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Metal Hammer UK|February 2021THESE ISSUES ARE ALWAYS MY FAVOURITENO BULLsh*t. NO hyperbole: this is what it’s all about. The opportunity to put young artists on the covers of magazines becomes increasingly challenging in a world where print readerships evolve and different demographics react so uniquely to different bands. It’s why, when you get a chance to celebrate the here and now, you have to take it wholeheartedly - and what better chance to do that than with four of the most exciting bands to hit our scene in years? Twin Temple, Heilung, Alien Weaponry and The Hu - four bands from totally different places, with totally different sounds, all linked by one simple thing: they’ve set the metal world alight, and done it by offering it something totally unique, unlike anything else out there right now. They’re testament…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021MEET THE BANDELEANOR GOODMAN DEPUTY EDITOR Not content with stitching together the features section every issue, this month El also got stuck into her second feature with New Zealand metal warriors Alien Weaponry, after heading all the way out to Nevada to introduce them to the world in 2019. Sweet as! DAVE EVERLEY ONLINE EDITOR Although he’s busy manning the world’s biggest rock website, Dave remains a pretty dapper hand at writing, too, as evidenced on p.42 by his fascinating feature with one of our world’s most enduringly mysterious bands, Heilung. Nature just never felt so metal. DANNII LEIVERS WRITER Dannii’s writing travels take her to Mongolia this month. Not literally - we still can’t do trips, CHEERS CORONA - but she spent some quality Zoom time with The Hu. Bands, take…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021STRICTLY METAL?METAL GETTING FEATURED on prime time TV is rarer than ever nowadays. Long gone are the days of Korn walking the red carpet at the MTV Awards or Iron Maiden playing Top Of The Pops (yes, that really happened). Quite frankly, it feels like we barely get something heavier than a 1975 song getting attention from the mainstream at the moment. So, when news broke that beloved British comedy legend and card-carrying heavy metal fan Bill Bailey would be tangoing to Metallica anthem Enter Sandman on flagship BBC1 show Strictly Come Dancing, the Metal Internet understandably lost its sh*t.“When I signed up to the show, I asked if I might be able to pick some of the music, and one of my choices was this iconic song, so I am…4 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 202110 THINGS WE LEARNED THIS MONTHHOW IS IT 2021?It’s only September, right? Did 2020 really happen? Why is time now a nebulous concept? HELP.THIS YEAR WILL RULEThat said, we have every confidence this year will kick ass. Bring it on.REST IN POWER, SEAN MALONEThe Cynic bassist passed away last month. Sending love and thoughts to his friends and family.SOUNDGARDEN WILL RELEASE A FINAL ALBUMAccording to Chris Cornell’s widow, Vicky. We would love to hear Chris on another record.DAVID HASSELHOFF IS METAL NOWThe Hoff has released his first ever heavy metal single with the dramatic Through The Night in December. And you thought 2020 couldn’t have any final twists...THE UNFORGIVEN DONE GOTH IS AMAZINGHead to metalhammer.com to check out the Type O-esque reimagining of a Metallica classic.EVERY TIME I DIE ARE BACKAnd their two new singles…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021MIKAEL STANNE“CANDLEMASS WERE THE first heavy band I truly loved. There’s just something about doom that is super-cool, so it was great when newer bands started appearing. I’d heard of PALLBEARER before I actually heard them, but it was Foundations Of Burden that really got me onboard; the opening track, Worlds Apart, blew me away by the sheer force of their heaviness. There’s the obvious Sabbath thing there, but also this sense of melancholy that gives the music this Scandinavian vibe, bringing it back to my love of Candlemass. I get a similar thing at times from MONO. I saw them again at Roadburn Festival last year and I love the impact their music has - it’s almost like they’re from another world, which in a way I guess they are!…4 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021CONJURERAT THE BEGINNING of 2018, Conjurer were just another of the UK’s many promising metal bands. That situation changed almost overnight after the release of their full-length debut, Mire; suddenly the band were catapulted to a position where they were considered the great white hopes for our scene. Now, having signed to Nuclear Blast, there are far more eyes on them, and they find themselves having to follow up one of the great debuts of the last decade. As we discovered, it’s not all been plain sailing for them.How are things going in the studio? Brady Deeprose (guitar/vocals): “Not gonna lie, it’s been really hard, man. We had been playing the songs on the last record for years and we felt like we knew them, now we’re going in with…4 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021FOREVER FAILURE BY PARADISE LOSTBACK IN THE early 90s, Paradise Lost had developed into one of the UK’s most significant underground metal bands. Their relentless work ethic had seen them pen four records in as many years from 1990 to 1993, including classics such as 1991’s Gothic and 1993’5 Icon, and the Halifax misery merchants’ crusty doom was reaching into more melodious territories. But by the time they reached 1995, and were ready to start work on their fifth album, Draconian Times, Paradise Lost were feeling burnt out. “It’s a bit of a blur,” guitarist Gregor Mackintosh tells us today, when we ask him to reflect on the record. “We recorded Icon and then we went on tour with Kreator and Morbid Angel in America. Then we did the Chaos A.D. tour with Sepultura…8 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021WHERE ARE AC/DC?!COVERED IN GLORY Just wanna say how cool it was to see so many different names and faces on the 2020 Review Of The Year cover. The Oceans Of Slumber album was probably my album of the year, so seeing Cammie on there with legends like Rob Halford and Papa Het made my day! Jamie Stiles (email) We’re happy you’re happy. Any excuse to celebrate young bands is cool with us. And if you’re about that life, you’re gonna love the issue you’re holding in your hands right here. Hooray! NEW YEAR, NEW US Hoping that a new year means we get to see some new bands on the cover of Metal Hammer. Don’t get me wrong, I love Metallica, Iron Maiden and Slipknot, all of it, but it’d be…4 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021THE BIG DEBATEHE SAID “There’s some stiff competition, but Mastodon’s Moby-DicK-inspired second album stands as their best. This was the point where it became apparent that they were more than just another sludge metal band content to churn out filthy great riffs to clubs of sweaty fans until the end of time. Leviathan features all the elements that would come to define Mastodon.” YOU SAID For my tastes Leviathan as about as perfect an album as I’ve heard, which has meant every album after that has been tinged with disappointment. Tim Hudson (Facebook) A lot of times these ‘lists’ are pretty lame, but this one is pretty good. I’d switch 1 and 2, but that’s just my personal taste. Matt Casey (Facebook) This makes me want to go back and revisit Leviathan…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021SCARLET“MEN THINK, ‘IF I bring you my penis, then your world will be complete? No. I love a nice one, but I would like to choose myself!’’When Swedish singer Scarlet released her debut single, 2017’s Age Of Seduction, she found herself on the receiving end of a deluge of unsolicited intimate photographs on social media. The experience drove her to write single Ugly f*cker, an industrial stomper about unwanted advances, assault and sexism. “The music isn’t about feminism, even though that’s important,” she explains. “It’s about portraying the reality of what [women] go through.”Inspired by Marilyn Manson and Alice Cooper’s blend of theatrics and metal, she created Scarlet as a “whole concept. The visuals, the performance... it’s not just music,” juxtaposing chugging grooves with sharp choruses and unfiltered lyrics that…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021FOR YOUR HEALTHFOR YOUR HEALTH were supposed to spend 2020 demolishing venues across the US. They had toured non-stop since their formation, building a frenzied live set but never finding time to hone their sound. “We wrote our first 7” in one day and recorded it in a day and a half!” explains vocalist Hayden Rodriguez. “Our split [with Shin Guard], we wrote right before we went into the studios, literally at the practice before.” Recording with this spontaneity made For Your Health’s music feel exciting and vicious but it was clear that the band had bigger ideas that needed expanding on. Amidst the pandemic, the four-piece began dedicating their time towards creating their debut album, the nihilistic In Spite Of. “When we were writing [In Spite Of], the world felt like…2 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021MOUNTAIN CALLERBRANN DAILOR: JIMMY HUBBARD RIFFS SPEAK LOUDER than words. Demonstrating this fact with spellbinding verve, London’s Mountain Caller have just released a debut album that tells a vivid, fascinating story while being almost entirely instrumental and bulging with colossal riffs. A dazzling blend of doom, post-metal and atmospheric rock, The Truthseeker is already picking up frothing plaudits from all corners of the heavy spectrum. “Music is magic and everyone experiences it in different ways,” says guitarist Claire Simson. “When you’re able to fully immerse yourself in an instrumental piece, it’s very powerful. Good instrumental music should make you feel like you’ve been on a journey. We started with no concrete intentions with regards to what we wanted to sound like, so seeing this band evolve has been thrilling and rewarding.”…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021“WE’RE ON A MISSION"HU! HU! HU!" It’s Saturday afternoon at Download Festival 2019 and a loud,insistent chant is coming from a corner of Donington Park. No, not “SLAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYERRRRR” - Kerry King and co don’t play until tomorrow. It’s the sound of thousands of metalheads crammed into the Dogtooth tent, and they’re all here to see The Hu, the viral Mongolian folk metal phenomenon who are on their first visit to the UK. Before they even get onstage, it’s madness. The crowd is five-deep outside the tent and everyone is punching the air and craning their necks to catch a glimpse of one of metal’s most exciting new bands.Despite their growing online profile, The Hu were taken aback by the response. “We were concerned: what’s going to happen? How are people going to react…11 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021HOARD ALMIGHTYKREATOR UNDER THE GUILLOTINE: THE NOISE RECORDS YEARS NOISE £112/£150 NOT JUST ONE of the greatest and unruliest bands to have emerged from the 80s thrash era, Kreator were also one of the inspirations for Norway’s black metal scene. Now the Essen, Germany maniacs are celebrating their seminal six-album run with Noise Records with a glorious box set. Alongside the albums - Endless Pain,Pleasure To Kill,Terrible Certainty,Extreme Aggression,Coma Of Souls and Renewal - in radioactively hued vinyl, the blade-lidded box also includes the Some Pain Will Last DVD, featuring a mini-documentary, two unreleased audio live sets and more, a 40-page hardback book, a repro demo cassette and MP3 audio of all the albums with bonus tracks on a USB drive in the form of Kreator’s Demon mascot. The first 250…3 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021HUMAN BONES ANGIENT RITUAUS ADIDAS SNEAKERS?If you need to get your hands on some human bones, Kai Uwe Faust can point you in the right direction. Back in 2015, he and his bandmates in Heilung decided their debut album, Ofnir, would benefit from some unique percussive sounds, and figured the remnants of a skeleton would do the trick. Luckily, Kai - as Heilung’s co-vocalist and unofficial Head Of Spirituality - had come into possession of some. “I’m a tattoo artist” he says, his voice the embodiment of cold German menace. “I have connections. People who don’t pay...” He lets the sentence hang. There’s an uncomfortable silence. Then he laughs and the spell breaks. “No, they came from the university.” It transpires that it isn’t illegal to buy human bones in Denmark, Kai’s adopted homeland. He…11 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021ZEAL & ARDORWith his 2020 EP Wake Of A Nation, released in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd and the worldwide Black Lives Matter protests that followed, Manuel Gagneux didn’t just reaffirm his place as one of the single most exciting artists of his generation; he took on a mantle as a vital voice in metal for protest, progress and change. It gives his next steps an even bigger sense of urgency and importance, as his third studio album – the follow-up to 2018’s Stranger Fruit full-length – is believed to be on the way and due to land at some point this year.Manuel’s work has always mixed the surreal with the all-too-real, merging high concept narratives with hard-hitting issues and contemporary themes, all under the hood of his chilling,…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021WHERE THERE’S SMOKE…Alien Weaponry are partway through a tour of their homeland, New Zealand. Ordinarily, that would be… ordinary. But in this day and age of banned gigs, it feels strange hearing them recount their experiences of playing a tiny bar in Dunedin, down on the South Island. Like they’re in another dimension, or on another planet. The run of dates is called the Level One Tour, named after the country’s lowest, and current, Covid Alert Level. “I think it was one of the most insane gigs we played,” enthuses frontman Lewis de Jong. “I fully saw someone’s nose busted up after the show.” “Aw yeah, that was sideways!” adds drummer/brother Henry. “He was so stoked. He just came up to me after the gig and then broke it the other way…11 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021SLIPKNOT“Right now is kind of an interesting time” Clown recently revealed during a publicity event for Slipknot’s Iowa No. 9 whiskey. “We’re taking this time to write some new music. Since everybody’s taken a lot of time off, we thought we’d utilise it by getting together and do what we probably do best, which is write music. It’s been good, because there’s no pressure. It’s not like we have to. We’re doing it because we want to.”New Slipknot music in 2021? It seems unlikely, but since when have Slipknot been predictable? The Nine have a slew of dates planned across the year too, though are yet to reschedule many of 2020’s planned shows, including the first ever Knotfest At Sea and Knotfest UK events. Fingers crossed we get some news…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021AVENGED SEVENFOLDWhile the Avenged camp weren’t totally silent in 2020 - the band continued their song breakdown series on Youtube, launched various individual projects and used their platform to voice their stirring support for the Black Lives Matter movement courtesy of M. Shadows - it certainly wasn’t a standout year for the Cali megaweights. It’s been a little over four years since The Stage - the longest gap between Avenged albums ever - so we’re predicting that we’ll finally see album number eight by the end of 2021. And the most exciting thing of all? If their last couple of records are anything to go by, we have absolutely no idea what it’ll sound like. Will they continue the progressive meanderings of The Stage? Could we see a return to the…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021GHOSTIt was one of heavy music’s final major live spectacles before the world went to sh*t. Ghost, playing the final show of the Prequelle album cycle, were midway through a spellbindingly fun set at Mexico City’s Palacio De Los Deportes arena. After beloved doddery luvvie Papa Nihil seemed to be unexpectedly, erm, disposed of following his trademark saxophone solo, a flock of nuns suddenly surrounded frontman Cardinal Copia. A struggle followed, before the mob fled the stage and left a new figure in their wake - strikingly similar to the Cardinal, but bedecked in fancy new robes, a big, flashy Papal hat and some brands--panking new corpsepaint. It was official: Cardinal Copia had been given an upgrade. Papa Emeritus IV was here.It was a typically dramatic end to the Prequelle…2 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021ARCHITECTS2020 had an eventful run–in for Architects. They unleashed a surprise new single in October with Animals, showcasing another step forward in a sound that’s evolved dramatically in recent years, and played a scintillating livestream at London’s Royal Albert Hall venue a few weeks later. “My heart is so full,” frontman Sam Carter would say following the show. “Thank you all for watching. It really does mean the world to us.” Perhaps the biggest Architects event of all, though, was the official announcement that the band’s ninth studio album, For Those That Wish To Exist, would be coming in February. If the shiny, industrialised stomp of Animals wasn’t enough to pique fans’ interests over where Architects’ new music was heading, two more new tracks, Discourse Is Dead and Dead Butterflies,…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021CARPENTER BRUTWhen synthwave took over the underground, there was unquestionably one name that broke biggest out of them all. Carpenter Brut didn’t just go viral with the amazing video for 2015 dance floor-smasher Turbo Killer; he also produced one of the funnest debut albums of recent memory with 2018’s neon-splattered LP, Leather Teeth. With both feet planted firmly in the 80s and designed as the first part of a multi-record concept following the journey of a serial killer in waiting, it inexplicably ticked the boxes of metal, horror and, um, cheesy, synthy dance music in one fell swoop.Though Leather Teeth was envisioned as a soundtrack in its own right - albeit to a film that doesn’t technically exist - in 2020 Carpenter Brut went full soundtrack with the release of the…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021FILMSA QUIET PLACE PART IIETA APRILThe highly anticipated sequel to the 2018 horror blockbuster will pick up where its predecessor left off, following Emily Blunt and her young family as they try to make their way around a world overrun with hypersensitive, noise-reactive monsters. Cillian Murphy’s in this one. He’s cool!BLACK WIDOWETA MAYAs if 2020 didn’t give us enough sh*t to deal with, it was also the first year in a whole decade that didn’t give us an MCU movie. The delayed Black Widow flick will show us some welcome backstory on super-assassin Natasha Romanoff. And lots of kickass action, of course.GODZILLA VS. KONGETA MAYRumours abound that this ultimate monster mash-up will go straight to streaming, which would surely be a travesty for a blockbuster this big? Regardless, we’re looking…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021MEGADETHSLIPKNOT: PRESS/ANTHONY SCANGA. AVENGED SEVENFOLD: PRESS. MEGADETH: PRESS/JEREMY SAFFER. In our heartwarming cover feature back in March, a thankfully cancer-free Dave Mustaine told us that he hoped to have the new Megadeth album out by the end of 2020. The pandemic may have helped put those plans to the sword, but with another year’s worth of tinkering now under his belt, it’s probably safe to bet that the follow-up to 2016’s excellent Dystopia will be with us soon. “I think we’ve got 14 songs for this album and another folder with six,” Dave revealed in the interview. “The songs are constantly evolving.” Hinting that previously announced song titles such as Rattlehead, Part Two and The Dogs Of Chernobyl may not be sticking, Dave nevertheless seemed excited about the new music.…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021GOJIRAPRESS/TRAVIS SHINN When Gojira played London’s Brixton Academy in June 2019, it felt like a victory lap. They’d already toured sixth album Magma in 2017, and now they were back at bigger venues to do it on a grander scale (including Glastonbury two days before). It didn’t matter that an idiot spilled a pint on the lighting desk, halting the flow of the show and clearly frustrating the band, who nonetheless took the mishap in their stride. The songs sounded earth-shattering. Joe Duplantier’s singing, impassioned. Brother Mario’s drumming, a blur. Guitarist Christian Andreu and bassist Jean-Michel Labadie, creating the riffiest matter in the universe. Following a US tour culminating in an appearance at Dia De Los Deftones, they basically dropped off the radar until last May, when they streamed footage…2 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021THE BIRTH OF NWOBHMBETWEEN 1975 AND 1978, the nascent Iron Maiden earned their spurs on London’s pub circuit. But with punk raging, getting noticed by record labels was easier said than done - at least it was until a DJ named Neal Kay opened a new club in the wilds of North London.Neal Kay (DJ/founder, Heavy Metal Sound house): “Punk was the prevalent music in 1978, but since 1975 I’d been building up a small venue in Kingsbury as a heavy metal discotheque. It was known as The Bandwagon in the Prince Of Wales pub, but I re-christened it The Heavy Metal Soundhouse. The main room held about 700 people, and we had a f*ckin’ ginormous sound system. I kept badgering Geoff Barton at Sounds to come down, because I knew it was…8 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021THE BEST OF THE RESTAs if the last 10 pages weren’t exciting enough, we’re expecting hundreds more bands to drop new music in the next 12 months. We’re hyped for the return of our favourite corpsepainted meme machine, Abbath, and judging by murmurings from our goth-pun friends AFI, something is afoot in their camp too. Following 2017’s Mass VI ritualistic Belgians Amenra are releasing a new album in late spring. We’d assume it would be called Mass VII, but rumours suggest otherwise... Meanwhile, melodeath legends At The Gates will continue their 2000s run with a follow-up to 2018’s excellent To Drink From The Night Itself. This time last year, we were hoping Beartooth would release a follow-up to 2018’s Disease. They didn’t! But Caleb’s confirmed that “new jams are indeed on the way...” And…4 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021FILMSA QUIET PLACE PART II ETA APRIL The highly anticipated sequel to the 2018 horror blockbuster will pick up where its predecessor left off, following Emily Blunt and her young family as they try to make their way around a world overrun with hypersensitive, noise-reactive monsters. Cillian Murphy’s in this one. He’s cool! BLACK WIDOW ETA MAY As if 2020 didn’t give us enough sh*t to deal with, it was also the first year in a whole decade that didn’t give us an MCU movie. The delayed Black Widow flick will show us some welcome backstory on super-assassin Natasha Romanoff. And lots of kickass action, of course. GODZILLA VS. KONG ETA MAY Rumours abound that this ultimate monster mash-up will go straight to streaming, which would surely be a travesty…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021DIVIDE AND DISSOLVEGas LitINVADAA rapt and radical act of resistance from Australia’s drone doom duo‘GASLIGHTING’ HAS BECOME one of the defining terms of 2020. While it was initially associated with emotional abuse in toxic personal relationships, the last year has shown us that whole communities can be gaslit. It is now also a political tool, used to make the oppressed and the marginalised question their own lived realities. People of colour, women and LGBTQ+ people are told that discrimination is only in their heads, that they’re overreacting, that their voices don’t count as part of our cultural and political discourse. So, Gas Lit is a perfectly fitting album title for Divide And Dissolve. The Australian duo of Native descent channel their history and struggles through noise - partly because they cannot be…6 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021SMALL MERCIESWhere EP is short for ‘Epic Potential’ANTREDark Spectrum ЕРWITHERED HANDThis Nottingham five-piece take an introspective turn on their Dark Spectrum EP - a bleak kaleidoscope of black, death, thrash and hardcore. Each track is a themed exploration of their experiences of fear, wrath, salvation and sanity.TOM O’BOYLEHIGH COMMANDEverlasting TormentSOUTHERN LORDHow to clear a path to extreme music cult success: douse crossover thrash in Robert E. Howard and Michael Moorco*ck novels, copies of Reign In Blood and Game Over, then watch the moshpits and RPGs breed like rats.CONNIE GORDONINGESTEDStinking Cesspool Of Liquefied Human RemnantsUNIQUE LEADERThese Manes have become a more cutting-edge proposition of late, so their earliest gory compositions being given a bit of spit and polish is a delightful reminder of just how horrible they first were.ADAM REESDESCEND TO ACHERONThe…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021TRIBULATIONWhere The Gloom Becomes SoundCENTURY MEDIASweden’s lords of gothic grandeur put more swish into their capesWHEN GHOST HIT in 2010, all corpsepaint and papal rags, you didn’t expect them to sound like… that. You expected this. Tribulation’s fifth record follows a similar cryptic lineage to their fellow Swedes, with a key difference: the vocals. Johannes Andersson has one setting - he grunts like a death metal Lemmy reciting Poe. It’s something he’s clung onto since the band’s pungent beginnings as Morbid Angel worshippers, and f*ck you, he’s not stopping now.It doesn’t matter that sans Johannes, Tribulation now have little to do with extreme music; Funeral Pyre is Randy Rhoads-flecked metal with Treehouse Of Horror- ish theremin-isms; Hour Of The Wolf gives you everything you miss about HIM except, well, Ville…4 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021YOTH IRIAAs The Flame WithersPAGANAll hail the new kings of Hellenic metalWITH ONLY LAST January’s Under His Sway EP to their credit so far, Yoth Iria remain a largely unknown and shadowy entity. Admittedly, the Greek duo have excellent pedigree; bassist Jim Mutilator is a former member of both Rotting Christ and Varathron, while vocalist The Magus also fronts cult icons Necromantia. But while such affiliations might point to the birth of an ephemeral side-project, Yoth Iria are tangibly the real Hellenic deal and one of the most exciting things to emerge from the Greek scene in decades.Displaying admirable ambition, As The Flame Withers sounds huge. Opener The Great Hunter plainly belongs to the grand tradition of epic, bombastic Greek extreme metal, with plenty of melody and old-school tropes thrown in,…6 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021VENOM PRISONWhen you guys announced the January dates, did it feel at the time like you may be being a little optimistic?Ash Gray (guitar): “We were very transparent that the tour could possibly be postponed. I think a lot of bands have treated it the same way: book the tour, announce it, promote it. I think a lot of bands are concerned, including myself, that when the touring circuit opens back up the high saturation of tours will flood in from the get-go, so we’re booking it now and hoping for the best. Hopefully, normality returns to a certain extent and touring can go ahead. Then we have our tour already booked and ready to go!”How much did you miss being on the road in 2020?“A lot. We had a big…2 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021THESE ISSUES ARE ALWAYS MY FAVOURITENO BULLsh*t. NO hyperbole: this is what it’s all about. The opportunity to put young artists on the covers of magazines becomes increasingly challenging in a world where print readerships evolve and different demographics react so uniquely to different bands. It’s why, when you get a chance to celebrate the here and now, you have to take it wholeheartedly - and what better chance to do that than with four of the most exciting bands to hit our scene in years?Twin Temple, Heilung, Alien Weaponry and The Hu - four bands from totally different places, with totally different sounds, all linked by one simple thing: they’ve set the metal world alight, and done it by offering it something totally unique, unlike anything else out there right now. They’re testament to…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021WHEN AMON AMARTH SET SAILSTEVE BRIGHT WE MOST RECENTLY had Amon Amarth’s Johan Hegg on the cover as a warrior king lording it up on his throne, but 12 years ago this month we had the Swedish metal legends on our cover for the very first time. The shoot depicting the band coming ashore from a boat on a storm-battered seafront, mighty blades in hand, looked like it could have been taken straight out of a Vikings poster. Just don’t tell anyone we actually shot it with a dinghy on the exotic banks of, um, Putney. Who says metal can’t be glamorous…?…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021STRICTLY METAL?METAL GETTING FEATURED on prime time TV is rarer than ever nowadays. Long gone are the days of Korn walking the red carpet at the MTV Awards or Iron Maiden playing Top Of The Pops (yes, that really happened). Quite frankly, it feels like we barely get something heavier than a 1975 song getting attention from the mainstream at the moment. So, when news broke that beloved British comedy legend and card-carrying heavy metal fan Bill Bailey would be tangoing to Metallica anthem Enter Sandman on flagship BBC1 show Strictly Come Dancing, the Metal Internet understandably lost its sh*t. “When I signed up to the show, I asked if I might be able to pick some of the music, and one of my choices was this iconic song, so I…4 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021AN ARMY OF DUCKS OR ONE CRAP TIGER?FOUR YEARS ON from their last studio venture. The Pretty Reckless return in the face of personal loss and depression for their fourth album, Death By Rock And Roll, out next month. In the meantime, we challenged frontwoman Taylor Momsen to answer your burning questions on the band’s new era, making dream collaborations come true and… really rubbish tigers? What can you tell us about how the new album is sounding? Debbie Smith (email) “Awesome! It’s finished and we finally have a date! It’s coming out February 12 and I’m ecstatic for people to hear it. It’s been a long time coming and we’ve been sitting on music waiting to put it out, it’s been torturous. I don’t want to say too much but I am very confident with this…8 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021MIKAEL STANNE“CANDLEMASS WERE THE first heavy band I truly loved. There’s just something about doom that is super-cool, so it was great when newer bands started appearing. I’d heard ofPALLBEARER before I actually heard them, but it was Foundations Of Burden that really got me onboard; the opening track, Worlds Apart, blew me away by the sheer force of their heaviness. There’s the obvious Sabbath thing there, but also this sense of melancholy that gives the music this Scandinavian vibe, bringing it back to my love of Candlemass. I get a similar thing at times from MONO. I saw them again at Roadburn Festival last year and I love the impact their music has - it’s almost like they’re from another world, which in a way I guess they are! But…4 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021BRIAN ‘HEAD’ WELCHBRIAN WELCH HAS had one of the most interesting journeys of any metal musician in living memory. As a member of Korn he helped to craft the sound of nu metal, superbly anchoring their bottom-heavy attack and tag-teaming riffs with fellow guitarist James ‘Munky’ Shaffer, before his spiral into addiction led him away from Korn and into the wilderness. His salvation was found in his religious beliefs, spiritual awakening and, ultimately, an emotional reformation with his bandmates. As he prepares to resurrect his post-Korn solo project-turned-fully functioning band, Love And Death, we find out what he’s learned from it all. I CAN’T EXPLAIN KORN’S SOUND “We just took all of this music – metal, punk, industrial, hip hop - and melded it all together on that first album. We somehow…7 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021CONJURERAT THE BEGINNING of 2018, Conjurer were just another of the UK’s many promising metal bands. That situation changed almost overnight after the release of their full-length debut, Mire; suddenly the band were catapulted to a position where they were considered the great white hopes for our scene. Now, having signed to Nuclear Blast, there are far more eyes on them, and they find themselves having to follow up one of the great debuts of the last decade. As we discovered, it’s not all been plain sailing for them. How are things going in the studio? Brady Deeprose (guitar/vocals): “Not gonna lie, it’s been really hard, man. We had been playing the songs on the last record for years and we felt like we knew them, now we’re going in…3 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021THE BIG DEBATEHE SAID“There’s some stiff competition, but Mastodon’s Moby-DicK-inspired second album stands as their best. This was the point where it became apparent that they were more than just another sludge metal band content to churn out filthy great riffs to clubs of sweaty fans until the end of time. Leviathan features all the elements that would come to define Mastodon.”YOU SAIDFor my tastes Leviathan as about as perfect an album as I’ve heard, which has meant every album after that has been tinged with disappointment.Tim Hudson (Facebook)A lot of times these ‘lists’ are pretty lame, but this one is pretty good. I’d switch 1 and 2, but that’s just my personal taste.Matt Casey (Facebook)This makes me want to go back and revisit Leviathan again... like I do every year.Adian John…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021FOR YOUR HEALTHFOR YOUR HEALTH were supposed to spend 2020 demolishing venues across the US. They had toured non-stop since their formation, building a frenzied live set but never finding time to hone their sound.“We wrote our first 7” in one day and recorded it in a day and a half!” explains vocalist Hayden Rodriguez. “Our split [with Shin Guard], we wrote right before we went into the studios, literally at the practice before.”Recording with this spontaneity made For Your Health’s music feel exciting and vicious but it was clear that the band had bigger ideas that needed expanding on. Amidst the pandemic, the four-piece began dedicating their time towards creating their debut album, the nihilistic In Spite Of.“When we were writing [In Spite Of], the world felt like it was about…2 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021MOUNTAIN CALLERRIFFS SPEAK LOUDER than words. Demonstrating this fact with spellbinding verve, London’s Mountain Caller have just released a debut album that tells a vivid, fascinating story while being almost entirely instrumental and bulging with colossal riffs. A dazzling blend of doom, post-metal and atmospheric rock, The Truthseeker is already picking up frothing plaudits from all corners of the heavy spectrum.“Music is magic and everyone experiences it in different ways,” says guitarist Claire Simson. “When you’re able to fully immerse yourself in an instrumental piece, it’s very powerful. Good instrumental music should make you feel like you’ve been on a journey. We started with no concrete intentions with regards to what we wanted to sound like, so seeing this band evolve has been thrilling and rewarding.”The Truthseeker tells the tale of…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021NASTY“WHEN WE STARTED Nasty 16 years ago, we were like, (We can’t play any instruments and we can’t read notes - so let’s make the most aggressive music we can!”’ recounts frontman Matthi. “We fell into hardcore because it’s something to let steam off. An outlet of anger and aggression.”Everything feels antagonistic on their latest album, Menace; through unexpected beatdowns, wild song structures and stomach-churching, squealing guitars, the Belgian crew exhibit violence in more ways than angry lyrics and lurching riffs. This blend of attitude and aggression comes from the band’s love of hip hop and metal; they’ve got the musical presence and bravado of the former but the ethos of the latter. “You know when hip hop guys are on a Mercedes or yacht? That’s super far away [from…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021HOARD ALMIGHTYKREATORUNDER THE GUILLOTINE: THE NOISE RECORDS YEARSNOISE£112/£150NOT JUST ONE of the greatest and unruliest bands to have emerged from the 80s thrash era, Kreator were also one of the inspirations for Norway’s black metal scene. Now the Essen, Germany maniacs are celebrating their seminal six-album run with Noise Records with a glorious box set. Alongside the albums - Endless Pain, Pleasure To Kill, Terrible Certainty, Extreme Aggression, Coma Of Souls and Renewal - in radioactively hued vinyl, the blade-lidded box also includes the Some Pain Will Last DVD, featuring a mini-documentary, two unreleased audio live sets and more, a 40-page hardback book, a repro demo cassette and MP3 audio of all the albums with bonus tracks on a USB drive in the form of Kreator’s Demon mascot. The first 250…3 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021HUMAN BONES ANGIENT RITUAUS ADIDAS SNEAKERS?If you need to get your hands on some human bones, Kai Uwe Faust can point you in the right direction. Back in 2015, he and his bandmates in Heilung decided their debut album, Ofnir, would benefit from some unique percussive sounds, and figured the remnants of a skeleton would do the trick. Luckily, Kai - as Heilung’s co-vocalist and unofficial Head Of Spirituality - had come into possession of some.“I’m a tattoo artist” he says, his voice the embodiment of cold German menace. “I have connections. People who don’t pay...”He lets the sentence hang. There’s an uncomfortable silence. Then he laughs and the spell breaks. “No, they came from the university.”It transpires that it isn’t illegal to buy human bones in Denmark, Kai’s adopted homeland. He purchased his when…12 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021WHERE THERE’S SMOKE…Alien Weaponry are partway through a tour of their homeland, New Zealand. Ordinarily, that would be… ordinary. But in this day and age of banned gigs, it feels strange hearing them recount their experiences of playing a tiny bar in Dunedin, down on the South Island. Like they’re in another dimension, or on another planet. The run of dates is called the Level One Tour, named after the country’s lowest, and current, Covid Alert Level.“I think it was one of the most insane gigs we played,” enthuses frontman Lewis de Jong. “I fully saw someone’s nose busted up after the show.”“Aw yeah, that was sideways!” adds drummer/brother Henry.