Metal Hammer Features

UFOs and levitating Jesus: the story behind Hangar 18 by Megadeth

By Simon Young Published 6 July 26

Hangar 18 was written by Dave Mustaine before he joined Metallica

The tumultuous story of Sepultura’s Roots album and their bitter split

By Dave Everley Published 5 July 26

How Sepultura made their most important album – and how it tore them apart

The rise, fall and triumphant return of Corrosion of Conformity

By Dom Lawson Published 4 July 26

80s crossover pioneers, 90s stoner metal icons... and then tragedy derailed them in the 2000s. But after a triumphant return in 2015, CoC are stronger than ever

The greatest Alice In Chains songs ever, picked by Kerry King, Max Calavera, Lzzy Hale and more

By Metal Hammer Published 4 July 26

The grunge icons’ best songs, chosen by 22 of today‘s biggest musicians

Metal Hammer's tracks of the week: July 3 2026

By Rich Hobson Published 3 July 26

Peasant metal, Native American folk by way of black metal and gorgeously symponic power metal all appear in this week's best new metal songs.

How Gojira made one of modern metal’s most conscious, powerful anthems

By Matt Mills Published 3 July 26

The French crusaders played their early shows in a region battling for independence, and they channelled that political spirit into Flying Whales

How Blood And Thunder turned Mastodon from Southern misfits to 21st-century metal stars

By Matt Mills Published 3 July 26

Making a snarling concept piece about Moby-Dick doesn’t sound like a move for mainstream appeal, but that’s exactly what Mastodon found

Tragedy, black metal and Linkin Park: Gaerea are pushing boundaries in modern metal

By Dave Everley Published 3 July 26

Gaerea began in the realms of black metal, but now the mysterious Portuguese group are pushing boundaries

Every Metallica album ranked from worst to best

By Merlin Alderslade Published 2 July 26

From game-changing debut Kill 'Em All to the emotionally-charged 72 Seasons, this is every studio album by metal's biggest band, ranked

Silent Planet: the first American band to play Ukraine during the Russian war

By Matt Mills Published 2 July 26

Singer Garrett Russell talks about the metalcore brutes’ experiences in the war-torn country last month

The songs that defined Babymetal (and the stories behind them)

By Dannii Leivers Published 2 July 26

Babymetal talk us through the songs that charted their journey from Japanese curio to international metal stardom

Former Crystal Lake frontman Ryo Kinoshita found the freedom to "not be a tough guy" in Knosis

By Tim Bolitho-Jones Published 1 July 26

Former Crystal Lake vocalist Ryo Kinoshita shares how Knosis helped him embrace his identity

How Tool redefined prog metal for the 21st century with Lateralus

By Joe Daly Published 1 July 26

Lateralus wasn't just the album that redefined Tool - it paved the way for bands like Mastodon and Gojira in the years to come

Welcome To Rockville and Sonic Temple Art + Music Festival both return in May 2027 - here's why you can't afford to miss them

By Louder Published 1 July 26

Sponsored by Danny Wimmer Presents

Two of the world's greatest music and art events take over Daytona Beach and Columbus next May

Amy Lee reflects on 20-plus years of Evanescence, A-list collabs and more

By Dannii Leivers Published 1 July 26

Evanescence are in a better place than ever, but Amy Lee isn't about to slow down

In 1993, Kurt Cobain asked Sepultura man Max Cavalera where to get heroin in Brazil

By Matt Mills Published 1 July 26

When trying to score drugs at a South American festival, Nirvana’s leader turned to what he believed to be a local expert

How The Prodigy's incendiary electronic punk album The Fat Of The Land put a bomb under heavy music

By Alistair Lawrence Published 30 June 26

Released on June 30, 1997, The Fat Of The Land blew the minds of a generation

“I think James is still fuming”: an interview with the artist who created Metallica’s Load and Reload album covers

By Eleanor Goodman Published 30 June 26

Artist Andres Serrano looks back on his involvement with the controversial covers for Metallica’s Load and Reload albums

How Slipknot made Snuff: the greatest metal ballad of the 21st century

By Matt Mills Published 29 June 26

Inspired by Corey Taylor’s divorce and redefined after the death of Paul Gray, Snuff shows The Nine at their most beautifully vulnerable