The Metalsucks Podcast

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” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

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” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.co

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 S

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 subscrib

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

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 re

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" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoi

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 pu

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! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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!

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

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

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 alle

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 - “Fr

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

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” Learn more about your ad choices. Vis