| SPINAL | ___ Tap, fictional (and later real) English heavy metal band (6) |
| DORSET | Real English county on which Thomas Hardy based the fictional Wessex |
| MARTINSHEEN | Actor whose roles have included both a fictional and a real-life U.S. president |
| MAIDEN | Iron ____, torture device that gave its name to an English heavy metal band?(6) (6) |
| PRIEST | Judas --, English heavy metal band formed in 1969 (6) |
| SPINALTAP | Fictional English heavy metal band whose original name was The Thamesmen (6,3) |
| IRONMAIDEN | English heavy metal band whose songs include 'The Trooper' and 'Run for the Hills' (4,6) |
| JUDASPRIEST | English heavy metal band whose albums include Stained Class and British Steel |
| IRON | ___ Maiden English heavy metal band whose song El Dorado won the 2011 Grammy for Best Metal Performance |
| SAXON | English heavy metal band, formed in the mid 1970s, whose latest album is 2024's Hell, Fire and Damnation (5) |
| LEPPARD | English heavy metal band, Def ... (7) |
| SMALLS | Bassist of the fictional heavy metal band Spinal Tap, played by US actor and comedian Harry Shearer (5,6) |
| ACIDIC | Like tart? Heavy metal band picks up two, separately (6) |
| ULRICH | Lars, Danish drummer with heavy metal band Metallica (6) |
| LEDZEPPELIN | English heavy metal group, founded 1968 (3,8) |
| LEAD | Young fellow hoards English heavy metal (4) |
| IRONORE | Press release primarily covers old English heavy metal producer? (4,3) |
| OSBOURNE | English heavy metal singer/songwriter, born 1948, who became a reality TV star (8) |
| MOTLEY | - Crue, US heavy metal band (6) |
| RELOAD | The seventh album by American heavy metal band Metallica, released in 1997 |
