The Metalsucks Podcast

This week our guest is Xasthur mastermind Scott Conner. We talk about what led him to alter his sound from black metal to "doomgrass," how he felt about his final black metal release Portal of Sorrow, how the doomgrass style fits into the metal world at large, his thoughts on separating the art from the artist, the importance of writing songs in an isolated setting, the different kinds of fans his live shows attract and his upcoming record (coming in 2019).  Petar and Brandon discuss Kiss's final tour, the sharp decrease in physical album sales and the rise of streaming revenue, why we think Metallica still sell so many copies of The Black Album, our feelings on Metallica someday playing the Super Bowl halftime show and the Mudvayne reunion conversation. Songs: Xasthur - “You Lose” Xasthur - “Against Your Will” Xasthur - “Slaughtered Useless Beings in a Nihilstic Dream Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we speak with Aborted vocalist Sven de Caluwé about the band's new album TerrorVision, including how the decision came about to name it after the '80s thriller, how awful that film was, how the title isn’t a direct reference to the movie but to the state of the world today and the cheap scare tactics modern-day horror films utilize. We also discuss how people often forget that metal is supposed to be fun, how modern technology can cover up mistakes and the negatives that brings, how Sven has always been a big sucker for artwork, which recent band Aborted toured with whose audience did not receive them well, his feelings about returning to perform at the Bataclan in Paris after the tragedy at the Eagles of Death Metal concert, and which children’s film would make a great concept for a death metal album. Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn introduce a new school for air musicians, discuss Glen Benton vs. Mormons, the "bad vibes" Ozzy Osbourne got from Black Sabbath, how we would like to see Ozzy go out, and

Blake Harrison of Pig Destroyer guests this week. We discuss the lengthy break between the band's new album Head Cage and Book Burner (2012), if the title of the record contains any messages about modern society, how a Pig Destroyer show has become an event for our genre, how they got on the Showtime promo for the new Twin Peaks series (while we fanboy hard on David Lynch’s career), playing “Natasha” in its entirety and if there is a demand for that song, his thoughts on doing a Pig Destroyer live record, and turning down an offer to do Prowler in the Yard in it’s entirety (and his take on that general phenomenon). Also this week MetalSucks co-founder Axl Rosenberg calls in to discuss his perfect score for Head Cage, the comments and reviews he's been reading about it and his thoughts on the rest of Pig Destroyer's discography, which Petar unfairly makes him rank on the spot. Petar and Brandon create an ad for the splendid new Atreyu song, discuss Brent Hinds' comments about metal being "the most brutal j

Mike Muir of Suicidal Tendencies is our guest this week. We discuss the band's new record STill Cyco Punk After All These Years, a reimagining of his 1996 solo album, and how the lyrical content is still relevant today. Mike also talks at length on a number of topics including how being a victim is a choice in some peoples' lives, how a surefire way to be miserable is to make other people happy, how most people just want to be right and refuse to communicate, how journalism is more focused on getting a point across instead of reporting news, how extreme people can manipulate others because of human nature, the current dry spell of genre-defining bands, music becoming just background noise instead of the soundtrack to our lives, and how proud he is to get inducted into the skateboarding hall of fame. Petar, Jozalyn, and Brandon discuss Metallica’s new brand of whiskey, the eleven-year-old who was left home alone so his parents could go see a Godflesh concert, Slayer continuing their final tour into 2019, a

