Latest articles by Rich Hobson
How two unknown European bands changed the face of metal in the 90s - and broke up its boys club
In 1997, two key releases by two emerging bands had a game-changing impact on the metal scene as we knew it
How Judas Priest survived car smashes and epic debauchery to make the album that turned them into superstars
Judas Priest survived cars smashes and epic debauchery to make their US breakthrough album
Metal Hammer's Tracks Of The Week: January 23 2026
Megadeth, Rob Zombie and Poppy are among the best new metal songs this week
How Orbit Culture became one of metal's most exciting new bands
Endorsed by Slipknot, Machine Head and Trivium, Orbit Culture are one of extreme metal's hottest new bands
Car crashes, Satanism and 28 Years Later: the story behind Iron Maiden's The Number Of The Beast
From ominous omens to a horror film that got everyone talking, the legacy of The Number of The Beast is bigger than ever
Why the man behind the Ozzy Osbourne Birmingham Airport petition is refusing to give up
Other musical cities celebrate their musical heritage - so why not the birthplace of heavy metal?
The violence and defiance behind the 2000s metal anthem that accidentally inspired an Olympic gold medal
HammerFall helped keep traditional metal alive during the early 2000s
The best metal albums of 2025 (as voted by Metal Hammer readers)
From Ghost to Sleep Token, Babymetal to Spiritbox, these are the albums you said defined metal in 2025
Metal Hammer's tracks of the week: January 16 2026
Big names, rising stars and underground favourites go head-to-head in Metal Hammer's tracks of the week
Inkcarceration Festival announces 2026 line-up - including Bad Omens first festival headline
The three-day festival will return to Ohio State Reformatory from July 17 - 19
Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine on losing his friends and peers
Megadeth frontman admits that metal is going through "a changing of the guard"
How Sepultura came back to life with Choke
After losing Max Cavalera, Sepultura found a new singer in the unlikeliest of places. This is the story of the song that brought Derrick Green to the dance.
Alex Van Halen praises the impact of seeing Black Sabbath for the first time
Alex Van Halen opened up to Iron Maiden's Nicko McBrain about what it was like seeing Black Sabbath in the early 70s
Iron Maiden legend Steve Harris on 50 years of heavy metal - and what comes next
Steve Harris discusses the band's amazing career, celebrating 50 years and what the future may yet hold for metal's most celebrated band
Metal Hammer's tracks of the week: January 9 2026
New year, new metal tunes from Alter Bridge, Hanabie, Lord Of The Lost and more!
Radio stations wanted to cut Eddie Van Halen's solo from their biggest hit
Iron Maiden legend Nicko McBrain has hosted an epic interview with Alex Van Halen
Danko Jones on meeting AC/DC, playing with Marty Friedman and a wild night out in London
You know what to expect with a new Danko Jones album, but 2025's Leo Rising met with positive responses across the board and things are looking good
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
The unexpected rap metal hit that saved a band’s career and ushered in the 1990s
You can trace a line from the success of Faith No More to Nirvana
The story of You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’: the song that made Judas Priest icons in America
With one big single, and a little help from an Iron Maiden tour, the Brummie underdogs found their footing across the pond
The 10 best doom and stoner metal albums of 2025
2025 might have been the year we said goodbye to Black Sabbath, but these 10 albums prove their influence still looms large
The ultimate Motorhead playlist (as picked by Metallica, Judas Priest and more)
We asked some of metal's biggest names to share which Motorhead songs mean most to them
The 10 best alt-metal and nu metal albums of 2025
Babymetal, Bloodywood and Sleep Token pulled influence from some esoteric places this year, and they lifted metal to new heights in the process
