Articles by Perran Helyes, Writer

Beginning contributing to Metal Hammer in 2023, Perran has been a regular writer for Knotfest since 2020 interviewing icons like King Diamond, Winston McCall, and K.K. Downing, but specialising in the dark, doomed, and dingy. After joining the show in 2018, he took over the running of the That’s Not Metal podcast in 2020 bringing open, anti-gatekeeping coverage of the best heavy bands to as many who will listen, and as the natural bedfellow of extreme and dark music devotes most remaining brain-space to gothic and splatter horror and the places where those things entwine.

Articles by: Perran Helyes

"My first concert was The Black Crowes, but my second was ZZ Top. That would've been the cooler answer!" Brat's Liz Selfish: 10 Records That Changed My Life

By Perran Helyes published 16 January 25

From Eyehategod and A Day To Remember to 50 Cent and Dave Matthews Band, these songs have shaped Brat vocalist Liz Selfish

"I'm talking about people doing some despicable stuff...I’m also talking about my first ex-wife." Nile leader Karl Sanders on the fun of the 80s, being a black belt badass and how to stay authentic while writing death metal about ancient Egypt

By Perran Helyes published 11 November 24

Nile are one of death metal's most reliably consistent bands. We caught up with mainman Karl Sanders for some lessons on life, death and more

"I’m so glad I still live in a world where Ozzy walks the Earth." The greatest Ozzy Osbourne songs as picked by members of Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Halestorm and more

By Rich Hobson published 17 October 24

To celebrate Ozzy Osbourne's solo induction into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame, we asked some of metal's biggest stars for the ultimate Ozzy playlist

Folerkammer/Battlesnake/Belushi Speed Ball/Dermabrasion

4 brilliant new metal bands you need to hear this month

By Rich Hobson published 11 September 24

From Folterkammer's femme-dom black metal to Belushi Speed Ball's 'pizza thrash', Dermabrasion's occulty goth rock and the bizarre alt. metal of Battlesnake, these are the bands you need to hear in September 2024

Clutch/Crypta/Mimi Barks/Eternal Champion/Hatebreed

The 10 bands that defined Bloodstock 2024

By Rich Hobson published 15 August 24

From Green Lung's massive midday set on Friday to Hatebreed's "Ball of Death", these are the sets that defined Bloodstock 2024.

"I don’t wanna call it therapeutic, but there was some catharsis in making this album." The Black Dahlia Murder's new album honours fallen frontman Trevor Strnad

By Perran Helyes published 15 August 24

The Black Dahlia Murder guitarist Brian Eschbach took over vocals after the tragic 2022 passing of singer Trevor Strnad

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 14 August 24

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

"My wife dying has given life a different meaning." Andreas Kisser and Derrick Green on reunions, new projects and the future of Sepultura

By Perran Helyes published 26 July 24

Sepultura plan to bow out after 40 years - but not before answering Metal Hammer readers' questions

The 100 Songs That Changed Metal

By Metal Hammer published 18 July 24

From founding fathers like Black Sabbath, Rainbow and Judas Priest to metal's modern leaders such as Ghost, Sleep Token and Spiritbox, these are the songs that have defined a genre

"In a country with a nearly 80% Christian population, you can see the genuine social rebellion of metal in full force." Botswana death metallers Overthrust unleash another solid slab of noise with Slaves Of Myth

By Perran Helyes published 17 July 24

Botswana's premier death metal cowboys return

"I was 22 when I burned an inverted cross into my forehead." Death metal icon Glen Benton talks blasphemy, fatherhood and the night a Deicide gig got bombed

By Perran Helyes published 22 June 24

Deicide might not grab headlines like they used to, but Glen Benton is happier than ever - these are the things he's learned

"People aren’t used to hearing vocal melody over a wall of ‘blackened progressive deathgrind’ or whatever the hell you call it." Cattle Decapitation might be playing arenas, but they're still one of metal's most extreme bands

By Perran Helyes published 9 April 24

Cattle Decapitation's Travis Ryan talks bugs, betrayal by Metallica and how it feels playing arenas with Amon Amarth

Lost Society/Signs of The Swarm/Caskets/Plaguemace

4 brilliant new metal bands you need to hear this month

By Rich Hobson published 5 March 24

From former thrashers turned modern metal hopefuls Lost Society to lizard-brain Danish death metallers Plaguemace, Yorkshire metalcore mob Caskets and US deathcore brutes Signs Of The Swarm, these are the bands you need to hear in March 2024

“We were name-checked on American Dad!" We chat to Dave Hunt, frontman of beloved British extreme metallers Anaal Nathrakh, about filthy music, cartoons and "unapologetically juvenile" album covers

By Perran Helyes published 15 December 23

Anaal Nathrakh's singer opens up on the road ahead for the beloved British metal veterans

“We were name-checked on American Dad!" We chat to Dave Hunt, frontman of beloved British extreme metallers Anaal Nathrakh, about filthy music, cartoons and "unapologetically juvenile" album covers

By Perran Helyes published 15 December 23

Anaal Nathrakh's singer opens up on the road ahead for the beloved British metal veterans

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