Emily Swingle
Full-time freelancer, part-time music festival gremlin, Emily first cut her journalistic teeth when she co-founded Bittersweet Press in 2019. After asserting herself as a home-grown, emo-loving, nu-metal apologist, Clash Magazine would eventually invite Emily to join their Editorial team in 2022. In the following year, she would pen her first piece for Metal Hammer - unfortunately for the team, Emily has since become a regular fixture. When she’s not blasting metal for Hammer, she also scribbles for Rock Sound, Why Now and Guitar and more.
Latest articles by Emily Swingle

How The Anchoress found a new way of dealing with trauma from a long-lost tape
By Emily Swingle Published
Catherine Anne Davies’ latest album, As We Once Were, acts as an answer to the questions of her previous record and confounds tragedy to link four generations of her family

Why it took Loathe six years to release new album A Stranger To You
By Emily Swingle Published
Loathe looked set to capitalise on the acclaim of 2020's I Let It In And It Took Everything. They didn't release a proper follow-up for six years

"They called me the woman that was sent by Satan to destroy them." Christian cults, boat orgies and terrorist accusations: Hawxx are screaming for liberation
By Emily Swingle Published
Hawxx's journey has had some wild twists and turns and they're just getting started

The Pretty Reckless’ Taylor Momsen on her journey from child actor to AC/DC-approved rock singer
By Emily Swingle Published
She could have peaked with The Grinch aged five. Instead, Taylor Momsen repackaged herself as the lead singer of The Pretty Reckless and lived her rock’n’roll dream. This is her story, in her words.

How As Everything Unfolds rebuilt after tragedy
By Emily Swingle Published
After losing her partner, As Everything Unfolds vocalist Charlie Rolfe retreated into daydreaming to process her trauma

The 6 bands who won Rock For People festival 2026
By Emily Swingle Published
From nu metal icons to metalcore megaweights, Rock For People had it all - and has proven itself as one of the most exciting festivals in Europe

Gorillaz charm and delight Rock For People during a varied and entertaining headline set
By Emily Swingle Published
Damon Albarn's genre-hopping alt pop cartoon project shows off the Blur man's penchant for letting others take centre stage

Why Margot Robbie refuses to be embarrassed about being a lifelong metalhead
By Emily Swingle Published
We celebrate the Barbie star's love for Slipknot, Metallica and Bullet For My Valentine – and the fact she isn’t shy about it

Architects' chaotic Download set suggests that the festival's second biggest stage needs a rethink
By Emily Swingle Published
A frustrating stop-start affair undermines what should have been a celebratory show

Andy Biersack answers questions from Black Veil Brides' biggest fans
By Emily Swingle Published
He's years away from even hitting forty, but Andy Biersack has already had a hell of a career

Slam Dunk 2026 was evidence that hardcore might just be the most exciting music scene on Earth right now
By Emily Swingle Published
From rising bands like Guilt Trip and Pest Control crushing it to Knocked Loose and Malevolence bringing the mosh, hardcore and metalcore ruled Slam Dunk

We met Sleep Token’s fans at the biggest show of the masked cult’s career
By Emily Swingle Published
Last year, we descended upon the Download festival field and got to know the rabid following behind the metal sensation

How post-metal maverick Julie Christmas returned with her first album in eight years
By Emily Swingle Published
In 2024, the former Made Out Of Babies singer and Cult Of Luna collaborator released her long-awaited second solo album, Ridiculous And Full Of Blood

Dementia, pyro and shouting wizards: backstage with Lorna Shore
By Emily Swingle Published
Lorna Shore played their biggest UK tour to date at the start of 2026, cementing their claim on the title of deathcore's biggest band

Why Cage Fight's Rachel Aspe left France to find a home in the UK metal scene
By Emily Swingle Published
Cage Fight's Rachel Aspe took a while to find herself, but a surprising message from a beloved metal hero changed everything

Amaranthe's Elize Ryd would love to star in Wicked
By Emily Swingle Published
Amaranthe vocalist Elize Ryd harbours a secret love for musicals - and would love to star in Wicked

Meet N0trixx, the Russian-born trap metal artist exploring mental health
By Emily Swingle Published
N0trixx's experiences with dissociative identity disorder have inspired one of 2026's most fascinating metal debuts

The 30 best metal albums of the decade (so far)
By Metal Hammer Published
From legends like Iron Maiden and Metallica to rising stars such as Bloodywood and Spiritbox, these are the metal albums that have defined the 2020s so far

When one viral song turned Jinjer into Ukraine's biggest ever metal band
By Emily Swingle Published
After fleeing war and needing a hit to keep their career going, Jinjer struck gold with a simple live video that set the internet alight

The ultimate Motorhead playlist (as picked by Metallica, Judas Priest and more)
By Rich Hobson Published
We asked some of metal's biggest names to share which Motorhead songs mean most to them

The 50 metal albums you need to hear in 2026
By Metal Hammer Published
Digging deep on announcements, rumours and pure speculation to find the 50 metal albums you should be keeping an eye out for in 2026

"I nearly died at Download Festival. When I took that mask off it was like upturning a bucket." From a panic attack in a Rolls-Royce to being metal's hottest new masked band: an interview with President
By Emily Swingle Published
From an overpacked tent at Download Festival to selling out their first UK tour, President's first year in office has been nothing short of a success

UK 'brat punk' Delilah Bon talks dragons, bunking and her really weird Sims habits
By Emily Swingle Published
Brat Summer never ends when you're a brat punk
Select the newsletters you’d like to receive. Then, add your email to sign up.

