James McMahon – Kerrang! Editor from 2011 to 2017 – has died aged 44 from soft tissue sarcoma.
James picked up the mantle of Editor on the magazine’s 30th anniversary in 2011, and would oversee a changing period in Kerrang!’s history and that of the alternative scene in general, championing a new wave of bands like Bring Me The Horizon, Black Veil Brides and BABYMETAL. He was also responsible for one of K!’s highest-selling issues, featuring then-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on the cover alongside Architects’ Sam Carter and Creeper’s Will Gould.
James joined Kerrang! after a spell at GamesMaster magazine. Prior to that, he had been a long-serving staffer at NME, serving as their features editor.
James’ editorial vision was a colourful one. His era of Kerrang! is marked by a preference for larger-than-life photoshoots and things jumping loudly off the page. Wanting to intersect into all corners of rock fans’ lives, he was also keen to bring in the worlds of football (the lowest Sunday leagues of which he would insist were the Ramones of sport), video games and, especially, wrestling into the mag. At one Kerrang! Awards, his love of horror movies led to the evening taking on a zombie theme, including a zombie march through the gathered guests.
After leaving Kerrang! in 2017, James continued writing for music outlets and newspapers, as well as starting the James McMahon Music Podcast.
