HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I HOPE YOU had a swell festive period,

HANK VON HELVETE 1972-2021

ON NOVEMBER 19, news broke that Hans-Erik Dyvik

SABATON’S NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM

The Swedish power metal icons invade a military museum in Belgium to unveil their return to the trenches on upcoming 10th album The War To End All Wars

10 THINGS WE LEARNED THIS MONTH

What’s been blowing our tiny brains

“WILL TRUMP RUN AGAIN IN 2024?”

Tom Morello talks taking down bigots, missing out on Star Wars and Chris Cornell when faced with your questions

TOSIN ABASI

Guns N’ Roses, tech metal and gritty EDM – these are the sounds in Animals As Leaders’ shredderin-chief Tosin Abasi’s head

PHIL BOZEMAN

The Whitechapel singer on rising above loss, tragedy and darkness

HALESTORM

Nashville’s finest have emerged from the depths of Covid with their biggest-sounding album yet

REFUSE/RESIST BY SEPULTURA

It opened with the sound of a baby’s heartbeat and closed with a 20-second roar of fury. In between, Sepultura delivered one of metal’s greatest riot-starting calls-to-arms

WHAT ARE YOU LOT LISTENING TO OVER THERE?

And other reckless insults, enquiring probes and hearty high fives you lot sent our way this month

ONCE HUMAN

Worlds collide as ex-Machine Head guitarist Logan Mader returns to the fray

DOODSWENS

The emerging face of 21st-century black metal journeys through the darkness and light

EIGHT BELLS

Porland’s post-everything mavericks serve up the perfect soundtrack for the endtimes

FRONTIERER

That twisted DIY mathcore/ electronic explosion you ordered has arrived

DUST MOUNTAIN

Takes from the ancient earth courtesy of folk-horror adjacent Finns

IN THE KNOW

What your favourite bands are listening to

HOARD ALMIGHTY

Box sets, underground oddities and all the essential merch you need this month

Out of The Blue

Spiritbox’s rise has been nothing less than meteoric. And yet, as a new year beckons, they assure us they’re just getting started

Metal Is Dead

Don’t panic: so is every other genre! Inspired by everyone from Deftones to Drake, Merseyside’s Loathe have ripped up music’s rulebook. And not even they know what’s coming next…

Sleep Token are a Mystery

Anonymous members, no interviews and sold-out shows: Vessel et al have become a modern metal phenomenon. We followed them on tour to try and find out more

The new face of Extreme

Satanic slave mythology, secret anarchist societies and the Bee Gees. Put plainly, there is no one in metal right now like Zeal & Ardor’s enigmatic mastermind, Manuel Gagneux

2022:EVERYTHING ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW

AVENGED SEVENFOLD

10 THINGS WE WANT FROM GHOST IN 2022

Here’s everything we want from Papa et al in what could be a pivotal year

PARKWAY DRIVE

The Aussie heavyweights will hit UK arenas, but is new music coming too?

VENOM PRISON

Will 2022 see the hyped young death metallers hit the big leagues?

KORN

Will new album Requiem see Jonathan Davis get happy?

BLOODYWOOD

The Indian sensations are set to drop their long-awaited debut

IN THIS MOMENT

New music is coming - but when?

MACHINE HEAD

Album #10 and a monstrous UK arena tour incoming!

MEGADETH

The follow-up to 2016’s Dystopia album is finally on the way

THE BEST OF THE REST

Gojira in arenas! Bring Me on a beach! A load more albums for our ears! Here’s everything else we’re stoked about for 2022

ROB HALFORD

From co-founding heavy metal, to defining its look, to coming out as a gay musician in the 90s, the Judas Priest frontman is a true trailblazer – and he’s even guested in The Simpsons

THE OTHER SIDE

Armed with a new name and major label backing, gothic heavy metallers Unto Others are set to explode. But are they ready for the limelight?

101 ARCHITECTS

Brighton’s metalcore masters orchestrate an emotional rollercoaster at Abbey Road

CONFESS

RevengeAtAllCosts REXIUS

BATTLE BEAST

Circus Of Doom NUCLEAR BLAST

COMEBACK KID

Heavy Steps NUCLEAR BLAST

FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY

Oh What The Future Holds NUCLEAR BLAST

LAWNMOWER DETH

Blunt Cutters CHERRY RED

UNDEROATH

Voyeurist FEARLESS

WIEGEDOOD

There’s Always Blood At The End Of The Road CENTURY MEDIA

WORM SHEPHERD

Ritual Hymns UNIQUE LEADER

LOATHE THE ASYLUM, BIRMINGHAM

Liverpool’s atmospheric sensations bring Birmingham to the boil

PALM READER

ORCHARDS/ PHOXJAW GARAGE, LONDON

ARCHITECTS

ABBEY ROAD, LONDON

CLUTCH

DOOM SALOON, MARYLAND

BLEED FROM WITHIN

INGESTED THE DOME, LONDON

CHELSEA WOLFE

Metal’s gothic troubadour on magic mushrooms, telepathic band meetings and Chelsea FC