In this issue, we celebrate the events that defined metal in 2023! There are big new interviews with Maiden, Metallica, Avenged Sevenfold and Ghost, while Ozzy talks new music, Lord Of The Lost remember their Eurovision appearance, and Scene Queen reflects on metal succumbing to Barbiegeddon.
This was also the year that Download shook things up with Bring Me as headliners, Slipknot were even more chaotic than usual, and metal went to the ballet with Black Sabbath.
Nu metal continued its rise with Sick New World, Indonesia's Voice Of Baceprot hit the States, bands and venues went to war over merch cuts, and Power Trip smashed it out of the park with the biggest metal festival line-up ever – Guns N' Roses, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Judas Priest, Tool and Metallica, anyone?
Oh, and then there was THAT Sleep Token fart… It’s been a wild year, and you can relive it all in these pages. We also count down the 50 Best Albums from the last 12 months and chat to the people behind them, including Myrkur, Code Orange, Zulu and Creeper.
Looking ahead, we hit the studio with Ihsahn, dive into Sophie Lloyd’s record collection, and Within Temptation's Sharon den Adel talks touring, tennis and, er, toadstools.
We put your questions to Beartooth’s Caleb Shomo, Mark Tremonti gives us his life lessons, and Skindred look back on the making of Warning – the anthem that spawned their signature Newport Helicopter move. All this, plus all the essential news and reviews from the world of metal!
