On our final episode of the year, we continue our Best of 2021 recap (stream part 1 here), revealing our top 5 albums of the year and chatting with some of the artist that made our list, including Chevelle's Pete Loeffler, Zao's Scott Mellinger and members of Green Lung. Don’t miss out on celebrating the music that left the biggest impression on us and broke through all the noise of 2021. Until next year, friends... thank you for every minute you gave us, and we are excited to jump back into it in 2022!

Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support!

2021 is almost behind us, so this week on The MetalSucks Podcast we celebrate all the hope and despair that our favorite artists gave us in a year of comebacks and the new normal we collectively felt. We play one track from every record we loved and praise those artists for giving us music that has been unforgettable. Please join us in celebrating the first half of our top 15 albums of the year and gain some insight into those releases through featured interviews with some of the artists that brightened and enlightened, connected to us from a distance, and channeled all the emotions that remind us we are human.

Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support!

Jami Morgan from Code Orange is back on the show! We discuss the recent standalone single "Out For Blood," his perspective on the growing importance of singles in rock and metal, the reality of having to create new music faster in the current landscape, how being a frontman is more exhausting than being a drummer, Max Portnoy becoming a full time member of the band, why he feels Code Orange are in it for the long game and how they are intentionally polarizing.

Petar and Brandon tackle the police raid of Marilyn Manson’s home and seizure of his hard drives, The Word Alive befriending the thieves who stole their gear, and John Cooper of Skillet calling Rage Against The Machine “government rock.”

Songs: Code Orange - “Out For Blood," Daxma - “The Clouds Parted”

Imperial Triumphant guitarist Zachary Ilya Ezrin is our guest this week. We discuss the band's latest album, Alphaville, his thoughts on NFTs in music, embracing all the changes that come into the industry, making the band's new live album available only on vinyl, the band's relationship with New York City, and completing their first headlining tour since the pandemic began.

Petar and Brandon tackle the jaw-dropping Lars Ulrich toilet, Kid Rock’s latest misfire, and Danko Jones calling out fellow Canadian artists Monster Truck.

Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support!

Songs: Imperial Triumphant - "Transmission to Mercury (Live at Slipper Room)," Darkwoods My Betrothed - “In Evil, Sickness, and in Grief”

Death Angel riff master Rob Cavestany is our guest this week! We discuss the Grammy nomination of their last record, Humanicide, performing acoustic songs on the band's latest live album, The Bastard Tracks, and what it was like revisiting deep cuts for it, fan backlash for having to reschedule the Bay Strike Backs tour with Testament and Exodus again, the precautions he and Death Angel will take once they're back on the road, and how he wants to get out there just as badly as the fans want him to.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn tackle Rammstein guitarist Richard Kruspe's comments about Ghost not being a stadium band, why today's artists can’t make the same impact as previous generations, and Marilyn Manson’s lawyer's recent comments that he's open to a "global" settlement with the shock rocker's alleged victims.

Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support!

Songs: Death Angel - ”Where They Lay," Exodus - “The Years of Death and Dying”

Converge frontman Jacob Bannon is our guest this week! We discussed the band's forthcoming 10th studio album, Bloodmoon: I, and the story of how he finally got to collaborate on it with Chelsea Wolfe, Cave In's Stephen Brodsky and multi-instrumentalist Ben Chisholm, how the songs evolved with everyone’s contributions throughout the process, how each participant pushed one another's creative boundaries for the better, the music he's been listening to lately, the negativity of making music a competition within scenes, and reaching your goals in life with a positive path.

Petar and Brandon discuss Trivium frontman Matt Heafy’s comment that Metallica are the greatest band on Earth, Avenged Sevenfold waiting to release their next album, Limp Bizkit’s new record, and the Foo Fighters upcoming horror-comedy film.

Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support!

Songs: Converge and Chelsea Wolfe - “Blood Moon” and “Coil," Thulcandra - “Funeral Pyre”

Khemmis co-guitarist and co-vocalist Phil Pendergast is our guest this week! We discuss the band's new album, Deceiver, the long and difficult process of writing lyrics for it, fighting through a lack of motivation and depression during the pandemic, how Deceiver connects to the band's breakthrough album, Hunted, the exit of bassist Dan Beiers during the record's creation, and why they are planning their touring schedule for the next year especially carefully.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss Marilyn Manson joining a prayer circle with Kanye West and Justin Bieber, the possibility of Manson turning to Christianity, Mastodon's Brent Hinds use of a homophobic slur and the band's subsequent apology, and Slipknot fans starting a fire in the pit at a show in Arizona.

Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support!

Songs: Khemmis - “Living Pyre” and “House of Cadmus," Dream Unending - “In Cipher I Weep”

Whitechapel vocalist Phil Bozeman is our guest this week! We discuss the band's new record, Kin, the challenge of revisiting his childhood for its lyrical themes, the necessity of tackling your past and forcing yourself to face it regardless, the music videos that accompany the storytelling on the album, and how his perception of reality has changed dramatically as he grows into his 30s. We also talk about how he doesn’t get TikTok, how social media has become our main news source and how that affects us culturally, adapting to the generational gap and how quickly it changes, and his thoughts on touring after the pandemic.

Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia discuss Nikki Sixx's comment about performing “tired and with a beer belly," Ivan Moody choosing a side in the Bad Wolves / Tommy Vext beef, and Gene Simmons selling his Las Vegas mansion for a very large profit after less than a year.

Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support!

