"The stage became electrified. It severely shocked two guys in our crew." Avatar cut short London Valentine's show after deeming venue unsafe
Avatar say an electrical issue injured crew members and damaged equipment at London's Exhibition White City
Latest News
Pearl Jam are preparing for a new era, Eddie Vedder declares
Pearl Jam look to life after Matt Cameron
Alanis Morissette and Skunk Anansie added to inaugural State Fayre Festival line-up
Alanis Morissette confirmed as new headliner for "the UK's biggest music and BBQ festival"
"This is a much more insular record." Steven Wilson reveals details of his upcoming studio album
Steven Wilson is expected to release the follow-up to last year's The Overview later this year
Eagles add two more dates to previously announced final four shows at Sphere in Las Vegas
Eagles will now play a total of 58 shows at the 20,000-capacity Sphere as Don Henley talks retirement
Artists
“We have an identity crisis”: Mike + The Mechanics’ history is a bit more rock’n’roll than Genesis’
Spurred on by surprise early success, Mike Rutherford’s band endured a tough time with a demon-haunted singer, then a replacement who expected rehearsals to be all thought and no action
The turbulent story of Mirage – the multi-platinum Fleetwood Mac album no one talks about
Mirage was their attempt to make another Rumours – but at least one band member’s heart wasn’t in it
"When it ended, I asked, “Do you hate it?” How an old rap-rock demo, a Chris Farley skit and an all-star jam helped turn one Canadian pop-punk band into megastars
Deryck Whibley said Sum 41's breakthrough hit was kicking around for 18 months
How Emperor wrote the grandiose anthem that became black metal’s first ‘hit’
Emperor’s most famous song can make grown men cry
Music
The classic 90s album that almost turned Paradise Lost into metal’s next mainstream stars
Paradise Lost’s Draconian Times is one of the key British metal albums of the 1990s
Metal Hammer's tracks of the week: February 13 2026
Corrosion of Conformity, Knocked Loose and a mega Napalm Death/Melvins collab are among the best new metal songs this week
How Sammy Hagar helped Van Halen win the war against David Lee Roth
Van Halen lost a superstar singer when Dave Lee Roth quit the band, but new frontman Sammy Hagar and Foreigner's Mick Jones ensured the loss was short-lived
“It wasn’t working, whatever we tried. It created a negative association”: Why Rush hated Tom Sawyer at first
Geddy Lee committed bass heresy, Alex Lifeson fought for a solo sound, and even the mixing desk wouldn’t cooperate as the band struggled to record what would become their signature song
The story of the mongrel mix that sold a million and became the original rock’n’roll anthem
Sell a million, get a free Cadillac
“If I find him haunting me, I’ll know I did something wrong”: How Cardiacs completed late leader Tim Smith’s album LSD
A brother who took over the band, a singer who struggled to keep the secret and a determination to do exactly what their late leader would have wanted led to the end of an 18-year journey
Tech
Loudest Bluetooth speakers 2026: The best wireless speakers loud enough to shake your foundations
Get the party started with these full-fat, high-wattage Bluetooth speakers from Marshall, JBL, Soundboks and more
Wired headphones are back! Here's my pick of 9 rock-solid companions for your MP3 player, portable CD player or cassette player
It's easy to forget about wired headphones due to the rise in Bluetooth devices, but I've picked out a selection worth a closer look that are both reliable and comfortable
Best vinyl record storage 2026: Look after your vinyl with some of the best storage solutions around
Show your vinyl some love and get everything organised with our record storage ideas that'll keep everything neat and tidy
Best budget wireless headphones 2026: The best cheap wireless headphones that still deliver excellent audio
We've picked from a broad school of budget wireless headphones to find you the best-in-class that don’t break the bank
Latest Reviews
Beers, belly flops and the Bahamas: what it's like on the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise
Anthrax, Paradise Lost, Eluveitie and more packed out this year's 70000 Tons Of Metal
Disney+ review: An all-singing, all-dancing family streaming service with music docs and more
Disney+ is a mecca for family-friendly programming, but also a font of excellent adult-oriented media, music content and more
Paramount+ review: A well-priced streaming service with a host of huge IPs, but not enough music content
This streaming platform is a sometimes-buggy, often-charming collection of nostalgic media and trailblazing TV - but music obsessives might be disappointed
Jay Buchanan is captivating and contrary on Weapons Of Beauty
Rival Sons singer Jay Buchanan’s solo album is full of heart, blues and soul
More from Louder
New horror movie Whistle has a killer soundtrack to match
Director Corin Hardy shares how music played a big part in his killer new horror movie Whistle
Rick Wakeman launches new weekly podcast with comedian Griff Rhys Jones
Rick Wakeman and Griff Rhys Jones will launch new podcast, The Sound Of The Seventy Year Olds, on February 27
How the LA club scene in the 1960s shaped American rock then sparked a revolution
The Doors to a riot: Six months in the life of Sunset Strip
Steve Hackett's on the front cover of the new issue of Prog, on sale now!
Plus Big Big Train, Neal Morse, Karnivool, Darryl Way's Wolf, Happy The Man, Soen, Wolverine, Textures, Tiger Moth Tales, Esoterica and loads more...
No rules. No limits. No quarter. Led Zeppelin: 18 months on the road with the biggest band in the world
Also in Classic Rock 350: Smashing Pumpkins, Michael Monroe, Jay Buchanan, Joan Armatrading, BB King, Ten Years After, The Mission, The Boomtown Rats, Tyketto, Danny Francis, Peter Capaldi and more
