Influencers of Metal Podcast

Are they rock? Are they metal? Or are they just really good at making white guys cry in traffic? Collin, Tom, and special guest Justin take on one of the trickiest “Rock or Metal” debates yet — the genre-bending legacy of Linkin Park. From Hybrid Theory and Meteora’s nu metal thunder to One More Light’s pop pivot and From Zero’s new chapter, the crew dissects how the band evolved, fought off criti...

The "Best Of" series rises from the grave! This time, Collin and Tom crack open the coffin of death metal—one of the most influential, versatile, and brutal genres in all of metal. From the legendary fathers of the genre like Death to American staples like Cannibal Corpse, Dying Fetus, Obituary, Morbid Angel, and Suffocation, and across the ocean to Bolt Thrower in the UK, death metal has no borde...

This month’s What Have You Been Listening To? is stacked with chaos. Collin & Tom are joined by Collin’s best friend Justin, who shows up with… a very non-metal list. Instead, he’s got Jimmy Buffett, the Arkells, and his old roommate’s indie rock band. Collin spirals into a moral crisis with Whore of Bethlehem before unleashing Violator, BAEST, Nicolas Cage Fighter, and more. Tom goes full spe...

Collin heads to London, Ontario for Korn’s Kanada 2025 tour stop at Canada Life Place with his friends—while Tom gets a ‘tism headache and misses out last minute. Now Collin—with his friend Justin—recap the night for Tom and for you. A tale of metal, and questionable seats with questionable openers. With pyro-blasting Gojira, and headliners Korn bringing the chaos, the guys dive into the concert e...

The Influencers of Metal Podcast hit The Rebel in Toronto for Powerwolf’s long-awaited Canadian show—with DragonForce opening the night. Collin and Tom, and special guest The Pumpkin Queen dive into the full experience: merch table madness, a bizarre parking situation, DragonForce surprising everyone (and making the crowd do push-ups?!), and Powerwolf delivering a set that turned a first-time meta...

Collin and Tom are heading to London, Ontario to see Korn with Gojira and Loathe—and while Tom’s hyped for Gojira, Collin is ready to go full “Korny.” In this episode, they dive into the real hard-hitting debate: which Korn songs absolutely need to be on the setlist? From “Coming Undone” to “A.D.I.D.A.S.” to deep cuts that only true fans remember, they pick their dream tracks, roast each other’s c...

The wait is finally over—Powerwolf is coming to Toronto! In this episode, Collin and Tom break down the songs they’re hoping to hear, relive their Powerwolf obsessions, and even debate whether there will be stripper nuns at the show (as one does). From priest-and-nun cosplay plans to wrestling entrance themes, this one’s got it all. Also, wish Tom a happy 28th birthday, he’s spending it with his g...

Not every release can live up to the hype—and in this episode, Collin and Tom dive into six albums that let them down. From the overblown expectations of Sleep Token’s “Even in Arcadia” and Slipknot’s “We Are Not Your Kind”, to experiments gone wrong with Avenged Sevenfold’s “Life Is But A Dream” and some controversial takes on popular albums, the guys break down where these records fell short and...

In this episode of Influencers of Metal , Tom and Collin go all-in on Lamb of God, ranking the top 10 heaviest songs in their discography. From groove-driven staples like “Now You’ve Got Something to Die For” to the crushing chaos of “Ruin,” they break down riffs, drumming, and surprises along the way. Which song reigns supreme as Lamb of God’s heaviest?  Check out more from Collin! https://i...

Avenged Sevenfold—are they the saviors of 2000s metal or just a glorified hard rock act with fancy logos? Collin and Tom step into the pit with another edition of Are They Rock or Metal? to settle the score once and for all. From Waking the Fallen to The Stage (and yes, even Life Is But a Dream…), the guys tear through A7X’s catalog, Collin’s love/hate history with the band, and the eternal debate...

This month on “What Have You Been Listening To?” Collin and Tom bring a smorgasbord of chaos, including listeners bringing forth pagan black metal, throwback power ballads, and even some local scene gems that deserve the spotlight. From the feral blast of Blackbraid’s Blackbraid III to the swagger of SpiritWorld’s Helldorado, all the way to Ozzy crooning through No More Tears, nothing is off limit...

Metalheads are known for their love of heavy riffs and brutal breakdowns—but what about the bands outside of metal that still earn a spot in our playlists? Collin, Tom, and the Pumpkin Queen reveal six non-metal bands that metalheads everywhere can enjoy. From the sing-along magic of ABBA to the prog-rock fire of Coheed and Cambria, we break down why these artists connect with metal fans, share st...

