Features archive

March 2026

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122 articles

March 17
- "I’m not indoctrinated anymore." How weird masks, wild rallies and big choruses helped President became one of metal's hottest new bands
- "So there I was slinging names about and accusing them of all sorts of things – dastardly deeds and vile occurrences!" Feuding and in crisis, Deep Purple combined two high-profile figures to create an anti-censorship classic
- “Some fans preferred it to Genesis… I had record labels asking for my next album, and half a band forbidding me from doing it”: The unexpected consequences of Steve Hackett’s Voyage Of The Acolyte
- "They told me to change my name. They also told me to sing other people's songs." How Joan Armatrading refused to compromise, baffled session pros, and made the album that set her on the path to stardom
- "You can hide behind it, but all my favourites play guitar and I wanna be the whole package." James Bruner was drawn into rock by the greats: Now he's ready to become one
- The man who inspired the British blues boom: Nine Muddy Waters albums you should listen to and one to avoid
March 16
- "I don’t know Katy Perry the diva. I know Katy Perry the tomboy who came in picking her nose." How a future pop megastar ended up as a singer for a famous Christian nu metal band
- "I put the mask on and I immediately understood what it was like to disappear. I was gone and the real me had just shown up." How Slipknot's Clown was born in a shopping mall in the mid '80s
- "I was like, 'Wow, I'm about the same size as this huge animal!'" How a close encounter with wolves, a rough break-up and a Spider-Man director helped Evanescence produce one of their most important singles
- Classic Rock's Tracks Of The Week: March 16, 2026
- “After all the choirs, orchestras and 700 tracks I’m just like, ‘Guys, it’s been a rough few years. I’m a confused 15-year-old’”: Devin Townsend had to abandon King Crimson, Yes and Gentle Giant for AC/DC and Bon Jovi
- "They told us we couldn't say anything to Paul about the Beatles. We were bummed out." The day that Toto guitarist Steve Lukather defied orders and jammed Beatles songs with Paul McCartney
- "One day I came back from delivering the chickens and there was a message. I had to learn 18 songs by Friday." Phil Campbell interview: My life in Motörhead
March 15
- "They asked if I knew who Johnny Cash was. I was like, ‘Of course I f**king know who he is!" How a punk legend helped resurrect the career of an American icon in less than half an hour
- “There’s a thinking that, to be progressive, every song has to have 14 minutes of musical intellectualism. We don’t agree”: Some say Soen’s new album isn’t prog enough. But they cite Genesis in their defence
- “I have always been interested in the mystery about our existence. I kept my eyes opened during the night to see in the darkness. My imagination went from Heaven to Hell”: The blasphemous Brazilian black metal band who made Sepultura look like Bon Jovi
- “We never really fitted in at all. Most heavy metal bands were riff-based. A thousand bands were copying Judas Priest and Iron Maiden”: The chaotic story of Spider, the unluckiest boogie rock band of the 80s
- “When you’re ahead of your time, it’s a real problem. You can have something extremely unique and labels won’t sign it because they don’t understand it”: The turbulent story of the band who claim to have brought heavy metal to North America
- “We never took advantage of a death. Other bands did it. People tried to make us do the same, but we just wouldn’t”: The southern rock classic covered by Waylon Jennings and Poison that deserves to be up there with Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Sweet Home Alabama
March 14
- I had cassette tapes of Muddy’s Chess songs made. “I’d bring them to the studio and he would decide if he wanted to record a song again”: How a blues legend made a stunning return to form in the twllight of his career - with help from a young guitar hero
- "It's our most emotional and moving song." In 1986, Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder taped something off the TV. Years later, that recording would leave fans wondering what in the name of grunge was going on
- “He listened to the first two tunes, picked up the album and smashed it against the wall. It was the only one we had!” This 1968 hit made a prog pioneer into a global star – but even he didn’t like it at first
- “Lars called and said, ‘What did you do to our song? You covered up the solos, you covered up the drums, you filled every moment with dialogue!’”: How a bleak anti-war song and a massive u-turn pushed the “biggest cult band in the world” to a new level
