Pack your bags, grab your passport and make sure Tom actually remembered everything — Metal Around the World is heading to Cambodia!

Collin and Tom dive into one of the smallest metal scenes they’ve encountered yet, checking out four Cambodian underground bands: Nightmare A.D., Atakheat, Reign in Slumber and Doch Chkae.

From crusty thrash and death metal to black metal so unbelievably lo-fi that it creates an entirely new definition of “underground,” Cambodia proves you don't need a massive scene to find some fascinating heavy music.

And when the journey is over, the wheel decides where Metal Around the World heads next!

Check out more from Collin!

https://indi1015.ca/shows/thrashers-paradise/

https://www.youtube.com/@thrashersparadise4132

https://www.instagram.com/thrashers_paradise/

https://www.facebook.com/Thrashers.Paradise.666/

Check out more from Tom!

https://themetalrobot.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@MetalRobotReviews

https://www.facebook.com/theMetalRobot

https://x.com/theMetalRobot

https://www.instagram.com/the.metalrobot/

MUSIC:

Nightmare A.D. “Pain is a Master”

Atakheat “ថ្ងៃដែលខ្ញុំស្លាប់ (The Day I Die)”

Reign In Slumber “It Never Left”

Doch Chkae “Dream In Hell”

-----------------------------

DISCLAIMER: Copyright Exceptions under the Copyright Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-42), allowance is made for "fair dealing" for the purposes of criticism or review.

What if you could book ANY five bands for your own metal festival?

This week, Collin and Tom are building their dream festival stages! Because they’re still stuck on the desert island and Tom’s bored. The rules are simple: five bands. One stage. Build your dream festival lineup.

Two stages. Ten bands. Prog, doom, death metal and enough brutality to make the local island wildlife deeply concerned.

Check out more from Collin!

https://indi1015.ca/shows/thrashers-paradise/

https://www.youtube.com/@thrashersparadise4132

https://www.instagram.com/thrashers_paradise/

https://www.facebook.com/Thrashers.Paradise.666/

Check out more from Tom!

https://themetalrobot.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@MetalRobotReviews

https://www.facebook.com/theMetalRobot

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https://www.instagram.com/the.metalrobot/

MUSIC:

Omnivide “Void”

Castle Rat “DRAGON”

Mastodon “Snakes for Dinner”

Opeth “Demon of the Fall”

Dream Theater “In the Name of God”

Frozen Soul “Arsenal of War”

Vader “Triumph of Death”

Jungle Rot “A Burning Cinder”

Kataklysm “Like Angels Weeping the Dark”

Cannibal Corpse “Nothing Left to Mutilate”

Scott Buckley - Call To Adventure is under a Creative Commons BY 4.0 license.

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Music powered by BreakingCopyright:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5ZtcVdDqGo

🔎 Find more music here: https://breakingcopyright.com

-----------------------------

DISCLAIMER: Copyright Exceptions under the Copyright Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-42), allowance is made for "fair dealing" for the purposes of criticism or review.

Is Pizza Thrash REALLY a subgenre? 

Collin and Tom investigate the bizarre label given to bands like Municipal Waste, Lich King and Gama Bomb and ask whether Pizza Thrash has enough of its own musical identity to qualify as a legitimate metal subgenre—or if it's basically just a meme for fast, fun 2000s thrash.

Plus: Crabcore comparisons, Deathcore slander and a disturbing number of meows.

Check out more from Collin!

https://indi1015.ca/shows/thrashers-paradise/

https://www.youtube.com/@thrashersparadise4132

https://www.instagram.com/thrashers_paradise/

https://www.facebook.com/Thrashers.Paradise.666/

Check out more from Tom!

https://themetalrobot.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@MetalRobotReviews

https://www.facebook.com/theMetalRobot

https://x.com/theMetalRobot

https://www.instagram.com/the.metalrobot/

MUSIC:

Municipal Waste “The Art of Partying”

Jacob Lizotte “Inheritance”

Lich King “Combat Mosh”

-----------------------------

DISCLAIMER: Copyright Exceptions under the Copyright Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-42), allowance is made for "fair dealing" for the purposes of criticism or review.

