The MetalSucks Podcast

Paul Mazurkiewicz, drummer of the legendary Cannibal Corpse, is our featured guest this week. We chat about how they stay active to remain on their game, the difficulties of changing things up when you are set in your ways, and how shifting lineups has effected the band. Godless almost asks him to reunite with Chris Barnes... almost. Chuck and Godless also discuss the arrest of a man for posting lyrics of an Exodus song on his Facebook page. Was he jailed for eight days for committing no crime, or did he make a veiled terroristic threat? Our new voice message system lends us a few topics to talk about: Century Media vs. Blake Judd, and why old bands who go out to pasture don't stay there. Songs:Cannibal Corpse - "Sadistic Embodiment"Black Crown Initiate - "Great Mistake" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Senior VP of A&R for Roadrunner Records Dave Rath guests this week as Chuck and Godless try and expand the knowledgebase for bands of all levels. We discuss what it takes to get signed, the state of the industry and metal in general, and whether your band isn't doing enough work or just plain sucks. We also talk about the trajectory of one of their latest signings, King 810, and how their rise has happened seemingly out of nowhere. Doc Coyle rejoins the podcast this week for another edition of Rejecting the Sickness, this time defending Phil Labonte of All That Remains even though he seemingly called out God Forbid by name last week for not being "musicians." Chuck and Godless discuss Vinnie Paul's recent revelation that he doesn't make any money on music; could he live a decent lifestyle on Pantera money, or are strippers simply more fun to look at than royalty checks? Songs:Slipknot - "The Devil and I"Anaal Nathrakh - "Idol" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mike Schleibaum of Darkest Hour is our guest this week; Axl and Vince try to figure out who got in trouble with the law on the Mayhem tour, how the transition to a new label came to pass and whether or not using electronic gear to change their tuning is cheating or totally legit. Vince also stuck around to give us his two cents about the band no one can seem to ignore, Babymetal, citing his recent trip to Japan to try to put them in perspective that many may not entirely grasp. Chuck and Godless also rehash the topic of merch and how your band needs to do it better, with prime examples from a recent tour stop with Scale the Summit. Songs:Darkest Hour - "Infinite Eyes"The Haunted - "Time (Will Not Heal)" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jason McMaster -- formerly of Watchtower and Dangerous Toys, and current lead screamer for Evil United -- is our guest this week. We talk about about Watchtower's status as possibly the first-ever prog metal band, his experience with major labels as a hit-maker in the '80s with Dangerous Toys, and working with Gene Hoglan on the new Evil United album. Fresh from his trip to Heavy Montreal, Chuck and Godless invited MS Senior Editor Anso DF to fill us in on his experience. We talk about what Babymetal are doing step up the metal game, what one of the biggest metal festivals in North America looks like and whether Canadian metal fans have a different way of treating the festival environment. Songs: Evil United - "Ghostcrushed"Origin - "Retribution of Filth" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brad Roberts and Mike Derks of the mighty Gwar guest this week to talk about the upcoming Dave Brockie Memorial, the Gwar-B-Q and plans for the Gwar Bar in Richmnd, VA. We talk about carrying on in the absence of their fearless leader, what it took to make the decisions about going forward and whether it's "too soon" for Godless to joke about the death of a legend. Chuck and Godless also discuss the "controversy" of racist and homophobic lyrics by Demoniac, an early incarnation of Dragonforce. Should bands have to own the things they've said in the past? Should bands be apologetic about insensitivity that may not be part of their present day ethos? Songs: Gwar - "Sexicutioner"Slipknot - "The Negative One" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Phil "Landphil" Hall (Cannabis Corpse, Iron Reagan, Municipal Waste) is our guest this week. The new Cannabis Corpse album is out now and features some great guest appearances from Chris Barnes and Trevor Strnad. We talk about the record, how he is able to keep three touring bands organized, and Godless tries to figure out how pot works all at the same time. Chuck and Godless also talk about the Wintersun vs. Nuclear Blast controversy and how we've all become trained to have thicker skins thanks to anonymous trash-talking on the Internet. Ex-God Forbid guitarist Doc Coyle debuts in a new segment we call "Rejecting the Sickness" in which he defends some of the bands we take issue with; in this episode he tackles Godless' disdain for the band Ghost.  Songs:Cannabis Corpse - "Individual Pot Patterns"Fallujah - "Carved In Stone" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mark Kloeppel, guitarist and vocalist for Misery Index, guests this week. We discuss how a metal band can make a living these days, whether or not low level bands are touring too much (and if that's ruining things for everyone else), and their new record The Killing Gods, the record Kloeppel claims they really wanted to make all along. Chuck makes the claim that Motley Crue need to retire after seeing Vince Neil butcher their set last week (even with his teleprompter), and we hear a new song from In Flames that has some really... different... production choices. Songs:Misery Index - "Gallows Humor"In Flames - "Through Oblivion" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bass wunderkind Dan Briggs of Between the Buried and Me, Trioscapes and Orbs guests this week on the podcast. We discuss the foundations of his writing techniques, playing with two bands on the same tour, and why the members of BTBAM choose not to interact with their fans at shows. Chuck and Godless discuss the recent fascination with Babymetal, Unlocking the Truth and metal "youngsters" in general. Do we not have enough young blood making music, or are we setting the bar too high for these up-and-comers? We also discuss whether $25K is a good salary for a touring musician in light of the revealing statement released by ex-Testament bass player Greg Christian. Songs:Trioscapes - "Stab Wounds"Monuments - "Origin of Excape" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh Scogin, ex-lead singer for The Chariot and current frontman for '68, is our guest this week. We talk about the demise of The Chariot, leaving Norma Jean, Christianity, labeling metal as "Christian," and Godless takes him to task about curing a woman's cancer with prayer and believing the Earth is only 6,000 years old. Chuck and Godless also discuss the biggest news story of last week, Upon A Burning Body's publicity stunt. In the most real genre of music is it right for a band to pull a hoax on their fans and those of us who try to keep up with real information? Songs:'68 - "Track One"Cannibal Corpse - "Sadistic Embodiment" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Every Time I Die screamer Keith Buckley guests this week on the podcast! We find out about his favorite karaoke song, his cover band, the gauntlet of summer tours, and why ETID's new album, From Parts Unknown, is their best yet. Chuck and Godless also discuss the recent onslaught of ex-singers returning to bands, and whether or not TesseracT and Exodus can benefit from these reunions the way Iron Maiden and Judas Priest have. Plus, if you are in a band and your record gets a bad review, do you a) be a dick to the guy who wrote the review b) STFU about it and just be satisfied that people are talking about your record at all, or c) find a happy medium? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices