METAL HAMMER

Future PLC, 121 - 141 Westbourne Terrace, Paddington,

DAVE MUSTAINE IS HAPPY

IN MARCH 2020, Hammer took a trip to

MEET THE BAND

VANESSA THORPE Production Editor Vanessa’s been on

THE BEAST IS BACK

PRESS/JOHN McMURTRIE GOUTS OF FLAME. Dancing puppeteer devils.

REMEMBERING CLIFF BURTON

A new museum in honour of Metallica’s late, great bassist Cliff Burton has been established in Sweden. We went to the opening event

10 THINGS WE LEARNED THIS MONTH

What’s been blowing our tiny brains

WHAT’S YOUR TIP FOR SURVIVING A ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE?

Ice Nine Kills’ chief ghoul Spencer Charnas has spent his life immersed in horror. But will your questions scare the life out of him?

BOB VYLAN

Classic hardcore, smooth jazz and early-00s one-hit wonders - it’s two for the price of one courtesy of the grime-punk riotstarters

HEILUNG

The pagan-folk collective are bringing a little Babylon and Ancient Rome to the mix on their third album

BLÖTHAR THE BERSERKER

The Gwar frontman on bodily fluids, metal elitists and terrifying Hollywood A-listers

ANGELS WITHIN TEMPTATION

Symphonic metal was on the verge of a global breakthrough in 2004, and this emotional anthem of anger and betrayal would help kick it to the next level

MAIDEN AGAIN?!

…and other protests and praises you had to offer about last month’s Iron Maiden cover, the return of Ville Valo and more

BIG DEBATE

Hammer’s Liz Scarlett dove into the world of nu gen, a new wave of artists splicing electronica and metal together to create something unique. Some of you didn’t approve

BLIND CHANNEL

The former Eurovision contestants reinventing nu metal for a new generation

FRAYLE

Ethereal doomsters serve up a ceremonial soundtrack for love and loss

CANDY

Cacophonous next-gen hardcore noise that’s as abrasive as their name is sweet

MOODRING

Turbo-charged melancholy from shapeshifting Floridians

RXPTRS

Bristol metal magpies emerge from the pandemic swinging

HOARD ALMIGHTY

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

NEW ALBUM. NEW MEGADETH. NEW MUSTAINE?

He’s survived cancer, the dismissal of his longest-serving bandmate Dave Ellefson, and has come out with a ripping new album. Now, Dave Mustaine seems… happy?

CHESTER BENNINGTON WAS DESTINED FOR GREATNESS

Dropping out of high school to focus on his band, Grey Daze, it was clear he had something special. Soon, the rest of the world would recognise it too

GREG PUCIATO

THE HAMMER INTERVIEW

TWINING IS WINNING

Smashing through every prejudice they’ve faced, Nova Twins have emerged as one of British rock’s most vital new voices. And on new album Supernova, they’re ringing in the changes

SADNESS WILL PREVAIL

Conjurer’s new album might be about sorrow, but the band have a bright future ahead of them. And it all started because Brady Deeprose wanted to skip Religious Education classes…

“HE WAS A HUGGER, A WRITER, AND AN ENTERTAINER”

Loved for his vocal talents, his enthusiasm for new bands and his warm personality, The Black Dahlia Murder’s Trevor Strnad touched many lives. We remember a death metal icon lost too soon

The Dark Arts

How the hell did a black metal band end up soundtracking an exhibition for Norway’s biggest artist, and winning approval from the king? We went to Oslo to find out

''I LIVE CLOSE TO HELVETE ''

She may not be a metalhead, but Satyricon & Munch curator Trine Otte Bak Nielsen remembers black metal’s violent origins

THE REVIEWS

PICTURE: MARIE KORNER 96 MESHUGGAH Umeå’s otherworldly groove

CONJURER

Páthos

MIKAEL ÅKERFELDT

Clark (Soundtrack From The Netflix Series)

ALESTORM

Seventh Rum Of A Seventh Rum

ALEXISONFIRE

Otherness

SMALL MERCIES

Where EP is short for ‘Epic Potential’

BLOOD COMMAND

Praise Armageddonism

FINAL LIGHT

Final Light RED CREEK

FRAYLE

Skin & Sorrow

GREY DAZE

The Phoenix

MUNICIPAL WASTE

Electrified Brain

GREG PUCIATO

Mirrorcell

SAOR

Origins

RESURRECTIONS

Unearthing the latest metal reissues

MYSTIC FESTIVAL 2022

GDAŃSK SHIPYARD, POLAND

MESHUGGAH

ZEAL & ARDOR

ORANSSI PAZUZU

DEAFKIDS / STURLE DAGSLAND

FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY

INGESTED / ENTERPRISE EARTH / GREAT AMERICAN GHOST

EMPLOYED TO SERVE

BURNER / ZETRA

MAYHEM

MORTIIS / BARSHASKETH

CHRIS MOTIONLESS

MOTIONLESS IN WHITE