“He was so stoked. He just came up to me after the gig and then broke it the other way to fix it!”The…11 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 202110 THINGS WE WANT FROM IRON MAIDEN IN 2021It’s shaping up to be a big year for Iron Maiden. For a start, metal’s most celebrated band will finally be heading back on the road for their third (and Anal?) leg of the huge Legacy Of The Beast tour that’s already taken them around the globe twice. But, having been given an unexpected year off and, with it, more time to plot their next moves, we reckon there might be far more up Eddie’s sleeve than we yet know about. With that in mind, here’s what we’d like to see…A NEW ALBUMSeptember will mark six years since the last Maiden full-length, 2015’s The Book Of Souls. With fans salivating for a new record, frontman Bruce Dickinson confirmed late last year that he and bassist Steve Harris had been working…4 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021Devil’s Advocates“Satan is good!” Twin Temple singer Alexandra James is praising the Great Horned One because, after three failed attempts, we’ve finally managed to sort the connection for this evening’s interview. We can’t imagine that The Devil himself ever envisioned his name being praised courtesy of a Google Hangout, but then again, we can’t imagine he ever envisioned something like Twin Temple, either. “We never formulated this as a ‘gimmick’” Alexandra later insists. “This is who we are and this is the band that we wanted to put out. I think, a lot of times, anything new and fresh that people haven’t seen before is a ‘novelty’ it’s a ‘gimmick, because it’s brand new. But, I think over time, that idea will wear off.” Among all the exciting young bands you’ll…13 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021ARCHITECTS2020 had an eventful run–in for Architects. They unleashed a surprise new single in October with Animals, showcasing another step forward in a sound that’s evolved dramatically in recent years, and played a scintillating livestream at London’s Royal Albert Hall venue a few weeks later. “My heart is so full,” frontman Sam Carter would say following the show. “Thank you all for watching. It really does mean the world to us.” Perhaps the biggest Architects event of all, though, was the official announcement that the band’s ninth studio album, For Those That Wish To Exist, would be coming in February. If the shiny, industrialised stomp of Animals wasn’t enough to pique fans’ interests over where Architects’ new music was heading, two more new tracks, Discourse Is Dead and Dead Butterflies,…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 202110 THINGS WE WANT FROM IRON MAIDEN IN 2021PRESS/JOHN McMURTRIE It’s shaping up to be a big year for Iron Maiden. For a start, metal’s most celebrated band will finally be heading back on the road for their third (and Anal?) leg of the huge Legacy Of The Beast tour that’s already taken them around the globe twice. But, having been given an unexpected year off and, with it, more time to plot their next moves, we reckon there might be far more up Eddie’s sleeve than we yet know about. With that in mind, here’s what we’d like to see… A NEW ALBUM September will mark six years since the last Maiden full-length, 2015’s The Book Of Souls. With fans salivating for a new record, frontman Bruce Dickinson confirmed late last year that he and bassist Steve…4 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021ZEAL & ARDORPRESS With his 2020 EP Wake Of A Nation, released in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd and the worldwide Black Lives Matter protests that followed, Manuel Gagneux didn’t just reaffirm his place as one of the single most exciting artists of his generation; he took on a mantle as a vital voice in metal for protest, progress and change. It gives his next steps an even bigger sense of urgency and importance, as his third studio album – the follow-up to 2018’s Stranger Fruit full-length – is believed to be on the way and due to land at some point this year. Manuel’s work has always mixed the surreal with the all-too-real, merging high concept narratives with hard-hitting issues and contemporary themes, all under the hood of…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021EPICAPerhaps one of the most unexpected triumphs of heavy music in the 21st century is the rise, rise and rise of symphonic metal. While Nightwish and Within Temptation have evolved well away from each other musically since the turn of the millennium, the fact that the two bands who brought us songs like Sleeping Sun and Mother Earth have ended up headlining arenas across Europe (including right here in the UK) is pretty extraordinary. And the best part? There’s a ton more bands where that came from clambering up metal’s ladder - and none are currently scaling higher heights than Epica.It seems like the Dutch maestros have been tagged as symphonic metal’s next major breakout band for the better part of a decade, but 2016’s conceptually loaded The Holographic Principle…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021THE BEST OF THE RESTAs if the last 10 pages weren’t exciting enough, we’re expecting hundreds more bands to drop new music in the next 12 months. We’re hyped for the return of our favourite corpsepainted meme machine, Abbath, and judging by murmurings from our goth-pun friends AFI, something is afoot in their camp too. Following 2017’s Mass VI ritualistic Belgians Amenra are releasing a new album in late spring. We’d assume it would be called Mass VII, but rumours suggest otherwise... Meanwhile, melodeath legends At The Gates will continue their 2000s run with a follow-up to 2018’s excellent To Drink From The Night Itself.This time last year, we were hoping Beartooth would release a follow-up to 2018’s Disease. They didn’t! But Caleb’s confirmed that “new jams are indeed on the way...” And on…4 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021AVENGED SEVENFOLDSLIPKNOT: PRESS/ANTHONY SCANGA. AVENGED SEVENFOLD: PRESS. MEGADETH: PRESS/JEREMY SAFFER. While the Avenged camp weren’t totally silent in 2020 - the band continued their song breakdown series on Youtube, launched various individual projects and used their platform to voice their stirring support for the Black Lives Matter movement courtesy of M. Shadows - it certainly wasn’t a standout year for the Cali megaweights. It’s been a little over four years since The Stage - the longest gap between Avenged albums ever - so we’re predicting that we’ll finally see album number eight by the end of 2021. And the most exciting thing of all? If their last couple of records are anything to go by, we have absolutely no idea what it’ll sound like. Will they continue the progressive meanderings of…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021REFUSE RESISTThe 70s may have seen the birth of heavy metal, but the genre truly went global in the 80s. Trickling south of the US border, tape-trading networks helped lay the foundations for thrash, black and death metal scenes everywhere from Brazil to Argentina, Australia to Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. But where Brazil and Argentina embraced heavy metal as a form of post-dictatorial liberation, emergent scenes in and bordering Central America still faced an uphill battle against ongoing social, political and military issues in their respective countries.“The very first interview I did, I was told ‘metal in Latin America isn’t about entertainment’” explains filmmaker Dr Nelson Varas-Diaz. “When you start travelling through places in South America or the Global South, you notice how people use metal in different ways; not just…7 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021ON THE MAPGUATEMALAPopulation: 17 millionHistory: It was ruled by a series of dictatorships with short periods of constitutional legitimacy, until democracy in 1944. The government began redistributing lana to poverty- stricken farmers, angering US company United Fruit, who lobbied the US government into staging a coup in 1954. Civil war followed, along with abuses of indigenous Mayans, ending in 1996 with a death toll of more than 200,000. At least 60% of people live in poverty.Government: President Alejandro Giammattei represents the right-wing Vamos party. Last year, protests broke out over proposed health/education cuts.Bands: Noctis Invocat, The Maximones.COLOMBIAPopulation: 50 millionHistory: It was colonised by Spain in the 1500s. In 1819, Spanish forces were defeated and Gran Columbia was formed (including Panama, Venezuela and Ecuador, until the latter two seceded). In the late 1840s,…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021CARPENTER BRUTEPICA: PRESS/TIM TRONCKOE. CARPENTER BRUT: JAKE OWENS. When synthwave took over the underground, there was unquestionably one name that broke biggest out of them all. Carpenter Brut didn’t just go viral with the amazing video for 2015 dance floor-smasher Turbo Killer; he also produced one of the funnest debut albums of recent memory with 2018’s neon-splattered LP, Leather Teeth. With both feet planted firmly in the 80s and designed as the first part of a multi-record concept following the journey of a serial killer in waiting, it inexplicably ticked the boxes of metal, horror and, um, cheesy, synthy dance music in one fell swoop. Though Leather Teeth was envisioned as a soundtrack in its own right - albeit to a film that doesn’t technically exist - in 2020 Carpenter Brut…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021WARDRUNAKvitravnSONY/MUSIC FOR NATIONSNorse visionaries embark on an intoxicating new adventureOCCASIONALLY A BAND emerge with a style of music bearing scant resemblance to traditional metal, yet who are reverentially held by wide swaths of the metal community. Wardruna - Norway’s spellbinding pagan collective - enjoy just such status. Their raw, ethereal hymns draw deeply from ancient Norse poems and stories, weaving strands of folk, pagan and ambient music into enthralling soundscapes. Certainly, the inclusion of their music on the Vikings TV series raised Wardruna’s profile within the metal ranks and beyond, but so too have their consciousness-elevating live shows that have engendered a surging interest in pagan culture. But it’s the staggering emotional impact of their songs that places them at the forefront of the movement.Kvitravn (White Raven’), Wardruna’s big label…4 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021GAMESFOR MORE, CHECK OUT WWW.GAMESRADAR.COM METAL: HELLSINGER ETA: Q1 2021 What if Doom was a rhythm-action game? That’s the basic premise behind Metal: Hellsinger, which positions you as a demon slayer who must move, rip and tear in time to the beat of a thunderous, heavy-as-f*ck soundtrack. DEATHLOOP ETA: May 21, 2021 The latest game from the creators of Dishonored, Deathloop tasks you with assassinating eight targets in a single day. If you die while trying, the time loop resets and you get another crack at the job with all of the knowledge you acquired in your previous run. RESIDENT EVIL 8: VILLAGE ETA:Q3 Where Resident Evil 7 was inspired by the sickly horror of Texas Chain Saw Massacre, its 2021 sequel is set to explore the nightmares born out…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021REFUSE RESISTThe 70s may have seen the birth of heavy metal, but the genre truly went global in the 80s. Trickling south of the US border, tape-trading networks helped lay the foundations for thrash, black and death metal scenes everywhere from Brazil to Argentina, Australia to Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. But where Brazil and Argentina embraced heavy metal as a form of post-dictatorial liberation, emergent scenes in and bordering Central America still faced an uphill battle against ongoing social, political and military issues in their respective countries. “The very first interview I did, I was told ‘metal in Latin America isn’t about entertainment’” explains filmmaker Dr Nelson Varas-Diaz. “When you start travelling through places in South America or the Global South, you notice how people use metal in different ways; not…7 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021HARAKIRI FOR THE SKYMæreAOPSeasoned post-black metallers go an extra, forlorn furlongAUSTRIAN DUO HARAKIRI For The Sky have spent the last decade establishing themselves as one of the cooler names to drop as the post-black metal boom has swelled to critical mass. Their melding of ethereal, expansive melodies and harsh, frosty riffs almost felt zeitgeisty a few years back, so, as they unveil their fifth album, Mære, hearing what evolutionary steps they take feels genuinely intriguing.Ultimately, what we get is more of a refinement and continuation of the sound they’ve been crafting, although that’s not to say there aren’t a few surprises along the way, and with the quality at an impressively high standard. After a decent opening, the second track, Sing For The Damage We’ve Done, is a fantastic statement of intent and…3 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021WARDRUNAKIM ÓHRLING Kvitravn SONY/MUSIC FOR NATIONS Norse visionaries embark on an intoxicating new adventure OCCASIONALLY A BAND emerge with a style of music bearing scant resemblance to traditional metal, yet who are reverentially held by wide swaths of the metal community. Wardruna - Norway’s spellbinding pagan collective - enjoy just such status. Their raw, ethereal hymns draw deeply from ancient Norse poems and stories, weaving strands of folk, pagan and ambient music into enthralling soundscapes. Certainly, the inclusion of their music on the Vikings TV series raised Wardruna’s profile within the metal ranks and beyond, but so too have their consciousness-elevating live shows that have engendered a surging interest in pagan culture. But it’s the staggering emotional impact of their songs that places them at the forefront of the movement.…4 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021MEET THE BANDELEANOR GOODMANDEPUTY EDITORNot content with stitching together the features section every issue, this month El also got stuck into her second feature with New Zealand metal warriors Alien Weaponry, after heading all the way out to Nevada to introduce them to the world in 2019. Sweet as!DAVE EVERLEYONLINE EDITORAlthough he’s busy manning the world’s biggest rock website, Dave remains a pretty dapper hand at writing, too, as evidenced on p.42 by his fascinating feature with one of our world’s most enduringly mysterious bands, Heilung. Nature just never felt so metal.DANNII LEIVERSWRITERDannii’s writing travels take her to Mongolia this month. Not literally - we still can’t do trips, CHEERS CORONA - but she spent some quality Zoom time with The Hu. Bands, take note: this is how you look like proper…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021WHEN AMON AMARTH SET SAILWE MOST RECENTLY had Amon Amarth’s Johan Hegg on the cover as a warrior king lording it up on his throne, but 12 years ago this month we had the Swedish metal legends on our cover for the very first time. The shoot depicting the band coming ashore from a boat on a storm-battered seafront, mighty blades in hand, looked like it could have been taken straight out of a Vikings poster. Just don’t tell anyone we actually shot it with a dinghy on the exotic banks of, um, Putney. Who says metal can’t be glamorous…?…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 202110 THINGS WE LEARNED THIS MONTHHOW IS IT 2021? It’s only September, right? Did 2020 really happen? Why is time now a nebulous concept? HELP. THIS YEAR WILL RULE That said, we have every confidence this year will kick ass. Bring it on. REST IN POWER, SEAN MALONE The Cynic bassist passed away last month. Sending love and thoughts to his friends and family. SOUNDGARDEN WILL RELEASE A FINAL ALBUM According to Chris Cornell’s widow, Vicky. We would love to hear Chris on another record. DAVID HASSELHOFF IS METAL NOW The Hoff has released his first ever heavy metal single with the dramatic Through The Night in December. And you thought 2020 couldn’t have any final twists... THE UNFORGIVEN DONE GOTH IS AMAZING Head to metalhammer.com to check out the Type O-esque reimagining of a…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021AN ARMY OF DUCKS OR ONE CRAP TIGER?FOUR YEARS ON from their last studio venture. The Pretty Reckless return in the face of personal loss and depression for their fourth album, Death By Rock And Roll, out next month. In the meantime, we challenged frontwoman Taylor Momsen to answer your burning questions on the band’s new era, making dream collaborations come true and… really rubbish tigers?What can you tell us about how the new album is sounding?Debbie Smith (email)“Awesome! It’s finished and we finally have a date! It’s coming out February 12 and I’m ecstatic for people to hear it. It’s been a long time coming and we’ve been sitting on music waiting to put it out, it’s been torturous. I don’t want to say too much but I am very confident with this album - in…8 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021BRIAN ‘HEAD’ WELCHBRIAN WELCH HAS had one of the most interesting journeys of any metal musician in living memory. As a member of Korn he helped to craft the sound of nu metal, superbly anchoring their bottom-heavy attack and tag-teaming riffs with fellow guitarist James ‘Munky’ Shaffer, before his spiral into addiction led him away from Korn and into the wilderness. His salvation was found in his religious beliefs, spiritual awakening and, ultimately, an emotional reformation with his bandmates. As he prepares to resurrect his post-Korn solo project-turned-fully functioning band, Love And Death, we find out what he’s learned from it all.I CAN’T EXPLAIN KORN’S SOUND“We just took all of this music – metal, punk, industrial, hip hop - and melded it all together on that first album. We somehow nailed a…7 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021FOREVER FAILURE BY PARADISE LOSTBACK IN THE early 90s, Paradise Lost had developed into one of the UK’s most significant underground metal bands. Their relentless work ethic had seen them pen four records in as many years from 1990 to 1993, including classics such as 1991’s Gothic and 1993’5 Icon, and the Halifax misery merchants’ crusty doom was reaching into more melodious territories. But by the time they reached 1995, and were ready to start work on their fifth album, Draconian Times, Paradise Lost were feeling burnt out.“It’s a bit of a blur,” guitarist Gregor Mackintosh tells us today, when we ask him to reflect on the record. “We recorded Icon and then we went on tour with Kreator and Morbid Angel in America. Then we did the Chaos A.D. tour with Sepultura in…8 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021WHERE ARE AC/DC?!COVERED IN GLORYJust wanna say how cool it was to see so many different names and faces on the 2020 Review Of The Year cover. The Oceans Of Slumber album was probably my album of the year, so seeing Cammie on there with legends like Rob Halford and Papa Het made my day!Jamie Stiles (email)We’re happy you’re happy. Any excuse to celebrate young bands is cool with us. And if you’re about that life, you’re gonna love the issue you’re holding in your hands right here. Hooray!NEW YEAR, NEW USHoping that a new year means we get to see some new bands on the cover of Metal Hammer. Don’t get me wrong, I love Metallica, Iron Maiden and Slipknot, all of it, but it’d be nice to see someone like…4 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021HAMMER STEREOTWIN TEMPLEBring You Their Signature Sound... Satanic Doo-Wop “The devil’s tunes never sounded so... swinging?” MERLIN ALDERSLADE EDITORWARDRUNAKvitrafn “Your soundtrack for yielding to nature and winter” ELEANOR GOODMAN DEPUTY EDITORWARDRUNAKvitrafn “After a year of upheaval, a reminder that something enduring still resonates deeply” JONATHAN SELZER REVIEWS EDITORTHE HUThe Gereg “Revisiting this album in honour of one of our cover stars. Soooo good!” VANESSA THORPE PRODUCTION EDITORTWIN TEMPLEBring You Their Signature Sound... Satanic Doo-Wop “Leave your preconceptions at the door - Satan is a woman!” LOUISE BROCK ART EDITORHEAVE BLOOD OR DIEPost People “Apocalyptic post-metal noise for apocalyptic times. Happy New Year!” DAVEEVERLEY ACTING ONLINE