It has been a thrilling year for me, watching the team at MetalTalk do their thing. There were some months in 2024 when we covered more gigs than days in the month. We published almost one thousand articles this year, covered live music almost once a day and are reaching over 110,000 unique readers per month.
We have grown the team again this year, and I am proud to say it is a very supportive, mentoring and exciting group of people to work alongside. This means more work for Ian Sutherland, who looks after organising our live shows, and I thank him for his wonderful contribution and support to me and the team.
With people like Brian Boyle, who also shares album reviews with the team and Liz Medhurst and Paul Monkhouse behind you, it can only help to inspire the team.
For myself, there have been a huge number of highlights. It is a testament to the professionalism of the team that I was approached to speak with John Petrucci ahead of the Dream Theatre tour with Mike Portnoy back behind the sticks.
I managed to secure more than one interview for the team with Phil Mogg, and you don’t see many of these out there. I was pleased that we spoke with Myles Kennedy again, Dani Filth, and Rou Reynolds from Enter Shikari who joins The War Of The Worlds.
I was proud to get the team together to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Gypsy’s Kiss. It was special to have the interview at the iconic Cart & Horses, and I am pleased as punch that Kastro has some clarity over their future.
It is down to us all to support The Cart and make sure that places such as this have a future. Places like this, Bannermans, The Giffard Arms, The Green Rooms and The Patriot are special. We try to support them, and I pledge that the MetalTalk team and I will do more for this in the coming year. 
We had Grand Slam Week, and I’m looking forward to what these guys plan for 2025. Ian Sutherland completed his full set of Halestorm interviews and had an exclusive with Fish. Josiah J Manning has a pivotal role in heavy music, and we’ve covered him a few times this year. 
Becky Baldwin, Nuno Bettencourt, Doro, Steve Mann, Miguel Montalban, Mimi Barks and Raven Gray, Chris Jericho, Bokassa, Biff Byford, and Tony Moore all have great stories to tell, and it has been a privilege to share these. I’ve always been impressed with Kill The Lights, and it was great to finally meet the guys before their London show.
With Steve Hackett, Adrian Stonley had such a big chat that this took several articles to present properly. It covered everything. Finally, Gibson Guitar Store acoustic sessions with The Almighty and Ricky Warwick were also great fun.
Track of the Year – Burning Man – The End Machine
Burning Man, by The End Machine, is one of those mid to late album tracks that shows why I love heavy music. I found The Quantum Phase remarkable when I jumped on it in March this year, and nine months later, I’m still listening. George Lynch was inspired, Steve Brown was splendidly solid, and the addition of Girish Pradhan had dramatic results.
It was a joy to be able to chat with Jeff Pilson about The End Machine for MetalTalk. Jeff looked great, having recovered from “pretty intense back surgery,” and was in wonderful form as we shared thoughts about the album and how I thought George Lynch was on fire throughout.
“He really, really is,” Jeff said. “He’s better than ever in my mind. He is playing so deeply from the heart and so powerfully. We had a lot of really magical moments on this record that I’m really glad we captured, and I just think the chemistry is incredible.”
It is never say never when thinking about seeing this live, as logistics are a big issue. But, I am always the optimist.
DeVere – One To Watch In 2025
One band that we will definitely see live next year is DeVere. Some singles came out in 2024, as well as the odd live show, which included Download Festival 2024. We have an interview in the bag with them, which will be out when we recover from winter. 
DeVere is one band that, though it is very early days, you know something special will come out of this.
Sergeant Thunderhoof – Album Of The Year
Speaking of special, Sergeant Thunderhoof is one band I am really looking forward to seeing live in ’25. I love the new album, The Ghost Of Badon Hill. Three songs on each side of a slice of vinyl, and as a whole, this is just such an intelligent and wonderful album. Blood Moon is such an incredible song, with so many levels, and such a great fit in the album structure.
There is the single Salvation For The Soul on YouTube. Listening to this, having consumed the album via a good-quality download is just a shock. YouTube is ok, but this is a classic example of how their compression can ruin a track.
The Ghost Of Badon Hill is my album of the year. It is an album that builds inside you the more you listen. I was a couple of weeks late posting my review. The reason was that the more I listened to the album, the more I needed to write. Buy it. You will not regret it.
Live – Being Embarassingly Caught In A Mosh
In the photo pit at the Eventim Apollo, I did lose it for a few moments. I was there to provide the visuals to the wonderful words of Paul Hutchings, but on the third song, I forgot for a few seconds about ‘togging and screamed that I was, in fact, “caught in a mosh” to each person who made eye contact at the barrier. More than once, too.
From 1987 at Donington to that. For Testament and Kreator, I was more well-behaved. All three bands, just like Kings Of Thrash, were thrilling and can show people 20 years younger a thing or two.
Personally, the Paul Di’Anno tribute was special, while Arch Enemy was one that was phonenomal to be in the pit for. Throw in the beautiful Cats In Space, the unstoppable energy of Electric Six and, of course, the superb Myles Kennedy, and that just covers the last month.
Seeing Andry Lagiou and sharing a big hug with Mr Venlo, Hans in ‘t Zandt, at The Underworld was cool. There were some awesome shows this year. It is always great to be in the pit, and 2024 was another year when I forgot to arrange earplugs for Christmas. This needs sorting very soon.
I should also doff my hat to our North American Team, who have been working hard and on their own steam much of the time. We will be covering Sunil Singh’s book Sonic Seducer soon. Also, I must send big hugs to Umar, who has re-energised MetalTalk Indonesia.
The Heavier End
Jools Green is one who has been superbly covering Extreme Metal all the time I have been editing MetalTalk. She is amazing and so passionate, and it is a privilege to showcase her writing here. With Paul Hutchings sharing a love for this style and Chris Howell writing, photographing, and even creating, it is wonderful that we can help champion an often-overlooked heavier genre.
Looking Forward to 2025
You just know that 2025 is going to be special for the likes of Cardinal Black, Those Damn Crowes, Florence Black, Kris Barras Band, The Virginmarys, and Dan Byrne. Massive Wagons, who I will have more about very shortly, could well explode big style. What a festival lineup that would be. Throw in a heavy Tailgunner too.
Speaking of British bands, I would like to hear more from Die Ego and Bad Touch in 2025, too. I want a Frost* tour and to see them wearing Carnet t-shirts, as Robert Adams suggested. Life In The Wires was immense. I also want to see James Kennedy live in London.
If I had one regret for 2024, apart from the 50,000 unread emails I was unable to read, is that I never got to cover Dead Man’s Whiskey. Released in 2023, In The Storm was a remarkable album. I came across it just before Festival Season, which is a killer for Editors. I sadly missed the Sólstafir tour, too. Blakkrakki is an immese song and Hin Helga Kvöl is a gem of an album.
The Future Of MetalTalk
With MetalTalk’s Monty Sewell shining as Sub-Editor, we will be joined by Lucy Dunnet and Gabriella Bosticco in the new year as we look to build our style and editorial processes even further. I know this will be an exciting time.
But we will all find that 2025 will be a challenge. Social Media has brought forward disrespect in acknowledging copyright law, and with AI and the ‘smart’ use of technology, this is now going into new disappointing areas.
I’ll be sharing a story about one of the largest public broadcast television network and media companies very soon.
If you value reading the words of our large team of writers and looking at the photos our skilled ‘togs produce so that you can relive a show you went to or read about how your music hero approaches a new album or tour, then these things are at risk. This is not just for MetalTalk and Heavy Metal music but across the board and all topics.
I could also bore you with tales of algorithms and the Google Helpful Content Update that affected many websites badly. MetalTalk were less affected than many, mainly due to some minor changes we made and our overall ethos.
At our heart is the way we present ourselves and the work that the team covers. You don’t get screens full of adverts reading MetalTalk. You can read our coverage with no distractions and enjoy our style, which has been described as aspirational in the past.
At MetalTalk, we’ve always believed that the heart of Heavy Metal beats strongest in its community. There will be some changes in 2025, including bringing bands and venues even more to the fore.
That’s why we have launched the first of our Get Involved series, where you, the reader, can take centre stage, sharing your thoughts, stories, and interviews.
Make no mistake, though. It has been a wonderful and exciting year. I’m sure 2025 will be epic. To the whole MetalTalk team (I could keep typing and typing), I love you all.
If you want to get something off your chest, have an idea, or think we should be something better, then you can email me at SteveRitchie@MetalTalk.net. I’m always up for a chat.
