Chantler published

You know exactly what you're getting with K.K. Luckily, what you're getting is top-tier, classic heavy metal

KK Downing

"There’s no reason why Judas Priest and KK's Priest can’t coexist happily": K.K. Downing on reuniting with Tim 'Ripper' Owens, nu metal and why he won't ever rejoin Judas Priest

By Chris Chantler published

Legendary former Judas Priest guitarist K.K. Downing answers your questions on everything from nu metal and Judas Priest to which buscuit is best

Cronos, Tommy Lee with Fred Durst, and Blackie Lawless

“She's got a fire raging in between her thighs, I got a hose to put it out, try this for size”: a deep dive into terrible heavy metal lyrics about sex

By Chris Chantler published

Metal might nail it when it comes to lyrics about death, war, Satan and existential terror...but sex? Um, not so much

Classic albums by Skyclad, Amorphis and Primordial

A beginner's guide to folk metal in five essential albums

By Chris Chantler published

Think folk metal is all just a bit of hey nonny-nonny with a riff or two? Have we got some albums to show you

Various speed metal albums

A beginner's guide to speed metal in five essential albums

By Chris Chantler published

From its 80s heyday to its 2000s rejuvenation, here are the five albums that have defined speed metal through the years

Brothers Of Metal

"Playing our songs in t-shirts and jeans is not the way." Brothers Of Metal look like vikings, play power metal and are annoying elitists - and they're loving every second of it

By Chris Chantler published

Could Brothers Of Metal make viking metal bigger than ever?

Various death doom albums

A beginner's guide to death-doom in five essential albums

By Chris Chantler published

From its murky, understated beginnings to spectacular, three-disc concept albums, this is the story of death-doom through five classic records

Lemmy and various bands he has influenced

15 bands to check out if you miss Motorhead

By Chris Chantler published

The world will never see another legend like Lemmy. Luckily, there are some brilliant bands keeping his legacy alive

Pagan Altar in a cemetary in the early 1980s

Human skulls, ghostly witches and Satanic invocations: the mysterious story of Pagan Altar, the greatest doom metal band the world doesn’t know about

By Chris Chantler published

Pagan Altar are the cult doom band to end all cult doom bands

Some of the new new wave of British heavy metal

10 bands proving that NWOBHM is alive and kicking

By Chris Chantler published

Think the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal died off after the 80s? Think again

Steel Beans

How Keith Moon-loving, kimono-wearing multi-instrumentalist Steel Beans became Tenacious D’s favourite new band

By Chris Chantler published

Jeremy DeBardi is Steel Beans' drummer, guitarist and singer... all at the same time. And Tenacious D love him so much they invited him on tour

Dave Grohl and Jack Black, an image from Dungeons & Dragons and Clutch’s Neil Fallon

11 metal songs inspired by Dungeons & Dragons

By Chris Chantler published

From Clutch to Probot, here’s an orc’s nest of D&D-indebted bangers to soundtrack your next campaign

Type O Negative, Lacuna Coil and Paradise Lost

A beginner’s guide to goth metal in 5 albums

By Metal Hammer published

The beating black heart of goth metal summed up in five essential albums

Killer albums you need to hear in March 2023

7 killer metal albums you might have missed this month

By Rich Hobson published

From Kruelty and Demonstealer to Ad Infinitum, nothing,nowhere. and Lana Del Rabies, don't sleep on these brilliant new metal albums

Dungeons & Dragons

The epic story of metal’s love affair with Dungeons & Dragons

By Chris Chantler published

From a love of fantasy to being targeted in the Satanic Panic, all the way to Stranger Things, heavy metal and Dungeons & Dragons have a shared history that goes back decades

Iron Maiden - Piece Of Mind

Piece Of Mind at 40: inside Iron Maiden's first true fantasy epic

By Chris Chantler published

After 1982's chart-topping Number Of The Beast, the pressure was on for Iron Maiden - and Piece Of Mind proved their ambition was unparalleled

Obituary: Dying Of Everything album cover

Obituary’s Dying Of Everything: death metal icons show the kids how it should be done

By Chris Chantler published

Album review: death metal OGs Obituary deliver their strongest album in decades with Dying Of Everything

King Diamond's No Presents For Christmas EP

The 10 best metal Christmas songs ever

By Chris Chantler published

From Rob Halford and Korn to Ronnie James Dio and Nightwish, this is all the proof you need that Christmas can rock

Best black metal albums of 2022: Watain/Zeal & Ardor/Kaoteon/Abbath/Ibaraki

The 10 best black metal albums of 2022

By Rich Hobson published

From Abbath and Blackbraid to Gaerea and Zeal & Ardor - these are the 10 best black metal albums of 2022

Best power metal albums of 2022: Blind Guardian/Battle Beast/Hammerfall/Sabaton/Bridear

The 10 best power metal albums of 2022

By Rich Hobson published

From Sabaton and Blind Guardian to Wind Rose and Bridear, these are the 10 best power metal albums of 2022

Candlemass: Sweet Evil Sun Album Art

Candlemass' Sweet Evil Sun: down-to-earth doom for the diehards

By Chris Chantler published

Candlemass' new album Sweet Evil Sun sees the Swedes stay the course for Sabbath worship - but their luck may have run out

Horror movies

The 50 greatest horror movies of all time

By Merlin Alderslade last updated

From gruesome slashers and iconic monsters to terrifying spirits and beyond, these are the 50 films that have defined horror over the last century