The MetalSucks Podcast

Dennis Lyxzén of the legendary Refused guests on the podcast this week. We pick his brain about the demise of the band in the late '90s, what it took to get them to reunite, his philosophy on life, religion and what it means to be a working artist, the new Refused record Freedom and more. Now that 2015 is halfway over Chuck and Godless discuss their picks for best album of the year (so far). How will the rest of the year shape up with so many big names dropping records in the next few months? Songs:Paradise Lost – "No Hope In Sight"Sigh – "The Casketburner"Refused - "Thought Is Blood"   Follow us on Twitter: @BeardedApe and @GodlessSpeaks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hiran Deraniyagala of Battlecross is our guest this week as the band makes their way across Canada on tour with Crowbar. We talk about their new record Rise to Power, the band's recent success and how they've managed and struggled with it so far, what that means to who they are as people, and the real reason they've had such a problem filling the drum slot. We also invited Sergeant D, Gear Gods Senior Editor Max Frank, and MS contributor Emperor Rhombus to the podcast after the recent back and forth on the site about the emphasis on musicianship in today's metal scene. Do fans put too much emphasis on ability and not enough on songwriting? Does it matter? And how does that impact metal's place in the music scene at large? Follow us on twitter: @BeardedApe and @GodlessSpeaks Songs:Battlecross - "Not Your Slave"Jungle Rot -  "Paralyzed Prey" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this week's podcast we go in depth with Lamb of God drummer Chris Adler. We talked about the new Lamb of God album, how the relationships inside the band have changed over time, the differences between working with Megadeth and his own band, who the best of their many fill-in guitarists has been, what a rock and roll retirement plan should look like and his thoughts on clean singing in metal. We also get the scoop on an offer he may not be able to refuse from Dave Mustaine. Songs:Lamb of God - "512"Rivers of Nihil - "Perpetual Growth Machine" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we have another installment of One Minute to Midnight, our chance for unsigned bands to have their music listened to and critiqued by one of our prolific metal producer Eyal Levi. Two bands get 60 seconds each to impress or completely disappoint; you be the judge. We invite MetalSucks contributor Crash Thompson to help us try and figure out if there is still an underground left. IMNs will of course tell you that there is, and you just can't see it because you aren't looking, but with all of the constant internet coverage of metal the word "underground" may just be a term from the days of old we use to describe crappy music. We also discuss Ronnie Radke's recent alleged indiscretion. Should the court of public opinion be what determines a person's guilt or innocence? Finding the truth can be almost impossible, and in the recent case of the Warped Tour flap over some of their talent, a measured response to accusations might be in order. Follow us on Twitter: @BeardedApe @GodlessSpeaks Songs:Cattle Decapitation - "Manufactured Extinct"Ghost - "Cirice" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I.C.S. Vortex takes a break from his many projects and family to guest this week on the MetalSucks Podcast. His new release with Arcturus is a departure from much of what he's done in the past, and we talk about that progression, his experience with an evangelical mother, how he fits his many projects into being a father and husband and his experiences with the volatile situations in Dimmu Borgir (and his subsequent departure from the band). We also give you the first true installment of our new politics segment, "Sadist Nation" with Darkest Hour's Mike Schleibaum. We talk about the separation between church and state and whether or not metalheads can unite under one set of causes, and what it would take to make us all come together and realize the political power we have in the world after so many years of being sidelined. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week marks the 100th episode of the MetalSucks Podcast! For this special occasion we pulled in one of our favorite people in metal today, if not the entire planet, Mark "Barney" Greenway, frontman for the legendary Napalm Death! We couldn't just have a normal interview, but one of our longest to date, covering a wide array of topics from his lengthy time with the band, his brief split, the politics of poverty and what the future of metal looks like. It really goes all over the place for almost a full 100 minutes. Thank you to you all who have supported us, listened, subscribed and told us how terrible we are; we take it all to heart, and hopefully if we don't piss off Vince and Axl we might be around for 200. Follow Us on Twitter: @BeardedApe @GodlessSpeaks Songs:Napalm Death - "Suffer the Children"Napalm Death - "How the Years Condemn" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Marc Okubo of Veil of Maya guests this week. We cover the departure of their former lead singer Brandon Butler and new BMOC Lukas Magyar: the moment everything came to a head, adding melodic clean singing, which vocalist has dreamier eyes and what actually happened to Revocation drummer Phil Dubois-Coyne when he injured his arm last year.  Chuck and Godless discuss their expectations when a favorite artist is releasing a new album: getting your hopes up for new music can be devastating when it falls short. We also chat about what makes metal news, news? Is the fact that a band is thinking about heading to the studio sometime in the future news? What kind of landscaping does Don Dokken prefer in his yard? What actually matters when it comes to your consumption of headlines? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Carley Coma, lead singer of the revitalized Candiria, guests on the podcast! We find out about how faith shaped his path in life, his passion for MMA, and risking his life for music. Also: when will we hear some new material for the band?   Plus: Eyal Levi jumps back in for another session of One Minute to Midnight featuring unsigned bands looking for some expert advice on their music. Deconsecrate and The Residence get their music listened to and picked over by one of the best in the business! And Chuck and Godless discuss the flap last week between former GWAR vocalist Kim Dylla (aka Vulvatron) and current GWAR guitarist Brent Purgason (aka Pustulus Maximus), and whether the band should have handled the situation differently or not. Songs: Candiria – "Faction"We Butter the Bread With Butter – "Berlin, Berlin!" Follow Us on Twitter: @BeardedApe @GodlessSpeaks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we welcome back a guest who has been on the podcast before, albeit in a different capacity: Mike Schleibaum, who is not only the guitarist for Darkest Hour, but is a DC resident with some great insights into the world of politics. With elections coming up and issues at hand that will effect the entire glob, Chuck, Godless, and Mike tackles political topics of interest to metal fans.Is Marijuana legalization your thing? Second amendment rights? Free speech? Or are you just worried about your tickets to MDF while Baltimore still smolders? We also talk to Keith Fay from the band Cruachan about the craziness surrounding their latest album title and allegations of copyright infringement brought against them by the German metal band Debauchery. Follow us on twitter: @BeardedApe and @GodlessSpeaks Songs: Darkest Hour - The World Engulfed In Flames Refused - Elektra Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our guest this week is "Dixie" Dave Collins, frontman and bassist for Weedeater. We talk about their latest album, Eurpopean jail, why seagulls suck, and how he got his driver's license revoked. Plus: check out a new song from their upcoming album, Goliathan, which comes out May 18 on Season of Mist. We also take another call from one our listeners, and discuss the new trend of pop culture absorbing the "metal look" with some of the latest fashion. Finally, we break down Pat Robertson's riff on evil music and why it's okay to beat your kids if they listen to things you don't like.   Songs: Weedeater - "Joseph...(All Talk)"   Slayer - "When the Stillness Comes" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices