The Metalsucks Podcast

Filter's Richard Patrick takes over the podcast this week -- and when we say "takes over the podcast," we mean it! Filter's new record, Crazy Eyes, is out... but we talk about the new music for maybe two seconds before the conversation shifts to the nature of art, Patrick's belief that music and art should be subversive, how the radio hit "Take a Picture" exemplifies this belief, and the U.S. Presidential election (spoiler: Richard does not like Mr. Trump very much). We also discuss Metal GF's recent MetalSucks editorial,  "Is Metal Still Counterculture? Is Anything?", and how it seems that metal has been not just accepted by, but adopted into, the mainstream (see: Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Paris Jackson, etc.)  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dez Fafara puts in his second appearance on the podcast. DevilDriver's new record Trust No One will be the first in a decade with new personnel playing and writing music for the band. We talk in depth about Dez's work ethic, his view of the lineup changes, what that means for this album and the band going forward and how his attitude changes without negative influences working against him.   We also get to hear David Draiman go after a fan in the audience who he claimed was texting the entire show. Although the woman says she was texting her scared daughter, and Draiman apologized, was he in the right for calling out someone for not paying attention to the show? Or is he in the dark about how audiences operate in the new world order? The time may be here to put away the phones, stop texting at shows and experience the reality of... reality. Songs: DevilDriver - "Daybreak"Architects UK - "A Match Made In Heaven" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The legendary Ihsahn guests on the podcast this week. We talk about his new album Arktis being a departure from his last experimental album, working with Trivium’s Matt Heafy and his love for black metal, the differences between writing music in a band setting versus the creative process as a solo artist, and if he would ever entertain returning to a "band" or he's too comfortable working independently. Also: find out why he isn't really interested in the business side of the music industry. We couldn’t let the flap with Gloria Cavalera go unnoticed either: in a recent post to Facebook, she called out some other band that may or may not be Sepultura (she never named a name). Godless seems to think she is just doing her job telling it like it is in a time where too many people sit back and get walked over, in stark contradiction with others in the MS family. Songs:Ihsahn – "Mass Darkness"Walls of Jericho – "Reign Supreme" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Otep Shamaya, known for her outspoken and honest nature, brings it to the podcast this week. We talk about her new record Generation Doom and how it almost didn't happen, how her history informs her present, how the music industry almost ruined her passion for music, her work as a voiceover artist and what it feels like to have regained the passion for her art. We could only fit in part of our lengthy interview, but we talked at length about politics and the state of the union. The full interview, including her take on the current U.S. Presidential race, is available to members of our Patreon family at chuckandgodless.com. Chuck and Godless talk about crowd funding fatigue; are you tired of being the go-to source for funds for your favorite bands? With more and more artists attempting to monetize their work individually -- to record, tour, buy a new van or pay for their medical bills -- have we reached a tipping point, or are those things what we should be spending our money on in the first place? Perhaps th

Anthony Notarmaso, vocalist for the embattled After the Burial, guests this week with one of our most heart-wrenching interviews to date. It's unfortunate that the band can't do interviews without talking about their late guitarist Justin Lowe, who tragically passed away last year, but that enabled the band to reach into spaces not many can comprehend. We talk about Justin, how the band decided to carry on in spite his absence, how the loss continues to effect them every day, what it meant to try and move on so quickly and how they struggled with this new album Dig Deep and ultimately released their highest debuting release to date. We also talk about how a bunch of teenagers could possibly be suffering through their sophomore slump. The new Babymetal song is out and isn’t as aggressive as their last record; does this signal a shift in their approach? are they trying to go more mainstream? does anyone even care? It would appear that a softer image might play better in the US as they are poised to start doing

This week's guest on the podcast is Johan Hegg of the mighty Amon Amarth! Listen in as we discuss why he the band's new album, Jomsviking, may quite possibly be the band's finest work to date, the story behind the band's first concept record, the cause of their first line-up change in twenty years, and their decision not to hire a new permanent drummer. Plus: Eyal Levi is back again for another installment of One Minute to Midnight! Two unsigned bands have their material examined by one of the finest producers in metal today, who offers up tips to help them continue to grow their careers. On this episode, Sweet Little Machine and Plagued by Humanity face the chopping block, and... well, let's just say they have some work ahead of them.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Austin, vocalist and guitarist for Today is the Day, recently formed a new band called UXO with his longtime friend Chris Spencer of Unsane. We invited Steve to chat with us and wound up having one of the longest, most interesting discussions we've had in a long time. We talk about how the UXO project came together, where his drive to create introspective, destructive music comes from, how his relationship with his family molded the person he is today and how his children changed his outlook on life and music. We also try and figure out whether or not Bring Me the Horizon's Oli Sykes really has beef with Chris Martin and Coldplay or if he's just trying to get more people to pay attention to him. He claims he did not know that his stunt at the NME Awards was directed at the band, but we're not necessarily buying it. Also, just to warn you, there will be graphic depictions of a surgical procedure one of us had in this episode... let's just say the results were unexpected. Songs:UXO - "Trauma"Toothgrinde