Our guest this week is Revocation mastermind David Davidson. We discuss the band's new record The Outer Ones (which Dave describes as the band's "most death metal album" to date), how the world of H.P. Lovecraft influenced the album, studying the language of jazz and its effects on Revocation, which jazz artist he is most impressed with and the importance of knowing the history of the genre you love.  Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss Marilyn Manson cutting another show short and the fear of his career continuing in this manner, Chris Fronzak of Attila punching a security guard and claiming he'll never play Vegas again, and the sad news that Fronzak may have to come back to Vegas anyway to face charges pressed against him from the incident. Songs: Revocation - “Of Unwordly Origin” Revocation - “The Outer Ones” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our guest this week is legendary drummer Mike Portnoy. We discuss Metal Allegiance and the massive amount of input that goes into a supergroup collaboration, getting Andreas Kisser and Max Cavalera on the same record again, the various vocalists on the band's new album Volume II: Power Drunk Majesty and the process for writing lyrics, the metal drummers who influenced him, an update on Sons of Apollo’s recent festival cancellations, the Winery Dogs hiatus, the album his son Max recommended that's one of his favorites of the year, and his son's band Tallah. Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn tackle this week of tragedy with the deaths of Jill Janus (Huntress) and Jonathan Davis's wife Deven. They also discuss the soundproof glass at Heavy Montreal, the church of Satan protesting the ten commandments in Arkansas, Cattle Decapitation vs. true Christians, and what we envision for the future of Killswitch Engage. Songs: Metal Allegiance - “Voodoo of the Godsend” (featuring Max Cavalera) Tallah - “Cottonmouth” Learn

On this special "half" episode of The MetalSucks Podcast we share a never-before-heard interview with Huntress frontwoman Jill Janus, who tragically took her own life earlier this week. The interview was conducted by MetalSucks Podcast host Petar Spajic a few years back at a Huntress headlining show in Las Vegas and has not been published anywhere until now.  Explains Petar:  "When I got the opportunity to interview Jill I was just a guy without an audience who just wanted to learn how to talk to bands and spread my love of heavy metal. Jill knew this and knew this interview would not be heard by many, or any, but was all about giving me the opportunity. I learned that if you are a part of this community and love the music people will always give you a chance if you are willing to try, and Jill did that for me. "I have a small list of bands that allowed me to use them as practice for me to try to do this on any scale in the future, and Huntress was the only band I never got to pay it forward to when Vinc

Roy Mayorga is our guest this week! Join us as we discuss the special edition of Stone Sour's Hyrdograd (out August 31), their new single “Burn One Turn One” not making the cut on the original release, the challenge of covering Rage Against the Machine's “Bombtrack,” winning Loudwire’s Best Hard Rock Album of 2017, getting to spend six weeks playing support for Ozzy on his final tour, the first record he recorded with Nausea, how he keeps the legacy of a band like Nausea alive today, guitarist Josh Rand coming back to touring with Stone Sour, how they've help him with his recovery from addiction, his punk rock roots, the shows he was lucky enough to witness, and how the punk rock scene is still alive and thriving. Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn also introduce you to the God = Dog sitcom and discuss the changing story of the elderly break out at Wacken Open Air, Phil Demmel not doing any press for Machine Head, the impending release of Warrel Dane’s final record being released, and the difference between Keit

Rob "Blasko" Nicholson -- Ozzy's longtime bassist, successful artist manager and founder/host of the A New Level podcast -- is our guest this week. We start out by talking about his latest endeavor and the preparation his guests go through prior to recording the episodes. We transition into a broader music industry conversation: how people consume music these days as opposed to the past, how the new model levels the playing field, why he only trusts music industry people who have been in bands, the reason he likes to stay busy with so many different projects, one young band that he feels has headlining potential, the validation a record contract can bring a young band, the visible record collection vs. the hidden record collection in the '80s, and he tells us about his favorite supergroup. Petar, Brandon and Jozalyn introduce everyone to The Proper Spin Institute and discuss their elderly heroes in Germany, Angus Young needing an escort to pee, and the horribly titled new Behemoth song that we love. Song