- “Rory was approached with the suggestion he join Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker in a new version of Cream”: John Lennon, Eric Clapton and Brian May loved them - but this trailblazing Irish blues rock trio lasted just two albums before imploding
- "I could be talking to you from my Burger King castle. That's my biggest regret." The beloved hardcore band that turned down a big pile of money to wear chicken masks for a Slipknot-aping fast food advert
- “There was a speed-breaking incident. We weren’t even doing anything cool, just coming back from the store. Blame Judas Priest!”: The album that Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale wants played at her funeral – and the pop record that became a drunken karaoke favourite
- “There was something romantic about splitting up when we did. But we couldn’t have gone on anyway. We were killing each other”: How rock’s most volatile band wrote the song that invented the 1990s – and then imploded
March 13
- The 12 best new metal songs you need to hear right now
- "It turned out so good that Depeche Mode liked it!" The bold, gothic cover of a 90s classic that helped establish one of Europe's most beloved metal bands - and why it got a seal of approval from some British legends
- Great new prog you must hear from Devin Townsend, Green Carnation, Midge Ure, Teramaze and more in Prog's brand new Tracks Of The Week
- “What can you say? It’s definitely earned its keep”: David Gilmour on the guitar he sold for $4m – that’s just sold again for $14.5m
- "There’s a guy here who you can pay five dollars to kick in the crotch.” A wild and weird weekend in Las Vegas with metal's most colourful band
- "At one point I felt like soaking myself in vodka, setting myself alight and flinging my body from a balcony in protest." The explosive story of the little-known band who inspired The Who and influenced punk
- "Looking at these things gave me some feelings I wasn't sure about. So I took these things outside and I burned all of them." Why Rival Sons' Jay Buchanan destroyed his past
March 12
- "When we recorded that song, Jim was on a huge dose of acid." How a simple break-up song evolved into The Doors' darkest, weirdest and most disturbing freak-out
- "I wanted to be able to say we are the next big thing.” Army drills, TikTok hits and nu metal: Sleep Theory are metalcore's fastest rising stars
- "A load of old characters came out to see us and one of them got arrested. It was a full-moon vibe." Weird and wonderful alt.rock Brits Marmozets fizz back with a new album after a seven-year absence
- "One guy brought a homemade metal blade to a fight. It lasted about 25 seconds. Phil completely laid the fella out. Phil was tough. You didn't mess." From teenage fan to first-name pals - The Phil Lynott I knew
- "We took a break and made some tea. Within 20 minutes Steve had written the words." How Humble Pie made the ultimate whiplash boogie white boy blues
March 11
- "It was construed as being about a sex worker." The story behind the Blondie classic that everyone misunderstood
- "I love the sleazy, lustful side of Motorhead." Severed heads, strip clubs and baptism by whisky: Why the metal world loved Lemmy Kilmister, the ultimate rock'n'roll rebel
- With up to 33% off vinyl storage in Amazon's Spring Deal Days sale, there's never been a better time to organise your wax. Here's 9 of my top picks for record collectors
- "To create something from nothing is one of the greatest feelings. It's heaven." Why Prince turned down a partnership deal with Guitar Hero, while Metallica considered it a "no-brainer"
- “I always try to be professional and respectful about people’s decisions. It was their band, so I had to go along with it”: When Yes told Oliver Wakeman not to come back
- “In the 70s the support band had to blow the main act offstage. I thought it was distasteful. There’s room for everybody”: Jethro Tull ex Martin Barre insists he’s not underrated, and explains why he has no time for egos
- “I was naked in a shower, they held me upside-down by my legs and they poured bourbon into my mouth”: How this thrash singer became the new frontman of 21st-century metal stars Children Of Bodom
- Ghostly keychains, vinyl box sets & classic tees: Ditch the chocolates and discover an alternative take on Mother's Day gifts
- "Sangria can make you do a lot of things…" How a drunken night, and the support of Samuel L. Jackson, changed the life of Kashus Culpepper
- "I know people don't want to hear me saying such things, but they're true." Francis Rossi comes clean on Status Quo, Rick Parfitt and new solo album The Accidental
