The Sounds of Guitars Thrashing In My Ears... (Kerrang!)

Member Name: JavaSkunk

Product:	Kerrang!
Date:	06/07/01 (67 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good quality, well printed magazine, Has improved recently, Covers a broad range of rock music

Disadvantages: £1.60 per week is a bit expensive, Can be a bit childish at times, Has an elitist attitude on certain subjects

Kerrang! You have to admit, its a pretty awful name for a magazine, but its one of only a few commercial rock magazines available, so we'll let that one slip.

The main problem I have with Kerrang! is that it keeps trying to create drama and soap opera stories with bands. This makes the whole metal/numetal scene look very childish, and the whole magazine feels very tabloidy.

However, a lot of the interviews are pretty well written, and even if the general writing style kinda shouts at you "look who we've discovered!" when you've been listening to the band for a few years, most of it is fairly readable.

Recently more emphasis has been made on the punk and hardcore scene, which is great as its pretty much the only magazine (as well as Metal Hammer) who will give that kind of music a chance. This shift has also brought together more sensibility into the magazine too, which is good.

Another postivie thing about K! is that they do their best to promote British bands, giving them a risible boost in a country that seems to ignore them otherwise.

Kerrang! is published weekly at a price of £1.60 and I only ever find myself purchasing it to read on the train or something similar. However, it does usually keep me occupied during that period, and I used to think the posters looked 'wicked' on my walls when I was younger.

Summary: