Written by:	omne metallum
Published:	April 20, 2025

April 5th 2025 marked my fifth year as a Metalstormer; celebrating the occasion with my 555th album review (unintentional, but I do enjoy the parallel) and a sense of reverie that made me think back to those days when I starting out spamming reviews like a person possessed. A lot has changed in those five years, both good and bad; from the world moving away from live streamed shows to actual in-person concerts, to bands breaking up or breaking through, the world is in a constant state of flux, but thank whatever you believe in that music is a constant.

From the day I set up my account, I found myself in a community of like-minded individuals; sure, some may not like the particular niche of metal as you, but aside from some lighthearted jibes, it's a place to talk about the thing you love, share experiences, and pass about recommendations for what you should next press play on. It's been a pleasure to find myself a platform that is willing to hear me wax lyrical on what I love and hate, while throwing in as many dad jokes as is tolerable. So, sit back and hear how it’s been five years since my life got flipped, turned upside down, sit right there, I'll tell you how I became the reviewer extraordinaire (no, the jokes don't get better than this).

Why did I start up on Metal Storm? When Covid hit, my life got flipped turned upsi... oh, I already made that joke. Well, when Covid struck, it led to as huge a change in my life as it did everyone; in my case, it meant having to find new accommodation within a matter of days while balancing work (I was deemed an essential worker by the UK government, so I had to work through the pandemic - still not bitter about not being furloughed... dammit) and my personal life. As a result of this, I found myself living in a box room with no internet, no TV and one book; with stay-at-home orders in place, all I had to occupy my time was a Spotify account on my phone that I could download music to at work and listen to when I got home. I needed something to occupy my mind and spare time, and writing about what I was listening to seemed the best idea.

As the world has returned to (a semblance of) normality, that itch to listen to music hasn't dimmed, although now I have to split my time between a change of employment, starting a family and being able to go outside again, my level of output has been nowhere near the crazed heights that were 2020/2021. It instead offered me a different avenue of music to talk about, live shows! As many a music lover will attest, there is nothing quite like experiencing it live (indeed, having to make do with livestreams proved that point), and being able to talk about is something that unites many a music fan. One of the biggest assets Metal Storm has is its archive of concert reviews, offering a great insight to how bands were at different points in time. I've never been on a cruise before, but something about DT Metal's accounts of 70,000 Tons Of Metal make me want try it one day (for now, anyway: on my budget, a paddle boat, a bottle of rum and a Bluetooth speaker will have to suffice), while reading Baz Anderson's coverage of Bloodstock and Damnation festivals is fascinating to see how each has evolved from how they were then, to how they are now when I'm attending and contrasting (those early Bloodstock line-ups, damn if only I knew at the time).

I would recommend anyone who comes across this site to join up; it's been a trove of insight and recommendations that has been invaluable for sourcing new music to listen to. Even though I never got to speak to him, flicking through Marcel Hubregtse's reviews and album collection like a kid in a record store turned me onto doom, going from a genre I couldn't abide to one that I've been fully converted to (still a thrasher at heart, though!) and find myself seeking out more and more. Musclassica's quests to listen to every piece of recorded music released in a year and cobble it into a list is an invaluable tool come end-of-year lists, as he's neatly summarised it into one place (just don't pay much heed to the scores). I’d also like to thank him for proofreading most of those 555 reviews, and mercifully not charging a pint per review (more fool him). I couldn't forget RaduP, someone who has given me a level of PTSD over the years, whenever I see the words "would you like to" I just know he's pushing some terrible album my way.

I'd also like to thank ScreamingSteelUS for allowing me to become a Contributor here, placing a level in trust in me that I have repaid by clogging up the website with reviews of old nu metal albums that should have stayed dead and buried and glam metal albums that still have that whiff of hairspray on them, plus a two-part series series talking about Slayer and how they (didn't) release the same album time and time again. There are many more I'd like to thank, but of all the things I have written for this site, an Oscar speech isn't one of them! So, thank you all for everything over the years.

So, where to now? Well, to be honest with you, I found myself thinking that same question when, by pure chance, I found out my fifth anniversary was coming up; I had been contemplating hanging up my proverbial typewriter, handing in my badge and gun and calling it a day. It's been increasingly hard to find time to contribute in a meaningful way (I think I've had a Getting Into Megadeth article pencilled in for about 3 years now), though each time I think that, I put on an album and find myself shaking my head and realising I still enjoy doing this (with Lemmy's untimely passing coming up to ten years this year, there is no doubt I'll put my hat in the ring to write an article on it, then realise I don't have the time to do it). It's a certainty that I won't repeat my prior level of output short of another pandemic, but I'll continue to plug away and fill the void as that guy who will find five hundred words to describe a Limp Bizkit album.

In fact, I think it's the received wisdom of the rock god himself that should close out this 5th year anniversary celebration:

"Only way to feel the noise is when it's good and loud,
So good I can't believe it, screaming with the crowd,
Don't sweat it, we’ll get it back to you"