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. 

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”

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”

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”

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”

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”

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”

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”

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”

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”

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”

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

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”

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”

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"

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”

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”

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”

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”

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”

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”

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”

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”

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"

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”

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”

Mike Scheidt from Yob joins us this week. We talk about the trials and tribulations caused by his near-fatal diagnosis of diverticulitis, his near-death experience prior to surgery, the power of being mentally strong when dealing with health issues, the process he took to rebuild his singing voice and the precautions he'll be taking on Yob's upcoming tour with Bell Witch, how our emotions are tied into how we feel physically, learning how to say thank you when you are shown an overwhelming amount of support, and how he got a guest spot on the latest record by Will Haven.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn give you a glimpse into the exciting week Guns ’N’ Roses fans had, try to understand what bankruptcy means for Gibson guitars, talk about Babymetal's decision to start a record label, and discuss the recent slew of surprise releases from Sleep, Cancer Bats and Dead Cross.

Songs:
Yob - “The Screen”
Witch Mountain - “Burn You Down”

TesseracT guitarist James Monteith is our guest this week. We talk about the meaning behind the title of the band's new album Sonder, the dark storytelling process for their music video “King," how shorter records make more sense these days, the importance of trends and timing in modern music, his day job as a music publicist, the correlation between Brexit in Monteith's native U.K. and Trump's America, how technology is a part of the identity of today's youth, the psychology of the modern music fan, how big retailers are to blame for the mainstream fashion trend of metal shirts and more.

Petar, Brandon, and Joz tackle John Travolta praising Fred Durst, our excitement level for the new Daron Malakian and Scars on Broadway record, Burn the Priest's voicemail advertisement, and the food that best represents America (according to Jozalyn).

Songs:
Tesseract - “King”
Octopus - “Supernatural Alliance”

Dimmu Borgir guitarist and founder Silenoz is our guest this week. We discuss the writing process of the band's new record Eonian and the motivations behind it, how after eight years a new record becomes an event for fans, Dimmu Borgir's 20-plus year relationship with Nuclear Blast Records, the 15th anniversary of Death Cult Armageddon, his thoughts on eventual retirement after 25 years of doing this, and the experience of playing live with a 100-piece orchestra.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn tackle Apple's plans to discontinue digital downloads on iTunes, being forced into streaming as a consumer, how that could be good for physical product sales, and value versus convenience when it comes to art. Following Vince and Axl's recent video, we have our own debate about whether a new Guns N' Roses record will be any good, and Brandon gives his take on ageism in meaningful rock and metal lyrics.

Songs:
Dimmu Borgir - “Interdimensional Summit”
Melvins - “Stop Moving To Florida”

Legendary frontman John Bush (Armored Saint, ex-Anthrax) joins us this week to discuss the early days of Armored Saint, their goal of getting signed prior to playing 50 shows, Mike Piazza’s favorite track by the band, the writing process for classic album Symbol of Salvation, the stories behind the Anthrax records he performed on, his approach to writing lyrics with a broad appeal while remaining honest, and how he would love to play Win Hands Down in its entirety in 2025.

Meanwhile, we create an ad for the new Twilight EP, discuss System of a Down touring without a new record, how System have managed to become both critics' darlings and fan favorites, and what it's like to watch bands perform when you think they hate each other on stage.

Songs:
Armored Saint - “Dropping Like Flies"
Armored Saint - “An Exercise in Debauchery”

We talk to Benji Webbe of Skindred about their new record Big Tings, the change in sound on this record, surviving getting stabbed in the neck and how close he came to dying, how gun control works in the UK, the importance of listening to the children, and the Babymetal controversy he was part of during the Kerrang awards.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn have a field day with Frankie from Emmure's diss track, prove that a two-year old can write a better one, make a formal challenge to both Emmure and Attila, and discuss the special edition of the Podcast on which MS co-founder Vince Neilstein and Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante debate whether technology has affected the music industry for better or worse.

 Songs:
Skindred - “That’s My Jam”
Aura Noir - “Dark Lung of the Storm”

Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante and MS co-founder Vince Neilstein go one-on-one in a debate about how technology has affected the music industry. We discuss Benante's assertion that "Apple had a big hand in destroying music," his preference for listening to music on physical formats, the income artists and labels earn from streaming platforms like Spotify and YouTube, "pay what you want" pricing models and how all those things fit into the overall economic picture of the modern artist. 

