Matt Mills

Matt Mills

Contributing Editor, Metal Hammer

Louder’s resident Gojira obsessive was still at uni when he joined the team in 2017. Since then, Matt’s become a regular in Metal Hammer and Prog, at his happiest when interviewing the most forward-thinking artists heavy music can muster. He’s got bylines in The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Independent, NME and many others, too. When he’s not writing, you’ll probably find him skydiving, scuba diving or coasteering.

Articles by: Matt Mills

Metallica with Dave Lombardo on drums in 2004

“I sped everything up a little bit, just kicked them in the *** a little”: Dave Lombardo looks back on the day he drummed in Metallica

By Matt Mills published

When Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich was taken ill before Download festival 2004, Lombardo and Slipknot’s Joey Jordison filled in

Cyndi Lauper in 2025 and Mikael Stanne in 2024

Ever wanted to hear Cyndi Lauper go goth? Try this cover of I Drove All Night by Scandi supergroup Cemetery Skyline

By Matt Mills published

Turns out, whether it sounds happy or sad, Lauper’s 1989 anthem is still incredible

Cradle Of Filth in 2024

“My village was the first one in England to install CCTV, just to spot us skateboarding”: Cradle Of Filth’s Dani Filth spent his teens being a skate punk hoodlum

By Matt Mills published

In a new interview with Metal Hammer, the Cradle Of Filth frontman talks about his grungy roots in the Suffolk hardcore scene

Cropped album art of Radiohead’s The Bends

“As a junior-millennial rock fan, hearing The Bends felt tantamount to digging up the first fish who grew legs”: We got a 28-year-old music journalist to review a 30-year-old Radiohead album and this is what he wrote

By Matt Mills published

Released on March 13, 1995, Radiohead’s second album continues to influence new artists and wow younger audiences

Sleep Token lead singer Vessel in 2025

Sleep Token announce new album Even In Arcadia – listen to saxophone-powered lead single Emergence now

By Matt Mills published

Metal’s newest arena-fillers have kicked off their next era with a song, album news and a big tour announcement

Robb Flynn of Machine Head holding two whiskey bottles shaped like shotguns

“Let freedom ring with a …” Machine Head have launched a new whiskey in shotgun-shaped bottles

By Matt Mills published

The 94-proof drink comes in a collector’s box that also features shot glasses modelled after bullet cases

Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher of Mastodon in 2017

Mastodon’s Bill Kelliher explains Brent Hinds exit: “Like a marriage, sometimes people grow apart, and they get interested in other things”

By Matt Mills published

Hinds parted ways with the pioneering progressive/sludge metal act last week, ending his 25 years of service

Spiritbox

Spiritbox have released two new live tracks only available until tomorrow

By Matt Mills published

Songs recorded at recent live shows in London and Paris are available on an expanded edition of new album Tsunami Sea, which can be downloaded until 11:59pm on Thursday

Ozzy Osbourne and Tony Iommi onstage with Black Sabbath in 1985

“I had a dreadful hangover, so I put my dark glasses on and we played Children Of The Grave, Iron Man and Paranoid”: What happened when Black Sabbath reunited for one day only at Live Aid 1985

By Matt Mills published

Back To The Beginning won’t be the first time Black Sabbath’s founding lineup briefly got back together to raise money for charity…

Papa V Perpetua of Ghost in 2025, next to the Black Sabbath Back To The Beginning poster

“All of a sudden, it’s like, ‘We want to announce now, what do we say?’”: Ghost’s Tobias Forge explains why Papa V Perpetua was unveiled on the Black Sabbath farewell show poster

By Matt Mills published

The world got its first look at Ghost’s ‘new’ frontman last week, but Papa V Perpetua was first named on February posters for Black Sabbath’s Back To The Beginning event

Opeth 2001

“It’s a really good album, but I’m not sure it’s better than the ones that came before. You ask, ‘Why didn’t this happen sooner?’” Many consider Blackwater Park to be Opeth’s masterpiece. Opeth don’t

By Matt Mills published

The classic line-up had assembled, Steven Wilson was contributing and Mikael Åkerfeldt was mining songwriting gold – but you can’t convince him the 2001 release was their magnum opus

Carrie Underwood in 2025

“That was high school for me!” Watch Carrie Underwood team with an American Idol contestant to cover Drowning Pool’s nu metal banger Bodies

By Matt Mills published

Carrie Underwood, nu metal aficionado? Apparently so!

Randy Blythe in 2024 and Elon Musk in 2025

“If we are afraid to say, ‘Hey, that’s not cool,’ we’re screwed”: Lamb Of God’s Randy Blythe gives another scathing takedown of Elon Musk

By Matt Mills published

Lamb Of God’s frontman has once again spoken out against the salute the Tesla/SpaceX CEO made in January

Opeth live in 2024 and Iron Maiden live in 2013

“It was s***. The singing’s s***, the playing’s s***”: Opeth covered a beloved Iron Maiden song – and Mikael Åkerfeldt really, really doesn’t like it

By Matt Mills published

The Opeth frontman also reveals which of his songs he feels are overrated in a new interview with Metal Hammer

Amanda Seyfried playing the dulcimer in 2025 and Joni Mitchell in 2022

Watch superstar actor Amanda Seyfried cover Joni Mitchell with a stunning dulcimer performance

By Matt Mills published

The Mamma Mia! star covered Mitchell’s classic California during a recent stop by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Six-neck guitar

A ludicrous six-neck guitar played by Spinal Tap has gone to auction – and you better buy it before I do

By Matt Mills published

For between £2,000 and £3,000, the most ridiculous guitar I’ve ever seen could be yours

Massive Attack in 2010

Massive Attack just sent their music to the moon and back

By Matt Mills published

The trip-hop pioneers launched a cover of a Russian punk band into space as part of an art installation

Tom Araya fronting Slayer in 2019

“I said, ‘There’s a band called Iron Maiden? Who’s that?’”: Tom Araya didn’t listen to metal before joining Slayer

By Matt Mills published

Despite being one of metal’s most revered frontmen, Tom Araya knew nothing about the genre until his Slayer bandmates clued him in

Linkin Park in 2024

Linkin Park are already teasing new music

By Matt Mills published

A new web documentary about the nu metal stars’ 2025 world tour ends with Mike Shinoda and Emily Armstrong recording what appears to be a brand-new track

Bobby Liebling looking like a muppet, next to a Bobby Liebling puppet

Someone’s made a wide-eyed Bobby Liebling puppet amidst all the Pentagram memes and I desperately want to buy it

By Matt Mills published

Seriously, how much?

Tobias Forge (as Papa Emeritus III) singing with Ghost in 2017

I’m a Ghost fanatic, and these great songs by similar-sounding artists will stop me going mad during the wait for their new album

By Matt Mills published

Hooked on Tobias Forge’s satanic hymns? These anthems will keep you (and me) going until Skeletá drops next month.

Elton John in 2025 and DJ Provai of Kneecap in 2024

“What they talk about is political, and there’s not many bands that do that”: Elton John heaps praise on Ireland’s breakout hip-hop stars Kneecap

By Matt Mills published

One of pop’s biggest-ever names has expressed his love for Kneecap, lauding the trio’s energy and lyricism

Oli Sykes performing live with Bring Me The Horizon in 2024 and Josh Franceshi performing with You Me At Six in 2023

Watch Bring Me The Horizon’s Oli Sykes join You Me At Six to play Bite My Tongue in Sheffield

By Matt Mills published

Sykes guested on the You Me At Six single in 2011 and recaptured that magic onstage during a recent show in his hometown

Shavo Odadjian onstage with System Of A Down in 2017 and Korn singer Jonathan Davis performing live in 2018

Why System Of A Down bassist scrapped a collaboration with Korn’s Jonathan Davis: “I want him to work on this with us, not just have a part that he’s done 10 years ago and have that regurgitated”

By Matt Mills published

Korn’s frontman was supposed to show up on the new album by Shavo Odadjian’s Seven Hours After Violet project but never appeared

Slayer in 2016

Slayer announce two monster UK shows with Amon Amarth, Anthrax, Mastodon and more

By Matt Mills published

The thrashers have scheduled headliners in Cardiff and London around their appearance at Black Sabbath’s Back To The Beginning event in July