This week we resume our annual best-of-the-year episode with part two (part one right here), featuring our five favorite albums of 2019. We play a couple of tracks from each record that we found to be special, and feature an interview with Lars Frederiksen of The Old Firm Casuals and Rancid. This is our last episode of 2019, so come and celebrate the highlights that made this year important as we celebrate our love of heavy music!

Songs: Whitechapel - “When A Demon Defiles A Witch" and "Hickory Creek," Possessed - “No Room In Hell" and "Shadowcult," Periphery - “Blood Eagle” and "Garden In The Bones," The Old Firm Casuals - “Traitor” and “Motherland” and Tool - “7empest."

This week we bring you part one of our annual two-part Top 15 albums of the year episode. We count down our favorite albums from #15 to #6 (our top five will come next week) and we play a track from each record. Vicky Psarakis of The Agonist, Ray Alder of Fates Warning and Chelsea Wolfe, three of our picks, also join us for quick interviews. Come celebrate another great year with us and the music we love on The Metalsucks Podcast.

Songs: Jinjer - “On The Top," The Agonist - “As One We Survive," Opeth - “Universal Truth," Cult of Luna - “Lay Your Head To Rest," Ray Alder - “Lost," Torche - “Admission," Brutus - “War," Ardours - “Last Moment," Refused - “Turn The Cross," Chelsea Wolfe - “Deranged For Rock N Roll”

This week our guest is Sevendust guitarist Clint Lowery, also formerly of Dark New Day, Korn, Seether and Call Me No One. We talk about his debut solo album, God Bless The Renegades, the weight of putting his name on a record as opposed to a project with a band, Wolfgang Van Halen’s role in the project and the special songs he plans on performing live while touring the record. We also discuss the draw of decadence in rock and roll for young people, his thoughts on a healthy approach to social media, his relationship with God and the struggle to find trust, and an update on the next record from Sevendust.

Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia discuss all the Mötley Crüe news, from the initial reunion announcement to the financials surrounding the tour to how much we would pay to see the touring package (with Def Leppard and Poison), our thoughts on if Slayer came back after a few years, and Zakk Sabbath making an announcement to commemorate Black Sabbath’s 50th anniversary.

Songs: Clint Lowery, “God Bless The Renegades” and “Kings," Avatarium, “The Fire I Long For”

Nile mastermind Karl Sanders is our guest this week. We discuss the writing process for Nile's new album, Vile Nilotic Rites, the extensive touring prior to recording it, keeping up that momentum in the studio, the anxiety that comes with releasing new music and what made this album cycle different, how producer Mark Lewis helped strengthen its production, why he isn't interested in playing a classic album in its entirety and more. Sanders also shares the lessons that he brings to life from training in martial arts, his current gripe with modern day reviewers of music, and if there are any secret personal lyrics behind Nile songs.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn tackle the news of Sleep's planned indefinite hiatus, which Matt Pike band we prefer, The Black Crowes reuniting with only Chris and Rich Robinson from the classic band lineup, and Corey Taylor’s thought on writing great music sober.

Nile mastermind Karl Sanders is our guest this week. We discuss the writing process for Nile's new album, Vile Nilotic Rites, the extensive touring prior to recording it, keeping up that momentum in the studio, the anxiety that comes with releasing new music and what made this album cycle different, how producer Mark Lewis helped strengthen its production, why he isn't interested in playing a classic album in its entirety and more. Sanders also shares the lessons that he brings to life from training in martial arts, his current gripe with modern day reviewers of music, and if there are any secret personal lyrics behind Nile songs.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn tackle the news of Sleep's planned indefinite hiatus, which Matt Pike band we prefer, The Black Crowes reuniting with only Chris and Rich Robinson from the classic band lineup, and Corey Taylor’s thought on writing great music sober.

Songs: Nile “Long Shadows of Dread" and “Vile Nilotic Rites”

This week we chat with film composer and Marilyn Manson producer Tyler Bates. Tyler worked with Manson on The Pale Emperor and Heaven Upside Down and has composed musical scores for the entire Guardians of the Galaxy and John Wick franchises, in addition to films such as Deadpool 2, Watchmen, 300, Halloween (2007), Atomic Blonde and numerous others. We discuss his involvement with the first live action Cirque Du Soleil show, R.U.N., how that process compares to composing films, the multiple TV series he has worked on recently, and the important role The Shield played in inspiring him to compose for television. We also talk about our favorite soundtracks (including Matt Dillion’s City of Ghosts, a personal favorite of Petar's which Tyler composed), his take on Martin Scorsese's comments about the Marvel world not being cinema, if working with Rob Zombie on a film was a different challenge because he is a musician, and the story behind ending The Devil’s Rejects with “Free Bird."

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss the passing of Mercyful Fate bassist Timi Hansen, the reunion of Rage Against The Machine, and why James and Lars of Metallica should not consider using riffs written by Kirk Hammett.

Songs: Tyler Bates - “Texas Motel” (Killer Joe score), “Run Baby Girl” (The Devil’s Rejects score) and “Fever Dream” (300 score), Marilyn Manson - “We Know Where You Fucking Live”

This week we have vocalist Tatiana Shmayluk of Jinjer on the show. We discuss the short gap between the Micro EP and new full-length album Macro, the difficulty of writing lyrics quickly as opposed to taking your time, how deadlines help motivate her, and the lyrics behind the track “Retrospection” and how it is connected with her childhood. Tati also tells us about growing up in the Ukraine as the U.S.S.R. was falling apart in the '90s, how her childhood was creative and happy despite the circumstances, her appreciation for the human element of art in the digital era, the next homecoming show that she will be performing and her idea for a massive stage show she hopes to accomplish.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn have another music episode in store for you guys in response to not one but two listener emails about the MetalSucks 25 Best Metal Albums of 2010 - 2019 list.

