The Metalsucks Podcast

Nile mastermind Karl Sanders is our guest this week. We discuss the writing process for Nile's new album, Vile Nilotic Rites, the extensive touring prior to recording it, keeping up that momentum in the studio, the anxiety that comes with releasing new music and what made this album cycle different, how producer Mark Lewis helped strengthen its production, why he isn't interested in playing a classic album in its entirety and more. Sanders also shares the lessons that he brings to life from training in martial arts, his current gripe with modern day reviewers of music, and if there are any secret personal lyrics behind Nile songs. Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn tackle the news of Sleep's planned indefinite hiatus, which Matt Pike band we prefer, The Black Crowes reuniting with only Chris and Rich Robinson from the classic band lineup, and Corey Taylor’s thought on writing great music sober. Songs: Nile “Long Shadows of Dread" and “Vile Nilotic Rites” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastcho

This week we chat with film composer and Marilyn Manson producer Tyler Bates. Tyler worked with Manson on The Pale Emperor and Heaven Upside Down and has composed musical scores for the entire Guardians of the Galaxy and John Wick franchises, in addition to films such as Deadpool 2, Watchmen, 300, Halloween (2007), Atomic Blonde and numerous others. We discuss his involvement with the first live action Cirque Du Soleil show, R.U.N., how that process compares to composing films, the multiple TV series he has worked on recently, and the important role The Shield played in inspiring him to compose for television. We also talk about our favorite soundtracks (including Matt Dillion’s City of Ghosts, a personal favorite of Petar's which Tyler composed), his take on Martin Scorsese's comments about the Marvel world not being cinema, if working with Rob Zombie on a film was a different challenge because he is a musician, and the story behind ending The Devil’s Rejects with “Free Bird." Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn

This week we have vocalist Tatiana Shmayluk of Jinjer on the show. We discuss the short gap between the Micro EP and new full-length album Macro, the difficulty of writing lyrics quickly as opposed to taking your time, how deadlines help motivate her, and the lyrics behind the track “Retrospection” and how it is connected with her childhood. Tati also tells us about growing up in the Ukraine as the U.S.S.R. was falling apart in the '90s, how her childhood was creative and happy despite the circumstances, her appreciation for the human element of art in the digital era, the next homecoming show that she will be performing and her idea for a massive stage show she hopes to accomplish. Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn have another music episode in store for you guys in response to not one but two listener emails about the MetalSucks 25 Best Metal Albums of 2010 - 2019 list. Songs: “On The Top” and “Pit of Consciousness” by Jinjer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fit For an Autopsy songwriter/guitarist and metal producer Will Putney returns to the show this week to discuss Fit For an Autopsy's new album The Sea of Tragic Beasts. He tells us the dream that motivated the title of the album, how the traumatic issues children in broken homes face influenced it, the positive message that the band tries to put forward, and how he utilizes his artistic output to influence the next generation. Will also recounts the process of producing Body Count’s No Lives Matter, his story of Body Count performing at the Grammys pre-taping, and the story of getting dragged off the stage as fast as possible at the Grammys. Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia break down the statement released by Chris Adler in regards to his departure from Lamb of God, Zakk Wylde not being involved in the new Ozzy solo record, and Danny Carey’s statement about Tool not being a metal band. Songs: “Mirrors" and “Shepherd” by Fit For an Autopsy, “The Last Gasp of Street Rock N’ Roll” by Ramallah. Learn more about y

This week we chat with Cory Brandan of Norma Jean! We discuss his return to Norma Jean after releasing the Hundred Suns project, having the lifer mentality when it comes to the art form of metal, the difficult writing process for Norma Jean's new album, All Hail, how the loss of a fan inspired the creation of many songs, going through the stages of grief while creating songs, comparing the lessons learned from art to those learned to history, the essence of a “fictional reality,” and much more. Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn also go through and breakdown the completion of The MetalSucks 25 Best Metal Albums of 2010 - 2019 poll, talk about the album we feel should never have made the list, and share our overall thoughts on each selection. Songs: Norma Jean “Safety Last” and “Landslide Defeater,” “Black Gold” by Infected Rain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we chat with Refused drummer David Sandström. We discuss the band's new album, War Music, the emotional energy needed to write the record, the years of Refused’s inactivity and if he had any clue the band could ever experience a second life, being very obscure in the States during their original run, the legacy and lasting power of The Shape of Punk to Come, and how War Music is his proudest moment as a musician. David also talks about what it's like to be in a band that is a voice on the far left, the shrinking of the middle class in our current economy, and how he's able to ignore artists' personal beliefs and focus on the art itself. Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia attempt to make a Halloween bit, discuss the reveal that Edsel Dope is Xer0 from the reunited Static- X and Dope's subsequent denial, and we speculate on why people are so curious to find out who the masked tribute singer is. Songs: Refused “Blood Red” and “Economy of Death” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices

GosT mastermind Baalberith is our guest on the podcast this week. We discuss GosT's new album Valediction, having the record start heavier than all his previous one, the limitless possibilities working in the electronic music medium allows, his choice to include vocals on a majority of the album, the recent tour with 3Teeth, and his expectations for heading out with Mayhem and Gaahl’s Wyrd in Europe. We also have some fun creating our own horror film from scratch: we decide the genre that we want to tackle, create the hero we want to see on screen, force ourselves through the difficulty of creating a truly iconic villain, try to find an original weapon for our slasher, the plot that is going to scare the world, and our struggle to find a cool ending. Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia tackle the reality of Chris Fehn hoping he will play again with Slipknot, the reveal of a lawsuit that has completely shut down Fear Factory, our thoughts on how Fear Factory could continue, and how lawsuits affect a band's fans.

This week's guest is Gatecreeper frontman Chase Mason. We discuss the band's upcoming new album, Deserted, the insane hand-drawn cover art by Brad Moore and the story behind it, his favorite tour memory with Power Trip, the bromance between Gatecreeper and Iron Reagan, and his take on pornogrind. We also talk about his love for Pauly Shore despite (or perhaps because of) not being much of a film buff, how having a short attention span is responsible for his love of music above other art forms, and his struggle to pack properly for winter touring after growing up in Arizona. Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss Jozalyn's recent tour of the midwest and her run-in with a stranger from the past, the death of horror actor Sid Haig, Rob Zombie’s statement about horror and metal being a step above pornography, and James Hetfield checking himself back into rehab. Songs: Gatecreeper - “Everlasting," Gatecreeper - “From The Ashes," and Dawn of Disease - “Procession of Ghosts." Learn more about your ad choic

Opeth mastermind Mikael Åkerfeldt is our guest this week! We delve into his search for the perfect Latin phrase to name an album, his choice to sing in two languages, King Diamond's influence on the new album, how the term “heavy” has changed throughout his career and his opinion of the phrase, writing the new record in secret without anyone knowing, his refusal to modernize his studio and using old equipment to record, using more samples on this record than all the previous Opeth records combined, the story behind bringing a lute to record on Morningrise, and an update on his possible collaboration with Mike Portnoy. Also: Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia discuss the money pit that was Newsted and the difficulty established artists have when starting over with a new band. They also address a listener's concerns about the lack of comedy bits on the show over the last month, and Dio and Brisco throw down a new rap attacking Uncle Brandon bestowing the "C" word upon their generation. Songs: “Heart In Hand” b

In this special half-episode episode we catch up with Nine Inch Nails and Angels & Airwaves drummer Ilan Rubin about his solo project, The New Regime. Ilan tells us about his choice to release the album as four EPs -- titled Heart, Mind, Body, and Soul -- how much touring he would like to do with The New Regime despite his commitments with NIN and Angels & Airwaves, the difficulty of juggling all of his projects, pulling double-duty on tours with multiple bands, and the importance of time-managing and efficiency in modern times. Meanwhile Petar plays a few tracks he's stoked on from records coming out this fall. Songs: The New Regime - “A Way To Feel Again," Kadaver - “The Devil’s Master," Life of Agony - “Lay Down," The Agonist - “As One We Survive” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Johannes Persson of the mighty Cult of Luna is our guest this week. We discuss the band's much lauded collaboration with Julie Christmas, Mariner -- which recently landed on our list of the 25 Best Metal Albums of 2010-2019 -- and its impact on Cult of Luna's new full-length, A Dawn to Fear, what it was like performing that album live due to popular demand, getting everybody back together and on the same page for A Dawn to Fear, the companion videos that became a nightmare project and how they ended up turning into a short film, his distaste for extensive touring, and a number of other subjects. Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia Alvarado (filling in for Jozalyn) tackle the comments Brandon made last week about the modern generation, the drama between The Agonist vocalist Vicky Psarakis and former singer Alissa White-Gluz, and former Anthrax vocalist Dan Nelson beating up the elderly. Songs: Cult of Luna, "The Silent Man" and "Lay Your Head To Rest" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.

Monolord bassist Mika Häkki is our guest this week. We talk about his musical upbringing in Finland, the gateway bands that led him into underground metal, watching the Swedish metal scene explode, the impact of bands like At the Gates and Refused had on both him and the world, the trial and error process that saw the discovery of Monolord's sound, the influence country music has on him, the journey towards signing with Relapse Records for the release of No Comfort, and the importance of artists developing naturally. Petar and Brandon tackle the John Travolta and Fred Durst box office failure, Tool dethroning Taylor Swift for the #1 charting album, her fans' reactions to the horrible injustice, and Maynard’s lengthy clarification on the phrase #bummer with regards to Justin Bieber liking his band's music. Songs: Monolord “The Last Leaf” and “The Bastard Son” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we're joined by drummer Ray Luzier, from Korn and KXM! We discuss the origin of the supergroup KXM, the chemistry between band members, the group's creative freedom, and why they've never played a live show. We also chat about Korn's new album, The Nothing, the personal tragedy vocalist Jonathan Davis suffered during the creation of the album, and why this is Ray's favorite record he has done with Korn. Finally, we get Ray's thoughts on Army of Anyone’s first and only album, learn whether or not the band completed any material for a sophomore effort, and explore the possibility of that band reforming to give fans new music. Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn also discuss and give their reviews of the new Tool album, Fear Inoculum. How does the album compare to Tool's other work? What does the record mean to the rock and metal world? And will this be the final Tool album??? Songs KXM - “Lightning” Korn - “Cold” Army of Anyone - “It Doesn’t Seem to Matter”   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit p

Betraying the Martyrs vocalist Aaron Matts is our guest this week. We discuss the recent fire that struck the band's trailer and forced them to cancel their North American tour, the results of the investigation into the cause of the blaze, the sad news that the drum kit Chris Adler used with Megadeth burned up, how Adler became the band's manager, how skate culture was Aaron's gateway into music, the importance of using cannabis at a responsible age, and how crucial it is to wake up far away from the cell phone to start your morning right. Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn tackle the news that physical pre-orders of the new Tool record are sold out and the homophobic reaction sparked by Attila’s "gay" kiss on stage. Songs: Betraying The Martyr - "Eternal Machine," "Parasite" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro from Lacuna Coil guest on the show this week. We discuss their recent live DVD commemorating the band's 20th anniversary, everything that went into the production and special guests of that two-day performance (and what went wrong that viewers would never know), how revisiting songs they haven’t played in years influenced the new album, Black Anima. We also look back at the standout tours that broke Lacuna Coil into a different league, the tour that they did that they cherish the most, and a touching moment where Cristina felt a sense of peace after a personal loss. Petar and Brandon deliver another music episode inspired by a fan calling them out on being old men by praising '90s hard rock over modern day mainstream rock. Songs: Lacuna Coil - “Layers of Time," and “The House of Shame (Live)” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Contortionist vocalist Michael Lessard returns to the show. We discuss the band's new EP, Our Bones: how the creative seeds for the record came out of soundchecks while on tour, enjoying the hyper-focused lens that a shorter release grants the songwriting process, producing the music video for “Early Grave” and his passion for editing music videos, and choosing to cover the Smashing Pumpkins “1979." Lessard also tells us how the band has embraced meet and greets with fans, how James Taylor was hugely influential to his singing style, the best gift he has ever received from a fan, and his thoughts on seeing the band's growth in Europe as they head into a headlining tour there. Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn tackle and review the big release this week with Slipknot’s We Are Not Your Kind and the first new Tool song in over 13 years, and address the link between a mass shooter and heavy metal in the latest tragedy from gun violence. Song: The Contortionist - “Early Grave," Infinity Shred - “Long May You