Song: Anthrax - "Breathing Lightning" (Live)

Underoath vocalist Spencer Chamberlain is our guest. We discuss the band's new record Erase Me (out April 6th), the decision to make a new record after reuniting to tour, the reason the band decided to call it quits in 2013, the importance of the break-up in hindsight, his past struggles with addiction and the way he beat it, the most irritating thing about the current state of our country and much more.

MetalSucks co-founder Vince Neilstein joins Petar, Brandon and Jozalyn to discuss the controversy surrounding Watain: the image that surfaced of their guitarist giving the Nazi salute, frontman Erik Danielsson's response and the people who defend the band. We also talk about the discovery of Inquisition vocalist Dagon's past child pornography charges and the pass that certain artists get despite their heinous past behavior, and we talk about the tragic passing of Caleb Scofield of Cave In and how fans of the band have stepped up to show his family that they aren’t alone.

Songs:
Underoath - “Rapture”
Failure - “Dark Speed”
Cave In - “Luminance”

Emperor guitarist Ihsahn returns to the podcast this week to discuss his latest solo record Amr. He also tells us why a new Emperor album doesn’t make sense, how money and fame dictated peoples' views in the early days of black metal, his views on the crimes associated with the early black metal movement, the way Americans view those same crimes, his feelings on sharing the stage with Faust and Samoth in 2014, and how holding extreme viewpoints in your youth makes you grow up fast.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn follow the interview this week with a discussing of some of Ihsahn’s comments including his relationship with Faust, the difficulty of truly understanding perspective, and much more.

Songs:
Ihsahn - “Arcana Imperii”
The Absence - “Misery Trophies”

This week our guest is Thomas Youngblood of Kamelot. We discuss their new album The Shadow Theory, how Lauren Hart of Once Human (who guests on the new record) performed her first show with the band opening for Iron Maiden, how Kamelot made it into the Olympics, recent lineup changes, the reason he choose to film in the Netherlands for their upcoming live DVD and more.

Petar, Brandon, and Joz get super excited about the recently-announced sequel to The Devil’s Rejects, talk about Crematory’s drummer bullying his fans into buying their record and speculate what a solo show by Clown of Slipknot might look like.

Songs:
Kamelot - “Raven Light
Kobra and the Lotus - “Losing My Humanity”

This week we get to chat with BTBAM vocalist Tommy Rogers about latest the band's latest record, Automata 1, the reason behind the decision to release this record in two parts (Automata 2 is out in June), the process of making music with his bandmates, why concept records work so well for BTBAM, which of his albums is his most personal, the importance of North Carolina to the bands sound, the way he found his voice through the records, covering Chris Cornell early on in his career, and how lucky they are to be a band that truly gets along with one another.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn also tackle the sad news of Tommy Lee getting knocked out by his son and the social media fight that followed, Fred Durst directing a film with John Travolta, Slash making a new solo record instead of a new Guns N' Roses record, and their feelings regarding Tool's choice of producer for their new album.

Will Haven guitarist Jeff Irwin is our guest this week. We discuss the band's new record Muerte (out March 23rd), how the band functions and makes decisions these days, their evolution and three distinct chapters of their career, their debut album El Diablo turning 21 years old, the crucial role dark and angry art plays in his life, the possibility of a live album in the near future and growing up in the '90s.

Meanwhile Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn talk about Izzy Stradlin's new book and his decision to walk away from Guns N' Roses reunion money, the Taake tour cancellation due to pressure from antifa, antifa’s effect on the metal scene as a whole and much more.

This week we chat with Rivers of Nihil guitarist Brody Uttley. We talk about the band's third record Where Owls Know My Name, out March 16th via Metal Blade (order here), the depression millennials suffer due to technology, creating art in the form of heavy metal, the difference between artists and craftsman, his love of post-rock, the struggle he has with communication through text messages, his thoughts on bands that use backing tracks and how important first week sales still are in the music industry.

Meanwhile Petar, Brandon and Jozalyn tackle the gun control debate that has rolled into the metal world; we discuss Randy Blythe’s thoughts, Phil Labonte's comments, Chris Barnes' “crisis actor” statement and much more.

