The MetalSucks Podcast

Testament vocalist Chuck Billy is our guest this week. We discuss the band's new album, Titans of Creation, how it's the biggest risk the band has taken in their career, what it was like touring with Slayer on their farewell run, and the reason he prefers being on the road over being in the studio. We also talk about his recent bout with COVID-19, his fear of assimilating back into the public now that he's recovered, how dealing with it at the same time as other members of the touring party helped (and update on all of those people), and his thoughts on how the coronavirus could impact the future. On a lighter note, Chuck tells us about how he finds golf and boating as peaceful ways to get away from the world right now, and his desire to get a new dog.

Petar and Brandon discuss how the Testament record Dark Roots of Earth had a factor in Petar spending eight hours in jail back in 2013, and they jaw about the latest metal news as usual.

Songs: Testament - “Children of The Next Level," “Night of The Witch,” Wolfheart - “Hail of Steel”

Direct download: Chuck20Billy2028Testament2920Episode2033220-20FINAL.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:14am PDT

August Burns Red guitarist JB Brubaker is our guest this week. We discuss the band's new record, Guardians, its loose lyrical theme, how the music he's written has changed since becoming a dad, and knowing when to call a demo a finished piece. We also talk about celebrating the 10th anniversary of Constellations with fans, the band's plans for rescheduling their scrapped tour with Killswitch Engage, the positive aspect of having extra time at home as a result of that unfortunate situation, his passion for collecting baseball cards, and the importance of keeping your hobbies alive for personal fulfillment.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss the rumors surrounding a new band featuring Phil Anselmo and the three non-Tom Araya members of Slayer, Hatebreed’s decision to postpone their new album, and our thoughts on the spiking sales of Disturbed “Down With The Sickness."

Songs: August Burns Red - “Paramount” and "Defender," Heaven Shall Burn - “Eradicate”


Johanna and Nicke from Lucifer join us on a special in-between episode of The MetalSucks Podcast. We discuss the band's new record, Lucifer III, leaning more towards horror themes, the importance of using older equipment to their band's sound, how Johanna has always drawn inspiration from cemeteries, how mediocrity has contributed to quickly-changing trends, the look and style that is still very important to the rock scene, and why it’s so much easier to tour Europe than the U.S.

Songs: Lucifer - “Ghosts" and "Midnight Phantom," Candlemass - "The Pendulum," Têtêma - “Haunted On The Uptake”


Our guest this week is the one and only Ice-T of Body Count. We discuss the state of emergency in our respective states, the reality of our country not being prepared for an outbreak and how he compares the current situation to other states of emergency he has experienced. We also talk about Body Count's new album, Carnivore, getting a Grammy nomination for Bloodlust and the importance of adding Will Putney as a producer. The conversation then turned back to current events: his experience with police while growing up in L.A. and how it echoes through today, information by itself being dangerous without a biased opinion to filter it, his collaboration with Jamey Jasta and how he thought Hatebreed were a racist band when he first heard about them, how you have to check your friends when they display hatred towards other people, and the true story behind Ice's greatest line in a film.

Petar, Brandon and Sylvia apologize for being annoyed last week by the coronavirus outbreak canceling concerts en masse, discuss Ice-T's New Jack City line that's been part of our 20-year friendship, Brandon pictured in a mullet as a child in a karate training facility, and much more.

Songs: Body Count - “Carnivore" and “Bum Rush,” Aether Realm - “Slave To The Riff”

Direct download: Ice-T2028Body20Count2920Episode2033020-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 2:46pm PDT

Continental Concerts booking agent and Unique Leader Records marketing guru Daniel DeFonce joins the show this week. Dan has a whole lot of advice for bands, including his strategy on how to book a tour for a band that has a lot of buzz behind them, the importance of a band being self-sufficient in promoting, emerging trends in social media (and some nostalgia on the switch from MySpace to Facebook), and the importance of a band's visual aesthetic and merchandising. He also shares his thoughts on a band having a “uniform” on stage and how fans need to push themselves harder to get out of their house and go to live events.

Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia discuss Insane Clown Posse's dirty snow-eating tactic for defeating the coronavirus, Michael Bolton auditioning for Black Sabbath, and Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell returning to the studio for a solo record.

Songs: Brand of Sacrifice - “Charlotte," Signs of The Swarm - “Malformed Dissonance," Viscera - “Immersed in Ire”


Jami Morgan of Code Orange is back on the show following his appearance on episode #243 back in 2018! We discuss the band's forthcoming album, Underneath, the hundreds of hours the band spends working on their visual aesthetic, shaking up fans with something new every album, working with Chris Vrenna from Nine Inch Nails this time around and upgrading the stage show for this new album cycle. Jami also tells us what it's like to have grown up in a band he's been in since the age of 17, hardcore music being so important to their work ethic, playing The Dillinger Escape Plan's final show, taking constructive criticism from online commenters, and the importance of several of the metal scene's leading younger bands playing together on this summer's Slipknot tour.

Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia discuss the coronavirus taking out SXSW, Randy Blythe's non-comment on the split with Chris Adler, Robb Flynn doubling down on rap metal, and our thoughts on being honest as an artist.

Direct download: Jami20Morgan2028Code20Orange2920Episode20328-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 11:11am PDT

Every Time I Die guitarist and All Elite Wrestling newcomer Andy Williams is our guest this week. We discuss all things Every Time I Die, wrestling and the intersection between those two worlds, including Andy's road from metal icon to wrestling star, the anxiety of recording the new ETID album and having to leave to get in the ring, his fandom of the WCW as a kid and more. We also talk about other topics related to his work in both music and wrestling: the best hair metal ballads of all time and how becoming a professional wrestler has allowed him to appreciate garbage music more, his memory of the Mass Transit incident, how the backstage experience at wrestling has changed over the years, if the tag team breakup storyline is inevitable for The Butcher, The Blade, and The Bunny, and an update on the progress of the new Every Time I Die record.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn tackle listener emails regarding our argument about the term “relevance” in music (an outgrowth of last week's conversation about System a Down), our fear of discussing politics because we really don’t know anything besides headlines, and our stories of attending live wrestling events as kids.

Songs: Every Time I Die - “Map Change," Orthodox - “Cut”

Direct download: Andy20Williams2028ETID2920Episode2032720-20FINAL.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 1:12pm PDT

Intronaut guitarist and vocalist Sacha Dunable is our guest this week. We discuss if the band's long break between albums benefited the music on their new record, Fluid Existential Inversions, the decision to let go of founding drummer Danny Walker following abuse allegations leveled against him, how the band dynamic has changed after that decision was made and how close Sacha himself was to quitting Intronaut in recent years. We also chatted about his excitement for Intronaut’s upcoming North American tour with Cult of Luna, his custom guitar company, Dunable Guitars, how he got credited as a guitar tech on Tool's latest album, his creation of the world’s first “smokeable” six-string guitar, and which guitar player he'd like to make a custom guitar for.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss Ozzy Osbourne's cancelation of his No More Tours 2 tour (again), John Dolmayan's comment that System of A Down never reached their potential, and ex-Fear Factory bassist Christian Olde Wolbers' political finger-pointing post.

Songs: Intronaut - “Cubensis” and “Pangloss”

Direct download: Sacha20Dunable2028Intronaut2920Episode2032620-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 7:12pm PDT

Devin Townsend is back on the show for his record-setting fourth appearance! We discuss his upcoming North American tour with Haken and The Contortionist, how his latest album, Empath, has ties to his journey into middle age, his realization that he is not a great band member and how that affects the creative process, how being a working musician is 80% logistics, all of his tours becoming special, one-of-a-kind events, and his plans on playing Strapping Young Lad songs this summer. Devin also shares his evolutionary theory on why kids are mean to their parents and talks accountability in music getting misconstrued as having a stance on morality.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn, tackle the drunken Cameo video that Vince Neil made for a fan, Lamb of God’s entire new record being political in nature, and the joy of knowing Danny DeVito is a Mr. Bungle fan.

Songs: Devin Townsend - “Genesis," Loathe - “Screaming," Irist - “Burning Sage”

Direct download: Devin20Townsend20Episode2032520-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 11:44am PDT

Our guest this week is Suicide Silence guitarist Chris Garza. We discuss the band's new album, Become The Hunter, the accompanying trilogy of music videos, if he considers Become The Hunter a return to form after the band's controversial self-titled album, how the door has been opened for more experimentation after that record, his gratitude for being able to continue with Suicide Silence after the death of Mitch Lucker, and the importance of being grateful after something real happens in your life. Chris also tells us about his love of true crime documentaries, the story behind the band's signature burger known as The Meltdown, why his favorite place in the world is Bangkok, and his love/hate relationship with traveling and his fear of flying.

Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia discuss how wrong we were about the Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, Poison arena tour selling well, our thoughts on the new Lamb of God song and coming to terms with the fact that metal is following the evolution of jazz by becoming a niche genre.

Songs: Suicide Silence “Feel Alive” and “Love Me To Death”


Delain vocalist Charlotte Wessels and keyboardist Martijn Westerholt join us on the podcast this week. We discuss the band's new record, Apocalypse and Chill, their ideas for the best possible apocalypse experience, the hopeful vibe that the lyrical approach on the record conveys despite the dark subject matter, the use of technology in the making of the album, the importance of never planning a direction when creating music, Charlotte’s desire to sing the album’s ballad live on stage, and the heavier presence of electronics this time around. We also discuss Martijn's trip to Las Vegas to get married and the romantic milestones we endure to celebrate our partners.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn tackle yet another sad death in the metal family with the death of Corrosion of Conformity drummer Reed Mullin, as well as Kobe Bryant's passing and the metal community's reaction to it.

Songs: Corrosion of Conformity - “13 Angels," Delain - “One Second” and “Burning Bridges”


This week riff-master Kirk Windstein of Crowbar comes on the podcast to discuss his first solo album, Dream in Motion. Kirk tells us about the challenge of covering Jethro Tull, which solo artist he thinks successfully broke away from their main band to flourish on their own, the major influence of Carnivore on the Crowbar sound, his favorite Type O Negative record, which festival would be perfect for all the bands whose members comprise Down to play, his favorite Down release and why, an update on the completion of the four Down EPs that were supposed to make up Down IV, and when we can expect a new Crowbar album (hint: very soon).

Petar and Brandon talk about the sudden passing of Cynic and Death drummer Sean Reinert, the influence that he had on modern heavy metal drumming, what Death's Human and Cynic’s Focus did for us as young metal fans, and the importance of those records in the history of the genre.

Song: Cynic - “How Could I," Kirk Windstein - “Dream In Motion” and “Aqualung”

Stream this week’s episode below. Remember to subscribe to the MetalSucks Podcast on iTunessubscribe to our direct feed or download this episode directly. The MetalSucks Podcast is a member of the Jabberjaw podcast network.


