The MetalSucks Podcast

This week we talk to Amy Sciarretto of Atom Spiltter PR. Amy tells us about how she got into the music industry and her time at Roadrunner Records, if click bait media helps or hurts her artists, the difficulty of doing damage control, the importance of bands having a mystique, if gimmicks are necessary for modern bands to reach a certain stage, how working in the industry has affected her love for music, the difficulty of working an eight hour day, and what her dog Higgins taught her that no human ever has. Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss ex-Slipknot percussionist Chris Fehn's claim that he was a hired hand. Next we address a Canadian listener's concern that The MetalSucks Podcast doesn't give his country any love, and we shine a spotlight on some of our favorite Canadian bands.  Songs: Neil Merryweather-  “Star Rider” Woods of Ypres - “Everything I Touch Turns to Gold (And Then To Coal)” Dead Quiet - “Spiritual Abuse” Beyond Creation - “Algorythm” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Metal Blade Records videographer and content creator Vince Edwards is our guest this week. We talk about a number of different topics related to his work at one of metal's most venerated and longest running labels, including the recent signing of Killswitch Engage, some of his favorite underrated albums that came out on the label over the years, what it was like shooting Between the Buried and Me live, which band he's most excited to be able to work with in the future, how to market metal bands in modern times and the pressure to perform despite having a metalhead's dream job. Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss Misha Mansoor's comments on Periphery hitting their popularity ceiling, Kirk Hammett gearing up for a new Metallica record, Brain Johnson’s possible return to AC/DC, Hellyeah replacing Vinnie Paul, and who's most excited for Crazy Town’s The Gift of Game 20th anniversary tour. Songs: Fractal Universe - “Masterpiece’s Parallelism” Abnormality - “Curb Stomp” Destrage - “The Chosen One” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dream Theater keyboardist and solo artist Jordan Rudess is our guest this week. We discuss his new solo album Wired for Madness and how he finds time for his own material within Dream Theater’s busy schedule, how blues influenced the album, the importance of using musical elements that make people smile in contrast to the heavy stuff and the importance of the visual aspect of the album's title track. We also talk Dream Theater: if the polarizing response to The Astonishing played a part in the direction of their new album Distance Over Time, celebrating the 20th anniversary of Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From a Memory, the difficulty of finding all the sounds he used on the original recording to replicate live, and at what stage in his life he discovered he needed to be a creative person. Petar and Jozalyn tackle the church burnings in Louisiana, David Hasselhoff making metal songs, how Knight Rider would make a great concept for a metal album, Hot Topic somehow still thriving in the modern climate, the release of Oli Herbert’s cover of a Eurythmics song, his widow's strange behavior after that release, and the ongoing campaign to name the recently-photographed black hole after Chris Cornell. Songs: Jordan Rudess - “Why I Dream” Dream Theater - “Fall Into The Light” Dream Theater - “Paralyzed” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Born of Osiris guitarist Lee McKinney is our guest this week. We talk about his debut solo record Infinite Mind, how the writing process compares to that of Born of Osiris, having Adrián Terrazas-González (formerly of The Mars Volta) contributing saxophone on the record, and why Born of Osiris chose to split their latest record into two releases. Lee also tells us about his love/hate relationship with playing guitar, how every instrument has become programmable, who his current favorite working guitarist is, the challenges of keeping up with social media as a musician and the recent break-in at his home. Petar and Brandon comment on the New Zealand church burnings, Ozzy Osbourne postponing all of his 2019 shows, the mystery of Doyle’s name disappearing from the Misfits reunion show poster, and James Hetfield’s debut film being another Ted Bundy story we really don’t need. Song: Lee McKinney - “A Never-ending Explosion” Born of Osiris - “Analogs In A Cell” Druids - “The Whip” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After the Burial vocalist Anthony Notarmaso is our guest this week. We discuss the band's new album Evergreen, the lessons learned from previous album Dig Deep, the 10th anniversary of their breakout record Rareform and the band's upcoming tour with Killswitch Engage and Parkway Drive. Anthony also tells us about his successful business outside the band, how finding the perfect partner has helped him grow as a person, the importance of having realistic expectations in the music industry, how the identity of being a frontman in a band has presented challenges as time goes on, and how important it is to be sincere and honest on stage and on record. Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss why Ozzy Osbourne should be knighted (and admit we don’t know what being knighted means), discuss Vince's analysis of the Chris Fehn vs. Slipknot lawsuit, and revel at the insane amount of money Devin Townsend spent on his new album Empath. Songs: After The Burial - “Behold The Crown” New Album Sworn Enemy - “Prepare for Payback” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Greg Burgess and Riley McShane of Allegaeon are our guests this week. We discuss the making of the band's new album Apoptosis, how the addition of bass player BooBoo Money (Brandon Michael) changed the dynamic of the record, how Greg almost went the classical guitar route before becoming a metal lifer, the lyrical topic Riley wishes he could tackle for the band, which band member put the kibosh on covering Armored Saint, the curse of Applebee’s that has long haunted Allegaeon, and Riley's hot take on season three of True Detective. Petar and Brandon hash through our listeners' reactions to last week's discussion about EPs, Chris Fehn's lawsuit against Slipknot, and Slayer and Primus potentially making magic happen together on tour. Songs: Allegaeon - “Stellar Tidal Disruption” Allegaeon - “Extremophiles (B)” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Big Business drummer Coady Willis is our guest this week. We discuss the band's new record The Beast You Are, the process of songwriting as a two piece throughout the years, the importance of current tour-mates Clutch in Big Business's career trajectory, how pulling double duty with the Melvins a few years back heavily influenced Mind The Drift and the important legacy of that band, and growing up in Seattle during the rise of grunge in the '90s. Also this week, Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn tackle the three greatest rock and metal EPs ever released and parlay that into a discussion on EPs in general: why they are released? what can make them special? what makes the majority of them uninteresting to fans? Songs: Bloodbath - “Weak Aside” The Dillinger Escape Plan featuring Mike Patton - “Hollywood Squares” Alice In Chains - “Rotten Apple” Big Business - “Let Them Grind” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Whitechapel guitarist Zach Householder is our guest this week. We discuss the band's new album The Valley and the Tennessee location that inspired it, how Mark of the Blade played a role in inspiring the new one, the importance of putting on a great live show at this stage of their career and the upcoming Chaos and Carnage tour with Dying Fetus." We also rap about the band's collective favorite movies and TV shows, how video gaming got Zach into metal and the games the guys play together while on tour, the band's signature Possession beer, and, as a huge Evil Dead fan, his least favorite thing about the franchise. Brandon and Petar talk about the death of Keith Flint of The Prodigy and share a story about seeing them live, new Tool album updates, and out thoughts on the new Deftones record reminding Chino Moreno of White Pony. Songs: Whitechapel - “When A Demon Defiles A Witch” Whitechapel - “Third Depth” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Periphery drummer Matt Halpern joins us this week. We talk about the band's new album Periphery IV: Hail Stan, which stan he'd be hailing if he had a choice, the importance of taking a full year to write the record, releasing it on the band's own label 3DOT Recordings, having Adam “Nolly” Getgood produce and play bass despite exiting the band a few years ago, how he continues to teach drum lessons, being part owner of the software company Getgood Drums and his feelings on drum software in general, and why he and Spencer choose to record the song “Shadow of the Day” by Linkin Park as a tribute to Chester Bennington. Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn tackle Sammy Hagar’s comments on Michael Anthony returning to Van Halen, the internet mom who attacked the wrong Mastodon on behalf of her son, and Duff McKagan referencing the “magnificent” material Axl has for a new Guns N’ Roses album. Songs: Periphery - “Blood Eagle” Fallujah - “Ultraviolet” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week our guest is Cradle of Filth mastermind Dani Filth. We discuss the band's upcoming North American tour, performing Cruelty and the Beast in full on select shows this year to celebrate its 20th anniversary, the challenge of fitting in a new album with the band's current touring schedule, how he got involved with Bring Me The Horizon on the single “Wonderful Life," running errands in full makeup and uniform, signing with Dez from DevilDriver’s management company The Oracle, his reaction to Iggy Azalea wearing a Cradle of Filth t-shirt and his lifelong love of Bad Religion. Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn comment on Kiss's alleged thievery of Motley Crue's stage show, Phil Labonte describing fallen guitarist Old Herbert’s widow as a garbage human being, Paul Stanley’s 98-year-old father attending his son's show, and the great comeback story of The Ghost Inside. Songs: Cradle of Filth - “Heartbreak and Seance” Wednesday 13 - “What The Night Brings” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices