Influencers of Metal Podcast

Are Mötley Crüe rock… or metal? Collin and Tom dive headfirst into the chaos of one of the most infamous bands of the 1980s. From the outrageous party stories and scandals to the massive arena shows and iconic riffs, Mötley Crüe helped define an entire era of heavy music. The discussion covers legendary albums like Dr. Feelgood and Shout at the Devil, their influence on the hair metal explosion, a...

Collin and Tom return for Part 8 of the Most Metal Guitar Hero Game series, diving into the nostalgia-packed Guitar Hero Smash Hits. Unlike previous games, Smash Hits doesn’t introduce new songs—it’s a curated collection of the most memorable tracks from earlier Guitar Hero titles, all remastered for newer consoles. But the big question remains: how metal is it? The duo breaks down highlights from...

Collin and Tom return to their Metal Around the World series and land in the mountainous heart of Central Asia: Kyrgyzstan. With only a handful of bands listed on the archives, the duo dives headfirst into a surprisingly black-metal-dominated scene. From the folk-infused epic black metal of Darkestrah to the raw underground chaos of Faustus, the duo explore every active band they could find. Along...

Are video game metal covers a gimmick… or pure genius? In this episode of the Influencers of Metal Podcast, Collin and Tom resurrect their Gimmick or Genius segment to debate one of metal’s most beloved nintendocore bands: Powerglove. Known for shredding through classic video game soundtracks and beloved pop culture themes, Powerglove has built a cult following by transforming nostalgic melodies f...

Collin, Tom and TheBlyzzrd break down the metal dominating their playlists, from Exodus and Monstrosity to atmospheric heaviness from Gaerea and Temple of Void.

Collin and Tom attempt to predict the winner of the 2026 Juno Awards… and immediately remind everyone why their prediction record belongs in the trash. After getting sidetracked by Hamilton traffic, tea experiments, and existential confusion about time itself, the guys break down this year’s metal nominees—including Cryptopsy, Despised Icon, Counterparts, Unreqvited, and Silverstein.  Will th...

This week on the Influencers of Metal Podcast… we go back to Japan. Again. This time, Tom brings in a suggestion inspired by the Pumpkin Queen: Versailles Philharmonic Quintet — a visual kei power metal band that looks like a gothic opera and sounds like it scored every anime opening ever made. So naturally… we ask the question: Are they rock or metal? …and immediately realize… yeah, this one migh...

Is metal really for kids… or are we all just raising tiny future headbangers? In this special interview episode, we sit down with Adam from Odin Conquers All, alongside his son Odin—the internet’s most metal four-year-old—to talk about what it’s actually like growing up with heavy music. We dive into everything from bedtime music video rituals to first concerts, internet backlash, and how a mix of...

Collin has officially hit DEFCON 1. In this episode of the Influencers of Metal Podcast, Tom tries (and mostly fails) to contain Collin’s full-blown meltdown over the 2026 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance—and yeah… it gets ugly. From Dream Theater’s triumphant return with Parasomnia, to Ghost doing Ghost things, to the ongoing disrespect toward Spiritbox… things spiral fast. And when the ac...

What happens when two metal fans try to determine the heaviest songs by System of a Down? Apparently… chaos. In this episode of the Influencers of Metal Podcast, Collin and Tom take on the long-awaited installment of their “What Is ___’s Heaviest Song?” segment. After starting with 37 songs from across the band’s entire discography, the guys brutally narrow the list down to 10 of the heaviest trac...

In this episode of the Influencers of Metal Podcast, Collin and Tom throw subtlety straight into the mosh pit and unleash some of their boldest and most controversial metal hot takes. From calling out the oversaturation of mediocre metalcore and deathcore, to debating whether Tool is wildly overhyped, the duo isn’t holding anything back. Along the way they tackle everything from the legacy of Howa...

Collin and Tom hit the road to London for a night of pure thrash metal chaos as Megadeth, Anthrax, and Exodus tear through Canada Life Place. From the greatest merch-buying experience of their lives (complete with early access, no lineup, and a surprisingly chill merch worker), to debating the quirks of a cashless arena that still somehow takes cash at the band table, the duo relive every moment o...

It’s the February 2026 edition of WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN LISTENING TO? — and somehow the Pumpkin Queen has seized production control. Tom is wearing cat ears. There are Valentine’s stuffies involved. Collin is holding an object under threat of supernatural consequence. And Megadeth is tomorrow. It’s a February WHYBLT! In between the absolute nonsense, we dive into listener picks, Collin’s picks, Tom’s...

The year of thrash is upon us. With Megadeth, Anthrax, and Exodus all releasing new material in 2026, Collin and Tom are gearing up for their first concert of the year — February 28th in London, Ontario. From deep cuts like “Medusa” to thrash staples like “Tornado of Souls,” the guys break down what they’re hoping makes the setlist… and predict if they’ll be hearing some new Anthrax music live. Ch...

Can Guitar Hero: Metallica finally dethrone the long-reigning king of metal rhythm games? Collin and Tom dive headfirst into the pit to rank Guitar Hero: Metallica against the rest of the franchise. Featuring Metallica, Slayer, Mastodon"], Merciful Fate, The Sword, System of a Down, and a metric ton of Metallica. Check out more from Collin! https://indi1015.ca/shows/thrashers-paradise/ https://www...

Groove metal once ruled the pits, the charts, and your CD binder—and then vanished like your favorite MySpace band. In this episode, Collin & Tom dive headfirst into groove metal: where it came from, why it dominated the late ’90s and early 2000s, and how it somehow died… without ever really dying. From Pantera redefining heavy music forever, to the rise of bands like Lamb of God, to groove be...

In this edition of Are They Rock or Metal, Collin and Tom wade directly into the gothic grey zone to answer one deceptively simple question: Is HIM a rock band… or a metal band? What follows is a surprisingly deep (and wildly unhinged) discussion about love metal, gothic aesthetics, distorted guitars, drum velocity, Type O Negative comparisons, Ghost gatekeeping, and whether a slow dance to “Right...

Symphonic metal has officially entered the chat. In this Best Of edition of the Influencers of Metal Podcast, Collin and Tom dive headfirst into the dramatic, orchestral, occasionally ridiculous world of symphonic metal—the subgenre that proves metal and classical music have always been distant cousins who secretly share the same rage. From Nightwish’s genre-defining legacy, to Epica’s death metal...

In this episode of Influencers of Metal, Collin and Tom put on their best hockey broadcaster voices and break down one crucial question: what metal songs would actually make great hockey goal songs? From thrash classics and hardcore breakdowns to arena-ready anthems and one truly baffling Devin Townsend choice, the boys debate what should be blasting through the arena speakers when the red light g...

It’s been a minute… okay, more than a minute — but Covers Episodes are BACK. In Covers, Part III, Tom and Collin throw logic out the window and pitch their ultimate dream metal covers: songs that don’t currently have metal versions (as far as we know) but absolutely should. From ABBA heartbreak reimagined as gothic doom, to pop-punk staples begging for power metal theatrics, to Steel Panther cover...

The Influencers of Metal Podcast kicks off 2026 with a brand-new “What Have You Been Listening To?”, and spoiler alert: Collin might’ve been right about this being the Year of Thrash. The duo break down the bangers they’ve had on repeat over the past month, while also reacting to a stacked start to the year—new album announcements, massive tours, and three back-to-back Toronto shows featuring Arch...

In this episode of the Influencers of Metal Podcast, Collin and Tom tackle one of metal’s most emotional brick walls: Devin Townsend. Collin comes in hot with a massive list spanning Devin Townsend, Devin Townsend Project, and Devin’s many beautiful, chaotic moods—while Tom sharpens the blade and helps trim it down to a Top 10 Heaviest Devin Townsend Songs. From self-love anthems that make you wan...

This week on the Influencers of Metal Podcast, things get… artificial. Collin and Tom dive headfirst into the chaos surrounding AI-generated bands, Spotify’s AI remix nonsense, and the growing flood of soulless algorithm sludge clogging up streaming platforms. From fake metal bands gaming Spotify’s algorithm to artists unknowingly having their music used as AI training data, the crew breaks down w...

The first Are They Rock or Metal? verdict of 2026 is in—and this one comes with blast beats, kawaii chaos, and a grown man in a schoolgirl outfit… thanks again Pumpkin Queen. Collin and Tom take on LADYBABY, Japan’s answer to the question nobody asked but everybody needed: “What if Babymetal, wrestling, and sheer confusion formed a band?” They break down LADYBABY’s origins, the infamous wrestler-f...

Wrestling themes can make legends… or completely ruin them forever. Collin and Tom dive headfirst into the crossover Venn diagram of metal and pro wrestling, breaking down why a killer entrance song can turn even a “meh” wrestler into an all-time icon. The guys each pick three metal songs they believe would make perfect wrestling themes—no real-life wrestlers attached, just pure character energy....