In this special half-episode of The MetalSucks Podcast we get a quick chat with Poppy to discuss her new album, I Disagree. Poppy tells us about the lyrical growth from her YouTube persona to this record, the importance of having a following on multiple platforms for success in today's music climate, the dark imagery that motivated her to change her persona into something more realistic, and the concept behind the music video for “Anything Like Me." She also discusses growing up on the internet and how it can make you or destroy you if it isn't used the right way, the feeling that she wouldn’t exist without the internet, the honesty in burying certain elements that she felt weren’t genuine, and her peace with knowing that the right people will find her music.

Songs: Poppy - “Anything Like Me" and "I Disagree," Bohren & Der Club of Gore - “Tief Gesunken”

Direct download: Poppy20Episode20321.520-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 10:03am PDT

Sepultura frontman Derrick Green joins us this week. We discuss the band's new album, Quadra, how the numerology concept throughout it relates to social issues, the importance of branching out in different musical directions with each record for both the longevity of Sepultura and for reaching Derrick's personal goals, the fear of being in a band that traps themselves into one particular musical sound, and the importance of just having fun when creating music. Derrick also talks about the importance of family life and its deteriorating quality today, questions if modern day propaganda is geared to a selfish individual outlook, and speaks to the power of art in today's culture.

Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia discuss their experience watching Tool live on the Fear Inoculum tour, Brandon’s altercation with someone sitting in his seat, and the importance of younger rock and metal bands bringing the same excitement into our genre that Tool do.

Songs: Sepultura - “Isolation" and “Last Time," Konvent - "Ropes Pt. II"

Direct download: Derrick20Green2028Sepultura2920Episode20321-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 8:07pm PDT

Midnight mastermind Athenar is our guest this week. We discuss the band's new album, Rebirth by Blasphemy, and how it fits into Midnight's history starting with the band's early seven-inches, as well as the difficulty of writing lyrics in the bizarre realm of metal, if he would ever create a record with other musicians or if he always plans to maintain full creative control, and the importance of the visual aspect behind Midnight. Athenar also tells us a bit about his personal life, explaining how a Cleveland native became a fan of his hometowns rival Pittsburgh Steelers, the charm of Cleveland's negative attitude, his lifelong passion for record collecting, the possibility of a four-year-old being a tour manager for Midnight, what instruments he learned to play as a child himself, and the joy that comes with temporarily losing his cell phone.

Petar, Brandon and Jozalyn discuss the passing of legendary Rush drummer Neil Peart, the legacy of what he did for drummers everywhere, and the art that Rush left behind for the world. We also mourn the passing of Black Breath’s Elijah Nelson, and we talk about Lorna Shore's decision to release their album with the vocals of fired and disgraced frontman CJ McCreery.

Songs: Rush - “Ceiling Unlimited," Midnight - “Fucking Speed and Darkness” and “Rising Scum”

Direct download: Athenar2028Midnight2920Episode2032020-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 10:14am PDT

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”

Direct download: Clint20Lowery2028Sevendust2920Episode2031720-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 1:47pm PDT

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.

Direct download: Josh20Rand2028Stone20Sour2920Episode2031620-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 12:06pm PDT

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”

Direct download: Karl20Sanders2028Nile2920Episode2031520-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 9:06am PDT

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 2Watchmen300Halloween (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

Direct download: Tatiana20Shmayluk2028Jinjer2920Episode2031320-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 6:19pm PDT

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

Direct download: Cory_Brandan_Norma_Jean_Episode_311_-_FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 12:02pm PDT

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”

Direct download: David20Sandstrom2028Refused2920Episode2031020-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 2:03pm PDT

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)”

Direct download: Baalberith2028GoST2920Episode2030920-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 2:08pm PDT

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."

Direct download: Chase20Mason2028Gatecreeper2920Episode2030820-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 1:13pm PDT

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.

Direct download: Mikael20Akerfeldt2028Opeth2920Episode2030720-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 3:23pm PDT

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”

Direct download: Mika20Hakki2028Monolord2920Episode2030520-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 1:20pm PDT

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”

 

Direct download: Ray_Luzier_Korn_KXM_Episode_304_-_FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 10:07am PDT

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)

Direct download: Scott20Lewis2028Carnifex2920Episode20300.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 12:33pm PDT

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"

Direct download: Hank20Von20Hell2028Ex-Turbonegro2920Episode20298.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 8:07am PDT

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”

Direct download: Par20Sundstrom2028Sabaton2920Episode2029720-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 1:01pm PDT

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”

Direct download: Jonathan20Nunez2028Torche2920Episode2029620-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 2:06pm PDT

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”

Direct download: Alexis20Mincolla20283TEETH2920Episode2029520-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 11:49am PDT

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”

Direct download: Nocturno_Culto_Darkthrone_Episode_294_-_FINAL.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:24am PDT

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”

Direct download: Paul20Masvidal2028Cynic2CDeath2920Episode2029220-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 11:15am PDT

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”

Direct download: John20Baizley2028Baroness2920Episode20291.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 10:58am PDT

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”

Direct download: James20Kent2028Perturbator2920Episode2028920-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 9:55am PDT

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”

Direct download: Jeff20Becerra2028Possessed2920Episode2028820-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 1:50pm PDT

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”

Direct download: Matt20McGachy2028Crptopsy2920Episode20287.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 1:05pm PDT

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”

Direct download: Vince20Edwards2028Metal20Blade20Records2920Episode20285.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 1:26pm PDT

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”

Direct download: Lee20McKinney2028Born20of20Osiris2920Episode20283.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 12:15pm PDT

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”

Direct download: Coady20Willis2028Big20Business2920Episode20280.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 10:55am PDT

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”

Direct download: Zach20Householder2028Whitechapel2920Episode20279.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 10:33am PDT

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”

Direct download: Matt20Halpern2028Periphery2920Episode20278.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 6:40pm PDT

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”

Direct download: Dani20Filth2028Cradle20of20Filth2920Episode20277.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 9:28am PDT

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”

Direct download: Mark20Morton2028Lamb20Of20God2920Episode20276.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 8:21am PDT

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”

Direct download: Brett20Boland2028Astronoid2920Episode2027320-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 11:53am PDT

Matt Pike of High on Fire and Sleep is our guest this week. We discuss his recent diagnosis as a diabetichis 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”

Direct download: Matt20Pike2028Sleep20High20On20Fire2920Episode20272.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 11:35am PDT

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.


