The Cover Story

Palaye Royale: “This is the world we’ve created and the world that we get to live in – and it’s beautiful”

It took retreating to a haunted mansion in Hollywood make their new album Fever Dream for Palaye Royale to realise how big their would could become. Now, with perspective re-aligned, they’re determined to build it out even further…

Backxwash: “This is therapy for me… I’ve created a universe for all these pieces of work to live in”

As Ashanti Mutinta prepares to bring Backxwash’s current album trilogy to an end with HIS HAPPINESS SHALL COME FIRST…, the Zambian-Canadian rapper reflects on religion’s role in her life, the importance of having a creative outlet, and how others have “healed” through her art…

Architects: “You want your music to be an escape for people. You want to be a place where people can come together…”

An outsider at heart, by casting off the shackles of expectation, Sam Carter has finally learned to embrace who he wants to be. And as Architects gear up to release their 10th album, the Brighton metallers are also finding their own path away from fan pressures and on into pure creative freedom...

Lorna Shore: “Things are unbelievable right now… we’re excited to see how far we can take this”

They’re one of the hottest heavy bands on the planet, but since forming in 2010, Lorna Shore have been on quite the journey to get here. Guitarist Adam De Micco and new (ish) vocalist Will Ramos meet Kerrang! to look back at where they came from – and why, now, the future has never been brighter…

Poppy: “People are always trying to get ahead as opposed to living, it takes a lot of work to fight to be in the present”

In recent years, enigmatic alt. superstar Poppy has been peeling back the layers to show more sides of herself. Now, on raging new EP Stagger, she lays bare her experiences for all listeners to learn from…

Stray From The Path: “The pandemic made people aware of their position in the machine... Everyone is weaponised now”

Bad times call for good music. After a pandemic spent watching the planet descend into the abyss, Stray From The Path are back with Euthanasia, raging against corporations, corruption and cops… and that’s just for starters.

WILLOW: “I feel like the biggest pressure is the pressure to just be authentic”

From her hair-whipping debut to excellent fifth album <COPINGMECHANISM>, 21-year-old Willow Smith has become quite the rock star. And in embracing her love of metal, finding new ways to work in the studio, and training “really hard” on her vocals, it’s clear that she’s still only just getting started…

Ville Valo: “It’s a continuation of what I’ve done in the past and what might happen next”

Half a decade on from the end of gothic rock heroes HIM, frontman Ville Valo is gearing up to release his debut solo album. And in Neon Noir, not only did the Finnish icon find a reason to keep going during the pandemic, it also sees Ville still very much enjoying his dreamy journey into the dark side…

Ozzy Osbourne: “If I drop dead now, at least I can’t say that I’ve had a dull career”

Having made an unexpected return to the stage and with a new album around the corner, all eyes are on the godfather of heavy metal. Casting his eyes over life, death and music, we sit down with a contemplative Ozzy Osbourne, who simply cannot be stopped…

blackbear: “A rock star used to be sex, drugs and rock’n’roll, and now it’s mental health, appreciation and patience”

Growing up with a father addicted to heroin, Mat Musto (aka blackbear) found comfort and escape in music. Originally losing himself in the alternative scene, he soon found a career in R&B, but is now revisiting his punk roots and confronting his past on new album In Loving Memory.

The Chats: “There’s a lot of people out there who can get f*cked”

Despite their name, The Chats are men of few words, letting their high-octane, scuzzed-up punk do the talking. On a sweltering summer’s day, we caught up with the Aussie beer lovers at their blistering K! Pit show to find a band resolutely not giving a shit, and loving it.

The Interrupters: “I started singing as an act of rebellion – it made me feel like I could take my power back”

When lockdown hit and bands were forced to face a new reality, Aimee Interrupter was confronted with an old one. Reckoning with the trauma of her past, The Interrupters’ vocalist faced her demons head-on after years of turning away, coming out the other side to create the most introspectively powerful album of their career. Trigger warning: Physical and emotional abuse.

Vended: “It’s about world domination and being the biggest band in the f*cking world”

From a basement in Iowa to their upcoming UK debut at Bloodstock, a lot has happened to Vended in two years. Now as they sit on the precipice of taking that next step toward world domination, we meet frontman Griffin Taylor and drummer Simon Crahan to find out why they could actually be the future of heavy…

Pale Waves: “If you try to be someone else you’re just going to f*ck up”

Reinvention isn’t unfamiliar to Pale Waves. Spending half a decade on the road, the Mancunian mob have been carefully and deliberately distilling their sound and aesthetic into its purest form. Now with new record Unwanted showcasing their new direction, we find the British rockers revelling in the self-discovery...

Ithaca: “This is about divine feminine power”

Having channelled all-out fury into The Language Of Injury, homegrown heavy heroes Ithaca found themselves on a path of rediscovery during lockdown. Pouring their emotions and experiences into new album They Fear Us, we find a band coming to terms with their pasts and finally finding the motivation to heal…

Slipknot: “After all these years, we’re still fans of each other”

Just when you thought it was safe to go outside again, Slipknot have announced their return with seventh album The End, So Far. In a world-exclusive interview, Corey Taylor dissects the band’s new heaviness, how the record is connected to Vol. 3, and why they’re finally getting in touch with their emotions…

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