Articles by Rich Hobson

Writer for Metal Hammer, Classic Rock and Louder, Rich has never met a feature he didn't fancy, which is just as well when it comes to covering everything rock, punk and metal for both print and online. Passionate about seeing the spread of metal on a global scale, Rich has spent the last decade seeking out emerging acts from around the world, covering everyone from Alien Weaponry and The Hu to Kaoteon, Nine Treasures and Jinjer, whilst also re-examining rock and metal history with bands like Faith No More, Sepultura and Ozzy Osbourne, alongside legendary events like Rock in Rio and the 1991 Clash Of The Titans tour.

Articles by: Rich Hobson

"They take your song and put it on the radio and it ends up becoming f***ing propaganda." How Scars On Broadway's They Say helped Daron Malakian move on from System Of A Down

By Rich Hobson published 6 February 25

How Scars On Broadway helped Daron Malakian dust himself off after System Of A Down's breakup

"People characterised both of our bands as being arrogant and cocky." How Bullet For My Valentine and Trivium helped revitalise metal in 2005

By Stephen Hill published 5 February 25

How Trivium and Bullet For My Valentine ushered in metal's next generation

Conquer Divide/Avoid/Defences/Faetooth press shots

4 brilliant new metal bands you need to hear this month

By Rich Hobson published 4 February 25

Conquer Divide/Avoid/Defences/Faetooth

"It's about going the extra mile in the pursuit of a greater flavour." New Delhi nu metal band Bloodywood just released a brilliant new music video celebrating Indian cuisine

By Rich Hobson published 31 January 25

The Indian viral sensations will release new album Nu Delhi in March - just in time for their UK tour.

The 12 best new metal songs you need to hear right now

By Rich Hobson published 31 January 25

Epica, Jinjer and Bloodywood are among the best new metal songs this week. Plus, vote for your favourite!

Nightwish/Spiritual Beggars/Black Label Society/The Yo-Yos/Queenadreena

10 brilliant but overlooked rock and metal albums you need to hear from 2000

By Rich Hobson published 29 January 25

The year 2000 gave us massive releases from Deftones, Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit, but these 10 albums flew under the radar

"No one else is making contemporary heavy metal on their level." Every Trivium album ranked from worst to best

By Merlin Alderslade published 27 January 25

Rating the storied career of one of modern metal's most important bands as they head out on tour to celebrate 20 years of Ascendancy

Papa Roach/Employed To Serve/Nova Twins/Cradle of Filth/Electric Callboy

The 12 best new metal songs you need to hear right now

By Rich Hobson published 24 January 25

Dream Theater, Killswitch Engage and Electric Callboy lead a stacked week of brilliant new metal singles. Plus, vote for your favourite!

"The stunt co-ordinator said, 'Don't put your hand here - you'll blow it off.'" The story behind Ice Nine Kills' ultra-gory Terrifier 3 tie-in A Work Of Art

By Rich Hobson published 22 January 25

"It's not a movie, it's a cultural movement." The story behind Ice Nine Kills' ultra-gory Terrifier 3 tie-in A Work Of Art

Alien Weaponry/Alt Blk Era/Avantasia/Tariot/Conquer Divide

The 12 best new metal songs you need to hear right now

By Rich Hobson published 17 January 25

Architects, Alien Weaponry and Whitechapel are among the best new metal songs this week. Plus, vote for your favourite!

4 brilliant new metal bands you need to hear this month

By Rich Hobson published 15 January 25

From the post-hardcore squall of Hidden Mothers to Lutharo's invigorating mix of power metal and melodeath, to one-woman black metaller Hulder and Saudi Arabian tech-prog-metallers Ana.n7n, these are the bands you need to hear in January 2025

"My friend’s mom had connections with the Grateful Dead and could score good acid." Kyuss legend Brant Bjork was destined for a life in rock'n'roll

By Rich Hobson published 15 January 25

Brant Bjork sharies his stories of desert rock, generator parties and why he never wanted Kyuss to be Metallica

A collage of metal names including Ghost, Babymetal, Bloodywood, Linkin Park and more

The 50 best metal songs of 2024

By Rich Hobson published 13 January 25

Ghost, Judas Priest, Babymetal, Gojira, Knocked Loose... 2024 was a massive year for metal songs. But which song did you vote as the very best?

