Latest articles by Joel McIver
How Metallica’s Black Album killed thrash metal
The band that helped create thrash pretty much killed it
How Kreator made Pleasure To Kill, the vicious 80s classic that put German thrash on the map
Kreator’s second album, Pleasure To Kill, proved that America didn’t have the monopoly on thrash
How Black Sabbath made Paranoid, the iconic album that rubber-stamped their greatness
Black Sabbath’s debut album laid down the blue print for heavy metal but Paranoid kicked it
Marko Hietala found a new normal after leaving Nightwish. The result is Roses From The Deep
Marko Hietala explains why he had to leave Nightwish, and believes there’s no hate involved in the split, as he focuses on second solo album Roses From The Deep
“Man, it was amazing, the reactions we got for a Britney Spears cover. A lot of kids were super-mad at us”: The rocket-fuelled rise of Finnish hellraisers Children Of Bodom
Children Of Bodom did as much as HIM and Nightwish to put Finnish metal on the map
The story of Cannibal Corpse’s Gallery Of Suicide, the album that helped keep 90s death metal alive
Cannibal Corpse kept the deathly flag flying during the nu metal era
Blue body paint and disturbing art: The enigma of Tool up to 10,000 Days
Sacred geometry, lunar currents, media baiting, arena shows… nothing has been beyond the pale for the ever enigmatic and elusive band
“We can make records until our hands fall off. But if we can’t sell it live, I don’t want to”: how Slayer reconnected with 80s thrash and made World Painted Blood
Slayer’s 2009 album World Painted Blood was the best since their 80s heyday – and this is how they made it
“Daevid Allen was always throwing a grenade into situations… Tim Smith was quite benign, although very driven. They both had the same sort of presence:” Kavus Torabi compares his late Gong and Cardiacs bandmates
Briefed to keep Gong going after Allen’s death, the new leader pursues the same aim with a different vision. How have the fans reacted?
"The other kids in school voted me 'Class Clown'". From taking English lessons to becoming a thrash legend, the life of Slayer's Tom Araya, in his own words
Moving to Los Angeles from his native Chile in the 1960s, Tom Araya began a journey that'd take him to heavy metal immortality
What happened when the Big Four played together for the very first time
In June 2010, Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax played together for the very first time as the Big Four. We were there to watch history being made
A Cliff Burton museum has opened in Sweden. We went to the opening
We visited the museum in Sweden dedicated to late Metallica legend Cliff Burton, and this is what we found
The 1000 days that changed Metallica
Metallica spent the time between ...Justice and the Black Album in a drink-and drug-induced fog. In the same period they went from thrash heroes to the biggest metal band in the world...
How Deep Purple's classic In Rock was made
In 1970, Deep Purple introduced a new era of loud music, with the seminal In Rock album. Here's the story of the making of the album that ushered in heavy rock
Alexi Laiho: “I do it for the music and the love of playing. End of f**king story.”
The life and times of Children Of Bodom frontman and fully paid-up wild child Alexi Laiho
The Story Behind The Song: Bring The Noise by Anthrax and Public Enemy
Anthrax’s Scott Ian and Public Enemy frontman Chuck D look back on the birth of a rap metal landmark
Cigarettes, alcohol and heroin: the inside story of Black Sabbath’s Paranoid
Black Sabbath’s debut album staked their claim as the Godfathers Of Metal. But follow-up Paranoid turned them into stars
The 10 Essential Funk Rock Albums
The world of funk rock was a fusion of genres, that opened its doors to riffs, grooves and even hip-hop. Get down!
Rammstein’s Christoph ‘Doom’ Schneider: My Life Story
An audience with enigmatic Rammstein drummer Christoph ‘Doom’ Schneider
Dave Lombardo: 10 Albums That Changed My Life
Former Slayer/Fantomas drummer Dave Lombardo delves into his record collection and pulls out Kiss, Judas Priest, The Prodigy and Beethoven
Rob Zombie: My Life Story
The heavy metal horror icon Rob Zombie reflects on his life full of guts and glory
Duff McKagan: The 10 Albums That Changed My Life
From Kiss and Iron Maiden to the Germs and Prince, this is the soundtrack to Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan’s life
Bloody But Unbowed: How Slayer Turned The World Red
Dave Lombardo had rejoined the band, Tom Ayara was losing his sister to cancer and Kerry King was still as reassuringly angry as ever. Little wonder that Slayer's World Painted Blood roared...
