IT WAS ALWAYS GONNA HAPPEN, WASN’T IT?

QUITE HONESTLY, I don’t understand how we’ve even got to

MARTIN BIRCH 1948-2020

EVERYONE AT METAL Hammer was saddened last month by the

BEYOND BORDERS

WHILE WE’VE ALL keenly felt the impact of the COVID-19

DO YOU WATCH THOSE YOUTUBE REACTION VIDEOS?

BETWEEN RIDING THE success of third album Macro and landing

JUSTINE JONES

“CHAOSPHERE IS MY favourite MESHUGGAH album. It’s my go-to when

ADRIAN SMITH

IRON MAIDEN AXEMAN and songwriter since 1980 - aside from

PALM READER

TEN YEARS, THREE records and more than 400 shows (including,

ROOSTER BY ALICE IN CHAINS

WHEN ALICE IN Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell found himself temporarily

GOOOJI IIIRRA AAAA!!

Can I just say it’s so good to read that

CULT OF LILITH

IN ANCIENT HEBREW mythology, Lilith is the first wife of

WARGASM

If nu metal and riot grrrl had a weird but

DUMA

“WE’VE GOT A question for you, Metal Hammer: where the

ORBIT CULTURE

“I SUFFER FROM really crippling obsessive compulsive disorder. It affects

NARROW HEAD

COMBINING THE ANGULARITY of Helmet and Seattle grunge with Deftones-esque

TERMINAL NATION

“TERMINAL NATION are a pummelling hardcore act that come from

HOARD ALMIGHTY

THE ALBUM THAT starts with the other greatest and most

COREY TAYLOR’S GUIDE TO BEING... HAPPY?

Sure you do. He’s one of the biggest characters in

RILEY GALE WAS ONE OF US

When news broke in the late hours of August 25

OH LORD YEAH!

The unexpected success of Black Sabbath’s self-titled debut album meant

DEFTONES HAVE COME HOME

Walking into their Sacramento rehearsal space, to work there for

I’M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE

In 2019, Svalbard singer Serena Cherry was hit by a

THE DARK WORLD

In a world with all its bearings intact, Enslaved would

“We Want to create a positive IMpact”

It was the video for Ari Ari that catapulted Bloodywood

MARILYN MANSON

IF THERE’S ONE constant in Marilyn Manson’s post-Holy Wood trajectory,

ALL THEM WITCHES

2018’s ATW was the first time All Them Witches came

ALPHA WOLF

Alpha Wolf aren’t mucking around. The Aussies lunge for the

ASCENSION OF THE WATCHERS

When Fear Factory’s Burton C Bell released Numinosum, the haunting

DEFTONES

IT’S RARE IN a career spanning more than a quarter

AYREON

Transitus is a rock opera based on a gothic ghost

BABIRUSA

Aussie metalcore newbies throw all their ideas into the concept

CHROME WAVES

Chrome Waves were first formed almost a decade ago with

CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX

Despite another line-up change, Crippled Black Phoenix have conjured their

AMARANTHE

AMARANTHE HAVE BEEN in a state of perpetual motion since

ENSLAVED

THE WONDERFUL THING about every Enslaved release is expecting the

CYTOTOXIN

German Chernobyl-themed quintet Cytotoxin’s fourth studio offering is equipped with

