The Cover Story

Neck Deep: “We’ve hit a point where we don’t have anything to prove, and we’ve still got room to grow – so we just keep doing it”

Life is good for Ben Barlow right now. As Neck Deep gear up to release their glorious self-titled fifth album, the frontman takes a moment to appreciate the pop-punks’ dazzling ascent over the past 10 years – and looks to a future that sees him and his bandmates simply continuing to enjoy the ride…

“We’re pissing off the right people”: Sleater-Kinney, Lambrini Girls and the eternal power of riot grrrl

Riot grrrl might’ve originated in the Pacific Northwest in the 1990s, but the shockwaves it sent throughout the alt. scene are still being felt today, in the sound, lyricism and ethics of non-male bands across the globe. Here, pioneers Sleater-Kinney sit down with new breed (and superfans) Lambrini Girls to discuss punk, politics, progress and why that revolutionary attitude will never die…

Electric Callboy: “We’re living our best lives right now. This is the time to celebrate that”

Gold records. Sold-out arenas. An ecstatic Avalanche Stage headline at Download and uber-rammed victory lap around the UK. The whole of 2023 has felt like a gift to Electric Callboy, but as the German superstars finally settle down for the holidays, frontmen Kevin Ratajczak and Nico Sallach stress that no milestone has been more meaningful than absolutely everyone having fun…

WARGASM: “We don’t give a f*ck about winning people over. This is for us and our fans. That’s all that matters”

Though online haters will forever “chat sh*t”, WARGASM are continuing to ignore the noise and focus on causing global chaos with their fans. And with that, 2023 has been their best year yet. From touring with Corey Taylor to befriending Fred Durst, playing the most exciting shows of their lives and finally releasing debut album Venom, there’s simply no stopping Sam Matlock and Milkie Way…

Bruce Dickinson: “We’re all living longer and more effective lives, which is great – as long as you do something with it”

After almost 20 years, Bruce Dickinson is back with a new solo album, and a reality-bending story of ominous corporations, deities and the occult. In this world-exclusive interview, we spend the day with the Iron Maiden figurehead and explore the darkened realm he has created, as well as ruminate on everything from life and death to Norse myths and the joy of fencing...

HEALTH: “The people who like us for the funny stuff and the people who like us for the music are not mutually exclusive. They’re the same people”

HEALTH make music that could soundtrack the end of the world. On their killer new album Rat Wars, the LA noise-rock collective are going further into the digital murk, while also looking to blow up. We headed into their unique universe to meet the men behind the madness, find where all this comes from, and discover the truth behind the online mucking about...

Green Lung: “None of this stuff feels like we’re gunning for it – it just happens because we f*cking love it”

Magic. Folklore. Big riffs. Green Lung are experts in all three. As the British rock quintet release their stunning third album This Heathen Land and head out on a massive UK headlining tour, we joined them to find out about witch queens, the wrong sorts of magicians, and how they’re answering the riddle: “What would it sound like if Brian May joined Black Sabbath?”

Evanescence: “I’m so grateful for Fallen. It is something bigger than me”

This month marks the release of the 20th anniversary edition of Fallen – Evanescence’s iconic, multi-platinum, era-defining debut studio album. Here, Amy Lee recalls the trials and tribulations, the grief and the growth, that brought one of rock’s biggest-ever records to life…

Dying Wish: “We’re very radical people, but maybe showing love and compassion is the most radical thing that we can do”

Fire burns deep in the heart of Dying Wish. From protest barricades to hardcore’s grandest stages, this Molotov energy has propelled the Oregon quintet from DIY beginnings towards the apex of their scene. And on outstanding second album Symptoms Of Survival, it’s flaming hotter than ever: no longer just a thrillingly explosive force, but a beacon beckoning us all towards a brighter future…

Scene Queen: “It’s always been about being a conservative person’s worst nightmare”

Having sent shockwaves through the scene earlier this year with the incendiary 18+, everyone’s favourite pink-rocker is finally ready to drop her debut album. In the world-exclusive first interview with Scene Queen herself, we find that this isn’t just about hypersexual lyrics to make squares squirm, it’s about community, connection and creating safe spaces for all…

Ice Nine Kills: “Horror has always been in my blood and it always will be”

Horror isn’t just a hobby for Spencer Charnas, it’s a way of life. Growing up on a steady diet of slasher flicks and heavy music, it was inevitable he’d find an outlet for his twin passions, but few could have predicted the runaway ghost train of Ice Nine Kills. As Halloween approaches, the violence-loving visionary takes us inside his own personal creepshow…

Jazmin Bean, Deijuvhs and Cody Frost are redefining what it means to be alternative

Genre is dead. Punk fashion is mainstream. And even rock’s most esoteric bands are headlining arenas. But there is an alternative, a real alternative. Connected not by sound or style, but by community and attitude, a new generation of misfits are reinventing the alt. scene for those who are craving something to call their own – get on board…

Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter: “My objective is to challenge people”

Lingua Ignota is no more, now bear witness to the resurrection. Leaving her former moniker and outlet behind, the new Reverend has finally found inner peace, having exorcised her demons through one of the most uncomfortable records of the year. From speaking in tongues to confronting her own relationship with religion, this is the second coming of Kristin Hayter.

Creeper: “It’s harder to take left turns the more you do it… this had to be darker and more grandiose”

Since their 2014 formation, Southampton goth-punk heroes Creeper have been the undefeated masters of defying fan expectations. And third album Sanguivore – the band’s “big vampire record” – is no exception. Allow the newly-christened William von Ghould to reveal all…

Better Lovers: “This is so much more than a side-gig. This is a fire that burns inside of us”

From their explosive shared energy to an endearingly “childlike” love for making music, supergroup Better Lovers have all the drive and hunger of a brand-new band. Before they embark on their first UK headline tour, Jordan Buckley and Greg Puciato reflect on the circumstances that brought them to this point – and their unstoppable future…

Poppy: “Every day I wake up, I want to push myself to do something that I haven’t done the day before”

Not simply unafraid of polarising art, but actually very much in favour of it, Poppy has always done things her own uniquely fascinating way. And on fifth album Zig, she’s succeeded in doing things “different in a way that I’ve never done before” – from incorporating her dance background for the first time, to reaching new levels of vulnerability in her lyrics…

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