The year that... gojira lit up the olympics

As Wacken fast approaches, we find out how a small gathering in Germany evolved into one of the world’s biggest metal fests

Chaos, blood, death, resurrection – Kerry King and Tom Araya look back on the tumultuous journey of the thrash icons who pushed metal to new extremes

With Iron Maiden about to return to the UK as part of their Run For Your Lives world tour, manager Rod Smallwood shares with us what he regards as “the most important and interesting” shows the band have ever played.

Platée Mathias Vidal, Zachary Wilder (tenor), Marie Lys (soprano) et al; La Chapelle Harmonique/ Valentin Tournet Versailles CVS153 137:47 mins (2CD) Imagine a Monty Python sendup of tragédie lyrique

CONCERT HEAVEN Beethoven String Quartet No. 15, Op. 132 – ‘Heiliger Dankgesang’ Johnny Gandelsman (violin), Colin Jacobsen (violin), Nicholas Cords (viola), Eric Jacobsen (cello) Todaiji Temple, Japan

The genre-agnostic mastermind behind Zeal & Ardor gives us a tour of his quirky record collection