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September 2026

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359 articles

September 30
- "What an unbelievable honour." Black Sabbath legend Tony Iommi receives MBE at Windsor Castle, releases new single Stormwatcher
- "You can't try to force people into a position." U2's Bono addresses the controversy over rapper Macklemore's removal from Ed Sheeran's US stadium tour following "Free Palestine" speech
- What happened when we went wine drinking with Airbourne in Barcelona. "Lemmy wanted two big bottles of Jack Daniel's, some onion rings and a limousine"
- Slam Dunk and ArcTanGent announce headline acts for 2027
- "Love is like a mental disease that everybody wants to catch… It can feel so damaging when you’re in the middle of it." The story behind Opeth's Sorceress
- “Prog rock is to music what sci-fi is to literature: a desire to further the imagination, to push the music to the edge”: How William Shatner learned to love prog and make an all-star album with all the humanity of classic Star Trek
- Nicko McBrain’s pastor urged him to continue with Iron Maiden despite Satanic panic controversy: “If it’s something God doesn’t want you to do, He’ll let you know”
- "For the first five minutes, it’s euphoria. During the last five minutes, it's hostile – they're throwing quarters at our dicks!" Tom Morello looks back on Rage Against The Machine's infamous naked protest at Lollapalooza '93
- “There’s a ghost of something interesting here. But it would require a séance to discover it”: The story of Pink Floyd’s early movie work
- The complicated, cross-Atlantic story of Black Magic Woman. "If you really like something, you should take the first lines and make up another song"
- "New tunes, new dance moves, new hair hats. Figure it out." A Perfect Circle announce North American tour, share new single To Whom It May Concern
September 29
- A Roger Waters-sanctioned Pink Floyd Show will tour North America next year
- "My dream’s come true!" 16-year-old America's Got Talent winner Nene Royal on performing with Linkin Park, being invited to support Avenged Sevenfold, and how a Deep Purple classic changed her life
- “They gave me a call – ‘You’re out.’ There could have been a bit more dignity. But I got my brother back as a brother”: 20 years after leaving Swedish prog giants Pain Of Salvation, Kristoffer Gildenlöw is still under the shadow of sibling Daniel
- Six essential Rod Stewart albums every rock fan needs in their collection
- “Glorious themes and impressive dynamics from a band willing to take a leap into the unknown”: We dared to choose the 10 best Yes songs of the 70s. Dare you disagree?
- “Don’t expect another Iowa or self-titled record. We’ve been there”: Slipknot’s Jim Root says new album is “gonna hurt some feelings”, agrees with harsh criticism of The End, So Far
- Revealed! The hidden secrets of Iron Maiden's iconic Somewhere In Time album artwork
- "I genuinely don’t know when I’ll play shows again." Frank Turner to take a break from touring following his tenth and final Lost Evenings festival next year
- Little Angels release first new music in more than three decades. "We would never make a new record unless we felt we still had something to say"
- "The album seethes with confidence, intelligence and star quality, the songwriting so packed with pop hooks that their breakthrough to the mainstream makes perfect sense." Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney, and the very best of Sub Pop records
- Life in the fast lane: The triumph and trauma of Faster Pussycat. "And then, without warning, everything collapses and you're left wondering: 'What do I do now?'"
September 28
- "The second Eddie heard our guitars were stolen he insisted I play his." How Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder came to the rescue when a young Irish band had all their equipment stolen on their first American headline tour
- Oasis reveal streaming release date for Don’t Look Back in Anger documentary
- “What they were doing with all the graphics and James Bond stuff, I have no idea. It was just rubbish”: Even Marillion can’t understand their weirdest-ever video
- “Once you realise your existence is futile and life is a random gift, you think, ‘I’m going to make the most of it.’ Life is meaningless – so embrace it”: Steven Wilson looks back at Planet Earth
- Olivia Rodrigo is on a one-woman mission to bring 90s alt-rock to the masses: “I would just play Rage Against The Machine over and over again on my way to and from the studio”
- Get an exclusive Chelsea Wolfe bundle featuring a special magazine cover and limited edition key ring, only with Metal Hammer
- Slipknot announce 2027 world tour - including Wembley Stadium show with Marilyn Manson, Lorna Shore and Hatebreed
- "From Black Sabbath and Metallica to Spiritbox and Castle Rat, we've been proud to fly the flag." Metal Hammer to mark 40th anniversary with year-long celebration including special events, exclusive collaborations and more
- "This brings back so many memories." Watch Nirvana reunite on stage and pay tribute to Kurt Cobain as they accept their MTV VMA Vanguard award
- "The time has come to say farewell." Rod Stewart announces final ever tour for 2027
- Yes to release complete studio recordings from both Keys To Ascension albums, on vinyl for the very first time
- Vinegar Joe's Six Star General: Like a more polite version of Big Brother & The Holding Company. "A competent, professional slab of vocal-heavy, Stonesy blues rock"
- Classic Rock Tracks Of The Week: September 28, 2026
- Oasis instantly sell out all 42 shows on Live '27 tour
September 27
- Botanical Rhapsody: Brian May launches Red Special Gin. "Like the electric guitar, this has to be enjoyed responsibly!"
