
Simon Young
Born in 1976 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Simon Young has been a music journalist for over twenty-six years. His fanzine, Hit A Guy With Glasses, enjoyed a one-issue run before he secured a job at Kerrang! in 1999. His writing has also appeared in Classic Rock, Metal Hammer, Prog, and Planet Rock. His first book, So Much For The 30 Year Plan: Therapy? — The Authorised Biography is available via Jawbone Press.
Latest articles by Simon Young

Video breakdown: Iron Maiden’s Can I Play With Madness
By Simon Young last updated
Breaking down Maiden’s greatest video scene by scene

The 12 best Iron Maiden memes
By Simon Young last updated
All the greatest Maiden memes caught in a digital butterfly net and proudly put on display

Iron Maiden: The secrets of the Somewhere In Time album artwork revealed
By Simon Young last updated
Somewhere In Time: Iron Maiden's most intricate album cover explained in detail

7 Things We Learned During Red Hot Chili Peppers' Carpool Karaoke
By Simon Young last updated
Plus: watch James Corden wrestle Red Hot Chili Peppers' Anthony Kieidis on someone's lawn

11 drummers who look like they've remembered a sad film
By Simon Young last updated
This lot look like they're about to burst into tears – but which film has set them off?

10 toe-curling videos of Korn, Tool, NIN and more before they were famous
By Simon Young last updated
Enjoy these brilliantly embarrassing videos of your favourite rock stars before anyone knew who they were

David Lee Roth has shared a version of Van Halen's Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
By Simon Young published
Listen to this new take on the Van Halen classic taken from their 1978 self-titled debut

This animated video from Cannibal Corpse's vocalist goes from adorable to apocalyptic in seconds
By Simon Young published
Bottom Dweller is taken from George 'Corpsegrinder' Fisher's self-titled solo debut album

Pearl Jam cancel second show this week after Eddie Vedder damages vocal cords at Lollapalooza Paris
By Simon Young published
"The effects on his throat from the last outdoor show are still just too brutal," band tell Prague fans

Get Back director Peter Jackson says there's a new Beatles film in the works
By Simon Young published
The Lord of the Rings director says it will be very different to the three-part 2021 documentary series

Look out! This Rick James and Dio mash-up is a slice of fried internet gold
By Simon Young published
YouTuber mash-up alchemist Bill McClintock has done it again, this time with Dio's Holy Diver and Rick James' Mary Jane

Official Dio documentary set for release at the end of the summer
By Simon Young published
DIO: Dreamers Never Die features an all-star cast recounting their memories of the legendary vocalist and never-before-seen footage

Pearl Jam pull Vienna concert as Eddie Vedder has "no throat"
By Simon Young published
Heat, dust and smoke from Paris show are to blame for damaged vocal cords, say band

Mike Patton addressed mental health issues: "I got freaked out by being around people"
By Simon Young last updated
Vocalist reveals anxiety disorder brought on during the pandemic led to Faith No More tour cancellation

This Alice In Chains and Rick Astley mash-up sounds even better than you'd imagine
By Simon Young published
Finnish YouTuber Otu has perfectly realised this grunge version of Never Gonna Give You Up

This cover of AC/DC's Thunderstruck played on a traditional Chinese instrument will soothe your mind
By Simon Young published
Watch Hong Kong musician Moyun perform the 1990 AC/DC classic on a guzheng

Evanescence's Amy Lee and violinist Lindsey Stirling go back to medieval times in video for Love Goes On and On
By Simon Young published
The track features on violinist's fifth album, Artemis

David Lee Roth releases new piano ballad, Pointing at the Moon
By Simon Young published
Van Halen frontman hits pause on retirement plans to treat fans to one of his mellowest moments

Alice Cooper guitarist Nita Strauss quits band and cancels upcoming solo dates
By Simon Young published
Strauss hints at "next adventure" in Instagram post

Every Helmet album ranked from worst to best
By Simon Young published
Page Hamilton's band have been making a satisfying racket since 1989, but which album is their masterpiece?

Here's that Kate Bush cover in the style of Killswitch Engage you didn't know you wanted
By Simon Young published
Ten Second Songs guy Anthony Vincent channels the Massachusetts metalcore heroes in latest YouTube clip

King's X cancel all European dates as guitarist Ty Tabor is diagnosed with serious illness
By Simon Young published
The prog rock trio will honour three US dates this month before Tabor begins potential treatment

Remember that 10-year-old who slayed Holy Roller on America's Got Talent? She's released a single
By Simon Young published
The Spiritbox-approved Somerset singer's debut song Falling is out now
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