Metal Hammer (sometimes
MetalHammer) is a monthly
heavy metalHeavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in England and the United States...
magazine in the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
,
IrelandIreland is a country in north-western Europe. The modern sovereign state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned on 3 May 1921. It is a parliamentary democracy and a republic...
and in
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
,
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
,
AustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.3 million people in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west...
,
FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland
, is a Nordic country and democracy situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. It borders Sweden on the west, Russia on the east, and Norway on the north, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland...
,
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
,
GreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula....
,
PolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe . Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
,
HungaryHungary , in English officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Its capital is Budapest. Hungary is a member of OECD, NATO, EU, V4 and is a Schengen state...
,
SwitzerlandSwitzerland , officially the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 states named cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities...
,
SerbiaSerbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a country located in both Central and Southeastern Europe. Its territory covers the southern part of the Pannonian Plain and central part of the Balkans...
and
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
by a different publisher. It features mainstream and more unusual bands from the wide spectrum of
metal musicHeavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in England and the United States...
. It is the second-largest selling rock magazine in the UK behind
Kerrang!Kerrang! is a rock music magazine published by Bauer Consumer Media in the United Kingdom. The magazine's name is onomatopoeic and refers to the sound made when playing a power chord on an electric guitar.-History:...
and was often viewed as the more underground magazine, but in recent times has moved towards the mainstream metal market which it originally shunned. In Germany,
Metal Hammer has been the market leader since it was launched in 1984.
History
London-based Wilfried F. Rimensberger instigated the concept of
MetalHammer magazine in 1983. At the time, he suggested to the infant
Kerrang!Kerrang! is a rock music magazine published by Bauer Consumer Media in the United Kingdom. The magazine's name is onomatopoeic and refers to the sound made when playing a power chord on an electric guitar.-History:...
magazine in London to publish a
GermanGerman is a West Germanic language, thus related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. It is one of the world's major languages and the most widely spoken first language in the European Union. Around the world, German is spoken by approximately 105 million native speakers and also by...
version.
Kerrang! was not interested. Rimensberger took the idea to Jürgen Wigginghaus, publisher of German
MusikSzene magazine where Rimensberger was Chief-Editor, and proposed the idea of a multi-lingual rock music publication. He also approached some of Europe's largest publishers such as
SpringerSpringer Science+Business Media or Springer is a worldwide publishing company focusing on books, e-books and peer-reviewed journals in STM . Book publications include major reference works, textbooks, monographs and book series; more than 33,000 titles are available as e-books in 13 subject...
,
RingierRingier AG is one of the largest media corporations in Switzerland founded in Zofingen and based in Zürich. It publishes several newspapers and magazines in both German and French...
and
BauerBauer is a German family name. It translates to peasant or farmer.-Surname:Notable people of this name include:* André Bauer , American politician* Bill Bauer, Canadian writer* Bobby Bauer , Canadian ice hockey player...
. None were interested.
Eventually, Wigginghaus used the
Dortmunder Rocknacht as a test ground for the publication in Germany and Rimensberger started the international English version
Metalhammer UK from London. He developed the multilingual concept that propelled the magazine to a monthly circulation of over 1 million and, during its peak, published in 11 different languages across the globe - at the time outselling
Kerrang! by miles.
Metalhammer had local language editions in countries such as
IsraelIsrael officially the State of Israel , is a developed state in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its...
,
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
,
SerbiaSerbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a country located in both Central and Southeastern Europe. Its territory covers the southern part of the Pannonian Plain and central part of the Balkans...
,
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
, The
NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a country in Northwestern Europe, constituting the major portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east...
,
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
,
PolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe . Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
,
HungaryHungary , in English officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Its capital is Budapest. Hungary is a member of OECD, NATO, EU, V4 and is a Schengen state...
,
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
.
Metalhammer was also the first Western youth publication in the USSR. Rimensberger's original and, at the time, unique concept of a heavy metal lifestyle magazine that was embedded in a network of
Metalhammer branded radio shows, aired in various countries, awards, tours, festivals, recordings, etc. made the publication into the leading
genreA genre is a loose set of criteria for a category of composition; the term is often used to categorize literature and speech, but is also used for any other form of art or utterance...
platform of the 80's - and a global leader. Rimensberger, who started and owned Metalhammer UK Ltd and the registered rights in the name, later sold out to Wigginghaus whilst remaining in the background until the early Nineties as an adviser to Wigginghaus. Rimensberger was the promoter of the first Metalhammer
LoreleiThe Lorelei is a rock on the eastern bank of the Rhine near St. Goarshausen, Germany, which soars some 120 metres above the water line. It marks the narrowest part of the river between Switzerland and the North Sea. A very strong current and rocks below the waterline have caused many boat...
Festival with leading metal acts such as
MetallicaMetallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1981. Founded when drummer Lars Ulrich posted an advertisement in a local newspaper, Metallica's line-up has primarily consisted of Ulrich, rhythm guitarist and vocalist James Hetfield, and lead guitarist Kirk...
,
MotörheadMotörhead are a British rock band formed in 1975 by bassist, singer and songwriter Lemmy, who has remained the sole constant member. The band was part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, which re-energized heavy metal in the late '70s and early '80s. Usually a power trio, Motörhead had...
,
VenomVenom are an English heavy metal band, formed in 1978 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.Considered a seminal influence for thrash and coming to prominence towards the end of the 'New Wave of British Heavy Metal', Venom have found little mainstream success or critical acclaim, but are widely regarded...
etc. and originally recommended Metallica to Peter Mensch (
AC/DCAC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Although the band are commonly classified as hard rock and are considered pioneers of heavy metal, they have always classified their music as "rock and roll".AC/DC underwent several line-up...
) for management. Rimensberger also linked the name
Metal Hammer with other successful brands such as the
BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation, usually referred to by its abbreviation as the "BBC", is the longest established and largest broadcaster in the world...
(Tommy Vance Rock show),
MTVMTV is a cable television network based in New York City and launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs...
Metal Show with Bailey Brothers and
Castle DoningtonCastle Donington is a large village, with a population of around 7000 in the North West of Leicestershire, part of the Derby postcode area and on the edge of the National Forest. It is the closest village to East Midlands Airport and DHL which are major employers...
Monsters of RockMonsters of Rock was an annual hard rock music festival in England held every August at the Castle Donington racetrack from 1980–1996 . Monsters of Rock festivals have also been organized in other cities around the world...
FestivalA festival is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on some unique aspect of that community.Among many religions, a feast or festival is a set of celebrations in honour of God or gods. A feast and a festival are historically interchangeable...
.
Harry Doherty, formerly of
Melody Maker, became the launch editor of the English-language
Metal Hammer, also producing the Metal Hammer TV Show on satellite television. He left to found the video magazine,
Hard'n'Heavy, before being asked back by Wigginghaus to take over all the European issues of
Metal Hammer and other associated magazines, such as
Rock World. In association with Picture Music International, the video arm of EMI Records, he also launched the
Metal Hammer Video Magazine, in direct competition to his earlier creation,
Hard'n'Heavy. Doherty left after a management dispute with Wigginghaus.
Rimensberger joined the start-up crew of
MTV EuropeMTV Europe is an pan-European cable television network launched on August 1, 1987. A 24-hour English-language network aimed at viewers aged around 16-35, it reaches more than 100 million households in 43 territories...
as a consultant to the director of Network Development. He also became a co-producer of Tom Galley's Phenomena project, organising its worldwide record deal and linking it with some of the best rock musicians and singers. He co-produced with Tom Galley Phenomena's best selling
Dream Runner album, which has become somewhat of a rock classic uniting the best rock voices of the time on one studio album. Rimensberger also represented Stiletto Entertainment Los Angeles in Europe and produced Nina Corti at the Royal Albert Hall and various TV productions for Swiss, German and UK TV. In the 1990s, Wigginghaus lost control over the publication and, advised by Rimensberger, sold the German edition to Jürg Marquart, the publisher of
PenthousePenthouse, a men's magazine founded by Bob Guccione, combines urban lifestyle articles and soft-core pornographic pictorials that, in the 1990s, evolved into hardcore. Penthouse is owned by Penthouse Media Group, Inc. formerly known as General Media, Inc. whose parent company was Penthouse...
and
CosmopolitanCosmopolitan is an international magazine for women. It was first published in 1886 in the United States as a family magazine, was later transformed into a literary magazine and eventually became a women's magazine in the late 1960s...
magazine in Germany. Later, Wigginghaus had to sell the remaining UK publication to cover personal financial liabilities.
MetalHammer.co.uk
Metal Hammer in the UK also includes its website which features original and exclusive content from news, reviews and interviews to multimedia: the weekly podcast (top ten in the music podcast chart) and Metal Hammer TV.
Publishers
Metal Hammer UK changed hands several times, being bought first by Dennis Publishing and is now with
Future PublishingFuture plc is an international special-interest media company. Future Publishing is its UK business, jointly based in Bath and London. The brand produces magazines, websites and events in a range of specialist sectors including games, technology, automotive, cycling, films and photography...
. The German
Metal Hammer http://www.hammer-mag.de is now owned by
SpringerSpringer Science+Business Media or Springer is a worldwide publishing company focusing on books, e-books and peer-reviewed journals in STM . Book publications include major reference works, textbooks, monographs and book series; more than 33,000 titles are available as e-books in 13 subject...
publishing. There remain Greek and Italian
Metalhammer publications, both published independently. Today, Rimensberger is Founding Chairman of The Childrens Art Academy CAA
http://www.thechildrensartacademy.com in London, is further involved in international magazine publications and is co-producer of Tom Galley's superstar rock music concept
Phenomena (band)Phenomena is a rock concept around a supergroup formed by producers Tom Galley and Wilfried Rimensberger and Tom's brother Mel Galley. Contributors are leading rock musicians such as Glenn Hughes, Brian May, Tony Martin and John Wetton among others...
and remains producer and director of the related multi-media project PHENOMENA. Wigginghaus is now publishing a local event publication in Germany. Serbia's edition is published by Color Media Group. It has over 20000 sold copies each month, and magazine covers Serbia, Montenegro as well as all other former Yugoslavia republics.
External links