This month’s “Are They Rock or Metal?” debate dives into early-era Evanescence — specifically their first two albums, Fallen (2003) and The Open Door (2006).

Collin and Tom break down the band’s explosive rise, fueled by hits like “Bring Me to Life”, and debate whether Evanescence truly crosses into metal territory—or if they live comfortably in the gothic hard rock world.

Along the way, they explore the early 2000s “everything heavy = metal” problem, the influence of nü metal and why bands like Slipknot and System of a Down complicated genre labels, and Amy Lee’s role as a defining force in the band’s sound.

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

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

MUSIC:

Evanescence “Haunted”

Evanescence “Cloud Nine”

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

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.

Collin and Tom are scrambling out the door for the “Amonklok Conquest Tour” in Toronto—but not before squeezing in a chaotic, last-minute episode of What Do We Want to Hear?

With Dethklok and Amon Amarth set to take the stage, the guys break down the ONE song each they’re dying to hear from both bands. From epic Viking anthems to animated death metal insanity, expectations are high—and so is the risk of Collin not even making it to the show thanks to real-life responsibilities.

Will Collin make it? Will Tom’s battleaxe be allowed in the casino? And will “Murmaider II” summon the water god, live?

It’s rushed. It’s ridiculous. It’s metal.

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:

Metalocalypse: Dethklok “Murmaider II: The Water God”

Metalocalypse: Dethklok “Birthday Dethday”

Viking Chants “Blood and Iron”

Amon Amarth “The Pursuit of Vikings”

Amon Amarth “The Great Heathen Army”

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

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.

Collin shows up late… with a championship trophy, zero sleep, and the energy of a man who’s been on a two-week bender. Naturally, that derails things immediately.

Once the beer-league victory lap settles down (slightly), Collin and Tom dive into April’s WHYBLT (What Have You Been Listening To?)—featuring listener submissions, copyright chaos, cursed YouTube music, and a surprisingly stacked month of metal releases.

From Quebec’s weirdest breakout band to lightning-fast tech death, thrash domination, and one of the most unexpected metalcore surprises of the year—this episode covers it all.

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/

Register for the WTFREF Beer League:

https://wtfref.com/register/

MUSIC:

Kevin Macleod “Sneaky Snitch”

ICE NINE KILLS “Assault & Batteries”

Angine de Poitrine “Fabienk”

TheDooo “Drunk Driving”

Immolation “False Ascent”

Atreyu “Children of Light (feat. Max Cavalera)”

Warsenal “Mass Grave Mass”

Battlegrave “Bonesaw”

Archspire “Limb of Leviticus”

Winterfylleth “Heroes of a Hundred Fields”

Myrath “Les Enfants Du Soleil”

Archspire “Red Goliath”

Growth “Slings That Shatter”

Threat Signal “Death Will Find Us All”

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

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.

Collin and Tom take a nostalgic (and slightly unhinged) trip through record store culture—sparked by a visit to Mourningstar Records in Hamilton. From bizarre $2 finds like Dream Theater covering Number of the Beast to Arnold Schwarzenegger-themed death metal (yes, really), the episode dives into why record stores still matter in 2026.

They explore the value of physical media in a streaming-dominated world, the sense of community record stores provide, and why owning music just hits different. Plus: broken CDs, cassette comebacks, and a passionate defense of flipping through shelves like it’s still 2003.

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/

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

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 4/20, and Collin and Tom are celebrating the only way they know how—by pretending to be absolutely baked and diving into the hazy world of stoner metal.

From the legendary influence of Black Sabbath to modern heavy hitters like High on Fire, Mastodon, and The Sword, the guys break down what makes stoner metal such a unique and immersive genre.

They also explore the iconic sounds of Sleep (yes, including that very long song), debate genre lines, shout out bands like Baroness and Acid King, and somehow end up talking about robots getting secondhand high.

No substances were consumed… probably.

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:

Niodjo “Psychedelic Rock”

Black Sabbath “Sweet Leaf”

High On Fire “Electric Messiah”

Baroness “The Iron Bell”

Mastodon “High Road”

Castle Rat “WIZARD”

Bongzilla “King of Weed”

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

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 happens when metalheads start ranking video game characters by how brutally metal they are? You get this episode.

Collin and Tom dive headfirst into the wild world of gaming to break down the most metal video game characters of all time—from the obvious picks like the Doom Slayer and God of War’s Kratos, to the unexpected chaos of Isabelle from Animal Crossing somehow being canonically tied to pure demon-slaying destruction.

