And Now The Band

In Episode 319 of And Now The Band , host Tom Robbins is joined by Matt McCray of Idlestar Productions for the first official announcement of the Preface Pre-Show for Post Fest —a new event designed to expand the festival experience while staying rooted in the values that made Post Fest special from the start. Matt and Tom dive into the power of music as a unifying force , discussing how festivals...

In Episode 318 of And Now The Band, host Tom sits down with Matt Harvey, guitarist and vocalist of Exhumed, to discuss the band’s upcoming album Red Asphalt, out February 20th via Relapse Records. Matt dives deep into the concept behind Red Asphalt, a record built around road-related horror, mechanical violence, and the deadly realities of life on the highway. The album features ten tracks includi...

In Episode 317 of And Now The Band , host Tom sits down with Kyle Thomas , legendary vocalist of Exhorder , for a wide-ranging conversation on songwriting integrity, vocal longevity, and the evolution of heavy music culture. Kyle breaks down his songwriting philosophy , emphasizing brutal self-critique, honesty, and cutting anything that doesn’t genuinely excite him. He discusses how this mindset...

In this episode, host Tom sits down with Gary and Matt of Weaving Spiders to unpack the band’s unconventional origin story, creative process, and evolving sonic identity. Born out of isolation during the COVID lockdowns, Weaving Spiders began as a solo GarageBand project after Gary’s departure from Bad Wizard. What started as remote experimentation slowly transformed into a fully realized band onc...

Dirty Dave and Andy “Lil Bucky” of The Glasspack join Tom for a deep dive into punk ethics, underground survival, and the realities of making heavy music across multiple decades. From early tours disrupted by 9/11 to vinyl pressing delays, label collapses, and the shift from analog to digital creation, this episode captures what it actually means to stay active in the underground. The conversation...

Tom sits down with Sonia of Velkhanos to explore the discipline, technique, and personal drive behind modern extreme metal vocals. From joining Velkhanos in 2020 to touring Europe and teaching vocals professionally, Sonia shares how anatomy, control, and mindset are critical to sustaining aggressive vocal styles. The conversation touches on theatrical live performances, the influence of bands like...

Tom sits down with John Gist to preview Planet Desert Rock Weekend VI , happening January 29th–February 1st in Las Vegas . John breaks down how the festival lineup comes together, the importance of diversity in heavy music, and why Planet Desert Rock focuses on community, fairness, and artistic integrity over trends. The conversation covers standout bands on the bill, the Ripple Showcase, the real...

Revisiting Tony and ISD because they both rock!

Hiroe holds one of my favorite albums this year with Wield. I am going to revisit chatting with them at Post Fest this year. Watching these folks perform and chatting with them was like seeing long lost friends. The conversation was great on and off camera and as a group, they are some of the nicest folks out there.

Tom is joined by Temptress to discuss their upcoming album, releasing January 23rd , and the years-long creative process behind it. The band dives into their favorite songs on the record, the emotional weight behind tracks like “Be Still,” and how collaboration helped shape an album that reflects both personal growth and their powerful live sound. A major highlight of the discussion is Temptress’...

With Down expecting a new album in 2026, lets revisit an early episode with Jimmy Bower of Eyehategod and Down. He talks about some of the writing of the Down material among other things. Thanks for watching and listening across the various platforms. Follow me on instagram for the most up to date giveaways. Sometimes tickets to some Danny Wimmer Presents festivals, albums from artists I love or w...

One of my favorite bands for the last few years is Blessed Black. They are on a constant rotation for me. We are going to revisit this conversation with Murphy. I'm ready for Vol 3 and Vol 4 to grace my ears. #blessedblack #thirdhousecommunications #andnowtheband

In Honor of 2 Years doing this show, I am going to repost EP 20 with Sol Williams and Cathode ULT. Cathode has their third EP coming out in as long as this show has been going. Enjoy the show and check out Cathode ULT and the other episodes of ANTB

Revisiting EP2 with Chris Enriquez because Spotlights recently released a Rarities album. It has some killer songs on it that were not available previously on vinyl. Hooray! As I come to the end of Year 2 of And Now The Band, I am going to revisit some of the early episodes. It's amazing to see how far this thing has come since it's inception. Has there been a favorite episode for you? Ove...

