On This Day In Metal

16 August 1986. Donington Park. Around 70,000 rock fans. Six bands. One absolutely monstrous day of heavy music. Today marks the 40th anniversary of Monsters of Rock 1986, a festival that still reads like somebody raided a metalhead’s record collection and decided to book the entire thing in one go. The running order? Bad News. Warlock. Motörhead. Def Leppard. Scorpions....

On August 15, 2014, German heavy metal legends Accept unleashed their 14th studio album, Blind Rage — a record packed with crushing riffs, enormous choruses and enough old-school metal muscle to knock the doors off the venue. 🔥🎸 Twelve years later, it still hits like a runaway freight train. And today, the big question being thrown out by The Metal...

There are headlines… And then there are headlines that punch you square in the ribs and steal the air out your lungs. February 1980 delivered one of those. Bon Scott — the snarling, grinning, tattoo-flashing frontman of AC/DC — was found dead in London. Just 33 years old. Thirty-three, mun. That’s nothing. That’s “still causing chaos in the pit” age....

Tidy little throwback for you, butt… because 12 years ago today, Five Finger Death Punch wrapped up their 2013 UK tour in proper style, storming the stage at Birmingham’s LG Arena — the very city where metal itself was forged in the fires of Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and every riff that ever melted a face. 🖤⚒️ And let me...

A chaotic masterpiece born from leaks, riffs, and pure SOAD madness — Riff Report style, butt! On 26 November 2002, the mighty System Of A Down dropped one of the most unorthodox, chaotic, and beautifully unhinged releases in modern metal history:🎧 Steal This Album! And aye… the title wasn’t a joke. The whole record was a cheeky two-finger salute to...

What’s occurring, metalheads? Gather round, c’mon butt, because today we salute one of the most gloriously unhinged, skull-rattling, fan-melting box sets ever unleashed upon planet Earth. On this day in 1993, Metallica dropped ‘Live Sh*t: Binge & Purge’ — a monstrous, heavy-as-a-lorry treasure chest of live chaos starring the Seattle ‘89 shows, the San Diego ‘92 madness, and the iconic...

Celebrating a legendary release from 23 November 1999 Oi oi, butt! Grab your leather jacket, your finest air-conductor baton, and maybe a cheeky pint — because today we’re rewinding to one of the most jaw-dropping, genre-smashing, and utterly bonkers milestones in heavy metal history. On 23 November 1999, Metallica unleashed S&M, their colossal collaboration with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra,...

Released: 18 November 1997 C’mon butt — crack open a cold one and turn the volume to obnoxious, because today we celebrate one of the most divisive, chaotic, swagger-filled chapters in Metallica history. 🤘 Reload might not be the thrash titan of the early years, but blimmin’ hell, it’s got riffs hotter than chip-shop curry sauce at 1am and more...

Released: 15 November 1983 There are album anniversaries… and then there are werewolf-shredding, moon-howling, heavy-metal milestones. Today marks the release of Ozzy Osbourne’s third solo album, Bark at the Moon — a record that didn’t just keep the Prince of Darkness alive, but dragged him claw-first into a new era. 🐺 A NEW CHAPTER AFTER TRAGEDY The early ’80s were...

Twenty-one years ago today, Iron Maiden gave metalheads everywhere the ultimate time machine — The History of Iron Maiden: Part 1 – The Early Days, released on this day in 2004. A two-DVD deep dive into the band’s chaotic, loud, and legendary early years, this release remains one of the most essential Maiden collections ever made. 🤘 This wasn’t your...