Articles by: Dannii Leivers

Danniii Leivers writes for Classic Rock, Metal Hammer, Prog, The Guardian, NME, Alternative Press, Rock Sound, The Line Of Best Fit and more. She loves the 90s, and is happy where the sea is bluest.

Articles by: Dannii Leivers

"There’s not a ray of sunshine or hope in this album": Svalbard explain why new album The Weight Of The Mask is their darkest yet

By Dannii Leivers published 24 September 23

British post-hardcore heroes Svalbard say new album The Weight Of The Mask is all about facing inner demons

“To protect your freedom, you have to be active": How Within Temptation's new album Bleed Out was inspired by a world in crisis

By Dannii Leivers published 22 September 23

Within Temptation's new album Bleed Out is their most fired up to date, proving there's much more to them than just being "the symphonic band"

“As a child I had people harass us with their big Confederate flag when we were driving from a theme park." Oceans Of Slumber take a stand

By Dannii Leivers published 4 September 23

Against a backdrop of physical storms and political unrest Texan prog metallers Oceans Of Slumber stand up to be counted with 2020's self-titled fourth album

Avenged Sevenfold caused a lot of trouble near the start of their career

“I should’ve died of alcohol poisoning!” How Waking The Fallen catapulted Avenged Sevenfold to international fame and new levels of debauchery

By Dannii Leivers published 26 August 23

On August 26, 2003, Avenged Sevenfold went from underground punks to metalcore superstars with Waking The Fallen. Then the following tour tested their will to survive…

"It was a beautiful scar on the metal world." How Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, Korn and the rest took nu metal from hated subgenre to the biggest thing on Planet Earth

By Dannii Leivers published 16 August 23

Nu metal may have been shunned by metal elitists, but it took heavy music to the masses like never before, or since

Photos of death metal bands Coffin Mulch and Brainbath, and the Scottish flag

“Fans haven’t seen something like this since the late ’80s”: Meet the new bands making Glasgow the UK’s death metal capital

By Dannii Leivers published 26 July 23

Upstarts like Brainbath and Coffin Mulch, plus a host of local venues and labels, are making western Scotland a hotbed for ’80s-style death metal madness

"We got stones thrown at us". Sahil ‘Demonstealer’ Makhija helped India finally embrace heavy metal - but the scene is facing more challenges than ever

By Dannii Leivers published 2 July 23

The Godfather Of Indian Metal, Sahil ‘Demonstealer’ Makhija has overcome many obstacles to get the music he loves appreciated in his homeland. Sadly, plenty more remain

The best metal albums of 2023 so far

By Rich Hobson published 30 June 23

Metallica, Babymetal and Sleep Token are among the best albums of 2023 so far - and there's more to come

...To Be Loved: Why Papa Roach ditched nu metal and went glam to save their career

By Dannii Leivers published 28 June 23

Papa Roach swapping chains and baggy jeans for feathered hair and eyeliner was a gamble, but it paid off handsomely

Kittie's Brackish: the accidentally feminist nu metal anthem that should have made four young women superstars

By Dannii Leivers published 28 June 23

Kittie's empowering debut single Brackish gatecrashed the nu metal boys' club...but somehow didn't take them to the top

Lorna Shore's Will Ramos: "I'd love to collaborate with Sleep Token"

By Dannii Leivers published 9 June 23

Lorna Shore vocalist Will Ramos answers fan questions on influences, collabs and how long he will be able to scream

Amy Lee: "It took a long time to get respect for being a creator and not just the 'pretty face'"

By Dannii Leivers published 5 June 23

Evanescence's Amy Lee reflects on childhood tragedy, nu metal and 20 years of Evanescence

Every Stone Sour album ranked from worst to best

By Dannii Leivers published 5 May 23

The band Corey Taylor formed before joining Slipknot have carved out a hell of a career in their own right. Here's their discography ranked

How Meteora showed Linkin Park were no one-hit wonder: "it proved Hybrid Theory wasn’t an accident"

By Dannii Leivers published 4 May 23

Linkin Park had become nu metal stars with Hybrid Theory, but with Meteora the band proved they were here to stay

Sleep Token's Take Me Back To Eden is a potent, masterful statement from metal's most exciting young band

By Dannii Leivers published 2 May 23

Sleep Token have got the metal world talking, and with new album Take Me Back To Eden, they have absolutely justified the hype

Amy Lee says having a rap forced into Bring Me To Life was "a difficult pill to swallow", doesn't agree with genre "boxes"

By Merlin Alderslade published 31 March 23

Evanescence were famously unhappy about having a rap added to breakout hit Bring Me To Life, even if it's become a beloved part of the song

Floor Jansen switches symphonic metal for pop melodies and epic balladry on solo debut Paragon

By Dannii Leivers published 20 March 23

Nightwish powerhouse Floor Jansen opts for a change of pace with her solo debut, Paragon

Here are the 20 greatest Babymetal songs ever as voted for by you

By Dannii Leivers published 28 February 23

We asked, and you voted - and we were pretty stunned by the Babymetal banger you picked as the best ever

Delain’s grandiose new album Dark Waters is the sound of a band utterly reborn

By Dannii Leivers published 8 February 23

Album review: symphonic metallers Delain build themselves up from scratch on new album Dark Waters

Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington singing onstage

How Linkin Park’s Numb became nu metal’s last blockbuster hit and racked up a billion streams on the back of it

By Dannii Leivers published 6 February 23

The story behind Linkin Park’s 2003 single Numb

The confessions of Architects’ Sam Carter: “I was a little sh**head. I wanted be annoying and in people’s faces”

By Dannii Leivers published 16 January 23

You had the chance to put your questions to Architects singer Sam Carter. You asked him about on-the-road madness, metal gatekeepers and real-life Pokémon

Halestorm against a backdrop with lightning

Halestorm’s I Miss The Misery: the story behind the song

By Dannii Leivers published 12 January 23

How divorce and toxic relationships helped inspire Halestorm's empowering anthem I Miss The Misery

Ville Valo’s swooning Neon Noir album will fill the heart-shaped hole in every Him fan’s life

By Dannii Leivers published 3 January 23

Album review: intoxicating ruminations on love, death and sex courtesy of ex-Him frontman Ville Valo on VV’s Neon Noir album

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

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