Songs: “On The Top” and “Pit of Consciousness” by Jinjer

Fit For an Autopsy songwriter/guitarist and metal producer Will Putney returns to the show this week to discuss Fit For an Autopsy's new album The Sea of Tragic Beasts. He tells us the dream that motivated the title of the album, how the traumatic issues children in broken homes face influenced it, the positive message that the band tries to put forward, and how he utilizes his artistic output to influence the next generation. Will also recounts the process of producing Body Count’s No Lives Matter, his story of Body Count performing at the Grammys pre-taping, and the story of getting dragged off the stage as fast as possible at the Grammys.

Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia break down the statement released by Chris Adler in regards to his departure from Lamb of God, Zakk Wylde not being involved in the new Ozzy solo record, and Danny Carey’s statement about Tool not being a metal band.

Songs: “Mirrors" and “Shepherd” by Fit For an Autopsy, “The Last Gasp of Street Rock N’ Roll” by Ramallah.

This week we chat with Cory Brandan of Norma Jean! We discuss his return to Norma Jean after releasing the Hundred Suns project, having the lifer mentality when it comes to the art form of metal, the difficult writing process for Norma Jean's new album, All Hail, how the loss of a fan inspired the creation of many songs, going through the stages of grief while creating songs, comparing the lessons learned from art to those learned to history, the essence of a “fictional reality,” and much more.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn also go through and breakdown the completion of The MetalSucks 25 Best Metal Albums of 2010 - 2019 poll, talk about the album we feel should never have made the list, and share our overall thoughts on each selection.

Songs: Norma Jean “Safety Last” and “Landslide Defeater,” “Black Gold” by Infected Rain

This week we chat with Refused drummer David Sandström. We discuss the band's new album, War Music, the emotional energy needed to write the record, the years of Refused’s inactivity and if he had any clue the band could ever experience a second life, being very obscure in the States during their original run, the legacy and lasting power of The Shape of Punk to Come, and how War Music is his proudest moment as a musician. David also talks about what it's like to be in a band that is a voice on the far left, the shrinking of the middle class in our current economy, and how he's able to ignore artists' personal beliefs and focus on the art itself.

Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia attempt to make a Halloween bit, discuss the reveal that Edsel Dope is Xer0 from the reunited Static- X and Dope's subsequent denial, and we speculate on why people are so curious to find out who the masked tribute singer is.

Songs: Refused “Blood Red” and “Economy of Death”

GosT mastermind Baalberith is our guest on the podcast this week. We discuss GosT's new album Valediction, having the record start heavier than all his previous one, the limitless possibilities working in the electronic music medium allows, his choice to include vocals on a majority of the album, the recent tour with 3Teeth, and his expectations for heading out with Mayhem and Gaahl’s Wyrd in Europe. We also have some fun creating our own horror film from scratch: we decide the genre that we want to tackle, create the hero we want to see on screen, force ourselves through the difficulty of creating a truly iconic villain, try to find an original weapon for our slasher, the plot that is going to scare the world, and our struggle to find a cool ending.

Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia tackle the reality of Chris Fehn hoping he will play again with Slipknot, the reveal of a lawsuit that has completely shut down Fear Factory, our thoughts on how Fear Factory could continue, and how lawsuits affect a band's fans.

Songs: GoST - “Wrapped in Wax” and “The Call of The Faithful," Jinjer - “Judgement (& Punishment)”

This week's guest is Gatecreeper frontman Chase Mason. We discuss the band's upcoming new album, Deserted, the insane hand-drawn cover art by Brad Moore and the story behind it, his favorite tour memory with Power Trip, the bromance between Gatecreeper and Iron Reagan, and his take on pornogrind. We also talk about his love for Pauly Shore despite (or perhaps because of) not being much of a film buff, how having a short attention span is responsible for his love of music above other art forms, and his struggle to pack properly for winter touring after growing up in Arizona.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss Jozalyn's recent tour of the midwest and her run-in with a stranger from the past, the death of horror actor Sid Haig, Rob Zombie’s statement about horror and metal being a step above pornography, and James Hetfield checking himself back into rehab.

Songs: Gatecreeper - “Everlasting," Gatecreeper - “From The Ashes," and Dawn of Disease - “Procession of Ghosts."

Opeth mastermind Mikael Åkerfeldt is our guest this week! We delve into his search for the perfect Latin phrase to name an album, his choice to sing in two languages, King Diamond's influence on the new album, how the term “heavy” has changed throughout his career and his opinion of the phrase, writing the new record in secret without anyone knowing, his refusal to modernize his studio and using old equipment to record, using more samples on this record than all the previous Opeth records combined, the story behind bringing a lute to record on Morningrise, and an update on his possible collaboration with Mike Portnoy.

Also: Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia discuss the money pit that was Newsted and the difficulty established artists have when starting over with a new band. They also address a listener's concerns about the lack of comedy bits on the show over the last month, and Dio and Brisco throw down a new rap attacking Uncle Brandon bestowing the "C" word upon their generation.