Carnifex vocalist Scott Lewis is the guest on our 300th episode. We discuss the band's new album World War X, the concept behind the record, the importance of the atmospherics and layers to the album's sound, the importance of the visual aesthetic in this album's videos, and how this year’s Summer Slaughter tour has been going and why it's working so well. We also discuss Scott's passion for action films, the importance of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, why Tim Burton’s vision is not on that same level, modern day feature film directors choosing to go to television instead of doing more features, and the most important contribution to society we have power over as individuals. Petar, Brandon and Jozalyn tackle the Tool cycle of news that came out last week including their music's debut on streaming platforms, Jamey Jasta’s comments about Chvrches, argue about the value of legacy bands versus those that draw more on festival slots. Songs: Carnifex - “World War X" and “No Light Shall Save Us”

This week we talk to Mike D’Antonio of Killswitch Engage. We discuss the journey of making the band's new record Atonement, Jesse Leach's vocal cord surgery during the recording of the album, signing to Metal Blade Records and the pride they have in completing their record contract with Roadrunner, ranking all the cover artwork he's created for Killswitch from best to worst, and his thoughts on reaching new fans after 20 years as a band. We also talk all things Cro-Mags, from the band's massive influence on Mike to his thoughts on the existence of two current versions and his excitement about touring with Cro-Mags JM (featuring vocalist John Joseph and drummer Mackie Jayson), and we discuss his lifelong passion for comic books. Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn cover the latest metal headlines and discuss the life-changing week preceding this episode with the birth of Dio Patton Spajic, Petar's newest little one. Songs: Killswitch Engage - “Unleashed," Damn Your Eyes - “Ascension," Sacred Reich - “Manifest

Ex-Turbnegro frontman Hank Von Hell is our guest this week. We discuss his first North American solo tour later this summer, the circumstances that led to the original tour's postponement earlier this year and the difficulty of rescheduling all the dates, how his past addictions still haunt him and the myth of rock n' roll's tie to mental illness, why he had to step away from the rock scene for many years, why the need for rock n' roll is back in a big way, his current relationship with all the guys from Jackass, the symbolism of his comeback video "Bum to Bum" featuring Steve O, and an update on the solo EP that he had planned to release in time for the North American tour. Petar and Brandon talk about their love for the 20 worst modern metal videos, the Mudvayne reunion rumors, Justin Bieber’s wife defending him from Maynard James Keenan, Metallica performing to 1% of the population of Finland, and Brandon not being excited about Rob Zombie's 3 from Hell. Songs: Hank Von Hell - “Bum To Bum” an

Sabaton bassist Pär Sundström is our guest this week. We discuss the band's new album The Great War and the World War I anniversary that inspired it, the concept of war history and heavy metal working so well together, the draw metalheads feel towards towards such topics, the band's recent tour across Europe with a full choir, filling in last minute when Manowar canceled at Hellfest, having to cut all pyrotechnics when playing shows in the States, and how art forms of all kinds have changed over time. Petar and Brandon unleash another music episode thanks to a fan submitted email, taking on the challenge of naming our top ten albums from bands that we think ended too quickly. Make sure to comment or send in your picks after you check out ours. Songs: Sabaton - “The Red Baron” and “Fields of Verdun” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices