Metal Shop's Backstage Pass

Goatwhore is returning to Seattle on October 29th, so I caught up with guitarist Sammy Duet and what chatted about the following…. Sobriety during the pandemic His old band Acid Bath Recording an album during the pandemic Halloween Scars Pointy guitars Northwest music + much much more

Doro Pesch is an icon in the world of heavy metal and rock n roll. Doro started her career as vocalist for German heavy metal band Warlock, then continued on with a solo career after.  I spoke with Doro about the 35th anniversary of the classic "Triumph and Agony" which coincides with the release of "Triumph and Agony Live" on DVD and CD. Enjoy my chat with the queen of metal. 

Omnium Gatherum is an awesome long-running Finnish melodic death metal. They are gearing up to release their new album “Origin” via Century Media, so I spoke with vocalist Jukka Pelkonen about everything from early inspirations to what it was like recording an album during a worldwide pandemic.

KK Downing is a rock n roll legend. As a founding member of Judas Priest, K.K. traveled the world and wrote some of the most iconic guitar riffs ever. K.K. is now preparing to release his first album with his new band K.K.’s Priest. We discussed the new album, what led him to start his own project, where he draws inspiration from and much more.

Scott Mellinger plays guitar in a highly influential metalcore band called ZAO. The band is playing the big Furnace Fest 2021 down in Arkansas this weekend, so I thought it would be fitting to feature one of the most beloved bands from that scene on the podcast this week. Scott is a great guy to chat with and the new Zao album is high quality stuff. Go out of your way to check out “The Crims...

Darin Wall is a true hero. After performing a show on his 41st birthday in Idaho with his band Greyhawk, Darin was shot in the leg while stopping an active shooter situation. I talked with Darin about that scary night and everything that happened afterwards. Make sure you stay tuned until the end to hear a song by his killer metal band Greyhawk  

Replicant is an awesome New Jersey based death metal band who is releasing their brand new album “Malignant Reality” on September 10th via Transcending Obscurity Records. I spoke with the guys from Replicant about recording the album, early influences and much more.

Rivers of Nihil has been on the forefront of pushing forward the limits of progressive death metal, and they are continuing to do so with their new album “The Work.” I spoke with drummer Jared Klein about the new album and their huge upcoming tour with The Black Dahlia Murder. Saxophones!

Today - August 27th, 2021 – Finnish death/doom band Hooded Menace is releasing their highly anticipated sixth album “The Tritonous Bell.” I spoke with vocalist Harri Kuokkanen about scars, the old school traditional metal inspirations for their material, the unique songwriting approach of Hooded Menace and much more. Hail Hooded Menace!

Escuela Grind is a killer grindcore band from the East Coast that will be invading Washington this September. I chatted with the band about their come up, getting hate from certain elitist scenesters, working on their new album, living together during the pandemic and much more.

New Jersey deathcore band Lorna Shore is celebrating the release of their brand new 3 song EP “And I Return to Nothingness” (Century Media), so I spoke with drummer Austin Archey about the process of finding a new vocalist, building out a home studio during the pandemic and much more.

Quicksand is gearing up to release a brand new album and hit the road in support, so I hopped on the phone with the legend himself Walter Schreifels. We discuss his four favorite hardcore bands of all time, his affiliation with Vans, recording the album right before the pandemic hit and much more. Start Today!

Dee Snider is the legendary vocalist of Twisted Sister. But instead of just resting on his laurels, Dee has been pushing his boundaries and producing all out HEAVY metal with the help of producer Jamey Jasta (Hatebreed). His new album "Leave A Scar" even features George Fisher from Cannibal Corpse! We talk about the new album, what keeps him motivated, his love for hardcore band Death Before Disho...

Northwest based Kaiju-themed death metal band Oxygen Destroyer is gearing up for the release of a brand new album, so I chatted with them about life during the pandemic, Lord Kaiju's move to Portland, the new album and more. Stay tuned til the end for a band new Oxygen Destroyer song! 

Portland rockers Red Fang has a new album called “Arrows” available now via Relapse Records. I caught up with vocalist/guitarist about the album, northwest rock n roll, scars and much more. 

Last Friday, Swedish metal masters At The Gates released their 7th studio album “The Nightmare of Being.” To promote the album, I conducted a live interview with ATG vocalist Tomas Lindberg Redant on the official Century Media Records Youtube page on the day of release. Here is the full audio from that video interview.

I caught up with Vitriol guitarist / vocalist Kyle Rasmussen about what he's been up to during the pandemic, spikey guitars, his guitar strap company Steelweather, the awesomeness of Erik Rutan, some of his favorite death metal albums, early inspirations, new Vitriol music and much more. 

Aaron Weaver is one of the founding members of the Olympia-based black metal band Wolves in the Throne Room. The band is gearing up to release their new album "Primordial Arcana," so I spoke with Aaron about recording the album at his home studio, growing up listening to Metal Shop, how he got into black metal, the majestic beauty of the Northwest and much more. 

Olympia based progressive technical death metal band No Living Witness is back with a brand new song to share with us. I caught up with Sam and LJ from NLW and we premier the track at the end of our chat. Support Northwest metal! 

This is a special compilation episode featuring three special guests from very different ends of the globe.    First up is an interview with the solo rock n roll musician Ricky Warwick who lives in Los Angeles but grew up in Ireland. Ricky also plays with the Black Star Riders and Thin Lizzy and has performed with Stiff Little Fingers in the past.  The second interview is with Paul...

Fresh off the release of their killer new album "Celestial Putridity," I spoke with two thirds of the badass Cleveland death metal band Inoculation. Check out what they have to say about their celestial, mind bending brand of heaviness. 

Ken Escobedo runs an awesome YouTube channel called "Ken's Death Metal Crypt" where he focuses on raw, underground death metal music. Whether it's unveiling old school demos or unboxing brand new vinyl scores, Ken reps death metal to the fullest. I chatted with Ken about his history with metal music, how he got started on YouTube, the upcoming "Crypt Fest", some underrated bands and much much more...

Animal Schoolbus is an incredibly unique father/daughter grindcore band that made headlines for their recent video "I Can Do One Handed Cartwheels." The band consists of Charlie Sad Eyes (father) and Princess Beast (daughter). I sat down and zoom'd with the band and chatted all about Kids Bop, Mother's Day, jiu jitsu and more. Enjoy! 

French progressive tech death band Fractal Universe is gearing up to release their third full length album "The Impassable Horizon" via Metal Blade on June 25th. I spoke with lead guitarist Hugo Florimond about recording the album during pandemic, live streaming on Twitch, his favorite French metal bands, crying onstage as a kid and much more. 

I spoke with Year of the Knife guitarist Brandon Watkins about musical influences, their newest album "Internal Incarceration," Hatebreed, the Punisher, his graphic design work and much more.