Inner-Strength Check Podcast

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! For Episode 89, we had the honour of sitting down with prog-drumming royalty: Martin Lopez , founding drummer and co-founder of Swedish progressive-metal titans SOEN ! Yep, that same Mr. Lopez of Opeth and Amon Amarth CV history! Martin reflects on Soen’s seventh studio album, Reliance (out via...

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! EPISODE CHAPTERS & TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Segment 1: Intro Welcome to Tabletop Radio/ Smashing the Perfectionist Tax Code 02:20 - Segment 2: [Dicey News]: Australian Tabletop Crowdfunding (Storybrewers, Ghostfire Gaming, Chaosium), The Extreme-Metal OSR Pipeline (Exalted Funeral & Hollow P...

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! As sole podcaster on the ISC Team, I've been held up a little lately due to life circumstances. Nevertheless, we are back! First in a cavalcade of recent interviewees is Nagash, the multi-instrumentalist performing bass and vocals for The Kovenant. We caught up with Nagash ahead of their recent...

(See below for info on this episode's ISC Radio segment. Featured Artists: Gravecrawler (Sweden), Iapetus (USA), To The Grave (Australia) and SUBMASQ (Israel)). Spearheading a resurgence both in their own flag-bearing and the greater doom-metal scene in general of late, Swedish veterans CANDLEMASS are set to bring their epic doom bell-tolls clanging across Australia in September - check out this e...

Gearing up for a massive co-headliner tour with jazzy progressive death metal unit RIVERS OF NIHIL (UK) next week across Australia. Here to chat recently on the Inner-Strength Check Podcast with me was none other than JASON PEPPIAT, 20+-year frontman and vocalist for these hardworking death-metal Devils. Having caught a listen to 'The Pulse of Annihilation' prior to release, we discuss Jason's tho...

Doomin' across the world for decades now, Greg McIntosh of the iconic gothic/doom-metal outfit PARADISE LOST are one of the UK's finest veteran exports. Greg's also an introspective thinker and thus we had a lot to discuss from touring internationally, songwriting and influences, to much broader themes around music and life in general. Many thanks to Greg and Nuclear Blast Australia for facilitati...

It's not often we get to interview frontmen from not one but two bands co-headlining massive Australian tours, but here we are! Today on Inner-Strength Check Podcast , I'm joined by the one and only iconic Dani Filth of seminal UK extreme-metal institution CRADLE OF FILTH . A band who virtually need no introduction, they're a household name for a reason. With a grandiose, savage and blistering liv...

You know what they say - if it ain't broke, don't fix it! Here with another instalment of their timeless brand of buzzsaw-laden old-school death metal assault, are Borisz Sarafugyinov and Bastian Herzog of German death-dealers FLESHCRAWL. With latest LP 'Epitome of Carnage' hacking heads and taking names across streaming platforms and stages, we discuss the bands' organic studio and live performan...

Another very lucky honour and privilege here at Inner-Strength Check Podcast! As the man fronting Coal Chamber and, later on and to date, Devildriver, vocalist Dez Fafara has been around the block a few times. That also includes our block, and having seen the 'Driver a fair few times (as well as a lucky CC slot at Soundwave one time), he's definitely a frontman who knows how to work an audience. W...

17 years - can you believe it?! Seventeen years since my gob was last smacked around pretty firmly by these metalcore/post-hardcore heroes in Poison The Well. And now, the Hardcore Gods have seen it fit for Australia to be blessed with poisoned drinking devices once more. Almost two decades later, guitarist and all-around riff-creation maestro Ryan Primarch graciously joins me at the end of a long...

Now this is one that makes my punk-rock heart sing! A very privileged opportunity to chat with Bill Stevenson , drummer from a band that were hugely formative in my heavy/alternative/punk-rock journey, and likely yours too - The Descendents ! Going one better, we're also discussing an upcoming tour where they'll be playing a full onslaught of landmark 90's punk LP Everything Sucks and more, as par...

What a legendary opportunity this was for one little grindcore-goblinoid such as me. Joining me on the Inner-Strength Check Podcast to talk touring, musicianship, EXHUMED, LEFT TO DIE (US) and the upcoming tour (including shows with none other than the mighty ORIGIN (US)!) is none other than grind-star vocalist/guitarist MATT HARVEY! Matt's a chilled dude behind the mic, but that's because he's br...

Being too bloody good at his job and therefore stuck with myself admist all the other journos on the podcast earlier this week, was vocalist Johannes Eckerstrom of the uniquely out-there Scandinavian metal-troupe Avatar . Despite being parked up in a cosy hotel bed, Johannes was fully engaged, banter dialled to 'Full Sweden', and looking hugely forward to a return to our shores in August. From the...

GOPHER is part party-metal, part grindcore, part slam, part hardcore two-piece from Australia & unlike anything you’ve heard before! Grab your durries, pack a bowl, nab your passed-out roomies' nangs and get ready to rock on down to an undisclosed beach-location with myself and NED SMELLY. We have a good old yarn about the project, influences, plans for the live front in future and more. From...

Part I - [Interview]: There's no brakes on the tour announcement train, and time, tide and progressive tech-death wait for no man. A man who knows all about this is Kyle Schaefer , vocalist of US progressive tech-death legends Fallujah. With the recent successful release of the fantastic LP Xenotaph , they're bringing themselves Down Under/to NZ later this year with German tech-prog-death giants O...

US metalcore giants Of Mice & Men have forged a hugely successful reputation both musically and, especially, their raucous live performances. On both sides of the barrier! We almost missed the boat on this one, but were thankfully able to grab a last-minute interview with Aaron Pauley (Vocals) and Valentino 'Tino' Artega (Drums) to get their thoughts around returning alongside Japanese up-and-...

(Note: This podcast episode originally featured on our old website, innerstrengthcheck.com, which suffered an unexpected and untimely demise right on New Year's Eve 2024! The episodes and their video counterparts are still available via the usual links/channels - check the show notes below for more details). Welcome to Inner-Strength Check, a podcast at the confluence of mental health, hobbies, le...

What an incredible opportunity! I've been a massive Warbringer fan ever since the release of their first album, War Without End back in 2008. Missing their previous Australian tour has felt like an egregious insult to my thrasher spirit. Imagine my excitement for us not only getting the privilege to review their upcoming set at Brutefest 2026 in Melbourne, but also chat to frontman/vocalist John K...

Easter, Schmeaster. Just 'cause it's Easter Monday, don't think for a second that us metalhead apostates are lifting that foot off the gas! Speaking of, irrespective of everything happening to fuel prices and the whole Strait of Hormuz can't slow down Immolation - neither can time. After 37 years in the business, they've been breaking grounds that the modern extreme-metal scene are only just catch...

I was recently joined by Bård Torstensen , guitarist and longstanding member of seminal Swedish/Norwegion rap-rock pioneers Clawfinger to discuss recently-released comeback album Before We All Die - their first in almost two decades since 2007's Life Will Kill You. It's a solid comeback and a funky bop for sure! As you'll find out from Bård (and giving the album a spin, it's out now on all streami...

' Perpetual Selection ' has dropped on an unwitting international stage, and it's a fierce, technical and melodic slice of well-produced Australian death metal. Just prior to the albums' release (March 13th, 2026, via independent release), I spoke to the bands' talented drummer, Ferdi Handojo , regarding the album (production, songwriting, influences, etc) as well as thoughts on both the Western A...

Hot off the back of a run of successful shows, Joshua Middleton (Vocalist/Guitarist) of legendary modern-metallers Sylosis returns to ISC for a chat about their latest opus in The New Flesh , which released 20th Feb 2026 via Nuclear Blast Records . It's an album that really does have something for everyone - anthemic, broad melodic moments, breakneck thrash metal, dizzying shred and memorable tune...

First of all, congratulations and thanks in order to Elissa Jewell for not only being a fantastic co-host in yesterday's cross-disciplinary Q & A style chat here - but also for officially being our first-ever Member (a Riff Nerd) on our brand new Patreon site! Elissa and I previously spoke at her old leased space in Preston in 2023. We now return for another intense, thorough and fun conversat...

G'day! Mornin'. 'Eve. Wherever you hail in the world, we're currently reaching the final few hours of #MusicMondays over here at ISC. Rather than just flatten out all the incredible tracks and recent Heavy News (music news) engorging our very strained inbox, I thought it best to take a different tack for our second broadcast. Show notes soon available over at www.innerstrengthcheckpodcast.com/blog...

Time to put on your dancing shoes, Australia! Electric Six can't get enough of the place, with next months' Greatest Hits Tour as their third arrival on our shores since 2023. I was joined on the podcast this morning to chat with the bands' mainstay frontman Dick Valentine to discuss thoughts on the upcoming tour, recent international tours, what to expect from an Electric Six show and more. Show...