Indholdsfortegnelse for February 2026 i Metal Hammer UK

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Alien Weaponry frontman Lewis de Jong is screaming as he approaches terminal velocity. “OH FUCK!” he bellows, as he plummets towards the Earth. “WHY DID I DO THIS?!? OH SHIT! I FUCKING HATE THIS!” Alien Weaponry are at the end of a six-date New Zealand tour, and today’s show is at the AJ Hackett Kawarau Bungy Centre. It’s perched high on a clifftop above a gorge on the Kawarau River, about 15 miles east of Queenstown, a town known much less for its embrace of metal than for its panoramic views and eye-wateringly expensive real estate. It’s also the South Island’s home of adventure sport and ground zero for commercial bungy jumping, where, in 1988, Kiwi entrepreneur AJ Hackett set up the world’s first ticketed jump on a suspension bridge…

Krushers Of The World NUCLEAR BLAST Germany’s top-tier thrashers continue on a more melodic bent KREATOR ARE RARELY cited as contenders for that theoretical fifth spot behind the thrash metal Big 4. A US-centric take will usually mention Testament, Exodus or – at a big pinch – Overkill. There are arguments for all, but in terms of sheer snarling quality, the Germans’ first spiked fistful of albums more than stand up to any of their transatlantic peers. Like compatriots Sodom and Destruction, Kreator brought a harsher, more aggressive sound that would greatly influence the development of death metal and other more extreme takes on the form. In more than four decades of active service, Kreator have taken a few stylistic deviations, most notably through the 90s, when they flirted with industrial…

Dreamcrush NUCLEAR BLAST Danish blackgaze innovators continue to test the limits MØL’S 2021 ALBUM, Diorama, was basically everything you could want from a piece of art. The music felt fresh and daring, turning blackgaze on its head as it integrated elements of death metal, metalcore and even alternative rock. At the same time, frontman Kim Song Sternkopf gave each song poignancy, his lyrics relaying his experiences growing up in various cults. Following up something so intrepid could give any band cause to wobble, but the Danish quintet sound more self-assured than ever on Dreamcrush. Although the songs are just as fearlessly creative as they were last time, this time they were self-produced, and it’s easy to tell. Young is a genre-busting gallop, its guitars charging from blackgaze emotion to thrashy chugs…

BUSH / WITCH FEVER UTILITA ARENA, BIRMINGHAM A gruff night for Denmark’s rockabilly goats IT’S BEEN 15 years since Volbeat first made the leap up to arenas in Europe. But while they’ve consistently been playing 6,000-plus capacity rooms on the continent, the UK has been decidedly slower to embrace them as a big-league band. Judging from the turnout in Birmingham, you wonder if they ever will. Even with the smallest set-up for Birmingham’s Utilita Arena, the room is distressingly empty for openers WITCH FEVER. More’s the pity; the Mancunians’ blend of Sabbath low-end and spiky, grunge-inflected alt rock has proven intense and captivating in the past. But even with vocalist Amy Walpole on the catwalk to get closer to the crowd, there’s a disconnect that only gets worse when someone…

BURY TOMORROW / WARGASM ALEXANDRA PALACE, LONDON Germany’s electro-metalcore party starters hit new heights in north London SWAPPING VOCALISTS AND changing their name were the best decisions Electric Callboy ever made. In just a few years, they’ve skyrocketed to arenas with a collision of Eurodance and metalcore that’s as ridiculous and self-aware as it is catchy. Their only UK stop on this tour barrels through Alexandra Palace in a storm of neon lights and outfits, much of the crowd dressed like they’re hitting Berlin clubs at 3am. WARGASM should be the perfect warm-up – a collision of bright lights, electro sound-clashes, high-energy sloganeering and playfully silly lyrics (‘You need a fucking subscription for your rock’n’roll’). But even with a crowd you’d expect to be up for it, their take on…

