The Cover Story

Hanabie.: “We had many paths we could choose, and we bet everything on this band”

As they gear up for the release of their new EP, Bucchigiri Tokyo, Japanese metal superstars Hanabie. look back on the near-decade of heavy touring and big swings that have catapulted them across the globe, and why they’ll always remain their colourful, authentic selves…

The Home Team: “Be true to yourself and your tastes. If you hone your art as much as possible, you will create something that is unique”

They say that hard work pays off, and for Seattle’s purveyors of heavy pop The Home Team, they’re finally reaping the rewards after more than a decade toiling away. With a career-best album in their arsenal and a sold-out UK tour on the horizon, we sit down with mainman Brian Butcher to reflect on how they got here and why they had to keep on pushing – even when all felt lost…

Killswitch Engage: “We’ve got more in common than we do differences as human beings”

Armed with barnstorming single Forever Aligned, Killswitch Engage are back at it again with new album This Consequence. In a world-exclusive first interview with Kerrang!, frontman Jesse Leach and guitarist Adam D lift the lid on their ninth LP, overcoming their personal struggles, the impossible power of love, and why division is never the answer…

Pest Control: “We’re metal for hardcore people”

Having spent more than half their lives embedded in the UK hardcore scene, Pest Control are rapidly making a name for themselves as the hottest, thrashiest thing right now. Raised on a community spirit and a DIY attitude, the five friends are ready to take things to the next level with a new EP and monster tour with Knocked Loose, but they’ll always stay true to the scene they call home…

State Champs: “We’re starting to find who we are as a band and the story we want to tell”

On the eve of their fifth album, State Champs are taking stock of who they are, where they’ve been and – most importantly – where they’re going. With the self-titled LP acting as something of a reset, frontman Derek DiScanio is exploring the realities and responsibilities of adulthood, and what success actually means for one of this generation’s hottest pop-punk bands…

Bambie Thug: “I’m trying to help people accept themselves, and be less afraid to be authentic”

Spooky season is upon us! And there’s no-one better to celebrate All Hallows’ Eve than Europe’s favourite witch, Bambie Thug. We meet the occult-loving enigma ahead of their mammoth homeland shows in Ireland to discover the history of their shapeshifting sound, the importance of being authentic, and why magic might actually be all around us…

Better Lovers: “This is one of the coolest, least expected trips I’ve been on”

After bursting into life with last year's God Made Me An Animal EP, metallic hardcore supergroup Better Lovers are taking things even further with superb debut album Highly Irresponsible. In the wake of a particularly fiery performance at Furnace Fest, we meet Greg Puciato, Jordan Buckley and Will Putney to dig into their creative process, the positivity that lies at its heart, and how they managed to stumble upon something genuinely special…

Kids In Glass Houses: “This is a clean slate. It feels like a fresh start, rather than a fifth album”

Next Friday, Kids In Glass Houses will drop their first new record in 11 years, Pink Flamingo. Ahead of its release, we take a trip to Cardiff to join the Welsh lads in an appreciative state – looking back over why it felt right to reunite when they did, as well as forwards with the confidence that they’re the best they’ve ever been…

Amyl And The Sniffers: “This music is about my whole life, and where it will take me. I’m still figuring it all the f*ck out”

Amyl And The Sniffers might’ve made their bones as a boozy Aussie bar band, but years of hard touring has broadened their horizons. Ready to unleash terrific third album Cartoon Darkness, Amy Taylor and Declan Martens explain how they’ve learned there’s nothing mutually exclusive about making your mark and having a rip-snorting good time...

Touché Amoré: “Hardcore deserves respect for the way it has helped people, and for the way that it continues to do”

Earnest, intelligent and endlessly inspired by the world around him, Jeremy Bolm has grown into a figurehead for modern hardcore. Chronicling one of the most turbulent times of his life, however, Touché Amoré’s sixth album Spiral In A Straight Line is more a struggle to keep on and find beauty in the midst of unfolding chaos...

Heriot: “I want us to bring a new style of metal, with the same values we started with, making heavy, abrasive, immersive music”

Heriot are already a jewel in the crown of British heavy music. It’s why, for the quartet’s debut Kerrang! cover, we brought them to an actual castle. On the eve of release of their highly-anticipated Devoured By The Mouth Of Hell LP, the Swindon stars reflect on the solid foundations they’ve built so far, and why they’ll continue to reign for years to come…

High Vis: “You can’t judge someone because of the privileges they’ve been given. It’s how you deal with those privileges”

On the cusp of releasing their third album Guided Tour, hardcore favourites High Vis are riding a justified wave of success right now. In a rare moment on home turf, Graham Sayle is taking stock of the grit and graft it took for five working class lads to get here and why it’s finally paying off…

Trash Boat: “I want to write a song that changes the world. I want to sell out stadiums 10 days in a row. The idea of accepting relative mediocrity is painful”

Following Trash Boat’s last record, Tobi Duncan found himself consumed by anxiety. The things he once found easy were now completely terrifying. The weirdest part? He had no idea why. Now out the other side and armed with a new perspective on life, the St. Albans five-piece are set to drop their most chaotic and honest record yet, because nothing can capsize this vessel…

Zetra: “We can have fun with this, but it’s never a joke. It’s not silly. We’re not f*cking about”

Zetra have built their own mysterious galaxy for themselves. One of corpsepainted rock stars, dark, gothic synths, mystery, intrigue and otherworldly suggestion. Everyone from Ville Valo to Creeper are already under their spell. But who are they? As they prepare to unveil their debut album, we tracked them down and found them in civvies. Even so happily exposed, they remain shadowy masters of their universe. Welcome to the world of Zetra…

Kid Bookie: “I’m challenging the status quo by prodding and making people think. This is the place to practise rebellion and influence change”

Born and raised surrounded by gangs and drug dealers in South London, it’s been a hard-fought battle for Kid Bookie to break free from the underbelly and make it on his own terms. Ahead of his new album Songs For The Living // Songs For The Dead, we go back to his old haunts to learn just what it took to survive and how these experiences inform his music today…

Stand Atlantic: “I’m so glad I got myself back – this album literally saved me”

Stand Atlantic’s WAS HERE isn’t just a record, it’s a reintroduction. Ahead of the Sydney crew’s ambitious third LP, vocalist Bonnie Fraser opens up about escaping negative relationships, rediscovering who she truly is, and why we need more unapologetic sapphic rock stars…

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