This week the legendary Max Cavalera joins us for our first ever live podcast interview. We took some time before his show in Austin to talk about his philosophy on metal, working with guests on his albums, the formation of a path for himself after Sepultura, coming back together with his brother after such a bad split, and how his children use their coping skills versus what he had to do as a young child growing up when his father died. We also cover Jill Janus and the strange circumstances sur...
Nov 02, 2015•1 hr 19 min
Daniel Tompkins lead singer of TesseracT guests this week, bringing us insight into his decision to return to the band, what it was like to reclaim his spot in a band that's taking off, what the changing sound of the band means for fans, how they react to those changes and how he copes with the shrinking opportunities for bands in the industry today. Chuck and Godless discuss the ballsy decision of Ne Obliviscaris' drummer Daniel Presland to quit a six-figure job to continue with the band and go...
Oct 26, 2015•1 hr 15 min
Born of Osiris guitarist Lee McKinney guests this week just as their new album Soul Sphere drops. We talk about the new album, growing up on the road, his relationship with the other band members and how that's changed over the years, how touring effects his private life and whether his skills as a guitarist enhance certain parts of his alone time. We also listen to a bit of the new Protest the Hero song and discuss their decision to turn the industry on its head yet again with a subscription-ba...
Oct 19, 2015•1 hr 11 min
This week Michael Sweet of the legendary Christian metal band Stryper joins us to talk about his new album and the history of the band. Whenever anything remotely Christian comes up, Godless gets to flex his Atheist muscles. They discuss Sweet’s relationship with God after suffering through so much tragedy in his life, his departure from God and his ultimate return, and how that effects the band to this day. We learn about his time with Boston, his relationships with his children and so much mor...
Oct 12, 2015•1 hr 41 min
The timer at MetalocalypseNow.com has run out, and we were able to get the show's creator Brendon Small on the line to talk about the big announcement. He wouldn’t tell us what happens to Murderface, but he gives us all the details on what happened with Adult Swim and their decision not to renew the show for the fifth and final season, the thought process behind the social media campaign to bring the show back, his progress with its production, the latest on Dethklok and what we will need to do ...
Oct 08, 2015•49 min
This week the legendary Alex Skolnick of Testament joins us to talk shop about Metal Allegiance, his place in metal history, how his work ethic differs from his counterparts, the differences between the jazz world and the metal world, and what it meant to work with such a variety of musicians on a project like Metal Allegiance. We also find out when a new Testament record is coming! Chuck and Godless talk about the variety of beefs between musicians that seemed to pop up this week. Many were bet...
Oct 05, 2015•1 hr 14 min
George Clarke from Deafheaven guests this week. We find out what he thinks about the band's meteoric trajectory since their inception just a few years ago, what it means to be critically accepted, shaping the band while members are leaving (and what that means to the bands sound), his relationship with the other bandmates and whether he might need therapy soon. We also discuss the recent "takeover" of the Billboard Top 200 by four metal bands in the top 20. It may not seem like that many but whe...
Sep 28, 2015•1 hr 21 min
We invited guitarist Brian Eschbach of The Black Dahlia Murder to guest on the podcast this week following the release of the band's latest ripper Abysmal. We talk about the new record, using a different producer to give their music a more organic sound, what life is like off the road, how the business of TBDM works, what their relationships with former members of the band are like and the keys to success of one of the top extreme metal bands going today. The Atlas Moth's Stavros Gianopolis join...
Sep 21, 2015•1 hr 32 min
Sevendust frontman Lajon Withersppon guests this week! We chat about the new album Kill the Flaw, the differences between touring at the age of 21 and touring today with a family back home, how his family is growing and what that will mean for the bands future plans, how the band's history with bad decisions and unfortunate circumstances weighs on their current processes and what surprising item of clothing he was wearing when he met his wife for the first time. We almost went down a car talk wo...
Sep 14, 2015•1 hr 18 min
We had the chance to talk to Sean Reinert right on the heels of the announcement that his seminal band, Cynic, would be calling it quits before their next tour -- which was not only a surprise to fans, but, according to Facebook, a surprise to other members of the band, too. We asked him about the recent Facebook posts he wrote about their break up, what issues lead to the current situation, the back and forth between he and Paul Masvidal, and why two people who have worked together for so long ...
Sep 11, 2015•49 min
The new album from SLAYER drops today (9/11/15), and we've decided to give you all a special podcast to listen along with Repentless! This is something that's never been tried before in the history of the planet, so who knows if it will work or not -- but as you explore the new record you can listen to commentary about the new songs, a discussion of Slayer's place in history and more. We don't give you the music -- you use your own disc, LP, cassette or stream -- and listen alongside the podcast...
Sep 11, 2015•1 hr 12 min
Dave Wyndorf of Monster Magnet guests this week. We talk about the rise and fall of Monster Magnet, from having a super radio hit to hardly selling any albums, the way the industry monetizes artists and thereby lessens the value of art, getting older and realizing what it means to have longevity, and the pitfalls of rock and roll in general. His candid perspective is unique and Dave does not mince words for those in power. We also discuss last week's Motorhead show in Austin, where Chuck witness...
Sep 08, 2015•1 hr 25 min
Shawn Drover, ex-drummer of Megadeth and Eidolon, joins us to talk about his new band Act of Defiance, whose debut album The Birth and the Burial is out now. We discuss his departure from one of metal's biggest bands, his pairing with former Megadeth guitarist Chris Broderick and why they stuck together, what they were thinking when putting this new group together and why they are most definitely not a supergroup. We discuss the video advertisement Disturbed had to pull after its incendiary imag...
Aug 31, 2015•1 hr 19 min
Legendary producer, guitarist and vocalist Erik Rutan guests this week. Hate Eternal just unleashed their new album Infernus and it plays like a death metal guidebook, so we pick his brain about a wide range of topics: producing bands, the changing metal scene, whether he would ever rejoin Morbid Angel, how he hurt his hand on the Metal Alliance Tour and what the hell happened to that tour when it shit the bed mid-run. Doc Coyle comes back to "Reject the Sickness." This week's topic: Godless' Tw...
Aug 24, 2015•1 hr 26 min
This week we talk to Amalie Bruun, the mysterious woman behind the eclectic black metal project Myrkur. Her perspective on metal is unique, and we talk to her about the haters, her philosophy on making music and art, what working with her heroes has meant to her, the public reception of Myrkur (both positive and negative) and how playing pop music influences her musical output. Godless recaps his time at Bloodstock, his first European style festival, and how it differs from the one-day touring f...
Aug 17, 2015•1 hr 30 min
Soilwork frontman Bjorn “Speed” Strid guests on the podcast this week. We talk about the band's ongoing lineup changes and their effect on the sound, what it means to lose someone who has been playing with them for so long, if he's ever thought about leaving, his recent decision to quit drinking and, of course, the band's new album The Ride Majestic. We also discuss the recent Spotify report listing the top 25 top sub-genres of metal on the service; you won’t believe what landed at number 6! Wha...
Aug 10, 2015•1 hr 15 min
Dino Cazares took a break from consuming young children to be our guest on the podcast one week ahead of the release of Fear Factory’s new album Genexus. While Godless goes a little gaga, we talked about the storied history of the band, the troubles with labels and producers and their struggles with the limelight and keeping band members happy. We also find out the fate of Divine Heresy and some of Dino's other projects. We take another listener call about festivals, since that topic seems to be...
Jul 27, 2015•1 hr 28 min
Philip H. Anselmo makes another appearance on this episode (he first joined us way back on episode sixteen!), right after his 47th birthday, and on the verge of taking Superjoint Ritual on a full tour for the first time in a decade. We talk about getting older and how it changes your perspective on conflicts with people, such as Tom G. Warrior and former band members. We also find out the status of his autobiography in the wake of the passing of his co-author and co-founder of the Housecore Horr...
Jul 20, 2015•1 hr 24 min
Blake Harrison and Mark Sloan, the human portion of the parrot-fronted extreme metal band Hatebeak, guest this week on the podcast. We find out if they really think metal vocalists are obsolete, why this project should be taken seriously and why it probably shouldn't be at the same time. We learn about the collaboration's history and grill Blake about whether we'll have to wait another couple decades before the new Pig Destroyer album comes out (and if it will be a D00M album). We take a listene...
Jul 13, 2015•1 hr 4 min
The enigmatic Dani Filth makes us work hard for our money on this week's episode: we talk about the upcoming Cradle of Filth record, how imagery can shape the outcome of an album, creating good artwork, how he keeps the Cradle sound intact with a rotating cast of band members, and why you shouldn't illegally download music. Senior MS Editor Anso DF stops by to bring some of the latest news stories into perspective. How do the stories of Cobalt's new lead singer, Morbid Angel's embarrassing publi...
Jul 06, 2015•1 hr 26 min
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? So...
Jun 29, 2015•1 hr 21 min
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 f...
Jun 22, 2015•1 hr 48 min
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 ...
Jun 15, 2015•1 hr 23 min
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 a...
Jun 08, 2015•1 hr 14 min
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...
Jun 01, 2015•1 hr 27 min
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 alm...
May 26, 2015•1 hr 57 min
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 fa...
May 18, 2015•1 hr 10 min
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 b...
May 11, 2015•1 hr 38 min
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...
May 04, 2015•1 hr 15 min
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 ...
Apr 27, 2015•1 hr 14 min