ALEXI LAIHO WAS A TRUE ONE-OFF

A GUITAR MAVERICK. A wildchild. A beloved brother

ELITISM IS KILLING THE SCENE

…is just one of the thoughts you lot shared with us this month. Here are some more!

IT’S A LONG WAY TO THE TOP

A new documentary produced by Fozzy’s Chris Jericho is chronicling one cult band’s unlikely heavy metal fairy tale

GOT ANY MAKE-UP TIPS?

…was just one of the questions our lovely readers posed to the Godfather Of Shock Rock himself, Alice Cooper!

JOHANNES PERSSON

The Cult Of Luna frontman loves Sepultura and 90s hardcore, so is it any wonder his band are among metal’s heaviest?

A.A. WILLIAMS

One of the underground’s leading young stars shoots the shit on The Matrix, being the only goth in the village and, er, emotional pudding

PERTURBATOR

Is synthwave’s Parisian prince leaving the scene behind?

PLEASURE TO KILL BY KREATOR

While The Bay Area conquered the US metal scene in ’86, a German trio had produced an anthem that’d help ignite Germany’s own thrash revolution

DIVIDE AND DISSOLVE

This Melbourne drone duo want to crush your speakers – and smash white supremacy

THE BIG DEBATE

In our recent feature with the band, Amaranthe’s Elize Ryd talked about the necessity of standing out from the crowd if you’re going to make it in the metal scene

HAMMER STEREO

What’s been blowing our office speakers

VOLCANOVA

Iceland isn’t known for its stoner rock. One band is ready to change that

ENFORCED

We like hardcore, we like metal, we like Enforced! Hooray!

RÏCÏNN

Igorrr’s amazing singer has her own project – with no chickens in sight

GHØSTKID

The new project from the former Eskimo Callboy frontman is so good even Mille from Kreator is involved!

WILD AT HEART

Last month, metal mourned as news broke that Children Of Bodom founder Alexi Laiho had died at the age of 41. He was known as an electrifying musician -the proud ‘Wildchild’ who could light up a fretboard. But he was also a gentle soul and a devoted friend

THE REBIRTH OF EPICA

Burned out and overstretched, Epica pressed pause on the band in 2018. New album Omega might be the end of a trilogy, but it also marks a bright new beginning

DAMaGEINC

By 1986, thrash metal was outgrowing its violent playground in the dives of San Francisco, and Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax were poised to release albums that would change the face of music forever. This is the story of the year that thrash broke, by the people who were there

NEVER LOOK BACK

After the 2020 Australian bushfires halted their plans, Architects regrouped, relocated and set about preparing their challenging next chapter. It’s all led to the boldest album of their career, and a motto to live by…

After Dark

Touring arenas with Ghost and Five Finger Death Punch, Sweden’s Tribulation were taking their death-tinged goth rock to the next level. Then their main songwriter quit

SEX! CENSORS! CULTS!WHEN METAL HIT THE HEADLINES

Metal rarely troubles the mainstream media, but when it does, the results can be scandalous. We look back at some of the biggest stories of our times

ALICE COOPER SHOCKS THE UK

Decades before becoming the born again, golf-loving grandfather of

THE PMRC VS METAL

Remember those Parenta l Guidance stickers on albums? We

JUDAS PRIEST GET SUED

When the tragic suicide of two teenage Judas Priest

MARILYN MANSON GETS BLAMED FOR COLUMBINE

Adecade on from thedeath of the Judas Priest fans,

SENATOR BOB DOLE TAKES ON CANNIBAL CORPSE

No strangers to controversy due to their lyrics and

THE DAILY MAIL CALLS MCR A ‘SUICIDE CULT BAND’

GETTY When the Daily Mail picks on one of

ANTHRAX GET TIED INTO THE 9/11 ANTHRAX ATTACKS

When New York thrash legends Anthraxcame up with

TIM LAMBESIS PLOTS TO KILL HIS WIFE

GETTY. SCOTT IAN: WILL IRELAND It  reads like

SCOTT IAN

WERE YOU WORRIED ABOUT BEING ASSOCIATED WITH THE

A T-SHIRT LANDS CRADLE OF FILTH IN HOT WATER

Cradle Of Filth’s journey from the Brat Princes Of

BODY COUNT PISS OFF BEN-HUR

it's safe to say Cop Killer, from Body

DANI FILTH

HOW DID YOU COME UP THE IDEA FOR

Nature Is Metal

… at least, it is if you’re neo-pagan sensations Wardruna. Their new album is all about reconnecting with ancient traditions -and why they matter more than ever now

ALEXI REMEMBERED

His peers and friends pay their respects to a true legend

ARCHITECTS

For Those That Wish to Exist

THE AMENTA

Revelator  DEBEMUR MORTI PRODUCTIONS

ALICE COOPER

Detroit Stories  EARMUSIC

CULT OF LUNA

The Raging River  RED CREEK

SMALL MERCIES

Where EP is short for ‘Epic Potential’

KORPIKLAANI

Jylhä  NUCLEAR BLAST

LOVE AND DEATH

Perfectly Preserved  EARACHE

MOONSPELL

Hermitage  NAPALM

THE RUINS OF BEVERAST

The Thule Grimoires VÁN

SENYAWA

Alkisah  PHANTOM LIMB

A.A. WILLIAMS

Songs From Isolation  BELLA UNION

FIRE FROM THE GODS

The rising metallers play Download in June (er, we hope)

HEAVEN SHALL BURN

The German extreme metallers will tour with the mighty Trivium later this year

AVATAR

AN UNNAMED WAREHOUSE IN SWEDEN

THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER

VARIOUS LOCATIONS, MICHIGAN

TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA

FISERV FORUM, MILWAUKEE

IHSAHN/LEPROUS

NOTODDEN TEATER, NORWAY

CLUTCH

DOOM SALOON, MARYLAND

WOLF HOFFMANN ACCEPT

The veteran metal guitarist won’t shed a tear for you… unless you’ re late, maybe