Matt Mills

Matt Mills

Contributing Editor, Metal Hammer

Louder’s resident Gojira obsessive was still at uni when he joined the team in 2017. Since then, Matt’s become a regular in Prog and Metal Hammer, at his happiest when interviewing the most forward-thinking artists heavy music can muster. He’s got bylines in The Guardian, The Telegraph, NME, Guitar and many others, too. When he’s not writing, you’ll probably find him skydiving, scuba diving or coasteering.

Articles by: Matt Mills

Robert Trujillo in 2024

“I didn’t want James Hetfield to smell the alcohol on me”: Robert Trujillo stayed up drinking until 5am before his Metallica audition

By Matt Mills published

The day before auditioning for the biggest band in metal, Trujillo was up partying all night with Lars Ulrich

Matt Heafy of Trivium performing live

“The crowd was booing us and spitting on us, the entire set”: Trivium’s Matt Heafy remembers being bullied by his heavy metal idols

By Matt Mills published

Some veteran bands were extremely jealous as Trivium blew up in the mid-2000s

Brad Delson of Linkin Park in 2017

“Over the years I’ve realized I thrive most when I’m actively working with my bandmates behind the scenes”: Linkin Park’s Brad Delson steps back from live lineup

By Matt Mills published

Delson will be replaced onstage by Alex Feder for the foreseeable future

James Hetfield

Metallica’s James Hetfield, actor in new western film, doesn’t seem to like acting: “Next time I’m asked to do something like this, remind me to say no”

By Matt Mills published

Hetfield has a role in western thriller The Thicket, currently in cinemas, alongside Game Of Thrones star Peter Dinklage

David Ellefson

“It’s never a closed chapter. I helped start the band.” David Ellefson doesn’t rule out Megadeth return

By Matt Mills published

Ellefson was dismissed from Megadeth in 2021 following a sex scandal, but seems open to rejoining the thrash icons

American Nightmare in 2018, and Cody Rhodes in 2024

Hardcore punk band American Nightmare are suing Cody Rhodes, the WWE Undisputed Champion

By Matt Mills published

WWE wrestler Rhodes has been calling himself “The American Nightmare” for several years, sometimes to the chagrin of the band of the same name

Eva Korman of Rolo Tomassi live in 2023

Rolo Tomassi release live version of To Resist Forgetting from upcoming album Live At The Electric Ballroom

By Matt Mills published

The UK mathcore mavens’ new live disc is out on September 27

Spiritbox 2023

Spiritbox return with ultra-heavy new single Soft Spine

By Matt Mills published

The metalcore mavericks have unveiled a crushing new track ahead of their US tour with Korn later this month

Rob Bourdon drumming with Linkin Park in 2017

Why isn’t drummer Rob Bourdon part of the new Linkin Park? The band explain

By Matt Mills published

Bourdon was a founding member of Linkin Park, but has been replaced by Colin Brittain

Opeth in 2024

Hear Opeth go full prog on new single §3

By Matt Mills published

Their last single was a death metal comeback. Now, Opeth are showing their proggy side again.

Delain in 2024

Delain return with new single Dance With The Devil, announce EP for November

By Matt Mills published

Dutch symphonic metal crew Delain will release their Dance With The Devil EP on November 8

Mastodon in 2023, Lamb Of God in 2024

“A flood is coming… and most of you will die”: Mastodon tease split release with Lamb Of God

By Matt Mills published

Two icons of 2000s metal will be teaming up for… something, on September 12

Slipknot's Clown in a crowd in 1999

“Do you want to see a fight or do you want to see a show?!” Watch Slipknot brawl with Mushroomhead fans during 1999 gig in resurfaced video

By Matt Mills published

Slipknot got into an infamous brawl with fans of rival masked hellraisers Mushroomhead in 1999, and video of the carnage has finally made it to Youtube

Einar Solberg Press Pic 2024

"I imagined cutting my hair to have a green reverse mohawk like Keith Flint." Leprous vocalist Einar Solberg picks the 10 records that changed his life

By Matt Mills published

The songs that turned Leprous’s leader from teenage raver to prog metal maestro

Bleed From Within in 2022, next to Romesh Ranganathan and Rob Beckett in 2024

Watch comedians Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan annoy the hell out of an extreme metal band in new clip from TV show Rob And Romesh Vs

By Matt Mills published

‘Rob And Romesh Vs Heavy Metal’, featuring Scottish metal stars Bleed From Within, is broadcast in the UK tonight on Sky Max

Mastodon

“We’ve been working on new stuff for months. And we need to go home.” Mastodon drummer hints new music to come “really, really soon”

By Matt Mills published

Brann Dailor teases that new Mastodon music “might” come sooner rather than later

Cliff Burton in 1986

“Bass solo, take one”: Watch Metallica’s new (Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth music video, featuring never-before-seen photos of Cliff Burton

By Matt Mills published

The clip is promoting an online exhibition dedicated to the late bassist, hosted on the Metallica website

Kelly Osbourne and Slipknot's unknown member in 2024

Did Kelly Osbourne just unmask Slipknot’s mystery keyboardist?

By Matt Mills published

Umm… oops?

Spiritbox 2023

“I’m too stupid for this”: Spiritbox tease new music with weird online puzzle thing

By Matt Mills published

The Canadian metalcore mavericks seem to be readying a new single for later this week

OU

“Devin Townsend was sick but he jumped right in. He treated the music like it was his own, which meant the world to me”: It’s all going well for Anthony Vanacore since he left America for China, formed OU, hooked a star producer and never looked back

By Matt Mills published

The first Chinese prog act to sign to a major Western label, they’re speeding past this year’s II: Frailty and already working on album number three – with an associated animated series

Shawn Clown Crahan of Slipknot onstage in 2019

“In the future, we are going to be everywhere”: Slipknot’s Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan wants to play the Olympics in 2028

By Matt Mills published

Will Slipknot follow Gojira’s lead and play the 2028 Olympics in L.A.? “We’d love to do it,” says Clown.

Leprous in 2024

Every Leprous album ranked from worst to best

By Matt Mills published

Ranking a back-catalogue as incredible as the Norwegian prog masters’ is a near-impossible job, but someone had to do it

James Hetfield onstage in 2023

Watch Metallica’s James Hetfield act opposite Game Of Thrones’ Peter Dinklage in new clip from The Thicket

By Matt Mills published

The western thriller, produced by Dinklage, hits US theatres on September 6

Marilyn Manson in 2024 and Evan Rachel Wood in 2022

Marilyn Manson claims Evan Rachel Wood faked letter from FBI agent in new legal appeal

By Matt Mills published

Manson (real name Brian Warner) has appealed against a judge’s decision to throw out much of his defamation suit against Wood last year

Lzzy Hale in 2024, next to Linkin Park in 2017

Watch Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale cover Crawling amid rumours of Linkin Park returning with female singer

By Matt Mills published

Is she teasing or trolling? Either way, it sounds great!