 | |
 Cover of 12 April 2023 digital issue ofKerrang! featuring Americanheavy metal bandMetallica | |
| Editor | Luke Morton |
|---|---|
| Staff writers | Nick Ruskell, David McLaughlin, Emily Carter, Tom Shepherd,Ethan Fixell,Christopher Krovatin, Cat Jones |
| Frequency |
|
| Publisher | Wasted Talent Ltd |
| Founder | Alan Lewis |
| First issue | 6 June 1981 (1981-6-6) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Based in | London |
| Language | English |
| Website | kerrang |
| ISSN | 0262-6624 |
Kerrang! is a British musicwebzine and quarterlymagazine that primarily coversrock,punk andheavy metal music. Since 2017, the magazine has been published by Wasted Talent Ltd (the same company that owns electronic music publicationMixmag).[1] The magazine was namedonomatopoeically after the sound of a "guitar being struck with force".[2]
Kerrang! was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one-off "Heavy Metal Special" from the now-defunctSounds newspaper. Due to the popularity of the issue, the magazine became a monthly publication, before transitioning into a weekly in 1987. Initially devoted to thenew wave of British heavy metal and the rise ofhard rock acts,[3]Kerrang!'s musical emphasis has changed several times, focusing ongrunge,nu metal,post-hardcore,emo and otheralternative rock andmetal genres over the course of its forty-year publication history. In 2001, it became the best-selling British music weekly, overtakingNME.
After publishing a total of 1,818 issues,Kerrang! ceased publication of their weekly magazine in March 2020 amidst theCOVID-19 pandemic, whilst continuing as an online publication featuring digital "cover stories". In December 2021, the print edition ofKerrang! was revived, and is now published on a quarterly basis.
Kerrang! was founded in 1981.[4] The editor of the weekly music magazineSounds,Alan Lewis, suggested thatGeoff Barton edit a one-off special edition focusing on thenew wave of British heavy metal phenomenon and on the rise of otherhard rock acts.[5] Billed as a "Sounds Heavy Metal Special",Kerrang!'s first issue was published on 6 June 1981.[2][6]Angus Young ofAC/DC appeared onKerrang!'s first cover. According to Alan Lewis, the first issue reportedly sold out within days of its publication, and the magazine began being published on a monthly basis.[7] In February 1982, after only eight issues,Kerrang!'s frequency was doubled by its publisher,Spotlight Publications (owned byUnited Newspapers).[8] Starting with issue 148 in 1987, the publication went weekly.[9] During the 1980s and early 1990s the magazine placed manythrash metal andglam metal acts on the cover, includingTigertailz,Mötley Crüe,Slayer,Bon Jovi,Metallica,Poison, andVenom. The termthrash metal was first coined in the music press byKerrang! journalistMalcolm Dome, in reference to theAnthrax song "Metal Thrashing Mad".[10][11] Prior to thisMetallica'sJames Hetfield had referred to their sound as "power metal".[12]
In April 1991, Spotlight/United Newspapers soldKerrang! toEMAP Metro (now known as Ascential plc).[13][14] AlthoughKerrang! had an average weekly circulation of 58,685 by this point and was making profits of £1 million a year,[14][15] the publication had been faced with significant competition fromRAW magazine, also owned by EMAP.[16] British journalistDavid Hepworth, who launched a number of titles for EMAP in the 1980s, said: "We [EMAP] had made it nearly impossible for Spotlight to publishKerrang! profitably because we promotedRAW and they had to promote back, and that ate into theirmargins."[16] EMAP movedKerrang!'s offices toCarnaby Street in London'sWest End.[15][14]
In April 1992, Barton left his post as the magazine's editor, and was replaced by Robyn Doreian. Although her tenure as editor was brief, Doreian would balance the magazine's focus between heavy metal and the growingalternative music scene, following the unexpected success ofgrunge acts such asNirvana.[17] Phil Alexander became the new editor ofKerrang! in June 1993.[18] Alexander felt that the magazine was lagging behindRAW in terms of its coverage of newer bands, andKerrang!'s emphasis began to largely eschew previously featured glam/metal acts in favour of modern acts, such asHole,Nine Inch Nails,Kyuss,Corrosion of Conformity andMachine Head.[18] During theBritpop era, the magazine would largely focus on heavier "Britrock" acts such asThe Wildhearts,Manic Street Preachers,Terrorvision andTherapy?.[19][20] Starting in 1995,Kerrang! began covering thenu metal genre after one of the magazine's journalists, Mörat, was introduced toKorn by Machine Head frontmanRobb Flynn.[21] During the late 1990s, the magazine would end up covering the likes ofLimp Bizkit,System of a Down,Deftones andSlipknot, and various otherpunk rock,hip-hop andhardcore acts.[22]
