There are some people for whom Abbath is a joke. A novelty. A human meme in corpse-paint and studded armour, whose true value lies in gurning faces, comedic machismo and a sense that he isn’t being ...

This month’s roundup features Megadeth’s ferocious return to form, an eviscerating heavy metal snowstorm from Abbath and an alternative Yuletide anthem Reluctant figureheads for a post-millennial US ...