The Heavy Metal Hangover

Rex and Duff keep it simple on the best of all weeks as we go into Halloween this weekend. We talk about some of our favorite tracks to get you in the mood for the best night of the year... HALLOWEEN! 

This week on The Heavy Metal Hangover, Rex and Duff give our honest, unfiltered review of the long-awaited new Anthrax album. We’ve had it on repeat, and the results are complicated. We break down the production, the riffs, the pacing, and why we’re left with mixed feelings about where this record lands in the band's catalog compared to their classic thrash benchmarks. Then, we shift gears to hono...

This week on The Heavy Metal Hangover, Rex and Duff dedicate the bulk of the show to a full recap of the current Iron Maiden tour. We pull no punches as we dissect the performances, stage energy, and full setlists from the legendary triple-threat bill: the thrash assault of Anthrax, the razor-sharp attack of Megadeth, and the unstoppable powerhouse that is Iron Maiden. Did the setlists deliver the...

The countdown is on for one hell of a live metal assault! On this week's episode of The Heavy Metal Hangover, Rex and Duff compare notes on their upcoming, separate road trips to catch the mighty Iron Maiden live. We break down the legendary triple-threat bill featuring Iron Maiden, Megadeth, and Anthrax—sharing our unfiltered thoughts on where each band is at today, the deep cuts and anthems we a...

We are officially back after a three-week hiatus, and there is a massive amount of ground to cover! On this episode of The Heavy Metal Hangover, Rex and Duff catch up on life away from the mics and dive headfirst into Rex’s recent trek to Monster-Mania Con. We talk about meeting horror and guitar royalty—including the dream encounters with Robert Englund, Doug Bradley, and Dokken/Lynch Mob shredde...

This week on The Heavy Metal Hangover, Rex and Duff open the show with a look back at the 1988 schlock-fest Hard Rock Nightmare—complete with garage bands, cabin-in-the-woods slasher tropes, and peak '80s hair. Then, we transition to the real life pit: Crowd Etiquette at Metal Shows. We’re asking if the old school rules apply or if the younger generation of metalheads has a new etiquette to follow...

This week on The Heavy Metal Hangover, Rex and Duff dive headfirst into the new Reformatted Edition of the iconic 1986 Transformers: The Movie soundtrack. We peel back the curtain on the Knights of Unicron—the underground house band featuring death metal royalty Matt Harvey and Ross Sewage (Exhumed, Ghoul) alongside drum powerhouse Gus Rios (Gruesome). We talk about their work backing up massive g...

The dust has settled, the hiatus is officially over, and we are back in the studio! On this long-awaited episode of The Heavy Metal Hangover, Rex and Duff are catching up on where we’ve been, what we’ve been up to, and why we’re hitting the ground running. We dive straight into the recent industry shifts and a rising retro trend that have pushed us back to buying physical media—from killer special...

Is the mainstream rock shortage a corporate hit job? This week on The Heavy Metal Hangover, Rex and Duff are dissecting Billy Corgan’s recent statement that rock music was intentionally and purposefully scrubbed from popular culture by the industry powers-that-be. We look at the validity of his claims, debate whether rock was pushed or if it simply walked away, and ask what it means for the future...

We’ve been living on the road and in the pit! This week on The Heavy Metal Hangover, Rex and Duff are breaking down our thoughts on some killer recent live shows, including the high-octane thrash of Death Angel and the hilarious, riff-heavy spectacle of Steel Panther. If you want to know who still delivers the goods live in 2026, we’ve got your front-row report. Then, we are shifting gears into th...

In this episode, Rex and Duff get personal. We’re digging into those life-defining records that aren't just collections of songs—they’re core memories. We look at how the first time we heard the blistering thrash of Megadeth, the heavy metal thunder of Accept, or the raw, sunset-strip rebellion of Guns N' Roses fundamentally shifted our DNA. Why is it that the crackle of a needle or the snap of a...

In this episode, Rex and Duff are tracking the pulse of modern metal. We start with a deep dive into the absolute best of the newest releases, breaking down the crushing weight of Immolation’s Descent and the relentless thrash energy of Nervosa’s Slave Machine. Then, the stakes get high as we kick off a new set of "King of the Mountain." We’re putting our personal favorites on the line to see whic...

In this episode, Rex and Duff are putting our favorite bands under the microscope for a series of Album vs. Album battles. It’s a head-to-head clash where we take 2 records of a band’s career and pit them against each other to see which one truly reigns supreme. Before the dust settles, we take a quick detour into the production booth to discuss the "Vintage" 80s sound. Is chasing that old-school...

This week on The Heavy Metal Hangover, Rex and Duff are taking a page out of the Airheads playbook. We’re dissecting that classic line—"Maybe a gimmick would help"—and looking at the bands that actually pulled it off. We’re peeling back the layers on the heavy hitters who bet big on their image, from the foam-covered chaos of GWAR and the evolving masks of Slipknot to the Satanic stagecraft of Gho...

Is a masterpiece still a masterpiece if no one suffered to create it? This week on The Heavy Metal Hangover, Rex and Duff are stepping back from the headlines to have a massive philosophical debate: Does human effort matter in the age of AI? We’re exploring the shifting value of art in 2026 and asking what happens to our connection as listeners when the barrier to creation drops to zero. We dive i...

We’ve all seen it: the "name three songs" guy, the genre-police, and the gatekeepers who make new fans feel like they aren’t "metal enough." This week on The Heavy Metal Hangover, Rex and Duff are taking a hard look in the mirror and asking: How can we be better ambassadors for the music we love? We’re diving into the toxic side of gatekeeping and why being judgmental only hurts the scene in the l...

The 2026 Winter Games are in the books, and while Team USA is bringing home the double-gold after those heart-stopping overtime wins in Milan, we aren’t here to gloat. On this episode of The Heavy Metal Hangover, Rex and Duff are being good sports and paying tribute to the birthplace of hockey by recognizing the absolute titans of Canadian Rock and Metal. We’re taking a break from the rivalry to c...

This week on The Heavy Metal Hangover, Rex and Duff are taking a massive ride through the history of the Metal Gods themselves: Judas Priest. We are attempting the impossible—ranking all 19 studio albums from worst to best. From the bluesy beginnings of Rocka Rolla and the twin-guitar revolution of British Steel and Screaming for Vengeance, to the crushing intensity of Painkiller and the modern ma...

The Complete Megadeth Album Ranking. From the raw, cocaine-fueled fury of Killing Is My Business... to the technical perfection of Rust in Peace and the experimental turns of the late '90s, we are leaving no stone unturned. We’re counting them all down to see which record truly wears the crown. But that’s not all—the wait is over, and we’re finally giving our full, unfiltered thoughts on the brand...

The year is coming to a close, and the smoke has finally cleared from the 2025 release calendar. This week on The Heavy Metal Hangover, Rex and Duff are putting their reputations on the line as they reveal their personal Top 10 Metal Albums of the Year. From the high-speed thrash of the legends to the experimental sounds that pushed the boundaries of the genre, we’re ranking the records that defin...

Rex and Duff are tackling a heavy question this week: Are we losing our connection to the music? With millions of tracks just a click away, we discuss whether having infinite access has actually made us value individual albums less. Do we still sit with a record, read the liner notes, and let it haunt us, or have we become "musical tourists" constantly chasing the next skip button? We dive into ho...

Get ready for the ultimate metal debate because Rex and Duff are etching their choices in stone! This week, we're taking on the massive challenge of building our "Mount Rushmore" of Metal Musicians. Who belongs on the sacred mountain of shred? We're talking definitive lists and tough decisions across all positions: We'll be naming the four essential Metal Guitarists that defined the riff, the four...

Get ready for an aggressive dose of thrash speculation! Rex and Duff are diving deep into the hype surrounding the upcoming Megadeth album. While the album isn't out yet, we're laying out our predictions: Will it be a return to their golden era? Will it feature more technical fire or a return to a simpler groove? We'll break down the recent singles and updates, and of course, spend time talking ab...

Get ready for another dose of high-volume heavy metal and low-budget horror! Rex and Duff are back, and this week we're digging our nails further into the coffin of Metal Horror Films, continuing our discussion on the perfect and imperfect blending of loud riffs and cinematic gore. Then, we transition to a debate that's been rattling the scene for decades: "Built-by-the-Label" Bands. We're talking...

Get ready to raise a glass of cold gin, throw up the horns, and celebrate the incredible legacy of the legendary Ace Frehley! This week on The Heavy Metal Hangover, Rex and Duff dedicate the entire main segment to the Space Ace, discussing his signature tone, his overlooked songwriting contributions, and the true cultural impact he had on an entire generation of guitarists. We'll be talking about...