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{{Short description|British music magazine}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox magazine
| title           = Metal Forces
| image_file      = Metal forces aug 1988.jpg
| image_size      = 
| image_caption   = ''Metal Forces'' cover from August 1988
| editor          = Bernard Doe
| editor_title    = Editor
| previous_editor = 
| staff_writer    = 
| category        = [[Rock music]]
| frequency       = Weekly
| founder         = Bernard Doe
| founded         = 1983
| lastdate        = 1992
| company         = Rockzone Publications Ltd.
| country         = United Kingdom
| based           = [[Stevenage]], [[Hertfordshire]], England
| language        = English
| website         = {{URL|metalforcesmagazine.com}}
}}
'''''Metal Forces''''' is a British [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] and [[hard rock]] music publication founded in 1983. It was well known for its coverage of unsigned bands through its ''Demolition'' feature and championed the likes of [[Metallica]],<ref>Lew, Brian. (9 May 2000) [http://archive.salon.com/ent/log/2000/05/09/metallica_fan/index.html Metallica, how could you?] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060624115930/http://archive.salon.com/ent/log/2000/05/09/metallica_fan/index.html |date=24 June 2006 }} [[Salon.com]]. Retrieved 10 April 2008.</ref> [[Slayer]], [[Megadeth]], [[HellsBelles]], [[Overkill (band)|Overkill]], [[Death (metal band)|Death]] and [[Poison (American band)|Poison]] long before they had secured record deals. They are credited as contributing in this fashion to the success of the band [[Anacrusis (band)|Anacrusis]].<ref>King, Louise. (8 March 1990) "Anacrusis: Crashing into heavy metal". "St. Louis Post-Dispatch". Page 8G.</ref><ref>Durchholz, Daniel. (June 18, 1993). "Proving their metal". ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'', Everyday Magazine. Page 4D.</ref> Dave Reynolds, a former writer for ''Metal Forces'', has claimed that the magazine was the first to coin the terms [[thrash metal]] and [[death metal]].<ref>Ritchie, Jason. (2003) [http://www.getreadytorock.com/bstage_heroes/dave_reynolds.htm Backstage heroes: interview with Dave Reynolds] "Contrary to what anyone may have told you, 'Metal Forces' coined the terms 'death metal' and 'thrash metal'. The former almost as a lighthearted piss-take to anything that sounded as bad as Hellhammer!". getreadytorock.com. Accessed 10 April 2008.</ref> A ''Metal Forces'' compiled vinyl album, ''Demolition – Scream Your Brains Out!'', based on the magazine's popular ''Demolition'' column, was released in 1988 through Chain Reaction Records featuring Anacrusis, [[Atrophy (band)|Atrophy]], [[Hobbs' Angel of Death]], [[Aftermath (American band)|Aftermath]] and the [[Chris Barnes (musician)|Chris Barnes]] fronted Leviathan. In addition to metal acts, the magazine also featured interviews with [[alternative rock]] acts such as [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]].<ref>#46, January 1990, page 24.</ref>

In August 1991, ''Metal Forces'' created the offshoot publication ''Thrash 'n Burn'', a monthly title dedicated to [[extreme metal]].

== History ==
''Metal Forces'' was created in 1983 by Bernard Doe, with the first issue released in August 1983. Articles covered and promoted mainly bands that were relatively unknown at the time. ''Metal Forces'' aided greatly in promoting unknown bands and [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] and [[hard rock]] during the 1980s and early 1990s, becoming one of UK's top music magazines during that period.

During the early 1990s, ''Metal Forces'' changed from their policy of balancing their articles between established and unknown bands, to a style which covered more mainstream and famed rock and heavy metal bands. The changes implemented were not profitable and the magazine lost readers and advertisers. In this period and for a brief time, ''Metal Forces'' launched the appreciated spin-off ''Thrash 'n Burn'' (later renamed ''Xtreme Noize''). ''Metal Forces'' released seventy-two issues before rebranding under the abbreviated title of ''MF''. The latter ceased publication in February 1993. As of 2012, ''Metal Forces'' launched its official website online, which has information from its magazine issues and new information and coverage of bands.