Songs: “Heart In Hand” by Opeth, “Transcendence” by Imperimum Decadenz, and “Valediction” by Insomnium.

In this special half-episode episode we catch up with Nine Inch Nails and Angels & Airwaves drummer Ilan Rubin about his solo project, The New Regime. Ilan tells us about his choice to release the album as four EPs -- titled Heart, Mind, Body, and Soul -- how much touring he would like to do with The New Regime despite his commitments with NIN and Angels & Airwaves, the difficulty of juggling all of his projects, pulling double-duty on tours with multiple bands, and the importance of time-managing and efficiency in modern times.

Meanwhile Petar plays a few tracks he's stoked on from records coming out this fall.

Songs: The New Regime - “A Way To Feel Again," Kadaver - “The Devil’s Master," Life of Agony - “Lay Down," The Agonist - “As One We Survive”

Johannes Persson of the mighty Cult of Luna is our guest this week. We discuss the band's much lauded collaboration with Julie Christmas, Mariner -- which recently landed on our list of the 25 Best Metal Albums of 2010-2019 -- and its impact on Cult of Luna's new full-length, A Dawn to Fear, what it was like performing that album live due to popular demand, getting everybody back together and on the same page for A Dawn to Fear, the companion videos that became a nightmare project and how they ended up turning into a short film, his distaste for extensive touring, and a number of other subjects.

Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia Alvarado (filling in for Jozalyn) tackle the comments Brandon made last week about the modern generation, the drama between The Agonist vocalist Vicky Psarakis and former singer Alissa White-Gluz, and former Anthrax vocalist Dan Nelson beating up the elderly.

Songs: Cult of Luna, "The Silent Man" and "Lay Your Head To Rest"

Monolord bassist Mika Häkki is our guest this week. We talk about his musical upbringing in Finland, the gateway bands that led him into underground metal, watching the Swedish metal scene explode, the impact of bands like At the Gates and Refused had on both him and the world, the trial and error process that saw the discovery of Monolord's sound, the influence country music has on him, the journey towards signing with Relapse Records for the release of No Comfort, and the importance of artists developing naturally.

Petar and Brandon tackle the John Travolta and Fred Durst box office failure, Tool dethroning Taylor Swift for the #1 charting album, her fans' reactions to the horrible injustice, and Maynard’s lengthy clarification on the phrase #bummer with regards to Justin Bieber liking his band's music.

Songs: Monolord “The Last Leaf” and “The Bastard Son”

This week we're joined by drummer Ray Luzier, from Korn and KXM! We discuss the origin of the supergroup KXM, the chemistry between band members, the group's creative freedom, and why they've never played a live show. We also chat about Korn's new album, The Nothing, the personal tragedy vocalist Jonathan Davis suffered during the creation of the album, and why this is Ray's favorite record he has done with Korn. Finally, we get Ray's thoughts on Army of Anyone’s first and only album, learn whether or not the band completed any material for a sophomore effort, and explore the possibility of that band reforming to give fans new music.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn also discuss and give their reviews of the new Tool album, Fear Inoculum. How does the album compare to Tool's other work? What does the record mean to the rock and metal world? And will this be the final Tool album???

Songs

KXM - “Lightning”
Korn - “Cold”
Army of Anyone - “It Doesn’t Seem to Matter”

Betraying the Martyrs vocalist Aaron Matts is our guest this week. We discuss the recent fire that struck the band's trailer and forced them to cancel their North American tour, the results of the investigation into the cause of the blaze, the sad news that the drum kit Chris Adler used with Megadeth burned up, how Adler became the band's manager, how skate culture was Aaron's gateway into music, the importance of using cannabis at a responsible age, and how crucial it is to wake up far away from the cell phone to start your morning right.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn tackle the news that physical pre-orders of the new Tool record are sold out and the homophobic reaction sparked by Attila’s "gay" kiss on stage.

Songs: Betraying The Martyr - "Eternal Machine," "Parasite"

Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro from Lacuna Coil guest on the show this week. We discuss their recent live DVD commemorating the band's 20th anniversary, everything that went into the production and special guests of that two-day performance (and what went wrong that viewers would never know), how revisiting songs they haven’t played in years influenced the new album, Black Anima. We also look back at the standout tours that broke Lacuna Coil into a different league, the tour that they did that they cherish the most, and a touching moment where Cristina felt a sense of peace after a personal loss.

Petar and Brandon deliver another music episode inspired by a fan calling them out on being old men by praising '90s hard rock over modern day mainstream rock.

Songs: Lacuna Coil - “Layers of Time," and “The House of Shame (Live)”

The Contortionist vocalist Michael Lessard returns to the show. We discuss the band's new EP, Our Bones: how the creative seeds for the record came out of soundchecks while on tour, enjoying the hyper-focused lens that a shorter release grants the songwriting process, producing the music video for “Early Grave” and his passion for editing music videos, and choosing to cover the Smashing Pumpkins “1979." Lessard also tells us how the band has embraced meet and greets with fans, how James Taylor was hugely influential to his singing style, the best gift he has ever received from a fan, and his thoughts on seeing the band's growth in Europe as they head into a headlining tour there.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn tackle and review the big release this week with Slipknot’s We Are Not Your Kind and the first new Tool song in over 13 years, and address the link between a mass shooter and heavy metal in the latest tragedy from gun violence.

Song: The Contortionist - “Early Grave," Infinity Shred - “Long May You Run," Strung Out - “Daggers”

Carnifex vocalist Scott Lewis is the guest on our 300th episode. We discuss the band's new album World War X, the concept behind the record, the importance of the atmospherics and layers to the album's sound, the importance of the visual aesthetic in this album's videos, and how this year’s Summer Slaughter tour has been going and why it's working so well. We also discuss Scott's passion for action films, the importance of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, why Tim Burton’s vision is not on that same level, modern day feature film directors choosing to go to television instead of doing more features, and the most important contribution to society we have power over as individuals.

Petar, Brandon and Jozalyn tackle the Tool cycle of news that came out last week including their music's debut on streaming platforms, Jamey Jasta’s comments about Chvrches, argue about the value of legacy bands versus those that draw more on festival slots.

Songs: Carnifex - “World War X" and “No Light Shall Save Us” (Featuring Alissa White- Gluz)

This week we talk to Mike D’Antonio of Killswitch Engage. We discuss the journey of making the band's new record Atonement, Jesse Leach's vocal cord surgery during the recording of the album, signing to Metal Blade Records and the pride they have in completing their record contract with Roadrunner, ranking all the cover artwork he's created for Killswitch from best to worst, and his thoughts on reaching new fans after 20 years as a band. We also talk all things Cro-Mags, from the band's massive influence on Mike to his thoughts on the existence of two current versions and his excitement about touring with Cro-Mags JM (featuring vocalist John Joseph and drummer Mackie Jayson), and we discuss his lifelong passion for comic books.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn cover the latest metal headlines and discuss the life-changing week preceding this episode with the birth of Dio Patton Spajic, Petar's newest little one.

Songs: Killswitch Engage - “Unleashed," Damn Your Eyes - “Ascension," Sacred Reich - “Manifest Reality”

Ex-Turbnegro frontman Hank Von Hell is our guest this week. We discuss his first North American solo tour later this summer, the circumstances that led to the original tour's postponement earlier this year and the difficulty of rescheduling all the dates, how his past addictions still haunt him and the myth of rock n' roll's tie to mental illness, why he had to step away from the rock scene for many years, why the need for rock n' roll is back in a big way, his current relationship with all the guys from Jackass, the symbolism of his comeback video "Bum to Bum" featuring Steve O, and an update on the solo EP that he had planned to release in time for the North American tour.

Petar and Brandon talk about their love for the 20 worst modern metal videos, the Mudvayne reunion rumors, Justin Bieber’s wife defending him from Maynard James Keenan, Metallica performing to 1% of the population of Finland, and Brandon not being excited about Rob Zombie's 3 from Hell.

Songs: Hank Von Hell - “Bum To Bum” and John 5 - "Zoinks"

Sabaton bassist Pär Sundström is our guest this week. We discuss the band's new album The Great War and the World War I anniversary that inspired it, the concept of war history and heavy metal working so well together, the draw metalheads feel towards towards such topics, the band's recent tour across Europe with a full choir, filling in last minute when Manowar canceled at Hellfest, having to cut all pyrotechnics when playing shows in the States, and how art forms of all kinds have changed over time.

Petar and Brandon unleash another music episode thanks to a fan submitted email, taking on the challenge of naming our top ten albums from bands that we think ended too quickly. Make sure to comment or send in your picks after you check out ours.

Songs: Sabaton - “The Red Baron” and “Fields of Verdun”

This week our guest is Torche guitarist Jonathan Nuñez. We discuss his switch from bass to guitar on the new album Admission, the benefits of writing an album with members living in different locations, how to make sure a 7” record is profitable for a band, why he feels the David Lee Roth-era Van Halen is a musical enigma, growing up in Miami, being exposed to a variety of music and how his musical journey ended up in left field from his background and culture, the journey of music before the internet, and the excitement of still having friends that regularly expose each other to new music.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn tackle the events of Tau Cross: Relapse Records dropping the band, the other members' claim that they were blindsided by frontman Rob Miller, and Miller’s own response showing his true colors.

Songs: Torche - “Admission" and “Times Missing”

3Teeth frontman Alexis Mincolla is our guest this week. We discuss the band's upcoming album Metawar, the intensity of watching a performer do a 24-hook body suspension for the band's "Exxxit" music video and the inherent value of self destruction and how it can be empowering. Mincolla also tells us about his education and background in political science, his stance on the Bush Administration in comparison to our current President, how political theater in this era is similar to that of the WWE, the dystopian Hollywood visions that are currently coming to fruition, how we've gotten away from the world Mr. Rogers presented to us, how power generates corruption and human nature's inability to overcome it, and what our culture can learn from superheroes and supervillains.

Petar and Brandon tackle the anniversary of Slipknot’s debut record, the metal scene and concerts of that time and era, and the one year anniversary of the passing of metal legend Vinnie Paul Abbott.

Songs: 3Teeth - “Exxxit” and 3Teeth - “Affluenza”

This week we we welcome Darkthrone's Nocturno Culto as our guest! We discuss the Darkthrone's new album, Old Star, the way the songs on the album are sequenced between ones authored by him and ones authored by Fenriz, his increasingly diplomatic view of music, the possibility of a sequel to his documentary The Misanthrope, the importance of being extreme during the rise of black metal, the Darkthrone album he feels is most under-appreciated, the process of getting the Old Star mix right with Sanford Parker, and the art of doing interviews after not doing them for many years.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn also discuss the sad news that Dave Mustaine has been diagnosed with throat cancer, Spotify's claim that they overpaid artist royalties in 2018, and Tom Morello's response to backlash over throwing a fan's phone into the crowd.

Songs: Darkthrone' “The Hardships of the Scots” and “Duke of Gloat”

He is Legend frontman Schuylar Croom is our guest this week. We discuss the band's new record White Bat, their recent misfortune of being robbed while on tour, the price that comes with performing while on substances, how the road can bring a dangerous loneliness to the vices that bind you, and the recently discovered way that He is Legend spend days off while on the road. Croom also talks about the importance of rejecting everything modern times have to offer in rock music, the vanishing mystique of bands due to constant updates on social media and what album he feels is one of the most underrated of all time.

Petar, Brandon and Jozalyn tackle the hate that Corey Taylor has been receiving for his new Slipknot mask, the one fan that defended it and his heartwarming reason why, and Danzig’s film debut getting lampooned by critics.

Songs: He Is Legend - “Burn All Your Rock Records," He Is Legend -“Boogiewoman," Blind Melon - “Toes Across The Floor”

Paul Masvidal is our guest this week. We discuss his journey to the solo project simply titled Masvidal, how he needed to rediscover his identify for presenting music to the world after the recent chaos in the Cynic camp, the visual collaborations that are part of the new project, and his obligation to bring something true to the table when creating art. We also talk about the status of the next Cynic record, how the business side can affect the art of making music, his experience doing the Death to All tours, and how the songs he created with Death and Cynic eventually come to belong to the fans to keep the music alive.

Petar and Brandon tackle some of the more political stories of the week including YouTube’s decision to shut down Varg Vikernes's hate-filled channel and David Draiman’s opinions on bands refusing to perform in Israel.

Songs: Masvidal - “Into The War," Masvidal - “Parasite," Cynic - “Humanoid”

John Baizley from Baroness is our guest this week. We discuss the artwork for the band's new album Gold & Grey and the end of the color concept he started 12 years ago, the original title of the record and why it changed, which of the many album covers he's created is his favorite, his philosophy on making records and how the music for this one came together, the importance of being the leader in a collaborative vision for his creative endeavors and the adventurous approach that producer Dave Fridmann brought to the project.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn wax nostalgic about Rage Against The Machine and Brandon shares an experience he had with the The Mars Volta after news surfaced of their reunion. We also talk about Iron Maiden suing the makers of the video game Ion Maiden, the study which found you should not listen to metal while driving and much more.

Songs:
Baroness - “Borderlines”
Combichrist - “Understand”

This week we talk with Jonny Davy, frontman for Serpent of Gnosis and Job for a Cowboy! We discuss the origin of his new project, the five-year delay in his ability to release new music, the possibility of doing a band like Job for a Cowboy part-time, the true difficulty of the financial inconsistencies that come with being in a band, the importance of the hustle to being successful in music, how a lot of things he and his bandmates pitch to one another are intended as jokes prior to becoming a reality, the possibility of touring with this new project, the story behind the photo of the JFAC van burning down, the demand and desire to still tour despite the difficulty of making the stars align to do so, the big question mark of the some future projects, and how 2014's 'Sun Eater' has become such a big fan favorite.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn also discuss the tragic news of the passing of Clown from Slipknot’s daughter, the quote written on Vinnie Paul’s new gravestone, Sanctuary deciding to continue after Warrel Dane’s death, Ozzy Osbourne using CBD to manage pain, Gojira guitarist Christian Andreu eating fire, and the scientist who discovered how to boil water with sound.

Songs:

Serpent of Gnosis “Paroxysmal Dance”

Serpent of Gnosis “The Colorless Capsule”

Cult of Luna “The Silent Man”

Dark synthwave artist James Kent, aka Perturbator, is our guest this week. We discuss the crossover appeal of the synthwave genre to metal fans, his history in black metal and how a solo project is different from working with a band, how his music tells a narrative story similar to movie soundtracks, how he brings that feeling to his live performances, and the new direction he plans to take his music in the future. We also talk about how making music for video games differs from his own work, recent film soundtracks that have motivated him, and the importance of the 2011 film Drive to the dark synthwave movement.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn bring you our half-year "Best of" lists and the five records you need to hear before the summer starts when some major releases from Slipknot and Tool will take over our ears.

Songs:

Bad Religion - “Chaos From Within”

Periphery - “Garden In The Bones”

Possessed - “Shadowcult”

Perturbator - “Excess”

The Old Firm Casuals - “Holger Danske”

Whitechapel - “When A Demon Deflies A Witch”

This week we talk with Jeff Becerra of Possessed. We discuss the long journey leading to Revelations of Oblivion, the first Possessed record in 33 years, the memory of how Possessed's classic lineup disbanded in late '80s and how the current lineup is the one he always wanted, the experience of recording using Willie Nelson’s microphone, and the openness and change he has witnessed in the metal scene through the decades. We also dive into Jeff's personal life: the punishment he endured as a kid compared to how he handles his own offspring, his decision to go to college and his desire to pursue a law degree, and the difficulties of withdrawing from medication.

Petar and Brandon tackle the news that the new Tool album has an official release date and discuss our expectation for the album, we talk about the latest lawsuit brought by Guns N’ Roses against a brewery, and we take some listener input about our Canadian music episode a few weeks back.

Songs:
Possessed - “No Room In Hell”
Ringworm - “Death Becomes My Voice”

This week we have Cryptopsy frontman Matt McGachy on the show. We discuss the band's current tour with Aborted, how he became a death metal singer despite growing up a nu-metal kid, the motivation to get on stage and how it has changed for him through the years, and the importance of articulation during his vocal performances. We also talk about his passion for craft beers and how he feels he has become a beer snob, his death metal and craft beer podcast Vox & Hops, and we get an update on The Book of Suffering Tome 3.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss Brandon removing his "Gooch" moniker form his stage name, Soilwork’s decision not to perform records in their entirety, the release of a Fear Factory greatest hits album without the band's knowledge and much more.

Songs:
Cryptopsy - “Sire of Sin”
Cryptopsy - “Fear His Displeasure”

This week we talk to Amy Sciarretto of Atom Spiltter PR. Amy tells us about how she got into the music industry and her time at Roadrunner Records, if click bait media helps or hurts her artists, the difficulty of doing damage control, the importance of bands having a mystique, if gimmicks are necessary for modern bands to reach a certain stage, how working in the industry has affected her love for music, the difficulty of working an eight hour day, and what her dog Higgins taught her that no human ever has.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss ex-Slipknot percussionist Chris Fehn's claim that he was a hired hand. Next we address a Canadian listener's concern that The MetalSucks Podcast doesn't give his country any love, and we shine a spotlight on some of our favorite Canadian bands. 

Songs:
Neil Merryweather-  “Star Rider”
Woods of Ypres - “Everything I Touch Turns to Gold (And Then To Coal)”
Dead Quiet - “Spiritual Abuse”
Beyond Creation - “Algorythm”

Metal Blade Records videographer and content creator Vince Edwards is our guest this week. We talk about a number of different topics related to his work at one of metal's most venerated and longest running labels, including the recent signing of Killswitch Engage, some of his favorite underrated albums that came out on the label over the years, what it was like shooting Between the Buried and Me live, which band he's most excited to be able to work with in the future, how to market metal bands in modern times and the pressure to perform despite having a metalhead's dream job.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss Misha Mansoor's comments on Periphery hitting their popularity ceiling, Kirk Hammett gearing up for a new Metallica record, Brain Johnson’s possible return to AC/DC, Hellyeah replacing Vinnie Paul, and who's most excited for Crazy Town’s The Gift of Game 20th anniversary tour.

Songs:
Fractal Universe - “Masterpiece’s Parallelism”
Abnormality - “Curb Stomp”
Destrage - “The Chosen One”

Dream Theater keyboardist and solo artist Jordan Rudess is our guest this week. We discuss his new solo album Wired for Madness and how he finds time for his own material within Dream Theater’s busy schedule, how blues influenced the album, the importance of using musical elements that make people smile in contrast to the heavy stuff and the importance of the visual aspect of the album's title track. We also talk Dream Theater: if the polarizing response to The Astonishing played a part in the direction of their new album Distance Over Time, celebrating the 20th anniversary of Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From a Memory, the difficulty of finding all the sounds he used on the original recording to replicate live, and at what stage in his life he discovered he needed to be a creative person.

Petar and Jozalyn tackle the church burnings in Louisiana, David Hasselhoff making metal songs, how Knight Rider would make a great concept for a metal album, Hot Topic somehow still thriving in the modern climate, the release of Oli Herbert’s cover of a Eurythmics song, his widow's strange behavior after that release, and the ongoing campaign to name the recently-photographed black hole after Chris Cornell.

Songs:
Jordan Rudess - “Why I Dream”
Dream Theater - “Fall Into The Light”
Dream Theater - “Paralyzed”

Born of Osiris guitarist Lee McKinney is our guest this week. We talk about his debut solo record Infinite Mind, how the writing process compares to that of Born of Osiris, having Adrián Terrazas-González (formerly of The Mars Volta) contributing saxophone on the record, and why Born of Osiris chose to split their latest record into two releases. Lee also tells us about his love/hate relationship with playing guitar, how every instrument has become programmable, who his current favorite working guitarist is, the challenges of keeping up with social media as a musician and the recent break-in at his home.

Petar and Brandon comment on the New Zealand church burnings, Ozzy Osbourne postponing all of his 2019 shows, the mystery of Doyle’s name disappearing from the Misfits reunion show poster, and James Hetfield’s debut film being another Ted Bundy story we really don’t need.

Song:
Lee McKinney - “A Never-ending Explosion”
Born of Osiris - “Analogs In A Cell”
Druids - “The Whip”

After the Burial vocalist Anthony Notarmaso is our guest this week. We discuss the band's new album Evergreen, the lessons learned from previous album Dig Deep, the 10th anniversary of their breakout record Rareform and the band's upcoming tour with Killswitch Engage and Parkway Drive. Anthony also tells us about his successful business outside the band, how finding the perfect partner has helped him grow as a person, the importance of having realistic expectations in the music industry, how the identity of being a frontman in a band has presented challenges as time goes on, and how important it is to be sincere and honest on stage and on record.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss why Ozzy Osbourne should be knighted (and admit we don’t know what being knighted means), discuss Vince's analysis of the Chris Fehn vs. Slipknot lawsuit, and revel at the insane amount of money Devin Townsend spent on his new album Empath.