BILMURI / THE GHOST INSIDE ALEXANDRA PALACE, LONDON Richmond’s cult metalcore quartet keep their star power in reserve IT’S A PRESTIGIOUS achievement for a band to headline Alexandra Palace. When that band hasn’t released a new album in three years, that achievement serves as a further reminder of the power of social media. While Bad Omens did release Concrete Jungle (The OST) in 2024, that was a compilation, and an experimental continuation of 2022’s The Death Of Peace Of Mind. Since then, the US metallers have only released three singles, all of which exploded in popularity across TikTok, YouTube and music streaming platforms. Tonight’s sold-out show is opened by THE GHOST INSIDE, who were involved in a near-fatal bus accident while on tour almost exactly a decade ago. Drummer Andrew…

JOHN MCMURTRIE PHOTOGRAPHER To photograph the legendary Megadeth, we enlisted another legend – John McMurtrie. From Maiden to Halestorm to Him, he’s shot countless covers for Hammer over two decades plus, nailing it every time. Thanks, John! JEN THOMAS WRITER Jen spoke to The Pretty Reckless and The Pretty Wild this issue. Help – we’re so confused! When she’s not writing for Metal Hammer, Jen’s presenting on Magic FM and cuddling her adorable rescue dog, Minnie. MATT MILLS WRITER Matt interviewed a ton of bands this issue, from Bleed From Within to Dimmu Borgir. But perhaps the best bit was when he asked Paleface Swiss man Zelli to rank the Swiss Army Knife, Velcro and Helvetica (p.106).…

AS THEIR NAME suggests, 200 Stab Wounds dive headfirst into the guts and grime of death metal. Their formation in 2019 was somewhat accidental: while writing songs for his former speed metal band, Cringe, vocalist/guitarist Steve Buhl realised he was conjuring an entirely different sound. Recruiting fresh blood from Cleveland’s hardcore and metal scenes, his visions manifested like something out of a horror film. “My family asks, ‘Why do you write like that? Why can’t you just write normal lyrics?”, Steve confesses. “I’m like, ‘Well, it’s like a horror movie. It’s not going to be all about flowers and love; it doesn’t mesh. It just goes hand in hand with metal music, you know?’” A 200 Stab Wounds song is assembled like Frankenstein’s monster, all decaying limbs and organs sewn…

SINCE FORMING IN 2018, Oxfordshire-based band Lastelle have captured the hearts of listeners by striking a relatable chord, tackling subjects such as grief, loss, relationship struggles and mental health. Their three-pronged vocal offering in the form of frontman Adam Rigozzi, bassist Freddie Whatmore and drummer Mike Hayden provides a formidable range and depth to their music. “The band is an amazing way to release our emotions,” explains Adam. “I feel like a different person when I’m performing these songs and I can just let everything go. In the early days I always tried to be super-serious and never smile, but it’s hard not to get caught up in the moment and enjoy being onstage.” 2024 EP Exist Vol. I opened doors for the band, bringing them to bigger stages and…

In 2019, Dayseeker became dangerously close to calling it quits. After seven years slogging it out on the metalcore circuit, the Orange County quartet were tired, broke and disillusioned. Their fourth album, Sleeptalk, was the last roll of the dice. “There was an unspoken vibe in our camp that if Sleeptalk wasn’t going to go over well, I didn’t know how much longer we were going to be able to keep doing the band thing,” remembers frontman Rory Rodriguez. “You tour for five or six weeks at a time and make pennies.” Luckily, Sleeptalk changed everything. The album was a turning point, which saw them abandon discordant metalcore for pop melodies and glossy guitars, while Rory’s impressive vocals, switching from a whisper to a scream, hit emotional and commercial paydirt.…

In a small photography studio on Los Angeles’ Sunset Strip, the three members of Health look like commandos prepared for a coming post-apocalyptic future. The industrial trio are facing a camera with suitably grim expressions, standing in combat boots and layers of black, as a soundtrack of old hard rock hits washes over them. They are a band of strange contrasts, making music of intense vulnerability and muscle, melody and noise. They are profoundly serious about their music and message, and a laugh-riot in person, on one hand repeatedly sharing the heartfelt declaration “YOU WILL LOVE EACH OTHER” while also jokingly claiming a new musical genre for themselves: cum metal. Standing tallest is bassist-programmer John Famiglietti – aka Johnny Health – thick hair past his shoulders, black cargo pants tucked…

Alter Bridge NAPALM Myles Kennedy’s alt rock heavyweights go all-in on the power TWO DECADES IN, Alter Bridge have the chops and the catalogue to slip comfortably into legacy-band autopilot. Instead, their self-titled eighth album shows them testing how far they can push their sound. It’s heavier, gnarlier and far less accommodating than 2022’s Pawns & Kings – an album that was considered their heaviest yet. And yet for all the extra riffage, there’s still the question of whether these new instincts lead anywhere beyond sheer force. Silent Divide sets the tone: sleazy and droning, like Alice In Chains. Rue The Day and Power Down ratchet up the tension with frantic fretwork and rumbling bass, while Trust In Me barrels headlong into metalcore riffing and Disregarded pulls into murkier Deftones territory.…

Setting Fire To The Sky SPINEFARM UK metal’s sleeper agents unleash a massive wake-up call A LOT OF people have been sleeping on Urne. Since their 2016 formation, a promising EP, a fantastic debut album and the magnificent 2023 masterpiece, A Feast On Sorrow – produced by Gorija’s Joe Duplantier, no less – have all followed, and yet their profile is nowhere near that of some of their peers. Surely, Setting Fire To The Sky is the album that sticks Urne front and centre of any conversation about the finest modern British metal bands, because it’s yet another slam dunk. Where A Feast… was a deeply personal, complex, massive undertaking, Setting Fire… is more instant, Urne surely having used their experiences opening for Gojira in arenas across Europe to craft…

CAGE FIGHT / KNIFE BRIDE OSLO HACKNEY, LONDON Bristol’s much-loved, mercurial agitators complete a last lap of honour FOR 15 YEARS, Svalbard have been one of metal’s most outspoken bands. A large number of their songs scream about what singer/guitarist Serena Cherry wants the world to look like, and that principled spirit continues with their farewell UK tour. As the post-hardcore/post-metal crusaders bow out, they’ve used the opportunity to champion women in the scene, starting with openers KNIFE BRIDE. The Brighton four-piece describe themselves as ‘nugothika’, but you could easily put their glossy, melodic metal on a playlist with Spiritbox or Architects. London club Oslo laps up the bangers, quickly opening up a moshpit that refuses to die. These 30 minutes feel less like a warm-up than a workout in…

IRON MAIDEN HAVE Eddie. Sabaton have tanks. And now Gojira have a gigantic, floating whale, seemingly controlled by drones. Unveiled as part of the band’s winter tour of their native France, they debuted their newest – and most impressive – prop during a sold-out show at Paris’s Accor Arena. Famously passionate about the environment, the band’s association with sea creatures goes back decades, and fan-favourite song Flying Whales, from their 2005 record From Mars To Sirius, prompted fans to start bringing mini inflatable whales to their gigs – much to the chagrin of vocalist Joe Duplantier. Speaking to Hammer in 2021, Joe admitted he’d rather fans not lessen the song’s environmental message. “I dislike fans bringing inflatable whales to shows,” he explained. “I’m trying to express something spiritual and otherworldly,…

BLEED FROM WITHIN have taken the arduous road to stardom. Since forming 20 years ago, they have faced some of the nastiest sides of the music industry, experiencing a record deal gone wrong and a merch deal that landed them in debt, forcing them to question whether they could carry on. However, with 2020 album Fracture and its monstrous single, The End Of All We Know, plus a storming set at Download Pilot, they found their footing once more, and now stand as one of the UK’s most exciting bands. Following the release of latest album Zenith, we set singer Scott Kennedy his harshest challenge yet: tackling your questions on everything from vocal techniques to crisp sandwiches. Why aren’t you called Internal Bleeding? Isaiah Mahto, Facebook “I don’t know. We…