Host Tom is joined by Elijah Kellogg of floodlit for a wide-ranging conversation about grief, purpose, and the role of heavy music in processing real-world trauma. Elijah discusses floodlit’s latest single “Ama,” his vocal influences, and the challenge of balancing clean singing with harsh vocals in modern heavy music. The conversation turns deeply personal as Elijah shares how his time doing comm...

Host Tom is joined by S. Patrick Brooks of Heavy Underground Farm Report to unveil the inaugural HUFR Fest , happening April 24–26, 2026 in Denver, Colorado . In this episode, Sean breaks down how HUFR Fest came together, why Denver’s underground scene is the perfect home for it, and what makes this festival stand out in a crowded live-music landscape. With a lineup that already includes Lost Reli...

In EP309 , Alex Skolnick (Testament, Metal Allegiance, Alex Skolnick Trio) joins host Tom for an in-depth discussion on collaboration, musicianship, and metal’s evolving legacy. Alex reflects on Metal Allegiance’s 10-year history , their tradition of performing around the NAMM Show , and their upcoming House of Blues Anaheim performance in 2026 . He shares behind-the-scenes insight into how Metal...

In EP308 , host Tom welcomes Stu Folsom of SpiritWorld for an in-depth conversation about the realities of modern heavy metal touring, live show evolution, and building longevity as a band. Stu discusses SpiritWorld’s transition into a four-piece live lineup, how rotating fill-in musicians have influenced their performances, and why the band is shifting toward more intentional setlist dynamics rat...

Tom and Zach of Howling Giant join the show to explore the creative universe behind one of heavy music’s most imaginative and dynamic bands. From sci-fi concept albums and cosmic storytelling to airtight musicianship and relentless touring strategy, Howling Giant has carved out a distinctive place in modern stoner, psych, and doom metal. In this episode, Tom and Zach discuss the band’s origin stor...

In EP306 , Tom sits down with Travis of Carrion Vael to talk about the upcoming album “Slay Utterly” , arriving January 16th via Unique Leader Records , and the intense, research-driven approach behind the band’s technical death metal sound. Travis breaks down how Carrion Vael writes songs inspired by serial killers, cult leaders, and true crime , approaching violent subject matter with analysis a...

In EP305 , Tom welcomes James Woodard of The Grasshopper Lies Heavy for a deep, honest conversation about DIY metal, distortion-driven songwriting, underground touring, and artistic integrity . James reflects on nearly two decades of creating heavy music, from a bedroom project in 2005 to a fully realized band built on texture, volume, and commitment to artistic truth. They discuss the band’s late...

In EP304 , Tom sits down with Valira of Vesseles to discuss her upcoming album Home , releasing January 16th, 2026 , and the deeply personal artistic journey behind her evolving approach to black metal. Valira opens up about discovering heavy music, gravitating toward darker and more atmospheric sounds, and challenging herself with tracks like Flesh Throne , Eternally Within Us , and Scriptures Un...

Mike Sanchez of the mighty Acid Bath stopped by during Louder Than Life to talk about what's been happening in the Acid Bath camp and how it feels to play together again. The resurgence of AB has been tremendous and with 2 AB newcomers, they're sounding super tight and getting the crowd hyped. #acidbath #mikesanchez #louderthanlife #andnowtheband

EP303 | Mike Leon of CKY joins Tom for an energetic and heartfelt conversation about CKY’s resurgence, new music, global touring, and the full-circle moment of joining a band that helped shape his musical identity. In this episode: • The making and reception of CKY’s newest single “Can’t Stop Running” • Recent UK tour + upcoming Australia run + Sonic Temple 2025 • CKY’s healthiest and most focused...

In EP302, Connor of Dissentience joins Tom to talk about the band’s creative evolution, their new monster-movie-inspired EP Kaiju , and the challenges of being a genre-fluid metal band in a scene that often demands labels. Connor shares the band’s journey from high school roots to their current sound, shaped by drummer Nick and longtime producer Corey. They break down the writing process for Kaiju...