- "It wouldn’t be my first choice of nickname now": Gluecifer's Captain Poon on touring with Lemmy, fun with chickens and the origins of that stage name
- "One of the most colourful, fascinating, exciting and unusual rock'n'roll albums we've ever heard." The story of the pioneering rockers whose career was scuttled by the Six-Day War
March 10
- “There was a lot of pain. My love for music was beginning to die”: He’d learned to let his brother be lead guitarist, and that many musicians lose hope. Then he changed his life, wrote a 15-minute prog epic and got signed
- "I remember thinking, Who in their right mind would want this to go out?" AC/DC's Angus Young on the song he wishes the world's greatest rock 'n' roll band had never released
- "Are you a guitarist too?" The day that rock legends Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Brian May and Jeff Beck met the Queen of England
- "A raging maniac with a head full of noise, romance and death." Nine Jim Steinman albums you should listen to and one to avoid
- "Into this void of hopelessness and lack of understanding came this perfect amoral act": How a controversial song inspired by a tragic school shooting in the US became a UK No.1
- "The crowd seemed more concerned with the long lines at the beer taps." In 1984 Huey Lewis invited Stevie Ray Vaughan on tour - and he tanked
March 9
- Classic Rock's Tracks Of The Week: March 9, 2026
- "I was walking down the street and I saw this junkie washing out his needle with wine." How one of the most hyped metal bands of the 90s bounced back from firings, studio disasters and, erm, constipation
- “Anyone who tells you it’s not a Genesis album isn’t a real fan. Come at me!”: Camel’s Peter Jones stands up for two records that others love to hate
- "Now I know that there's an audience for my voice and my songs, I want to present that to as many people as possible." Dan Byrne is ready for the world - but is the world ready for him?
- "I always took a flagon of cider on stage with me. When I'd finished drinking it I played the jug." The extraordinary story of the debut single that sold 73,000 copies before lunch and became a hit all over the world
- “He came on stage in a witch’s hat and cape, carrying a sword. In the second song he attacked me with the sword! What’s wrong with this picture, you know?” The flawed genius who even kept Lemmy on his toes
March 8
- "Hearing Prince covered it or Taylor Swift hand-picked it for an Apple commercial? What is that?" How an email rant inspired a song worth a billion streams and picked up some iconic fans along the way
- “Slamming started with us because of the speed. When we added reggae, and they started skanking like they’d come to see The Specials”: The cult punk icons who smashed together rock and reggae and influenced Slayer, Guns N’ Roses and Dave Grohl
- “I was in an airport and these people went: ‘Hey Steve! Thumbs up, man! Tony Soprano loves Journey!’ It was amazing”: This multi-million selling rock singer disappeared from music for more than 20 years. It took a personal tragedy to bring him back
- “There was a lot of violence. We were fighting off stage moshers, people were running in and crashing into us. Those were violent times”: How a “desperate” band dived into Egyptian myth and made the album that reinvented death metal in the 21st century
- “The label said, ‘We find the cover a bit dark, the logo is ugly and, frankly, we don’t hear a single’”: Amazingly, a prog supergroup soundtracked the summer of 1982. The secret of their success? English church music
- “Oh look, we’re rich. We set out to achieve what we set out to achieve. What do we do now?” How a freak meeting with a lost friend shocked one of rock’s biggest bands to tears - and inspired one of their greatest ever songs
March 7
- “I met Billy Corgan at a funeral. I said: ‘Are you aware of my band?’ He goes: ‘You kidding? I got your album in my car’”: The cult hair metal band with links to Styx, Smashing Pumpkins and Kanye West who had the world in their hands – but threw it away
- “You could barely drive down Sunset Strip because of the drunk people. A couple of my friends got hit. Luciky, they lived and partied on, like good headbangers”: The outrageous movie which captured the debauched 80s scene that “made Caligula look tame”
- "That number-one hit poses the gentle question: 'Should I just kill myself?'" How a "throwaway" lyric written during a dark time helped turn some punk misfits into one of the biggest rock bands of the 2000s
- “Our first logo was a couple of witches throwing stuff into a cauldron. It was mystical – hobbits and the Bible and the Koran. We didn’t know what we were doing”: The cult band who made one of the greatest albums of the 70s – but struggled to match it
- “That bloke’s right – we are crap!” The insult and the instrument that turned a failing pop act into prog giants
- “Lady Gaga is awesome. Have you seen her play piano? She’ll sit down and throw down something. Aside from all the crazy outfits, she’s a great musician”: The classic 1983 album that Zakk Wylde says defines metal – and the unlikely pop megastar he loves
- "I had a lovely chat with Princess Anne about my career and touring. She was quite genned up." Graham Gouldman on royal approval and the chances of 10cc's original lineup reuniting
- "She steps in the room with us, a rock'n'roll band that's fronted by a guy she adores": How a song from Tom Petty's reject pile unwittingly became the massive hit single that launched a Fleetwood Mac icon's solo career
- “Jim could write a song that was so passionate you felt like you were being disembowelled, but he never had that love in his own life”: The epic power ballad that propelled an unlikely singer to stardom – and nearly provoked a “chick fight” in the process
March 6
- Reggae-rock, Southern ballads and the sound of black metal melting: the 9 heavy new tracks that everyone needs to hear this week
- "If you don't really get the concept of wanting to sing sad songs in the dark, you are never going to be a fan of this band, ever." The story behind the "nursery rhyme" 90s alt. rock classic covered by Metallica for one night only
- "The LAPD chased down some of the miscreants and beat them to the ground with their nightsticks." How one of the worst riots in the history of music got a legendary metal band banned from a major Hollywood venue
- Cool new proggy sounds you need to hear from Long Distance Calling, VLMV, Lorenzo Bedini and Amanda Lehmann and more in Prog's brand new Tracks Of The Week
- "To us, this was a decent album track, no more. We certainly did not think it could be a single!" Without the support of two American DJs, one of rock's classic singles might never have been released
- "Why have Kiss lasted in a town like Detroit? 'Cos we appeal to the real masses, the great unwashed of America." In 2003, Kiss fans coughed up $1,000 for front-row seats on their 2003 US tour with Aerosmith, and we joined the throng
- “I drove a different Ferrari to the studio every day. David Gilmour and Nick Mason would wait outside to see which one”: How Sammy Hagar tried and failed to become a prog star after falling for Pink Floyd
March 5
- "If you’re getting compared to bands like Genesis, who’s going to complain?” Why UK prog rockers Ghost Of The Machine's 'difficult' second album, Empires Must Fall, wasn't so difficult after all
- "We were like, ‘What if we take speed? Maybe we can play even faster!’ We were definitely better without the drugs." How Europe's biggest thrash band went from getting their mum to sign deals to satanic metal mastery
- Heavy metal, hard rock, guaranteed sunshine and a setting like no other – Spain’s Rock Imperium is the one amazing festival you can’t afford to miss in 2026
- "I'd love to hang upside down in a stadium." How Avenged Sevenfold, Bring Me The Horizon and Robbie Williams inspired these rising British rockers to reinvent themselves
- “In three years we went from folk clubs to the LA Forum. I mean, we fought and got drunk and all that, but it was still a great time”: Approaching six decades in music, these prog heroes never operated as a democracy
- "You are not what you own." Why you still can't buy an official T-shirt from one of the greatest American rock bands ever
- “I was like, ‘I think it’d be cool if I die and spit up blood but I need to play another show the next night.’” How Black Sabbath and ‘major death anxiety’ inspired metal’s new fantasy sensation, Castle Rat
- "I remember listening to it and freaking out – I couldn't believe how authentic it sounded." How The Darkness created the ultimate modern power ballad
- “It’s fortuitous that Viv Stanshall was there – and what a good idea to put the tubular bells in”: 19-year-old Mike Oldfield was planning to defect to Russia before fate intervened
- "He wanted my shotgun – he'd just have these total freakouts. There were so many wonderful moments and terrible mayhem with him." Fuelled by bipolar disorder, the 70s' most outlandish concept album predicted a political meltdown
March 4
- "I was angry at them for writing that song. I thought, You don’t know. You weren’t there." The tragic and horrifying true story behind one of the biggest rock anthems of the 90s
- “I said, ‘Just start again. It would be good for you.’ He persuaded me to stay. I never felt good about it”: Martin Barre tried to quit Jethro Tull in 1980, but Ian Anderson wouldn’t have it
- “Armour-plated anthems about guns, battles and dudes shooting other dudes”: Every Sabaton album ranked from worst to best
- "I made my bed by leaving the band in 2010." The prog metal master who links Dream Theater, Avenged Sevenfold and The Beatles (but not Rush)
- "I'm on a pyre, a monk sentences me to death, and I will burn. Burn, burn, burn." Why you should probably go and see Powerwolf this week
- "There were a lot of 'folk musicians' who'd seen A Hard Day's Night and wanted to be pop stars, but they couldn't earn twenty-five dollars in Texas." Nine Steve Miller albums you should listen to and one to avoid
- “Of course, none of us agreed on any of it. Not one idea was liked by us all. So then it was, ‘Which idea do four of us like, which idea do three of us like?’” The story of Marillion’s upbeat lockdown album An Hour Before It's Dark
- "If we were legendary for anything, it was for bringing Jello to a show and getting it all over the monitors." The story of the hate song that kick-started the entire grunge movement
March 3
- "We saw the end coming." How the 90s' last big rock band reinvented after their frontman went off the rails - courtesy of one of the best singers in the game
- “I was always sure we were going to come back. My friends said, ‘You’re still waiting? Are you stupid?’” With Mike Portnoy’s help, Bigelf battled back from tragedy to make Into The Maelstrom
- "I remember finishing the lyrics and literally feeling sick to my stomach." How Alter Bridge regrouped, faced the dark side, put their foot on the gas and recorded a brilliant album
- "Nothing Is What It Seems was written about Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. They're the liar and the thief in the song": Brinsley Schwarz on his state-of-the-world album Shouting At The Moon
- “I interviewed him and he denied ever hearing the album. I find that somewhat hard to believe”: Did Jethro Tull inspire a character in Spinal Tap? The actor says no. Ian Anderson’s not so sure
- "It's not something I'd like us to be remembered for. It was a thorn in our side but I'm stuck with it." After lacing their neighbour's water supply with LSD, the Small Faces wrote the hit that ended their career
March 2
- "The jams that turned into songs on the album began with us playing out in the woods at night. Crazy spirit." Meet Ever Age: The 21st-century power trio whose debut album might just be a once-in-a-generation record
- "Alanis Morrisette inspired me to express how I was feeling." One of 2000s metal's early stars on being a teenage rockstar, breaking up nu metal's boys club and the art of failure
- “It’s inherent in the fanbase. You’re always measured against this yardstick. People comment, ‘This isn’t Yes!’ Where did we say this was Yes?”: Arc Of Life’s struggle to self-identify
- Classic Rock's Tracks Of The Week: March 2, 2026
- "I said, 'This is our last show.' He said OK. We never, ever talked about why it was so easy to break up the band." The curious story of the thinking man's hair metal band, and where it all went wrong
- "Future generations will consider it one of the most important recordings of all time." Rising Southern rock star Marcus King picks the soundtrack of his life
- "Those teenage kids could be kind of wild. It could be downright frightening at times." The story of the tongue-in-cheek classic that slammed manufactured pop music, aided by a pair of South African legends
March 1
- “I woke up in a panic – a door in my mind had opened which I couldn’t close”: How a psychotic reaction triggered the cult 70s album that fused progressive rock and the blues – and influenced Queens Of The Stone Age, The Damned and Nirvana’s producer
- “We couldn’t have really fitted in with grunge, because we were a different type of a band. We were Irish and from Limerick, and we had our own ideas”: The tragedy that inspired an iconic grunge-era anti-war anthem – and reinvented the band that wrote it
- “Everyone goes, ‘We pour our hearts into these things.’ But this genuinely was us, tears down our cheeks, trying to be manly”: How Big Big Train survived the death of David Longdon
- “What Keith Moon did on drums, he did on keyboards. Without him the genre would be much poorer”: When Geoff Downes saw Keith Emerson live, he found immediate inspiration
- “He was seeing the devil in everything. To him, his whole life had been in service to Satan...” This LA band had the world at their feet. Then their guitarist joined a religious cult while their bassist faced 11 years in jail for trying to rescue him
- "Tyler The Creator made me realise that I don’t need to scream for a song to be heavy.” Freedom-fighting hardcore punk, Victorian doom metal and 'angry dance music': the best new metal bands you need to hear this month