The MetalSucks Podcast

Enslaved founding member Ivar Bjørnson is our guest this week. The legendary progressive black metal band's new record In Times hits shelves in a few weeks, and Chuck and Godless had a chance to talk to him about his young children, how close the band has been to splitting up, bouncing back and solidifying a new line-up, the keys to a good relationship in a band and his "marriage" to Enslaved bassist Grutle Kjellson for the last 25 years.

We also discuss the metal events coming to SXSW -- including the MetalSucks South By South Death showcase -- and we go in depth on a recent post by Sergeant D about Papa Roach going Djent. Does this signify the coming end of djent? Will the pop-metal titans close the door on another kind of metal just like they did for Nu Metal? Or should we be happy the mainstream finally discovered something new to incorporate?

Songs:
Enslaved - "One Thousand Years of Rain"
Lee McKinney - "Skylasher"

Direct download: METALSucks20Podcast20Ep0087.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 6:53am PDT

Dave Haley, drummer for Australian tech-death band Psycroptic, guests this week, Chuck and Godless grill him about the difficulties of being an Aussie band and touring the world, the benefits of retaining the rights to their music, their involvement with Tasmanian Devil extinction awareness and which member is the true hippie of the band.

Chuck and Godless also discuss the divisions between metal fans and how those rifts reflect racial tendencies in the U.S. It can be difficult for any band to become "legitimate," but in the modern metal scene more and more bands get criticized based on their style rather than their ability to write and play songs. Is this the new normal? Why do some people just hate clean singing and only listen to death metal? Should Chuck start a new battle vest? We discuss, you decide.

Songs:
Psycroptic - "Cold"
Veil of Maya - "Phoenix"

Direct download: METALSucks20Podcast20Ep0086.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 8:31am PDT

An action packed episode this week! Chuck and Godless take a bunch of your calls, talk about love and relationships for Valentine's Day, and debut the inaugural installment of "One Minute to Midnight," where unsigned bands get to have their music featured on the podcast and heard and critiqued by veteran producer, musician, teacher and resident badass Eyal Levi. Two bands get the full treatment this week; winners? losers? You be the judge!

Doc Coyle takes us to school on Steel Panther in his ongoing "Rejecting the Sickness" segment, telling us why SP are totally legit and not as derogatory as you might think based on song titles, album titles, videos, pictures, telegraphs and smoke signals.

Songs:
Cognizance - "The Succession of Flesh"
Byzantine - "A Curious Lot"

Direct download: METALSucks20Podcast20Ep0085.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 6:55am PDT

70,000 Tons of Podcast! Chuck and Godless set sail for the Caribbean with 4,000 metalheads to experience 60+ bands and some amazing times: a bigger ship, 20 more bands and even more fans on board than ever before, all headed to Jamaica with one thing in common... metal!

Corrosion of Conformity make their first appearance on the Podcast with their Blind-era lineup. They tell us all about how this group came back together of late, the big difference with the recent return to the three piece, Reed Mullin's experience with Dave Grohl and a new project called Teenage Time Killers that features some amazing guest stars.

Later Chuck and Godless sit down with Max and Gloria Cavalera and talk about their storied history with the metal business: what it's like to have so much of their family involved, what it means to have that time together and how tragedy has shaped their destiny.

Songs:
Soulfly - "Eye For An Eye"
Blind Guardian - "Ashes of Eternity"

Direct download: METALSucks20Podcast20Ep0084.mp3
Category:The MetalSucks Podcast -- posted at: 10:33am PDT

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