This week we were recovering from our trip to the Caribbean on the 70000 Tons of Metal cruise. The floating festival is in its sixth year, offering 60 bands over the course of four days, and somehow we survived our third trip. Whether you love to see the crowd, the destinations or the bands you will have a spectacular time. As part of the press corps, we got the opportunity to talk to some of the bands on board in an "official" capacity, and this can present some challenges for your hosts who tend to talk without end. The guitar shredder Herman Li of the mighty Dragonforce took some time to speak with us. They had a tough go of it -- their first performance was cut due to tech problems, then rescheduled, and their final show was booted from the main stage by the weather -- but he was in good spirits the whole trip and we were able to have an in-depth chat with the man behind the guitar. We had been working to get Alexi Laiho of Children of Bodom to guest on the show when their latest album dropped and could

This week we invited Steve "Stevic" MacKay of the genre-bending Twelve Foot Ninja to the podcast for one of our favorite interviews to date. Shamelessly outspoken about music, the business side of things and the media, Stevic tells us all the things that are haunting him as a person, and the obstacles the band has encountered from the other side of the globe in Australia. His unique perspective is quite a bit different than what we had expected, and we were impressed with how candid and concerned the person behind the music really is. We spent a lot of time with Stevic in this interview, and we are currently sailing the seas on the 70,000 Tons of Metal Cruise, so we left our weekly topic at the door. Don’t worry, there really isn’t anything to talk about in metal right now anyway, right?  Songs:Twelve Foot Ninja – "One Hand Killing"Amon Amarth – "First Kill" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steffen Kummerer, guitarist and vocalist of Obscura, guests this week. With their first new album in five years, Akroasis, coming out this week, we talked to Steffen in depth about his approach to writing the new album, his experience and education, how the shifting membership in the band shaped where they are today and whether having a master's degree or being a metal vocalist gets more traction with the ladies. We also invited Mike Schleibaum of Darkest Hour back for another edition of our political segment "Sadist Nation" to talk before today's Iowa Primaries. We also couldn't ignore the controversy involving Phil Anselmo and his Nazi salute and "white power" scream at Dimebash; you may have read the statement about the incident from Darkest Hour last week, but Mike elaborates further about what it means for the metal community. (Note: we recorded this episode before Anselmo's apology video, but we got a feeling his sentiment did not change much). Songs:Obscura - "The Monist"Darkest Hour - "Painkiller"

James LaBrie of the legendary Dream Theater guests this week. We talk about their new album The Astonishing, the process surrounding making their most ambitious concept record to date, putting together an extensive live production for it, his relationship with fans, how he is able to adjust to touring vs. home life and whether the changing tide in the music industry effects the way he leads his life. We also talk about VH1 Classic canceling That Metal Show and whether or not it signifies a turn away from metal music in the mainstream. If a major media company does not see the value in keeping metal and hard rock as part of their arsenal what could that mean for the genre as a whole? We also look at declining live ticket sales across the board as another possible indicator of where the last bastion of income for our artists may be headed; are we looking at the beginning of the end, or just a major shift in methodology? Songs:Dream Theater - "The Gift of Music"Holy Grail - "Crystal King" Learn more about your

Tim Millar, guitarist for Protest the Hero, guests this week. Protest the Hero have reinvented the way to make music so many different times we had to talk to Tim about the crowdfunding for Volition, their new subscriber campaign through Bandcamp, whether they realize that they are turning the industry on its head, what the consequences may be for touring and releasing records, and how this new strategy might effect the rest of the bands in the industry who may want to try new things with their music. We also talk about bands who fall victim to and are stuck in the old model, with all the legal flap around Metallica suing a Canadian cover band and Warner Brothers Records working hard to keep Avenged Sevenfold on their roster. The struggles in the industry are real even for the top metal bands in the world. We talk about the tragic events of the first part of the year -- Lemmy, Bowie, Rickman, Tera Wray -- all turn to dust, and how that kinda sucks. Songs:Protest the Hero - "Cataract" (Sample)Protest the Her

Back by popular demand, "One Minute to Midnight," in which veteran musician and producer Eyal Levi lends his ear and expertise to two unsigned bands who submitted music for us to pick apart. We give Hasta La Muerte and With Silent Eyes some creative direction and tips and tricks that could make their music better.  Last week Derek Brewer of Outerloop Management wrote an Op-Ed piece for MetalSucks on Thy Art is Murder vocalist CJ McMahon's claim that he wasn't making enough money to live on. We invited Derek on the show to talk a little more in depth about the budgeting numbers he listed, why they' don't apply to everyone and what you can really expect as a growing band out there on the road. In light of Myrkur mastermind Amalie Bruun's decision to cut her social media presence due to death threats from, as she puts it, "mainly American men," we discuss why these men might have problems with women, or at least women who somehow threaten their sexuality and dominance over the music industry. Are our collectiv

We're back from the holiday break with a guest we have wanted to talk to for quite a while: Randy Blythe of the mighty Lamb of God guests this week on the podcast ahead of their U.S. tour. We only had a short time with him, but we chat about his immense workload, struggles with addiction, his retirement plan, plans for 2016 (including a couple of books) and what he will look like on stage in 20 years. We also talk about the passing of Lemmy Kilmister, reflecting on his contributions and how there may never be another icon with his gravity in our scene ever again. We talk about whether Motorhead should continue, much like other bands of late who have lost members (we're looking at you, Emmure). How many band members does it take to break a band's brand? Just one? All? Songs:Lamb of God - "Embers"Motorhead - "Killed By Death"Motorhead - "When the Sky Comes Looking For You" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We wrap up 2015 before the holiday break with our take on the Best Albums of 2015. We posted our lists a while back but we wanted to dedicate a full episode to the albums that turned us on all year. Initially it looked like there weren't going to be enough to cover fifteen records, but a slew of good albums came out in the final month. Hell, the number one album on our lists hasn't even been released yet! We go a little more in depth on the albums that got under our skin and the ones that you might have missed, but really we just wanted to recognize the stellar achievements and great work so many people in the metal community have done all year. It's been a great year for metal and a great year for us. So thank you for listening and supporting us in so many ways; we appreciate you all sticking with the podcast and all of us at MetalSucks. Songs:Cattle Decapitation - "Clandestine Ways"Amiensus - "One In Spirit"Deafheaven - "Brought to the Water"Baroness - "Chlorine and Wine" Learn more about your ad choices.

Tommy Rogers, lead singer and multi instrumentalist for Between the Buried and Me, guests on the podcast this week. We talk about the challenges and fears of the road, being the father of a young son, bringing his family on tour, how family has changed his writing process, working with the same guys for so long and where BTBAM's latest album Coma Ecliptic fits into the band's legacy (and how it might dictate their future output). We also try and figure out where Jeremy Wagner of Broken Hope got the cash to buy so many of Jeff Hanneman's guitars. Did he have thousands of dollars just laying around? Or is he looking at this as an investment into his future? We also look ahead to next week's "Best of 2015" episode and start the chatter about our favorite records of the year. Songs:BTBAM - "The Coma Machine/Dim Ignition"Pyramids - "I Have Four Sons, All Named for Men We Lost to War" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  John Baizley of Baroness guests this week. We've been looking forward to talking with John for a while, and with the release of Purple we talk about the new members of the band, how that affected the writing process, getting back on the road after the horrific bus crash that nearly ended their lives, the impact the crash had on John's everyday life, his struggle with pain and his response to the recent terrorist attacks in Paris. We also talk about whether or not guys that are in bands should be managers of others bands. In a recent interview, Rob Dukes (former singer for Exodus) criticized Chuck Billy for having a conflict of interest by managing Exodus and being the singer of Testament. Could that lead to mismanagement by favoring his own band? Or is it beneficial to have someone with that kind of experience doing your bidding? Do you have to trust your management no matter what? Songs:Baroness - "Shock Me"Vision of Disorder - "Heart of Darkness" Follow us on Twitter: @BeardedApe and @GodlessSpeaksFol

Our guest this week rounds out the Big Four of metal interviews for the podcast! Kirk Hammett of the mighty Metallica gives us some time to talk about his life, how he keeps his work and life in balance, how he keeps his schedule in line, how he views happiness and success -- both personally and within the band -- and why he decided to start a company to make boutique guitar pedals. We also argue about the best Metallica songs while trying to figure out which of their song to play this episode, and we discuss the Florida police officer who was fired for his singalong at a Vital Remains concert. In an effort to embrace his community the Chief of Police for Sanford County in Florida got rid of an officer who embraced part of their community. Was he correct? We talk, you decide! Songs:Metallica - "Orion (Live)"Devin Townsend Project - "March of the Poozers (Live)" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week Doc Coyle jumps in to talk to us, not about Rejecting Our Sickness, but about his new project Vagus Nerve. We have never really "interviewed" Doc on the podcast, so we take the time to talk to him about leaving God Forbid, his relationship with his brother, the experience of being in a band outside of God Forbid for the first time, how moving from one coast to the other has affected his life and, more importantly, his dating life. We also talk about the situation in Paris; this kind of tragedy can change the entire world, and we speculate about what it might mean to the music industry and live music. We are all vulnerable when we are out seeing live shows, and we never really think twice about it; but should we? If we change our practices at venues are the terrorists winning? Or have we been naive all along? Songs:Vagus Nerve - "Do You Know Who I AM"Hegemon - "Interpreting Signs for War:Aruspicine" Follow us on Twitter: @BeardedApe and @GodlessSpeaks and Support us on Patreon (www.chuckandgodless

Professional wrestler and Fozzy frontman Chris Jericho guests this week. We unlock the secrets to his success, his philosophy for keeping all his projects in check, what it takes to be a rock and roll guy but keep his feet on the ground and, of course, what kind of hair care and skin products keep him looking so dapper. Plus we hear a song from his pet project Blood Divisions which also features members of Nasty Savage. We also discuss a recent study which claims that folk metal is more misogynistic and racist than any other type of metal. Is the sub-genre really so exclusionary or is it just painting a picture of history and the time before time? Songs:Blood Divisions - "Top of the Bill"Good Tiger - "Where Are the Birds" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices