The MetalSucks Podcast

Trevor Strnad is back on the show to discuss the new Black Dahlia Murder album, Verminous. We tackle the vampire-related lyrical themes of the record, how it's easy to trace the new elements on each of the band's albums that helped them evolve to the next era, the myriad easter eggs on Verminous, and Ritual landing on many best-of-the-decade lists. We also discuss the power Bram Stoker’s Dracula has on women in particular, the greatness of actor Bill Paxton, Trevor's love of Symphony X and power metal, the danger of revisiting movies that you loved as a kid, and how today's films don't have the same cult impact they once did. Petar and Brandon dish on Tommy Lee thinking the Mötley Crüe summer tour will still happen, our thoughts on what has to occur in order for that to be the case, and what the risks of doing a tour that soon would be. Songs: The Black Dahlia Murder - “Verminous" and “Child of Night," and Allegaeon - “Roundabout” (Yes cover) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Testament vocalist Chuck Billy is our guest this week. We discuss the band's new album, Titans of Creation, how it's the biggest risk the band has taken in their career, what it was like touring with Slayer on their farewell run, and the reason he prefers being on the road over being in the studio. We also talk about his recent bout with COVID-19, his fear of assimilating back into the public now that he's recovered, how dealing with it at the same time as other members of the touring party helped (and update on all of those people), and his thoughts on how the coronavirus could impact the future. On a lighter note, Chuck tells us about how he finds golf and boating as peaceful ways to get away from the world right now, and his desire to get a new dog. Petar and Brandon discuss how the Testament record Dark Roots of Earth had a factor in Petar spending eight hours in jail back in 2013, and they jaw about the latest metal news as usual. Songs: Testament - “Children of The Next Level," “Night of The Witch,” Wolfheart - “Hail of Steel” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

August Burns Red guitarist JB Brubaker is our guest this week. We discuss the band's new record, Guardians, its loose lyrical theme, how the music he's written has changed since becoming a dad, and knowing when to call a demo a finished piece. We also talk about celebrating the 10th anniversary of Constellations with fans, the band's plans for rescheduling their scrapped tour with Killswitch Engage, the positive aspect of having extra time at home as a result of that unfortunate situation, his passion for collecting baseball cards, and the importance of keeping your hobbies alive for personal fulfillment. Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss the rumors surrounding a new band featuring Phil Anselmo and the three non-Tom Araya members of Slayer, Hatebreed’s decision to postpone their new album, and our thoughts on the spiking sales of Disturbed “Down With The Sickness." Songs: August Burns Red - “Paramount” and "Defender," Heaven Shall Burn - “Eradicate” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Johanna and Nicke from Lucifer join us on a special in-between episode of The MetalSucks Podcast. We discuss the band's new record, Lucifer III, leaning more towards horror themes, the importance of using older equipment to their band's sound, how Johanna has always drawn inspiration from cemeteries, how mediocrity has contributed to quickly-changing trends, the look and style that is still very important to the rock scene, and why it’s so much easier to tour Europe than the U.S. Songs: Lucifer - “Ghosts" and "Midnight Phantom," Candlemass - "The Pendulum," Têtêma - “Haunted On The Uptake” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our guest this week is the one and only Ice-T of Body Count. We discuss the state of emergency in our respective states, the reality of our country not being prepared for an outbreak and how he compares the current situation to other states of emergency he has experienced. We also talk about Body Count's new album, Carnivore, getting a Grammy nomination for Bloodlust and the importance of adding Will Putney as a producer. The conversation then turned back to current events: his experience with police while growing up in L.A. and how it echoes through today, information by itself being dangerous without a biased opinion to filter it, his collaboration with Jamey Jasta and how he thought Hatebreed were a racist band when he first heard about them, how you have to check your friends when they display hatred towards other people, and the true story behind Ice's greatest line in a film. Petar, Brandon and Sylvia apologize for being annoyed last week by the coronavirus outbreak canceling concerts en masse, discuss Ice-T's New Jack City line that's been part of our 20-year friendship, Brandon pictured in a mullet as a child in a karate training facility, and much more. Songs: Body Count - “Carnivore" and “Bum Rush,” Aether Realm - “Slave To The Riff” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Continental Concerts booking agent and Unique Leader Records marketing guru Daniel DeFonce joins the show this week. Dan has a whole lot of advice for bands, including his strategy on how to book a tour for a band that has a lot of buzz behind them, the importance of a band being self-sufficient in promoting, emerging trends in social media (and some nostalgia on the switch from MySpace to Facebook), and the importance of a band's visual aesthetic and merchandising. He also shares his thoughts on a band having a “uniform” on stage and how fans need to push themselves harder to get out of their house and go to live events. Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia discuss Insane Clown Posse's dirty snow-eating tactic for defeating the coronavirus, Michael Bolton auditioning for Black Sabbath, and Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell returning to the studio for a solo record. Songs: Brand of Sacrifice - “Charlotte," Signs of The Swarm - “Malformed Dissonance," Viscera - “Immersed in Ire” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jami Morgan of Code Orange is back on the show following his appearance on episode #243 back in 2018! We discuss the band's forthcoming album, Underneath, the hundreds of hours the band spends working on their visual aesthetic, shaking up fans with something new every album, working with Chris Vrenna from Nine Inch Nails this time around and upgrading the stage show for this new album cycle. Jami also tells us what it's like to have grown up in a band he's been in since the age of 17, hardcore music being so important to their work ethic, playing The Dillinger Escape Plan's final show, taking constructive criticism from online commenters, and the importance of several of the metal scene's leading younger bands playing together on this summer's Slipknot tour. Petar, Brandon, and Sylvia discuss the coronavirus taking out SXSW, Randy Blythe's non-comment on the split with Chris Adler, Robb Flynn doubling down on rap metal, and our thoughts on being honest as an artist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Every Time I Die guitarist and All Elite Wrestling newcomer Andy Williams is our guest this week. We discuss all things Every Time I Die, wrestling and the intersection between those two worlds, including Andy's road from metal icon to wrestling star, the anxiety of recording the new ETID album and having to leave to get in the ring, his fandom of the WCW as a kid and more. We also talk about other topics related to his work in both music and wrestling: the best hair metal ballads of all time and how becoming a professional wrestler has allowed him to appreciate garbage music more, his memory of the Mass Transit incident, how the backstage experience at wrestling has changed over the years, if the tag team breakup storyline is inevitable for The Butcher, The Blade, and The Bunny, and an update on the progress of the new Every Time I Die record. Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn tackle listener emails regarding our argument about the term “relevance” in music (an outgrowth of last week's conversation about System a Down), our fear of discussing politics because we really don’t know anything besides headlines, and our stories of attending live wrestling events as kids. Songs: Every Time I Die - “Map Change," Orthodox - “Cut” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Intronaut guitarist and vocalist Sacha Dunable is our guest this week. We discuss if the band's long break between albums benefited the music on their new record, Fluid Existential Inversions, the decision to let go of founding drummer Danny Walker following abuse allegations leveled against him, how the band dynamic has changed after that decision was made and how close Sacha himself was to quitting Intronaut in recent years. We also chatted about his excitement for Intronaut’s upcoming North American tour with Cult of Luna, his custom guitar company, Dunable Guitars, how he got credited as a guitar tech on Tool's latest album, his creation of the world’s first “smokeable” six-string guitar, and which guitar player he'd like to make a custom guitar for. Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss Ozzy Osbourne's cancelation of his No More Tours 2 tour (again), John Dolmayan's comment that System of A Down never reached their potential, and ex-Fear Factory bassist Christian Olde Wolbers' political finger-pointing post. Songs: Intronaut - “Cubensis” and “Pangloss” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Devin Townsend is back on the show for his record-setting fourth appearance! We discuss his upcoming North American tour with Haken and The Contortionist, how his latest album, Empath, has ties to his journey into middle age, his realization that he is not a great band member and how that affects the creative process, how being a working musician is 80% logistics, all of his tours becoming special, one-of-a-kind events, and his plans on playing Strapping Young Lad songs this summer. Devin also shares his evolutionary theory on why kids are mean to their parents and talks accountability in music getting misconstrued as having a stance on morality. Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn, tackle the drunken Cameo video that Vince Neil made for a fan, Lamb of God’s entire new record being political in nature, and the joy of knowing Danny DeVito is a Mr. Bungle fan. Songs: Devin Townsend - “Genesis," Loathe - “Screaming," Irist - “Burning Sage” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices