The MetalSucks Podcast

Sigh Mastermind Mirai Kawashima is our guest this week. We discuss why he felt listeners would dislike the band's new album Heir to Despair, what the critical reception has been like in reality, how his dislike for previous album Graveward influenced the new one, Phil Anselmo’s guest appearance on the new record and working with Necrophagia frontman Killjoy, why he choose to sing in his native tongue on Heir to Despair, his love for horror soundtrack composers and why a lot of touring doesn’t interesting him anymore.  Petar and Brandon discuss Per “Dead” Ohlin’s skull fragment being placed up for sale, the best band break up of all time, Metallica releasing an acoustic record for charity, and our own experience watching Metallica perform this past week in Las Vegas. Songs: Sigh - “Homo Homini Lupus” Sigh - “Aletheia” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Johan Hegg of Amon Amarth is our guest this week. We discuss Amon Amarth's new live retrospective and documentary The Pursuit of Vikings: 25 years in the Eye of the Storm, his feelings on live albums in general, whether it's possible to capture a band's connection with the audience on video, the importance of Europe’s “The Final Countdown" to the origins of Amon Amarth, the 8-bit video game the band released and his favorite video games when he was growing up, the influence of the recently deceased Stan Lee on his life, and the weapon he would choose to fight with in a Viking battle. Petar and Brandon discover the fetish-finding company everybody needs, the couple that decided to make a baby at the front row of a Machine Head concert, Ihsahn making us all fans of Kanye West by explaining his appreciation for the rapper, and what we think is the most artistic stage of a band's career. Songs: Amon Amarth - “Raise Your Horns” (Live) Amon Amarth - “Twilight of The Thunder Gods” (Live) Eneferens - “This Onward Reach” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our guest this week is Nita Strauss. We discuss her recently-released debut solo record Controlled Chaos, her work with Alice Cooper and her appearance on Wrestlemania earlier this year. We also talk about the first time she picked up a guitar at age 13, the lesson and power of showing vulnerability as a public figure, knowing when to abandon a song and walk away, the passing of Jill Janus (Huntress) and some experiences Nita had with her both as a friend and in their band The Starbreakers. Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn discuss the whirlwind of Threatin that occurred last week on MetalSucks, the news that All That Remains guitarist Oli Herbert's death is being investigated as suspicious, Bruce Dickinson's thoughts on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the death off comic book icon Stan Lee. Songs: Nita Strauss - "Our Most Desperate” Nita Strauss - “Pandemonium 2.0” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Todd Stern of Psycroptic is our guest this week. We discuss his role in the latest record As The Kingdom Drowns, the addition of female vocals over choruses, if there was a hazing process when he joined the band, the logistics of him living in the States and the rest of the band living in Australia, switching from guitar to bass to be in Psycroptic, acclimating to the Australian lingo of his bandmates and which of their records he would love to perform in its entirety. We also talks about the best way to introduce young fans to your band, how backing tracks for live shows can be a slippery slope for metal bands and the importance of writing songs with replay value.  Petar, Brandon, and Joz can't get enough of the story about Threatin’s European tour, and we read aloud the statement made about Oli Herbert in regards to his toxicology report and how the delivery makes us feel about the situation. Song: Psycroptic - “Directive” Psycroptic - “Frozen Gaze” Blind Sight - “Empathy Astray” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trevor Phipps of Unearth is our guest. We discuss the message behind the band's new album Extinction(s), how the American political puts a strain on relationships with friends and family these days, his tips on how to best consume the news, the modern presentation of opinions as facts, which band from the New Wave of American Heavy Metal he was surprised called it quits, his thoughts climate change, and his favorite beer bong memory with Oderus Urungus of Gwar. Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn have a field day explaining David Gunn’s statement on the new King 810 record, Tom Araya’s conservative-leaning post, Axl Rose telling people how to vote, and Pitchfork’s brutal review of the new Greta Van Fleet album. Songs: Unearth - “Incinerate” Unearth - “Survivalist” Stellar Circuits - “Nocturnal Visitor” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Highly regarded producer and Hate Eternal mainman Erik Rutan is our guest this week. We discuss Hate Eternal's new album Upon Desolate Sands, his goals for the record production and guitar-wise, whether he would ever have someone else produce a Hate Eternal record, the importance of preserving the performances during the recording process, what his approach would be if he were hired to record a new album by Tool, and the career turning point for him as a producer. We also talk about the victory of his Philadelphia Eagles last year at the Super Bowl.  Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn write our advertisement for a Marilyn Manson dildo, we break down Kat Katz leaving Agoraphobic Nosebleed and all the words going back and forth between parties that followed, and we wonder whether those relationships can possibly be salvaged. Songs: Hate Eternal - “All Hope Destroyed” Bloodbath - “Chainsaw Lullaby” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we host The Ocean mastermind Robin Staps. We discuss recording parts of the band's new album Phanerozoic 1: Paleozoic in Iceland, what it was like laying down tracks in a studio that used to be a swimming pool, why The Ocean always release double albums, the reason he gives listeners the option to listen to an instrumental version of his songs, how Phanerozoic is the end of an era for band, the amount of time he would like for Part 2 prior to release, why it’s so difficult for bands from Europe to tour the states, how physical album sales are still strong in Germany and much of Europe, his enjoyment of the business side of music as much as the artistic side, and what brings him a true sense of peace in 2018. Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn tackle the tragic news of the passing of Old Herbert from All That Remains and how important he was to his peers, and Scott Kelly’s decision to cancel his tour with Mirrors for Psychic Warfare due to his struggles with mental illness. Songs: All That Remains - “Chiron The Ocean - “Devonian: Nascent” Korpiklanni - “Kotikonnut” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week Tony Foresta vocalist of Iron Reagan/Municipal Waste is our guest. We talk about Iron Reagan’s new EP Dark Days Ahead, working at a t-shirt printing factory in the early days of Municipal Waste, his affinity for playing shows with pop punk bands, the never ending meme thread that he has on his phone, a prank he pulled on Earache Records when Municipal Waste first signed to the label, and the mystery of The (International) Noise Conspiracy banner in Iron Reagan’s rehearsal space. Petar and Brandon discuss the amazing story of Shaggy 2 Dope’s drop-kick attempt on Fred Durst, DJ Lethal's poetic and profound response on Instagram, and the finale we all wanted when The Iron Sheik brokered a truce. We also discuss the return of a little thing called Woodstock. Songs: Iron Reagan - “Patronizer” Iron Reagan - “The Devastation” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week our guest is Adam “Nergal” Darski of Behemoth. Nergal tells us about the pressure of following up The Satanist, why he is proudest of the modern era of Behemoth, the amount of energy he puts into the visual aspect of the band, how his music belongs to the fans after it's been released, and why he still spends thousands of dollars on records. We also chat about how he was recently banned from Facebook, coming under fire for racially charged remarks he made on Instagram following Poland's loss to Senegal in the World Cup, the difficulties of communicating with people who have different views, the difference between being anti-religious and spiritual, and why he is against nationalistic movements. Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn speculate on the “horrible thing” that occurred to ex-Ghost guitarist, share our thoughts on Phil Demmel’s Instagram post about his exit from Machine Head, discuss Axl's article about the next big trend in metal, and wax ecstatic about Filter reuniting the team from Short Bus. Songs: Behemoth - “Bartzabel” Behemoth - “Wolves of Siberia" Gorod - “The Sentry” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Scott Vogel of Terror is our guest this week. We discuss the rage behind the band's new album Total Retaliation, working with Producer Will Putney, why Terror shows are one of a kind, his least favorite Terror record, when reviewers don’t give records a fair shake, the importance of lyrics in hardcore, the difference between a fashion statement and the mentality of going against the grain, his passion for hip hop and the beauty of maintaining Terror for so long. Petar, Brandon, and Jozalyn give their thoughts on the recent departure of Phil Demmel and Dave McClain from Machine Head, Harm’s Way's gear getting stolen from a notorious parking lot in Las Vegas, Dave Grohl’s drinking habits and Brandon’s rage when the Cleveland Browns play. Songs: Terror - “Mental Demolition” Terror - “Spirit of Sacrifice” Daughters - “The Reason They Hate Me” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices