
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'.
Latest articles by Adam Brennan

British metalcore is getting its moment in the sun
By Adam Brennan published
Bury Tomorrow's Will You Haunt Me With That Same Patience reaffirms Bury Tomorrow as modern metalcore heavyweights

Whitechapel just made one of this year's most brutally intense metal albums
By Adam Brennan published
The deathcore veterans have released their heaviest record since This Is Exile

Every Trivium album ranked from worst to best
By Merlin Alderslade published
Rating the storied career of one of modern metal's most important bands as they head out on tour to celebrate 20 years of Ascendancy

The Halo Effect have crafted the first great melodic death metal album of 2025 with March Of The Unheard
By Adam Brennan published
Former In Flames men unite once more to create another blistering set of classic-sounding melodeath anthems

Metal Hammer's 50 best albums of 2024
By Metal Hammer published
From Judas Priest's Invincible Shield to Nightwish's Yesterwynde and Opeth's return to extremity, these are the metal albums that ruled 2024

Every Testament album ranked from worst to best
By Adam Brennan published
Rearranging Testament's back catalogue into order of greatness

Gloomy melodic doom metal veterans Swallow The Sun sneak some welcome optimism into new album Shining - but not too much
By Adam Brennan published
Swallow The Sun's ninth studio album is a subtle wade into lighter waters

10 bad habits every gig-goer makes: How many gig gaffes are you guilty of?
By Adam Rees published
We've all had enough of people chucking beer, chatting throughout the headliner or filming the show right in front of our faces, haven't we?

"Epic lives up to its title, treading the line between imperious grandeur and ridiculous pomposity": new VLTIMAS album lives up to its member's legendary death metal pedigree
By Adam Brennan published
David Vincent, Rune ‘Blasphemer’ Eriksen and Flo Mounier live up to their reputation as extreme metal's leading lights

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: molten noise meets next-level virtuosity
By Adam Rees last updated
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
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
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
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

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'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

Metal heavy hitters collide with DC Comics universe on DC Dark Nights: Death Metal
By Adam Rees last updated
Mastodon, Chelsea Wolfe, Chino Moreno and more clash on DC Comics’ multiverse-restructuring soundtrack

A bunch of top metal drummers interview metal drum legend Gene Hoglan
By Adam Rees last updated

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

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

The Top 20 best Corey Taylor cover versions
By Adam Rees last updated
Metal, rock, country, kids’ cartoon themes – there’s literally nothing Corey Taylor won’t cover

10 times metal hit the headlines for the wrong reasons
By Adam Rees last updated
The mainstream media doesn’t bother with metal very often. And when it does, it’s usually for a really crazy reason

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
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