There can be something comforting about heavy metal. Though the sound of the music can be bloodcurdling, the genre's style and traditions remain pretty consistent: long hair, black clothes—and a contempt for sell-outs and commercial gimmickry.

Of course, defining such offenses is a fool's errand, but the editors of Revolver, a leading magazine in the genre, have learned a few things based on newsstand sales. A recent issue featuring Pantera, whose former guitarist was shot to death on stage in 2004, was one of the most popular...