Features

When this singer had his band’s logo tattooed on his arm, they were already planning to fire him

By Rich Wilson published 25 January 26

The disaster of their first album – which remains unpopular with many fans – sent them into a nosedive. Dismissing their vocalist was part of the course correction that made them massive

How Judas Priest survived car smashes and epic debauchery to make the album that turned them into superstars

By Rich Hobson published 24 January 26

Judas Priest survived cars smashes and epic debauchery to make their US breakthrough album

The 80s metal anthem that turned the band who wrote it into global superstars – and the X-rated title it nearly had

By Dom Lawson published 24 January 26

Things could have turned out very different if the drummer had his way

Debate: What was the best prog album of 1976?

By Martin Kielty published 24 January 26

Punk might have been on the rise but Rush, Genesis, Jon Anderson, Van der Graaf Generator, Kansas, Alan Parsons, Camel and Soft Machine released records that became all-time greats. But which one is your favourite – and why?

Cwfen: the doom witches capturing the dark heart of Scotland

By Liz Scarlett published 24 January 26

Starting out as a synthwave duo, Cwfen pivoted to ethereal doom metal after a fateful stormy night

The apocalyptic anthem that sowed the seeds for prog – and became “the first heavy metal song” in the process

By Jo Kendall published 24 January 26

Everyone from Ozzy to Voivod has covered this groundbreaking masterpiece

The 80s pop culture icon that bizarrely tried to join Metallica

By Merlin Alderslade published 23 January 26

This week, wrestling icon Hulk Hogan passed away aged 71. We revisit one of the strangest stories involving the Hulkster, which included the world's biggest metal band

What happened when Ozzy Osbourne bumped into Peter Gabriel in a lift in New York

By Merlin Alderslade published 23 January 26

When these two music giants bumped into each other, one of them was a little overawed by the whole thing

Metal Hammer's Tracks Of The Week: January 23 2026

By Rich Hobson published 23 January 26

Megadeth, Rob Zombie and Poppy are among the best new metal songs this week

“The lawyer said, ‘Have we just paid $12,000 for a piano player?’” When Rick Wakeman delivered his first solo album

By Rick Wakeman published 23 January 26

In 1970 they gave him Scotch in the morning, a big cash advance and a three-ton limousine. Eventually the man who’d hated the resulting album gave him a platinum disc for its sales