Heavy Metal

Last year, Metallica confirmed that a 3D movie was in the works for release in 2013. At the beginning of this year, the band revealed more and confirmed that the movie would be titled Metallica Through The Never. Now the band has released the official theatrical trailer of the movie and you can have the first taste of Metallica Through The Never here. It will be shown on IMAX theatres in North America on September 27th and will roll into additional theatres in full 3D one week later on October 4th. Read more...

HAMMER SMASH! SLIPKNOT are back, motherfuckers! Des Moines’ finest return to rip Donington to shreds next month, and return to our cover for the biggest and most exclusive interview with the Iowa legends you will read this year. Corey, Joey and Clown talk frankly about Download, their ongoing legacy as one of the greatest metal bands of the modern era, how far they’ve come in their attempts to move on from the loss of Paul Gray and, of course, whether we’re any closer to a new Slipknot album. It’s big, it’s bold and it’s only in our new issue, on sale Tuesday May 28. We even get the drop on JOEY JORDISON’s brand new band. Plus, LOOK AT HOW FUCKING AWESOME THAT COVER IS!!!! IT WAS DRAWN BY PROFESSIONAL COMIC PEOPLE AND FOLDS OUT AND EVERYTHING!!!! Amazing freebies? We shit ‘em. As well as a FREE IRON MAIDEN POSTER PACK, the new issue’s also packing a FREE ANTHEMS OF REBELLION CD, featuring the likes of Heart Of A Coward, Carcer City, Erlen Meyer, Sectioned and Empress! Also in the new issue – of which you can order a special, limited edition hard copy right here – we have a special JEFF HANNEMAN tribute, featuring thoughts and messages from some of his closest friends and peers, as well as some heartwarming, never-before-heard anecdotes that shed some light on the man behind those Slayer songs. RIP, brother. What links Pantera and Hilary Duff? BRING ME THE HORIZON’s Oli Sykes, obviously. Confused? You will be when you read his Discs Of Doom…Oh, and speaking of discs, you may have possibly heard that BLACK SABBATH have a new album out soon. You may have also possibly heard that we’re a bit excited about it. We talk to Messrs Osbourne, Iommi and Butler as 13 finally draws near, and find out if the album itself lives up to 34 years of waiting. Fingers crossed… We also pay homage to The Man, The Myth, The Elvis-Voiced legend that is DANZIG as he prepares to return to the UK, send hails to AMON AMARTH as they reveal some of the mythology behind their new album (hint: there’s Vikings in it), take a look at why heavy metal actors are popping up all over the damn place and ask CHILDREN OF BODOM frontman Alexi Laiho if his boozing has damaged the band’s progress as much as it’s probably damaged his liver. Plus: THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN explain why they’re harbouring metal’s own Toxic Twins, IN THIS MOMENT’s Maria Brink draws the line between selling and selling out, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and BLEED FROM WITHIN get chummy and we find out how the hell a music lecturer managed to get SERJ TANKIAN, DEVIN TOWNSEND and IHSAHN to join in with his new charity project. What a hero. All this plus our awesome ORCHID Subterranea cover feature, reviews of all the essential heavy shit you need in your life this month and our special guide to the hidden gems at DOWNLOAD 2013! You want this. Don’t deny it. You want it bad. It’s on sale Tuesday May 28, but you can order your copy from the safety of your armchair below…

Hour Of Penance will embark on a European tour this fall alongside Australian tech-death act Psycroptic and UK death metal outfit Dyscarnate. Prior to the tour, which kicks off in Belgium on September 20th, the band will be seen appearing at several of the summer's international festivals. All upcoming dates are listed below. The death metallers have also announced that they have begun working on their next release, expected out in early 2014. Read more...

Avenged Sevenfold: back in 2013! Avenged Sevenfold will make a long-awaited return to the UK this winter! “It’s been far too long since we’ve played for our friends in the United Kingdom,” says M Shadows. “We’ve been itching to get back since our last appearance at Download in 2011. We are putting the finishing touches on a new album, and can’t wait to share the new songs with you in concert.” Avenged hit the following three venues: November 2013 Saturday 30 Manchester Arena December 2013 Sunday 1 Wembley Arena, London Thursday 5 LG Arena, Birmingham The dates will serve as the OC metal heavyweights’ first UK shows since Download 2011, with tickets going on sale from 9am on Friday May 17 2013, priced at £28.50 (subject to booking fee) and available from this link. Expect the new Avenged Sevenfold album to drop later this year.

