Harsh Vocals

Welcome to 2025! For our twenty-seventh episode, we decided to discuss our top five favorite Live albums. Some of these should come as no surprise to longtime listeners, but there are a couple of surprises! Of course, we also discuss each of our top three albums from the past two weeks as well as several honorable mentions. We close out the show with an “Extreme Submission” from Avante...

I can’t believe it’s been a whole year already! For our twenty-sixth episode, we discuss the highs and lows of 2024, and recap all of our favorite things, including both of our top30 albums for the year. Of course there is a little overlap, but there’s a few surprises too! It’s a long journey, but there’s several laughs and a lot of great discussion. We hope you&#8217...

For our twenty-fifth episode, we thought it would be fun to highlight our favorite and least favorite Metal Cover Songs. Some of these are great, but others are outright horrible. We play short clips from the bad ones so you can decide for yourself! As always, we’re sure we’ve missed great examples of both good and bad, so please let us know what your favorites are either way! Of cours...

For our twenty-fourth episode, we continue our discussion about the most influential metal albums throughout history. This is the final part of this three episode series, where we cover everything we consider important from 2006 through today! Obviously we can’t discuss every possible album, so if there’s any you feel like we missed, please let us know! Of course, we also discuss each...

For our twenty-third episode, we continue our discussion about the most influential metal albums throughout history. This is part two of a three part podcast, where we cover everything we consider important from 1995 through 2005. We’ll cover 2005 through present on part three! Obviously we can’t discuss every possible album, so if there’s any you feel like we missed, please let...

For our twenty second episode, we decided to talk about the different types of Metalheads that we’ve encountered online and at shows. We planned on making this more of a serious discussion, but between an overwhelming few weeks at work, and the passing of Christian’s mother, we didn’t approach this topic with the same serious tone we typically would. Instead, Christian came up wi...

On this special episode, we had the opportunity to interview Blake Lamoureux – The talented solo artist behind melodic death metal band “Ophidian Memory”. We talk about his creative process, influences, what it’s like being a musician in Des Moines, Iowa, and more! Of course we also ask some deep dive questions about his latest album – Carrion Lord! This album is a lo...

For our twenty first episode, we decided to talk about the most influential metal albums throughout history. This is only part one of a three part podcast, where we cover everything we consider important from metal’s origins throughout 1995. We’ll cover 1995 through 2005 on the second part! Obviously we can’t discuss every possible album, so if there’s any you feel like we...

On this special episode, we had the opportunity to interview Kyle Chapman – The guitarist, vocalist, and one of the songwriters behind progressive death metal band “Blighted Eye”. We talk about Blighted Eye’s creative process, influences, future, and more! Of course we also ask some deep dive questions about their debut album – Agony’s Bespoke. As it stands, Thi...

For our twentieth episode, we decided to talk about how we discover new music. We go into detail about all the resources that we use to help us build our weekly playlists, as well as how we find worthwhile older music that we might have missed. We may have different methods, but we also both have a lot of great suggestions! Check out our resources here: Encyclopedia Metallum – https://www.me...

For our nineteenth episode, we decided to talk about Religion in Metal. As an atheist, is there any real difference between Christian metal and Satanic metal? How important is religion as it relates to the music? Should metal musicians be subject to scrutiny for their beliefs? We discuss it all at length. Of course, we also discuss each of our top three albums from the past two weeks as well as so...

For our eighteenth episode, we decided to talk about Imagery in Metal. How important is the look of a band? How important is the art that is used for album covers? Does one approach give a band more or less credibility? How does that same imagery apply to the listeners? We discuss it all at length. Of course, we also discuss each of our top three albums from the past two weeks as well as some outs...

For our seventeenth episode, we decided to talk about Stereotypes in Metal. We discuss the few positive stereotypes, as well as the predominant negative ones. We even speak about our personal least favorites, and some surprising situations we’ve encountered recently that involved stereotypes. Of course, we also discuss each of our top three albums from the past two weeks as well as some outs...

On this special episode, we had the opportunity to interview Jim Benson and Todd Farnham – The guitarist, vocalist, and bassist behind progressive black metal band “Amiensus”. We talk about Amiensus’ creative process, influences, collaborations and growth. Of course we also ask some deep dive questions about their latest opus – Raclamation Pt 1 and Pt 2. As it stands,...

For our sixteenth episode, we decided to talk about Metal in Pop Culture. We discuss our favorite representations of metal in Movies, TV shows, and Video Games, as well as displays of metal on a global stage. Of course we also touch on Gojira’s amazing performance to open the 2024 Olympic games. We also discuss each of our top three albums from the past two weeks as well as some outstanding...

For our fifteenth episode, we are joined by a special guest and longtime friend – Cary Gordon from MSRcast and Metal Geeks podcasts. We discuss what makes a band underrated, our favorite underrated albums, and deep dive into what sort of vocal stylings do and don’t work for certain bands. Of course, we also discuss each of our top three tracks from the past two weeks as well as some ou...

On this special episode, we had the opportunity to interview P.G. – The Songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist behind Atmospheric black metal band “Groza”. We talk about Groza’s creative process, influences, and touring . It was a lot of fun to discuss not only their upcoming album Nadir but also one of our favorites of 2021, The Redemptive End . Stick around at the end of the...

For our fourteenth episode, we discuss gateway bands, and the progression of our ears from their beginnings to where we can appreciate extreme metal now. We talk about the bands that were most influential to us, as well as how the era we grew up in had a big impact on the music we appreciate today. Of course, we also discuss each of our top three tracks from the past two weeks as well as some outs...

For our thirteenth episode, we decided to check in with our favorite albums of the year so far! We’re just past the halfway point for 2024 and it’s already easily the best year for extreme music in three decades. We have so many favorites to discuss, and even though there is some overlap, there’s a lot of individual picks as well! Of course, we also discuss each of our top three...

For our twelfth episode, we discuss Art vs Artists within Metal. Are we able to separate the music from the musicians, especially if those musicians are questionable? We have strong opinions, and are forgiving towards some and take a harder stance on others. Of course, we also discuss each of our top three tracks from the past two weeks as well as several outstanding honorable mentions. To close o...

For our eleventh episode, we discuss Metal and Mental Health. How does metal help us cope with our negative emotions? Are all Metalheads violent sociopaths? Is Metal akin to therapy? Christian, the Metal Therapist has answers to all these questions and more! Of course, we also discuss each of our top 3 tracks from the past two weeks as well as several honorable mentions. To close out the show, we...

For our tenth episode, we discuss what makes music heavy, and how some music can be considered heavier than others. How can power metal and black metal both be so different, but both be considered heavy? Of course, we also discuss each of our top 3 tracks from the past two weeks as well as several honorable mentions. To close out the show, we play a blast from the past that Justin picked – Soilwor...

On this special episode, we had the opportunity to interview Splatterpvnk – The Songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist behind punk-infused black metal band “Saidan”. We talk in depth about his creative process, his love of horror movies, punk music, and Japanese folklore. It was a blast getting to know him a bit, and it’s an honor to help promote the incredible new release fro...

For our ninth episode, we discuss Lyrical Themes and their importance in Metal. Can good lyrics ever save bad music? Can good music make up for poor lyrics? Listen as we go deep. Of course, we also discuss each of our top 3 tracks from the unbelievably stacked past two weeks as well as several honorable mentions. To close out the show, we play a blast from the past that Christian picked – Carnal F...

On this special episode, we had the opportunity to interview Johnar Håland – the main songwriter, guitarist, and one of the vocalists of the incredible band In Vain. We talk in depth about his creative process, his passion for music, touring, vinyl, and much much more. We had an absolute blast getting to know him and hope that all of you enjoy this episode! If you’d like to purchase a...