Supersonic review – giant monsters and ghoul-sponge at UK’s best small festival

By embracing the heaviness in Birmingham’s heritage, and adding a strong dose of eccentricity, Supersonic is world-class

Sabaton: The Great War review – rage against the war machine

With pounding drums and demonic choirs, the Swedish power metal band deliver a dark, fascinating history lesson on the first world war

Rammstein review – pure panto from German shock rockers

The taboo-busting band are on fine form in a pyrotechnic extravaganza that sees bandmates blasting each other with fire

Metallica review – masterclass in heaviness brings down the heavens

The thrash titans seem to control the weather during this dramatic, cathartic show of absolute power

Download festival review – fire, fury and hymns to the dark side

Headliners Slipknot and Def Leppard lead the way on a long weekend of big riffs and shouting

Baroness: Gold & Grey review – ambitious rockers go beyond metal

The Philadephia-based quartet have found a new sense of purpose on this more psychedelic fifth album

Download festival review – Slayer cast dark spells with ferocious swan song set

British hard rock festival brings angst, anger and a lot of black lipstick to western Sydney’s peaceful parklands

Behemoth review – jolts of brutality from modern metal’s kings of darkness

Through fire and smoke, Adam ‘Nergal’ Darski and his roaring feral hell-bangers churn up elation and menace to prove the devil still has the best tunes

Parkway Drive review – uplifting rock rises from the fires of grief

Pouring the pain of grief into heavy rock, the Australian group earn chanting adoration from their audience

Bring Me the Horizon: Amo review – ‘It ain’t heavy metal, but that’s alright’

Some of the songs will alienate BMtH’s fanbase but there’s a sense of experimentation alongside the lush orchestration

Def Leppard review – metal legends revisit a riff-laden classic

The British hard-rock favourites play their 1987 album Hysteria in full in a show that demonstrates their scintillating craft

Bring Me the Horizon review – boyband headbangers help vent teenage angst

Ahead of their forthcoming sixth album, the Sheffield pop-metal band provide catharsis but stop short of being true spokesmen for a troubled generation