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:

RichaadEB “KK Metal”

Mick Gordon “Bfg Division (DOOM OST)”

Bear McCreary “God of War (God of War Soundtrack)”

Megadeth “Duke Nukem Theme”

Capcom Sound Team “ダンテ事務所7ヘルズ戦闘 (Dante's Office 7 Hell's Battle)”

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

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.

Are Mötley Crüe rock… or metal?

Collin and Tom dive headfirst into the chaos of one of the most infamous bands of the 1980s. From the outrageous party stories and scandals to the massive arena shows and iconic riffs, Mötley Crüe helped define an entire era of heavy music.

The discussion covers legendary albums like Dr. Feelgood and Shout at the Devil, their influence on the hair metal explosion, and why songs like Kickstart My Heart and Girls, Girls, Girls still dominate playlists decades later.

Along the way, the conversation spirals into discussions about stadium rock energy, the economics of strip clubs (yes, really), and whether hair metal might secretly be the official soundtrack of strip clubs everywhere.

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:

Mötley Crüe “Girls, Girls, Girls”

Mötley Crüe “Dr. Feelgood”

Mötley Crüe “Live Wire”

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

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.

Collin and Tom return for Part 8 of the Most Metal Guitar Hero Game series, diving into the nostalgia-packed Guitar Hero Smash Hits.

Unlike previous games, Smash Hits doesn’t introduce new songs—it’s a curated collection of the most memorable tracks from earlier Guitar Hero titles, all remastered for newer consoles. But the big question remains: how metal is it?

The duo breaks down highlights from the tracklist, including iconic metal staples like “Raining Blood,” “The Trooper,” “Cowboys From Hell,” and “Through the Fire and Flames.” Along the way, they debate surprising inclusions, discuss Guitar Hero difficulty nightmares, and relive the glory days of plastic guitars and rage-quitting during DragonForce solos.

But does a greatest hits compilation deserve a high placement… or is it cheating the system?

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:

Anthrax “Caught In a Mosh”

The Sword “Freya”

EXTREME “Play With Me”

DragonForce “Through the Fire and Flames”

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

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.

Collin and Tom return to their Metal Around the World series and land in the mountainous heart of Central Asia: Kyrgyzstan. With only a handful of bands listed on the archives, the duo dives headfirst into a surprisingly black-metal-dominated scene.

From the folk-infused epic black metal of Darkestrah to the raw underground chaos of Faustus, the duo explore every active band they could find. Along the way they uncover thrashy surprises like Melissa Dead, death-metal brutality from Shahid, and plenty of lo-fi occult vibes from Ornugle.

It’s a journey through black metal, death metal, and thrash emerging from one of the most unexpected corners of the metal world. Plus, the wheel spins again to determine the next destination in the series.

Expect chaos, questionable pronunciation attempts, and a lot of black metal.

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 (Spotify Links):

Darkestrah “Nomad”

MØRFER “Christ Is Not Risen”

Faustus “Leipzige Mitternacht”

Melissa Dead “Time to Die”

Kashgar “Half a Devil”

Ornugle “Satans private dance”

SHAHID “Гимн рабов”

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

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.

Are video game metal covers a gimmick… or pure genius?

In this episode of the Influencers of Metal Podcast, Collin and Tom resurrect their Gimmick or Genius segment to debate one of metal’s most beloved nintendocore bands: Powerglove.

Known for shredding through classic video game soundtracks and beloved pop culture themes, Powerglove has built a cult following by transforming nostalgic melodies from games and TV into high-energy instrumental metal.

The duo dives deep into the band’s origins, their unexpected beginnings as a melodic death metal project, and how covering classics like the Mega Man 2 “Dr. Wily” theme helped kick off their career. They also discuss the band’s love of ‘90s nostalgia with tracks from shows like Animaniacs and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, plus their epic take on gaming staples like Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Along the way, the conversation spirals into childhood gaming memories, cursed Wii Miis, Smash Bros. mains, and the cultural power of nostalgia. Tom also shares a personal story about how Powerglove’s cover of the Animaniacs theme became unexpectedly meaningful during a difficult time in his family.

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:

Powerglove “The Power Rangers Theme”

Powerglove “Animaniacs (feat. Mike Mills)”

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra “Rule, Britannia (Instrumental)”

Powerglove “Super Smash Bros. Brawl Theme (feat. Brittney Slayes & Ty Christian)”

Powerglove “Tetris” 

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

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.