Metal Hammer UK1 min read
Saint Agnes
Such is the unwavering defiance of rising East London quartet Saint Agnes that even an initially sparse crowd can’t extinguish their alt punk fire. They barely pause for breath from one blistering wall of sound to the next, with rage-propelled cuts B
Metal Hammer UK6 min read
While She Sleeps
SLEEPS BROTHERS IF TIMING TRULY is everything, then While She Sleeps could be forgiven for feeling hard done by. Their ascension through British metalcore’s ranks since their 2006 inception has been one of slow and incremental gains, from the country
Metal Hammer UK1 min read
Laang
LAANG DESCRIBETHEMSELVES as “black metal from Taiwan based on the trauma of a survivor”. Taiwanese singer and guitarist Haitao Yang started the project in 2018, 18 months after he was declared medically dead; he was shot in the head during an attempt
Metal Hammer UK6 min read
Dragonforce
NAPALM VIDEOGAMES HAVE BEEN good to Dragonforce. There was always a hint of malfunctioning Nintendo about the UK superstars’ ultra-hyper power metal rampage, and they’ve been a reliable soundtrack presence since their appearance on Guitar Hero III ma
Metal Hammer UK2 min read
Bury Tomorrow
STYLUS, LEEDS UK metalcore barnstormers steel themselves for the next big leap IF METALCORE IS a dirty word, no one told the fans crammed into every orifice of Leeds University Union. With Architects, Bring Me The Horizon and Parkway Drive all makin
Metal Hammer UK1 min read
Volcandra
PROSTHETIC Melodic extreme metallers embark on an epic adventure High fantasy meets melodic extremity on Volcandra’s second album. The Kentuckians’ love for Diablo and Conan is clear as the band push their boundaries. Black metal was a keystone infl
Metal Hammer UK2 min read
Malevolence
TRAMSHED, CARDIFF Sheffield’s groove aggressors enter hostile territory DESPITE GENTLEMANLY RIVALRY and camaraderie being central themes to rugby’s appeal, international matchday on a Saturday in Cardiff is still afflicted with an undercurrent of ho
Metal Hammer UK8 min read
The Clash Of The Titans!
It’s the collab we already knew we needed. By the time you read this, the news of Trivium and Bullet For My Valentine’s 2025 co-headline arena tour will have well and truly broken. And the not-so-small print? Not only is it the first time the two ban
Metal Hammer UK2 min read
South Of Salem
O2 ACADEMY, BOURNEMOUTH Bournemouth’s fast-rising hard rock revivalists bask in hometown pride THE GROWING BUZZ around South Of Salem could scarcely feel any stronger than here, in this amusingly wedding cakey venue (originally a Victorian circus) i
Metal Hammer UK4 min read
Blackbriar
WHEN IT COMES to subgenres, symphonic metal can sometimes feel like the very antithesis of modernity, and certainly not one that lends itself to making music DIY-style – not without some deep pockets, or a serious compromise on sound. Enter Blackbria
Metal Hammer UK1 min read
British Lion
BLACK BOX, HASTINGS Playing at the behest of Steve Harris, who once hired and quickly fired him as an early member of Iron Maiden, one-man entertainer TONY MOORE performs an abridged version of his forthcoming prog-rock opus, Awake. Considering that
Metal Hammer UK4 min read
Bring Me The Horizon
Sheffield’s electro-metal behemoths lead the charge into the future OLI SYKES GAZES out at the Manchester AO arena, as if seeing it for the first time. His view from the stage must be magical: thousands of phone lights twinkle and dance, and the atm
Metal Hammer UK2 min read
He’s… A… Kit-ten Loverrrrr
WHEN WE HEARD Judas Priest were releasing a new album, we were thrilled. 2018’s Firepower was a ripping celebration of all that Priest represent, with glossy, modern production and a determined spirit that reflected its title –and Invincible Shield c
Metal Hammer UK2 min read
New Years Day
Half Black Heart CENTURY MEDIA Anaheim’s alt rock icons go back to the future WITH THE ORIGINAL line-up back together, New Years Day have risen from the ashes with a revitalised sound. Visually, their latest release could be straight from 2013, wha
Metal Hammer UK3 min read
Travis Ryan Cattle Decapitation
Some of the venues you played in support of last year’s Terrasite album were 1,000+ capacity –impressive for a band as nasty as Cattle Decap! Was it your most successful year ever? “2022 was the worst year on record personally, but it ended rather am
Metal Hammer UK2 min read
BENTLEY & MOTLEY