Songs:
After The Burial - “Behold The Crown” New Album
Sworn Enemy - “Prepare for Payback”

Greg Burgess and Riley McShane of Allegaeon are our guests this week. We discuss the making of the band's new album Apoptosis, how the addition of bass player BooBoo Money (Brandon Michael) changed the dynamic of the record, how Greg almost went the classical guitar route before becoming a metal lifer, the lyrical topic Riley wishes he could tackle for the band, which band member put the kibosh on covering Armored Saint, the curse of Applebee’s that has long haunted Allegaeon, and Riley's hot take on season three of True Detective.

Petar and Brandon hash through our listeners' reactions to last week's discussion about EPs, Chris Fehn's lawsuit against Slipknot, and Slayer and Primus potentially making magic happen together on tour.

Songs:
Allegaeon - “Stellar Tidal Disruption”
Allegaeon - “Extremophiles (B)”

Big Business drummer Coady Willis is our guest this week. We discuss the band's new record The Beast You Are, the process of songwriting as a two piece throughout the years, the importance of current tour-mates Clutch in Big Business's career trajectory, how pulling double duty with the Melvins a few years back heavily influenced Mind The Drift and the important legacy of that band, and growing up in Seattle during the rise of grunge in the '90s.

Also this week, Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn tackle the three greatest rock and metal EPs ever released and parlay that into a discussion on EPs in general: why they are released? what can make them special? what makes the majority of them uninteresting to fans?

Songs:
Bloodbath - “Weak Aside”
The Dillinger Escape Plan featuring Mike Patton - “Hollywood Squares”
Alice In Chains - “Rotten Apple”
Big Business - “Let Them Grind”

Whitechapel guitarist Zach Householder is our guest this week. We discuss the band's new album The Valley and the Tennessee location that inspired it, how Mark of the Blade played a role in inspiring the new one, the importance of putting on a great live show at this stage of their career and the upcoming Chaos and Carnage tour with Dying Fetus." We also rap about the band's collective favorite movies and TV shows, how video gaming got Zach into metal and the games the guys play together while on tour, the band's signature Possession beer, and, as a huge Evil Dead fan, his least favorite thing about the franchise.

Brandon and Petar talk about the death of Keith Flint of The Prodigy and share a story about seeing them live, new Tool album updates, and out thoughts on the new Deftones record reminding Chino Moreno of White Pony.

Songs:
Whitechapel - “When A Demon Defiles A Witch”
Whitechapel - “Third Depth”

Periphery drummer Matt Halpern joins us this week. We talk about the band's new album Periphery IV: Hail Stan, which stan he'd be hailing if he had a choice, the importance of taking a full year to write the record, releasing it on the band's own label 3DOT Recordings, having Adam “Nolly” Getgood produce and play bass despite exiting the band a few years ago, how he continues to teach drum lessons, being part owner of the software company Getgood Drums and his feelings on drum software in general, and why he and Spencer choose to record the song “Shadow of the Day” by Linkin Park as a tribute to Chester Bennington.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn tackle Sammy Hagar’s comments on Michael Anthony returning to Van Halen, the internet mom who attacked the wrong Mastodon on behalf of her son, and Duff McKagan referencing the “magnificent” material Axl has for a new Guns N’ Roses album.

Songs:
Periphery - “Blood Eagle”
Fallujah - “Ultraviolet”

This week our guest is Cradle of Filth mastermind Dani Filth. We discuss the band's upcoming North American tour, performing Cruelty and the Beast in full on select shows this year to celebrate its 20th anniversary, the challenge of fitting in a new album with the band's current touring schedule, how he got involved with Bring Me The Horizon on the single “Wonderful Life," running errands in full makeup and uniform, signing with Dez from DevilDriver’s management company The Oracle, his reaction to Iggy Azalea wearing a Cradle of Filth t-shirt and his lifelong love of Bad Religion.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn comment on Kiss's alleged thievery of Motley Crue's stage show, Phil Labonte describing fallen guitarist Old Herbert’s widow as a garbage human being, Paul Stanley’s 98-year-old father attending his son's show, and the great comeback story of The Ghost Inside.

Songs:
Cradle of Filth - “Heartbreak and Seance”
Wednesday 13 - “What The Night Brings”

Lamb of God guitarist Mark Morton is our guest this week to discuss his new solo album Anesthetic. Mark tells us about the origins of the project with material that didn’t work for Lamb of God, how close friend and producer Josh Wilbur influenced the album, the opportunity it provided for him to explore songwriting on the rock side of things, how he got Mark Lanegan to guest, the guitarist who added a lead to the album, who his favorite living drummer is and a short update on new Lamb of God material.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn tackle High on Fire's Grammy victory followed by the heartbreak of Vinnie Paul's snub. We also discuss Slash announcing that Guns N' Roses will head into the studio this year and debate Emmure frontman Frankie Palmeri's claim that the Static-X reunion is a cash grab.

Songs:
Mark Morton - “Cross Off” (Featuring Chester Bennington)
Mark Morton - “Truth Is Dead” (Featuring Randy Blythe and Alissa White-Gluz)
Kings Destroy - “Barbarossa”

Queensryche vocalist Todd La Torre of Queensryche joins our show this week. We talk about the band's new album, The Verdict, the role producer Zeuss played in the recording process, Todd's contributions to the drums on the album, how the conflict in Syria become a lyrical inspiration and how the artwork was inspired by laws that create social injustices. Todd also tells us about his passion for documentary films, the importance of becoming informed to stop polarization and how to deliver certain messages in a hyper-sensitive culture. Finally, we get an update on the absence of founding drummer Scott Rockenfield and we learn how the band's live setlist on their upcoming tour with Fates Warning will feature more of their new material.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn address Maynard’s timeline on the new Tool record, Ozzy's recent hospitalization, Staind's Aaron Lewis saying more stupid shit, Maroon 5’s Super Bowl tattoo extravaganza and much more.

