Metal Hammer

Metal Hammer is a monthly heavy metal music magazine published in the United Kingdom by Future plc, and licensed or independently published in several other countries. Originally conceived in 1983 and launched in its English-language UK edition in November 1986, it covers news, reviews, in-depth interviews, and live reporting spanning mainstream and underground heavy metal, as well as adjacent genres including hard rock, punk, grunge, and alternative music. ^†1 The magazine is currently published through Future's Louder umbrella brand, which also houses Classic Rock and Prog magazine.

At its peak circulation, the title was published in eleven different languages across countries including Japan, Serbia, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, Poland, Hungary, France, and Israel, and was reportedly the first Western youth publication distributed in the Soviet Union. ^†2 After a near-fatal ownership collapse in December 2016, the magazine was rescued by its former publisher and relaunched in early 2017; it has continued publication since.

History

Origins and founding

The concept for Metal Hammer was developed in 1983 by Wilfried F. Rimensberger, a London-based editor who proposed to Jürgen Wigginghaus — publisher of the German music title MusikSzene — the idea of a multilingual heavy metal magazine. ^†3 Wigginghaus launched a German-language edition shortly after, while Rimensberger launched the flagship English-language Metal Hammer from London in November 1986, with Harry Doherty — formerly a writer for Melody Maker — installed as its first editor. ^†3

The multilingual concept proved commercially successful, and the magazine grew to be published in eleven languages worldwide during its peak years. ^†4

Ownership changes: Dennis Publishing and Future

The UK title changed hands multiple times during the 1990s and 2000s. Dennis Publishing acquired it in 1994, then sold it to Future plc in 2000. ^†5 In 2003, under then-editor Chris Ingham, the magazine established the Golden Gods Awards, an annual live ceremony recognising major figures in heavy metal that ran until 2018. ^†6

TeamRock era (2013–2016)

In 2013, Future sold Metal Hammer alongside sister titles Classic Rock and Prog to the start-up multimedia publisher TeamRock for £10.2 million. ^†7 TeamRock, which was also founded in 2012 as a digital radio and media operation, integrated the magazines into a broader rock music platform that included a digital radio station and online news operation. ^†8

Collapse of TeamRock and rescue by Future (2016–2017)

On 19 December 2016, TeamRock called in administrators from FRP Advisory after the company ran into severe financial difficulties, resulting in the immediate termination of 73 staff across its London and High Blantyre offices, who were also reportedly not paid their December wages. ^†8 Press Gazette reported that TeamRock's former editorial director Scott Rowley disclosed the company had been losing approximately £250,000 per month, and that staff had not been explicitly warned of the impending collapse. ^†7 All three magazine titles suspended publication immediately.

Orange Goblin frontman Ben Ward launched a crowdfunding appeal for the affected staff that, according to Press Gazette, ultimately raised more than £85,000. ^†7 On 8 January 2017, Future acquired Metal Hammer, Classic Rock, Prog, the Golden Gods events operation, and associated digital assets from FRP Advisory for £800,000 — a fraction of the £10.2 million Future had received when selling the titles four years earlier. ^†7 The magazine relaunched in February 2017. ^†9

Relaunch and the Louder rebrand (2017–present)

Following the relaunch, Metal Hammer editor Merlin Alderslade stated that a new-look issue featuring a redesigned section structure and the return of exclusive cover gifts was part of a wider brand expansion. ^†10 In March 2018, Future grouped Metal Hammer, Classic Rock, and Prog under a single parent brand called Louder, with loudersound.com serving as the shared digital hub for all three titles. ^†1

Editorial profile and coverage

Metal Hammer covers the full spectrum of heavy metal, from mainstream acts to underground and extreme subgenres, including thrash, death metal, doom, black metal, metalcore, and alternative metal, alongside adjacent genres such as hard rock, grunge, and punk. ^†1 Each issue typically contains news, in-depth feature interviews, album and live reviews, and — historically — a cover-mounted CD. The magazine has long emphasised exclusive access to major artists as a selling point, with Music Week reporting editor Merlin Alderslade's statement that readers demand greater exclusivity from print titles. ^†10

Ownership and management

Metal Hammer is currently owned and published by Future plc, a Bath-headquartered specialist media company, under its Louder brand. ^†1 Eleanor Goodman, who joined the magazine in 2015 as Features Editor and was later promoted to Deputy Editor, became Editor in 2022. ^†1 Previous editors include Harry Doherty (founding editor, 1986), Chris Ingham (editor during the Golden Gods era from 2003), Alexander Milas, and Merlin Alderslade (editor at the time of the TeamRock collapse and subsequent relaunch).

Independently owned editions of Metal Hammer continue to be published in Greece and Italy, while licensed editions for Portugal and Japan were launched in 2019 and 2020 respectively under agreement with Future. The German-language edition, originally part of the same network, was sold separately to Axel Springer SE in 1999 and continues independently. ^†5

Readership, circulation, and business model

At its height, Metal Hammer was published in eleven languages and reportedly achieved a combined monthly circulation in excess of one million copies across all editions. ^†4 The UK edition's audited circulation reached approximately 35,876 copies per month in the early 2000s, declining to around 20,961 copies (print and digital combined) in 2015, a year-on-year fall of approximately 14.6%, and further to roughly 20,353 copies in 2017. ^†111 The magazine's subscription service is operated through Future's Magazines Direct platform, offering print, digital, and bundled subscriptions.

Digital presence

Metal Hammer's online content is hosted at loudersound.com, the digital hub launched by Future in March 2018 to serve Metal Hammer, Classic Rock, and Prog under the Louder umbrella. ^†1 The magazine's podcast, originally launched in 2009 and presented by staff members James Gill and Terry Bezer, went through several presenter changes and periods of hiatus, returning in 2018 before going on hiatus again in 2022. In 2016, during the TeamRock period, Metal Hammer partnered with Spotify on a limited podcast series called In Residence, featuring exclusive interviews with acts including Iron Maiden and Bring Me the Horizon.

Notable events: The Golden Gods Awards

The Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards were established in 2003 under editor Chris Ingham as an annual live ceremony recognising achievements in heavy metal music. ^†6 The ceremony featured live performances and was held at various London venues over fifteen years, hosting and honouring artists including Ozzy Osbourne, Iron Maiden, Motörhead, Slipknot, and Dave Mustaine. The awards ran from 2003 until 2018, when they were discontinued. ^†12

References

Footnotes

External links

• Metal Hammer at loudersound.com