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AWKA MONDAKA

From nature worship to screaming, Mawiza’s singer/guitarist shares the metal and Mapuche music that’s shaped him

METAL HAMMER

Future PLC , 121 - 141 Westbourne Terrace,

METAL FOREVER

THE BIGGEST EVENT on the calendar this year was

THE HOTTEST REUNION OF THE UNDERGROUND IS COMING TO THE UK

Beloved by System Of A Down and Slipknot, Acid Bath are playing bigger shows than they ever did in their 90s heyday

WTF IS THIS DYSTOPIAN NIGHTMARE WE’RE LIVING IN?

Nova Twins face down your questions on societal chaos, long toes and relaxing in metal garden centres

JOHN 5

He’s played with everyone from Rob Zombie to Mötley Crüe. Now the six-string wizard shares his wisdom

METAL THRASHING MAD ANTHRAX

How a bunch of snotty New Yorkers gave thrash metal its name

CALVA LOUISE

Nuns! Jack Black! Sliding keyboards? Meet the globe-trotting trio mixing metalcore with Latin music

AUTUMN LIES BURIED

Emo band in name. Nu-deathcore band in nature

SVARTA HAVET

Proudly political blackened hardcore from Finland’s southwest

WITCHROT

This psychedelic sludge quintet will put you under their spell

HOARD ALMIGHTY

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

METAL’S NEXT GENERATION STEPPED UP

We might have lost metal’s founding fathers, but the next generation proved that the music lives on

OZZY SAID GOODBYE

We lost the Prince Of Darkness this year – but he made the perfect exit

“OZZY IS STILL MY MATE, ALBEIT IN A DIFFERENT PLACE”

Judas Priest’s Rob Halford celebrates the life and legacy of the Prince Of Darkness

WE MET PAPA V PERPETUA

Revealed via one legendary gig announcement and brought to life with Ghost’s sixth album, Skeletá , he gave Tobias Forge a new lease of life

BABYMETAL BROKE RECORDS

Conquering London’s 02 Arena and the US charts, the kawaii metallers went from strength to strength. Kon! Kon!

THE YEAR THAT... MAIDEN CELEBRATED 50 YEARS

We got a new book and a massive world tour, which shows no sign of stopping. Mastermind Steve Harris reveals all

THE YEAR THAT... WE LOST BRENT HINDS

The guitarist shaped the sound of Mastodon and beyond. His former guitar tech, current Slipknot bassist V-Man, pays tribute

THE YEAR THAT SLEEP TOKEN SPAWNED A TRIBUTE BAND

They are called Sleep Broken, and their frontman is called Bessel. Worship.

THE YEAR THAT ACE FREHLEY TOOK HIS FINAL ROCKET RIDE

The stars queued up to pay tribute to Kiss’s original guitarist, who died in October

THE YEAR THAT...NU METAL GOT EVEN BIGGER

Thanks to the fandom on TikTok, bands found themselves headlining stadiums and festivals

THE YEAR THAT METALLICA PLAYED THE BACKYARD OF A BAR

Sly Stallone and Paul McCartney watched metal’s biggest band play a tiny show in a tent

THE YEAR THAT...METAL GOT CAUGHT UP IN PRESIDENTIAL FEVER

Forget the Cheeto-in-Chief – masked marvels President won the public vote as the buzz band of 2025

THE YEAR THAT... PARKWAY DRIVE WENT FULL FIRE

Inspired by Rammstein and Cirque du Soleil, their 20th anniversary tour pulled out all the stops

THE 50 BEST ALBUMS OF 2025

Featuring tributes to curry and fantasy battles involving… rats?! here are all the records our critics loved this year

VUKOVI

Frontwoman Janine Shilstone faced her demons and came out swinging

GAMES OF THE YEAR

From RPGs to FPSs, here’s what pushed our buttons

CWFEN

The witchy Glaswegians stuck it to the patriarchy, with a little help from some kittens

AGRICULTURE

Their ‘ecstatic black metal’ tag might split opinion, but the LA crew celebrated joy as an act of defiance

EPS OF THE YEAR

Because short records can still pack a punch

BLOODYWOOD

The New Delhi boys dished out some spicy nu metal – with a side order of Babymetal

CONJURER

Screamer/guitarist Dani Nightingale offered solace in a world that’s slow to accept difference

GIGS OF THE YEAR

Were you in the pit at any of these?

CASTLE RAT

All hail the Rat Queen! And beware the Rat Reaperess…

1 GHOST

Skeletá

GHOST

Tobias Forge spent another year converting the masses. His next ambition? Scuba diving!

HEALTH Conflict DLC

Industrial metal’s new champions dance in the face of despair

AVTT/PTTN

AVTT/PTTN

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA

Flowers

DREAM THEATER

Quarantième: Live À Paris

ENTHRONED

Ashspawn

EQUILIBRIUM

Equinox

ESPRIT D’AIR

Aeons

HEXJAKT

Blessing Of The Damned

KAUNIS KUOLEMATON

Kun Valo Minussa Kuoli

BELL WITCH & AERIAL RUIN

Stygian Bough: Volume II

BIANCA

Bianca

LONG DISTANCE CALLING

Live At Lichtburg

LORD OF THE LOST

Opvs Noir Vol. 2

MASTER’S HAMMER

Maldorör Disco

SMALL MERCIES

Where EP is short for ‘Epic Potential’

NUCLEAR DUDES

Skeletal Blasphemy

ONE OF NINE

Dawn Of The Iron Shadow

STELLAR CIRCUITS

Phantom : : Phoenix

VARIOUS ARTISTS

The Downward Spiral Redux

HARPY

VII SELF-RELEASED

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE HATEBREED / FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY / DECAPITATED

OVO WEMBLEY ARENA, LONDON

DISTURBED

MEGADETH UTILITA ARENA, BIRMINGHAM

THE YOUNG GODS

THE GARAGE, LONDON Another example of why people

ARCHITECTS

CO-OP LIVE ARENA, MANCHESTER

COHEED AND CAMBRIA

AND SO I WATCH YOU FROM AFAR / UNPEOPLE O2 BRIXTON ACADEMY, LONDON

BATTLE BEAST DOMINUM / MAJESTICA

O2 SHEPHERD’S BUSH EMPIRE, LONDON

BURNER

SUBURBIA, SOUTHAMPTON

HELLOWEEN

BEAST IN BLACK EVENTIM APOLLO, LONDON

TESTAMENT

OBITUARY / DESTRUCTION / NERVOSA O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN, LONDON

FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM

O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN, LONDON One day after

GODFLESH

SCALA, LONDON The Scala is one of the

IGORRR

MASTER BOOT RECORD / IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT O2 SHEPHERD’S BUSH EMPIRE, LONDON

ARCH ENEMY

AMORPHIS / ELUVEITIE / GATECREEPER EVENTIM APOLLO, LONDON

FIVE MINUTES WITH GRIFFIN TAYLOR VENDED

The vocalist talks make-up tips, getting hate on YouTube and pissing off his parents