Latest articles by Paul Travers
10 heavy metal bands that wouldn’t be the same without Dune
From Iron Maiden to Sleep, many metal bands have taken Frank Herbert’s psychedelic sci-fi saga to heart
The 6 prog bands John Lydon says he loves
Hawkwind, Van der Graaf Generator and even Pink Floyd – they’ve all had ex-Sex Pistols singer John Lydon’s stamp of approval
12 rock stars over 70 who are still delivering the goods
Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, Robert Plant and more are proving that age cannot wither them
"We have a dark image and spooky vibes...but then we also have anthemic choruses." South Of Salem count Avenged and W.A.S.P. as influences and are major horror nerds. They might just be your new favourite metal band
Inside the spooky world of South Of Salem
Emperor’s Ihsahn reflects on black metal church-burnings: “We were all very consumed with the whole thing. The attention it got.”
in the new issue of Metal Hammer, Emperor’s Ihsahn looks back upon the controversial church-burnings which brought notoriety to the Norwegian extreme metal scene in the 90s
“Nobody wanted Life Of Brian except George Harrison”: how Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and an ex-Beatle bankrolled two of the greatest comedy films ever made
1970s comedy classics Monty Python And The Holy Grail and The Life Of Brain wouldn’t have got off the ground if it hadn’t been for George Harrison, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd
The 50 metal albums you need to hear in 2024
From returning icons to underground heroes and metal's next generation, these are the albums you should be excited about this year
“It’s no wonder the lyrics are maudlin, but despite the difficulty of its creation, it’s still worthy of celebration”: Damnation is the Opeth album that works best on vinyl
Steven Wilson remix illustrates a side of Michael Åkerfeldt’s band that’s familiar now – but was a revelation in 2003
"It won’t change the face of music or knock the world off its axis, but Hell, Fire And Damnation is yet another damned fine addition." Saxon's new album emphatically ticks all the heavy metal boxes you're looking for
Saxon's twenty-fourth studio album brings the kind of heavy metal thunder you'd expect. And we wouldn't have it any other way
"Nu metal content makes people feel a part of a community": How TikTok is helping nu metal's comeback
From festivals like Sick New World to Limp Bizkit selling out massive venues and new artists embracing its influence, nu metal is making a massive comeback - and TikTok is helping
"Bands need to say 'we're not doing it'": Why musicians are taking a stand on merch cuts
With venues taking as much as 25% of touring bands' merchandise profits, artists like Exodus's Gary Holt and Architects' Dan Searle are demanding change
Metal Hammer's 50 best albums of 2023 (and the stories behind them)
Sleep Token, Creeper, Within Temptation: 2023 has been a massive year for metal, and these 50 records represent the very best the year has had to offer
Every Metallica live film ranked from worst to best
Few bands put on a live show like Metallica – and here are their 10 official concert movies ranked in order of greatness
The 50 best metal albums of 2023 - as voted by the readers of Metal Hammer
From Metallica to Sleep Token, Avenged Sevenfold to Babymetal, these are the best metal albums of 2023 - as voted by you!
10 cover versions that are way more popular than the originals (according to Spotify)
The Beatles, Bowie, Bob Dylan and Stevie Wonder have all seen covers of their songs become more popular than the original version
10 A-list Hollywood directors who have directed music videos
Zack Snyder, Michael Bay and David Fincher have all sprinkled a little Hollywood magic on some classic music videos. And a couple of stinkers
"A rush of almost spiritual ecstasy": Death Cult find joy in dragging skeletons from the closet on 40th anniversary tour
The Cult's Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy resurrect Death Cult, summoning old ghosts to powerful effect
The best metal albums of 2023 so far
From Metallica to Babymetal, Cattle Decapitation to Sleep Token, these are the best metal albums of the year to date
"There was always an undercurrent of youthful exuberance, violence and piracy": Why The Cult's Billy Duffy and Ian Astbury aren't scared of summoning the ghosts of their past by resurrecting Death Cult
The Cult's guitarist Billy Duffy explains why he and vocalist Ian Astbury have resurrected Death Cult for a 40th anniversary tour
The second biggest hits by 10 one-hit wonders
Believe it or not, but Iron Butterfly, The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown and The Buggles all released more than one song
Rising UK doom stars Green Lung say their upcoming album This Heathen Land is their Number Of The Beast
Green Lung's This Heathen Land comes in November - and marks a massive change for the rising doom stars
10 rock stars who have appeared in ridiculous TV ads
Lemmy flogging milk? Iron Maiden pushing road safety? Dokken hawking anti-virus software?! Here are 10 times rock stars have appeared in crazy TV ads
Jailbreak shows that, despite the chaos of their lineups, Brazilian thrashers Nervosa are still a powerful force to be reckoned with
They may have suffered all manner of turbulence with their lineups, but Nervosa are still one of thrash's modern leaders
"There’s a lot of similarities in watchmaking and Anthrax." Here's what members of some of your favourite metal bands went and did after quitting the music industry
From the Anthrax guitarist who is now a master watchmaker to the death metal bassist who hung out with "sweary Muppets", these are the most unique post-music career paths of metal musicians
From channeling Converge and Fantomas to Slayer legend Dave Lombardo's incredible drum work, Biffy Clyro side-project Empire State Bastard just put out one of 2023's best extreme metal albums with Rivers Of Heresy
Empire State Bastard's Rivers Of Heresy is the heavy album Biffy frontman Simon Neil has been waiting years to make
