Latest articles by Stephen Hill
Every Napalm Death album ranked from worst to best
From Scum to Throes Of Joy In The Jaws Of Defeatism, these are the grindcore gods’ 16 albums in reverse-order of brilliance
"There has rarely been a band that has thrived when their backs are so far up against the wall as The Prodigy": Liam Howlett's electronic punks smash out their greatest hits at The People's Palace
Storming London's Alexandra Palace, The Prodigy prove that they remain one of the world's most incendiary live acts, even without much-missed Firestarter-in-chief Keith Flint
"Between burn-out and a looming crisis, Sabbath somehow hit their greatest high." Which is Black Sabbath's best album? Metal Hammer's writers argue it out
Paranoid? Sabbath Bloody Sabbath? Heaven And Hell? Hammer's top writers duel it out to declare Sabbath's best album ever
"For a long time there was a sense of imposter syndrome, but now we know we’re a force to be reckoned with": While She Sleeps aim to take their rightful place as metalcore icons with new album Self Hell
After a massive Alexandra Palace headline show in 2023, While She Sleeps set their sights on boundary-pushing sixth album Self Hell
4 brilliant new metal bands you need to hear this month
Rising metalcore stars As Everything Unfolds, Scottish alt-trio Healthyliving, ambitious Ukrainian prog metallers Ignea and electro-infused metalcore troupe World Gone Cold: these are the bands you need to hear in November 2023
“Though Dave Mustaine might claim he wrote Leper Messiah, he didn’t”: The track-by-track guide to Metallica’s Master Of Puppets
From Battery to Damage Inc., here’s the story behind every song on Metallica’s game-changing masterpiece
"Lambasting it as 'selling out' directly contradicts its musical integrity and emotional vulnerability. It's all killer, no filler." Metal Hammer's writers battle it out over which is Metallica's best album
They are the band that have defined and redefined heavy metal. But which album is their greatest? Our writers get in the ring
"They were the only band that kicked our ass." Better Loves are the Every Time I Die/Dillinger Escape Plan supergroup you didn't know you needed, but will be so happy to have in your life
Greg Puciato teaming up with former members of Every Time I Die and Will Putney: Better Lovers are the band hardcore has been waiting for
I've been going to metal gigs for over 25 years. So why are all the craziest crowds now at pop, hip hop and dance shows?
Metalheads still know how to mosh, but the wildest, hardest-hitting crowds seem to be flocking to other genres. How did this happen?!
Forget Rage Against The Machine and Faith No More: Helmet are nu metal's unsung architects and Left is the best record they've done in nearly 20 years
After some patchy albums in recent years, Helmet's Left is the best the band have done since their 2004 comeback
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
The 20 greatest Download festival sets ever
For two decades, Download has been the premiere rock and metal festival in the UK. These are its finest moments
Metal Hammer's writers battle it out to decide which is Iron Maiden's best album
Iron Maiden have made some absolute classics across their near-five decade career, so we got the Maiden megafans in our ranks to argue over which is the greatest album of them all
Biffy Clyro, blast-beats and Brexit: how Simon Neil and Mike Vennart made one of the extreme metal albums of the year with Empire State Bastard
Far-right trolls and a shared love for experimental, extreme music helped unite Biffy Clyro's Simon Neil and Mike Vennart in Empire State Bastard
“We had 35 labels pass!” Through The Ashes Of Empires at 20: The groove metal monster that saved Machine Head’s career
After the debacle of Supercharger, Machine Head couldn’t even find a record label. Then Through The Ashes Of Empires reversed all their fortunes.
"I did not save your life, but I can be an avenue that helps you": Beartooth's Caleb Shomo is a reluctant rock star, but the one metal desperately needs
Beartooth's Caleb Shomo has never shied away from talking mental health, but new album The Surface is all about embracing positivity
10 amazing heavy metal albums that you can’t find on Spotify
Spotify isn’t the be all and end all of heavy music, as these 10 classics prove
Five rock stars, three songs and only one concert: The story of Damnocracy – the most bizarre and disappointing supergroup of all time
Putting members of Skid Row, Anthrax and Biohazard in the same room was a weird idea. When the resulting supergroup only released three demos then broke up, it also proved to be a waste of time.
"Sure, we missed a few boats, but if you are willing to push yourself to the bone, you’ll get the next one.” How Code Orange's refusal to stand still helped them craft masterful - and catchy as hell - new album The Above
Code Orange looked set for huge things before the pandemic struck. Luckily, they're not ones for feeling sorry for themselves
Essex deathcore, Mumbai post-metal and an underground noise supergroup: these are the best new metal bands you need in your life this month
Looking for something new and heavy to listen to? We've got you covered
10 heavy metal bands that took incredibly long to release a new album
Sometimes waiting three years for a new album is torturous enough – so imagine how fans of Guns ’N’ Roses, Black Sabbath and At The Gates have felt
According to records, these are officially the 10 loudest concerts of all time
Motörhead, Deep Purple and Manowar have all broken records – and people’s eardrums, probably
A beginner’s guide to '00s British indie in five essential albums
Skinny jeans and hair-straighteners at the ready! Your guide to the best of British indie in the ‘00s
Blood Command's World Domination: 20 tracks, almost half being a minute long or less, yet one of the most exciting, unique, genre-bending metal albums you'll hear this year
Norway's Blood Command might be reliably brilliant, but new album World Domination is as unpredictably genre-smashing as ever
