The Cover Story

Witch Fever: “If our mere presence is pissing people off that much, we’re doing something right”

Having spent the best part of a decade tearing through any stage you put in front of them, Witch Fever are gearing up to unleash their most realised vision yet in FEVEREATEN. Meeting the band on the road in Sweden, the four Manc punks reflect on their journey here, facing down misogyny and sexism, navigating trauma and why the band means more than just music…

Drain: “It doesn’t matter if you just got into punk music or you’ve been into it your whole life – this band is for everyone”

From floor shows to festivals, Drain have been making friends wherever they go with their thrashed-up hardcore and positive-vibes-only attitude. At one high-octane show in New Jersey, we meet the Bay Area bruisers to get the lowdown on their awesome new album, the key to authenticity, and why they live without barriers…

Militarie Gun: “It’s important to be hopeful – the worst version of art is about a person that learns nothing”

As frontman for one of hardcore’s most exciting bands, Militarie Gun’s Ian Shelton is no stranger to the spotlight, and on new album God Save The Gun he’s using his ever-growing platform to share his story (and hard-won lessons) with the world. In an exclusive interview, the singer reflects on his journey and explains why honesty is always the best policy…

Perturbator: “It’s like what Watain would sound like if they played Justice songs. My friends were baffled”

Growing up in the Parisian underground, synthwave innovator and smoking enthusiast Perturbator has gone on to pioneer an entire electronic movement. On the eve of new album Age Of Aquarius, we head across The Channel to meet the man behind the machine, and discover how the usually reserved James Kent found his true self in the shadows…

AFI: “I’m sending a message to anyone who wants something more, that you have people out there who are with you”

Going into the making of AFI’s 12th album, Davey Havok felt “daunted” for the first time in forever. Taking inspiration from British musical icons, not to mention the post-truth world we’re living in, he’s now ready to share himself with their ever-loyal followers all over again on Silver Bleeds The Black Sun…

Dying Wish: “It’s incredibly nihilistic. I had to reckon with the fact that art is supposed to be honest and uncomfortable”

A “time stamp” of what’s going on around us right now, Dying Wish are about to unleash their full, furious power on new album Flesh Stays Together. Vocalist Emma Boster reveals what it’s like having more eyes on the band than ever, the importance of finding common ground in society, and how she’s learning to use her platform…

PRESIDENT: “I’ve sat with these feelings for a long f*cking time… Writing these songs takes a lot out of me”

A true whirlwind success story for heavy music this year, PRESIDENT are about to firmly cement themselves with debut EP King Of Terrors. From the absolute DIY nature of the project to it becoming an important vehicle to ask deep and uncomfortable questions, we meet their masked leader to find out how he’s built a breathtaking band worth believing in…

Pinkshift: “Love is rage, because when you love something, you fight for it”

When faced with mortality, we question our existence. What’s the point of our time here, and how do we make it meaningful? Pinkshift believe we have the answers inside us. On new album Earthkeeper, the Baltimore trio discover how anger and love have more in common than we think, and how both emotions can incite us to take ownership over our futures…

Lorna Shore: “The band’s growing so fast that it’s hard to keep your hands on the wheel. Sometimes you’ve got to let it drag you around”

Since the recruitment of the demonic-voiced dynamo Will Ramos, Lorna Shore’s ascension to the top of the metal mountain has been rapid, with blistering festival sets and sell-out shows. As they prepare to unleash another dose of hellfire in I Feel The Everblack Festering Within Me, the fearless frontman takes us inside the personal trauma that feeds the record, and why they’re breaking free of expectation…

Hot Mulligan: “We cut our teeth in basements… We’re doing pretty much the same thing now but really loud, and on a stage that’s slightly higher”

From killer appearances at the likes of Outbreak and Slam Dunk, to supporting Fall Out Boy at Madison Square Garden, Hot Mulligan have risen to become one of modern emo’s most unique and beloved bands. As fourth album The Sound A Body Makes When It’s Still takes things further, Tades and Chris Freeman fill K! in on critics, religion, nerdiness and their famously silly song titles…

Deftones: “A lot more people are expecting things from us now, but that pressure is good”

In recent years, Deftones have experienced a huge surge in popularity, welcoming a new generation of fans via TikTok while playing their biggest headline shows. Up next? Sacramento’s finest release their stunning 10th album. Chino and Abe talk K! through everything from their new bassist, to children’s books, sobriety and turning painful parts of their past into positives…

Creeper: “We’re turning rock’n’roll on its head”

As Creeper lift the cloak on the second instalment of Sanguivore, we meet head vampire William Von Ghould to feast on the excess and hedonism of a record that subverts everything you know about rock’n’roll. It’s bloody, it’s grandiose, and it’s very, very horny. Join them, won’t you?

Halestorm: “I have this innate belief that I shouldn’t be here after everything that I’ve survived – but for some reason I am”

On the eve of new album Everest, we join Halestorm's fearless leader Lzzy Hale in London to reflect on their ascent to the summit, the personal and professional obstacles she and the band had to overcome, and why nothing is going to stop her living life to its absolute fullest...

Good Charlotte: “We’re hungrier than ever… This story is still unfinished”

Seven years since Good Charlotte were last on the cover of Kerrang!, much has changed for Benji and Joel Madden. Older, wiser and consumed with work on the other side of the music business, it seemed their band had taken a backseat. But cranking the volume once again, imminent eighth album Motel Du Cap is proof they’ll never stray far from the sounds that made them…

Ozzy Osbourne: No ordinary man

Once he’d entered his 70s, Ozzy Osbourne told us that he wanted to “live life to the full”. Now, following the devastating loss of metal’s greatest-ever icon, we look back over exactly that: an incredible lifetime of changing heavy music forever, influencing more bands than anyone can possibly count, and of course causing some memorable mischief along the way…

Jason Momoa: “We’re going to kick down the doors for the next generation of Hawaiians to tell our stories”

Next month sees the culmination of a life’s work for Jason Momoa, the release of Chief Of War, his new Apple TV+ series that explores the most important period in the history of Hawaii – the islands he calls home. In an exclusive interview with the metal maniac himself, we dive under the waves of his “passion project” and discover why music has played such a central role in his life…

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