Songs: Whitechapel - “A Bloodsoaked Symphony" and “Orphan," Be’lakor - “Hidden Window”

Steve "Stevic" MacKay of Twelve Foot Ninja is our guest this week to discuss the band's new album, Vengeance, sitting on it for over a year while the pandemic raged on, the new novel and graphic novel connected to the album, teaching himself how to code to build a Twelve Foot Ninja video game, working with Huey Lewis and Jinjer's Tatiana Shmayluk on music videos, and a session gig he took working on a season of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, among other topics.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss Dani Filth blowing off Faust’s murder confession in 1993, and Chino Moreno blaming weed for Stephen Carpenter’s flat-earth and anti-vaccine viewpoints.

Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support!

Songs: Twelve Foot Ninja - “Start the Fire" and “Over and Out" (Featuring Tatiana Shmayluk of Jinjer), Wolftooth - “The Voyage”

Melvins drummer Dale Crover is our guest this week! We discuss the band's new album of acoustic re-imaginings, Five Legged Dog, how the band narrowed down the song list for it, which songs the band attempted to rework but failed, and his thoughts on doing an acoustic tour. We also talk about the recent passing of Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, how he found out fellow Melvins drummer Coady Willis got the job with High On Fire, his new pandemic hobby of golfing, and an update on his solo material.

Petar and Brandon discuss two members of Mötley Crüe making the news for falling and hurting themselves this week -- Tommy Lee’s pool slip and Vince Neil’s stage fall -- which legendary artist gets the funnier news treatment, Danzig or Vince Neil, and Kerry King’s statement that Slayer called it quits too early.

Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support!

Songs: Melvins - “Night Goat” (Acoustic) and “Sway” (The Rolling Stones Cover), Monolord - “I’ll Be Damned”

Lewis and Henry de Jong, the brothers behind Alien Weaponry, join us this week! We discuss the the band's new album, Tangaroa, the record's themes of environmental awareness and how everyone needs to do more, why they felt writing about their Maori heritage was extremely important, how touring has changed their perspective on major issues affecting the world, how to fix mistakes made by previous generation by being vocal, and their recent performance with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

Petar, Brandon and Jozalyn turn in another music episode inspired by a listener email asking about the best nu metal bands people may not have heard of, and we discuss how the movement holds up 20 years later.

Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support!

Songs: Alien Weaponry - “Buried Underground” and “Tangaroa”

Jeremy Spencer, aka Grim Synner from Psycho Synner (the band formerly known as Psychosexual) -- and former drummer for Five Finger Death Punch -- is our guest on this special half-episode of the podcast! We discuss why the band rebranded from Psychosexual to Psycho Sinner, his plan to release nine albums on the same day (and when that will happen) and the visual aesthetic of the band changing along with its name. We also talk about the horror film script he is currently working on, creating three feature-length films he wrote and directed with adult stars, how he believes people are extremely sensitive these days, how he hopes to push the envelope of the current culture with the band, and the massive influence of Gwar on the project.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss Jozalyn going on tour during the pandemic, the audiences she has been encountering, accidentally bullying people in attendance and much more.

Songs: Psycho Synner - “On Your Grave” and "Devil From Hell”

Our guest this week is Local H mastermind Scott Lucas! We discuss the band's latest album, Lifers, and his activity on social media to promote it during the pandemic, working on the record with legendary producer Steve Albini, his tribute song to George Floyd, and how artists are often unaware of how many people their music reaches. We also talk about performing all of his albums in full throughout the years, allowing the audience to pick what tracks the band performs, how he has been in his own head during recent performances because of the extended time away from touring, and his passion for film scores.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss David Lee Roth announcing his retirement from music, and whether Ozzy Osbourne will ever tour again in light of the slew of legendary guests on his next album.

Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support!

Songs: Local H - “Hold That Thought," “(We Are) The Road Crew" (Motörhead cover) and “Hackensack" (Fountains of Wayne cover)

Guitarist Jani Liimatainen of Insomnium (ex-Sonata Arctica) is our guest on this special half-episode of the podcast! We discuss the band's new EP, Argent Moon, releasing the songs as singles throughout the pandemic, how the tour for their last album, Heart Like A Grave, was completely cut short but they decided to forge ahead with new music anyway, the upcoming 25th anniversary of the band, the emotions of seeing his first live concert (as a fan) in a year and a half, why he likes to play obscure tracks live for fans, and the timeframe for a new full-length Insomnium record.

Songs: Insomnium “The Conjurer” and “The Antagonist," 1914 - “…And A Cross Now Marks His Place” (Featuring Nick Holmes of Paradise Lost)

Rivers of Nihil vocalist Jake Dieffenbach is our guest this week to discuss the band's new album, The Work! We talk about how the band fearlessly continues to pursue their own musical direction with no boundaries, the meaning of and story behind the Dan Seagrave cover artwork, the pressure of following up their critically acclaimed 2018 album Where Owls Know My Name, why he felt he needed 18 months off after touring non-stop in support of that record, feeling a little rusty after entering the new normal of pandemic road life, the challenge of being hard of hearing and pursuing a career as a musician, the reality that his hearing could continue to degrade as a result of performing, and how Rivers are Nihil are going to convert podcast host Petar's stepson into a metal lifer.

Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia discuss the disgruntled fan who drove his car into the front of the venue at a P.O.D. show, Petar talking his stepson to his very first heavy metal concert, and Metallica’s Black Album returning to the top ten on the Billboard charts.

Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support!

Songs: Rivers of Nihil - “Clean” and "Focus," Livløs - “And Then There Were None”

Sven de Caluwé of Aborted is back for a special half-episode of the podcast! We discuss how he needed the band's new album Maniacult to keep him connected to music, how the horror movies he binge-watched during the pandemic inspired the album, why he feels the first two Friday the 13th films didn’t age well, how the 25th anniversary of the band passed by during Covid, creating an action figure to sell to fans for the new album, and his favorite action figure toys from his youth.

Petar and Brandon get ready for October by celebrating the horror films that made them fall in love with the genre, the series they need to revisit, and the first film that scared them into loving the feeling of fear from cinema.

