Adam Brennan

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

Korn

The top 10 best Korn cover versions

By Adam Rees published

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 published

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

Deadsy

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

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

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

By Adam Rees published

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

Best Symphonic Albums

The 25 best symphonic metal albums

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

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

Trivium album covers

Every Trivium album ranked from worst to best

By Adam Rees, Rich Hobson published

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

Aborted Maniacult album art detail

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

By Adam Rees published

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

Swallow the sun

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

By Adam Rees published

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

Marvel

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

By Adam Rees published

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

Red Fang – Arrows

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

By Adam Rees published

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

Siren

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

By Adam Rees published

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

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

Hatebreed: Weight Of The False Self

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

By Adam Rees published

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

Unreleased Songs

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

By Adam Rees published

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

Limp Bizkit Guns N’ Roses

10 killer videos of bands playing gigs in Halloween costumes

By Adam Rees published

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

Devin Townsend: Order Of Magnitude Vol. 1

Devin Townsend’s Order Of Magnitude: prog-metal’s greatest showman in full flight on epic live album

By Adam Rees published

Devin Townsend brings the Hawaiian shirts and escapism on effervescent new live album Order Of Magnitude: Empath – Vol. 1

Every Sepultura album ranked from worst to best

By Adam Rees published

The hits, the misses, the buried treasures – this is Sepultura’s mighty back catalogue arranged in order of greatness

Enslaved: Utgard

Enslaved’s Utgard: more fearless expeditions from prog-metal’s Viking visionaries

By Adam Rees published

Prog-metal kings Enslaved soar as high as ever on 14th album Utgard

Kataklysm: Unconquered album sleeve

Kataklysm’s Unconquered: massive hooks and seismic power courtesy of death metal warhorses

By Adam Rees published

Time and a global pandemic cannot wither Canadian veterans Kataklysm on their 14th album Unconquered

Cult Of Lilith open up a new tech-death frontier on stellar debut album Mara

By Adam Rees published

Icelandic debutants Cult Of Lilith rip up the tech death rulebook with debut album Mara

10 essential nu core bands you need to hear right now

By Adam Rees published

Call it nu core, call it The New Wave Of Nu Metal, but this is the most exciting sound of 2020. From Guerrilla Warfare to Tallah these are the bands you need to hear

The best Metallica merch 2020: amazing gifts for the Metallica fan in your life

By Adam Rees published

The best Metallica merch you can buy in 2020, from S&M2 box sets and whiskey to Hetfield guitars and luxury watches

10 times metal hit the headlines for the wrong reasons

By Adam Rees published

The mainstream media doesn’t bother with metal very often. And when it does, it’s usually for a really crazy reason

Septicflesh’s Infernus Sinfonica MMXIX: orchestral death metal gets its own S&M2

By Adam Rees published

Epic death metallers Septicflesh get the orchestral treatment on new live album Infernus Sinfonica MMXIX

The Top 20 best Corey Taylor cover versions

By Adam Rees published

Metal, rock, country, kids’ cartoon themes – there’s literally nothing Corey Taylor won’t cover