"System Of A Down isn’t working right now, so do you want me to just sit around and wait?" How Shavo Odadjian ditched nu metal for deathcore with Seven Hours After Violet

By Rich Hobson published 10 January 25

Shavo Odadjian hadn't released an album in almost 20 years, but a chance encounter at a party gave birth to his heaviest project yet

"Snoop Dogg said he’d had over a billion streams and made less than $43,000 – that should scare the **** out of everyone." Ice-T on Body Count, dream collabs and more

By Rich Hobson published 9 January 25

Ice-T reflects on the rage behind Cop Killer, the best rap and metal albums and dream collabs as he answers your questions

Linkin Park/Bruce Dickinson/Bring Me The Horizon/Poppy/Zeal & Ardor

The 20 best metal albums of 2024 - as voted by the readers of Metal Hammer

By Rich Hobson published 9 January 25

From Judas Priest to Opeth, Poppy to Bring Me The Horizon, these are the metal albums you said defined metal in 2024

Metal Hammer's 50 best albums of 2024

By Metal Hammer published 31 December 24

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

“We did ask him… he replied, ‘You can’t afford me!’” Steven Wilson didn’t work on Opeth’s new album, but Ian Anderson did – while fans are still processing the return of growl vocals after 16 years

By Rich Hobson published 26 December 24

Mikael Åkerfeldt and guitarist Fredrik Åkesson regret that people focus so much on one element of their sound, when there’s so much more to The Last Will And Testament

Powerwolf, Wind Rose and Hammerfall in a dressing room

"Every night of our tour, we'd get a report about weapons being confiscated." We went backstage with Powerwolf, Hammerfall and Wind Rose on the power metal tour of the year - and it was even more ludicrous than we'd imagined

By Rich Hobson published 25 December 24

Inside the biggest (and most over the top) power metal tour of 2024

The 10 best death metal albums of 2024

By Rich Hobson published 23 December 24

From the cosmic death exploration of Blood Incantation to the welcome return of Nails and Job For A Cowboy, these are the 10 albums that defined death metal in 2024

"I’d love to do a crossover Sleep Token track." Bullet For My Valentine's Matt Tuck and Trivium's Matt Heafy field questions on Welsh cuisine, punching people in the face and having a willy for a nose

By Rich Hobson published 19 December 24

Two of metal's best Matts answer questions from their biggest fans (and no, we still don't know who the next Metallica is)

"I had one mate who was massively into Deep Purple but they were a bit too proggy for me." How Frank Skinner became a born-again metalhead

By Rich Hobson published 18 December 24

Frank Skinner on the "inspirational" Judas Priest, playing in a cult Birmingham band and the heavy metal sitcom that never was

"I’ve said no to tours and let some opportunities go by because they’re not what I’m really interested in doing." Serj Tankian on System Of A Down, heritage and the importance of staying active

By Rich Hobson published 17 December 24

Although System Of A Down haven't released a new album in almost 20 years, that hasn't stopped frontman Serj Tankian from remaining a prolific force

Poppy/Judas Priest/Bring Me The Horizon/Linkin Park/Oceans Of Slumber

Vote for the best metal album of 2024

By Rich Hobson published 16 December 24

Whether you've loved Judas Priest or Linkin Park, Poppy or Kerry King, we want to know what albums have excited you most in 2024

King Diamond is bringing his Myrkur-assisted live show to Europe and the UK next summer with a stellar backing lineup

By Rich Hobson published 11 December 24

Paradise Lost, Angel Witch and Unto Others will support King Diamond at select headline shows in 2025

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