Metal Hammer

Metal Hammer

Founded in 1983, Metal Hammer is the global home of all things heavy. We have breaking news, exclusive interviews with the biggest bands and names in metal, rock, hardcore, grunge and beyond, expert reviews of the lastest releases and unrivalled insider access to metal's most exciting new scenes and movements. No matter what you're into – be it heavy metal, punk, hardcore, grunge, alternative, goth, industrial, djent or the stuff so bizarre it defies classification – you'll find it all here, backed by the best writers in our game.

Articles by: Metal Hammer

A crowd in Rockstadt

Ever wanted to go to an incredible metal festival near the home of Dracula? Rockstadt Extreme Fest is about to change your life

By Metal Hammer published

From headliners Powerwolf, Electric Callboy, Gojira, Machine Head and Wardruna to the likes of Within Temptation, Mastodon, Sepultura and more, Rockstadt is the unique, exciting and affordable festival you've been looking for

Photographs of Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine and Lisa Marie Presley

“She was literally getting onto the plane. I felt awkward about it, but I’ve got a bad enough reputation and so has she”: The classic Megadeth song that was originally supposed to feature Lisa Marie Presley

By Metal Hammer published

This Megadeth anthem could have sounded very different

Bruce Dickinson in 2024 and Ghost frontman Papa V Perpetua in 2025

“Had fans had mobile phones, they would have been climbing over old-age pensioners to take selfies”: Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson is a big fan of Ghost banning phones from gigs

By Metal Hammer published

Talking to Metal Hammer last year, Iron Maiden’s frontman discussed attending Ghost’s 2023 Los Angeles shows and his joy over the absence of mobile phones

Courtney LaPlante of Spiritbox in 2025

“It reminded me of Charli XCX”: Spiritbox’s Courtney LaPlante responds to THAT red carpet Poppy mix-up

By Metal Hammer published

Spiritbox’s singer has revealed what went through her head when an interviewer confused her for Poppy at the Grammy Awards

Opeth’s Mikael Akerfeldt posing for a photograph in 2014

“It had a 13-minute spoken-word black mass on the B-side”: The mysterious late 60s album that Opeth’s Mikael Akerfeldt says invented Satanic rock

By Metal Hammer published

Six months before Black Sabbath released their landmark debut album, another band were praising Satan

A composite image of Trivium’s Matt Heafy and Muse’s Matt Bellamy

“This song is nuts! It’s a very violent, angry call for being a champion of all who deserve it”: Matt Heafy on the classic Trivium song inspired by Muse

By Metal Hammer published

How a sci-fi obsessed British rock group influenced a key track on Trivium’s breakthrough Ascendancy album

Ghost Tobias Forge

“It’s the perfect encapsulation of youthful anger… It still sounds feral and savage to this very day”: The cult 1980s classic Ghost frontman Tobias Forge calls the perfect extreme metal album

By Metal Hammer published

And no, it’s not by Metallica, Slayer or Mercyful Fate

Tremonti

"If this album had been released 25 years ago, it would have been a revelation." New Tremonti record The End Will Show Us How is just about what you'd expect, but it's pretty damn good all the same

By Metal Hammer published

Tremonti's latest album mixes his well documented love of metal with the post-grunge and balladry he made his name with

Linkin Park/Slipknot/Evanescence/Korn/Kittie

"It’s actually Sid Wilson’s favourite Slipknot song." Inside nu metal's greatest deep cuts

By Metal Hammer published

From a Slipknot buried treasure to the long-overlooked Korn rarity, these are the overlooked classics in the nu metal canon

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Metal Hammer's 50 best albums of 2024

By Metal Hammer published

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

Various 2024 metal album covers

Metal Hammer writers name their top albums of 2024

By Metal Hammer last updated

Want to know what our writers and staffers have been spinning in 2024? Here’s the breakdown of every Metal Hammer contributors’ album of the year lists

A composite photograph of Metallica’s Kirk Hammett and the Hellraiser character Pinhead

“At one point he brings out his death ray and starts randomly firing it at people. It’s just totally insane!”: Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett’s five favourite cult horror movie villains

By Metal Hammer published

Kirk Hammett knows his horror – and these are his ultimate movie villains

Ivan Juric in 2024 and Carcass in 2016

New Southampton FC manager wants club to play “death metal football”

By Metal Hammer published

Ivan Jurić – a fan of Napalm Death, Carcass and Obituary – says he’ll bring an “aggressive” style of football comparable to death metal music

Kittie

"Early on, there were a lot of people who judged us for our looks, how we wanted to dress." Kittie on their most underrated track - and why its message is still important twenty five years on

By Metal Hammer published

Nu metal veterans Kittie pick out their most underrated song and tell us a little bit about it

Joey Jordison of Slipknot posing for a photograph

“People have tried to copy it and rip it off, but no one has come close. No one will ever beat it”: The cult metal album Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison said was as good as Reign In Blood

By Metal Hammer published

High praise indeed from the late Slipknot drummer

Vessel from Sleep Token with a snake on his head

A guide to every Sleep Token song (and the theories behind them)

By Metal Hammer published

We dive deep into the discography and lore behind masked metal entities Sleep Token

A composite photo of Poppy in a silver dress and Kittie in 1999

“There was a lot of power in what they had to say. I felt that even before I could relate to the stories they were telling”: Why Poppy’s cover of Spit by Kittie is a tribute to one of her favourite metal bands

By Metal Hammer published

Nu gen trailblazer and Metal Hammer cover star Poppy is a huge fan of Kittie – and here’s why

Arch Enemy in 2024

“The riffs are insane in that band!” Arch Enemy name their five most surprising influences, from Trouble to Scorpions

By Metal Hammer published

How have Scorpions, Trouble and an obscure power metal band shaped one of melodeath’s biggest names? Michael Amott and Daniel Erlandsson explain.

Corey Taylor and Dave Grohl

Corey Taylor on the reactions to Dave Grohl's recent baby announcement: "If that’s the one thing that defines him, then what are we doing?"

By Metal Hammer published

Dave Grohl has made headlines for fathering a baby outside of marriage, and Corey Taylor has some thoughts on the whole thing

Slipknot posing for a photograph in boiler suits in 1999

“They would tell us directly to our faces, ‘You’re not going to last’”: Other bands hated Slipknot on their first Ozzfest tour – but Sharon Osbourne saved them

By Metal Hammer published

Jealous bands would “shit talk” Slipknot when they made their breakout appearance on the 1999 Ozzfest

Ozzy Osbourne posing for a photograph in 2022

“Lemmy wrote the words, but I told him exactly what I wanted to say”: We asked Ozzy Osbourne to pick his favourite Ozzy Osbourne song. This is what he chose

By Metal Hammer published

Ozzy Osbourne doesn’t have a “favourite” Ozzy Osbourne song, but if push comes to shove this 90s ballad would be it

Slipknot posing for a photograph in boiler suits in 1999

“There’s new artwork, there’s music that’s so punk rock from board tapes, there’s audio, visuals, everything”: Slipknot are planning a 25th anniversary reissue of their iconic debut album

By Metal Hammer published

Exclusive: Clown tells Metal Hammer about the upcoming reissue of Slipknot’s debut album

Slipknot’s Sid Wilson wearing a mask at the Grammy Awards

“My eyebrows are singed, my mouth is blistered, my arms are pretty bad”: Slipknot’s Sid Wilson is hospitalised with “serious burns” following farming accident

By Metal Hammer published

Slipknot DJ Sid Wilson reveals he has suffered burns to his face and arms after an explosion, assures fans that he’ll still play upcoming shows

Bill Skarskard as Eric Draven in The Crow

The reviews are in for The Crow remake, and they’re brutal

By Metal Hammer published

Love the original The Crow movie and thinking of watching the remake? Maybe think again

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

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