The 50 metal albums you need to hear in 2024 By Paul Travers published 5 February 24 From returning icons to underground heroes and metal's next generation, these are the albums you should be excited about this year
“It’s no wonder the lyrics are maudlin, but despite the difficulty of its creation, it’s still worthy of celebration”: Damnation is the Opeth album that works best on vinyl By Paul Travers published 20 January 24 Steven Wilson remix illustrates a side of Michael Åkerfeldt’s band that’s familiar now – but was a revelation in 2003
"It won’t change the face of music or knock the world off its axis, but Hell, Fire And Damnation is yet another damned fine addition." Saxon's new album emphatically ticks all the heavy metal boxes you're looking for By Paul Travers published 19 January 24 Saxon's twenty-fourth studio album brings the kind of heavy metal thunder you'd expect. And we wouldn't have it any other way
"Nu metal content makes people feel a part of a community": How TikTok is helping nu metal's comeback By Paul Travers published 13 January 24 From festivals like Sick New World to Limp Bizkit selling out massive venues and new artists embracing its influence, nu metal is making a massive comeback - and TikTok is helping
"Bands need to say 'we're not doing it'": Why musicians are taking a stand on merch cuts By Paul Travers published 10 January 24 With venues taking as much as 25% of touring bands' merchandise profits, artists like Exodus's Gary Holt and Architects' Dan Searle are demanding change
Metal Hammer's 50 best albums of 2023 (and the stories behind them) By Rich Hobson published 27 December 23 Sleep Token, Creeper, Within Temptation: 2023 has been a massive year for metal, and these 50 records represent the very best the year has had to offer
Every Metallica live film ranked from worst to best By Paul Travers published 22 December 23 Few bands put on a live show like Metallica – and here are their 10 official concert movies ranked in order of greatness
The 50 best metal albums of 2023 - as voted by the readers of Metal Hammer By Rich Hobson published 13 December 23 From Metallica to Sleep Token, Avenged Sevenfold to Babymetal, these are the best metal albums of 2023 - as voted by you!
10 cover versions that are way more popular than the originals (according to Spotify) By Paul Travers published 24 November 23 The Beatles, Bowie, Bob Dylan and Stevie Wonder have all seen covers of their songs become more popular than the original version
10 A-list Hollywood directors who have directed music videos By Paul Travers published 10 November 23 Zack Snyder, Michael Bay and David Fincher have all sprinkled a little Hollywood magic on some classic music videos. And a couple of stinkers
"A rush of almost spiritual ecstasy": Death Cult find joy in dragging skeletons from the closet on 40th anniversary tour By Paul Travers published 10 November 23 The Cult's Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy resurrect Death Cult, summoning old ghosts to powerful effect
The best metal albums of 2023 so far By Rich Hobson published 8 November 23 From Metallica to Babymetal, Cattle Decapitation to Sleep Token, these are the best metal albums of the year to date
"There was always an undercurrent of youthful exuberance, violence and piracy": Why The Cult's Billy Duffy and Ian Astbury aren't scared of summoning the ghosts of their past by resurrecting Death Cult By Paul Travers published 30 October 23 The Cult's guitarist Billy Duffy explains why he and vocalist Ian Astbury have resurrected Death Cult for a 40th anniversary tour
The second biggest hits by 10 one-hit wonders By Paul Travers published 20 October 23 Believe it or not, but Iron Butterfly, The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown and The Buggles all released more than one song
Rising UK doom stars Green Lung say their upcoming album This Heathen Land is their Number Of The Beast By Paul Travers published 18 October 23 Green Lung's This Heathen Land comes in November - and marks a massive change for the rising doom stars
10 rock stars who have appeared in ridiculous TV ads By Paul Travers published 29 September 23 Lemmy flogging milk? Iron Maiden pushing road safety? Dokken hawking anti-virus software?! Here are 10 times rock stars have appeared in crazy TV ads
Jailbreak shows that, despite the chaos of their lineups, Brazilian thrashers Nervosa are still a powerful force to be reckoned with By Paul Travers published 26 September 23 They may have suffered all manner of turbulence with their lineups, but Nervosa are still one of thrash's modern leaders
"There’s a lot of similarities in watchmaking and Anthrax." Here's what members of some of your favourite metal bands went and did after quitting the music industry By Paul Travers published 21 September 23 From the Anthrax guitarist who is now a master watchmaker to the death metal bassist who hung out with "sweary Muppets", these are the most unique post-music career paths of metal musicians
From channeling Converge and Fantomas to Slayer legend Dave Lombardo's incredible drum work, Biffy Clyro side-project Empire State Bastard just put out one of 2023's best extreme metal albums with Rivers Of Heresy By Paul Travers published 31 August 23 Empire State Bastard's Rivers Of Heresy is the heavy album Biffy frontman Simon Neil has been waiting years to make
"We don’t take our brotherhood for granted now": Max and Iggor Cavalera on mending fences, Sepultura and the legacy of global metal By Paul Travers published 19 August 23 From blinding each other as kids to meeting Pelé and Javier Bardem, Max and Iggor Cavalera reflect on 40 years of music
“We have got to get that monkey out of the office before he kills us all.” How metal (mostly) united against George W. Bush in the 2000s By Paul Travers published 18 August 23 Years before Trump dragged US politics into the gutter, George W. Bush's Presidency caused outrage amongst many prominent metal bands
10 rock stars who missed out on their dream movie roles By Paul Travers published 11 August 23 David Bowie in The Lord Of The Rings? John Lydon in Quadrophenia? WASP’s Blackie Lawless as The Terminator? These are the Oscar-winning performances that never were
The 50 best metal albums of the 2000s By Merlin Alderslade published 28 July 23 From nu metal classics by Slipknot, Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit to metal legends like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest bouncing back in style, these are the albums that defined the 2000s
These are the rock and metal songs that have achieved a billion or more streams on Spotify By Paul Travers published 19 July 23 Queen, AC/DC, Nirvana, Journey, and who else? The rock tracks that have achieved over one billion streams on Spotify
10 non-famous bands who have the same name as a way more famous band By Paul Travers published 8 July 23 The psychedelic Nirvana, the thrash Poison and the early 70s Iron Maiden - come on in, your time is now