The legendary Dee Snider is our guest this week. We discuss his new solo record For the Love of Metal (which was written and produced by Jamey Jasta), his fears he wouldn't be able to deliver on a contemporary metal record, the inspiration Game of Thrones had on the effort, why he feels no need to make a new Twisted Sister album and how he landed a spot on Chappelle’s Show. He also updates us on the sequel to his film Strangeland, shares his thoughts on censorship coming from the liberal side of America and how artists have to change the truth sometimes to stay politically correct. Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn introduce Jimmy Craig to the world and talk about the study showing that frequent concert attendance can extend your life, Every Time I Die's Jordan Buckley saving a life by spitting beer in a fan's eye, Mark Heylmun of Suicide Silence's break from touring with the band, Rob Zombie’s take on Slayer retiring and Behemoth’s tease for their new record. Songs: Dee Snider - “Tomorrow’s No Concern” Dee

Jake Bowen is our guest this week. The guitarist and multi-instrumental tells us all about Four Seconds Ago, his new electronic project with Periphery bandmate Misha Mansoor, from its formation to the differences in the creative process from his day job band to the need he felt to pursue that musical direction. We also spoke about Periphery's decision to start their own label (3 Dot Recordings), the large amount of demos and songs Periphery already have for their next album, the power of Pantera and Jake's MetalSucks article describing Dimebag’s solo on “Throes of Rejection,” his feelings on the band's recent Grammy nomination, and his thoughts on an attorney's use of a Periphery song in a trial of a woman who attacked three people with an axe. Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn talk about the 96-year old Holocaust survivor singing death metal, David Gunn’s statement on changes to the King 810 lineup, the DC universe putting out metal songs and why that works better than it would for Marvel, and the passing

Otep Shamaya returns to the podcast this week. We discuss her upcoming record Kult 45, the intent behind its lead single “To The Gallows" and a whole lot of politics: how important it is not to accept lies from our leaders, how to argue politics with people who have a different viewpoint, when name calling is acceptable and when it's not, how important it is to stand up and fight against injustice, the good in humanity and coming together, and the political landscape of the future. Petar, Brandon and Jozalyn tackle the update from everybody in the System of a Down camp, how we feel about each member's statements, the strange controversy Steel Panther recently ran into and the mighty GayC/DC. Songs: Otep - “Shelter in Place” Ultra-Violence - “Cadaver Decomposition Island” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we talk to Obscura mastermind Steffen Kummerer about the band's new record, Dilvium, why it took four chapters to tell the narrative behind it, the meaning of the title, his approach to making the record sound three dimensional, the importance of a good chorus, his study of German philosophy, which philosopher he feels best represents him today, the difficulty of misinformation, and the misunderstanding about the band breaking up when promoting the new record. Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn also tackle the latest drama surrounding The Faceless, Rex Brown’s kind tribute to the late Vinnie Paul, how death brings closure to petty beefs, and whether or not Rex and Phil Anselmo should perform Pantera songs again. Songs: Obscura - “Ethereal Skies” Obscura - “Dilvium” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we talk with Devin Townsend about his latest release Ocean Machine - Live at the Ancient Roman Theater Plovdiv. We discuss Devin's decision to disband the "Devin Townsend Project" moniker, the various albums he's writing now and the 100 songs that are currently in the works, the trial and error process he goes through prior to committing to a project, the autobiography he released in 2016 and what the future may hold for him at this point. As is always the case with Devin, it's quite the interesting chat and a pointed look into the brain of one of metal's most eccentric characters. Pete, Brandon, and Joz share their favorite metal albums of 2018 so far, discussing why these records should all be heard and how established artists sometimes don’t get the credit they should because of nostalgia. Songs: C.O.C - “Cast The First Stone” Harakiri for the Sky - “Manifesto” The Atlas Moth - “Coma Noir” Devin Townsend Project - “Truth (Live)” Devin Townsend Project - “Regulator (Live)” Will Haven - “Winds of