Songs: Aborted - “Dementophobia” and “Drag Me To Hell”

Mike Stringer of Spiritbox is our guest this week! We discuss their new album, Eternal Blue, the strategy of releasing standalone singles to introduce the project to fans, spending three years promoting music while unable to tour, the cancelation of their recent run with Limp Bizkit, how the FACTOR program from the Canadian government helped them start Spiritbox, and his hopes to tour nonstop in 2022.

Petar and Brandon dissect the onstage meltdown of Ronnie Radke, Tommy Lee being “stoked” that a film about his leaked sex tape is being made, and Dave Mustaine's recent "medical tyranny" comments.

Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support!

Songs: Spiritbox - “Circle With Me” and “Hurt You," Wage War - "High Horse"

Björn “Speed” Strid of The Night Flight Orchestra and Soilwork is back on the show! We start out by discussing the brand new album from The Night Flight Orchestra, Aeromantic II; why they released standalone singles that are not on the record, the entire band catching Covid-19 after their last tour in March of 2020, why there would not have been a new album if not for Covid-19, the band's plans on investing in a tour at this stage of the pandemic, his view on how Sweden handled the pandemic with only restrictions and no lockdowns, why he feels sometimes Sweden is a very spoiled country, and how The Night Flight Orchestra started as a side project but has since become so much more.

Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia discuss Corey Taylor’s son's thoughts on Joey Jordison’s passing, the rumor of John Corabi replacing Vince Neil on the Motley Crüe stadium tour, and the drama between Bad Wolves and former lead singer Tommy Vext.

Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support!

Songs: The Night Flight Orchestra - “Burn For Me” and “Chardonnay Nights”

Jinjer vocalist Tatiana Shmayluk is back on the show! We discuss the band's new album, Wallflowers, the preparations the band is currently undergoing to get ready for a heavy touring schedule, what last year's socially distanced shows were like as performers, filming music videos and putting out a live album during the pandemic to stay engaged with their fans, and her desire to tour as much as possible despite the current climate. Tati also updates us on her family, who are currently living in a war zone.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss someone pooping in the pit at a Turnstile show, the Dio hologram turning into a screen, and David Lee Roth’s refusal to open for Motley Crüe.

Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support!

Songs: Jinjer - “Mediator” and “Wallflowers”

Derrick Green of Sepultura is back on the show! We discuss the band's upcoming touring schedule, his thoughts on fans having to show vaccination cards to attend shows, how Sepultura decided to stay connected with each other through Zoom during the pandemic, why he feels the conflict currently happening in the Amazon needs more media attention, and which Sepultura deep cut was most interesting to revisit on the band's new live album, SepulQuarta.

Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia discuss the passing of The Skull / ex-Trouble vocalist Eric Wagner and his refusal to get the Covid-19 vaccine, the Nirvana Nevermind baby suing the band, Insane Clown Posse retiring from touring, and the passing of The Rolling Stones' drummer Charlie Watts.

Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support!

Songs: Trouble - “Pray For The Dead," Sepultura - “Mask (Featuring Devin Townsend)” and “Slave New World (Featuring Matt Heafy), White Stones - “New Age of Dark," The Rolling Stones - “Street Fighting Man”

Between the Buried and Me guitarist Paul Waggoner is our guest this week! We discuss why he feels the time was right to make a sequel to their classic album, Colors, the difficulty of being in the right mental state to write music during the pandemic, all the work that went into the animated video for “Fix The Error," the emotional experience of returning to live music, his thoughts on the experiment of releasing the Automata album series in two parts, how he feels about performing The Great Misdirect in its entirety on tour right now, and his thoughts on the role of livestreams in the future of heavy music.

Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia discuss Randy Blythe's Covid-19-related plea to fans, and our own return to live music at the Psycho Las Vegas festival, the good, the bad, and all the other feelings that have come with it.

Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support!

Songs: Between the Buried and Me - “Revolution In Limbo” and “Fix The Error”

Spirit Adrift mastermind Nate Garrett guests this week! We discuss the band's new EP, Forge Your Future, how his move to a new environment impacted the music, on being open to his influences when writing songs, the compliment that he got from Fenriz of Darkthrone, and the timeframe on a new Spirit Adrift full length. Nate also tells us how he's become an MMA fan while leaving boxing behind, his go-to music during his own fitness routine, and how he turned a Donald Trump phrase into a line on the track “Invisible Enemy."

Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia discuss the podcast's 400th episode milestone, Til Lindemann's $117,000 price tag for a meal out with the Rammstein frontman, who we would pay to have dinner with, and the split between Max Cavalera and Marc Rizzo.

Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support!

Songs: Spirit Adrift - “Forge Your Future" and “Wake Up," The Ugly Kings - “Technodrone”

Gost mastermind Baalberith is back on the show! We discuss the inspiration behind the new album, Rites of Love and Reverence, his mindset on following up Valediction after getting some harsh feedback from long-time fans, the need to be adventurous as a musician as he grows as a person, and the positive side of not touring during the last year.

Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia discuss Live Nation's decision allowing their venues to require proof of vaccination or negative Covid-19 tests for admission to concerts, Madball’s decision not to perform any shows where vaccinations are required, and our reaction to the New Guns N’ Roses song.

Songs: Gost - “Coven” and “Bound By The Horror," Wizardthrone - “Black Hole Quantum Thermodynamics”

Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support!

Booka Nile from Make Them Suffer is our guest this week! We discuss their latest single, "Contraband," how the collaboration with Spiritbox's Courtney LaPlante came together; the current state of COVID in her native Australia, and the mental health issues that come with the pandemic; our strong sense of community across the heavy metal scene; not being able to perform any of the songs off their latest album live yet; her participation in the reality TV show Married at First Sight, and the difficulty of having a relationship as a touring musician; and the current plans for the next album from Make Them Suffer.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn also tackle the tragic news that Slipknot's Joey Jordison, ZZ Top's Dusty Hill, and Metal Church's Mike Howe have all passed away. 

Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support!

Songs: Make Them Suffer - "Contraband" (featuring Courtney LaPlante), Make Them Suffer - "Erase Me," Ex Deo - “Boudicca (Queen of The Icieni)" (featuring Brittney Slayes), Slipknot - “The Blister Exists,” ZZ Top - “Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers,” and Metal Church - “Sky Fall In.”

The legendary Dee Snider returns to the podcast this week! We discuss his new solo album, Leave a Scar, writing and recording it with Jamey Jasta and his team, if he feels the "sophomore effort" label applies to this record given his history, and how this was the first time he has written lyrics since the Widowmaker days in the '90s.

Dee also offers his take on the recent David Ellefson scandal, explains why he has stayed sober throughout his entire career, his thoughts on separating the art from the artist, his story about listening to Lzzy Hale’s live monitor mix to make sure she was really singing live, his gripe with young bands honoring the past by replication, and his timeline for retiring as a live vocalist.

Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia discuss the retirement of the Dio hologram for now, the Dave Grohl vs. John Joseph Covid-19 battle, and, in honor of Aaron Lewis’s recent double performance, we go down memory lane of artists we saw play live while hammered.

Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support!

Songs: Dee Snider - “Time To Choose” (Featuring George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher) and “I Gotta Rock (Again)," King Woman - “Psychic Wound”

Periphery mastermind Misha Mansoor is back on the podcast this week! Our conversation centers around his new solo album, Moderately Fast, Adequately Furious, releasing ten albums worth of Bulb archives last year, whether he ever plans to perform the Bulb material live, collaborating with his brother, and the trouble with getting honest feedback from friends. Misha also talks about Periphery, including all the work that goes into running the band's own label, 3Dot, how his previous management team put too much pressure on the band, looking back at Periphery IV, and an update on the eventual Periphery V.

Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia discuss Stormy Daniels running the merch booth at an upcoming Eyehategod show, our take on the new Iron Maiden track, Ed Sheeran being open to death metal, and Oli Sykes getting some vampire fangs with his wife.

Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support.

Song: Bulb - “Upload Apathy” and “Far Too High” (Featuring Axel Mansoor)

Mayhem vocalist Attila Csihar guests this week to discuss the band's new EP, Atavistic Black Disorder/Kommando, which consists of three new originals and four classic punk covers. Attila shares the punk rock albums that shaped him in his youth, how he had to smuggle music into communist Hungary while growing up there in the early '80s, his first time meeting Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra, Discharge reacting to the Mayhem cover of their track, and why he prefers today's audiences to the violent shows of the '80s. Attila also relays how the pandemic has affected Mayhem, how they plan to tour with ever-shifting rules in every country, and the horror movie soundtrack he's working on with Greg Anderson of Sunn O))).

Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia discuss the mother that named her children Metallica, Pantera and Slayer, Dave Mustaine running up his Cameo price in under a week, and our thoughts on the upcoming Woodstock '99 documentary.

Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support!

Songs: Mayhem - “Voces Ab Alta," “Everlasting Dying Flame," Mordred - “Demonic #7”

Adam Dutkiewicz of Killswitch Engage and Times of Grace is our guest this week! We talk about the new Times of Grace album, Songs of Loss and Separation, their first in 10 years, and reflect on its predecessor, The Hymn of a Broken Man. Adam shares his thoughts on the importance of keeping his mind busy during dark times, working on music videos with Nick Hipa (ex-As I Lay Dying, ex-Wovenwar), his attempt at the Big 4 of the New Wave of American Heavy Metal, how he gets grumpier as he gets older, and the silver linings that are happening now after a rough year mentally.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss “old country” methods of healing things and cultural differences between consumers in America and other parts of the world. Apologies for the audio issue during our banter.

Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support!

Songs: Times of Grace - “The Burden of Belief” and “Medusa”

Prolific death metal drummer and multi-instrumentalist Hannes Grossmann is our guest! We discuss the recruitment process for his latest solo album, To Where The Light Retreats, the role he takes on as composer for his own material, how Tori Amos inspired a song on the new record, the story behind the hand-drawn cover artwork, how the songs on his first solo album were originally intended for Obscura, the less experimental nature of his solo project compared to Alkaloid, and the elitist mentality he takes towards his own music. Hannes also says he hopes there will never be another Necrophagist record and explains why.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss Wes Borland’s statement on Fred Durst’s high standards for the next Limp Bizkit record, the official reunion of Shadows Fall, and our thoughts on the next NWOAHM bands to reunite.

Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support!

Songs: Hannes Grossmann - “The Great Designer" and “In The Glacier’s Eye”

Howard Jones is back on the podcast! We discuss H.A.I.T.(How Awesome Is That), his movie watching podcast with Jamey Jasta and Charlie Bellmore; the imprint '80s action movies left on us growing up' the work environment that surrounded him during the making of the new Light the Torch album; his lyrical approach on the new record; being open to change; the decision to cover the Terrence Trent D’Arby; preparation for his upcoming livestream on June 25th; going back out on tour after the pandemic; an update on rescheduling the North American tour with Killswitch Engage the was cut short; and his love of seeing live stand up comedy. 

Petar and Brandon discuss Pete’s first foray back into concertgoing, how show attendees' behavior has changed, the reason we think Vince Neil cancelled his second show of 2021, whether or not Robb Flynn is the dictator of Machine Head, and Atreyu's disappointing first-week record sales. 

