"I go onstage, I battle death, I die and I come back to life." From sword-waving rat queens to alpha bro-baiting metal singers, the new issue of Metal Hammer has four exclusive covers: Castle Rat, Sleep Theory, President and Paleface Swiss

The singers from the new Metal Hammer covers

(Image credit: Future)

The new issue of Metal Hammer has four separate, exclusive covers to collect: Sleep Theory, President, Castle Rat and Paleface Swiss! This is the New Heavy 2026. This is the future of metal.

After finding fame on TikTok, Sleep Theory have been growing and growing – and they won’t stop until they’re the biggest band in the world.

“People would be like, ‘Oh, I want to play Madison Square Garden,’ but I feel like that’s just capping off where I could go,” says singer Cullen Moore. “Why would I sell myself short?”

The new cover of Metal Hammer with Sleep Theory — (Image credit: Future (photo: Jonathan Weiner))

President, meanwhile, debuted at Download, are shrouded in mystery and have gained a devoted fanbase in less than a year. Can metal’s newest masked band go all the way?

“I’ve already seen people with the President mask as a tattoo,” marvels the President. “I can’t quite believe it, but I think it’s so cool. It shows that we’re building a real community.”

The new cover of Metal Hammer with President — (Image credit: Future (photo: Ben Gibson))

Castle Rat are fronted by a sword-waving, chainmail-bikini-clad barbarian who dies and is reborn onstage each night. It’s fun, and a way for frontwoman Riley Pinkerton to deal with her worries.

“I go onstage, I battle death, I die, and I come back to life – because I don’t want to die,” she says. “It’s funny, because I didn’t set out to make a show about my death anxiety…”

The new cover of Metal Hammer with Castle Rat — (Image credit: Future (photo: Jonathan Pushnik))

Next-gen boundary-pushers Paleface Swiss are rewiring metal for 2026, challenging toxic masculinity in the scene, sometimes via frontman Zelli snogging his own bandmates onstage.

“Why do we kiss onstage? Why not?” he shrugs. “‘I like you. You like me. Let’s have fun. A little smooch. Thank you for being here.’ If you have a problem with us doing that, fuck off.”

The new cover of Metal Hammer with Paleface Swiss — (Image credit: Future (photo: Kriss Jakob))

Elsewhere in the magazine, we count down the 30 greatest albums of the 2020s…so far. Did your favourite make the cut?

We also go wild in LA with Avatar, look back at 40 years of aggression with Kreator, and speak to Dream Theater’s Mike Portnoy about Rush, Avenged Sevenfold, and sausages?!

Alter Bridge explain why Open Your Eyes helped lift them from the ashes of Creed, and Kittie’s Morgan Lander delivers her life lessons on childhood bar gigs, female rage… and why beautiful bitches always know best.

Plus, we find out why Gaerea’s mysterious masked Vocalist secretly loves Linkin Park, go inside Children Of Bodom’s live reunion and meet upcoming misfit metallers – and surprise Robbie Williams fans – The Hara.

All this, along with Rob Zombie, Converge, Puscifer, Sabaton, Orange Goblin, Ice Nine Kills, Thornhill and much, much more.

Only in the new issue of Metal Hammer, on sale now. Order it online and have it delivered straight to your door

Artists

Eleanor was promoted to the role of Editor at Metal Hammer magazine after over seven years with the company, having previously served as Deputy Editor and Features Editor. Prior to joining Metal Hammer, El spent three years as Production Editor at Kerrang! and four years as Production Editor and Deputy Editor at Bizarre. She has also written for the likes of Classic Rock, Prog, Rock Sound and Visit London amongst others, and was a regular presenter on the Metal Hammer Podcast.

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