Features

From Mike Patton to Iron Maiden: The icons who inspired Zeal & Ardor

Zeal & Ardor’s take on black metal is an eclectic melting pot. But what inspires the broad church of noise? Mainman Manuel Gagneux reveals the musical heroes that guide him…

Anarchy In The UK: How Myanmar punks The Rebel Riot made history

In 2017, The Rebel Riot attempted the practically unthinkable: they were to become the first Burmese band ever to tour the UK. Now, in new feature-length No Spicy No Fun, their incredible story is documented – and it not only sees a band living out their wildest dreams, it spreads an important message about the power of punk…

The rise of Bullet For My Valentine, as told through their most important gigs

Supporting Guns N’ Roses, Metallica and Iron Maiden? Check. Performing while jumping out of a helicopter? Sure thing. Bullet For My Valentine have done it all – and Matt Tuck has got the stories to tell…

Bay Watch: ZULU

In the next instalment of our Bay Watch series, ZULU’s Anaiah Lei reflects on “changing up” the standard hardcore sound, working on a debut album, and why he’ll always dance whatever way he wants…

Skin: “We offer solace. At a Skunk Anansie gig, people can be themselves, be free…”

From the minute Skunk Anansie emerged in the ’90s, Skin was an immediate icon. Ultra-cool, fearless, angry when required, and with a truly incredible voice, she remains one of the most brilliant stars British rock has ever produced, and her band one of the most enduring. Here, she looks back on their journey, including dinners with Nelson Mandela, battling racism, and starting in “a cesspit”…

Terror’s Scott Vogel: “I was pissed off and a little bit lost, and when I found hardcore it gave me a place to belong”

Terror frontman Scott Vogel has been a hardcore punk mainstay for more than 20 years. In celebration of their new album Pain Into Power, he talks growing up, how he’s no longer a “maniac”, and how turning off social media cured his writer’s block…

Malevolence’s Alex Taylor: The 10 songs that changed my life

From Hatebreed and Killswitch Engage to the Fugees and T2, Malevolence’s Alex Taylor likes to spin all sorts…

“People turn up expecting to see one of the greatest shows of their lives”: How My Chemical Romance took over the UK

Right from the start, the UK fell in love with My Chemical Romance. And they with us. Fittingly, our fair isle became the site of many of their greatest victories, from Brixton to headlining Reading & Leeds. We look back at how New Jersey’s finest built their empire on British soil…

13 of the best songs about bad luck

In honour of Friday the 13th, here are 13 songs about when fortune frowns on you. Watch out for those black cats!

Mosh: The Manchester film festival bringing metal to the big screen

Ahead of the inaugural Mosh Film Fest in Manchester, we meet co-founder Greg Walker to explore the relationship between heavy metal and Hollywood…

Bay Watch: Militarie Gun

With Regional Justice Center on ice, Ian Shelton found himself exploring new territories with Militarie Gun, defiantly doing things his way without a care for genre convention or scene points…

5 TV series and movies to watch while dodging the curse of Friday 13th

From multiversal mayhem with Michelle Yeoh to mythical Essex reptiles, here’s what you need to watch this week…

Oli Sykes on the passion that drives Drop Dead Clothing: “I need everything to be meaningful, to have a reason to exist”

From those first T-shirts shipped out of his teenage bedroom to becoming one of the biggest alternative fashion brands on the planet, Bring Me The Horizon frontman Oli Sykes explains how Drop Dead Clothing has always been a labour of love…

We interviewed You Me At Six on top of The Swarm rollercoaster

A decade ago, You Me At Six soundtracked The Swarm at Thorpe Park. To celebrate, Svalbard singer and rollercoaster expert Serena Cherry joined them for a birthday spin…

5 reasons why you need to check out Dead Sara

LA’s Dead Sara are among American hard rock’s best kept secrets. As they return to to the UK for a run of live shows, there’s never been a better time to get involved. Here’s everything you need to know.

“You can find out a lot about what you’re doing by f*cking up a little bit”: Puppy dig into their Pure Evil return

Where 2019’s debut LP The Goat found London metallers Puppy infiltrating the upper echelons of Britrock, killer follow-up Pure Evil is all about rekindling the freewheeling juvenilia that got them there in the first place…

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