Songs:
Queensryche - “Man The Machine”
Queensryche - “Dark Reverie”
Hiss From The Moat - “God Nephasto”

David Ellefson of Megadeth, Altitudes & Attitude and Metal Allegiance is our guest this week. We discuss the new Altitudes & Attitude album Get It Out, the classic rock n' roll influence behind the the songs and the writing process between he and Frank Bello (also of Anthrax). We also talk about his realization that the rock n' roll lifestyle is an illusion after finding success in the industry, the difficulties he had adjusting to life in Los Angeles after moving from his native Minnesota, the difficulties of creating music during the '90s, the balance of serving the mainstream and thrash communities, which reviled Megadeth record he prefers more, Risk or Super Collider, and how he balances so many different projects at once.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discover what incels are and create a divorce attorney for them, chime in on the Gene Simmons vs. Ace Frehley drama, and discuss the rumors of Tool's new record arriving in April.

Songs:
Altitudes and Attitudes - “Get It Out”
Metal Allegiance - “The Accuser” (featuring Trevor Strnad)
Brick By Brick - “Hive Mentality” Featuring Jessica Pimentel)

Brett Boland of Astronoid is our guest this week. We discuss how the success of the band's debut record Air affected the writing process of their new self-titled album, the major life changes that happened during the creation of the new album, their upcoming tour with Between the Buried and Me and the importance of that band to Astronoid, various genre names that people have attempted to stamp on the band, the joy of buying records blind back in the day, his love for '80s pop music and more. 

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss the passing of Bruce Corbitt and the importance of Rigor Mortis to the metal scene. We also celebrate doing 100 episodes of the podcast together and discuss our journey as hosts, including what we've learned so far and our mistakes along the way.

Rigor Mortis - “Poltergeist”
Astronoid - “I Dream in Lines”
Astronoid - “A New Color”

Matt Pike of High on Fire and Sleep is our guest this week. We discuss his recent diagnosis as a diabetic, his recently amputated toe, the tour cancelations it caused and having to change his diet to manage the disease. Matt also tells us about the decision to surprise-release Sleep's The Sciences on 4/20 last year, his decision to spurn Coachella in favor of Roadburn, the preparation for doing double duty in both High On Fire and Sleep at festivals and the dream he had after Lemmy died that influenced Electric Messiah. We then dive deep on some non-musical topics, including where he thinks America is headed in 2019, the integrity (or lack thereof) of mainstream media, his thoughts on humans being created by aliens in a petri dish, how he handles being called crazy for his beliefs, and how he researches the strange topical matters for his lyrics.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss the Chris Cornell tribute concert, Taylor Swift's use of an Every Time I Die lyric in her album artwork, and new information in the bizarre evolving story surrounding the passing of All That Remains' Oil Herbert.

Songs
High On Fire - “Drowning Dog”
Sleep - “Antarcticans Thawed”

Soilwork and The Night Flight Orchestra vocalist Bjorn “Speed” Strid is our guest this week. We discuss reigniting the fans and legacy of the band after 11 albums, how the Swedish bands and American bands of the mid '00s influenced each other, the rediscovery of the Scandinavian sound on The Living Infinite and how that journey has influenced the band's new album Verkligheten, being able to focus on touring the newer records and songs, if the success of The Night Flight Orchestra has affected the long gap between Soilwork albums, the importance of working as a collective on the new album, feeling limited lyrically in the metal genre, the importance of a gimmick with live shows in modern times and what he wish he implemented for Soilwork 20 years ago.

Petar and Brandon tackle the announcement of Woodstock's 50th anniversary show, Mike Patton singing the National Anthem at the NFL playoffs (which was later canceled), Mike Pike canceling the High On Fire tour as a result of his diabetes, Jason Bittner stating Shadows Fall wore out their welcome, and if bands can become part time instead of taking a hiatus.

Songs:
Soilwork - “Arrival”
Soilwork - “Full Moon Shoals”
Soilwork - “Stålfågel”

This week we take The Black Dahlia Murder's Trevor Strnad down memory lane with a discussion of important anniversaries that are coming in 2019. Ten years since Disney’s Up and Alice In Chains' comeback album Black Gives Way to Blue, 15 years since the Ozzfest where Hollywood Undead were hired to throw eggs at Iron Maiden, the anniversary of the death of Dimebag and Trevor's memories of the event, 20 years since Trevor graduated high school and the release of Mr. Bungle’s California, and 25 years since his first time watching Oliver Stone’s Natural Born Killers (and how the film's vision of the media has since become true). We also discuss Trevor's love for NOFX and the possibility of a Black Dahlia Murder covers EP of their songs, his favorite death metal record of 2018, the 72 year anniversary of the unsolved murder of Elizabeth Short, and plans for a new Black Dahlia record in 2019.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss Kerry King’s claim that girls led to the end of his academic career, Maynard James Keenan completing vocals for the new Tool album, and the Arch Enemy photographer controversy.