Dennis Lyxzén of the legendary Refused guests on the podcast this week. We pick his brain about the demise of the band in the late '90s, what it took to get them to reunite, his philosophy on life, religion and what it means to be a working artist, the new Refused record Freedom and more.

Now that 2015 is halfway over Chuck and Godless discuss their picks for best album of the year (so far). How will the rest of the year shape up with so many big names dropping records in the next few months?

Songs:
Paradise Lost – "No Hope In Sight"
Sigh – "The Casketburner"
Refused - "Thought Is Blood"

Follow us on Twitter: @BeardedApe and @GodlessSpeaks

Hiran Deraniyagala of Battlecross is our guest this week as the band makes their way across Canada on tour with Crowbar. We talk about their new record Rise to Power, the band's recent success and how they've managed and struggled with it so far, what that means to who they are as people, and the real reason they've had such a problem filling the drum slot.

We also invited Sergeant D, Gear Gods Senior Editor Max Frank, and MS contributor Emperor Rhombus to the podcast after the recent back and forth on the site about the emphasis on musicianship in today's metal scene. Do fans put too much emphasis on ability and not enough on songwriting? Does it matter? And how does that impact metal's place in the music scene at large?

Follow us on twitter: @BeardedApe and @GodlessSpeaks

Songs:
Battlecross - "Not Your Slave"
Jungle Rot -  "Paralyzed Prey"

On this week's podcast we go in depth with Lamb of God drummer Chris Adler. We talked about the new Lamb of God album, how the relationships inside the band have changed over time, the differences between working with Megadeth and his own band, who the best of their many fill-in guitarists has been, what a rock and roll retirement plan should look like and his thoughts on clean singing in metal. We also get the scoop on an offer he may not be able to refuse from Dave Mustaine.

Songs:
Lamb of God - "512"
Rivers of Nihil - "Perpetual Growth Machine"

This week we have another installment of One Minute to Midnight, our chance for unsigned bands to have their music listened to and critiqued by one of our prolific metal producer Eyal Levi. Two bands get 60 seconds each to impress or completely disappoint; you be the judge.

We invite MetalSucks contributor Crash Thompson to help us try and figure out if there is still an underground left. IMNs will of course tell you that there is, and you just can't see it because you aren't looking, but with all of the constant internet coverage of metal the word "underground" may just be a term from the days of old we use to describe crappy music.

We also discuss Ronnie Radke's recent alleged indiscretion. Should the court of public opinion be what determines a person's guilt or innocence? Finding the truth can be almost impossible, and in the recent case of the Warped Tour flap over some of their talent, a measured response to accusations might be in order.

Follow us on Twitter: @BeardedApe @GodlessSpeaks

Songs:
Cattle Decapitation - "Manufactured Extinct"
Ghost - "Cirice"

I.C.S. Vortex takes a break from his many projects and family to guest this week on the MetalSucks Podcast. His new release with Arcturus is a departure from much of what he's done in the past, and we talk about that progression, his experience with an evangelical mother, how he fits his many projects into being a father and husband and his experiences with the volatile situations in Dimmu Borgir (and his subsequent departure from the band).

We also give you the first true installment of our new politics segment, "Sadist Nation" with Darkest Hour's Mike Schleibaum. We talk about the separation between church and state and whether or not metalheads can unite under one set of causes, and what it would take to make us all come together and realize the political power we have in the world after so many years of being sidelined.