In an interview, rock columnist Dave Reynolds indicated that the magazine was created in response to difficulties working with rival publication ''[[Kerrang!]]''<ref name="Dave">Ritchie, Jason. (2003) [http://www.getreadytorock.com/bstage_heroes/dave_reynolds.htm Backstage heroes: interview with Dave Reynolds]. getreadytorock.com. Accessed 10 April 2008.</ref> According to Reynolds, the magazine gained national distribution in the late 1980s and, with its success, inspired ''Kerrang!'' to produce a spin-off publication of its own, ''Mega Metal Kerrang!''<ref name="Dave" /> The magazine disseminated information about the metal music scene; in 2007, the senior VP of [[Roadrunner Records]] indicated that ''Metal Forces'', along with similar publication ''Kick Ass'', "was my Bible... the way I discovered new bands and fed my insatiable appetite for all things emerging in the underground".<ref>[[Metal Hammer]]. [http://www.metalhammer.co.uk/news/article/?id=47301 Bob Muldowney dies] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080412074948/http://www.metalhammer.co.uk/news/article/?id=47301 |date=12 April 2008 }}. metalhammer.co.uk. Accessed 10 April 2008.</ref>

In March 2012, ''Metal Forces'' launched their official website.

=== Controversy ===
In 1984, ''Metal Forces'' printed a review of [[black metal]] band [[Hellhammer]] so negative that the band's frontman, [[Thomas Gabriel Fischer]], indicated the band would never play in England because of it. After forming a new band, [[Celtic Frost]], Fischer continued to refuse requests for an interview with the magazine.<ref>Doe, Bernard. (1985) "Celtic Frost". ''Metal Forces Magazine'' #14.</ref>

In 1986, former [[Metallica]] guitarist and founder of [[Megadeth]], [[Dave Mustaine]], complained about the magazine because it named his successor at Metallica, [[Kirk Hammett]], the number 1 in the readers' poll of ''Metal Forces''. The voting was based on a demo recording of ''[[No Life 'Til Leather]]'', which Mustaine had recorded rather than Hammett.<ref>Putterford, Mark. ''Metallica Talking: Metallica in Their Own Words''. 2004. Omnibus Press. {{ISBN|1-84449-099-8}} p. 12.</ref>

== ''Metal Forces Presents: Demolition – Scream Your Brains Out!'' ==
{{Infobox album
| name       = Metal Forces Presents: Demolition – Scream Your Brains Out!
| type       = Compilation
| artist     = various artists
| cover      = Metal Forces presents.jpg
| alt        =
| released   = 1988
| recorded   =
| venue      =
| studio     =
| genre      = [[Thrash metal]]
| length     =
| label      = Chain Reaction Records
| producer   =
| prev_title =
| prev_year  =
| next_title =
| next_year  =
}}

=== Track listing ===
#"Violent Slaughter" – Leviathan
#"Chainsaw Massacre" – [[Hobbs' Angel of Death]]
#"War for Freedom" – [[Aftermath (American band)|Aftermath]]
#"Imprisoned" – [[Anacrusis (band)|Anacrusis]]
#"Chemical Dependency" – [[Atrophy (band)|Atrophy]]
#"Leviathan" – Leviathan
#"Satan's Crusade" – [[Hobbs' Angel of Death]]
#"When Will You Die" – [[Aftermath (American band)|Aftermath]]
#"Disembowled/Annihilation Complete" – [[Anacrusis (band)|Anacrusis]]
#"Preacher, Preacher" – [[Atrophy (band)|Atrophy]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.metalforcesmagazine.com/ Official website]

[[Category:Heavy metal publications]]
[[Category:Magazines established in 1983]]
[[Category:Music magazines published in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Magazines disestablished in 1992]]
[[Category:Defunct music magazines published in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Weekly magazines published in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:British heavy metal music]]
[[Category:1983 establishments in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:1992 disestablishments in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Mass media in Hertfordshire]]