It was originally launched under Harris Publications in the spring of 2000 by Tom Beaujour and Brad Tolinski, who envisioned it as an American version of Mojo.

Revolver was originally conceived by Tom Beaujour and Brad Tolinski, whom both had experience working for the Harris Publications magazine Guitar World.

[1] Beaujour was hired by Tolinski as an intern at the magazine in 1993, later becoming its managing editor, before quitting on January 1, 1998, to pursue touring with a band he was in.

[1] A year later, Beajour quit his band and was re-hired by Tolinski to do some freelancing work for Guitar World, at which point they began discussing the idea of Revolver magazine, which they envisioned it as an American version of Mojo.

"[1] Revolver's first issue, featuring Jim Morrison on the cover, was published in the spring of 2000 with the tagline "The World's Most Wanted Music Magazine".

The publisher suggested turning it into a quarterly classic rock magazine, to which Tolinski pushed for it going in a harder direction towards heavy metal, feeling it would be cheaper and have a more focused audience.

[1] The relaunched, metal-focused Revolver launched with its September/October 2001 issue featuring Slipknot on the cover, now bearing the tagline "The World's Loudest Rock Magazine".

[11] In the fall of that year, the magazine underwent a brand relaunch, including a redesigned print edition and website, intended to embody the art and culture of heavy music.