Brace yourselves, metalhead brothers and sisters… it’s time for our annual celebration of all things heavy. Orange Amplification Presents the Metal Hammer Golden Gods In Association With World Of Warships will take place at London’s IndigO2 on June 15 and we’ve got an extraordinary and heroic lineup of bands poised to ensure that the whole beer- drenched extravaganza will be more life-affirming and gloriously debauched than ever before.
Following in the footsteps of metal greats like Twisted Sister, Motörhead, Anthrax, Five Finger Death Punch and Steel Panther, this year’s monumental show-closers will be utterly legendary post-punk mavericks Killing Joke. One of the most revered and critically acclaimed bands of the last 30 years, the mighty Joke, led by the irrepressible and wildly charismatic Jaz Coleman, will descend upon London to bombard us with towering anthems and to mesmerise us with their notoriously formidable stage presence. Expect something approaching a religious experience, but with beer and shots instead of communion wine./o:p
Also performing this year will be Japan’s latest and greatest metallic phenomenon, the seemingly unstoppable Babymetal. As an exclusive treat, the helium-voiced genre-smashers will be joined by power metal comrades Dragonforce for a one-off performance that looks certain to go down in history as one of the most spectacular (and bizarre!) Golden Gods sets in Hammer history./o:p
We are also proud to welcome effervescent outlaws We Are Harlot to the Gods stage. Danny Worsnop’s burgeoning rockers have been one of the most exciting revelations of recent times, and as nominees for our Best New Band award, they will surely be out to impress.
This year’s Golden Gods bill will be completed by Swedish death metal icons At The Gates and mighty crossover thrash legends Suicidal Tendencies. At The Gates are simply one of the most influential metal bands of the last 20 years, not least due to the enduring impact of their 1995 masterpiece Slaughter Of The Soul. Having executed the perfect comeback with last year’s vicious At War With Reality album, the Swedes will be expecting a rapturous reception from a rabid (and righteously pissed) audience on June 15.
Similarly, Suicidal Tendencies have long since earned a reputation as crossover thrash giants and with a catalogue rammed with classics like Institutionalized and You Can’t Bring Me Down, their appearance at this year’s Golden Gods party is guaranteed to be utter bedlam.
Meanwhile, in keeping with our tradition of booking the most metal comperes imaginable, New York’s premier riffmaster Scott Ian will be taking time out from working on the forthcoming new Anthrax album to present this year’s awards ceremony.
“It’s a good thing I just found my Killers t-shirt from 1982 because I can wear it while hosting the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards!” he tells us, while grinning ecstatically. “See you all down there for a night of killer bands, killer booze and killer metal! Hey, there’s a theme developing here…”
The balls-out, iron-plated entertainment is by no means limited to the Gods ceremony itself, of course. Our annual tradition of setting sail down the Thames on HMS Hammer will be honoured once again this summer, and another mind- blowing lineup of bands is poised to make this special aquatic voyage as memorable as always. Head to www.metalhammer.com for full details and coverage of the world’s heaviest boat trip.
Voting for this year’s Golden Gods has now closed, so it’s time to place your bets on who will be walking away with one of our coveted and very shiny trophies on June 15. Our livers are already cowering in abject terror. We will see you all at the bar!
VISIT WWW.METALHAMMER.COM FOR MORE GOLDEN GODS INFO & UPDATES/o:p
FIVE CLASSIC SETS THAT ROCKED THE GOLDEN GODS…/o:p
NIGHTWISH (2004)
Before it all went south for Tarja’s time with the band, the Finnish megaweights put on a sterling show including a rather splendid rendition of classic track, Nemo. They’ve done alright since…
LAMB OF GOD (2007)
Richmond’s finest blew the roof of the joint with a riproaring run through of Redneck so heavy it threatened to bring the universe in on itself. Our teeth are still rattling.
STEEL PANTHER (2010)
Despite having the cheek to drop a Backstreet Boys cover during their performance, the Panther lads were so much fun that we invited them back as headliners four years later! Well played, chaps.
MOTöRHEAD (2013)
One of the greatest bands to ever grace rock’n’roll blitzed the IndigO2 to close out a lineup also boasting the likes of Coal Chamber, Paradise Lost and Five Finger Death Punch. Not bad!
BEHEMOTH (2014)
Completing the band’s comeback following Nergal’s recovery from leukaemia, Behemoth put on a blazing, fire-propelled spectacle for the ages. Horns were thrown. Eyebrows were singed./o:p