Who is this with you? “These are our rescue dogs, Bentley and Motley – our crazy cat Pantera is not pictured.” How did they get their names? “Motley’s name has a cute story. I got her from a wonderful organisation called Motley Zoo, while on tour wi
Metal Hammer UK3 min read
Hoard Almighty
BMG £50 / £75 EVEN IN DEATH, Motörhead are the gift that keep on giving. Retrieved from Lemmy’s vast store of live tape recordings, and eventually identified by notes he’d left behind, the five European concerts collected here, spanning 13 years, hav
Metal Hammer UK1 min readCats
Mervyn
Who’s this? “Mervyn, a not-quite-pedigree British Shorthair cat. He’s named after Mervyn Peake, author of the Gormenghast trilogy.” What’s the best thing about Mervyn? “He’s my animal familiar, and has many magickal abilities such as snoozing upside
Metal Hammer UK1 min read
Per Wiberg
DESPOTZ Melodic meditations from former Opeth keyboardist Per Wiberg’s feeling looseygoosey this time around. The Swedish keyboardist extraordinaire first went solo on 2019’s Head Without Eyes, and it was exactly what you’d expect it to be: the dust
Metal Hammer UK7 min read
Scene Steelers
It’s 6pm in a field in South Yorkshire, and Mat Welsh –guitarist, vocalist and band manager of UK metalcore stalwarts While She Sleeps –has just set a piano on fire. “Let’s have a ritual!” he screeches, like amember of a black metal band, eyes bulgin
Metal Hammer UK2 min readMusic
Metal Allegiance
Metal legends reconvene in the land where dreams come true ADECADE AGO, after medical issues forced Megadeth to pull out of the inaugural Motörboat cruise, a ragtag group featuring members of other acts onboard banded together as Metal Allegiance, f
Metal Hammer UK1 min read
Newt
Who’s this? “Newt, the goat. We have two -Newt and Ripley. I’m a huge Aliens fan.” What’s the best thing about goats? “They’re hilarious and surprisingly sweet. Feeding them bananas and cherry tomatoes is one of the best experiences anyone could ever
Metal Hammer UK1 min read
Daisy
Who’s your companion? “This is Daisy, a miniature Shetland pony.” How did she enter your life? “A friend of Meg’s [Megan Targett, Vexed bandmate/partner] rescues animals and we saw a photo of Daisy and pretty much fell in love with her.” What’s the
Metal Hammer UK2 min read
Cabal
REBELLION, MANCHESTER Denmark’s deathcore deliverers look on the bright side of despair IT’S AGLOOMY Tuesday, but Danish howlers Cabal have managed to lure a healthy crowd into the pits of Manchester’s Rebellion for an evening of monolithic, djent-t
Metal Hammer UK1 min read
Witch Club Satan
SELF-RELEASED Feminist empowerment from Norway’s new black metal coven Amaelstrom of blackened artistry, this Norwegian trio’s stunning debut reverberates with the icepick ferocity of classic Norwegian black metal while infusing it with a fresh, reb
Metal Hammer UK3 min read
Bruce Is A Jedi Now?
Bruce is a Jedi now? Well if anyone could do it, it would be Bruce. Just add it to his other accomplishments. Janet Towater Wickers, Facebook Well Janet, the man has already proven his skills with a sabre, so we suspect they’re fairly transferable t
Metal Hammer UK5 min read
''grime Music Is Punk Music''
As a teenager, Bobby Vylan would hunker down with his PlayStation 2, fiddling with beats on Music 2000 or ripping through high scores on Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. He was baptised by gaming soundtracks, which bombarded him with souped-up songs from Blin
Metal Hammer UK15 min read
Kitt ens Are Metal
Tuyo, the theme song from Narcos, wafts lazily in the background of the dimly lit studio, as Rob Halford, Judas Priest’s iconic frontman, glares through the dark lenses of his aviator sunglasses, his head crowned by a shiny leather cop hat. The photo
Metal Hammer UK9 min read
How The Downward Spiral Changed Everything
In the spring of 1997, US current affairs magazine Time published a cover story on the 25 Most Influential People in America. Nestled unexpectedly among heavyweight names from the worlds of politics, science and sport sat that of a man whose music, t
Metal Hammer UK2 min read
WILHELMINA, RINGO & ARCTURUS
Who’s in your photo? Cammie: “We have our blue tuxedo, Wilhelmina; Ringo our tripod; and Arcturus our Maine Coon.” What’s the best thing about them? Dobber: “Wilhelmina is an absolute psycho, a real cat’s cat, which means she’s amazing and knocks s
…Or Discover Something New