This week on our final show of 2018 we give you a special double episode as we celebrate some of the great music that left an impression on us in 2018, counting down our top 15 albums of the year. The poetry of sadness, the lovely brutality of our senses and the essence of joy and peace that heavy metal brings people like us daily -- we cover it all and gladly present our list of genuine and beautiful music that defined this year. Special guests Jori Apedaile (Eneferens), Will Walker (Graveshadow), Henry Derek Elis, Isaiah Mitchell (Earthless) and Stavros Giannopoulos (The Atlas Moth) join us for quick chats. 

Direct download: Best20of20201820Episode20269-20FINAL20.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 9:35am PDT

Alan Robert, Life of Agony bassist and the creator of The Beauty of Horror - Ghosts of Christmas coloring book, is our guest this week. We discuss the initial idea behind the adult coloring book series as a way of completely dismantling Christmas, his history as a comic book artist and author even prior to joining Life of Agony, how Twitter helped him get his first comic book published, an update on the film version of his graphic novel Crawl to Me, the terrorist threat that recently lead to a Life of Agony’s show cancelation in Las Vegas, his memories of working with the late, great character actor Frank Vincent on Killogy, the importance of Peter Steele’s influence on the Brooklyn metal scene in the late '80s, and an update on the new Life of Agony record coming out in 2019.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn celebrate Phil Demmel’s text message invite to join Slayer, Dave Mustaine wishing for another Big Four show, and the reunion of Witchrot and resurrection of their dead drummer.

Songs:
Life of Agony - “Right This Wrong”
BillyBio - “Rise and Slay”
Incite - “Built To Destroy”


Rob Trump of the political parody grindcore act Anal Trump joins us for a special in-between episode of The MetalSucks Podcast. The guitarist/bassist/drummer shares with us the origins of Anal Trump, his love for Anal Cunt as a catalyst, the inspiration Brujeria provided, how the charity angle became an important part of the project, his future vision for the band, if they will disband when Trump is out of office and the possibility of live shows on the horizon.

Songs:
Anal Trump - “That Makes Me Smart”
Anal Trump - “All The Broads I’ve Nailed Before”
Anal Trump - “Thoughts”

Direct download: Rob20Trump2028Anal20Trump2920Episode20267.520-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 6:34am PDT

Sigh Mastermind Mirai Kawashima is our guest this week. We discuss why he felt listeners would dislike the band's new album Heir to Despair, what the critical reception has been like in reality, how his dislike for previous album Graveward influenced the new one, Phil Anselmo’s guest appearance on the new record and working with Necrophagia frontman Killjoy, why he choose to sing in his native tongue on Heir to Despair, his love for horror soundtrack composers and why a lot of touring doesn’t interesting him anymore. 

Petar and Brandon discuss Per “Dead” Ohlin’s skull fragment being placed up for sale, the best band break up of all time, Metallica releasing an acoustic record for charity, and our own experience watching Metallica perform this past week in Las Vegas.

Songs:
Sigh - “Homo Homini Lupus”
Sigh - “Aletheia”

Direct download: Mirai20Kawashima2028Sigh2920Episode2026720-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 12:23pm PDT

Johan Hegg of Amon Amarth is our guest this week. We discuss Amon Amarth's new live retrospective and documentary The Pursuit of Vikings: 25 years in the Eye of the Storm, his feelings on live albums in general, whether it's possible to capture a band's connection with the audience on video, the importance of Europe’s “The Final Countdown" to the origins of Amon Amarth, the 8-bit video game the band released and his favorite video games when he was growing up, the influence of the recently deceased Stan Lee on his life, and the weapon he would choose to fight with in a Viking battle.

Petar and Brandon discover the fetish-finding company everybody needs, the couple that decided to make a baby at the front row of a Machine Head concert, Ihsahn making us all fans of Kanye West by explaining his appreciation for the rapper, and what we think is the most artistic stage of a band's career.

Songs:
Amon Amarth - “Raise Your Horns” (Live)
Amon Amarth - “Twilight of The Thunder Gods” (Live)
Eneferens - “This Onward Reach”

Direct download: Johan20Hegg2028Amon20Amarth2920Episode2026620-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 1:21pm PDT

Our guest this week is Nita Strauss. We discuss her recently-released debut solo record Controlled Chaos, her work with Alice Cooper and her appearance on Wrestlemania earlier this year. We also talk about the first time she picked up a guitar at age 13, the lesson and power of showing vulnerability as a public figure, knowing when to abandon a song and walk away, the passing of Jill Janus (Huntress) and some experiences Nita had with her both as a friend and in their band The Starbreakers.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss the whirlwind of Threatin that occurred last week on MetalSucks, the news that All That Remains guitarist Oli Herbert's death is being investigated as suspicious, Bruce Dickinson's thoughts on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the death off comic book icon Stan Lee.

Songs:
Nita Strauss - "Our Most Desperate”
Nita Strauss - “Pandemonium 2.0”

Direct download: Nita20Strauss2028Alice20Cooper2920Episode20265-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 9:37am PDT

Todd Stern of Psycroptic is our guest this week. We discuss his role in the latest record As The Kingdom Drowns, the addition of female vocals over choruses, if there was a hazing process when he joined the band, the logistics of him living in the States and the rest of the band living in Australia, switching from guitar to bass to be in Psycroptic, acclimating to the Australian lingo of his bandmates and which of their records he would love to perform in its entirety. We also talks about the best way to introduce young fans to your band, how backing tracks for live shows can be a slippery slope for metal bands and the importance of writing songs with replay value. 

Petar, Brandon, and Joz can't get enough of the story about Threatin’s European tour, and we read aloud the statement made about Oli Herbert in regards to his toxicology report and how the delivery makes us feel about the situation.

Song:
Psycroptic - “Directive”
Psycroptic - “Frozen Gaze”
Blind Sight - “Empathy Astray”

Direct download: Todd20Stern2028Psycroptic2920Episode2026420-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 8:16am PDT

Trevor Phipps of Unearth is our guest. We discuss the message behind the band's new album Extinction(s), how the American political puts a strain on relationships with friends and family these days, his tips on how to best consume the news, the modern presentation of opinions as facts, which band from the New Wave of American Heavy Metal he was surprised called it quits, his thoughts climate change, and his favorite beer bong memory with Oderus Urungus of Gwar.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn have a field day explaining David Gunn’s statement on the new King 810 record, Tom Araya’s conservative-leaning post, Axl Rose telling people how to vote, and Pitchfork’s brutal review of the new Greta Van Fleet album.

Songs:
Unearth - “Incinerate”
Unearth - “Survivalist”
Stellar Circuits - “Nocturnal Visitor”

Direct download: Trevor20Phipps2028Unearth2920Episode2026320-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 2:11pm PDT

Highly regarded producer and Hate Eternal mainman Erik Rutan is our guest this week. We discuss Hate Eternal's new album Upon Desolate Sands, his goals for the record production and guitar-wise, whether he would ever have someone else produce a Hate Eternal record, the importance of preserving the performances during the recording process, what his approach would be if he were hired to record a new album by Tool, and the career turning point for him as a producer. We also talk about the victory of his Philadelphia Eagles last year at the Super Bowl. 

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn write our advertisement for a Marilyn Manson dildo, we break down Kat Katz leaving Agoraphobic Nosebleed and all the words going back and forth between parties that followed, and we wonder whether those relationships can possibly be salvaged.

Songs:
Hate Eternal - “All Hope Destroyed”
Bloodbath - “Chainsaw Lullaby”

Direct download: Erik20Rutan2028Hate20Eternal2920Episode2026220-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 7:51am PDT

This week we host The Ocean mastermind Robin Staps. We discuss recording parts of the band's new album Phanerozoic 1: Paleozoic in Iceland, what it was like laying down tracks in a studio that used to be a swimming pool, why The Ocean always release double albums, the reason he gives listeners the option to listen to an instrumental version of his songs, how Phanerozoic is the end of an era for band, the amount of time he would like for Part 2 prior to release, why it’s so difficult for bands from Europe to tour the states, how physical album sales are still strong in Germany and much of Europe, his enjoyment of the business side of music as much as the artistic side, and what brings him a true sense of peace in 2018.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn tackle the tragic news of the passing of Old Herbert from All That Remains and how important he was to his peers, and Scott Kelly’s decision to cancel his tour with Mirrors for Psychic Warfare due to his struggles with mental illness.

Songs:
All That Remains - “Chiron
The Ocean - “Devonian: Nascent”
Korpiklanni - “Kotikonnut”

Direct download: Robin20Staps2028The20Ocean2920Episode2026120-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 8:34am PDT

This week Tony Foresta vocalist of Iron Reagan/Municipal Waste is our guest. We talk about Iron Reagan’s new EP Dark Days Ahead, working at a t-shirt printing factory in the early days of Municipal Waste, his affinity for playing shows with pop punk bands, the never ending meme thread that he has on his phone, a prank he pulled on Earache Records when Municipal Waste first signed to the label, and the mystery of The (International) Noise Conspiracy banner in Iron Reagan’s rehearsal space.

Petar and Brandon discuss the amazing story of Shaggy 2 Dope’s drop-kick attempt on Fred Durst, DJ Lethal's poetic and profound response on Instagram, and the finale we all wanted when The Iron Sheik brokered a truce. We also discuss the return of a little thing called Woodstock.

Songs:
Iron Reagan - “Patronizer”
Iron Reagan - “The Devastation”

Direct download: Tony20Foresta2028Iron20Reagan2920Episode2026020-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 7:58am PDT

This week our guest is Adam “Nergal” Darski of Behemoth. Nergal tells us about the pressure of following up The Satanist, why he is proudest of the modern era of Behemoth, the amount of energy he puts into the visual aspect of the band, how his music belongs to the fans after it's been released, and why he still spends thousands of dollars on records. We also chat about how he was recently banned from Facebook, coming under fire for racially charged remarks he made on Instagram following Poland's loss to Senegal in the World Cup, the difficulties of communicating with people who have different views, the difference between being anti-religious and spiritual, and why he is against nationalistic movements.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn speculate on the “horrible thing” that occurred to ex-Ghost guitarist, share our thoughts on Phil Demmel’s Instagram post about his exit from Machine Head, discuss Axl's article about the next big trend in metal, and wax ecstatic about Filter reuniting the team from Short Bus.