Songs:
Rivers Of Nihil - “A Home”
Zao - “The Host Has Bared Its Teeth”

Howard Jones is our guest this week. We discuss his latest project Light The Torch (formerly known as Devil You Know) and their new album Revival, the project he has been working on with Peter Wichers (ex-Soilwork), his bucket list moment with Dee Snider, his take on Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s rumored fight in the MMA, his thoughts on touring as a solo artist and much more.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn introduce the world to Van Damme’s debut hardcore album, discuss the news of Glenn Tipton stepping away from touring with Judas Priest due to Parkinson’s Disease, Clown saying Slipknot don't want to perform with the Foo Fighters, the strength of having a gimmick in the music industry, and the financial troubles of Gibson Guitars.

Songs: 
Light The Torch - “Die Alone”
Vexes - “Hellion”

Dave Wyndorf of the legendary Monster Magnet is our guest this week. We discuss the band's latest record Mindfucker, how Dave's approach this time differed from the last few records, the perfect live set list and how he tried to sequence the new record to mimic it, why “stupid is the new smart," writing lyrics during Trump’s inauguration, and his take on the current generation gap and all things rock n' roll.

Pete, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss the end of the CD era at Best Buy, how important Bill Burr's praise for Meshuggah is for the band and for metal in general, the revelation of Michael Keene’s drug addiction and how we feel about AC/DC continuing on with Axl Rose. Jozalyn writes and records her first bit for the show.

Songs: 
Monster Magnet - "Mindfucker"
Earthless - "Gifted By the Wind"

This week we chat with legendary guitarist Zakk Wylde. We talk about Black Label Society's newest record Grimmest Hits, his recent debilitating sickness while on tour, the humor he brings to his Twitter account, his thoughts on retirement, his coffee endeavor with the Death Wish Coffee brand, his involvement on a possible new Ozzy record, the final tour with Ozzy, and how he reacted when he heard the recent news about former guitarist Nick “Evil Twin” Catanese.

Meanwhile Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss the recent tweet by Maynard about Tool lyrics, our reaction to ex-Machine Head bassist Adam Duce's negativity towards his former band, and the “top notch” performance and “commanding presence” of new STP singer Jeff Gutt, according to Brandon.

Songs: 
Black Label Society - “Trampled Down Below”
Black label Society - “Room of Nightmares”

This week we talked to Stavros Giannopoulos of The Atlas Moth. We discuss Coma Noir, their first first record in four years, which comes out February 9th via Prosthetic (pre-order). We also talk about how Joe Duplantier from Gojira almost produced the record, Stavros's love for the lyrics on Metallica’s Load album, the future of the Twilight project, he current relationship with Blake Judd, the decision to sign with Prosthetic Records and how Chris Jericho turned real-life heel on Stavros.

Petar and Brandon discuss the end of Slayer, the final tour not having Dave Lombardo, if we feel these will truly be Slayer's final shows and the next band that we think will retire from the Big 4.

Songs: 
The Atlas Moth - “Galactic Brain”
The Atlas Moth - “Coma Noir”

John tells us about his new live record It’s Alive (out January 25th; pre-order here), how he and his bandmates challenge each other during live shows, how much improvisation happens when recording, how he names instrumental tracks, the obstacles he faced when arriving in L.A. to follow his dream, the 20th anniversary of Mechanical Animals and an update on the latest album from Rob Zombie.

The post John 5 on The MetalSucks Podcast #222 appeared first on MetalSucks.

We discuss the band's new album World Down, his passion for classic horror films, going on tour for three weeks after breaking his ribs on stage, his solo project and how some of those songs become Tribulation songs, the expectations he has for every record, his goals in life and more.

The post Tribulation Guitarist Jonathan Hultén on The MetalSucks Podcast #221 appeared first on MetalSucks.

We discuss what fans can expect from the band's new album, the absence of Mario and David from this recording cycle, finding the groove with new musicians in the studio, his thoughts on clean singing, what makes a guitar solo truly special, his favorite unsung guitarists in modern thrash and his passion for the road and being a metal lifer.

The post Exmortus Guitarist Conan Gonzalez on The MetalSucks Podcast #220 appeared first on MetalSucks.