Latest articles by Paul Travers
The story of Within Temptation (so far)
From helping shape symphonic metal in the 90s to the romantic split that almost destroyed the band in the 2000s, this is the history of Within Temptation
How Atreyu helped invent modern metalcore with Right Side Of The Bed
From Bullet For My Valentine to Knocked Loose, modern hardcore and metalcore owes a debt to Atreyu
How Cradle Of Filth became Britain's most iconic black metal band
Controversial t-shirts, murder confessions, being held at gunpoint at the Vatican - Cradle Of FIlth have plenty of stories from over 30 years on the frontlines of extreme metal
The 50 greatest Iron Maiden moments
From playing to a room filled with nuns to losing a drum battle against a teddy bear, these moments helped make Iron Maiden Britain's most iconic metal band
The ultimate Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath playlist
Members of Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Halestorm and more choose the best songs featuring the Prince Of Darkness
Amon Amarth, Wardruna and others explain why metal loves Vikings so much
We got bands and academics to tell us why heavy music can’t get enough of big, burly berserkers
The best new metal bands you need to hear in April 2025
Meet Knocked Loose spin-off spinkickers Church Tongue, Siberian black metallers Grima, Texan metalcore mob Catch Your Breath and Melbourne deathcore brutes Mélancolia
India's biggest metal sensations have produced another iron-clad rager
Indian nu metal machine Bloodywood are packing nothing but bangers
"Someone said, 'Ozzy and Sharon would like to say hi'. I was so starstruck!"
From their goth metal breakouts to Ozzfest and requiring FBI support against stalkers, Lacuna Coil put Italian metal on the map
The Father Of Make Believe is Coheed And Cambria's midlife crisis album. Luckily, it's also a layered, thoughtful and rich new entry in the Amory Wars Saga
Claudio Sanchez has suggested this album came from a musical midlife crisis. Luckily for us, he pushed through and the results were well worth it
Why metal is obsessed with vampires
A history of metal's fascination with the fanged undead, from Slayer to Cradle Of Filth, Type O Negative and Creeper
Swallow The Sun had to escape from Juha Raivio’s hell. The solution was new album Shining
Finnish prog-doomers’ ninth record contains elements of Queen, Marillion, Metallica’s Black Album and pop production – but most of their mesmerising melancholy remains
“Blistering with blazing technicality”: Jinjer’s Duél is not for the faint-hearted
Prog metal touches and djent influences shine through the barely-checked aggression on Ukrainians’ fifth album
Testament's Alex Skolnick on thrash, Testament and Ozzy
Testament’s six-string superstar reflects on the chaos of the Bay Area, guesting with Lamb Of God and studying with jazz legends
Marko Hietala blends love and instinct on Roses From The Deep, featuring Tarja reunion
Reunion with Tarja Turunen is a high point on his second solo album, which mixes prog with vintage metal to impressive effect
Dream Theater’s Parasomnia largely lives up to the hype
It’s back to the future as Mike Portnoy returns to the prog metal giants – bringing a little of their old magic with him
“An airier touch on a record of extraordinary scope”: Wardruna’s Birna
Dark Nordic folk collective’s sixth album takes the listener into hibernation and on to the new spring
Cradle Of Filth announce new album The Screaming Of The Valkyries – but that Ed Sheeran track isn’t any nearer
Talking exclusively to Metal Hammer, Dani Filth reveals the name of Cradle Of Filth’s next studio album and when it’s due out. He also says that their long-anticipated Ed Sheeran team-up won’t be on it.
"It’s actually Sid Wilson’s favourite Slipknot song." Inside nu metal's greatest deep cuts
From a Slipknot buried treasure to the long-overlooked Korn rarity, these are the overlooked classics in the nu metal canon
Metal Hammer's 50 best albums of 2024
From Judas Priest's Invincible Shield to Nightwish's Yesterwynde and Opeth's return to extremity, these are the metal albums that ruled 2024
Epica say they're embracing "dark fantasy" themes on their next album
Symphonic metal heroes Epica offer a peek behind the curtain of their upcoming ninth album
"Alice Cooper said our version of Poison was better than his!" Powerwolf's Falk Maria Schlegel shares his wisdom on Iron Maiden, make-up and meeting his heroes
The werewolf-obsessed keyboardist of Powerwolf also has secret ambitions to be a truck driver
The 20 songs that defined Slayer's career (and the stories behind them)
The ultimate guide to thrash metal titans Slayer - as told through their greatest songs
