Laughing Monkey with Shawn Ratches

Tony Reed is a guitarist, songwriter, producer, and recording engineer whose career is rooted in heavy, soulful rock ’n’ roll. Best known for Mos Generator, he has built a respected body of work both onstage and behind the console, bringing a hands-on, independent approach to every project. As a member of Pentagram, Reed contributes guitar, songwriting, and a deep understanding of the band’s power...

Bobby Liebling is the iconic frontman and founding member of Pentagram, one of the most influential bands in underground heavy music. Since the early 1970s, Pentagram has forged a distinctive sound built on heavy riffs, dark atmosphere, blues, and raw rock ’n’ roll energy. Over the decades, Bobby and Pentagram have inspired generations of musicians and fans, helping lay the foundation for doom met...

Alex Mitchell is the singer and creative force behind Circus of Power, the hard-rock band that emerged from New York City’s East Village in the late 1980s. Known for its raw sound, blues-driven riffs, and high-energy performances, Circus of Power built a dedicated following and remains an important name in underground American rock. Mitchell has continued to create beyond the band, pursuing music...

Evan Seinfeld’s story starts in Brooklyn, where Biohazard forged a raw crossover sound that brought hardcore, metal, and hip-hop energy into the same room. Decades later, the band remains a symbol of resilience, rebellion, and community—qualities that have defined Seinfeld’s life onstage and off. In this podcast conversation, Seinfeld reflects on Biohazard’s return to creating new music and what i...

Dylan Carlson formed Earth in Olympia, Washington, in 1989. Centered on Carlson’s guitar work, the band helped shape drone metal through slow tempos, sustained tones, heavy distortion, and repetition rather than traditional riffs or fast-playing. Their 1993 release, Earth 2: Special Low-Frequency Version, became a foundational record for the genre. Following albums such as Phase 3: Thrones and Dom...

* **00:00** - Intro & Welcome * **01:06** - Reputation, Character, and Creating Your Own Luck * **05:16** - Artistic Curiosity & Avoiding Being Pigeonholed * **07:06** - The New Anthrax Video & Fighting a Chair * **10:00** - Collaborating with Director Don Argott * **15:06** - Filming in the Swamps & On-Set Hazards * **20:34** - Working with Bonnie "Prince" Billy * **25:07*...

The first 7 minutes we ever spoke years 5 plus ago and the last 7 seven minutes we spoke recently ....... gonna miss you Angry my friend! 0:00 – Introduction & the Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome costume story 00:46 – George Miller’s film archives & doing stunts as Ironbar 03:48 – Wearing the Ironbar costume in everyday life 04:15 – True Stories piece: Choosing fatherhood & family over roc...

00:00 Intro and Catching Up 01:53 The Future of Rose Tattoo: Writing and Recording 03:43 Physical Media vs. Digital: Why Records Still Matter 04:19 Thrifting for Art: Oscar Wilde and the Renaissance 06:27 Perception and Art: Finding Detail in the Layers 11:34 Evolving Perspectives: Seeing the World with Different Eyes 14:14 All the World’s a Stage: Shakespeare and the Great Actors 19:46 Modern Soc...

00:00 – 2026/2027 Tour Plans, Festivals & Retirement Discussion 03:00 – Changes in the Live Music Scene & Touring (Australia vs. US) 05:58 – Changing Crowds & Younger Generations at Rock Shows 08:26 – Road Stories: Far North Queensland Gigs & Routine 11:15 – Aging, Staying Grounded & Perspective Over Time 13:16 – Modern Media, General Knowledge & Politics 16:15 – Global Eco...

00:00 – Intro & catching up with Angry Anderson 01:00 – Social changes, media, and control 04:00 – Reading 1984, technology, and modern society 07:20 – Energy, resources, and historical innovations 11:25 – Water rights and natural resources 16:30 – Power grids, smart meters, and utility control 20:00 – Mad Max, classic cinema, and changing culture 22:30 – Global infrastructure and media narrat...

00:00 – Introduction & Toast to Dusty Hill (ZZ Top) 03:08 – Putting the List Together & Early Influences (Odetta, Pete Seeger) 06:30 – Vanilla Fudge & Early American Jam Bands 10:15 – Humble Pie (Performance Rockin' the Fillmore) & Steve Marriott 13:38 – The Young Rascals (Time Peace) & Raw Production 17:23 – The Doors, Led Zeppelin, & Room to Breathe in Music 21:10 – M...

00:00 – Welcome & Catching Up 01:00 – Friendship with Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome co-star Paul Larsen (Master Blaster) & plumbing together 06:14 – Perceptions of height, stage presence, and remembering loved ones 12:43 – Reflecting on aging, mortality, and approaching Rose Tattoo’s 50th anniversary / end of the band 17:40 – Life after Rose Tattoo & future musical plans (Faces-inspired c...

00:00 – Intro & The Rolling Stones (Goats Head Soup, Exile on Main St.) 04:08 – Mick Taylor, Steve Marriott, Humble Pie & Peter Frampton 06:25 – Band chemistry & bringing new members into the mix 08:15 – Angry’s solo material, "Suddenly," and exploring vocal range 13:20 – The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Are You Experienced) & first hearing "Hey Joe" 19:00 – Hendrix&#39...

00:00 – Introduction & Catching Up 01:00 – Launching the Angry Anderson (AA) Band 02:45 – Origins of "Realise Legalise" & Lobby Loyde 07:05 – Advocacy for Medicinal Cannabis & Hemp 11:20 – Cannabis Access & Legalisation (Australia vs. US) 15:47 – Australian Federation & State Laws 17:15 – Breaking Down Cannabis Stigmas & Media Perspectives 20:25 – Collaborating with...

* **00:00** – Intro and celebrating the 100th Episode milestone * **01:03** – *Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome*: Memories of the Ironbar character and George Miller's warehouse museum * **04:53** – The "most rock and roll moment": Choosing to clean houses to be a present father for his kids * **09:12** – Living in Australia: Shark fears and the "Jaws” mindset * **10:18** – The surfing d...

Skinlab is a San Francisco Bay Area heavy-metal band formed in 1994 by vocalist and bassist Steev Esquivel, guitarists Mike Roberts and Gary Wendt, and drummer Paul Hopkins. Emerging from the Bay Area’s thrash-metal tradition, the band built its identity around groove-heavy riffs, aggressive vocals, and a sound that resisted easy genre labels. After attracting attention with early demos, Skinlab s...

* **00:00** – Touring Costs & Exploring Immersive Audio * **02:28** – *Summer of '82: When Zappa Came to Sicily* Documentary * **05:40** – *Via Zammata* & Filming in Palermo * **09:22** – Outdoor Concert Acoustics & Live Sound * **10:18** – Composing for TV (*The Ben Stiller Show*, *On the Spot*) * **11:41** – Jamming "Crazy Train" with Jack Black * **13:26** – *Pee-Wee&#39...

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Stevie D says Buckcherry is already looking ahead, with the next album planned as part of the band’s schedule for next year. He outlines the steps involved in moving that record forward, from writing and early planning to getting into the studio and shaping the final songs. The focus is on keeping momentum going while making sure the material is ready before recording begins. Outside of Buckcherry...

Cloven Hoof have spent decades building a legacy as one of the enduring names in British heavy metal, earning a reputation for power, character, and a sound that has remained unmistakably their own. Across changing eras, the band have continued to carry forward the spirit that first defined them, combining classic metal force with a strong sense of identity. That history gives every new release ad...

In this episode, we talk about Forbidden, the new album that marks an important turning point for the band. Built on the history, sound, and identity that have defined the group over the years, Forbidden reflects both where the band has been and where it is headed next. It is a record shaped by growth, change, and a clear sense of purpose. We also discuss the arrival of the band’s new singer and w...

Dan Lilker is a highly respected figure in heavy music whose career has stretched across thrash metal, hardcore, crossover, and grindcore. He first came to wider attention as a founding member of Anthrax and performed on the band’s 1984 debut album, Fistful of Metal. Although his time in Anthrax was brief, it placed him at the beginning of a major moment in American thrash and helped establish his...

Max Cavalera is one of metal’s most influential figures, first rising to prominence as the co-founder, vocalist, and rhythm guitarist of Sepultura. Emerging from Brazil in the 1980s, Sepultura helped reshape extreme metal with landmark albums like Beneath the Remains, Arise, Chaos A.D., and Roots, blending thrash, groove, punk, and tribal influences into a sound that reached far beyond the undergr...

Possessed emerged from the Bay Area metal underground in the early 1980s and quickly became one of the defining bands in the first wave of death metal. After early demos and a growing local reputation, the band released Seven Churches in 1985, a record widely recognized for helping shape the sound and language of the genre. They followed it with Beyond the Gates in 1986 and The Eyes of Horror in 1...

Mortiis, the project of Norwegian musician Håvard Ellefsen, began in 1993 after his departure from Emperor, where he had been the band’s original bassist. From the start, Mortiis developed as a separate creative outlet, first centered on atmospheric, synth-based compositions that stood apart from the black metal scene he came out of. In the years that followed, the project expanded in both sound a...