Metal isn’t just on your playlists—it’s sneaking into your movies too. From cult classics like Airheads to documentaries like Global Metal, Collin and Tom take a deep dive into six of the most iconic (and bizarre) metal movies you need to know about. Expect Brendan Fraser with toy guns, Tom Cruise as a coked-up rockstar, and the eternal question: who would win in a fight—Lemmy or God? Check out mo...

Round and around the globe we go, and our first stop is in Sweden! In this ‘round the globe episode of the Influencers of Metal Podcast, Collin and Tom take a trip to the land of Ikea, fishing, beautiful fjords, and death metal. From the titans of Swedish prog, to the godfathers of djent, and the kings and queens of melodic death metal, Sweden’s metal scene has a lot to offer, and they’re all on d...

Before the PS3 and Xbox 360 era, Guitar Hero Encore: Rock the 80s gave PS2 players one last hair-flipping, neon-drenched shred-fest. In this episode, Collin and Tom dig into the game’s 30-song, all-1980s setlist — from Dio’s untouchable “Holy Diver” and Anthrax’s thrash classic “Caught in a Mosh” to glam-heavy hits from Poison and Twisted Sister. With only 11 metal tracks in the mix, can this glit...

In this special episode of the Influencers of Metal Podcast, Collin and Tom welcome special guest “The Pumpkin Queen” (Tom’s girlfriend) to check out 6 new metal bands the duo think she will love. With Collin tapping into her gothic and witchy nature, and Tom going straight for the metal hammer, will she become a metalhead by the end of this episode? Or will she be driven further away from the gen...

Are Skillet a metal band… or are they just rocking the Christian airwaves? Tom and Collin dive into the faith-fueled riffs of one of the most hotly mislabeled bands of the 2000s. From Comatose to Unleashed, they break down why Skillet walks the line—but never quite crosses into metal. Check out more from Collin! https://indi1015.ca/shows/thrashers-paradise/ https://www.youtube.com/@thrashersparadi...

It’s time to evolve! In this chaotic and charming episode of Influencers of Metal , we’re catching ‘em all—metal subgenres, that is. Joining Tom and Collin this week are special guests Lindsay Schoolcraft and The Pumpkin Queen for a nostalgia-fueled crossover of metal and Pokémon. Each guest brought a list of Pokémon they feel represent a specific metal subgenre, from the obvious to the absolutely...

This month’s What Have You Been Listening To? is a wild one—because July kind of sucked for new releases. But hey, that didn’t stop Collin and Tom from digging deep into their libraries (and a couple listener requests) to find the gems, the freakshows, and the total thrashers. It’s 2-for-1 this week, and your eardrums are not ready. Let’s wrap July in metallic noise and poor decisions!. Check out...

In this special mid-year edition of Influencers of Metal, Collin and Tom are joined by not one, but two incredible guests — Juno-nominated singer-songwriter Lindsay Schoolcraft and returning favourite The Pumpkin Queen. Together, the crew dives into their top 5 favourite releases of 2025 so far, showcasing a wide-ranging playlist of 24 songs across metal and beyond. From the symphonic highs of Epi...

In this chaotic and passionate episode, Collin and Tom dive headfirst into the blistering world of modern death metal, offering six killer album recommendations for anyone looking to explore the genre today. Whether you're a newcomer to the pit or just looking to refresh your death metal playlist, the duo’s mix of humor, deep cuts, and barely contained ADHD has you covered — with picks ranging fro...

In this introspective (and characteristically chaotic) episode, Collin and Tom sit down to discuss the metal albums that changed their lives, the ones that cemented their love for metal and opened the floodgates to everything that followed. Collin leads off with Dream Theater’s Octavarium (2005), the progressive metal opus that cracked open his “third eye” and revealed the beauty in metal’s madnes...

In this episode, Collin and Tom (with special guest The Pumpkin Queen) dive into the ultimate non-debate: Is Nickelback a rock or metal band? Spoiler alert—they're rock. Nobody's losing sleep over this one, but that doesn't stop the crew from stretching a 5-second verdict into 13 minutes of banter, breakdowns, and begrudging respect. Tom argues that early Nickelback was heavier than people remembe...

On this star-studded episode of the Influencers of Metal Podcast, Tom dives deep into Back to the Beginning — the massive, final concert event that marked the end of Black Sabbath’s legendary career and celebrated the legacy of metal itself. Recorded from a basement livestream with friends (and buckets of sweat), Tom delivers a passionate review of the 10-hour mega-show, which featured over a doze...

Back for more heavy songs! Collin and Tom take on the ultimate challenge this time around: ranking the 10 heaviest Dream Theater songs from across their massive 40+ year discography. From deep cuts off Train of Thought to the crushing weight of The Glass Prison, the guys debate breakdowns, riffs, and sheer sonic density. No, The Astonishing didn’t make the cut—but you'll want to hear which Mangini...