- Toyah and Robert Fripp unleash sprightly cover of the MC5's incendiary call to arms Kick Out The Jams
- “We had a schism – I liked a lot of punk rock and my guitar teacher hated it. But we agreed on Steve Howe”: American genre-hopper brought dance music to the mainstream, but before that he was all about Yes’ Steve Howe
- Slipknot are teasing some big news – and it involves Wembley Stadium: “If you’re 555…”
- "I remember saying, ‘If the Ramones think they can play fast, watch this!’” How Bad Brains pushed punk to breakneck speeds on their 1980 debut single
- "The sight of Cliff wading into the insane mass of scrapping people with a hammer was legendary." Cliff Burton's hammer, an angry schoolgirl, and the 1984 Metallica show that turned into a mass brawl
- Evanescence’s Amy Lee on the break-ups behind the album that saw her take control of her band – and her life: “I am a control freak. I have to be that way about the band. It’s my art”
- 10 terrible '90s albums by 10 brilliant rock bands
- “Transformation is never gentle. The forces that save us are often the same forces that undo us”: Pure Reason Revolution’s Terrifying Angels came from OCD, anger and heavenly heavies
- “Clown from Slipknot told me I had issues!”: Mudvayne’s Chad Gray on the best tip he got from James Hetfield, the legend of Vinnie Paul and the evils of backing tracks
- The unlikely story of the Bellamy Brothers' happiest hit. "The guy who wrote this song is now the wealthiest roadie ever"
September 26
- How Paul McCartney ended up singing on one of Linkin Park’s biggest hits: “The first time I met Paul, I was terrified that he was going to be disgusted with my bass playing”
- Drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. performs with members of Pearl Jam ahead of band's Ohana Festival slot
- "Sweetheart, we can do this the hard way, or the easy way. Just tell us where you got the drugs." How a thirst for vengeance led Dropkick Murphys to set me up to be arrested for a crime I didn't commit
- “We touch on loss, grief, and how an octopus feels – from deep, sorrowful subjects to the Swamp Thing’s baby”: Mastodon’s transit from triumph to tragedy and back on fifth album The Hunter
- “Lemmy lives with my family, he’s safe with us”: How Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan became an honorary member of Motorhead
- Metal Hammer's tracks of the week: September 25 2026
- Meet punk's best-kept secret: The Bowie-influencing, Ultravox!-inspiring band managed by Iron Maiden man Rod Smallwood
- "A nice, cheerful subject!" Peter Gabriel ponders mortality on new single Face The Wall
- Ritchie Blackmore addresses the reaction to his surprise Deep Purple reunion: “It seemed to go down like I just invented the cure for cancer”
- Watch video for Clutch track Wasted Lands from upcoming album of the same name
- "We were like a laughing stock, but then we weren't. People started taking it quite seriously." How a teenaged Napalm Death condensed the power of grindcore into a 1.316-second song and became Guinness World Record holders
- Blues, drugs, fights, cops, jail, death: the incredible story of The Red Devils. "He had five thousand dollars burning a hole in his pocket, and what he did was stay up for five days straight"
- Soundgarden release official footage of return to live action with Taylor Momsen and Mike McCready
September 25
- Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott on duetting with Taylor Swift on a rock classic – and the lyric they had to change: “Taylor says, ‘I can’t sing that line’, cos it was a bit too risqué”
- "Tony took all his clothes off and was hitting his guitar strings with the crosses that he wore around his neck." The chaotic birth of Black Sabbath's Vol 4, the dark masterpiece that almost destroyed the band
- "The sound of the future is what we're most interested in. It doesn't exist yet. It's ours to make." Every U2 album ranked from worst to best
- Is Ghost’s Tobias Forge secretly recording a new death metal project? “He’s sitting in his studio again and no one’s allowed in. He’s doing something!”
- Master drummer Carmine Appice looks back on his wild career. "He carried knives, he carried guns, he dealt drugs - but his vocals and his lyrics and his songs were fantastic"
- “Sometimes you have to write a song because that’s what you do, but I wasn’t sure I’d make it public”: Peter Hammill is singing is about his dead dog – but what’s his album about?
- Linkin Park’s Unshatter is vulnerable, powerful and one of the best documentaries ever made by a metal band
- Great new prog sounds from The Flower Kings, Lesoir, Crown Lands and more in Prog's brand new Tracks Of The Week
- Jamey Jasta reveals advice from Metallica’s James Hetfield that helped him quit drinking: “you just have to know that you can do a show sober”
- "Serj Tankian’s righteous fury, Kneecap’s confrontational energy and Beartooth’s arena-sized punch all strengthen the songs." Tom Morello's new album is a star-studded affirmation of why he's one of rock's greatest guitarists
- “That’s the way I want to leave – where people ask what would have happened next. Which is always the end to a good film”: Fish’s last Marillion album matched the spirit of his final solo album
- Watch Anika Nilles lose stick during Tom Sawyer fill and recover beautifully
September 24
- U2 announce new album Carnaval de Luz as Bono promises "loud guitars, deep bass, ecstatic rhythms"
- “It came very close to where I wasn’t going to do the album; I didn’t feel that what we’d agreed was fair”: How Pink Floyd made The Division Bell
- "I'd tell people, You don't understand, life as we know it is going to change." Dave Grohl, Trent Reznor, Billy Corgan, Josh Homme, Melissa auf der Maur, Stone Gossard and Chris Cornell on Nirvana's Nevermind, the record that revolutionised the '90s
- “There’s never been a precedent for a show like this”: watch the trailer for Black Sabbath’s Back To The Beginning film – and find out which of the songs performed that day will make the cut
- Watch Linkin Park perform The Emptiness Machine with America’s Got Talent winner Nene Royal at last night’s grand final results show
- Get the ultimate Imminence fan bundle through Metal Hammer: exclusive Axis Mundi double-vinyl, magazine cover, plus sticker set
- “I saw an opportunity to make records the way Kubrick or Hitchcock made movies, where the directors, not the artists, were the focal point”: How The Alan Parsons Project made stunning debut album Tales Of Mystery And Imagination
- Bullet For My Valentine announce new album featuring Lorna Shore’s Will Ramos, debut lead single and title track Social Apocalypse
- "If you were to battle a 12ft colossus, sword in hand, this is the soundtrack you’d choose." Inspired by Elden Ring, Noctule's Extinguish Thy Flame is a black metal epic worthy of the big screen
- “This used to be the final stop-off for the condemned who were being taken to the gallows round the corner”: How Green Lung made 2026’s best Victorian horror-inspired occult metal album
- Canadian lyricist and Rush collaborator Pye Dubois dead at 77
- The complicated, uncompromising life of Angry Anderson. "I might be broke, but I'm really, really happy with the way I turned out"
September 23
- Europe sound renewed and re-energised on Come This Madness. "Steelier, harder and faster, it glimmers like a fresh paint job on a classic car"
- Hayley Williams pays tribute to New Found Glory's Chad Gilbert, her ex-husband, saluting the late guitarist for his positive influence on the pop-punk and hardcore scenes
- "I didn’t care if I died." How cheap drugs, all-night dance parties, the Rolling Stones' producer and fistfuls of "totally punk" attitude inspired the creation of Primal Scream's game-changing, genre-fluid masterpiece Screamadelica
- A beginner's guide to grunge
- "Making this latest record was as close as I’ve come to walking away from the band." Motionless In White's gothic glow-up from awkward outcasts to arena-filling stars who've collaborated with Slipknot and Knocked Loose
- “He had his body painted white and had a death ceremony. Next morning, he found out his ex drummer had died. He said he’d had a premonition about the wrong person”: How Gong’s Daevid Allen prepared for his passing
- Oasis extend their 2027 world tour, adding new shows in the UK, Italy and Germany due to "phenomenal demand"
- “He came into my room with all these drugs falling out his hands”: Iron Maiden’s Nicko McBrain recalls meeting Ozzy Osbourne – and how the Prince Of Darkness saved his life
- Rose Tattoo frontman Angry Anderson dead at 79
- “It’s an ecological storm, a financial storm, a humanitarian storm. We brought this about ourselves, and there’s a sense of shame”: The album that took Marillion back to the top of the charts
- Nine Pat Travers albums to listen to and one to ignore. "A powerful, soulful vocalist, a sterling songwriter and a guitar magus"
- Rush donate $785,000 to secure Neil Peart Memorial in Lakeside Park
September 22
- Dead Kennedys guitarist East Bay Ray diagnosed with Parkinson's disease
- "These really violent kids started to tear the place apart. It was like The Shining, with axes coming through the walls." The Black Crowes frontman Chris Robinson on his band's wildest early show
- Dragonforce announce first album with new singer Alissa-White Gluz, release lead single Hunger Of The Beast: “unlike any Dragonforce album you’ve ever heard, and unlike any metal albums out there”
- Why Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi is Metallica frontman James Hetfield’s ‘riff lord’: “He is the one that has inspired me the most for my rhythm playing and songwriting”
- “I said, ‘I just want to make music. I’ve got my day job. We’re doing 10 gigs a year.’ You’re never going to break through doing that”: How The Pineapple Thief’s Bruce Soord fought off stage fright and became a rock star
- "It was trance robot music for girls. I wasn't interested in the guys at all." The birth of Queens Of The Stone Age, and the dawning of a new age of American rock 'n' roll
- “I don’t want to go cosmic and say I was just channelling something. But the more music I did, there was no stopping it”: Phil Collins on his omnipresent solo era, and what he really thinks of Genesis
- Slipknot appear to tease new tour as cryptic posters pop up across the Americas
- Judas Priest transport London to the golden age of heavy metal with their biggest hits – and lashings of leather: “Breaking The Law is unabashedly joyous and Painkiller lands like a meteor strike”
- Devin Townsend on health, happiness and changing circumstances. "I garden for a lady whose property I live on. That's how I pay the rent, and I love it"
- Slade's movie was supposed to set their career alight: Instead, it put it on the back burner. "We made a film that showed the other side of the rock business, and the public were very shocked by it"
- Nightwish leader Tuomas Holopainen thinks the symphonic metal superstars could continue without him: “Nightwish has always been more than the sum of its parts”
- “I got to a point where whatever shred of liking I had for myself was lost. I was on a fast path to death.” Celebrating Trent Reznor's long, hard road out of hell, as heard on Nine Inch Nails' masterpiece The Fragile
September 21
- Is Carrie Underwood working on a secret rock album with Axl Rose?
- 'Dolly Parton Day' to be celebrated in Nashville and in California on September 25, aka 9/25
- “They were so experimental and complex, they gave me the confidence to try anything”: He influenced thrash icons Metallica and Megadeth – but first prog heroes Gentle Giant influenced him
- Ozzfest confirms US return for 2027
- The albums we’d blast during a zombie apocalypse: “Metallica would give me the energy to headshot long into the night”
- Prog's essential guide to this year's Be Prog! My Friend Festival
- Every Judas Priest album ranked from worst to best: which is the Metal Gods’ finest hour?
- Dave Mustaine reveals how Ozzy Osbourne, Paul Stanley and James Hetfield rallied round him after being diagnosed with cancer: “Hearing from James just as I was about to begin treatment, when I was at a pretty low point, meant a lot to me”
- "We got to hang out with The Rock." How I Stand Alone took Godsmack from nu metal second-stringers to one of America's most popular metal bands
- "One of those 'what if" bands who could have been much bigger than they were." Prog rockers Babe Ruth accidentally become dance music pioneers on First Base
- Classic Rock Tracks Of The Week: September 21, 2026
- “I had a full-on stroke. We thought, ‘Let’s forget it.’ Then I realised, ‘If we don’t release it now I could die. These tracks might never be heard. And I’m of the impression that they’re good’’: Post-rock icons’ 10-year fight for their sixth album
September 20
- Watch William Shatner cover Metallica, Ozzy, Motörhead and more as he fronts his first heavy metal show at the age of 95
- New Found Glory guitarist Chad Gilbert dead at 45. "While we are devastated to lose him, we are so grateful for the incredible life he lived"
- "I walked into the room, and they were all stoned off their tits!" The story of Vivian Campbell's life-changing audition for Dio
- “Lemmy comes over right before the first verse, and he’s right in my face. He’s rubbing his warts on my face!”: The night all of Metallica dressed up as Lemmy to play his 50th birthday gig
- "I'm not real keen on using my music in films." How Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor curated the film soundtrack that changed the '90s, and set him on the path to Oscars glory
- “When I heard Pink Floyd’s The Wall I thought there was no point in writing songs any more because they’d said it all. After a couple of weeks I realised they hadn’t done everything”: Kate Bush and the making of Never For Ever – her first No.1 album
