HOW IS IT the end of the year already?! It seems like five minutes since we put Ville Valo on the cover in January, and yet so much has happened since. Metallica released their huge 72 Seasons album and took it on a two-nights-per-destination mega-tour, while our friends in Maiden stunned us with the ray-gun-toting fun of their Future Past shows. Meanwhile, Download blew out the candles on its 20th birthday cake during a four-day FOLLO party. In 2023, metal felt like a celebration.
Meanwhile, there were tons of other, no less significant victories. Skindred and Sleep Token booked arena shows, Indonesia’s Voice Of Baceprot took on the States, and somehow even Barbie went metal –you can relive all the action from p35.
You’ll also find a list of the 50 best albums of the year, according to our esteemed critics. So if you’ve worn a hole in your copy of Twisted Sister’s Christmas record, why not give these a spin? You might just discover your new favourite band. And as for No.1? Let’s just say that was another pleasant –albeit blood-soaked –surprise.
Thanks for spending the last 12 months with us, and we’ll see you back here for 2024!