Dannii Leivers

Dannii Leivers

Danniii Leivers writes for Classic Rock, Metal Hammer, Prog, The Guardian, NME, Alternative Press, Rock Sound, The Line Of Best Fit and more. She loves the 90s, and is happy where the sea is bluest.

Articles by: Dannii Leivers

Svalbard 2023

"There’s not a ray of sunshine or hope in this album": Svalbard explain why new album The Weight Of The Mask is their darkest yet

By Dannii Leivers published

British post-hardcore heroes Svalbard say new album The Weight Of The Mask is all about facing inner demons

Within Temptation 2023

“To protect your freedom, you have to be active": How Within Temptation's new album Bleed Out was inspired by a world in crisis

By Dannii Leivers published

Within Temptation's new album Bleed Out is their most fired up to date, proving there's much more to them than just being "the symphonic band"

Oceans Of Slumber

“As a child I had people harass us with their big Confederate flag when we were driving from a theme park." Oceans Of Slumber take a stand

By Dannii Leivers published

Against a backdrop of physical storms and political unrest Texan prog metallers Oceans Of Slumber stand up to be counted with 2020's self-titled fourth album

Avenged Sevenfold caused a lot of trouble near the start of their career

“I should’ve died of alcohol poisoning!” How Waking The Fallen catapulted Avenged Sevenfold to international fame and new levels of debauchery

By Dannii Leivers published

On August 26, 2003, Avenged Sevenfold went from underground punks to metalcore superstars with Waking The Fallen. Then the following tour tested their will to survive…

Various nu metal legends

"It was a beautiful scar on the metal world." How Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, Korn and the rest took nu metal from hated subgenre to the biggest thing on Planet Earth

By Dannii Leivers published

Nu metal may have been shunned by metal elitists, but it took heavy music to the masses like never before, or since

Photos of death metal bands Coffin Mulch and Brainbath, and the Scottish flag

“Fans haven’t seen something like this since the late ’80s”: Meet the new bands making Glasgow the UK’s death metal capital

By Dannii Leivers published

Upstarts like Brainbath and Coffin Mulch, plus a host of local venues and labels, are making western Scotland a hotbed for ’80s-style death metal madness

Demonstealer

"We got stones thrown at us". Sahil ‘Demonstealer’ Makhija helped India finally embrace heavy metal - but the scene is facing more challenges than ever

By Dannii Leivers published

The Godfather Of Indian Metal, Sahil ‘Demonstealer’ Makhija has overcome many obstacles to get the music he loves appreciated in his homeland. Sadly, plenty more remain

Papa Roach in 2006

...To Be Loved: Why Papa Roach ditched nu metal and went glam to save their career

By Dannii Leivers published

Papa Roach swapping chains and baggy jeans for feathered hair and eyeliner was a gamble, but it paid off handsomely

Kittie in 2000

Kittie's Brackish: the accidentally feminist nu metal anthem that should have made four young women superstars

By Dannii Leivers published

Kittie's empowering debut single Brackish gatecrashed the nu metal boys' club...but somehow didn't take them to the top

Will Ramos

Lorna Shore's Will Ramos: "I'd love to collaborate with Sleep Token"

By Dannii Leivers published

Lorna Shore vocalist Will Ramos answers fan questions on influences, collabs and how long he will be able to scream

Amy Lee

Amy Lee: "It took a long time to get respect for being a creator and not just the 'pretty face'"

By Dannii Leivers published

Evanescence's Amy Lee reflects on childhood tragedy, nu metal and 20 years of Evanescence

Stone Sour

Every Stone Sour album ranked from worst to best

By Dannii Leivers published

The band Corey Taylor formed before joining Slipknot have carved out a hell of a career in their own right. Here's their discography ranked

Linkin Park - Meteora

How Meteora showed Linkin Park were no one-hit wonder: "it proved Hybrid Theory wasn’t an accident"

By Dannii Leivers published

Linkin Park had become nu metal stars with Hybrid Theory, but with Meteora the band proved they were here to stay

Vessel of Sleep Token

Sleep Token's Take Me Back To Eden is a potent, masterful statement from metal's most exciting young band

By Dannii Leivers published

Sleep Token have got the metal world talking, and with new album Take Me Back To Eden, they have absolutely justified the hype

Amy Lee

Amy Lee says having a rap forced into Bring Me To Life was "a difficult pill to swallow", doesn't agree with genre "boxes"

By Merlin Alderslade published

Evanescence were famously unhappy about having a rap added to breakout hit Bring Me To Life, even if it's become a beloved part of the song

Floor Jansen

Floor Jansen switches symphonic metal for pop melodies and epic balladry on solo debut Paragon

By Dannii Leivers published

Nightwish powerhouse Floor Jansen opts for a change of pace with her solo debut, Paragon

Babymetal against a black background

Here are the 20 greatest Babymetal songs ever as voted for by you

By Dannii Leivers published

We asked, and you voted - and we were pretty stunned by the Babymetal banger you picked as the best ever

Delain Dark Waters album cover

Delain’s grandiose new album Dark Waters is the sound of a band utterly reborn

By Dannii Leivers published

Album review: symphonic metallers Delain build themselves up from scratch on new album Dark Waters

Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington singing onstage

How Linkin Park’s Numb became nu metal’s last blockbuster hit and racked up a billion streams on the back of it

By Dannii Leivers published

The story behind Linkin Park’s 2003 single Numb

Architects singer Sam Carter

The confessions of Architects’ Sam Carter: “I was a little sh**head. I wanted be annoying and in people’s faces”

By Dannii Leivers published

You had the chance to put your questions to Architects singer Sam Carter. You asked him about on-the-road madness, metal gatekeepers and real-life Pokémon

Halestorm against a backdrop with lightning

Halestorm’s I Miss The Misery: the story behind the song

By Dannii Leivers published

How divorce and toxic relationships helped inspire Halestorm's empowering anthem I Miss The Misery

Ville Valo: Neon Noir album artwork

Ville Valo’s swooning Neon Noir album will fill the heart-shaped hole in every Him fan’s life

By Dannii Leivers published

Album review: intoxicating ruminations on love, death and sex courtesy of ex-Him frontman Ville Valo on VV’s Neon Noir album

Albums Of 2022

The 50 best metal albums of 2022

By Rich Hobson published

From Ghost and Slipknot to Zeal & Ardor and Ithaca, these are the best albums of the last 12 months

Best metalcore albums of 2022: Rolo Tomassi/Ithaca/Parkway Drive/Heriot/Bleed From Within

The 10 best metalcore albums of 2022

By Rich Hobson published

From Architects and Parkway Drive to Ithaca and Motionless In White, these are the 10 best metalcore albums of 2022

Lacuna Coil

“It was Rammstein meets Faith No More”: how Lacuna Coil made their breakthrough album Comalies

By Dannii Leivers published

Lacuna Coil‘s 2002 album Comalies was became their calling card. Twenty years later, they’ve revisited their breakthrough album