- “I asked Arnold Schwarzenegger if he would do it, and he said ‘Only if you get the best band in the world’”: How Guns N’ Roses teamed up with a Hollywood megastar to make one of the most iconic videos of the 1990s
- Watch Shawn 'Clown' Crahan reveal vision behind video for new Slipknot single Arsenal
- “When they saw me with Metallica, they knew they were getting everything, every ounce of sweat left on that stage”: How Jason Newsted survived Metallica
- Vardis are older and wiser but still party like it's 1979. "I shed a tear when I cut my hair, even though it was dropping out a fair bit"
- Symphonic metal vocalist Amanda Somerville diagnosed with "malignant and aggressive brain tumour"
- “I had no illusions about losing popularity – in fact, I almost did it intentionally. A guy from the label said, ‘Are you crazy?’ I said, ‘Yes, but I assume the consequences’”: John McLaughlin’s career outside the lines
September 19
- Meet Alyssa Bonagura, the Southern storyteller driven by rock'n'roll and rootsy country. "Music has to be the one priority in life"
- 10 obscure but brilliant 90s bands who deserved to be bigger, from the forgotten grunge heroes who Nirvana supported to the ‘radio-friendly Deftones’
- “As much as this isn’t the end, I see the end… I was asking, ‘Do I want to be in this band any more?”: The meaning of Coheed And Cambria’s The Father Of Make Believe
- “They take this plastic mesh, heat it to a volcanic magma temperature and slap it on my face. I thought I was going to have a baby! I went nuts!”: Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine was riding high until he was diagnosed with cancer. This is what happened next
- "There wasn't really anybody playing the stuff we were playing. We were going to go for it and take no prisoners." The story behind the song Iron Maiden by Iron Maiden, from their album Iron Maiden
- Metal Hammer's Tracks Of The Week: September 18 2026
- "It's their first real test as torchbearers for metal's future." Spiritbox beat Sleep Token, Ghost and Bring Me The Horizon to get into arenas - but they're still finding their feet
- Why Starcastle's third album Citadel is a minor masterpiece – even if it sounds just like Yes
September 18
- "It seemed like there were a million people there. The police thought there would be some kind of riot." How a free gig in central London's largest Royal Park became Queen’s unofficial coronation
- “This brings closure… The only guarantee in life is the impermanence of things”: As Lonely Robot slips into the past, John Mitchell focuses on his first album with Asia
- "Another masterpiece from one of modern music’s most essential voices." Sounding like Toris Amos jamming with Alice In Chains and Chelsea Wolfe, Emma Ruth Rundle's These Killing Times is a gorgeous and emotional journey
- The definitive guide to every Soundgarden album, from Ultramega OK to King Animal
- “In 30 years people will look back and say, ‘God, it was so confused.’ There will be solutions to many of our problems. But they’re not going to happen quickly”: David Gilmour’s Rattle That Lock focused on today and tomorrow, not yesterday
- "Moonspell might still be goth metal's best kept secret, but for one night, they feel like the kings of lusty, dark allure." Portugal's biggest metal band make history with a sold-out gig on a royal estate
- Keith Richards joins pop star PinkPantheress, rapper Travis Scott, country giant Morgan Wallen on Grand Theft Auto VI: The Album
- Rising stars Dirty Honey announce third album Catch My Butterfly. "We've made mistakes, gotten over past regrets, lived more, and become better songwriters"
- Cool new prog from Steven Wilson, The Pineapple Thief, Kalandra and more in Prog's brand new Tracks Of The Week
- "I got beat up by the cops for being a metalhead. I bled for this." Five Finger Death Punch's Zoltan Bathory grew up in communist Hungary, but he always dreamed of stardom
- Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson pay tribute to Neil Peart at documentary premiere. "There's a whole side of him that a lot of you don't really know"
- Amy Lee says we have COVID to thank for the greatest album ever made. "Obviously we were all trapped inside, but he made an incredible piece of art"
- Pink Floyd to release special San Tropez orange vinyl reissue of Meddle for National Album Day
September 17
- A beginner’s guide to stoner metal
- Anthrax return with new album Cursum Perficio after a decade-long drought. "The variety is hugely impressive, the delivery a hundred per cent on-point"
- “They can steal pretty much everything. They haven’t figured out a way of stealing the live experience. And they still have to pay for that!” Adrian Belew on survival, orchestra music and Frank Zappa
- 4 Non Blondes’ hitmaker Linda Perry’s life and career explored in new film Let It Die Here - here’s how to watch it from anywhere
- How a Bruce Hornsby song about deep-seated racism in the South became an unlikely No.1 with an unexpected afterlife. "It was a complete fluke. Nobody thought it was gonna be anything"
- “Before our first show, I thought I was going to die!” The new issue of Metal Hammer features Nightwish on the cover
- “No matter how bad it gets, you can create something out of the dregs of your life”: The wild past and crazy transformations of Rory – rock’s new “ADHD bitch”
- “I like a picture that makes you uncomfortable. It’s gross, but you look anyway”: Tool’s first 20 years of being regarded as freaks, malcontents or psychopaths
- Hanoi Rocks announce The Complete Collection 1981-1984. "I recommend this box set to everybody!" says Michael Monroe
- “We don’t write fast – that’s the nature of progressive metal. We’re not going to put an album out every 18 months. So we wanted to make this as big a deal as possible”: When TesseracT went super-conceptual with War Of Being
- Judge set to preside over sexual assault lawsuit against Aerosmith's Steven Tyler stands down two weeks ahead of scheduled trial
September 16
- Metallica's M72 tour returns - with the support act they thanked for 'raising the bar' back on board
- Nine Warren Zevon albums to listen to and one to avoid. "A rare artist who was defined as much by his flaws as by his successes"
- “We all grew up with The Kinks, Beatles, Stones: three-minute blasts. It’s just we weren’t very good at it!” Phil Collins recalls Genesis’ surprise when 23-minute track Supper’s Ready actually worked
- “What I feared most when parting ways with Brent was that he’d pass away”: How Mastodon survived two of the worst years of their lives and rebuilt the band from the ashes of tragedy
- Brian May is weighing up the pros and cons of an Abba Voyage-style avatar show for Queen. "The doors are open, but I don't know if we're gonna walk through."
- Ozzy and Black Sabbath’s Back To The Beginning movie is finally being released in October: “There’s never been anything like that that’s happened in the history of rock and roll!”
- Kelly Osbourne reveals the final conversation she had with dad Ozzy: “He got to say goodbye. And then he let go.”
- Trainspotting director Danny Boyle wanted to reunite the original Undertones and Sex Pistols line-ups to play the 2012 Olympics opening ceremony
- Nightwish got blamed for ugly Tarja Turunen split “for good reason”, Tuomas Holopainen admits: “It was like we were these evil neanderthals who’d hurt our wonderful ex-singer”
- "Jason and I have committed ourselves to creating a final Enid recording." The Enid announce their retirement from touring and one final album
- “He had a cast of a human skull, because he was interested in the occult”: the life and legacy of At The Gates’ Tomas Lindberg, the godfather of melodic death metal
- Ian Gillan reveals all about Ritchie Blackmore's recent Deep Purple cameo. "It was a public demonstration of friendship and good memories"
- Attention, earthlings! Watch alien duo Angine de Poitrine debut new song Zugzegk on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon
September 15
- Def Leppard launch new box set with previously unreleased cover of The Beatles' Revolution
- "You're an idiot!" Fleetwood Mac producer reveals which member of the band tried to strangle him during the recording of Rumours classic Go Your Own Way
- I experienced the new Ozzy Osbourne Haunted House attraction at Universal Studios, and it's far from the lazy cash-in you might have feared
- Every Deftones album ranked from worst to best: three decades of brilliance from the world's sexiest metal band
- “We still have to decide if it’s any good. It’s been very interesting to come back to work”: Could a cult prog band with Roxy Music, Gong and Robert Wyatt connections return five decades on?
- Oasis: Don't Look Back In Anger might be the best film ever made about music's ability to emotionally impact vast crowds. It's also brilliant, Olympic-level marketing for 2027's biggest tour
- Evanescence's biggest ever London show is a triumphant spectacle powered by Amy Lee, an iconic team-up and some all-time anthems
- "I am not a Nazi. I have never considered myself a Nazi, and I never will." Slaughter to Prevail vocalist Alex Terrible addresses far-right accusations again in lengthy Instagram post
- "I was concerned Ozzy was going to blow himself out." Why Tony Iommi initially didn't want to play Black Sabbath's final show - or record a new Sabbath album
- Satyricon once played their heretic black metal at a Norwegian fashion show: “I have no idea who came up with the idea!”
- Why the Flamin' Groovies will never forget the night they met the Sex Pistols. "They stole our passports, five thousand pounds in cash and my fuzz-tone pedal"
- "I’d go into a record shop and I’d want Blodwyn Pig and Wishbone Ash and Traffic and Soft Machine – but which one do you choose?": Punk pioneer Captain Sensible loved plenty of prog... but had to hide it
- Billy Morrison's wild tales of Ozzy Osbourne, Lemmy, Billy Idol, Nick Cave and more. "Inbetween soundcheck and the gig, he takes some mushrooms and smokes the strongest weed"
September 14
- David Lee Roth and Alex Van Halen reunite for TEDx event. "This is a step towards world peace"
- "Sometimes peaceful protest is not enough. Kicking a few shop windows in helps as well." How Muse aimed to fight the power with The Resistance
- The bizarre ’80s supergroup that links the Misfits, Yngwie Malmsteen and Skid Row: “We wanted Bruce Dickinson to sing for it!”
- “They were forming chords from tapping beer bottles, tearing newspapers for a rhythm, letting off aerosol cans for a hi-hat”: Was Pink Floyd’s attempt to make an album from found sounds just a delaying tactic?
- Oasis announce mammoth Live '27 world tour. "After a period of reflection 'The Most Damaging Pop Cultural Force In Recent British History' has declared itself fit for purpose and will once again return to lift the spirits of the people."
- “It’s very much a band, which is sometimes a frustration. That’s why I do solo projects as well”: When Porcupine Tree made The Incident
- Sick Of It All guitarist Pete Koller addresses the band’s future following his brother Lou’s death: “Before Lou passed, he said a couple of things that he wanted us to do”
- Every Oasis album ranked from the worst to the best: the Gallagher brothers' songs that will live forever
- "My first crush was this little Amish boy." Lzzy Hale and Joe Hottinger talk covers records, hair care and the Halestorm songs they've definitely played too much
- Halloween director John Carpenter wants to make a Metallica music video
- My Chemical Romance bring King Diamond onstage to ‘knight’ them in Texas: “Anyone can be a dictator, but not everyone can be a king!”
- Gentle Giant's Octopus represents all of progressive rock's virtues. "A uniquely complex and challenging band to get into"
- Classic Rock's Tracks Of The Week: September 14, 2026
- Rick Springfield reflects on killing a man during trip to entertain troops in Vietnam. "It's hard for me to face that I was responsible for the end of a life"
- Dead Boys guitarist Cheetah Chrome dead at 71. "A one-man hurricane tearing up the musical landscape with his feral guitar riffs and manic energy"
September 13
- “Dismissed as bland, complacent and of the establishment, it was now outsider music. If you wanted to be a true rebel, you came out as a prog fan”: Five essential neo-prog albums of the 80s
- The chaotic birth of Guns N’ Roses and the wild road to Appetite For Destruction: “If Axl thought someone was looking at him weird, he would just haul off and smack ’em”
- “A lot of people think they’ll lose their jobs if they get creative. But our career is based on doing what we want”: When Opeth gambled on their future by ditching metal and embracing prog on Heritage
- “David Bowie said to me, ‘Don’t let any promoter, agent or manager tell you what to do. They don’t have the imagination’”: The classic Rick Wakeman album inspired by a mythical king, Ziggy Stardust and a heart attack
- Zombie metal lunatics Dominum are here for everyone who loves Sabaton, Ghost and The Walking Dead: “There’s pirate bands, there’s Viking bands, why is there no zombie band?”
- The unhinged techno-rock anthem that sounds like ‘Satan’s own spin class’ and saved a rock legend’s life: “We were originally supposed to be doing the song with Axl Rose, but he didn’t turn up”
- "Whatever they're on, I want some!" That time Slade legend Noddy Holder reviewed Red Hot Chili Peppers, Smashing Pumpkins, Oasis, Nick Cave and more for a UK music magazine
- Nicko McBrain would be “delighted” to drum on Iron Maiden’s next album – on one condition
- New Slipknot track Arsenal "not really representative" of songs that will appear on upcoming album
- In 1989 the Berlin Wall fell, the Chinese Army turned on student demonstrators in Tiananmen Square, and Steve Hogarth replaced Fish in Marillion
- Flesh & Blood: the story of the short-lived melodic rock supergroup who made a classic blues-rock album then disappeared
September 12
- Mastodon slam "meritless lawsuit" which claims band used late Brent Hinds' likeness to promote new album
- "Overcoming darkness is a beautiful thing": How My Chemical Romance battled ghosts, addiction, the Daily Mail and Kasabian to take over the world with The Black Parade
- “We were one of the first bands to take punk and mix it with glam and metal. We started a whole new trend”: How Motley Crue created the album that invented 80s hair metal with help from an ex-construction worker and Queen’s producer
- "There was a giant, red welt on my chest, and at my feet there was a huge pig’s foot with a big toenail on it." How the world's weirdest band went from cult outsiders to MTV mainstays
- Metal Hammer's tracks of the week: September 11, 2026
- “The album sold poorly, partly because the band didn’t tour it – it was impossible to play live”: The genius of Talk Talk’s Spirit of Eden
- "Not quite the glorious showstopper it could have been." Are Anthrax nearing the end? If so, new album Cursum Perficio is a solid if imperfect send-off
- What Motörhead legend Lemmy thought of AC/DC icon Bon Scott. "Some bands you see, and you just know. The Beatles were one. AC/DC were one of those bands."
- Steve Rothery on playing Pompeii, side projects and the future of Marillion. "At our ages, I don't see us working beyond six more years"
- “It’s really ironic. The spirit has been missing for some time, though we did a good job of camouflaging it”: Mike Portnoy was right – Dream Theater needed to change. No one thought they’d do it without him
- Legendary drummer Carmine Appice on writing Rod Stewart’s biggest hit on a drum machine – and then getting fired: “I don’t know why it happened, and neither does he. Somebody didn’t like the fact that I was the second-most popular person in the band”
September 11
- "We were codependent junkies, feeding and fueling each other’s addictions. Ultimately, we had grown apart." Dave Mustaine reflects on firing David Ellefson, and recalls the moment he found out about those explicit videos
- "I'm lying in a pool of blood, vomit, glass and snot, and I feel this acrid breath close to my face, and it's Lemmy going, You’re a lightweight, you’ll never make it." Day-drinking with Motorhead legend Lemmy was not for the faint-hearted
- “Things come more difficult to him than to anyone I’ve ever met…he doesn’t con himself into thinking he knows what he’s doing”: Peter Gabriel, in the words of his collaborators and admirers
- "We simply refuse to play into the hands of these terrorists.” The story of Slayer's God Hates Us All and the darkest day in American history
- "We almost ended up in a Prague prison." I Prevail's Eric Vanlerberghe on card games, working with Lzzy Hale and finding strength after losing his best friend
- Oasis tease huge summer 2027 tour with drones display over Manchester
- Top new prog from Lonely Robot, Kompendium, Giant Sky and more in Prog's brand new Tracks Of The Week
- "His boss rang him to tell him, You're all over the internet." Man pleads guilty to outraging public decency after admitting having sex on ferris wheel at Download 2026
- Steven Wilson announces new album, Requiem For A Village, and shares title track
- “I don’t mess with mescaline any more. I did enough acid back in the day.” How Mastodon made a psychedelic prog metal masterpiece with Blood Mountain
- "It’s a surprise." Bruce Springsteen has not one, but two new albums in the pipeline
- Return of the Iron Man: Exclusive Tony Iommi interview, only in the new Classic Rock
- That movie about Toyah and Robert Fripp's viral Sunday Lunch success is still in production
- "It's the cost of fighting a debilitating disease and winning." Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine reveals the damage chemotherapy caused while he was being treated for throat cancer
September 10
- “This is like Black Sabbath opening for Green Day”: After collaborating with everyone from Elton John to Hayley Williams, Turnstile tap Florida death metal heroes Obituary to support them later this month
- “Brand name is everything. Roger Waters found out the hard way when he left Pink Floyd!” When Steven Wilson took a big risk on his first solo tour
- How Descendents' Milo Goes To College created the blueprint that Green Day, The Offspring, Blink-182 and more took to the bank
- Every Slipknot album ranked from worst to best: over 25 years of heavy metal's angriest band
- "Only in Seattle do we get football with a side of grunge.” Soundgarden perform at Seahawks NFL half-time show with The Pretty Reckless' Taylor Momsen and Pearl Jam's Mike McCready
- “I was transfixed by what was happening before my eyes. My mind was racing, telling me to dig out my keyboard, which I hadn’t touched for five years”: Yes co-founder Tony Kaye’s 20-year journey to release his album about 9/11
- The Meffs deliver a confrontational, triumphant performance on Business. "One of the greatest young songwriters in the UK today"
- Bruce Springsteen launches impassioned Land of Hope and Dreams American Tour video. "We rocked the house from one end of the country to the other, and we spoke up in defence of our Constitution, our Bill of Rights, and our sacred democracy"
- A beginners guide to '90s hardcore
- Bryan Adams announces new album How's It Goin', a "deeply personal musical love letter to Canada"
September 9
- Watch Evanescence and Poppy play their Spiritbox crossover End Of You live for the first time ever
- “In the early days of Genesis, audiences walked out during songs that later became classics. For artists, life is a coconut shy with yourself as the coconut”: Steve Hackett’s stoic reaction to the solo track that split his fans
- Why Queens of the Stone Age's second album Rated R is a modern classic
- Audio masters Pro-Ject bring the “mechanical soul” of the open road to the home with new Harley-Davidson turntable
- Slipknot surprise release brand new song Arsenal: "It is absolutely a pummelling experience" says Corey Taylor
- "Give it some big heavy metal balls." Rob Halford opens up about the classic tracks, the hard times and the lack of compromise that forged Judas Priest's identity
- Supertramp's surviving members launch new partnership website
- "Tom Scholz is the Donald Trump of rock ’n’ roll. He’s not horrible, but he’s a narcissist." Former Boston drummer hits out at bandleader Tom Scholz
- Every Metallica album ranked from worst to best: 45 years of the biggest band in heavy metal history
- R.E.M.'s New Adventures In Hi-Fi turns 30 today. Here's why it's Michael Stipe's favourite R.E.M. album
- "British heavy metal is alive, well and out of its mind." Britain's answer to Ghost? New Green Lung album Necropolitan is packing massive riffs, occult themes and killer choruses
- The mysterious woman who appeared on the cover of Black Sabbath's debut album has released a rock opera
- “Prog was a dirty word. But so much music of the time was inspired by Yes, Genesis and King Crimson, and no one was talking about it. So I spoke up to buck that trend”: Elbow only made it by reconnecting with their progressive roots
- "By 12th grade, people gave us a certain amount of respect. But we were never rock stars, just the weird guys who did music." The story of Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo's high school prog metal band Avant Garde
September 8
- Previously unreleased Van Halen recording to be released with limited edition Alex Van Halen book
- “I’ve heard Robert Fripp say no to everybody. David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, you name it, he always has an excuse not to play… He’s a wonderful husband but professionally it’s done me no favours”: Toyah Willcox is more than just Mrs King Crimson
- "We were so loud. You could see blood coming out of people’s ears." The strange but true story of Attila, Billy Joel's pre-fame metal band, and "the worst album ever made"
- A backstage pass to the 2025 Oasis reunion tour – here's how to watch the new film Don’t Look Back In Anger
- Steven Wilson launches Requiem For A Village website and shares video trailer
- Watch fiery footage of Slayer performing Reign In Blood in full as they kick off 40th-anniversary celebrations
- Did Phil Collins really just click with Genesis? “In their school they weren’t allowed a guitar. At mine, I’d bring my records in and the teacher would say, ‘Can you hear me over this music?!’”
- Spiritbox debut new song Mourning ahead of European tour kickoff this week
- The man who changed the world for everyone: A guide to Elvis Presley's best albums
- More than just a speed merchant: Why you should listen to Yngwie Malmsteen's Odyssey
- Watch ex-Arch Enemy singer Alissa White-Gluz’s Blue Medusa make live debut at surprise show also featuring Kreator and Heaven Shall Burn
September 7
- "This comment is so unnecessary at this time in our lives, but I guess the truth hurts." Sammy Hagar responds to Alex Van Halen calling him "a complete idiot"
- "They don’t want these tapes to be sold... They want them back in their possession." Oasis 'unhappy' about upcoming auction of recordings worth over one million pounds
- "Most bands are scared of ridicule - we embrace it." Every Muse album ranked from worst to best
- 70,000 Tons Of Metal 2027 tickets go on sale, with 30 of 60 bands for the Caribbean metal cruise confirmed
- “People say, ‘Musicians are mad because they can’t gatekeep any more.’ I don’t want to gatekeep anything. The joy is the creative process, not likes and comments”: TesseracT and Chimp Spanner side project is a battle against AI and mental issues
- An emotional Jon Bon Jovi lights up London on his band's triumphant return to England's national stadium
- Steve Hackett stars in brand new Kompendium video for Lilly
- “A true one-of-one human being in every aspect of life”: metal, hardcore, wrestling worlds pay tribute to ex-Every Time I Die guitarist Andy Williams after shock death aged 48
- “This is what we just finished recording the new record with…”: Korn have recorded drums (and maybe more) for their long-awaited new studio album
- “The biggest challenge was not to come off like Tenacious D. It could easily be interpreted as some form of parody”: How Primus made an album about goblins and rainbows while trying not to mention goblins and rainbows
- "Plenty of gas in the tank, but it's content to drive along the highway well within the speed limit." Stephen Stills finds catharsis and commercial success on the sprawling debut from Manassas
- "I spoke to him the night before he passed. The next day, gone." Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi recalls heartbreaking final conversation with Ozzy Osbourne
- Classic Rock's Tracks Of The Week: September 7, 2026
September 6
- The Darkness announce best-of album and tiny London celebration show. "Crock Of Hits will hold you as you tremble. And gently force you to succumb to its aural splendour"
- “I wanted to retrieve my late grandma’s voice for my mum. Then I realised what she was really talking about”: How The Anchoress found a new way of dealing with trauma from a long-lost tape
- "You could buy them at any novelty store. Nobody tried to name him. He just became the Not Man." The story of the '80s toy which accidentally became Anthrax's iconic mascot
- "I’m the only guy who wears a mask but still has a face." From black metal pioneer to dungeon synth's resident goblin, this is what it's like to be Mortiis
- “Had we started a little earlier we might have survived. Yes and Genesis got through punk, but we hadn’t gotten to that point”: Gryphon, the unique band who forgot about themselves
- Former Every Time I Die guitarist and AEW wrestler Andy Williams dead at 48
- "Mal said, C’mon, let’s go and find the Loch Ness monster!" The night that AC/DC's Brian Johnson and Malcolm Young tried to lure mythical beast 'Nessie' out of hiding
- AC/DC Toronto show in doubt after venue suffers significant storm damage
- The story of Jimi Hendrix's unforgettable Voodoo Child (Slight Return). "Don't forget that I had an artist who was an absolute genius, so it made life a lot simpler"
- How Mark Kozelek turned Bon Scott's AC/DC songs into haunted folk ballads. "Malcolm Young heard the record and liked it. Brian Johnson was supportive of it as well"
September 5
- "The producer didn’t like the song. He thought it was boring trite rock – like a Swedish ZZ Top or something." How The Hives re-released a two-year-old single and became overnight stars
- "A collection of songs befitting the pervasive doom of 2026, but earwormy enough to make you glad you exist." President's debut Blood Of Your Empire justifies the hype
- How Soundgarden's Louder Than Love ruined my love life, but opened my mind
- "We were looking to help Norway burn some more churches." Glass wounds, grief, and a broken back: The brutal creation of Slipknot's Iowa
- A metal fan’s guide to hard rock pioneers Deep Purple: “You needed something to stick out those days, and loud worked”
- Metal Hammer's tracks of the week: September 4 2026
- “I’ve never done hallucinogenic drugs, but now it feels like I have”: Metal Hammer writers name their best festival sets of the summer
- “He was always trying to leave. We took him to court a few years ago and it was actually quite nice to see him”: If you’re reading this, Roger Hodgson, your old friends from Supertramp would love to hear from you
- The time Johnny Rotten tried to join Krautrock pioneers Can: “He was phoning and leaving messages at night. And I had to tell him, ‘It’s too late’”
- “Everybody knows who Michael Jackson is – and I feel like Ozzy is pretty close to that too”: The iconic metal album Jason ‘Jay And Silent Bob’ Mewes wishes he had made
- Meat Loaf's Bat Out Of Hell: The story behind rock's most crazed death ballad. "Dire Straits may be good, but it just doesn't do it for me. I was attracted to Hieronymus Bosch"
September 4
- “We were the band nobody wanted to book”: the twisted story of the first American black metal band
- “Mindblowing antithesis of the era’s knuckleheaded rap-rock”: When Candiria’s sound of New York City played Tool, Meshuggah and Devin Townsend at their own game
- "Now I can step back. Congratulations." Journey frontman Arnel Pineda hints at exit as the hard rock legends invite tribute band vocalist onstage at two Japanese shows
- Every Iron Maiden album ranked from worst to best: 50 years of the greatest heavy metal band on the planet
- Cool new prog you need to hear from Downes Braide Association, Clive Nolan, North Sea Echoes, The Ocean and more in Prog's brand new Tracks Of The Week
- The Stooges and MC5 birthed punk almost 60 years ago, now Prostitute are making it subversive and dangerous once more
- Not seen Arch Enemy’s new singer in the flesh yet? Watch pro-shot video of the melodeath band’s 85-minute Summer Breeze 2026 headline set
- Get a unique, crystal-clear double-vinyl version of Rick Wakeman's new album and a signed issue of Prog here!
- Airbourne blaze back on a wave of pent-up desire and nostalgia on album featuring Bryan Adams and Mutt Lange
- “We said, ‘You can’t release it. This is his album, not ours. It will ruin our career.’ And that’s exactly what happened”: This 1969 experiment went horribly wrong – but it deserves to be reconsidered
- The Wakemans, uncensored, grace the cover of the new issue of Prog, on sale now!
- Celebrate 25 years of System Of A Down’s Toxicity with this stunning amber vinyl – and a 7” single featuring a long-lost bonus track
- The Sheepdogs: On the road with a band who wield retro tastes like superpowers. "I wish we could play in '73. But that's not gonna happen, so we'll just keep rocking and finding our people"
- "Everyone is tired of these fake personas and people glorifying lifestyles that seem unobtainable." Headwreck have the cure for a world burned out on algorithms
- Squeeze issue statement after worker dies at venue
September 3
- “My role in the black metal scene is probably exaggerated, because I was a visible frontman… In many ways I was just the nerd making music”: Ihsahn has never stopped progressing, and can’t understand why others did
- "The tempos are often breakneck and the dense arrangements tumble like bricks into hot cheese." Here are the 10 best songs from John 'Speedo' Reis' 10 bands including Rocket From The Crypt, Hot Snakes, Sultans and Drive Like Jehu
- "I did not commit a crime." Former Turnstile guitarist Brady Ebert denies attempted first-degree murder, promises to press charges against police, prosecutors and his own attorneys
- "We were trying to poison the mainstream." How a 17-year-old schoolboy who played guitar "like the devil" saved one of Britain's best-loved bands, and stole David Bowie's heart
- “I thought it would never amount to much, and it certainly wouldn’t interfere with the band. How wrong I was!” Steve Howe’s pre-Yes band were derailed by a single their vocalist was never meant to sing
- Fontaines D.C. announce UK stadium and outdoor shows and two huge homecoming gigs in Ireland
- Roger Daltrey comes clean on The Who's drummer problems. "It's never been the same since Keith died. I can't pretend it has"
- Brütal Legend 2 is finally happening – if the game’s developer can raise $100 million: “We’d love to do it, but a game like that requires significant funding”
- Hear metal queen Doro Pesch uncork heavy cover of Fleetwood Mac’s Go Your Own Way featuring Whitesnake and Sepultura members
- Bring Me The Horizon follow in Metallica, Linkin Park and Slipknot's footsteps as they add one of their songs to Fortnite Festival
- Saxon launch Gods Of Thunder album and release epic title track. "A mighty tale of Celtic mythology, packed with the spirit and power of true heavy metal"
September 2
- Listen to long-lost Phil Lynott song Can't Get Away
- "All the shows we performed on this small tour were extraordinarily vulnerable. We hope that translates." Yeah Yeah Yeahs release live Royal Albert Hall album and concert film
- 10 obscure but brilliant 70s bands who should have been huge
- “When you’re friends first and the music comes later, you know it’s non-competitive”: Steve Hackett and Steve Rothery aimed to prove two guitarists can share a studio without dissolving into a duel of overplaying egos. Did they do it?
- "His dad would come home from his night job and he had to sleep in the daytime. When he and his brother were too loud, his dad would give them military punishment." What exactly is Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl whispering on Everlong?
- "Shared generational trauma was the only thing that was ever going to come out of us." How djent, gospel and personal turmoil inspired the UK’s most exciting new post-hardcore band
- Get the new issue of Metal Hammer with a Motionless In White cover and a UK-exclusive red vinyl copy of new album Decades
- “Equal amounts extreme anxiety and unbelievable pleasure”: Mastodon look back on the pressure and delight of playing Black Sabbath’s final show
- "People still ask me when I'm gonna join them. Once a week, some **** will message me." Are Gallows hinting at a reunion with Frank Carter?
- “We got dropped by our manager, our publisher and our label. The grand project suddenly didn’t seem quite right”: Steven Wilson and Tim Bowness once gave themselves an hour to write a No-Man song. Another time, they took 25 years
- The story of Roundabout by Yes and the record company interference that made it successful. "We were shocked at first, but now I think it was a gift"
- Every Rolling Stones album ranked from worst to best: Six decades of recordings from 'the greatest rock'n'roll band in the world'
- “When life is difficult to process, you feel like you’re the crazy one”: Jay Weinberg opens up on therapy following Slipknot firing
September 1
- "When I came back, my desk was covered in flowers. That's who Bon Scott was." The story of a friendship with a golden-hearted charmer
- "No punishment. No investigation. Carry on, patriots.” United States Secretary of Defense told Army Chief of Staff to stand down over Kid Rock helicopter flyby investigation
- “I was keen to get a new audience. It took me until album number three before I found an identity”: The adventure of Peter Gabriel’s first four solo records
- "We recorded 12 songs in five days. It’s not as hard as you think." Punk rock supergroup Fake Names share Until It's Normal, the first song taken from upcoming album Punk Ruins
- Mastodon fans! Get a t-shirt unavailable in the shops and an exclusive Metal Hammer cover, only through Louder
- The 10 heaviest metal breakdowns of all time
- “A moment we’ll remember forever”: symphonic metal stars Epica to celebrate 25th anniversary with Royal Albert Hall extravaganza in 2027
- “All the faders had been moved and knobs turned, despite the studio being locked and alarmed. Somebody – something – had moved everything”: Jethro Tull’s early 80s featured a haunted studio, nuclear evacuation cars on standby, and a tasteless stage trick
- Rush add more dates to Fifty Something tour. "Life is nothing if not surprising, and we're doing fine and having a blast"