Dez Fafara from DevilDriver is our guest this week. We discuss his new country covers album Outlaws Til The End Vol. 1, how he handled people who told him it was a bad idea to mix metal and country, why this is a "Volume 1," his trip to Johnny Cash’s cabin, singing on stage with Lee Ving of Fear, masculinity and its representation in country songs and an update on the future of DevilDriver. Pete, Brandon, and Jozalyn talk about the passing of legend Vinnie Paul, our personal experiences with him in Vegas, how important he was to the the younger bands in the scene and the legacy he leaves behind. Songs: Pantera - “I’ll Cast a Shadow” Devildriver - “ Ghost Riders in the Sky” Violent Life, Violent Death - “Backbiter” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jami Morgan of Code Orange is our guest this week. We discuss the band's latest standalone single “Only One Way," the ways he sees the band releasing songs, albums and other content in the future, his fondness for MMA and wrestling, the importance of validation from established artists, touring Europe with System of a Down, which era of hardcore most inspired him and the youthful energy that is irreplaceable in music. Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss the latest drama involving The Faceless (and Michael Keene's bogus comment on the ordeal) and our joy about Ghost's recent achievements for our genre. Songs: Code Orange - “Only One Way” Code Orange - “The New Reality” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ben Ward of Orange Goblin is our guest this week. We discuss the immediacy and sound of the band's latest record The Wolf Bites Back, the reason Ward believes no rock band has captured a generation like in the past, how popular artists rest on their laurels after achieving success, the English metal scene and the unity that used to make it special, why retirement doesn’t make sense for musicians, and the successful crowdfunding campaign he launched to help out Metal Hammer. Petar and Brandon present Kiss toilet paper in ad form and discuss the importance of taking a stand, the dangers of staying neutral in certain situations, and how setting a bad precedent hurts the scene and fans. Songs: Orange Goblin - "The Wolf Bites Back" Iced Earth - "Declaration Day" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we talk to Every Time I Die vocalist Keith Buckley about his new novel Watch. We also discuss his first novel Scale, the authors that influenced him, the importance of writing what you know, the risks he took on the new book, the difference between turning in finished records to labels and books to an editor, the magic behind the song “Map Change," the importance of producer Will Putney on the lyrics of Every Time I Die's latest album Low Teens, an update on new music and much more. Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn break down the preview clip released by the reactivated As I Lay Dying. Who is in the band? Will their comeback be successful? We also discuss the Slayer fan who swam back into a a concert after getting kicked out. Songs: Every Time I Die - “Just As Real But Not As Brightly Lit” Every Time I Die - “Map Change” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Doc Coyle of Bad Wolves (ex-God Forbid, Vagus Nerve) joins the podcast this week. We talk about Bad Wolves' recent rise to success, the difference between metal and hard rock, the disparity between fans of those genres, how quickly change occurs in life and the anxiety that brings, how the president has become pop culture and the importance of mobilizing young voters. We also talk a whole lot of NBA: why Lebron James is or isn’t the greatest basketball player of all time, if the argument between him and Michael Jordan is fair, which team Lebron should get traded to, how the Golden State Warriors have affected the competition in the game, and much more. Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn introduce the world to the Pedro and Pedro Law firm, talk about Marilyn Manson’s claim of pissing on Korn’s catering, Ghost's Tobias Forge stating that the lawsuit brought against him by former members needed to happen, Between the Buried and Me's decision to release their latest record in two parts, and much more. Songs: Bad Wol

Bloodbath vocalist Nick Holmes (also of Paradise Lost) is our guest this week. We discuss the North American tour Bloodbath are about the embark on, his passion for Florida death metal and horror films, his fear of checking Twitter after a night of drinking, the challenge of writing “gore” lyrics and an update on the new Bloodbath record. Meanwhile Petar, Brandon, and Joz discuss MS co-founder Vince Neilstein's claim that Ghost will be the next arena rock band, the newly announced Pig Destroyer record, Maynard’s plea on stage for his bandmates to finish the Tool record, and much more. Songs: Bloodbath - “Grand Morbid Funeral” Witch Casket - “Hatred Index” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices