Kerrang vs Metal Hammer vs Rock Sound Compared | TAP
Kerrang vs Metal Hammer vs Rock Sound comparison
By TAP Editorial Team
Quick answer
Kerrang covers modern rock, metalcore and deathcore with crossover potential. Metal Hammer is the outlet for black, death and underground extreme metal, with slower turnaround and harder reviews. Rock Sound sits with post-hardcore, emo-adjacent and melodic heavy music. Pitch on subgenre fit rather than prestige, and send eight to ten weeks before release.
Kerrang, Metal Hammer and Rock Sound are the three UK titles most heavy bands aim at, and they want different records. What follows runs Kerrang against Metal Hammer criterion by criterion, on genre range, review turnaround, who reads them, how hard the scoring is and how reachable each one is for a band with no label behind it. Rock Sound's position sits in the verdict at the end.
| Criterion | Kerrang | Metal Hammer |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial focus and genre range | Kerrang prioritises modern rock and contemporary metal with emphasis on accessibility and mainstream crossover appeal. Strong coverage of metalcore, alternative metal, and pop-influenced heavy acts. Less interested in extreme subgenres unless they've achieved chart or streaming visibility. | Metal Hammer commits significantly more editorial space to death metal, black metal, and underground progressive acts. Classicist approach: reviews spanning from 1980s thrash to contemporary doom. Subgenre depth and historical context define their editorial voice. |
| Review turnaround time from submission to publication | Typically 4-6 weeks for album reviews. Faster for feature coverage if there's publicity momentum (festival announcements, major label backing). Expect 2-3 week response time for initial editorial feedback. | Generally 6-8 weeks for full album reviews due to higher submission volume and deeper editorial deliberation. Features can take 8-10 weeks. More predictable but slower than Kerrang's variable timescale. |
| Audience demographic and engagement level | Younger, more digitally native audience (16-35 primary readership). Strong social media following and engagement with TikTok/YouTube content. Readers actively seek playlist inclusion and streaming recommendations rather than physical purchasing. | Older, more collector-focused audience (25-50 primary readership). Physical magazine subscribers are loyal but smaller in absolute numbers. Higher per-reader engagement on specific album deep-dives and collector content. |
| Suitability for metalcore and deathcore bands | Kerrang is the primary target for established metalcore acts and new deathcore bands with contemporary production. Cover features frequently showcase metalcore bands, particularly those with crossover radio potential or festival headlining momentum. | Metal Hammer covers metalcore only if it has significant underground credibility or legacy status (e.g., Architects, Trivium). Modern deathcore gets minimal editorial real estate compared to Kerrang. |
| Suitability for black and death metal bands | Kerrang rarely reviews pure black metal or raw death metal unless the band has achieved mainstream recognition (Bathory retrospectives, larger Peaceville Records releases). Not the target publication for underground extreme metal. | Metal Hammer is the definitive outlet for black metal, death metal, and underground extreme subgenres. Reviews typically contextualise new releases within broader genre history. Essential target for any band in this space. |
| Review scoring transparency and critical rigour | Kerrang reviews are written for accessibility rather than technical depth. Scoring (out of 5) is relatively generous; negative reviews are rare and usually reserved for major label disappointments. Critics favour enthusiasm over scepticism. | Metal Hammer reviews engage in detailed technical critique with rigorous scoring standards. Negative reviews are common and considered credible. Critics assess musicianship, production, and conceptual integrity rather than commercial viability. |
| Festival preview and live coverage capacity | Kerrang heavily covers Download and Radio 1 Rock Show events, with substantial advance preview content. Live reviews are quick-turnaround and tied to band publicity schedules. Strong alignment with festival marketing announcements. | Metal Hammer provides consistent festival coverage including Bloodstock and ArcTanGent, though with less promotional tie-in than Kerrang. Reviews focus on artist performance quality rather than festival marketing moments. |
| Advertising and partnership integration with editorial | Kerrang operates with clear separation between advertising and editorial, but there is acknowledged correlation between label partnership spend and feature coverage. Independent releases face longer wait times for consideration. | Metal Hammer maintains stricter editorial independence from label advertising spend. Independent releases receive equivalent review turnaround to label releases. Advertising presence is smaller overall, limiting brand partnership opportunities. |
| Interview and feature accessibility for emerging artists | Kerrang prioritises interviews tied to commercial milestones (chart entry, festival booking, major label signing). Emerging independent bands typically only secure coverage after achieving significant streaming or radio play. | Metal Hammer conducts interviews based on artistic credibility and subgenre importance rather than commercial metrics. New underground acts can secure feature space if they align with editorial focus (e.g., new doom or black metal releases). |
Verdict
Kerrang is the pitch target for contemporary metalcore, deathcore and commercially backed heavy bands, particularly when Download momentum or BBC Radio 1 Rock Show rotation is your angle. Metal Hammer is the one that matters for black metal, death metal and underground extreme music, and it carries credibility you cannot earn anywhere else in that world. Rock Sound occupies its own space: post-hardcore, emo-adjacent heavy music and melodic alt-rock with metal production. Choose on subgenre fit rather than prestige. Pitching a raw black metal demo to Kerrang wastes everyone's time, and pitching accessible deathcore to Metal Hammer says you have not read it.
Frequently asked questions
Should I pitch simultaneously to all three or prioritise one publication?
Prioritise based on subgenre fit. If your band is melodic metalcore or deathcore with crossover potential, lead with Kerrang and only loop in Metal Hammer if you have strong underground credibility. If you're black metal or death metal, lead Metal Hammer: Kerrang will likely reject it. Simultaneous pitching across all three damages credibility with editors who actively communicate about releases.
How much does a major label deal improve my chances of securing a Kerrang cover?
Significantly, but not determinatively. A major label backing accelerates review turnaround and guarantees cover feature consideration if you have chart potential or festival booking momentum. Independent releases require 18-24 months of demonstrable streaming growth or radio play before Kerrang considers cover-feature positioning.
Metal Hammer says they don't accept unsolicited submissions: how do I get past that?
Their stated 'no unsolicited' policy applies to complete album packages; however, they will engage with personalised pitches that cite specific editorial focus areas or reference recent features aligned with your band's aesthetic. A relationship-first approach through individual editors (identifiable via bylines on their site) bypasses the blanket rejection.
What's the realistic timeline if I'm pitching an album for coverage?
For Kerrang: 4-6 weeks for review, potentially 8-10 weeks for feature consideration. For Metal Hammer: 6-8 weeks minimum for review; expect 10-12 weeks if you're chasing feature space. Always pitch 8-10 weeks before your intended release or campaign launch, not 3-4 weeks.
Do these publications coordinate with BBC Radio 1 Rock Show playlist decisions?
No official coordination exists, but there is observable cultural alignment: Kerrang's editorial priorities often overlap with Radio 1 Rock Show targeting, while Metal Hammer operates entirely independently from BBC playlisting logic. Your radio strategy and print strategy should be separate, though timing them within 2-3 weeks of each other creates cumulative impact.
From the field
Proof points
- Genre-fit miss rate: ~30% of pitches hit outlets misaligned with the actual sound (Self-audit of 2024 sends)
- Cross-genre crossover lag: Specialist play first, mainstream rotation 3-6 weeks later (WARM tracking across recent breakthrough campaigns)
- Community-station first-mover effect: Genre-loyal community stations move ahead of national in their niche (Liberty regional + community outreach data)
- Follow-up cadence that works: +7 days from initial pitch, reference WARM plays as proof (Liberty internal data)
What actually happened
Indicative cadence (recent Liberty campaigns): Specialist-show pickup within 48 hours when the producer is named and the show is referenced specifically. Mainstream rotation follows 3-6 weeks later if the specialist signal holds. (2024-2026)
Metal hates being pitched at national first. I always go regional zines, Iron Walrus, Heavy Music HQ, Distorted Sound, then move to Planet Rock and Kerrang Radio once there's something to point to. A Planet Rock producer told me directly: if I haven't seen it in the zines or on a community show, I'm not playing it. That order, zine then community then national, is the only one that holds.
Chris Schofield, Radio plugger, Liberty Music PR
Related resources
Further reading
- TAP Blog — In-depth guides, comparisons and advice for independent artists running their own promotion.
- UK Music — The voice of the UK music industry, representing labels, publishers, and collecting societies.
- Music Week — Industry news, charts, and analysis for music professionals.
- The Music Network — Global music business intelligence and networking.
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