Simon Young

Simon Young

Born in 1976 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Simon Young has been a music journalist for over twenty years. His fanzine, Hit A Guy With Glasses, enjoyed a one-issue run before he secured a job at Kerrang! in 1999. His writing has also appeared in Classic Rock, Metal Hammer, Prog, and Planet Rock. His first book, So Much For The 30 Year Plan: Therapy? — The Authorised Biography is available via Jawbone Press. 

Articles by: Simon Young

The Jesus Lizard

“You can get lost in the kitten vortex for hours.” A wide-ranging interview with The Jesus Lizard's David Yow, taking in new album Rack, a try out for Nirvana, acting, a sadistic witch, and a cat riding a goat

By Simon Young published

The Jesus Lizard are back, and David Yow has things on his mind

Ian MacKaye and Henry Rollins

"Minor Threat were like The Beatles. I saw Ian MacKaye write Straight Edge on his mother's piano": Henry Rollins on Black Flag, Minor Threat, The Stooges, Green Day, Beyoncé and the meaning of punk

By Simon Young published

Former SOA, Black Flag, Rollins Band frontman Henry Rollins knows a thing or three about punk rock, so pay attention please

Helmet

Every Helmet album ranked from the worst to the best

By Simon Young published

New York's Helmet have been kicking up a racket since 1989. We assess, rate and rank their catalogue to identify which noise-rock album is their defining work

Smashing Pumpkins studio portrait

Every The Smashing Pumpkins album ranked from worst to best

By Simon Young published

The collected studio works of Billy Corgan and company rated and ranked, from the so-so to the smashing

Rocket From The Crypt

The 10 best Rocket From The Crypt songs from 1995

By Simon Young last updated

Two fistfuls of pure sonic magic released by Speedo's San Diego greasers at their untouchable peak

Rush in 1980, plus (inset) the Trailer Park Boys

"My success with women increased when I had Geddy Lee hair": The 10 best Rush songs ever, according to the Trailer Park Boys

By Simon Young published

Bubbles, Ricky and Julian a.k.a. Canada's second-best trio the Trailer Park Boys, pick their 10 favourite Rush songs

Robert Williams and John Lydon facing Judge Judy in the courtroom

In 1997 John Lydon's drummer sued him for lost wages and assault: it was a case only Judge Judy could resolve

By Simon Young published

Judge Judy: 25 seasons, 6280 episodes, one former Sex Pistol

Jawbox

The 11 best songs recorded by Jawbox

By Simon Young last updated

The definitive playlist for one of Dischord's definitive '90s bands

Stewart Lee, Ed Gamble and Andrew O'Neill

10 times stand-up comedians made brilliant references to heavy metal

By Simon Young published

From Slayer to Napalm Death, we didn't see some of these hilarious references coming

Motorhead and Metallica albums replicated in Lego

Here's a collection of classic album covers made out of Lego

By Simon Young published

Music fan and artist Adnan Lotia has reinterpreted legendary sleeves including Metallica, Motörhead and Black Sabbath using the iconic plastic bricks

Corpse Husband and Bring Me The Horizon's animated video for CODE MISTAKE

Oli Sykes is animated as a vampire as Bring Me The Horizon team up with Corpse on video for CODE MISTAKE

By Simon Young published

Bring Me The Horizon's surprise collaboration with YouTuber Corpse is a gruesome watch

Ozzy Osbourne

Ozzy pulls out of Power Trip Festival: "My body is telling me that I’m just not ready"

By Simon Young published

The Black Sabbath vocalist was set to headline the three-day California bash alongside AC/DC, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Guns N' Roses and Tool this October

Adam Sandler, Family Guy and Bill Hader doing Eddie Vedder impressions

The best 10 Eddie Vedder impressions you'll ever see

By Simon Young published

From the likes of Adam Sandler to Family Guy, it seems no-one can resist pretending to be the elder statesman of grunge

Josh Homme, Dave Grohl, Slash and Elton John

10 surprising Elton John covers by rock and metal bands

By Simon Young published

From Queens of the Stone Age and Dave Grohl to the most offensive grindcore band ever, these reimagined Elton John songs are worth your time and ears

Miley Cyrus, Oli Sykes, Taylor Swift and Spencer Charnas

10 unexpectedly brilliant metal covers of 2010s pop songs

By Simon Young published

If you want to read about Halestorm, Bring Me The Horizon and Ice-T on the same page as Adele, Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus, guess what? You've come to the right place

Soundgarden

Watch Soundgarden cover Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit at Lollapalooza 1992

By Simon Young published

Watch some true grunge history in action as Soundgarden perform the Nirvana classic as part of their festival set

The Nova Twins and Elton John (montage)

So it turns out Elton John is a massive Nova Twins fan

By Simon Young published

The Glastonbury headliner describes the London duo as "phenomenal", says he’ll be watching them at Worthy Farm on June 25

Slipknot's 1999 self-titled debut album, and Corey Taylor onstage

Slipknot planning 2024 world tour to mark 25th anniversary of Roadrunner debut

By Simon Young published

Corey Taylor accidentally revealed band’s plans during recent interview

Sabaton, Ted Lasson and Shavo Odadjian

The 10 best rock and metal football songs to soundtrack the beautiful game (no, really!)

By Simon Young published

You don't have to sing Sweet Caroline or that Atomic Kitten abomination, you know

A collage of Tom Araya from the Repentless video and Metallica's 72 Seasons album artwork

A YouTuber has covered Metallica's 72 Seasons in the style of Slayer and it's as brutal as you'd expect

By Simon Young published

Rob Trujillo reckoned Slayer would do a "cool" cover of the Metallica title track and Otu from Moonic Productions has done both bands proud

Metallica and a mock-up of ...And Justice For All with Princess Peach as Lady Justice

This Nintendo-style cover of Metallica's ...And Justice For All is the album you didn't know you needed

By Simon Young published

Some absolute wizard has recreated Metallica's classic 1988 album using the Super Mario 64 Soundfont and it'll make you want to mosh through Mushroom Kingdom

Corey Taylor, Otto from The Simpsons and Mike Patton

10 hilarious metal covers of classic cartoon theme tunes

By Simon Young published

From Corey Taylor to Mike Patton, here are some absolute bangers to make the school run that little more bearable

Slash plays guitar outside a chapel in the desert

A blow-by-blow analysis of Guns N' Roses' most epic video, November Rain

By Simon Young published

We've broken down Guns N' Roses' mighty November Rain video so that no one else ever has to

Fever 333 singer Jason Aalon Butler sings from a Ferris wheel at Rock im Park, Germany in June 2023

Watch Fever 333 frontman Jason Aalon Butler scream his lungs out on a moving Ferris wheel

By Simon Young published

The former letlive. vocalist became an attraction at Rock im Park's fairground on June 4

A collage of Game of Thrones, Seinfeld and Stranger Things

The 10 best metal cover versions of TV show themes

By Simon Young published

From Game of Thrones to Stranger Things, all theme tunes sounds better when put through a distortion pedal and cranked up to 11