Dave Stephens, vocalist for We Came As Romans, guests this week on your favorite metal podcast with an interview outside of their album cycle. We catch Dave and the band right in the middle of working on the follow up to their eponymous latest album. Dave talks candidly with us about the recent departure of their drummer and longtime member Eric Choi, how aesthetic and the "look" of a new member will be important, their struggle with being an up and coming band and keeping their feet on the ground, and the idea that they might not be the best musicians but how their hard work and dedication have paid off.

We also unpack a recent interview with Kirk Hammett (did you know Metallica have a new album out?) where he talks about most of his creative ideas for the new record being shut out of the process and how <em>Hardwired</em> is a "Lars album." It's funny to think that even at the level Metallica are, that any members' ideas could be sidelined or not incorporated, although Kirk never appeared to be outspoken. Did he get steamrolled? Again? How is it that the seemingly most creative and sensitive member of the band isn't getting to contribute? After all... these... years? Metallica? Metallica? Did you see the videos from Metallica? Metallica… sorry, we think we glitched a bit there…

Songs:
Metallica
We Came As Romans – "Wasted Age"
Coliseum – "Am I Demon"

John LaMacchia, guitarist of the reactivated Candiria, guests this week on your favorite metal podcast and we dive deep into the band's new record While They Were Sleeping. In our interview we talk about the many projects he's spearheaded, how 9/11 took its toll on him and led to addiction, the dark nature of the music he creates, going back out on tour and what that means for his lifestyle, and what the future might bring.

We also talk about the disappointing sales figures for Avenged Sevenfold's new album, The Stage, which sold less than half the number of first week copies as their last record did. The stunt of announcing the record one day before its release may have backfired. Do stunts and tricks work in a band's favor? Or is it counterintuitive to fake out their hardcore audience by not telling them that you're working on new material? Will this benefit or hurt the band's upcoming lawsuit with their old label? Was the label change a good idea after all? Does anyone really care?

Songs: 
Candiria – "While They Were Sleeping"
Dark Tranquillity – "Encircled"

Adam Dutkiewicz of Killswitch Engage guests this week on your favorite metal podcast. Of course you know him from KsE, but Adam's latest project takes his immense talents in a completely different direction. Serpentine Dominion is a death metal project also featuring Shannon Lucas (ex-The Black Dahlia Murder) and George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher of Cannibal Corpse, so it's a bit heavier than what you might expect from Adam. In our interview, on the eve of the U.S. Presidential election, we decided that Adam needed to be our man on the street and let us in on all his political views, his plans to solve the Middle East crisis and legalizing various consumables. Then we let him off the hook for a bit to talk about music, his career, how KsE keeps Jesse Leach under control, and of course his appearance on the Price is Right.

We delve into some politics, because... politics. But we can't resist talking about the latest Internet fued between two grown men: Dee Snider called Cannibal Corpse’s first album "terrible," Chris Barnes reacted on twitter, Dee apologized, then they complimented one another. That's how you do it nowadays, right? Or would it have been better for Dee to stick to his guns? Either way it’s entertaining to see a champion of free speech in music get called out for talking smack about someone else’s art.

Songs:
Serpentine Dominion – "On the Brink of Devastation"
Crowbar – "Plasmic and Pure"