The January issue of MNSTRM captures a moment where live music still feels urgent, physical, and worth paying attention to. Across reviews, essays, and long-form coverage, Issue 65 focuses on artists who show up with intention, whether they’re headlining sold-out rooms, grinding through club tours, or challenging the systems that shape how music survives in 2026.

This issue leans heavily into the live experience. A deep dive into the 20 year old Metallica beef to Cameron Whitcomb’s deeply grounded performance at Newport Music Hall, these pieces center on sincerity over spectacle. Coverage of The Band CAMINO, All Time Low with Mayday Parade, Memphis May Fire, Shakey Graves, In Color, and Night Cap highlights the range of spaces where connection still happens, from packed arenas to rooms that feel one step away from a basement show.

Alongside the live reporting, January includes a reflective album review revisiting Down’s NOLA thirty years later, framing the record not as nostalgia but as a lasting statement of creative independence. The issue is anchored by a long-form editorial examining Metallica vs. Napster, not as a cultural punchline, but as an early warning about ownership, labor, and what artists would eventually lose in the streaming era.

Taken together, Issue 65 documents a scene that’s still evolving under pressure. It’s about bands finding momentum without losing themselves, artists insisting their work has value beyond exposure, and audiences showing up when something feels real.

Honest coverage, lived perspective, and music that still demands your attention.