"I Just Sat There and Looked at the Words and Almost Leapt Out of My Seat." Robert Plant Wrote the...
Led Zeppelin’s fourth album, released in November 1971, birthed the iconic "Stairway to Heaven" after Robert Plant penned the lyrics in a sour mood and Jimmy Page later "winged" the soaring guitar solo. The track’s early live debut was met with indifference, yet its gradual ascent made it the defining anthem of classic‑rock. Its layered arrangement—from Page’s riffs to Bonham’s thunderous drums—set a new standard for epic songwriting. Today the song is a cultural benchmark, influencing generations of musicians and listeners alike.
"People Come Away From Our Shows Going, ‘I Cried My Eyes Out." Meet the Cult Heroes Healing From Unspeakable Tragedy...
Dimscûa self‑released their debut album *Dust Eater* in June 2025, quickly gaining traction after championing on the ArcTanGent and Damnation podcasts. The record’s four tracks confront vocalist Alex Rowlands’s suicide attempt and guitarist Adam Campbell‑Train’s stillbirth tragedy, delivering cathartic post‑metal. Festival...
If You Always Wanted to Hear Weezer's Rivers Cuomo Covering Anthems by Dolly Parton, Radiohead, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston and...
Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo has uploaded a "randum cuverz" playlist featuring acoustic renditions of songs ranging from Dolly Parton's "Jolene" to Metallica's "Enter Sandman," recorded in 2018‑19. The collection, which includes covers of Michael Jackson, Radiohead, Whitney Houston and others, was posted without explanation....
Rail Firm Bans Download Festival-Goers From Bringing Wheelie Bins Full of Beer Onto Trains: “While It Might Seem Like a...
East Midlands Railway announced a ban on wheelie bins filled with beer for passengers traveling to the Download festival, citing safety concerns after similar attempts last year. Customer experience director Philippa Cresswell said the bins pose a risk and will...
"It Paved the Way for the Shape of Punk to Come." The 10 Most Essential Emo Albums Released Before the...
The article curates ten essential emo albums released before the genre’s mainstream breakthrough, tracing how each record shaped emo’s sound and ethos. It begins with Rites of Spring’s 1985 debut, often credited as the birth of emo, and moves through...
Warner E. Hodges' Band Includes Members of the Georgia Satellites, Hanoi Rocks, Jason & the Scorchers, and the Bottle Rockets....
Nashville guitarist Warner E. Hodges is hitting the UK with his International All Stars for a 16‑show spring tour, promoting his new record *Absolutely*. The band assembles seasoned players from the Georgia Satellites, Hanoi Rocks, Jason & The Scorchers and...
"We Have Been Unpacking Our Surprises One by One." Mongolian Folk-Metal Sensations The Hu Announce New Album Hun
Mongolian folk‑metal pioneers The Hu announced their third studio album, *Hun*, slated for release on July 24. The record is led by the new single “Lost Soul,” which features a guest vocal from Jonny Hawkins of Nothing More and will appear only...
"A Week Later I Got a Call From Led Zeppelin's Tour Manager. He Threatened to Break My Legs." What Happened...
In April 1990, Jason Bonham married Jan Charteris in Worcestershire, and the surviving members of Led Zeppelin unexpectedly took the stage at the reception. The band performed five songs—including "Custard Pie," "Rock And Roll," and "Sick Again"—in a surprise jam that would become their only...
Watch Gojira’s Emotional Performance of Rare Classic Global Warming During 2025 Tour of France
French metal giants Gojira released a moving video of their rare live rendition of “Global Warming” from a December show in Lyon. The track, originally from 2005’s *From Mars To Sirius*, had only been performed once live before a 2018...
“It’s a Masochistic Way of Recording. Working in the Studio Isn’t Always Fun”: Prog Metallers Amorphis Rehired a Notoriously Picky...
Finnish prog‑metal outfit Amorphis reunited with Swedish producer Jens Bogren for their 13th album, Queen Of Time. Bogren, known for his exacting standards and work with Opeth, Katatonia and Babymetal, pushed the band through painstaking studio sessions that stretched recording timelines. The partnership...
"There’s This Idea that Metal Is the Devil’s Music and All that Kind of Nonsense." Meet the Metal Singer-Turned Vicar...
Emily Kolltveit, former frontwoman of symphonic metal band Pythia and backing vocalist for Dragonforce, is now a vicar at St Jude’s in London. Her lifelong devotion to Iron Maiden began after a teenage encounter with a magician’s TV special featuring the band....
"I Think that Losing a Parent as a Child Had an Adverse Effect. There Was This Melancholy, a Sadness that...
Alter Bridge frontman Myles Kennedy released his debut solo album, *Year of the Tiger*, a 12‑track Americana‑infused record that confronts the lingering grief from losing his father at age four. The project, completed after scrapping earlier material, was sparked by...
Big Inflatable Willies, Nu Metal and 80s Pop Covers - Here's What Went Down on Day Two of Sonic Temple...
Day two of Sonic Temple 2026 turned the Altar stage into a nu‑metal showcase, featuring Mushroomhead, Everclear, Powerman 5000 and Dope. The performances blended classic hits with high‑energy theatrics, including giant inflatable phallus props and a surprise Kia Sonata giveaway. Sublime’s...
"It Brings to Mind the Amped-Up Energy of Motörhead's No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith or Thin Lizzy's Live And Dangerous." Halestorm...
Halestorm headlined Sonic Temple 2026 with a performance that rivaled classic live rock albums, delivering thunderous renditions of "Falling Star" and "I Miss The Misery." Frontwoman Lzzy Hale’s soaring vocals drew comparisons to Motörhead’s raw fury and Thin Lizzy’s soaring...
No-Frills Thrash, Heart-Rending Doom and Demented Black Metal: The 10 Best New Metal Songs You Need to Hear This Week
Metal Hammer’s weekly roundup spotlights ten fresh metal tracks released this week, ranging from Anthrax’s thrash comeback to Mourir’s expansive black‑metal preview. The feature highlights upcoming album releases, including Anthrax’s first record in a decade slated for September 18, 2026, and Warning’s...