Children Of Bodom return with ‘Halo Of Blood’ in June We asked Children Of Bodom what the deal is with that Reaper mascot of theirs. Here’s what they had to say… Halo Of Blood is taken from the album of the same name, out June 7 via Nuclear Blast. Children Of Bodom will also return to the UK this Autumn on the following dates: OCTOBER 07 – BOURNEMOUTH, Academy [tickets] OCTOBER 08 – BRISTOL, Academy [tickets] OCTOBER 10 – DUBLIN, Vicar Street [tickets] OCTOBER 12 – SHEFFIELD, Academy [tickets] OCTOBER 13 – NEWCASTLE, Academy [tickets] OCTOBER 14 – MANCHESTER, Academy [tickets] OCTOBER 15 – LONDON, Shepherd’s Bush Empire [tickets] Halo Of Blood serves as the follow-up to 2011 opus Relentless Reckless Forever. Order the new album here: http://smarturl.it/COBiT Halo Of Bloodis the eighth studio album from Children Of Bodom and, believe it or not, we still managed to keep it fresh and new while still maintaining the elements that make the COB sound recognisable,” says frontman Alexi Laiho. “It’s got the fastest and the slowest songs we’ve ever made and, lyrics wise, there are themes we had never had before. It’s 10 new songs of pure Nordic metal and whether you enjoy it with a beer or a glass of water, I’m sure you will have a good time.” Sounds good to us. Halo Of Blood Tracklist 01. Waste Of Skin 02. Halo Of Blood 03. Scream For Silence 04. Transference 05. Bodom Blue Moon (The Second Coming) 06. The Days Are Numbered 07. Dead Man’s Hand On You 08. Damage Beyond Repair 09. All Twisted 10. One Bottle And A Knee Deep

Doom legends Candlemass will see the release of the vinyl-only Epicus Doomicus Metallicus - Live At Roadburn 2011 album through Svart Records on June 14th. Candlemass' debut LP, Epicus Doomicus Metallicus, is a genre-defining classic. Read more...

Blaze Bayley (Wolfsbane, ex-Iron Maiden) will release a booklet with career information, albums, personal comments and stories, tour dates and pictures to celebrate his 30 years as a singer next year. The singer is also asking fans to share fan pictures to be included in the booklet. Read more...

Decadent black metal duo Porta Nigra released their debut album Fin De Siècle last November through Debemur Morti Productions. "Fin De Siècle", their brand new video directed by Håkan Sjödin, has made its debut online and can now be enjoyed below. If you never heard of the band, this is the perfect opportunity to discover it. Read more...

No fronting: we just can’t get enough of this photo Following the recent news of the ‘Heavy Metal Truants’ charity bike ride to Download Festival at Castle Donington organised by Maiden manager Rod Smallwood and Metal Hammer editor Alexander Milas, it has now been announced that Maiden’s lead singer Bruce Dickinson will be flying in specially from Germany following two sold-out Maiden shows in Frankfurt on Tuesday and Wednesday so he can join the HM Truants in cycling the final 25 mile leg of the bike ride into the Download Festival on Friday, June 14th, the day before Iron Maiden’s headline appearance there in front of an expected 100,000 fans. This ride by the Metal fraternity is to raise funds for Teenage Cancer Trust, Childline and Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy Starting on Wednesday, June 12th, over 40 riders will set off from Alexandra Palace, London, cycling 165 miles up to Donington Park, arriving as the first bands take to the Download stage on the afternoon of Friday 14th. The sponsored riders will include band members from British Lion,  Paradise Lost, Pendulum, Tesseract, Thunder, Trivium and Young Guns alongside music journalists (Hammer, Classic Rock, Prog) radio presenters (Planet Rock), and music industry participants including Parlophone, Sony Music, Universal/EMI, BMG Rights, 5B Artist Management, Raw Power Management, Phantom Management and The Agency, plus even an MP, Mike Weatherley. Joining them will be a variety of heavy metal fans who have all signed up for three days of hard cycling to raise funds for these deserving Children’s Charities. Anyone wishing to help support them on their ride can donate via the Heavy Metal Truants site –www.heavymetaltruants.com Asked how he felt about this most unconventional way to arrive at a major UK Festival where Maiden will be headlining on the Saturday night, June 15th, Bruce commented: “Yes, maybe it’s the first time the headliner has shown up on a bike, but I do use my bike to get around in London when l get the chance and have turned up at the Beeb on a bike before, though the Commissioners were a bit surprised as they are too used to seeing limos! These are great causes, I am only sorry that due to our tour schedule l can’t do more of the ride, and hope our fans will support our efforts. I look forward to a day off after the ride seeing some great bands before we go into full Maiden action on the Saturday, with every intention of giving the fans a memorable show. Download and Metal fans are the best there are, so everyone expects something very special.” The band’s Download Festival appearance marks a record FIFTH time that Iron Maiden have headlined at the legendary Donington Park, with their two Monsters Of Rock and three Download performances, and will be the 25th Anniversary of the band’s first appearance there in 1988 to a (still) record audience of 107,000.

The guys over at Caught In The Crossfire have put together a pretty rad list of the best ever skate videos featuring Slayer tracks. It’s awesome! CHECK IT OUT HERE The public memorial for Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman is due to take place today at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles from 3:30 – 7:30PM local time. The event will be open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis and is open to all ages. Jeff passed away on May 2 after suffering liver failure, with a flood of tributes pouring in from peers, friends and countless fans around the world soon after. We’ll be paying tribute to Jeff in our next issue, which is out May 28.