We're halfway through 2026, which means it's time to find out which albums have survived months of new releases and become the records we actually keep coming back to.

This time, Collin and Tom are joined by Chris Thrash to count down their Top 5 albums of 2026 so far — plus an honourable mention from each of them.

Chris brings plenty of thrash and old-school death metal, while Collin ventures through prog, and death metal. Meanwhile, Tom's picks range from the core, to blackened modern metal and epic MDM.

But this is What Have You Been Listening To?, so obviously the rankings are only half the story.

Which albums have defined the first half of 2026? Which picks completely blindside the room? And can Tom survive putting a deathcore album in front of two thrashers?

Grab a beer and find out.

Check out Chris Thrash!

https://www.thrashed.ca

https://www.youtube.com/@ThrashedTV

https://www.instagram.com/chrissthrash

https://www.youtube.com/@BangerTV

Check out more from Collin!

https://indi1015.ca/shows/thrashers-paradise/

https://www.youtube.com/@thrashersparadise4132

https://www.instagram.com/thrashers_paradise/

https://www.facebook.com/Thrashers.Paradise.666/

Check out more from Tom!

https://themetalrobot.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@MetalRobotReviews

https://www.facebook.com/theMetalRobot

https://x.com/theMetalRobot

https://www.instagram.com/the.metalrobot/

MUSIC:

Bullet Trauma “Zero Tolerance”

Jungle Rot “Blade Of Betrayal”

Frozen Soul “Chaos Will Reign”

Warsenal “Feeding the Wildfire”

Devin Townsend “Enter The City”

Threat Signal “Revelations”

Monstrosity “Fortunes Engraved in Blood”

Myrath “Echo of the Fallen”

August Burns Red “Cerebral Malfunction (ft. Make Them Suffer)”

Nukem “Policies Of Hate”

Gaerea “Hellbound”

Ov Sulfur “Vast Eternal”

Hellripper “Hunderprest”

Frozen Soul “Absolute Zero”

Philipp Klein “The Journey”

Gaerea “Phoenix”

Exhumed “Shovelhead”

Growth “Remember Me As Fire”

Atavistia “Seeker of Time”

-----------------------------

DISCLAIMER: Copyright Exceptions under the Copyright Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-42), allowance is made for "fair dealing" for the purposes of criticism or review.

It’s the grand finale of Van Halen Week on the Influencers of Metal Podcast, and there’s only one question left to answer: Is Van Halen ROCK or METAL?

Few bands have left a bigger mark on hard rock — or had a greater influence on the guitarists who helped shape heavy metal. Eddie Van Halen revolutionized the instrument, David Lee Roth became one of rock’s ultimate frontmen, and songs like “Hot for Teacher,” “Panama,” “Runnin’ with the Devil” and “Eruption” helped define an era.

But does that influence actually make Van Halen a metal band?

Collin and Tom dig into the band’s late-’70s beginnings, their connection to the rise of glam and hair metal, Eddie Van Halen’s massive impact on generations of metal guitarists, and the surprisingly heavy moments hiding throughout their catalogue. At the same time, there’s no denying the catchy hooks, arena-sized choruses and unmistakable hard-rock swagger at the heart of Van Halen’s sound.

So after an entire week celebrating one of the most influential bands in rock history, where does Van Halen belong? The Halls of Rock? Or the Caverns of Metal?

Listen now to hear the verdict — and find out which legendary band is heading into the Rock or Metal courtroom next!

Check out more from Collin!

https://indi1015.ca/shows/thrashers-paradise/

https://www.youtube.com/@thrashersparadise4132

https://www.instagram.com/thrashers_paradise/

https://www.facebook.com/Thrashers.Paradise.666/

Check out more from Tom!

https://themetalrobot.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@MetalRobotReviews

https://www.facebook.com/theMetalRobot

https://x.com/theMetalRobot

https://www.instagram.com/the.metalrobot/

MUSIC:

Van Halen “Hot for Teacher”

Van Halen “Runnin’ with the Devil”

Van Halen “Eruption”

-----------------------------

DISCLAIMER: Copyright Exceptions under the Copyright Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-42), allowance is made for "fair dealing" for the purposes of criticism or review.

It’s Van Halen Week on the Influencers of Metal Podcast, and what better way to kick things off than by asking one very important question: Just how METAL was Guitar Hero: Van Halen?

Collin and Tom return for episode 10 of their ongoing quest to determine the most metal Guitar Hero game ever made, and this time they’re diving into the 2009 band-focused instalment built around Eddie, Alex, David Lee Roth and the music of Van Halen.

Van Halen’s influence on generations of hard rock and metal guitarists is undeniable... but does that actually translate into a metal Guitar Hero game?

The guys dig through the tracklist and uncover some surprisingly heavy additions, including Alter Bridge, Killswitch Engage, Tenacious D, Judas Priest and Deep Purple. There’s metalcore courtesy of “The End of Heartache,” classic heavy metal with “Painkiller,” proto-metal history with “Space Truckin’”, and even more to dive into.

Check out more from Collin!

https://indi1015.ca/shows/thrashers-paradise/

https://www.youtube.com/@thrashersparadise4132

https://www.instagram.com/thrashers_paradise/

https://www.facebook.com/Thrashers.Paradise.666/

Check out more from Tom!

https://themetalrobot.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@MetalRobotReviews

https://www.facebook.com/theMetalRobot

https://x.com/theMetalRobot

https://www.instagram.com/the.metalrobot/

MUSIC:

Van Halen “Eruption”

Mark Snow "Materia Primoris: The X-Files Theme (Main Title)"

Alter Bridge “Come to Life”

Tenacious D “Master Exploder”

Deep Purple “Space Truckin’”

Jacob Lizotte “Blackhole”

-----------------------------

DISCLAIMER: Copyright Exceptions under the Copyright Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-42), allowance is made for "fair dealing" for the purposes of criticism or review.

ABBA might not be the first band that comes to mind when you think of heavy metal… but maybe they should be.

On this episode of the Influencers of Metal Podcast, Collin and Tom resurrect the “Six Great…” series to dive into six metal and hard rock covers that take ABBA classics and deep cuts into much heavier territory.

From thrash and power metal to Ghost putting their unmistakable stamp on an ABBA deep cut, these covers show just how surprisingly well ABBA’s songwriting translates into the metal world.

Along the way, Tom and Collin get into what actually makes a great cover, why changing the music can completely change the feeling of the original lyrics, and how some covers become so closely associated with the new artist that people forget they were covers in the first place.

Check out more from Collin!

https://indi1015.ca/shows/thrashers-paradise/

https://www.youtube.com/@thrashersparadise4132

https://www.instagram.com/thrashers_paradise/

https://www.facebook.com/Thrashers.Paradise.666/

Check out more from Tom!

https://themetalrobot.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@MetalRobotReviews

https://www.facebook.com/theMetalRobot

https://x.com/theMetalRobot

https://www.instagram.com/the.metalrobot/

MUSIC:

Jonathan Young “Dancing Queen (ABBA Cover)”

Hyperia “Gimme Gimme Gimme”

Fozzy “Sos”

Black Ingvars “Waterloo”

-----------------------------

DISCLAIMER: Copyright Exceptions under the Copyright Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-42), allowance is made for "fair dealing" for the purposes of criticism or review.

July delivered one of the most unpredictable months of metal releases so far in 2026—and Collin and Tom’s rankings were still changing during the final week.

In this edition of “What Have You Been Listening To?”, the guys count down their five favourite releases of July, and show how varied the best can get. There are plenty of surprises to find, lots of bangers, and a ton of ways to do this podcast one way or another.

Grab your headphones, gather around the campfire, and tell us: What have you been listening to?

