Latest articles by Merlin Alderslade
How Metallica wrote the power ballad that saved Miley Cyrus - and that Elton John adored
James Hetfield wasn't sure about letting his Metallica bandmates hear Nothing Else Matters. Thank goodness he did
A study suggested that men who play guitar in extreme metal bands do it to impress other men
Time to smash those preconceptions about playing guitar to show off to girls, lads
How Shania Twain, Christina Aguilera's songwriters and an iconic tie launched Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne's first single drew cynicism from quarters of the rock world, but it didn't stop her becoming absolutely massive
The 10 best metalcore albums of 2025
From legends coming back strong to young artists pushing the genre forward, it's been a standout year for metalcore - and here's the proof
The 50 best metal songs of 2025
Sleep Token, Ghost, Babymetal - these are the songs you picked as the finest 2025 had to offer
Metal Hammer staff pick the best metal concerts of 2025
The Hammer team name their greatest gigs of the year, from stadium extravaganzas to sweaty basement dust-ups
The 10 best death metal albums of 2025
Guts and glory - these are the finest cuts to emerge from the fields of death metal in 2025
Rob Halford on his love for Ozzy Osbourne, covering Motörhead and a whole lot more
The Metal God opens up on his friendship with the Prince Of Darkness and a whole lot more
Metal Hammer's albums of the year: 2025
From chart-toppers Ghost and Sleep Token to rising stars Lorna Shore and Spiritbox, 2025 has been a massive year for metal
The 10 best black metal albums of 2025
Blackbraid, Cradle Of Filth, Deafheaven - black metal continued to dominate in 2025
Robert Plant on how Wales and Tolkien influenced Led Zeppelin
Robert Plant channelled Tolkien into his lyrics - even if his Led Zep bandmates didn't realise it at the time
John 5 reveals the secret to stepping into the shoes of Van Halen, Mick Mars and more
John 5 has picked up the axe for the likes of Mötley Crüe and Rob Zombie, and he's learned a few lessons along the way
Ghost's Mary On A Cross has officially just gone platinum in the UK
Ghost's biggest song has just achieved a major milestone
How one simple question led to Evanescence writing Bring Me To Life
It was a simple conversation with her future husband that helped Amy Lee write the anthem of a generation
Tobias Forge reveals the surprising conversation he had with a Black Sabbath member
Tobias Forge got to speak with all four members of Sabbath at Back To The Beginning, but it was one conversation that stuck with him
Evanescence made a surprise appearance at The Game Awards last night
Evanescence are capping off their year in style!
Ghost's Skeletá has been named the album of the year by Metal Hammer
Ghost's fabulous latest album is officially our album of the year - but who else made the list?
From Sleep Token breaking records to Xenomorphs rocking out to Tool, these are the 11 metal songs that defined 2025
Whether topping charts or going viral, metal made a big impact in 2025 - here's the proof
The emotional reaction Brian May had to one of Ozzy Osbourne's final performances
No one was expecting Ozzy at this show - and what a moment it was when he arrived
Halestorm's Lzzy Hale opens up on the "empowering" song that helped launch their career
I Get Off didn't pull its punches on its subject matter - even if the song had to "devolve" to get there
Avenged Sevenfold have just released a brand new song and it's packing riffs, autotune and all kinds of weirdness - listen to Magic now
Avenged have just dropped their first new song in two years!
From Sleep Token to Ghost, metal is full of gimmicks right now. Is it helping or hindering the culture?
Are all these gimmicky bands a good thing for the genre, or has it all gone a bit too far?
UK 'brat punk' Delilah Bon talks dragons, bunking and her really weird Sims habits
Brat Summer never ends when you're a brat punk
