Heavy Metal
The moshing, masks and mania of Colombia's metal scene
The Travel Diary — A chance encounter in a dingy Colombian bar gave photographer Daniel Motta the keys to Medellín's tight-knit metal community.
Written by: Daniel Motta
The hell bangers of Botswana's underground metal scene
Far beyond driven — Botswana’s heavy metal culture gets hyped for all the wrong reasons: namely the desert-defying style of its leather-clad crews. But beneath the surface is a DIY subculture uncorrupted by the outside world.
Written by: Bongani Madondo
How playing heavy metal in Iran can put your life in danger
Rock in a Hard Place — Journalist and life-long heavy metal fan Orlando Crowcroft spent six years penetrating the rock and metal scenes in the Middle East, finding a new generation of rockers, rappers and metalheads who are flogged, imprisoned and exiled for writing songs that give a voice to those otherwise unheard. This is an extract from his book, Rock in a Hard Place.
Written by: Orlando Crowcroft
Subvert the stereotypes. Just do what you love.
Jobs for the boys/girls? — Whether it's making biker cupcakes or heavy metal quilts, some people are determined to find their calling in life – no matter how unlikely it seems.
Written by: Mike Belleme, Shelley Jones, Shane Herrick
Metal band Baroness on the art of not freaking out
Touring as therapy — An accident halted the rise of Savannah’s most ambitious metal band, splitting them apart. But, as frontman John Dyer Baizley explains, the catharsis of getting back on the road keeps them sane.
Written by: Cian Traynor
Kirkuk's only metal band are defying ISIS in Iraq
Death and metal in a divided state — Forged in the crucible of oil-rich and conflict-ridden Kirkuk, the story of Iraqi band Dark Phantom is pure metal. But in a city littered with Isis sleeper cells, going underground is no affectation. It’s a means of survival.
Written by: Campbell MacDiarmid
The heavy metal bands fighting authority in the Middle East
Defiant Sounds — Huck 54 is packed with stories of defiance, like Iraqi heavy metal band Dark Phantom, whose provocative music rallies against government corruption. Constantly forced under the radar by political leaders and Islamic extremists, they are part of a wave of metal acts fighting the power across the the Middle East. Here are some of the loudest voices.
Written by: Adam White