Welcome to The New Heavy 2025 – we’ve selected five artists we’re excited about (and you should be, too!) and given each one a cover. Here, we’ve teamed up with Bambie Thug to offer this exclusive t-shirt and "spellbook", with a spell written (and printed) in Bambie’s own handwriting.

This issue of Metal Hammer features five cover stars, each with their own exclusive merchandise! Will you choose German electronicore sensations Electric Callboy, Ukrainian prog metal innovators Jinjer, bear-loving deathcore dominators Slaughter To Prevail, ouija-pop pioneer Bambie Thug, or New Delhi nu metal crew Bloodywood? They’re all changing the shape of metal in their own way, and could well be the festival headliners of tomorrow! 

All five artists get big features inside the mag, so whichever cover you get, you can still read about the others too. 

Elsewhere in the issue…

• We celebrate 50 years of the mighty Iron Maiden by looking back at their 50 greatest moments. This summer’s shows are going to rule!
• We also remember the incomparable Casey Chaos, the livewire frontman of Amen, who tragically passed away in December.
• Saxon’s Biff Byford answers your questions about Motörhead, facing off against Vikings and (most importantly) the perfect brew; Sicksense’s Vicky Psarakis invites us into her record collection; and Sabaton frontman Joakim Brodén shares his life lessons.
• Heriot’s Debbie Gough talks going AAA with Slipknot, disastrous shows and, er, phantom poopers; Paula and Dave Lombardo reveal the dark secrets behind their band Venamoris; and we chat to the industry legend behind a new metal Live Aid-esque single. 

...all this, plus all the essential gigs and reviews from the world of metal.