The Cover Story

Jesus Piece: “Our music calls to something dark in people. It pulls out that primal side”

Jesus Piece’s Aaron Heard only truly understood hardcore once he’d thrown himself headlong into its visceral, violent live arena. In the aftermath of their soul-shuddering set at Outbreak, he explains how the focus and ferocity that accompanied new album …So Unknown is taking that cathartic carnage to another level.

Bob Vylan, Witch Fever and High Vis are propelling punk into a vital new era

Next month, 2000trees will bring together everyone from rock veterans to breakout stars for the ultimate celebration of the scene. Ahead of the festival, and to applaud just how incredible UK punk is right now, Bob Vylan, Witch Fever and High Vis come together to put the world to rights…

PVRIS: “You constantly kill off different versions of yourself”

Next month, PVRIS return with EVERGREEN, a brilliant new album. And a hyper-candid one at that. Kerrang! joins Lyndsey Gunnulfsen as she gets to grips with, well, Lyndsey Gunnulfsen…

Pupil Slicer: “We’re welcoming to everyone. If you don’t agree with that, leave”

Their breathtakingly heavy music might catch you off guard, but if there’s one thing Pupil Slicer want, it’s to make people feel comfortable in themselves. And in future metal icon Kate Davies, there’s no-one more perfect for the job…

Empire State Bastard: “I’ve been needing to make a record like this for a long time”

You might know them as the frontman and live guitarist for Biffy Clyro, but together, the duo of Simon Neil and Mike Vennart make a much heavier, angrier beast known only as Empire State Bastard. Upon the announcement of their debut LP, we meet the metal-loving pair to find out why this is more than just a side-project…

Nessa Barrett: “I want to help people because I know there’s a lot of people that felt the same way that I did”

Growing up with severe mental health issues that her uber-religious family didn’t understand, Nessa Barrett has always felt different. But through dealing with traumatic loss and finding new connections in therapy, the Gen Z superstar-in-the-making has finally found a place to belong and be happy…

Avenged Sevenfold: “Just say your message and put the art out there. Artists should do what they want and explore deeper rabbit-holes”

Avenged Sevenfold have become one of modern metal’s biggest bands by forever doing things their own unique way. In a world-exclusive interview, frontman M. Shadows and guitarist Synyster Gates lift the lid on new album Life Is But A Dream… and the band’s fearless, fantastic latest chapter.

Polyphia: “We can do whatever we want. That’s all I know how to do”

Certain corners of the press may have you believe that guitar music is dead, but Polyphia are here to say otherwise. At the beginning of a sold-out UK tour, off the back of knockout LP Remember That You Will Die, the Texan instrumentalists are taking heavy music to new horizons and inspiring a new legion of fans along the way…

Drain: “It’s about a good group of friends saying, ‘We can do this sh*t. We can make something bigger!’”

Three years that changed the world. That’s all it took to lift Drain from underground-popping cult heroes to bona fide hardcore superstars. On the eve of slamming second album Living Proof, frontman Sammy Ciaramitaro explains why the Santa Cruz scene leaders are still just getting started…

ZAND: “This is for the underdogs and weirdos that feel like they don’t belong”

ZAND stands at the forefront of a new wave of fearless alternative artists. From noisy sex-positive anthems to shoving a green middle finger in the face of abusers, they are giving a voice those who feel like they don’t belong. With new music on its way, it’s time to properly meet the ‘ugly pop’ superstar-in-waiting…

Enter Shikari: “There’s always some form of hope ready to be grasped, there’s always a possibility of something better”

Releasing their previous album into the void of the pandemic, Enter Shikari were lost at sea. But, after a lengthy period of “soul-searching” they have returned with their most uplifting album yet, A Kiss For The Whole World, and a new vision for the future. On the eve of its release, Rou Reynolds reveals all…

Metallica: “In the past every single thing had to be fought over… now the band is a safe space and everyone is very protective of it”

Eleven albums and four decades into being the biggest metal band of all time, Metallica are showing no signs of slowing down. In fact, things are changing for the better. With new LP 72 Seasons waiting in the wings, we find the legendary thrashers taking stock of what’s important, what’s left to achieve, and why their music will live forever…

Linkin Park: “We were out to prove this was our band and our style… That’s what Meteora became”

With a seminal, era-defining debut album under their belts, in 2003, all eyes were on Linkin Park to follow-up with something equally as groundbreaking. And boy did they deliver. 20 years on from the release of the monumental Meteora, the band share the hidden history behind one of our world’s most beloved records…

Bury Tomorrow: “I want to promise you, our band is never giving up”

When all was crumbling down, it could have been easy for Bury Tomorrow to walk away, but they haven’t fought this long and hard to throw the towel in now. Instead they found a light in the darkness, pushing on to create their most ferocious album to date. On the eve of its release, Dani Winter-Bates explains why it’s not over yet – not by a long shot…

Fall Out Boy: “So often people are comparing eras, but this is the start of a new thing”

Several years in the making, this week Fall Out Boy will finally release their incredible eighth album So Much (For) Stardust. To celebrate, they reflect on the magic of their creative brotherhood, the band’s stratospheric journey so far, and why Star Wars usually has the answer...

100 gecs: “We started out doing the goofiest shit… and we’re still just two friends having fun”

100 gecs are the most exciting name in hyperpop. Love them, hate them or simply don’t ‘get’ them, either way they’re impossible to ignore. On the eve of brilliant new album 10,000 gecs, Dylan Brady and Laura Les dive into their journey so far, coping with pressure, and how they’re hoping for EGOT status…

Back Next