IN THE SAME way that the Bible has the Old and New Testaments, you can divide the story of deathcore into two halves: what happened before To The Hellfire, and what happened afterwards. Before Lorna Shore released their breakout single in 2021, many had condemned the genre for constantly repeating clichés – incessant breakdowns, pig squeals, chug-a-lugging guitars – and refusing to evolve. But then, one six-minute symphonic masterstroke went viral, and the perception of what deathcore could be was ripped wide open. By conventional wisdom, To The Hellfire should not have been a hit. It may boast some 76 million Spotify streams nowadays, making it Lorna Shore’s biggest track by miles, but nothing about it screamed ‘commercial’. Winding acoustic guitars gave way to an onslaught of distortion and blastbeats,…

LIKE COUNTLESS BANDS before them, Allt have been shaped by their hometown. But unlike those who sing about post-industrial squalor or suburban boredom, the tech metallers have been shaped by the military industrial complex in Karlskoga, Sweden. “We grew up in a town that was built on the weapons industry,” explains guitarist and mastermind Olle Nordström. “Growing up, there were weapons tests and the windows would shake in school. I wondered, ‘What would happen if that hit here?’” That question looms large on Allt’s excellent debut album, From The New World. Dark, brooding soundscapes and melodies meet crushing, acidic metalcore, but the heaviest element of all turns out to be Olle’s obsession with the end of the world. “Coming out of my teens, I became severely depressed,” he quietly intones. “I…

Megadeth BLKIIBLK A grand finale for thrash metal’s most ruthless HEAVY METAL BANDS rarely know when to quit. But as much as we should all be thankful that many of the genre’s biggest names are still out there, there has to come a point when saying goodbye is the only plausible option. That day is coming for Iron Maiden and Metallica; it would undoubtedly have come for Megadeth too, but Dave Mustaine is a canny old fucker and has clearly decided that there is greater value in pulling the plug when his band is still vital and relevant. One last album, one last extensive tour, over and out. The flame-haired thrash god has plotted a dignified course into retirement, and Megadeth is his final statement. This is the end, my…

BOWLERS EXHIBITION CENTRE, MANCHESTER SATURDAY Over the past 20 years, Damnation Festival has grown to become Europe’s biggest indoor celebration of underground metal. Curated with a fiercely independent, deep love of the scene, its ability to bring together the classic and the cutting edge, and to bring much-loved bands out of retirement, is a mark of the esteem in which it’s held, by artists and sold-out crowds and alike. CASTLE RAT are an exemplary fusion in themselves, their high-fantasy, heavy metal theatre answering a very contemporary need for the kind of organic, escapist drama that made Blood Incantation such a potent cult act. For all her imperious stage presence, Riley ‘Rat Queen’ Pinkerton has a remarkable ability to bring the crowd onboard, whether through airy doom riffs that echo across…

BLOODYWOOD / KELSY KARTER & THE HEROINES AO ARENA, MANCHESTER Nashville’s ever-rising rockers affirm their place at the top table “ALL RIGHT, ALL right, we’re still here!” KELSY KARTER & THE HEROINES have reached that part of the support band’s set where they get the audience to scream for the headliner and the response is overwhelming. To be fair, the Heroines’ own glam-tinged, riff-driven rock’n’roll isn’t half bad, but no one does modern, arse-kicking hard rock like Halestorm right now. BLOODYWOOD benefit from being an entirely different proposition, with their unique mix of nu metal, Bhangra and Indian folk sounding like no one else on the planet. “It’s where beauty and chaos meet,” says rapper Raoul Kerr as he introduces Nu Delhi, but he could be talking about the band…