Cover features included Led Zeppelin, Metallica and Rush alongside mainstays Opeth, Dimmu Borgir and Slayer.īW&BK debuted the Brave Picks soundcheck in its reviews section, asking individual writers to rate the month's most relevant albums, and then publishing average scores based on all the writers' grades. Current writers David Perri and Greg Pratt also joined the fold.īW&BK was by this time distributed in 23 countries. AC/DC was once again featured in the magazine, while Iron Maiden, In Flames, Rob Halford, Hypocrisy, Nevermore, The Haunted, Dimmu Borgir, Annihilator and Dimebag Darrell all featured on the magazine cover throughout the year. Entombed's comeback album, Uprising, put the band on the cover of issue #39. 2000–2001Ĭhronicling the rise of power metal, BW&BK printed interviews with Rob Halford, Demons & Wizards, Stratovarius and Eidolon. The magazine also included a CD, Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles Proudly Presents Blood Tracks II, with the February 1999 edition. A Top Metal Albums of the '80s feature also surfaced around this time. Events in this period include interviews with Slayer, Sepultura, Gene Simmons of KISS, Death, Morbid Angel, Emperor, In Flames (in celebration of Gothenburg, Sweden's then-rising scene), Rhapsody, Hypocrisy, Witchery and a chat with Janie Hendrix (administrator of the Jimi Hendrix vaults).Ī large piece focusing on Canadian metal bands was also printed, a reflection of BW&BK's Canadian roots. Inside the issue, interviews with Ozzy Osbourne and AC/DC were featured, while Metallica's ReLoad was chastised in BW&BK's Cross-Fire review section.Ī new layout team, Hugues Laflamme and Angie Aue, joined the magazine.

By this time, current writers Carl Begai, Chris Bruni, Mark Gromen, Allan Grusie and Aaron Small had joined the team.īW&BK #21 was the first issue of the magazine to feature a colour cover. In the interim, the magazine had interviewed Slayer, Alex Lifeson of Rush (an interview conducted in Lifeson's living room), Metallica's Jason Newsted and Lars Ulrich, Megadeth, Mercyful Fate, Iron Maiden, Fear Factory, Cradle of Filth, Venom, Annihilator and others. No ads appeared in the inaugural issue.īW&BK continued to grow, reaching 48 pages by October 1997. Issue #1 was 16 pages, and featured interviews with Pantera, Entombed, Gwar, Cannibal Corpse and Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath. HMV stocked the magazine and other record stores followed suit. The two subsequently plotted a magazine creation based on Metal Tim Bits the Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles title was based on Agony Column's 1990 album of the same name.Ģ00 copies of BW&BK #1 were originally printed, and its cover price was $1.95. Henderson, who had published several photocopied issues of a newsletter called Metal Tim Bits (the title a play on the Tim Bit donut served at the popular Canadian coffee chain Tim Hortons), encountered Popoff in the Toronto HMV's metal section and Popoff began discussing his first metal book, Riff Kills Man.

Brave words