Essential Albums

Judas Priest on stage at the Motocultor festival in August 2026, the band lit under video screens and the Birmingham crest

The Best Heavy Metal Music Videos

Declan Rourke · Jul 14, 2026

The sleeve of Transilvanian Hunger, Darkthrone, 1994

Transilvanian Hunger and the Case for Minimalism

Eirik Solvang · Jul 13, 2026

The cover of Symbolic, Death, 1995

Symbolic and the Last Years of Death

Rafael Quintero · Jul 13, 2026

Insomnium performing live on stage

The Best Melodic Death Metal Albums

Rafael Quintero · Jul 12, 2026

The sleeves of Among the Living, Act III and Dimension Hatröss

The Best Thrash Album Covers

Declan Rourke · Jul 12, 2026

Rolf Kasparek of Running Wild on stage at Wacken in August 2026, a gold Flying V in his hands and a pirate ship painted across the backdrop

The 80s Heavy Metal Albums

Declan Rourke · Jul 12, 2026

In Aphelion in a band portrait, guitars raised

Melodic Black Metal Bands

Eirik Solvang · Jul 11, 2026

Joan Jett and Lita Ford of the Runaways playing face to face at the Whisky in West Hollywood in August 1977

The All-Female Heavy Metal Bands

Declan Rourke · Jul 11, 2026

Anvil posing together in 1982

Speed Thrash Metal Bands

Declan Rourke · Jul 11, 2026

Crazy Lixx, 2025. Photo: Nils Sjöholm

The Modern Hair Metal Bands

Declan Rourke with Saint Sylveszter · Jul 10, 2026

The sleeves of Persona Non Grata, Hate über alles and Scorched

The Best Thrash Albums of the 2020s (annual)

Declan Rourke · Jul 9, 2026

Blind Illusion on a hilltop above the Golden Gate Bridge

The Best Thrash Albums of 1988

Declan Rourke · Jul 8, 2026

Teemu Mantysaari of Megadeth with both hands on the neck of his guitar at the O2 in London in October 2025

The Greatest Metal Riffs

Declan Rourke with Julien Vasseur · Jul 5, 2026

The sleeves of Tankard's Chemical Invasion and Destruction's Infernal Overkill

The Best German Thrash Metal Albums

Declan Rourke · Jul 3, 2026

Forgotten Tomb on stage

The Best DSBM Albums

Eirik Solvang · Jul 2, 2026

Sacred Reich playing under their own banner in 2023

The Best Thrash Albums of 1987

Declan Rourke · Jul 2, 2026

Marc Hudson of DragonForce leaping across the stage past the dragon-head kick drums, Kentish Town Forum, London, 8 November 2019.

The Heavy Metal Video Games

Declan Rourke · Jul 2, 2026

The sleeves of Taking Over, Practice What You Preach and Fabulous Disaster

The Big 8 of Thrash: Exodus, Testament, Overkill, Death Angel

Declan Rourke · Jul 1, 2026