Latest articles by Joe Daly
“The blueprint for the beginning of death metal.” How Slayer dragged metal to new depths of evil with Show No Mercy
From the otherwise hair metal backdrop of Los Angeles, Slayer began a campaign of pure, satanic thrash with Show No Mercy
The tragic life and unavoidable death of Scott Weiland
Former Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver frontman Scott Weiland's death was the sad culmination of a long downward spiral of drug abuse – one which he had little chance of escaping.
"I really didn’t know what I was doing": Watch horror icon Stephen King's awkward fanboy interview with AC/DC
In 1986, a coked-up Stephen King directed his first feature film, Maximum Overdrive - then engaged in a goofy trans-Atlantic interview with AC/DC, who provided the soundtrack
“It’s the end of Sabbath, believe me”: The story of Black Sabbath’s abandoned 20th album
After the release of 13, Black Sabbath promised one more album before their farewell tour. Schedule conflicts and health scares meant it never came to be.
“I tried to write the heaviest thing I could think of”: The track-by-track guide to Metallica’s Black Album
The Black Album catapulted Metallica to number one worldwide and to immortality. Here’s the story behind its every song, from Enter Sandman to The Struggle Within.
"Between burn-out and a looming crisis, Sabbath somehow hit their greatest high." Which is Black Sabbath's best album? Metal Hammer's writers argue it out
Paranoid? Sabbath Bloody Sabbath? Heaven And Hell? Hammer's top writers duel it out to declare Sabbath's best album ever
"Lambasting it as 'selling out' directly contradicts its musical integrity and emotional vulnerability. It's all killer, no filler." Metal Hammer's writers battle it out over which is Metallica's best album
They are the band that have defined and redefined heavy metal. But which album is their greatest? Our writers get in the ring
The 11 greatest final shows in heavy metal history
From Black Sabbath to Metallica’s Cliff Burton, these excellent gigs also proved to be bittersweet goodbyes
The 10 greatest guest spots in heavy metal history
From Bruce Dickinson teaming with Rob Halford to Dave Grohl’s Probot album, here are the times big names made great metal songs even greater
10 massively successful British bands who failed to crack America
Not every band can be as huge as The Beatles or Led Zeppelin in America – just ask Slade, The Small Faces and Status Quo
The 10 greatest zombie movies ever, ranked
From Night Of The Living Dead to Rec, these are the times the undead scared the life out of us
Hurricanes, sound issues and religious repression be damned: Indonesia's Voice Of Baceprot reign triumphant on their debut US tour: "The world awaits their encore"
Breakout Indonesian metal stars Voice Of Baceprot bring their debut US tour to the West Coast as they play San Diego's Stage Room
Myrkur's new album Spine is her magnum opus and a riveting, emotional odyssey
The chameleonic songwriter has reached new heights with her fourth studio album
Jack Black has been flying the heavy metal flag in the mainstream for nearly 30 years. It’s time we gave him his flowers.
Since co-founding Tenacious D in 1994, Jack Black has enjoyed celebrated film and music careers – and he’s been a champion for heavy metal at every chance along the way
Heroin, groupies and a court order: the story of the controversial documentary the Rolling Stones didn’t want the world to see
Cocksucker Blues is one of rock’n’roll’s most notorious documentaries – that’s why the Rolling Stones blocked the director from releasing it
“We had to pick the single before we recorded anything.” Run To The Hills: How a rallying cry against colonialism became Iron Maiden’s signature song
Run To The Hills rocketed Iron Maiden to new levels of popularity, despite being made during one of the most stressful times in their history
Death, hurricanes and Slayer cameos: The surprisingly emotional story of glam metal splatter-comedy Hairmetal Shotgun Zombie Massacre
This hyper-low-budget heavy metal comedy – featuring Slayer, Lamb Of God and Morbid Angel – was shelved for years before finally getting released on YouTube
The 10 best metal side-projects of all time
Stone Sour, Probot and A Perfect Circle may not be their members’ most famous projects, but that didn’t stop them from being brilliant
"Why have they kept it a secret? It's Earth-shattering!": 10 musicians who claim to have encountered extraterrestrial activity in real life
"It abruptly emerged, halted mid-sky, then darted from zero to breakneck speed. A phenomenon far beyond even today's aviation capabilities" - Lemmy
“A mechanic charged our producer £666. He was so freaked out he insisted he pay £667.” Inside the legend that Iron Maiden’s The Number Of The Beast was cursed
Spooky goings-on and controversy in the US have inspired rumours that Iron Maiden’s magnum opus was cursed by supernatural forces. Are they right? Probably not…
“If it’s my time, it’s my time – I’m ready to die.” Revisiting Heavy Metal In Baghdad, the most gripping metal documentary ever made
In the 2000s, directors Suroosh Alvi and Eddy Moretti went to war-torn Iraq and met thrash band Acrassicauda. The documentary they made is a stunning testament to the power of music in life-threatening times.
"Ever wondered how Slipknot might sound if they brought Slash into the fold?": Corey Taylor's second solo album CMF2 is bolder, heavier and "utterly exhilarating"
Corey Taylor's second solo album CMF2 explores everything from glam and rap metal to country and punk
10 thrash metal bands from the ’80s that should have been absolutely massive
These speed freaks from thrash metal’s golden age fell by the wayside when they should have been megastars
"We weren't trying to replace Layne Staley": How Dave Grohl and Elton John helped a reborn Alice In Chains pay tribute to their fallen frontman on Black Gives Way To Blue
Recorded in Dave Grohl's studio, 2009's Black Gives Way To Blue resurrected Alice In Chains and allowed them to pay tribute to Layne Staley - with guest contributions from Elton John
“The idea was a girl in a leather jacket, holding a Flying V guitar, surrounded by cows.” The story of Metalhead – the most authentic heavy metal movie to feature Metallica, Megadeth and buckets of existential dread
2013’s Metalhead understands heavy music better than any other film – and features nods to Metallica, Megadeth, Judas Priest and Venom along the way
