Being an avid Metal Hammer magazine collector, I was so enthralled to buy the November 2011 issue, mainly because it’s a 25th anniversary collector’s special edition issue which pays tribute to the late and great Cliff Burton.
This issue comes with a new design and content layout, more album reviews, full gig listings and 10 pages dedicated to the memory of Cliff, with stories from his closest friends / family like Kirk Hammet, James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Dave Ellefson, Jim Martin, Jonny and Marsha Zazula, Scott Ian, Steve Doherty, Corrine Lynn and many more.
Other main sections feature Manowar’s Joey DeMaio, Black Sabbath’s Toni Iommi, Slipknot and 9 pages of Metal Hammer history which highlight some great issues from the archive, all the way back from the first launching of Metal Hammer to The Black Album, Dimebag Darrell’s death and many major events that went down in Metal history. This section also contains Metal Hammer’s best Metal albums since 1986 (year by year).
Other interesting readings are information on the release of the West Memphis Three (more info here), a statement from Dani Filth titled as “Is The Church Still The Enemy?” and an extended review of Lou Reed & Metallica’s “Lulu” collaboration.
As usual, a free CD is included with the magazine, so here’s the tracklisting:
1- Slayer – World Painted Blood
2- Slipknot – Duality
3- Sepultura – Roots Bloody Roots
4- Machine Head – Davidian
5- Opeth – Ghost Of Perdition
6- Amon Amarth – Cry Of The Black Birds
7- Dimmu Borgir – Progenies Of The Great Apocalypse
8- In Flames – Only For The Weak
9- Napalm Death – Scum
10- Circles – Eye Embedded
11- Aliases – What’s Left For Us
12- The Arusha Accord – The Resurgent
13- Uneven Structure – Awaken
14- Visions – Oceans
15- Chimp Spanner – Harvey Wallbanger
Thank you Metal Hammer for your continuous efforts as defenders of the faith since 1986! For those of you Lebanese who have yet to buy this monthly magazine, you can find it at any Virgin Megastores branch for 16000 LBP.
