This week our guest is Xasthur mastermind Scott Conner. We talk about what led him to alter his sound from black metal to "doomgrass," how he felt about his final black metal release Portal of Sorrow, how the doomgrass style fits into the metal world at large, his thoughts on separating the art from the artist, the importance of writing songs in an isolated setting, the different kinds of fans his live shows attract and his upcoming record (coming in 2019). 

Petar and Brandon discuss Kiss's final tour, the sharp decrease in physical album sales and the rise of streaming revenue, why we think Metallica still sell so many copies of The Black Album, our feelings on Metallica someday playing the Super Bowl halftime show and the Mudvayne reunion conversation.

Songs:
Xasthur - “You Lose”
Xasthur - “Against Your Will”
Xasthur - “Slaughtered Useless Beings in a Nihilstic Dream

This week we speak with Aborted vocalist Sven de Caluwé about the band's new album TerrorVision, including how the decision came about to name it after the '80s thriller, how awful that film was, how the title isn’t a direct reference to the movie but to the state of the world today and the cheap scare tactics modern-day horror films utilize. We also discuss how people often forget that metal is supposed to be fun, how modern technology can cover up mistakes and the negatives that brings, how Sven has always been a big sucker for artwork, which recent band Aborted toured with whose audience did not receive them well, his feelings about returning to perform at the Bataclan in Paris after the tragedy at the Eagles of Death Metal concert, and which children’s film would make a great concept for a death metal album.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn introduce a new school for air musicians, discuss Glen Benton vs. Mormons, the "bad vibes" Ozzy Osbourne got from Black Sabbath, how we would like to see Ozzy go out, and the Rebel Wizard shirt Jozalyn must own.

Songs:
Aborted - “Terrorvision”
Aborted - “Squalor Opera”

Blake Harrison of Pig Destroyer guests this week. We discuss the lengthy break between the band's new album Head Cage and Book Burner (2012), if the title of the record contains any messages about modern society, how a Pig Destroyer show has become an event for our genre, how they got on the Showtime promo for the new Twin Peaks series (while we fanboy hard on David Lynch’s career), playing “Natasha” in its entirety and if there is a demand for that song, his thoughts on doing a Pig Destroyer live record, and turning down an offer to do Prowler in the Yard in it’s entirety (and his take on that general phenomenon).

Also this week MetalSucks co-founder Axl Rosenberg calls in to discuss his perfect score for Head Cage, the comments and reviews he's been reading about it and his thoughts on the rest of Pig Destroyer's discography, which Petar unfairly makes him rank on the spot.

Petar and Brandon create an ad for the splendid new Atreyu song, discuss Brent Hinds' comments about metal being "the most brutal job" he's ever had (and Devin Townsend’s response), the Sword’s recently-announced hiatus, and our thoughts on the cruel realities of being a non-stop touring musician in 2018.

Songs:
Pig Destroyer - “Army of Cops”
Pig Destroyer - “The Torture Fields”
Pig Destroyer - “Mt. Skull”

Mike Muir of Suicidal Tendencies is our guest this week. We discuss the band's new record STill Cyco Punk After All These Years, a reimagining of his 1996 solo album, and how the lyrical content is still relevant today. Mike also talks at length on a number of topics including how being a victim is a choice in some peoples' lives, how a surefire way to be miserable is to make other people happy, how most people just want to be right and refuse to communicate, how journalism is more focused on getting a point across instead of reporting news, how extreme people can manipulate others because of human nature, the current dry spell of genre-defining bands, music becoming just background noise instead of the soundtrack to our lives, and how proud he is to get inducted into the skateboarding hall of fame.

Petar, Jozalyn, and Brandon discuss Metallica’s new brand of whiskey, the eleven-year-old who was left home alone so his parents could go see a Godflesh concert, Slayer continuing their final tour into 2019, and if new Motley Crue music is something we want to hear.

Songs:
Suicidal Tendencies - “F.U.B.A.R.”
LiveKill - “Demons”