DARKENED

Darkened are your typical 21st-century supergroup, spread over two continents

DEAFKIDS & PETBRICK

Sometimes, you just need to be punished. While Deafbrick occasionally

DEMOLIZER

After turning heads (and bothering necks) last year when they

DYNFARI

Iceland’s legacy of enthralling music continues with Dynfari’s fifth full-length

ESHTADUR

Eshtadur’s approach to extremity has always been a chimeric affair,

EXIST

The intelligent technical design and sheer scope of Exist’s third

SMALL MERCIES

Germany’s Abyss and Slovakia’s Besna offer different takes on BM

FINNTROLL

FOR THOSE INCLINED to embrace the dark, Finntroll have always

FIGHT THE FIGHT

These Norwegians’ second album is nothing if not diverse. The

FIRES IN THE DISTANCE

This Connecticut quartet evolved out of Archaic Decapitator, but their

FIT FOR A KING

Two years on from Dark Skies, these Texas metallers’ sixth

FORETOKEN

“Extreme symphonic metal” - it’s a combination that should be

FORLORN WORLD

A solo project from Bloodshot Dawn frontman Josh McMorran, Forlorn

ANNA VON HAUSSWOLFF

Hammer can’t rightly claim to have received many instrumental pipe

HEATHEN

Often credited as being one of the standard setters for

MASTODON

MASTODON ARE THE quintessential modern metal ‘album’ band. That makes

NAPALM DEATH

AFTER MORE THAN 30 years and numerous lineup changes, Birmingham

HELLRIPPER

James McBain’s second album as Hellripper is blackened thrash perfected

HYMN

It’s easy to overlook that Norway’s Hymn are a mere

ICE NINE KILLS

Boston horror fiends serve up a host of choice cuts

WORLD SERVICE

These Costa Rican death metal muckspreaders’ EP sits comfortably alongside

IDOLATRIA

After a rather inconsequential intro, Italy’s Idolatria slowly pull you

THE INFERNAL SEA

Three years on from their last release, the scintillating Agents

KATAKLYSM

Though they’ve never had a Slaughter Of The Soul or

KIND

Kind are a well-cultivated supergroup, featuring former members of Elder

SVALBARD

WHEN THEY RELEASED It’s Hard To Have Hope in 2018,

COREY TAYLOR

METAL USED TO be fun. Back before it became a

LIK

Ah, Swedish death metal. When it’s good, it’s very, very

NASTY

These Belgians are established pros of 16 years’ standing with

NIGHT

If you know Night’s previous album, 2017’s Raft Of The

NUBIVAGANT

The first thing that immediately strikes you about Roaring Eye

OBSIDIAN KINGDOM

Forging a worthy follow-up to acclaimed predecessor A Year With

THE OCEAN

When they released Precambrian in 2007, progressive intellectuals The Ocean

OTTONE PESANTE

Rivers Of Nihil, Sunn O))) and Imperial Triumphant may be

TOUCHÉ AMORÉ

WHETHER OR NOT to your taste, it would be tough

UADA

UADA BECAME RAPIDLY noteworthy for their technicolour take on black

PANZERFAUST

Panzerfaust 2019’s The Suns Of Perdition - Chapter I: War,

JOHN PETRUCCI

The dawn of the COVID-19catalysed solo album is upon us

PLAGUE YEARS

Following Plague Years’ rip-roaring 2018 debut LP, Unholy Infestation, this

RAVEN

Purveyors of neck-wrecking, high-energy heavy metal for the last 46

SUMAC

Sumac’s fourth album oozes space and atmosphere. Aaron Turner’s pressure-valve

SUNKEN

The second full-length from this atmospheric black metal quintet begins

VARIOUS ARTISTS

Following 2019’s complete remake of Pink Floyd’s The Wall, Magnetic

VENOM PRISON

HAILED AS AN ACT who do 21st-century death metal better

LIVE EVIL

DEVIN TOWNSEND, JUDAS PRIEST, MERCYFUL FATE, SAXON, BURY TOMORROW, SKINDRED,

ROAD TRIPPIN’ KILL THE LIGHTS

Putting your first album out when the world has just

ROAD TRIPPIN’ BUTCHER BABIES

Carla Harvey (vocals): “A whirlwind of emotions! I had plans

EUROPEAN METAL FESTIVAL ALLIANCE

Sabaton, Avatar and Rotting Christ join forces with a host

VILE CREATURE

WITH THE FUTURE of gigs still up in the air,

ARCTURUS

Two shows, two different setlists - it’s a neat idea,

BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME

Performing 2007’s Colors in its entirety two nights in a

MIDGARDSBLOT ONLINE

THE TEAM BEHIND Norway’s Midgardsblot festival have steered away from

NORTHLANE

IN THEIR NEGATIVE Energy documentary, released earlier this year, Northlane

JAMIE LENMAN

“Not being able to get paid for your calling, your