The Magazine

The long reads. Genre histories told chapter by chapter, band biographies, the essential albums, the label stories and the portraits, written by the KaosMetal editors.

Narrowed to Heavy Metal. The whole magazine →

The four members of Sacrifice photographed together in leather jackets in the mid 1980s

The Canadian Heavy Metal Bands

Declan Rourke · Sep 27, 2026

Black Sabbath outdoors in 1970, Bill Ward, Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne and Geezer Butler sitting together for a color group portrait

Who Invented Heavy Metal?

Declan Rourke · Sep 26, 2026

The six members of Cristal y Acero photographed together against a plain background in 2025

The Mexican Heavy Metal Bands

Declan Rourke · Sep 25, 2026

Anthrax fans at the barrier, Enmore Theatre, Sydney, 2026. Photo: Rob Mezzatesta

Heavy Metal Concert Etiquette

Declan Rourke with Julien Vasseur · Sep 13, 2026

Motörhead live, 1981. Photo: Graham Mitchell

Heavy Metal Live Sound

Declan Rourke with Julien Vasseur · Sep 12, 2026

Queensryche on stage at Islington Assembly Hall in June 2026, the whole band and the backdrop in frame

The Best Heavy Metal Live Albums

Declan Rourke with Julien Vasseur · Sep 11, 2026

Kiss in a Casablanca Records publicity portrait, 1976. Photo: Casablanca Records

Heavy Metal Myths

Declan Rourke · Sep 10, 2026

Blackie Lawless of W.A.S.P. on stage at Rock City in Nottingham in July 2025, the skull-topped microphone stand beside him

The Heavy Metal Concept Albums

Declan Rourke · Sep 9, 2026

Tony Iommi playing his guitar live at the Gibson Garage, London, August 2025. Photo: Gibson

Heavy Metal Song Structure

Declan Rourke with Julien Vasseur · Sep 8, 2026

Till Lindemann of Rammstein on stage in Frankfurt in July 2024, jets of flame spreading from his back like wings

The Heavy Metal Stage Show

Declan Rourke with Julien Vasseur · Sep 7, 2026

Judas Priest at the Eventim Apollo, London, 2026. Photo: Eric Duvet

Blamed on Heavy Metal

Declan Rourke · Sep 6, 2026

Udo Dirkschneider on stage at the Eventim Apollo in London in November 2025, beside a giant ball marking forty years of Balls to the Wall

The Rebellion Anthems

Declan Rourke · Sep 4, 2026

James Hetfield playing his Flying V with Metallica live in London, 5 July 2026. Photo: Brett Murray

Downpicking

Declan Rourke with Julien Vasseur · Sep 3, 2026

A TEAC 144 Portastudio, the four track cassette recorder of 1979, photographed against white

The Four-Track Demo

Declan Rourke with Curtis Vance · Sep 2, 2026

Slade at Reading Festival, 1980. Photo: Barry Plummer

Gang Vocals and Crowd Chants

Declan Rourke with Julien Vasseur · Sep 1, 2026

Skinflint, 2023. Photo: First Avenue

Heavy Metal in Africa

Declan Rourke · Aug 30, 2026

Manowar on stage in 2019, arms raised in front of a packed field

Metal Songs About Metal

Declan Rourke · Aug 29, 2026

Ginger Baker behind his drum kit with Ginger Baker's Energy, Zemun, Yugoslavia, 1980. Photo: Zoran Veselinovic

Where Double Bass Drumming Came From

Declan Rourke with Julien Vasseur · Aug 28, 2026

An engineer watching a lacquer disc being cut on a Neumann lathe at a mastering room in Nashville

Vinyl, Cassette, CD: How Formats Changed Heavy Metal

Declan Rourke with Curtis Vance · Aug 27, 2026

Justin Hawkins of The Darkness at OVO Arena Wembley, London, 29 March 2025. Photo: Robert Sutton

Falsetto vs Full Voice

Declan Rourke with Julien Vasseur · Aug 26, 2026

Drowning Pool at Tramshed, Cardiff, 2026. Photo: Paul Hutchings

The Banned Heavy Metal Songs

Declan Rourke · Aug 25, 2026

Nervecell in Dubai, 2018. Photo: courtesy of the band, via Gulf News

Heavy Metal in the Middle East

Declan Rourke · Aug 24, 2026

Blind Guardian posing together on stage at the end of their set, facing a packed crowd, Keep It True Festival, 20 November 2021.

Greek Myth and Arthurian Legend in Metal

Declan Rourke · Aug 23, 2026

Matt Cameron of Soundgarden drumming live, early 1990s. Photo: Ross Halfin

Odd Time Signatures in Metal

Declan Rourke with Julien Vasseur · Aug 22, 2026