EDITOR…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021NOVA TWINSHEAVY MUSIC IS going through a renaissance unlike we’ve ever seen before. The digital boom’s push into accessible online music, paired with today’s ongoing political unrest, has jolted an overwhelming number of new talents through the floodgates with outlandish styles, unique sounds and passionate ideologies fuelling their music. Though turbulent and unpredictable, one thing is clear: the alternative music scene will never look the same again. Marching to the frontline of this change with their spiked boots, colourful afros and lipstick-smeared grins are outrageous punks Nova Twins. “You don’t have to conform,” says bassist Georgia South. “We’re just trying to encourage people to be themselves.”Nova Twins are what happens when the ideology of Riot Grrrl meets the punk fury of Fever 333, sprinkled with The Prodigy’s EDM sound and coated…4 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021HAMMER STEREOTWIN TEMPLE Bring You Their Signature Sound... Satanic Doo-Wop “The devil’s tunes never sounded so... swinging?” MERLIN ALDERSLADE EDITOR WARDRUNA Kvitrafn “Your soundtrack for yielding to nature and winter” ELEANOR GOODMAN DEPUTY EDITOR WARDRUNA Kvitrafn “After a year of upheaval, a reminder that something enduring still resonates deeply” JONATHAN SELZER REVIEWS EDITOR THE HU The Gereg “Revisiting this album in honour of one of our cover stars. Soooo good!” VANESSA THORPE PRODUCTION EDITOR TWIN TEMPLE Bring You Their Signature Sound... Satanic Doo-Wop “Leave your preconceptions at the door - Satan is a woman!” LOUISE BROCK ART EDITOR HEAVE BLOOD OR DIE Post People “Apocalyptic post-metal noise for apocalyptic times. Happy New Year!” DAVEEVERLEY ACTING ONLINE EDITOR…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021NOVA TWINSHEAVY MUSIC IS going through a renaissance unlike we’ve ever seen before. The digital boom’s push into accessible online music, paired with today’s ongoing political unrest, has jolted an overwhelming number of new talents through the floodgates with outlandish styles, unique sounds and passionate ideologies fuelling their music. Though turbulent and unpredictable, one thing is clear: the alternative music scene will never look the same again. Marching to the frontline of this change with their spiked boots, colourful afros and lipstick-smeared grins are outrageous punks Nova Twins. “You don’t have to conform,” says bassist Georgia South. “We’re just trying to encourage people to be themselves.” Nova Twins are what happens when the ideology of Riot Grrrl meets the punk fury of Fever 333, sprinkled with The Prodigy’s EDM sound and…4 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021SCARLET“MEN THINK, ‘IF I bring you my penis, then your world will be complete? No. I love a nice one, but I would like to choose myself!’’ When Swedish singer Scarlet released her debut single, 2017’s Age Of Seduction, she found herself on the receiving end of a deluge of unsolicited intimate photographs on social media. The experience drove her to write single Ugly f*cker, an industrial stomper about unwanted advances, assault and sexism. “The music isn’t about feminism, even though that’s important,” she explains. “It’s about portraying the reality of what [women] go through.” Inspired by Marilyn Manson and Alice Cooper’s blend of theatrics and metal, she created Scarlet as a “whole concept. The visuals, the performance... it’s not just music,” juxtaposing chugging grooves with sharp choruses and unfiltered…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021NASTYBRANN DAILOR: JIMMY HUBBARD “WHEN WE STARTED Nasty 16 years ago, we were like, (We can’t play any instruments and we can’t read notes - so let’s make the most aggressive music we can!”’ recounts frontman Matthi. “We fell into hardcore because it’s something to let steam off. An outlet of anger and aggression.” Everything feels antagonistic on their latest album, Menace; through unexpected beatdowns, wild song structures and stomach-churching, squealing guitars, the Belgian crew exhibit violence in more ways than angry lyrics and lurching riffs. This blend of attitude and aggression comes from the band’s love of hip hop and metal; they’ve got the musical presence and bravado of the former but the ethos of the latter. “You know when hip hop guys are on a Mercedes or yacht?…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021Devil’s Advocates“Satan is good!” Twin Temple singer Alexandra James is praising the Great Horned One because, after three failed attempts, we’ve finally managed to sort the connection for this evening’s interview. We can’t imagine that The Devil himself ever envisioned his name being praised courtesy of a Google Hangout, but then again, we can’t imagine he ever envisioned something like Twin Temple, either.“We never formulated this as a ‘gimmick’” Alexandra later insists. “This is who we are and this is the band that we wanted to put out. I think, a lot of times, anything new and fresh that people haven’t seen before is a ‘novelty’ it’s a ‘gimmick, because it’s brand new. But, I think over time, that idea will wear off.”Among all the exciting young bands you’ll read about…13 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021“WE’RE ON A MISSION"HU! HU! HU!" It’s Saturday afternoon at Download Festival 2019 and a loud,insistent chant is coming from a corner of Donington Park. No, not “SLAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYERRRRR” - Kerry King and co don’t play until tomorrow. It’s the sound of thousands of metalheads crammed into the Dogtooth tent, and they’re all here to see The Hu, the viral Mongolian folk metal phenomenon who are on their first visit to the UK. Before they even get onstage, it’s madness. The crowd is five-deep outside the tent and everyone is punching the air and craning their necks to catch a glimpse of one of metal’s most exciting new bands. Despite their growing online profile, The Hu were taken aback by the response. “We were concerned: what’s going to happen? How are people going to…10 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021SPIRITBOXWith Holy Roller and its instantly iconic, Midsommar-referencing video, Spiritbox crafted a thumping, groove-heavy hit that appealed to alternative music fans of just about every persuasion. It ended up being one of 2020’s major rock anthems, racking up millions in streams and video views and putting Spiritbox at the very forefront of heavy music’s next generation of up-and-comers. Coming three years after the band’s debut, self-titled EP, it represented a steep evolution from the more progressively minded sounds of their older material, even if the band’s experimental side remained very much on show. That said, when we spoke to the trio, they made sure to point out that releasing one all-out banger shouldn’t be seen as an indicator of their music yet to come. As far as they were concerned,…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021WITHIN TEMPTATIONGiven that Resist was only released in February 2019, many were surprised when Within Temptation dropped a brand new song, Entertain You, back in May of last year. Singer Sharon den Adel told Metal Hammer that the band were enjoying taking on a strictly single-based approach to releasing new tunes, promising that Entertain You wouldn’t be the last standalone track we’d hear from the Dutch heavyweights.“It’s nice to have new material, so we felt like, ‘Let’s just write some songs and see what comes out,’” she noted. “We’re going to release a few singles every year – at least this year and next year – and then we’re going to drop the album. It’s more about giving our fans something new every few months. It’s just different from how most…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021SPIRITBOXPRESS With Holy Roller and its instantly iconic, Midsommar-referencing video, Spiritbox crafted a thumping, groove-heavy hit that appealed to alternative music fans of just about every persuasion. It ended up being one of 2020’s major rock anthems, racking up millions in streams and video views and putting Spiritbox at the very forefront of heavy music’s next generation of up-and-comers. Coming three years after the band’s debut, self-titled EP, it represented a steep evolution from the more progressively minded sounds of their older material, even if the band’s experimental side remained very much on show. That said, when we spoke to the trio, they made sure to point out that releasing one all-out banger shouldn’t be seen as an indicator of their music yet to come. As far as they were…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021MEGADETHIn our heartwarming cover feature back in March, a thankfully cancer-free Dave Mustaine told us that he hoped to have the new Megadeth album out by the end of 2020. The pandemic may have helped put those plans to the sword, but with another year’s worth of tinkering now under his belt, it’s probably safe to bet that the follow-up to 2016’s excellent Dystopia will be with us soon. “I think we’ve got 14 songs for this album and another folder with six,” Dave revealed in the interview. “The songs are constantly evolving.” Hinting that previously announced song titles such as Rattlehead, Part Two and The Dogs Of Chernobyl may not be sticking, Dave nevertheless seemed excited about the new music. You should be too!SLIPKNOT: PRESS/ANTHONY SCANGA. AVENGED SEVENFOLD: PRESS.…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021GOJIRAWhen Gojira played London’s Brixton Academy in June 2019, it felt like a victory lap. They’d already toured sixth album Magma in 2017, and now they were back at bigger venues to do it on a grander scale (including Glastonbury two days before). It didn’t matter that an idiot spilled a pint on the lighting desk, halting the flow of the show and clearly frustrating the band, who nonetheless took the mishap in their stride. The songs sounded earth-shattering. Joe Duplantier’s singing, impassioned. Brother Mario’s drumming, a blur. Guitarist Christian Andreu and bassist Jean-Michel Labadie, creating the riffiest matter in the universe.Following a US tour culminating in an appearance at Dia De Los Deftones, they basically dropped off the radar until last May, when they streamed footage of their incredible…2 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021WITHIN TEMPTATIONARCHITECTS: PRESS/ED MASON. WITHIN TEMPTATION:PRESS Given that Resist was only released in February 2019, many were surprised when Within Temptation dropped a brand new song, Entertain You, back in May of last year. Singer Sharon den Adel told Metal Hammer that the band were enjoying taking on a strictly single-based approach to releasing new tunes, promising that Entertain You wouldn’t be the last standalone track we’d hear from the Dutch heavyweights. “It’s nice to have new material, so we felt like, ‘Let’s just write some songs and see what comes out,’” she noted. “We’re going to release a few singles every year – at least this year and next year – and then we’re going to drop the album. It’s more about giving our fans something new every few months.…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021SLIPKNOTSLIPKNOT: PRESS/ANTHONY SCANGA. AVENGED SEVENFOLD: PRESS. MEGADETH: PRESS/JEREMY SAFFER. “Right now is kind of an interesting time” Clown recently revealed during a publicity event for Slipknot’s Iowa No. 9 whiskey. “We’re taking this time to write some new music. Since everybody’s taken a lot of time off, we thought we’d utilise it by getting together and do what we probably do best, which is write music. It’s been good, because there’s no pressure. It’s not like we have to. We’re doing it because we want to.” New Slipknot music in 2021? It seems unlikely, but since when have Slipknot been predictable? The Nine have a slew of dates planned across the year too, though are yet to reschedule many of 2020’s planned shows, including the first ever Knotfest At Sea…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021GAMESFOR MORE, CHECK OUT WWW.GAMESRADAR.COMMETAL: HELLSINGERETA: Q1 2021What if Doom was a rhythm-action game? That’s the basic premise behind Metal: Hellsinger, which positions you as a demon slayer who must move, rip and tear in time to the beat of a thunderous, heavy-as-f*ck soundtrack.DEATHLOOPETA: May 21, 2021The latest game from the creators of Dishonored, Deathloop tasks you with assassinating eight targets in a single day. If you die while trying, the time loop resets and you get another crack at the job with all of the knowledge you acquired in your previous run.RESIDENT EVIL 8: VILLAGEETA:Q3Where Resident Evil 7 was inspired by the sickly horror of Texas Chain Saw Massacre, its 2021 sequel is set to explore the nightmares born out of rural folklore. Expect this hallucinogenic crawl through a…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021GHOSTPRESS/RYAN CHANG It was one of heavy music’s final major live spectacles before the world went to sh*t. Ghost, playing the final show of the Prequelle album cycle, were midway through a spellbindingly fun set at Mexico City’s Palacio De Los Deportes arena. After beloved doddery luvvie Papa Nihil seemed to be unexpectedly, erm, disposed of following his trademark saxophone solo, a flock of nuns suddenly surrounded frontman Cardinal Copia. A struggle followed, before the mob fled the stage and left a new figure in their wake - strikingly similar to the Cardinal, but bedecked in fancy new robes, a big, flashy Papal hat and some brands--panking new corpsepaint. It was official: Cardinal Copia had been given an upgrade. Papa Emeritus IV was here. It was a typically dramatic end…2 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021EPICAEPICA: PRESS/TIM TRONCKOE. CARPENTER BRUT: JAKE OWENS. Perhaps one of the most unexpected triumphs of heavy music in the 21st century is the rise, rise and rise of symphonic metal. While Nightwish and Within Temptation have evolved well away from each other musically since the turn of the millennium, the fact that the two bands who brought us songs like Sleeping Sun and Mother Earth have ended up headlining arenas across Europe (including right here in the UK) is pretty extraordinary. And the best part? There’s a ton more bands where that came from clambering up metal’s ladder - and none are currently scaling higher heights than Epica. It seems like the Dutch maestros have been tagged as symphonic metal’s next major breakout band for the better part of a…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021ANNISOKAYAuroraARISING EMPIREGerman metalcore hopefuls claw their way towards top-dog statusANNISOKAY HAVE BEEN plugging away since 2007, slowly carving out a sound that straddles glistening post-hardcore, melodeath and electronica-powered metalcore. In that time, they’ve delivered some banging tracks and supported Parkway Drive on their Russian Ire run, but they’re yet to nail a truly knockout record.If fifth album Aurora is anything to go by, the Germans have had it with being the underdogs. Well-produced, slick and assured, this album is bigger than 2018’5 Arms in everyway. Opener Like A Parasite kicks down the doors with a barrage of thundering riffs and apocalyptic electronics that lands it somewhere in the middle of BMTH’s Sempiternal, recent Asking Alexandria and Aussie upstarts Polaris, before an exhilarating chorus soars from the doom.New screamer Rudi Schwarzer,…3 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021ASPHYXNecroceros CENTURY MEDIADutch death overlords return in world-eating formBEFORE THE HALF-BAKED conspiracy theories take hold, we have it on good authority from vocalist Martin van Drunen himself that the title to Asphyx’s latest and 10th album has nothing to do with rabid, death-obsessed rhinoceroses exacting revenge on poachers or the Grim Reaper trading in Binky tor a new mode of transport. In actuality, the title pertains to a fictional space entity of Martin’s active imagination visiting and devouring planet Earth. The coronavirus- imposed downtime not only steered the frontman’s brain toward offbeat conceptual corners, but also allowed the Dutch deathsters to focus on their first full-length since 2016’s Incoming Death.With the band’s first steady line-up since the early 90s propelling the creative flow, Asphyx have expanded their reach. Whispers of…5 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021ON THE MAPGUATEMALA Population: 17 million History: It was ruled by a series of dictatorships with short periods of constitutional legitimacy, until democracy in 1944. The government began redistributing lana to poverty- stricken farmers, angering US company United Fruit, who lobbied the US government into staging a coup in 1954. Civil war followed, along with abuses of indigenous Mayans, ending in 1996 with a death toll of more than 200,000. At least 60% of people live in poverty. Government: President Alejandro Giammattei represents the right-wing Vamos party. Last year, protests broke out over proposed health/education cuts. Bands: Noctis Invocat, The Maximones. COLOMBIA Population: 50 million History: It was colonised by Spain in the 1500s. In 1819, Spanish forces were defeated and Gran Columbia was formed (including Panama, Venezuela and Ecuador, until the…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021THE BIRTH OF NWOBHMBETWEEN 1975 AND 1978, the nascent Iron Maiden earned their spurs on London’s pub circuit. But with punk raging, getting noticed by record labels was easier said than done - at least it was until a DJ named Neal Kay opened a new club in the wilds of North London. Neal Kay (DJ/founder, Heavy Metal Sound house): “Punk was the prevalent music in 1978, but since 1975 I’d been building up a small venue in Kingsbury as a heavy metal discotheque. It was known as The Bandwagon in the Prince Of Wales pub, but I re-christened it The Heavy Metal Soundhouse. The main room held about 700 people, and we had a f*ckin’ ginormous sound system. I kept badgering Geoff Barton at Sounds to come down, because I knew it…7 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021WORLD SERVICEENGULFEDVengeance Of The FallenDARK DESCENTIf you like your DM to bubble and hiss like Satan’s excrement, this Turkish trio’s hellish squall will fit the bill. Emanating evil vibes and plenty of swagger, these songs serve the Dark One with aplomb.DOM LAWSONTHE INFERNO DOLLSacrificeSELF-RELEASEDChilean singer/songwriter Laura Vargas unleashes her inner demons on this four-track concept EP, its tale of demonic resurrection wrought in theatrical goth rock with bursts of metallic extremity.TOM O’BOYLESACROCURSESupreme TerrorSHADOW/REGAINMexico’s blaspheming black/death metallers latest EP again chooses kvlt aesthetics over all-out sonic warfare. Its lo-fi production hampers the resonance of its manic vocals, evil riffs and plague-ready rhythms.DEAN BROWN…1 min
Metal Hammer UK|February 2021RESURRECTIONSMOST PEOPLE CAN remember exactly where they first heard NAILS’ astonishing Unsilent Death (Southern Lord) [8], because that’s where the paramedics pieced their skulls back together. Unleashed anew to celebrate the album’s 10th anniversary, it now boasts three tracks from the Oxnard crew’s Obscene Humanity seven-inch and two previously unreleased bursts of undiluted hostility. Expanded to a pummelling 23 minutes, it’s still guaranteed to smash your face in. Only more so. More user-friendly but equally pissed-off, 1556/SILENCE’s Irrational Pull (Nuclear Blast) [8] deserved more props first time around, but this bonus-boosted reissue should belatedly do the job. Gleefully inventive but still crushing in a Knocked Loose kind of way, it’s a blistering debut.A stone-cold classic by any sane reckoning, ICED EARTH’s eponymous debut album (Century Media) [9] was distinctive and…2 min