In April 2000, Paul Rees became the new editor forKerrang!.[23] In 2001,Kerrang! overtookNME as the biggest selling music weekly in the United Kingdom, bolstered by its coverage of nu metal.[24][25][26] By mid-2002, the magazine had a circulation of 83,988 copies per week.[26] After Rees left them to editQ magazine, formerKerrang! reviews editor Ashley Bird appointed editor from 2003 to 2005.[27] Following his departure, Paul Brannigan took over as editor in May 2005.[28] In the mid-to-late 2000s, the genre focus ofKerrang! shifted once more, with a new emphasis onemo,post-hardcore,pop-punk andmetalcore music, coinciding with the decline of nu metal.[29][30][31] Furthermore, the magazine continued to occasionally feature more established bands such asIron Maiden andMetallica on the cover.[32][33] In 2006, the magazine's circulation stood at 80,186 copies.[34]
In 2008, EMAP sold its consumer magazines toBauer Media Group. Brannigan leftKerrang! in 2009 and Nichola Browne was appointed editor.[35] She later stepped down in April 2011. FormerNME features editor andGamesMaster deputy editor James McMahon was appointed as editor on 6 June 2011.[36]
In April 2017,Kerrang! magazine, its website, and theK! Awards were purchased by Mixmag Media, publisher of dance monthlyMixmag, along with assets related to defunct style magazineThe Face. Mixmag has since formed parent company Wasted Talent, which relaunchedKerrang! as a digital-first title, while continuing to publish a weekly print edition. Former Editor-in-Chief Phil Alexander was appointed Global Creative Director on 3 August 2017.[37] Bauer retained ownership ofKerrang! Radio andthe Box Plus Network will continue to operate Kerrang! TV as before.[38][1] An updatedKerrang! logo was debuted in mid-2017 before the magazine received a complete redesign during 2018.[39]
On 13 March 2020, after publishing a total of 1,818 issues, publication of the weekly print edition ofKerrang! was suspended due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[40] TheKerrang! website continued to run articles as normal. On 29 July 2020, the magazine debuted its first weekly digital 'cover story' long-form article, announcingCorey Taylor's first solo albumCMFT (2020).[41][42] In December 2021, a one-off print edition ofKerrang! was published, celebrating the return of live music events in the UK.[43] Sales of this magazine proved successful enough that a second stand-alone print magazine was published in April 2022.[44] The magazine continues to be published on a quarterly basis.[45][46][47][48]
Emap launchedKerrang! Australia in the late 1990s. Unlike its weekly counterpart in the UK, the Australian edition was published monthly due to stiff competition from free local music publications.[citation needed]Kerrang! is also published in Spanish and German. Kerrang announced its aim to expand into the US in March 2018.[citation needed]
In March 2018, following a magazine redesign,Kerrang! announced it would be expanding to the United States, with an office in New York run byEthan Fixell. The goal would be to generate US-centric content, events, and brand partnerships.[49]
Kerrang!'s website, www.kerrang.com, was launched in summer 2001 by Dan Silver.Kerrang!'s parent companyEmap acquired the domain name from a Norwegiancybersquatter by the name of Steingram Stegane for a token sum of £666.[50]
Kerrang!'s website features news and features on both contemporary and classic rock bands, as well as previewing upcoming events. The website hostsKerrang!'s online shop, podcasts, message board, TV and radio segments ensuring more opportunities to sell associated merchandise and products.[51] In 2001,Kerrang! launched its own online forum with the "rants and raves" section taking up most of the traffic. According toAlexa www.kerrang.com is ranked 83,545th globally, and 33,532nd in the U.S.[52]
Since 1993, the magazine has held an annual awards ceremony to mark the most successful bands in the interests of their readers. The awards became one of Britain's most recognised events by the now defunctGuinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums, often listing some of the winners in their annual round-up of the previous year. The event is presented by major music celebrities, with many others outside the industry who attend the event.[53]