Songs:
Behemoth - “Bartzabel”
Behemoth - “Wolves of Siberia"
Gorod - “The Sentry”


Scott Vogel of Terror is our guest this week. We discuss the rage behind the band's new album Total Retaliation, working with Producer Will Putney, why Terror shows are one of a kind, his least favorite Terror record, when reviewers don’t give records a fair shake, the importance of lyrics in hardcore, the difference between a fashion statement and the mentality of going against the grain, his passion for hip hop and the beauty of maintaining Terror for so long.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn give their thoughts on the recent departure of Phil Demmel and Dave McClain from Machine Head, Harm’s Way's gear getting stolen from a notorious parking lot in Las Vegas, Dave Grohl’s drinking habits and Brandon’s rage when the Cleveland Browns play.

Songs:
Terror - “Mental Demolition”
Terror - “Spirit of Sacrifice”
Daughters - “The Reason They Hate Me”

Direct download: Scott20Vogel2028Terror2920Episode2025820-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 3:19pm PDT

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

Direct download: Scott20Conner2028Xasthur2920Episode2025720-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 8:07am PDT

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”

Direct download: Sven20De20Caluwe2028Aborted2920Episode2025620-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 10:46am PDT

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”


Our guest this week is Revocation mastermind David Davidson. We discuss the band's new record The Outer Ones (which Dave describes as the band's "most death metal album" to date), how the world of H.P. Lovecraft influenced the album, studying the language of jazz and its effects on Revocation, which jazz artist he is most impressed with and the importance of knowing the history of the genre you love. 

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss Marilyn Manson cutting another show short and the fear of his career continuing in this manner, Chris Fronzak of Attila punching a security guard and claiming he'll never play Vegas again, and the sad news that Fronzak may have to come back to Vegas anyway to face charges pressed against him from the incident.

Songs:
Revocation - “Of Unwordly Origin”
Revocation - “The Outer Ones”

Direct download: David20Davidson2028Revocation2920Episode20253.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 6:18am PDT

Our guest this week is legendary drummer Mike Portnoy. We discuss Metal Allegiance and the massive amount of input that goes into a supergroup collaboration, getting Andreas Kisser and Max Cavalera on the same record again, the various vocalists on the band's new album Volume II: Power Drunk Majesty and the process for writing lyrics, the metal drummers who influenced him, an update on Sons of Apollo’s recent festival cancellations, the Winery Dogs hiatus, the album his son Max recommended that's one of his favorites of the year, and his son's band Tallah.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn tackle this week of tragedy with the deaths of Jill Janus (Huntress) and Jonathan Davis's wife Deven. They also discuss the soundproof glass at Heavy Montreal, the church of Satan protesting the ten commandments in Arkansas, Cattle Decapitation vs. true Christians, and what we envision for the future of Killswitch Engage.

Songs:
Metal Allegiance - “Voodoo of the Godsend” (featuring Max Cavalera)
Tallah - “Cottonmouth”


On this special "half" episode of The MetalSucks Podcast we share a never-before-heard interview with Huntress frontwoman Jill Janus, who tragically took her own life earlier this week. The interview was conducted by MetalSucks Podcast host Petar Spajic a few years back at a Huntress headlining show in Las Vegas and has not been published anywhere until now. 

Explains Petar: 

"When I got the opportunity to interview Jill I was just a guy without an audience who just wanted to learn how to talk to bands and spread my love of heavy metal. Jill knew this and knew this interview would not be heard by many, or any, but was all about giving me the opportunity. I learned that if you are a part of this community and love the music people will always give you a chance if you are willing to try, and Jill did that for me.

"I have a small list of bands that allowed me to use them as practice for me to try to do this on any scale in the future, and Huntress was the only band I never got to pay it forward to when Vince and Axl allowed asked us to do The MetalSucks Podcast. I looked for press releases every week in hopes of getting a new Huntress album so I could attack the publicist to get them on and help them, because that’s what they did for me.

"This interview holds a special place to me because unlike all the other wonderful bands and people who helped me along the way this is the only one I've aired posthumously. Thank you, Jill, for allowing me to learn on your time and making me feel like I knew what I was doing when I clearly had no clue. Thank you Blake for taking my camera and taking pictures of Jill I when I was too shy to even consider asking, and I hope this can somehow get your music to more ears.

"Rest in peace, Jill; you helped out many and will continue to do so with your songs more than you will ever know." 

Songs:

Huntress - "Blood Brothers"
Huntress - "Harsh Time on Planet Stoked"
Huntress - "Eight of Swords"

Direct download: Jill20Janus2028Huntress2920Episode20251.520-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 11:55am PDT

Roy Mayorga is our guest this week! Join us as we discuss the special edition of Stone Sour's Hyrdograd (out August 31), their new single “Burn One Turn One” not making the cut on the original release, the challenge of covering Rage Against the Machine's “Bombtrack,” winning Loudwire’s Best Hard Rock Album of 2017, getting to spend six weeks playing support for Ozzy on his final tour, the first record he recorded with Nausea, how he keeps the legacy of a band like Nausea alive today, guitarist Josh Rand coming back to touring with Stone Sour, how they've help him with his recovery from addiction, his punk rock roots, the shows he was lucky enough to witness, and how the punk rock scene is still alive and thriving.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn also introduce you to the God = Dog sitcom and discuss the changing story of the elderly break out at Wacken Open Air, Phil Demmel not doing any press for Machine Head, the impending release of Warrel Dane’s final record being released, and the difference between Keith Buckley’s From Every Time I Die Cory Brandan from Norma Jean's views on accepting fans of different political backgrounds at shows.

Songs:
Stone Sour - “Burn One Turn One”
Nausea - "Cyber God”
Parasite Inc. - “Once And For All”

Direct download: Roy_Mayorga_Stone_Sour_Episode_251_.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 11:11am PDT

Rob "Blasko" Nicholson -- Ozzy's longtime bassist, successful artist manager and founder/host of the A New Level podcast -- is our guest this week. We start out by talking about his latest endeavor and the preparation his guests go through prior to recording the episodes. We transition into a broader music industry conversation: how people consume music these days as opposed to the past, how the new model levels the playing field, why he only trusts music industry people who have been in bands, the reason he likes to stay busy with so many different projects, one young band that he feels has headlining potential, the validation a record contract can bring a young band, the visible record collection vs. the hidden record collection in the '80s, and he tells us about his favorite supergroup.

Petar, Brandon and Jozalyn introduce everyone to The Proper Spin Institute and discuss their elderly heroes in Germany, Angus Young needing an escort to pee, and the horribly titled new Behemoth song that we love.

Songs:
The Agony Scene - “The Ascent and Decline”
Islander - “My Friends”

Direct download: Blasko20Episode20250.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 12:02pm PDT

The legendary Dee Snider is our guest this week. We discuss his new solo record For the Love of Metal (which was written and produced by Jamey Jasta), his fears he wouldn't be able to deliver on a contemporary metal record, the inspiration Game of Thrones had on the effort, why he feels no need to make a new Twisted Sister album and how he landed a spot on Chappelle’s Show. He also updates us on the sequel to his film Strangeland, shares his thoughts on censorship coming from the liberal side of America and how artists have to change the truth sometimes to stay politically correct.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn introduce Jimmy Craig to the world and talk about the study showing that frequent concert attendance can extend your life, Every Time I Die's Jordan Buckley saving a life by spitting beer in a fan's eye, Mark Heylmun of Suicide Silence's break from touring with the band, Rob Zombie’s take on Slayer retiring and Behemoth’s tease for their new record.

Songs:
Dee Snider - “Tomorrow’s No Concern”
Dee Snider - “Become the Storm”

Direct download: Dee20Snider20Episode20249.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:21am PDT

Jake Bowen is our guest this week. The guitarist and multi-instrumental tells us all about Four Seconds Ago, his new electronic project with Periphery bandmate Misha Mansoor, from its formation to the differences in the creative process from his day job band to the need he felt to pursue that musical direction. We also spoke about Periphery's decision to start their own label (3 Dot Recordings), the large amount of demos and songs Periphery already have for their next album, the power of Pantera and Jake's MetalSucks article describing Dimebag’s solo on “Throes of Rejection,” his feelings on the band's recent Grammy nomination, and his thoughts on an attorney's use of a Periphery song in a trial of a woman who attacked three people with an axe.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn talk about the 96-year old Holocaust survivor singing death metal, David Gunn’s statement on changes to the King 810 lineup, the DC universe putting out metal songs and why that works better than it would for Marvel, and the passing of Metalocalypse director Jon Schnepp.

Songs:
Four Seconds Ago - “Fadeaway”
Mantar - “Age of the Absurd”


Otep Shamaya returns to the podcast this week. We discuss her upcoming record Kult 45, the intent behind its lead single “To The Gallows" and a whole lot of politics: how important it is not to accept lies from our leaders, how to argue politics with people who have a different viewpoint, when name calling is acceptable and when it's not, how important it is to stand up and fight against injustice, the good in humanity and coming together, and the political landscape of the future.

Petar, Brandon and Jozalyn tackle the update from everybody in the System of a Down camp, how we feel about each member's statements, the strange controversy Steel Panther recently ran into and the mighty GayC/DC.

Songs:
Otep - “Shelter in Place”
Ultra-Violence - “Cadaver Decomposition Island”

Direct download: Otep20Episode2024720-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 8:17am PDT

This week we talk to Obscura mastermind Steffen Kummerer about the band's new record, Dilvium, why it took four chapters to tell the narrative behind it, the meaning of the title, his approach to making the record sound three dimensional, the importance of a good chorus, his study of German philosophy, which philosopher he feels best represents him today, the difficulty of misinformation, and the misunderstanding about the band breaking up when promoting the new record.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn also tackle the latest drama surrounding The Faceless, Rex Brown’s kind tribute to the late Vinnie Paul, how death brings closure to petty beefs, and whether or not Rex and Phil Anselmo should perform Pantera songs again.

Songs:
Obscura - “Ethereal Skies”
Obscura - “Dilvium”

Direct download: ObscuraSteffen_Kummerer_Episode_246.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 9:37am PDT

This week we talk with Devin Townsend about his latest release Ocean Machine - Live at the Ancient Roman Theater Plovdiv. We discuss Devin's decision to disband the "Devin Townsend Project" moniker, the various albums he's writing now and the 100 songs that are currently in the works, the trial and error process he goes through prior to committing to a project, the autobiography he released in 2016 and what the future may hold for him at this point. As is always the case with Devin, it's quite the interesting chat and a pointed look into the brain of one of metal's most eccentric characters.

Pete, Brandon, and Joz share their favorite metal albums of 2018 so far, discussing why these records should all be heard and how established artists sometimes don’t get the credit they should because of nostalgia.

Songs:
C.O.C - “Cast The First Stone”
Harakiri for the Sky - “Manifesto”
The Atlas Moth - “Coma Noir”
Devin Townsend Project - “Truth (Live)”
Devin Townsend Project - “Regulator (Live)”
Will Haven - “Winds of Change”
At The Gates - “To Drink From The Night Itself”
Light the Torch - “The Safety of Disbelief”

Direct download: Devin20Townsend2020-20Episode2024520-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 9:44am PDT

Dez Fafara from DevilDriver is our guest this week. We discuss his new country covers album Outlaws Til The End Vol. 1, how he handled people who told him it was a bad idea to mix metal and country, why this is a "Volume 1," his trip to Johnny Cash’s cabin, singing on stage with Lee Ving of Fear, masculinity and its representation in country songs and an update on the future of DevilDriver.

Pete, Brandon, and Jozalyn talk about the passing of legend Vinnie Paul, our personal experiences with him in Vegas, how important he was to the the younger bands in the scene and the legacy he leaves behind.

Songs:
Pantera - “I’ll Cast a Shadow”
Devildriver - “ Ghost Riders in the Sky”
Violent Life, Violent Death - “Backbiter”

Direct download: Dez20Fafara2028Devildriver2920Episode2024420-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 12:27pm PDT

Jami Morgan of Code Orange is our guest this week. We discuss the band's latest standalone single “Only One Way," the ways he sees the band releasing songs, albums and other content in the future, his fondness for MMA and wrestling, the importance of validation from established artists, touring Europe with System of a Down, which era of hardcore most inspired him and the youthful energy that is irreplaceable in music.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss the latest drama involving The Faceless (and Michael Keene's bogus comment on the ordeal) and our joy about Ghost's recent achievements for our genre.

Songs:
Code Orange - “Only One Way”
Code Orange - “The New Reality”

Direct download: Jami20Morgan2028Code20Orange2920Episode2024320-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 8:04am PDT

Ben Ward of Orange Goblin is our guest this week. We discuss the immediacy and sound of the band's latest record The Wolf Bites Back, the reason Ward believes no rock band has captured a generation like in the past, how popular artists rest on their laurels after achieving success, the English metal scene and the unity that used to make it special, why retirement doesn’t make sense for musicians, and the successful crowdfunding campaign he launched to help out Metal Hammer.

Petar and Brandon present Kiss toilet paper in ad form and discuss the importance of taking a stand, the dangers of staying neutral in certain situations, and how setting a bad precedent hurts the scene and fans.

Songs:
Orange Goblin - "The Wolf Bites Back"
Iced Earth - "Declaration Day"

Direct download: Ben20Ward2028Orange20Goblin2920Episode2024220-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 11:35am PDT

This week we talk to Every Time I Die vocalist Keith Buckley about his new novel Watch. We also discuss his first novel Scale, the authors that influenced him, the importance of writing what you know, the risks he took on the new book, the difference between turning in finished records to labels and books to an editor, the magic behind the song “Map Change," the importance of producer Will Putney on the lyrics of Every Time I Die's latest album Low Teens, an update on new music and much more.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn break down the preview clip released by the reactivated As I Lay Dying. Who is in the band? Will their comeback be successful? We also discuss the Slayer fan who swam back into a a concert after getting kicked out.

Songs:
Every Time I Die - “Just As Real But Not As Brightly Lit”
Every Time I Die - “Map Change”


Doc Coyle of Bad Wolves (ex-God Forbid, Vagus Nerve) joins the podcast this week. We talk about Bad Wolves' recent rise to success, the difference between metal and hard rock, the disparity between fans of those genres, how quickly change occurs in life and the anxiety that brings, how the president has become pop culture and the importance of mobilizing young voters. We also talk a whole lot of NBA: why Lebron James is or isn’t the greatest basketball player of all time, if the argument between him and Michael Jordan is fair, which team Lebron should get traded to, how the Golden State Warriors have affected the competition in the game, and much more.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn introduce the world to the Pedro and Pedro Law firm, talk about Marilyn Manson’s claim of pissing on Korn’s catering, Ghost's Tobias Forge stating that the lawsuit brought against him by former members needed to happen, Between the Buried and Me's decision to release their latest record in two parts, and much more.

Songs:
Bad Wolves - “Better The Devil”
Bad Wolves - “Zombie”

Direct download: Doc20Coyle2028Bad20Wolves2920Episode2024020-20FINAL.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 8:33am PDT

Bloodbath vocalist Nick Holmes (also of Paradise Lost) is our guest this week. We discuss the North American tour Bloodbath are about the embark on, his passion for Florida death metal and horror films, his fear of checking Twitter after a night of drinking, the challenge of writing “gore” lyrics and an update on the new Bloodbath record.

Meanwhile Petar, Brandon, and Joz discuss MS co-founder Vince Neilstein's claim that Ghost will be the next arena rock band, the newly announced Pig Destroyer record, Maynard’s plea on stage for his bandmates to finish the Tool record, and much more.

Songs:
Bloodbath - “Grand Morbid Funeral”
Witch Casket - “Hatred Index”


This week we talk with Lamb of God guitarist Mark Morton about the band's new covers album Legion: XX, released under the band's original moniker Burn the Priest. We discuss how the band selected which songs to cover, which ones were the most difficult to learn, his favorite covers by other bands, the honor of being on the bill for Slayer’s farewell tour and his passion for hip hop. 

This week we have a new segment of "Vince Nielstein’s Metal Mysteries" in which the MetalSucks co-founder addresses the age-old conspiracy: is there more than one Andrew W.K.? Petar, Brandon and Jozalyn discuss the news about Bill and Ted 3 finally getting the green light, the disappearance of Yuimetal from Babymetal's ranks, the absence of "One in a Million" from the Guns N’ Roses reissue of Appetite for Destruction, and the dangers of ignoring and rewriting history.

Songs:
Burn The Priest - “Inherit The Earth”
Dead Cross - “My Perfect Prisoner”

Direct download: Mark20Morton2028Lamb20of20God2920Episode2023820-20FINAL.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 7:55am PDT