Check out more from Collin!

https://indi1015.ca/shows/thrashers-paradise/

https://www.youtube.com/@thrashersparadise4132

https://www.instagram.com/thrashers_paradise/

https://www.facebook.com/Thrashers.Paradise.666/

Check out more from Tom!

https://themetalrobot.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@MetalRobotReviews

https://www.facebook.com/theMetalRobot

https://x.com/theMetalRobot

https://www.instagram.com/the.metalrobot/

MUSIC:

Jacob Lizotte “Gates Of Hell”

Amon Amarth “Gjallarhorn”

The Tragically Hip “Little Bones”

Moonspell “Our Freedom to Fall”

Omnivide “Arise”

Protest the Hero “Mouthpiece”

TodoMal “Mare Ignis”

Eaten by Sharks “In Tidal Chaos”

Protest the Hero “Fishhook”

Nunslaughter “Die Your Own Death”

Motionless In White “R.I.P.”

Motionless In White “Sunglasses At Night”

Left to Die “Witch of Hell”

Black Sites “Blades (For the Chosen Ones)”

Galneryus “Echoes Of Fate”

Haserot “Advent of Suffering”

-----------------------------

DISCLAIMER: Copyright Exceptions under the Copyright Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-42), allowance is made for "fair dealing" for the purposes of criticism or review.

Grab your axes and prepare for battle! Collin and Tom set sail into one of metal's most fascinating subgenres: Viking Metal.

From the legendary pioneers who shaped the genre to modern bands carrying the torch, the guys discuss what actually makes a band "Viking metal," why it's one of the broadest subgenres in heavy music, and which artists deserve a place in every metalhead's collection.

Along the way, they debate Amon Amarth's genre classification, explore Viking mythology, discover hidden gems, and somehow end up talking about German beer, Lego flowers, and dating profiles.

Check out more from Collin!

https://indi1015.ca/shows/thrashers-paradise/

https://www.youtube.com/@thrashersparadise4132

https://www.instagram.com/thrashers_paradise/

https://www.facebook.com/Thrashers.Paradise.666/

Check out more from Tom!

https://themetalrobot.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@MetalRobotReviews

https://www.facebook.com/theMetalRobot

https://x.com/theMetalRobot

https://www.instagram.com/the.metalrobot/

MUSIC:

Berserkers - VIKING | WAR MUSIC

Bathory “A Fine Day to Die”

Enslaved “The Watcher”

Einherjer “Bloodborn”

Skálmöld “Ullur”

-----------------------------

DISCLAIMER: Copyright Exceptions under the Copyright Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-42), allowance is made for "fair dealing" for the purposes of criticism or review.

Mongolian throat singing. Traditional folk instruments. Heavy riffs. So... is The Hu Folk Rock? Or Folk Metal?

In this month's “Are They Rock or Metal?,” Collin and Tom are joined by fan-favourite guest The Pumpkin Queen to tackle one of the toughest genre debates yet. The trio dives into The Hu's unique blend of Mongolian folk music and modern heavy music, discusses how songs like “Wolf Totem” introduced millions of people to throat singing, and debates whether the band's songwriting leans more toward rock or metal.

Along the way, they chat about The Hu's collaborations with Papa Roach, Halestorm, and Nothing More, why not everyone connects with the band, and somehow end up talking about bubble cigarettes, summoning The Pumpkin Queen, and teasing the next Rock or Metal battle.

Who's right? You'll have to decide for yourself.

Check out more from Collin!

https://indi1015.ca/shows/thrashers-paradise/

https://www.youtube.com/@thrashersparadise4132

https://www.instagram.com/thrashers_paradise/

https://www.facebook.com/Thrashers.Paradise.666/

Check out more from Tom!

https://themetalrobot.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@MetalRobotReviews

https://www.facebook.com/theMetalRobot

https://x.com/theMetalRobot

https://www.instagram.com/the.metalrobot/

MUSIC:

The Hu “Wolf Totem”

The Hu “Lost Soul (feat. Jonny Hawkins of Nothing More)”

-----------------------------

DISCLAIMER: Copyright Exceptions under the Copyright Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-42), allowance is made for "fair dealing" for the purposes of criticism or review.