Articles by Joel McIver

Joel McIver is a British author. The best-known of his 25 books to date is the bestselling Justice For All: The Truth About Metallica, first published in 2004 and appearing in nine languages since then. McIver's other works include biographies of Black Sabbath, Slayer, Ice Cube and Queens Of The Stone Age. His writing also appears in newspapers and magazines such as The Guardian, Metal Hammer, Classic Rock and Rolling Stone, and he is a regular guest on music-related BBC and commercial radio.

Articles by: Joel McIver

Maynard James KEENAN and TOOL; Maynard James Keenan performing live on stage

“No-one understands why Maynard James Keenan chooses blue body paint or why Adam Jones creates such disturbing art. They just pretend to”: The enigma of Tool up to 10,000 Days

By Joel McIver published 2 May 24

Sacred geometry, lunar currents, media baiting, arena shows… nothing has been beyond the pale for the ever enigmatic and elusive band

“We can make records until our hands fall off. But if we can’t sell it live, I don’t want to”: how Slayer reconnected with 80s thrash and made World Painted Blood

By Joel McIver published 31 March 24

Slayer’s 2009 album World Painted Blood was the best since their 80s heyday – and this is how they made it

“Daevid Allen was always throwing a grenade into situations… Tim Smith was quite benign, although very driven. They both had the same sort of presence:” Kavus Torabi compares his late Gong and Cardiacs bandmates

By Joel McIver published 31 January 24

Briefed to keep Gong going after Allen’s death, the new leader pursues the same aim with a different vision. How have the fans reacted?

"The other kids in school voted me 'Class Clown'". From taking English lessons to becoming a thrash legend, the life of Slayer's Tom Araya, in his own words

By Joel McIver published 3 July 23

Moving to Los Angeles from his native Chile in the 1960s, Tom Araya began a journey that'd take him to heavy metal immortality

What happened when the Big Four played together for the very first time

By Joel McIver last updated 20 September 22

In June 2010, Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax played together for the very first time as the Big Four. We were there to watch history being made

A Cliff Burton museum has opened in Sweden. We went to the opening

By Joel McIver last updated 20 September 22

We visited the museum in Sweden dedicated to late Metallica legend Cliff Burton, and this is what we found

Metallica frontman James Hetfield at London's Wembley Arena on May 4, 1992

The 1000 days that changed Metallica

By Joel McIver last updated 20 September 22

Metallica spent the time between ...Justice and the Black Album in a drink-and drug-induced fog. In the same period they went from thrash heroes to the biggest metal band in the world...

How Deep Purple's classic In Rock was made

By Joel McIver last updated 5 June 22

In 1970, Deep Purple introduced a new era of loud music, with the seminal In Rock album. Here's the story of the making of the album that ushered in heavy rock

Alexi Laiho: “I do it for the music and the love of playing. End of f**king story.”

By Joel McIver published 4 January 21

The life and times of Children Of Bodom frontman and fully paid-up wild child Alexi Laiho

The Story Behind The Song: Bring The Noise by Anthrax and Public Enemy

By Joel McIver published 19 November 20

Anthrax’s Scott Ian and Public Enemy frontman Chuck D look back on the birth of a rap metal landmark

Cigarettes, alcohol and heroin: the inside story of Black Sabbath’s Paranoid

By Joel McIver published 18 September 20

Black Sabbath’s debut album staked their claim as the Godfathers Of Metal. But follow-up Paranoid turned them into stars

Cannibal Corpse’s Gallery Of Suicide: the symphony of cruelty that kept death metal alive

By Joel McIver last updated 7 September 20

Death metal looked to have exhaled its last by 1997. And then Cannibal Corpse released Gallery Of Suicide and the monster rose up again

Living Colour perform live on stage at Pinkpop festival in Landgraaf, Netherlands on May 20 1991

The 10 Essential Funk Rock Albums

By Joel McIver last updated 10 August 20

The world of funk rock was a fusion of genres, that opened its doors to riffs, grooves and even hip-hop. Get down!

Rammstein’s Christoph ‘Doom’ Schneider: My Life Story

By Joel McIver published 25 June 20

An audience with enigmatic Rammstein drummer Christoph ‘Doom’ Schneider

Drummer Dave Lombardo holding drumsticks

Dave Lombardo: 10 Albums That Changed My Life

By Joel McIver last updated 27 April 20

Former Slayer/Fantomas drummer Dave Lombardo delves into his record collection and pulls out Kiss, Judas Priest, The Prodigy and Beethoven

Rob Zombie: My Life Story

By Joel McIver last updated 16 March 20

The heavy metal horror icon Rob Zombie reflects on his life full of guts and glory

Kreator’s Pleasure To Kill: the brutal 80s masterpiece that put Euro thrash on the map

By Joel McIver published 29 February 20

How Germany’s most vicious thrash metal band took on the Big Four – and almost won

Guns N’ Roses Duff McKagan giving the camera the finger

Duff McKagan: The 10 Albums That Changed My Life

By Joel McIver published 4 December 16

From Kiss and Iron Maiden to the Germs and Prince, this is the soundtrack to Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan’s life

Bloody But Unbowed: How Slayer Turned The World Red

By Joel McIver published 3 November 16

Dave Lombardo had rejoined the band, Tom Ayara was losing his sister to cancer and Kerry King was still as reassuringly angry as ever. Little wonder that Slayer's World Painted Blood roared...

Into The Dark: Emperor - Black Metal's Most Important Band

By Joel McIver published 21 October 16

Burning churches, jail time, a slew of landmark albums and then they broke the band up before a surprise reformation. What were Emperor thinking?

Johnny Winter With Dr John: Live In Sweden 1987 album artwork

Johnny Winter With Dr John: Live In Sweden 1987 (MVD Entertainment)

By Joel McIver published 1 July 16

Veteran bluesmen on peak form for Euro-TV session’s first release.

Chuck D and Scott Ian: How we made Bring The Noise

By Joel McIver published 20 June 16

Anthrax and Public Enemy legends Scott Ian and Chuck D shoot the shit on rap metal, Bring The Noise, groundbreaking tours and the song that changed it all