Best Christmas gifts for metalheads 2024: Raise your horns with these heavy-duty festive gift ideas

Released to mark the 40th anniversary of Iron Maiden’s 4th studio album - and first with the recently retired legend that is Nicko McBrain - this officially-licensed 120-page hardback book features stunning artwork, comics and testimonials from writers, artists, actors and more about what the album and band mean to them. It's beautifully presented and the illustrations throughout are awesome - especially Dan Mumford's cover art.

The simple act of colouring in has shown to be an extremely effective way of relieving stress and delivering all manner of mental health benefits. Clearly, the main way of putting this theory to the test is by presenting it to that special death metal fan in your life, so they can relax by bringing black and white images of Cannibal Corpse’s most hideous album covers to life in glorious detail. Make sure they have the red colour of whichever medium they prefer handy!

Far from your run of the mill posters that never seem to regain their rigidity after you’ve rolled them up and are liable to tear, these metal posters do what they say on the tin. Durable and easy to mount using adhesive magnets, Displate offer matte or gloss finishes, a range of sizes and even framing options. They also have a huge range of designs to choose from that includes Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Megadeth, James Hetfield, video games and pop culture classics.

Yes, metalheads do love their music loud, but not at the expense of their long-term hearing. These reusable earplugs from Loop are my go-to earplugs and are so much better than the single-use foam earplugs sometimes given out at music venues. The Loop Experience 2 offer up to 17dB of noise reduction, and are available in a huge range of colour variations. Being a goth back in the early 90s, my favourite are, of course, the black version.

There are plenty of threads you can buy for the metalhead in your family beyond band t-shirts and hoodies. EMP has a range of casual wear that ticks the fashionable and functional boxes, including this lumberjack top that’s ideal for the colder months. Halfway between a shirt and a coat, the fleecy inner lining of this jacket adds real warmth and a bit of luxury, while the dark palette will match any band logo the wearer chooses to sport underneath.

If there’s someone who’s in a band just starting out or needs a jolt in the right direction, this masterclass from metal’s biggest band provides the ideal helping hand. Given the ups and downs Metallica have traversed over their 40-year history, their words of wisdom on band dynamics, songwriting and business acumen covered in these 10 online lessons provide priceless knowledge to all looking to follow in their footsteps.

Everyone has those few albums they need to hear repeatedly, with the most immersive, detailed sound possible to pick up any little details they may have missed. Far from being your regular headphones for the dog walk or commute, these cans from the sound-masters Marshall offer rich, crystal-clear tones for the more discernible music fan. What’s more they provide wireless charging and over three days’ worth of runtime.

Whether you’re buying for a beginner or a more experience axe-slinger, this is an excellent guitar for learning the hits or composing your own. Ibanez has long been the favoured brand of shredders like Herman Li and Steve Vai for its comfortable necks, switching options and pickups that are conducive to fast playing and finding a perfect tone. Coming in a range of finishes, the Ibanez GIO RG Series GRX70QA-TBB provides a huge amount of guitar for a competitive price.

Chances are your music-playing will have their amp setup fine-tuned to befit their well-honed vocal, bass or guitar delivery. But this nifty little portable amp is far too much fun for any musician to be without. Whether you plug in or connect wirelessly, you can enjoy fabulous sound through the Spark Go, and with the accompanying app, there’s a plethora of tones at your disposal. There are also headphone and USB outputs for practice and recording respectively, making this funky little box an all-rounder.