Songs: Light The Torch - “More Than Dreaming,” Light The Torch - “Let Me Fall Apart,” Vexed - “Epiphany”

Aaron Beam of Red Fang is our guest this week! We discuss the band's new album, 'Arrows,' the dark turn in the playful music video for their single “Why?”, reuniting with producer Chris Funk, the album's title, the benefits of meditation, how that process makes him more productive in all of his avenues of creativity, and more.

Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia also discuss their BEST OF 2021 SO FAR!

Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support!

Songs: Zao - “Transitions,” Tomahawk - “Business Casual,” Epica - “Freedom - The Wolves Within,” Soen - “Deceiver,” Red Fang - “Why” and “Funeral Coach,” Gojira - “Born For One Thing,” Harakiri for the Sky - “I, Pallbearer," Erra - “Divisionary,” The Crown - “We Drift On”

Perturbator mastermind James Kent is back on the show! We discuss his first new album in five years, Lustful Sacraments, why it took him so long to complete the record, the heavy influence of goth music this time around, why he feels it's important to tour less than he did in the past, and the 10 year anniversary of Perturbator. He also tells us about opening for John Carpenter, his plans for his own newly launched record label, his favorite French metal band, and how he feels about French cinema in comparison to the rest of the world's art.

Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia discuss Vince Neil's awful performance at his first post-pandemic show, their joy that Jason Newsted is not joining Megadeth, whether Ozzy Osbourne should have accepted Weezer’s song “Hash Pipe” when it was offered to him, and our thoughts on Bad Wolves' new singer Daniel “DL” Laskiewicz (ex-The Acacia Strain).

Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support!

Songs: Perturbator - “Death of the Soul" and "Dethroned Under a Funeral Haze," Stormruler - “Reign of The Winged Duke”

At The Gates frontman Tomas Lindberg is our guest this week! We discuss the band's new album, The Nightmare of Being, the emotions that informed its songwriting process, the difficulty of choosing a single from an album designed to listen to from start to finish, recognizing art as a defensive mechanism for himself, and his feeling about At War With Reality’s legacy. Tomas also talks about rejoining Lock Up and gives an update on their new album, tells us who he considers to be the inventor of death metal, and reveals the career he would have chosen instead of metal in hindsight.

Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia discuss Megadeth's firing of David Ellefson, the whirlwind story of child supergroup Suspect208, and Bruce Dickinson’s decision to finally use a smart phone at 62 years old.

Songs: At The Gates - “Spectre of Extinction” and “The Paradox," Scar of The Sun - "Quantum Leap Zero II: Transition To Turbulence”

Crypta bassist and singer Fernanda Lira (ex-Nervosa) is our guest this week! We discuss the journey of creating Crypta's debut album, Echoes of The Soul, why leaving Nervosa was both the best and most difficult decision she ever made, the recruitment process for finding the right members in the new band, why the old-school cover painting by Wes Benscoter was vital to the album's presentation, how the pandemic is still raging in her native Brazil thanks to government mismanagement, her past experience as a metal journalist, and a quick update on the progress of Crypta's next album.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame snubbing Iron Maiden, Les Claypool auditioning for Metallica, and Whitesnake topping the charts after the passing of Tawny Kitaen.

Songs: Crypta - “Starvation” and “From The Ashes”

Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares is our guest this week! Front and center is the band's new album, Aggression Continuum, and the public spat between Cazares and former singer Burton Seabell, whose vocals appear on the album. Dino discusses the communication breakdown between he and Burton after recording the album in 2017, how he is handling all the negative attention from the fanbase, his response to reports of a physical altercation between he and Burton, the reason he left Burton’s vocals on the record in spite of everything, and why the future of Fear Factory with a new vocalist is exciting for him. Dino also talks about his feelings on Digimortal 20 years later (revealing that Bob Rock almost produced it!), the difficulty of replicating a groundbreaking record, how angry fans were that the band used programmed drums on The Industrialist, how every classic Fear Factory album had chaos behind the scenes, the upcoming Divine Heresy vinyl reissues, and his version of the altercation between he and former Divine Heresy vocalist Tommy Vext (also ex-Bad Wolves).

Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia discuss the news that Metalocalypse is getting a movie, the tabloid headline that states listening to metal makes you fat, and the controversy involving Megadeth bassist David Ellefson.

Songs: Fear Factory - “Disruptor” and “Fuel Injected Suicide Machine”

Caliban guitarist Marc Görtz is our guest on this special half-episode of The MetalSucks Podcast! We discuss the band's decision to re-record some classic songs in their native German tongue for the Zeitgeister EP, the reason they choose the track "Intoleranz" for a video, advice on how to keep a band together for 25 years, the difficulty of touring America at this point in their career, why they feel meet and greets aren’t something they are willing to do, an update on their completed new full-length album, and the upcoming "Part 3" in their split series with Heaven Shall Burn.

Petar and Brandon break down the Marilyn Manson allegations after even more women have come forward, and share their thoughts on what the eventual outcome will be for him.

Songs: Caliban - “Nichts” and “Intoleranz, Tooth and Claw - “Your Crucifixion”

Ben Thatcher of power duo Royal Blood is our guest this week! We discuss the band's new album, Typhoons, the emotional clash of the lyrics and music, the importance of dedicating the record to Ben's mother who recently passed away, using his DJ mind when it comes to sequencing an album, and the lasting mental effects the pandemic has had on him. Ben also dissects the "rock is dead" statements many older musicians have made recently, the lessons he learned from going on tour with Queens of the Stone Age, and the changes that may have to made on the road now that frontman Mike Kerr is sober.

Petar and Brandon discuss Willow Smith’s Mother’s Day gift to her famous mom, James Hetfield being “skeptical” about the COVID-19 vaccine, and if rebooting The Osbournes makes any sense at this point.

Thank you to our weekly sponsor Metal Blade Records for their continued support!

Songs: Royal Blood - “Typhoons" and "Boilermaker," Sumo Cyco - “Bystander”

This week we bring Hollywood and thrash metal icons together on one episode to celebrate the soundtrack of the new film Thunder Force! Composer Fil Eisler tells us why he felt he needed to pitch adding Scott Ian and Dave Lombardo to the Melissa McCarthy-led Netflix film, how avant garde techniques can be brought to scoring film that wouldn’t work in traditional songwriting, how they got Corey Taylor and Lzzy Hale involved to write a theme song, which film soundtrack he would like to do a heavy metal remake of with Scott and Dave, and updates on both the new Motor Sister and Dead Cross records.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn have their yearly debate about the new petition for Metallica to play the Super Bowl Halftime Show, and they discuss Lucas Mann and Rings of Saturn being dropped by their label for alleged threats.

Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support!

Songs: Corey Taylor, Lzzy Hale, Scott Ian, Dave Lombardo, Fil Eisler, and Tina Guo - “Thunder Force Theme Song," Mr. Bungle - “Bungle Grind” (Live), and Tommy’s Rock Trip - “Got To Play Some Rock N Roll”

Steve Von Till of Neurosis is our guest this week! Steve tells us how the door first opened to him as a solo artist, the path of his solo records throughout his career, and wrestling with negative thoughts as he worked on his latest album, No Wilderness Deep Enough, and his first book of poetry in 2020. He also discusses his alter ego, Harvestman, how music has saved him many times throughout his life, the courage that punk rock gave him, and an update on new music from Neurosis.

Petar, Sylvia, and Brandon discuss the Mudvayne reunion -- are they bigger than ever before because of their long hiatus? -- Weezer marketing their new record as metal, the '90s icons we feel can put out a great metal album, the NWOAHM band that we think can put out a great Weezer album, and Dee Snider calling out Iced Earth's Jon Schaffer.

Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their support!

Songs: Steve Von Till - “The Spiraling Away” and “Indifferent Eyes”

Stream the episode below. Remember to subscribe to the MetalSucks Podcast on iTunes, subscribe to our direct feed or download this episode directly.

Gojira frontman and guitarist Joe Duplantier joins us this week! We discuss the band's new album, Fortitude, the lessons they learned while making their previous album, Magma, that directly affected the new record, getting legendary engineer Andy Wallace to mix it, why he feels Gojira have been able to maintain the same line up for 20 years, and achieving success in a progressive way that has benefited them. Joe also explains his passion for the band's charitable effort in conjunction with the song "Amazonia," the importance of artists using their platforms for positive change in the world, and his excitement for the band's North American tour with Deftones scheduled for later this year.

Petar, Jozalyn, and Brandon debate Dave Lombardo’s comment that Slayer wouldn't have survived if they debuted in the internet era, our thoughts on Van Halen's record label asking them to change their name when Sammy Hager joined, and the cringe-worthy press for Fear Factory this past week.

Songs: Gojira - “Into The Storm" and “Amazonia," Evile - “Hell Unleashed”

Daniel Freyberg, former guitarist of both Children of Bodom and Bodom After Midnight, joins us this week. Our focus is Bodom After Midnight's forthcoming EP, Paint the Sky with Blood, as well as the late Alexi Laiho, as we dive into working with Laiho on those new songs and the decision to move forward with their release after his death. Freyberg also details what it was like as a fan of Children of Bodom before he was invited into the band, his experience writing and recording on the band's final record, Hexed, the possibility of a future concert celebrating Alexi’s life and music, the next project for him now that Bodom After Midnight are finished, and if there is any leftover Bodom After Midnight material, including a live release.

Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia discuss Mike Patton’s statement that every player in the many band's he's been in are better musicians than him, former Fear Factory vocalist Burton Seabell saying Linkin Park’s Hybrid Theory is just "Demanufacture for kids," Lordi's plans to release seven albums at once, and our thoughts on artificial intelligence writing a Nirvana song.

Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support!

Songs: Bodom After Midnight - “Paint The Sky With Blood," Endseeker - “Unholy Rites," Devil Sold His Soul - “Burdened”

Zao guitarist Scott Mellinger is our guest this week! We discuss the band's the new album, The Crimson Corridor, the feeling of being a bit more introspective this time around, the importance of the physical product to the record's overall experience, and how the band collaborates with artists to interpret their visions. Scott also looks back at the band's 2006 classic, The Fear is What Keeps Us Here, what it was like working with legendary producer Steve Albini, the difficulty of getting the masters back from Ferret Records, and how they learned from past labels before launching their own.

Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia hash out their fears of Metallica working with Elton John, the recent peak behind the scenes of Some Kind of Monster, and Corey Taylor's adventure into filmmaking with Ninjas vs. Zombies.

Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support!

Songs: Zao - "The Final Ghost" and "Ship of Theseus"

Corpsegrinder is back on the show! We talk about Cannibal Corpse's upcoming new album, Violence Unimagined, the experience of recording it during the pandemic and welcoming longtime producer Erik Rutan into the band as a guitarist and writer, how Cannibal Corpse pick singles for their albums, and his desire to learn new technology despite his admittedly old school ways. We also discuss Corpsegrinder's passion for the NFL, including his thoughts on Tom Brady bringing a Super Bowl to his hometown of Tampa Bay, him being a Denver Broncos fan despite being born in Baltimore, how his father worked for the company that moved the Baltimore Colts to Indianapolis, and him refusing to perform during the Eagles Super Bowl game on the 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise.

Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia discuss various metal musicians' comments on the tragic mass shootings last week in Atlanta and Colorado, including Dee Snider, Sebastian Bach and System of a Down's Daron Malakian. We also chit chat about Lemmy’s ashes being put into bullets and sent to his close friends, and Rob Zombie nabbing the #1 album on the Billboard charts.

Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records, for their continued support.

Please help out Petar's personal friend and his family during a difficult time by following this link. If you can donate it would mean the world to the podcast team. Thank you.

Songs: Cannibal Corpse - “Murderous Rampage," and “Inhumane Harvest”

Stream the episode below. Remember to subscribe to the MetalSucks Podcast on iTunes, subscribe to our direct feed or download this episode directly.

Our guest this week is Josh Scogin of ’68, The Chariot and ex-Norma Jean. We discuss the danceable quality of '68's new record, Give One Take One, the year-long journey of making their animated, hand-drawn video for "Bad Bite," missing out on a tour opening for Faith No More because of the pandemic, the pros of being in a duo as opposed to a band with four or five members, his preference to forego set lists to keep live shows spontaneous and natural, and creating guitar solos on the spot instead of prepping them before recording.

Brandon, Jozalyn, and Sylvia discuss Flaw's frontman dropping a racist epithet on stage, Spotify's new initiative to ostensibly provide payout transparency for artists, and Deftones' Stephen Carpenter doubling down on flat earth and 9/11 conspiracies.

Songs: ’68 “Bad Bite," “The Knife, The Knife, The Knife" and Mythic Sunship - “Going Up”

Thank you to our sponsor, Metal Blade Records!

Mark Morton of Lamb of God is our guest this week! We discuss a number of topics including his memories of Children of Bodom's Alexi Laiho, his picks for the Big 4 New Wave of American Heavy Metal bands, his thoughts on the Black Crowes reunion as a huge fan, how he's never seen any classic action movies from the '80s, and his choice for the de facto heavy metal TV sitcom. Mark also gives us a quick update on the new material he's been working on this year.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss the tragic passing of Entombed's LG Petrov, Jeremy Spencer starting over with Psychosexual, Geezer Butler talking credit for the iconic devil horns, and Serj Tankian's love for his brother in law, System drummer John Dolmayan, despite their vastly different political views.

Songs: Lamb of God - “Ghost Shaped People," Gizmachi - “Look What I’ve Become” (featuring Björn “Speed” Strid), Entombed - “Full of Hell”

Tomahawk and The Jesus Lizard guitarist Duane Denison is our guest this week! We discuss Tomahawk's new album, Tonic Immobility, the 20-year anniversary of their self-titled debut, how he first presented the idea for the band to Mike Patton, and what it's been like working with him over the years. Duane also shares his thoughts on what touring will be like when it returns, his day job working at a library during the pandemic, the importance of practicing and improvising to generate new ideas as a songwriter, his thoughts on people who continue to go to extremes when it comes to their opinions, and historical patterns that help him understand the world today.

Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia hash out the financial killing The Mars Volta made on their new 18-LP box set, how streaming accounted for 83% of recorded music revenue in 2020, and Michael Sweet of Stryper’s comments that the Bible is in danger of being canceled.

Thanks to this episode’s sponsors, The Punk Rock MBA Podcast and Metal Blade Records!

Songs: Tomahawk - “Business Casual” and “Dog Eat Dog”

Demon Hunter frontman Ryan Clark is our guest this week! We talk about the journey of creating acoustic versions of classic Demon Hunter tracks for their new album, Songs of Death and Resurrection, which track was hardest for him to convert from heavy to acoustic, how an acoustic livestream concert went from an afterthought to a very successful event, which song they'll play acoustically going forward even at regular shows, and his thoughts on the silly tradition of encores. We also talk about Ryan's career as a visual artist: his recently published book of the cover artwork he's done for bands over the last 20 years, whether he needs to hear a band's music before creating artwork for them, why self-titled album covers have always been the most difficult, and being tasked with the album art for the 30th anniversary edition of the Alice in Chains' classic, Facelift.

Petar and Brandon discuss Mike Portnoy’s opinion that Neil Peart was a better drummer than John Bonham, Rob Zombie’s comments on his latest album title's meaning, and us loving that August Burns Red’s music was used as a torture device on NCIS: Los Angeles.

Thanks to this episode's sponsor, The Punk Rock MBA Podcast!

Songs: Demon Hunter - “Loneliness (Resurrected)," Conan - “Satsumo” (Live), Greenleaf - “Tides”

The Crown guitarist Marko Tervonen is our guest this week. We discuss the band's upcoming album, Royal Destroyer, and how their previous one, Cobra Speed Venom, was a comeback album of sorts, why having an outside producer this time around was helpful, writing a tribute song to late Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman, and how the band's new lineup has given them a new dynamic and added momentum. Marko also tells us how his son finds younger bands that still inspire him, shares some memories of the Swedish metal scene in the '90s when every band seemed to inspire one another, and reveals which concert he regrets missing out on during the explosion of the Swedish metal scene.

Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia talk about the lawsuit brought on Attila’s Chris Fronzak by two security guards he attacked at a show, our thoughts on the comments about encores by Korn's Brian “Head” Welch, and our vote for our favorite Ozzy Osbourne guitar player.

Thanks to this episode's sponsor, The Punk Rock MBA Podcast!

Songs: The Crown - “Motordeath," “We Drift On," and Baest - “Abbatoir”

Brand of Sacrifice guitarist Michael Leo Valeri is our guest this week! We discuss the band's new album, Lifeblood, the various guest spots on the album (members of I Prevail, Emmure, Shadow of Intent, Traitors and Viscera), the chemistry of writing the record with so much distance between band members, their plans to tour endlessly when live shows return, and the importance of having a digital-first mindset and leaning into social media to keep momentum going during this time. Michael also shares how the band originated as a fun side-project, shares his thoughts on how he thinks younger bands have a certain responsibility to be positive to the scene, why the band will wait it out to tour instead of doing a livestream concert, and the positive beauty of music to modern times and culture.

Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn try to break down the innovator who made a guitar out of a human skeleton, the recent study showing heavy metal can help with anxiety, Marilyn Manson’s music getting a boost after abuse allegations, and Brandon hates on the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame again despite Iron Maiden getting nominated this year.

Songs: Brand of Sacrifice - “Animal" and "Lifeblood," and Enforced, “Hemorrhage"

Epica vocalist Simone Simons is back on the show! We discuss the band's new album, Omega, why the addition of a children's choir on the record was a bucket list item for them, the alternative ways they are looking to promote and present the album during the pandemic, the decision to record the album acoustically in addition to its standard version, how the downtime last year flew by despite the fact they couldn’t tour, and how she is really antsy to get back on the road to play songs from Omega live. We also talk about writing the Essence of Epica book during the pandemic and the importance of getting many different sides of each story from each band member, as well as the story of a family member giving Simone negative feedback on her singing when she was 16.

Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia talk about the allegations against Marilyn Manson from exes and peers alike and the massive blowback that has occurred, and we share our thoughts on all the details we saw last week via social media.

Songs: Epica - “Freedom - The Wolves Within," “Abyss of Time - Countdown to Singularity," Sirenia - “We Come To Ruins”

Stream the episode below. Remember to subscribe to the MetalSucks Podcast on iTunes, subscribe to our direct feed or download this episode directly.

Johannes Persson of the mighty Cult of Luna is back on the show! We discuss the band's new EP, The Raging River -- which Johannes describes as an artistic continuation of their previous album, A Dawn To Fear -- writing songs based on instincts instead of the clear start-to-finish approach they utilized in the past, how coming up with new ideas has become more difficult over the years, and the band's collaboration with Mark Lanegan. Johannes also talks about the decision to release The Raging River independently and the amount of work that went into creating the band's own record label, Red Creek, as well as his passion for directing film and the energy he'd like to put into completing a screenplay.

Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia discuss the sad catfish story of a woman who thought she was engaged to Bret Michaels, Machine Head's Robb Flynn defending their last album, Catharsis, Maynard James Keenan's thoughts on social media, and Ozzy’s daughter Aimée’s decision to opt out of the family's infamous reality TV show.

Songs: Cult of Luna - “Three Bridges," Soen - “Illusion”

Tribulation guitarist Adam Zaars is our guest this week. We discuss the band's new album, Where The Gloom Becomes Sound, and the departure of guitarist Jonathan Hultén, who wrote most of the material on it. Adam tells us that the band discussed breaking up after Jonathan's departure, mulls over how the writing dynamic will change in the future without his presence, and reveals that new guitar player Joseph Tholl was key in the band's decision to continue. Zaars also tells us about his ongoing study of religion at university, why he feels Sweden is the most secular country, how religion is a form of oppression, and how convenience has driven many peoples' moral codes in modern times.

Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia theorize on how a random bullet ended up in Dino Cazares's car windshield, and we take the guess on when summer festivals will return now that 2021 cancellations have begun.

Songs: Tribulation - “Funeral Pyre" and “Hour Of The Wolf," Korpiklaani - “Niemi”

Accept guitarist Wolf Hoffmann is our guest this week. He discusses the band's new album, Too Mean To Die, working with producer Andy Sneap virtually due to the pandemic, his complete lack of interest in doing any kind of livestream concerts, and why he feels the music he's written in the past decade is the best of his career. He also tells us which sub-genre of metal he likes the least, how today's music fans are more relaxed and open-minded than in the past, and which Accept record he feels is the most underrated.

Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia tackle Tommy Vext's split with Bad Wolves, Marko Hietala walking away from Nightwish, and Suspect208's firing of Scott Weiland's son, Noah, due to alleged drug issues.

Songs: Accept - “Zombie Apocalypse," The Dead Daises - “Holy Ground (Shake The Memory)," Demon Head - “The Feline Smile”

This week our guest is JJ of the post-black metal duo Harakiri for the Sky. We discuss his dual life in two different parts of the world, how the second lockdown in Austria hasn’t been taken seriously by most people, his thoughts on the current restrictions for shows in Europe and what it would be like to perform for 50 sitting people, his thoughts on anti-vaxxers holding the world back from moving forward, how his lyrics have grown sadder the older he gets, the challenges of building friendships after you turn 30, and whether he wants to beef up or scale back the band's touring schedule when things go back to normal.

Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia tackle the two biggest stories in metal from the past week: the passing Children of Bodom's Alexi Laiho and Iced Earth leader Jon Schaffer’s involvement in storming the Capitol.

Songs: Children of Bodom - “The Nail," Harakiri for the Sky - “Sing For The Damage We’ve Done," “And Oceans Between Us”

The one and only Ice-T is back on the program to celebrate Body Count’s second Grammy nomination, this time for "Bum-Rush" in the Best Metal Performance category. Ice tells us that if Body Count win he'll dedicate the award to late Power Trip frontman Riley Gale and recalls the intense experience of attending the Grammys in person in 2018 (nominated for "Black Hoodie" in the same category) and why he is glad it's being done remotely this year. He also shares his thoughts on Donald Trump leaving office, the demonstrations that inspired "Bum-Rush," an update on his new book, Split Decisions, and whether there is any new Body Count music on the horizon, and the recent passing of many of his colleagues from Covid-19.

Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia discuss Kiss breaking a Guinness record for pyrotechnics on New Year’s Eve, the hater assault on Lamb of God guitarist Mark Morton’s Instagram account, Rob Halford showing off his ass to ring in 2021, and Glenn Danzig’s feelings being hurt by all the memes about him.

Songs: Body Count - “Bum-Rush” and “Point The Finger" (Featuring Riley Gale), Faith No More and Boo-Ya T.R.I.B.E - “Another Body Murdered”