After a year hiatus, the Awards were relaunched in 2018, with notable guests that includedJohnny Depp,Joe Perry,Tony Iommi,Corey Taylor, andDave Grohl, among others.[54] After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ceremony returned in June 2022, with the reader nominations period beginning in April 2022.[55]
In 2000,EMAP launchedKerrang! as aDAB radio station, across the United Kingdom. This was principally a 'jukebox' station, playing a back-to-back sequence of rock andalternative music. On 10 June 2004, Kerrang! 105.2 was launched as a regional radio station inBirmingham with an advertising campaign by London-based creative agency ODD.[56] The radio had a number of specialist programmes dedicated to the many subgenres of rock music. The radio output included interviews with those affecting popular culture and society as well as those involved with music. It stopped broadcasting on FM as of 14 June 2013 and once again became a digital station, with listeners able to tune in on DAB or the Kerrang! Radio app. With this broadcasting change came a move in Kerrang! Radio's offices from Birmingham to London.Absolute Radio is now broadcasting on its FM frequency.[citation needed]
In 2001,EMAP launchedKerrang! TV. As with the radio station, the television channel covers the more mainstream side of the rock music as well asclassic rock bands includingAerosmith,AC/DC andGuns N' Roses and classicheavy metal bands such asIron Maiden,Black Sabbath andMetallica. Kerrang! TV, along with itsThe Box Plus Network sister channels, was fully owned byChannel Four Television Corporation and subsequently closed due to budget cuts made by Channel 4, along with its sister channels, on 30th June 2024.[57]
From 1982 the Kerrang! Magazine would occasionally be bundled with compilations, originally on 7" vinyl then moving to cassettes in 1994 and CDs in 1995.[58] The compilations featured new and popular music, music themed around a particular genre, band or theme and best-of lists. In 2001, Kerrang began releasing Kerrang! the Album under Universal Music.[59] From 2016, the albums were released via Rhino Records.
The Kerrang! Tour ran from 2006 to 2017. The line-up for each year was usually announced in October of the previous year and was held throughout January and February of the following year.[60]Relentless Energy Drink sponsored the Kerrang! Tour for several years. It is currently unknown if the tour will ever be revived.
The year after the finalKerrang! Tour,Kerrang! launched a new gig concept known as "The K! Pit", where the magazine promotes a free gig for a popular band in a tiny London venue. Fans gain access by applying for tickets online and being randomly selected in a competition-style draw. Artists featured so far includeParkway Drive,Mastodon,Fever 333, andNeck Deep, the latter performance coinciding with the 2018Kerrang! Awards where Neck Deep would winBest Song.[66] The brand has since also launched the series in Brooklyn, New York, featuring artists such asSum 41,Baroness,Knocked Loose, Daughters, andFit For An Autopsy. Performances are streamed on theKerrang! Facebook page before being uploaded toYouTube.
During the 1980s, Kerrang! published weekly heavy metal charts for singles, albums and import albums. Each was compiled from sales data from fifty specialist stores across the United Kingdom.
In March 2012, Kerrang! announced a new weekly rock singles chart for the UK based on upon airplay across Kerrang Radio, Kerrang TV, and specialist rock radio stations, as well as sales figures from theOfficial Charts Company. As of 2020, the chart continues to be printed in the magazine every week, contains 20 tracks, and often features accompanying facts or artist quotes. The official KerrangSpotify profile also features a playlist of the tracks on the chart and is updated every Wednesday.[67] The chart was announced on Saturday mornings on Kerrang! Radio and could be viewed online every Saturday at midday. The chart would also be shown on Kerrang! TV on Thursdays at 4 pm.
Unlike theUK Rock & Metal Singles Chart produced by the Official Charts Company, which is typically dominated by classic rock artists, the Kerrang! Rock Chart focuses primarily on new releases by contemporary rock artists.
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