For our 20th anniversary issue, METAL turns its gaze toward faith, devotion, and the figures we choose to follow when old certainties collapse.

In a time of empty altars and full stadiums, belief has not disappeared. It has changed shape. We have swapped the Amen for the Like, the rosary for the light stick, the church for the gym, and the procession for the perfectly synchronised choreography of pop culture. From fandom and wellness rituals to religious imagery in fashion, music and art, “Follow the Leader” explores the strange spiritual hunger of a generation that claims not to believe, yet keeps searching for something, or someone, to follow.

Across these pages, we look at the tension between the shepherd and the flock, between cynicism and devotion, between the need for guidance and the danger of surrendering to false prophets, algorithms, idols and leaders of every kind.

Twenty years after its first issue, METAL is still here, still independent, still asking uncomfortable questions, and still keeping the light on.