The Matts share their memories of 2005, a time when nu metal was fading away, Lamb Of God and Killswitch Engage were leading the New Wave Of American Heavy Metal… and a band in Wales and a band in Florida were making moves to bring back the heavy. Plus, Tuck and Heafy tell the stories behind those landmark albums.
Talking of albums, we list the 50 you need to hear in 2025, including chats with Halestorm, Killswitch Engage, Mastodon, Jinjer, Arch Enemy and more. Elsewhere in the mag, as the Nosferatu remake hits cinemas, we look back at the undying relationship between vampires and metal.
And… Eddie Munson is back! Well, sort of, in this exclusive preview of the new Stranger Things graphic novel series, a prequel to the TV show that reveals how the beloved metalhead became leader of Dungeons & Dragons society the Hellfire Club.
Nita Strauss gets the Hammer Interview treatment, explaining how she became a guitar hero, and we meet sister duo Alt Blk Era, the alt scene’s fastest-rising band.
Testament’s six-string superstar Alex Skolnick imparts his life lessons, Daron Malakian reflects on the making of Scars On Broadway’s debut single, They Say, and Dark Tranquillity’s Mikael Stanne invites us into his record collection. Grand Magus’s JB talks “giggle grass”, gangs and touring with Opeth, we meet Scarborough black metallers Ante-Inferno, and we celebrate the return of spoof Finnish band Impaled Rektum in the upcoming sequel to Heavy Trip.
All this, plus all the essential gigs and reviews from the world of metal.
