Chris Akin Presents

Walking into Asia as the new vocalist means stepping directly into the crosshairs of fans who know every note, every lyric and every inflection.

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Harry Whitley doesn’t shy away from that pressure. He talks about the John Wetton comparison, the challenge of performing the classic songs, and what changed when he finally got the chance to help create brand-new Asia music with Geoff Downes.

Then there’s Indigo — the album that puts his own stamp on the band and forces the obvious question: can a new era of Asia actually satisfy fans who grew up with the classics?

Harry also gets into working with some seriously intimidating musicians, the band’s chemistry behind the scenes, touring plans, fan reaction and why buying the music still matters in the streaming era.

There’s a lot more going on here than just another new album interview.

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All comments are merely the opinions of the people speaking them, are for comical performance, and are in no way stated as factual.

Cloven Hoof has been pounding away at heavy metal for decades, but Lee Payne says something very interesting is happening right now: the band may be in the strongest creative period of its entire career.

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In this conversation, Lee gets into the new album Never a Prophet in Your Own Land, why Cloven Hoof keeps pushing itself instead of playing it safe, how Harry Conklin completely changed the band’s songwriting possibilities, and why the new record was far from the end of the road.

There’s also the story behind that album title—and why it connects to Cloven Hoof’s history, the British metal press, and the late Russ North in a way that’s much more personal than you’d expect.

Then we get into songwriting inspiration, cancelled touring plans, the evolution of heavy metal, and why Lee believes the music has survived for nearly 50 years despite everything the industry has thrown at it.

If you’re a fan of Cloven Hoof, the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, classic heavy metal, or just musicians who still have something to say, this one is worth your time.

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All comments are merely the opinions of the people speaking them, are for comical performance, and are in no way stated as factual.

Frozen Crown isn’t exactly backing away from the power metal formula — they’re turning the damn thing up.

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Federico Mondelli explains why The Legend of the Six Kings sounds darker, rougher and more aggressive than what came before, how playing live changed the band’s songwriting, and why one Yngwie Malmsteen song helped define the direction.

Then it gets even more interesting: building the band’s fantasy world, finally having the money to bring those ideas to life, touring America with Kamelot, and why Federico refuses to regret the earlier records.

This is a great look inside the head of a guy who clearly has a very specific vision — and isn’t afraid to say no when somebody screws with it.

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All comments are merely the opinions of the people speaking them, are for comical performance, and are in no way stated as factual.

Nearly 30 years later, Fear Factory’s Obsolete isn’t sounding quite as fictional as it once did.

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On this episode of CHRIS AKIN PRESENTS..., Burton C. Bell takes a deep dive into the story behind Obsolete and the completely different way he’s now bringing that story to an audience.

Burton explains “Obsolete by Word of Mouth,” his intimate performance built around the original material he wrote for the album, including his handwritten and typed manuscripts, the stories behind the songs, and a theatrical reading of the Obsolete narrative.

And here’s where things get weird.

Ideas that sounded like futuristic science fiction when Obsolete was released can now hit a lot closer to home. Burton talks about his fascination with apocalyptic science fiction, how writers often use imagined futures to reflect the world they’re actually living in, and why revisiting his own material today has produced some pretty startling reactions from audiences.

He also goes back to the making of Obsolete and tells the story of how Fear Factory’s version of Gary Numan’s “Cars” came together — including Numan flying to Vancouver to record his vocals, knocking them out in one take, and then hanging out with Burton for an unlikely trip to the movies to see Dark City.

But Burton isn’t simply cashing in on another anniversary by playing the album live.

Instead, he’s created an intentionally small and personal experience limited to roughly 50 people, where the audience becomes part of the performance and the story is delivered without the distance of a massive concert.

So after almost three decades, the question is pretty damn obvious:

Was Obsolete really ahead of its time?

Watch and decide for yourself.

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All comments are merely the opinions of the people speaking them, are for comical performance, and are in no way stated as factual.

Nailbomb should have been a footnote in metal history. Instead, 32 years later, Point Blank is back onstage—and it still sounds pissed off.

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Igor Amadeus Cavalera gets into why this record has survived, what it means to step into Alex Newport’s role, and why a new generation of fans is suddenly discovering music that was supposed to be buried in the ’90s.

But the conversation goes way beyond Nailbomb. Igor talks about growing up a Cavalera, dealing with the “nepotism” label, watching his father continue to destroy stages decades into his career, and the brutal family history surrounding the Sepultura split and the birth of Soulfly.

And just when you think the Nailbomb story is over, Igor hints that there’s more coming.

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All comments are merely the opinions of the people speaking them, are for comical performance, and are in no way stated as factual.

Blood White aren’t exactly trying to blend into the metal crowd—and that’s the point.

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The German band has built an entire world around From Hell, combining crushing modern metal with a bizarre white-and-red medical aesthetic, theatrical characters, and songs that aren’t afraid to get seriously dark. But behind the masks, there’s something a lot more interesting going on.

CHECK OUT BLOOD WHITE'S "GUNS & FEAR" HERE:

They talk about creating Blood White, why their visual identity came together so quickly, what happened when they hit the road with Lordi, the songs “Before I Die” and “Fear,” and what it would mean to eventually step onto a monster stage like Wacken.

And if you’re wondering whether this band has the songs to back up the image… yeah. There’s a reason this record caught our attention.

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All comments are merely the opinions of the people speaking them, are for comical performance, and are in no way stated as factual.

A massive four-octave vocal range, a 50-piece orchestra, and a classic ballad sitting in a vault for three decades. What made a legendary frontman keep one of his absolute best vocal performances buried while a pop megastar dominated the airwaves with the exact same track? From dodging industry politics to randomly tracking duets with grunge and metal heavyweights on a whim, this sit-down pulls back the curtain on pure vocal power, studio chaos, and why streaming pennies are killing the music scene.

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All comments are merely the opinions of the people speaking them, are for comical performance, and are in no way stated as factual.

Extreme metal is usually about raw power and fast riffs, but one group is throwing out the traditional playbook entirely. Blending black metal, orchestral arrangements, progressive jazz, and full-length feature filmmaking, they’ve created an experience that forces listeners to sit down for an entire hour just to process what happened. But is taking a risk this massive going to alienate traditional metalheads, or is it the exact jolt of innovation the underground scene desperately needs? We dive deep into the madness, the artistic gamble, and why background listening simply won’t cut it for this project.

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All comments are merely the opinions of the people speaking them, are for comical performance, and are in no way stated as factual.

Seven years is an absolute eternity to vanish from the heavy metal world, but what actually happened behind closed doors after 2019 was total chaos. Lineup walkouts, tour exhaustion, and near-mental breakdowns completely stalled everything. But instead of throwing in the towel, Exumer brought in fresh blood, locked themselves away, and unleashed a level of pure aggression nobody saw coming. Mem Stein drops in to expose the real story behind their massive hiatus, the dark real-world cults behind their lyrics, and what really went down when teaming up with Nasty Savage.

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All comments are merely the opinions of the people speaking them, are for comical performance, and are in no way stated as factual.

Getting tapped to front an iconic pop culture soundtrack isn’t just luck—it’s cutthroat competition. Power metal vocalist Brittany Slayes opens up about beating out major vocalists to land a massive theme song, surviving the brutal reality of the modern music industry, and navigating the absolute chaos of balancing touring life with a growing family. Plus, hear the truth about taking on massive legacy tracks, why fan-favorite covers become a blessing and a curse, and what wild risks are being cooked up for the next record.

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All comments are merely the opinions of the people speaking them, are for comical performance, and are in no way stated as factual.