Articles by: Adam Brennan

Rugby, Sean Bean and power ballad superfan Adam has been writing for Hammer since 2007, and has a bad habit of constructing sentences longer than most Dream Theater songs. Can usually be found cowering at the back of gigs in Bristol and Cardiff. Bruce Dickinson once called him a 'sad bastard'.

Articles by: Adam Brennan

Dez Fafara lays his trauma to rest on Devildriver's Dealing With Demons Vol. II

By Adam Brennan published 11 May 23

After 21 years and 10 studio albums, Devildriver are moving on from Dez Fafara's turmoil to find fresh pastures

Periphery V - Djent Is Not A Genre: US progressive metallers prove why they're miles ahead of their peers

By Adam Brennan published 8 March 23

Tech metal pioneers Periphery continue to push boundaries with their seventh album V: Djent Is Not A Genre

Nicolas Cage covered in blood in the movie Mandy

Nicolas Cage on Megadeth, Rob Zombie and Dimmu Borgir: “Black metal gets a bad rap”

By Adam Brennan published 25 January 23

He threw horror nights with Rob Zombie and is up on his Norwegian black metal – Mandy and Renfield star Nicolas Cage is Hollywood’s most metal actor

The 50 best metal albums of 2022

By Rich Hobson published 26 December 22

From Ghost and Slipknot to Zeal & Ardor and Ithaca, these are the best albums of the last 12 months

Best metalcore albums of 2022: Rolo Tomassi/Ithaca/Parkway Drive/Heriot/Bleed From Within

The 10 best metalcore albums of 2022

By Rich Hobson published 17 December 22

From Architects and Parkway Drive to Ithaca and Motionless In White, these are the 10 best metalcore albums of 2022

Parkway Drive's Darker Still: Aussies triumph over darkness and shoot for the stratosphere

By Adam Brennan published 9 September 22

Parkway Drive have contended with Some Kind Of Monster levels of drama, but Darker Still is more akin to The Black Album

Soilwork’s Overgivenheten album review: melodeath meets AOR from Swedish masters

By Adam Brennan last updated 16 August 22

Album review: melodeath veterans Soilwork keep pace with the Swedish renaissance on Övergivenheten

Axl Rose, Jared Threatin and Bruce DIckinson

10 rock and metal tours that went to absolute sh*t

By Chris Chantler, Eleanor Goodman, Stephen Hill, Dom Lawson, Adam Brennan last updated 20 September 22

Onstage meltdowns, backstage fistfights, egg bombardments and empty venues – this is what happens when touring goes horribly wrong

Arch Enemy’s Deceivers: melodeath monarchs deliver the goods on 11th album

By Adam Brennan last updated 26 July 22

Album review: anger, anthems and a few surprises on Arch Enemy’s new album Deceivers

Bleed From Within’s Shrine: Scottish ragers deliver a groove-metal wrecking ball

By Adam Brennan published 28 May 22

Album review: Bleed From Within offer muscle, class and righteous enthusiasm on new album Shrine

The top 10 best Korn cover versions

By Adam Rees published 29 March 22

From Metallica to Poison, Korn are kings of the unexpected cover version – and here are their best

animals as leaders: parrhesia album cover

Animals As Leaders’ Parrhesia album: molten noise meets next-level virtuosity

By Adam Rees last updated 24 March 22

Album review: Animals As Leaders continue to push djent into bold new realms on new album Parrhesia

10 obscure but brilliant 2000s bands who should have been massive

By Rich Hobson, Dave Everley, Kevin Stewart-Panko, Stephen Hill, Adam Rees, Eleanor Goodman published 15 March 22

For every Avenged Sevenfold and Killswitch Engage, there were hundreds of 2000s bands the world has forgotten. Here are 10 who should have been massive

Amorphis' Halo: "A host of anthems that the Finns’ diehard admirers will take enormous delight in"

By Adam Rees last updated 11 February 22

Finnish melodeath veterans Amorphis play to their progressively minded strengths with album #14, Halo

The 25 best symphonic metal albums

By Hywel Davies, Malcolm Dome, Eleanor Goodman, Chris Chantler, Connie Gordon, Spencer Grady, Adam Rees, Jonathan Selzer published 17 November 21

From Delain and Devin Townsend to Celtic Frost, Nightwish and Cradle Of Filth, these are the 25 best symphonic metal releases that saw metal embrace its grandiose side

Every Trivium album ranked from worst to best

By Adam Rees, Rich Hobson published 4 October 21

Looking back over the rollercoaster career of 21st century metal heroes Trivium

Aborted's Maniacult: Belgian death masters swap bloodshed for bombast

By Adam Rees published 7 September 21

Belgium's death/grind gorehounds Aborted go all in on the grandiosity on Maniacult

Swallow The Sun's 20 Years Of Gloom, Beauty And Despair – Live In Helsinki: encapsulating melancholy and might

By Adam Rees published 27 July 21

Finland’s revered miserablists Swallow The Sun hold a majestic commemoration with 20 Years Of Gloom, Beauty And Despair – Live In Helsinki

Metal heavy hitters collide with DC Comics universe on DC Dark Nights: Death Metal

By Adam Rees last updated 14 July 21

Mastodon, Chelsea Wolfe, Chino Moreno and more clash on DC Comics’ multiverse-restructuring soundtrack

Red Fang’s Arrows: stoner sultans take a turn for the weird

By Adam Rees published 3 June 21

Portland weirdbears Red Fang tweak the stoner formula on new album Arrows with impressive results

Chris Jericho wants to save this ’80s metal band from obscurity

By Adam Rees published 25 March 21

Never heard of Siren? Fozzy’s Chris Jericho has – and he wants bring their story to the world with a new documentary

Soilwork: A Whisp Of The Atlantic album cover

Soilwork’s A Whisp Of The Atlantic: melodeath masters take an epic prog detour

By Adam Rees published 9 December 20

Soilwork extend their winning streak on new album-length EP A Whisp Of The Atlantic

Hatebreed’s Weight Of The False Self: bulldozing optimism from hardcore’s moshpit kings

By Adam Rees published 25 November 20

It wasn’t broken, so Hatebreed haven’t fixed it on new album Weight Of The False Self

10 unreleased songs by major metal bands we want to hear right now

By Adam Brennan last updated 21 September 22

We demand Metallica, Slipknot, Slayer and more open up the vaults and let the public hear these lost treasures

10 killer videos of bands playing gigs in Halloween costumes

By Adam Brennan last updated 20 September 22

Limp Bizkit as Guns N’ Roses? James Hetfield as Elvis? Pantera as Kiss? This is how your favourite stars celebrate Halloween

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