(Note: This podcast episode originally featured on our old website, innerstrengthcheck.com, which suffered an unexpected and untimely demise right on New Year's Eve 2024! The episodes and their video counterparts are still available via the usual links/channels - check the show notes below for more details).

Welcome to Inner-Strength Check, a podcast at the confluence of mental health, hobbies, leisure, society and community. For today's episode, I decided to give you all a bit of an honest peek behind the GM screen and detail my own mental health recovery/neurodiversity trajectory over time, up to the present day. I felt it important not only to set the tone for the mental health side of things, but for you get a more honest and raw appraisal of your show host. Coming up next will be Behind The Screen, which is parallel to this episode but will be more involved with discussing how my hobbies and leisure have formed, changed and persist from the past to the present day. From there, we'll expand out much more broadly to look at gaming, mental health and the like on a community and systemic level. Please do get in touch if you're interested in coming on board as a guest, co-host or even just to game together! Cheers, Brady.

LINKS:

Episode 1 - Show Notes:

https://www.innerstrengthcheckpodcast.com/blog/episode-1-inside-the-computer Facebook:

facebook.com/innerstrengthcheck

Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/innerstrengthcheck

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@innerstrengthcheck -

Cover Art Credit: Greg Dunn. Website: https://www.gregadunn.com

What an incredible opportunity!

I've been a massive Warbringer fan ever since the release of their first album, War Without End back in 2008. Missing their previous Australian tour has felt like an egregious insult to my thrasher spirit.

Imagine my excitement for us not only getting the privilege to review their upcoming set at Brutefest 2026 in Melbourne, but also chat to frontman/vocalist John Kevill! We go deep on this one, as the band did on killer 2025 LP Wrath and Ruin. Technocracy, sociology, touring, lyrics, mental health, thoughts about touring both Australia and SE Asia, the current state of modern thrash... it's all in there, and more!

Check out the show notes at:

www.innerstrengthcheckpodcast.com/blog

Show notes include singles/additional media, artist links, ticket links, Wrath and Ruin album bio and dates/info for both the Australian and Asian 2026 tours.

The bands' first date kicks off tomorrow night in Bangkok, Thailand.

HUGE thanks to John/the Warbringer crew, Marco Barbieri from Salem Rose/M-Theory Audio and Anthony Blayney from Brutefest/Your Mate Bookings for facilitating a dream modern-thrash interview! Peace and Love Through Superior Firepower - Brady.

Easter, Schmeaster.

Just 'cause it's Easter Monday, don't think for a second that us metalhead apostates are lifting that foot off the gas! Speaking of, irrespective of everything happening to fuel prices and the whole Strait of Hormuz can't slow down Immolation - neither can time.

After 37 years in the business, they've been breaking grounds that the modern extreme-metal scene are only just catching up to now. Here to talk about latest album Descent, songwriting, musicianship, death metal longevity, changes in the DM scene/production/touring and more is longstanding guitarist and riff-wizard Bob Vigna.

You can check out media including latest Descent album singles/other artist media, the bands' official statement, links and more alongside the episode show notes at:

www.innerstrengthcheckpodcast.com/blog

Peace, Love and Holy Ascendant Brutal Death Metal - Brady.

'Descent' releases via Nuclear Blast Records on Friday, April 10th 2026.

I was recently joined by Bård Torstensen, guitarist and longstanding member of seminal Swedish/Norwegion rap-rock pioneers Clawfinger to discuss recently-released comeback album Before We All Die - their first in almost two decades since 2007's Life Will Kill You. It's a solid comeback and a funky bop for sure!

As you'll find out from Bård (and giving the album a spin, it's out now on all streaming platforms via Nuclear Blast Records!), the titular and lyrical accuracy of that album title, the lyrical themes and the like are as timeless as their riffing style and steadfast adherence to their own sound, irrespective of trends, time and the like. 18 years on,

Bård has plenty of reflections to give about the band, touring, gear, recording and more, so be sure to check out the full chat!

Included in the Show Notes for Episode 71 we also have additional album bio, artist statement, links, 'Big Brother' single music video, album order/save links and more, up soon at:

www.innerstrengthcheckpodcast.com/blog.

Peace, Love and Rap-Rockin' The New Kids - Brady.

'Perpetual Selection' has dropped on an unwitting international stage, and it's a fierce, technical and melodic slice of well-produced Australian death metal.

Just prior to the albums' release (March 13th, 2026, via independent release), I spoke to the bands' talented drummer, Ferdi Handojo, regarding the album (production, songwriting, influences, etc) as well as thoughts on both the Western Australian and broader metal scenes.

Stay tuned for show notes on the blog tonight as we're doing something a little different this time - reviewing the aforementioned album in full! Video version, multiple single music video links, artist links and more also available with the accompanying post over at:

www.innerstrengthcheckpodcast.com/blog

Huge thanks to Ferdi, the Vanta trio and Glenn 'Dysie' Dyson of Cult Etiquette PR for facilitating both our interview and album review.

Solid debut effort, lads!

Hot off the back of a run of successful shows, Joshua Middleton (Vocalist/Guitarist) of legendary modern-metallers Sylosis returns to ISC for a chat about their latest opus in The New Flesh, which released 20th Feb 2026 via Nuclear Blast Records.

It's an album that really does have something for everyone - anthemic, broad melodic moments, breakneck thrash metal, dizzying shred and memorable tunes. Josh and I discuss the album, stylistic shifts, songwriting, production and more, for both the current LP and across the bands' storied career.

Full show notes inc. additional media, album info, order links and more at: www.innerstrengthcheckpodcast.com/blog.

If you like what we do and want to further support the show, receive access to bonus episodes/community chat/giveaways and prizes etc, for just $5AUD/month you can sign up to our brand-spankin' new Patreon over at:

https://www.patreon.com/cw/innerstrengthcheck

Peace, Love and Grindcore - Brady.

First of all, congratulations and thanks in order to Elissa Jewell for not only being a fantastic co-host in yesterday's cross-disciplinary Q & A style chat here - but also for officially being our first-ever Member (a Riff Nerd) on our brand new Patreon site!

Elissa and I previously spoke at her old leased space in Preston in 2023.

We now return for another intense, thorough and fun conversation within the walls of her recently setup private gym space in Melbourne!

We touch base on quite a lot of intersecting professional/lived-experience thoughts/issues - from music culture, metal culture and neurodivergence, to mental health, strength training/programming and nutrition.

Now, you'll notice towards the end there's a bit of a sudden cutoff - we talked so long that the battery died! Stay tuned though, as I also have an announcement about Part 2, which will be exclusive to Riff Nerds over at Patreon.

Full show notes incoming via our blog at:

www.innerstrengthcheckpodcast.com/blog.

LINKS:

ISC Patreon:

www.patreon.com/ innerstrengthcheck

DLNDM:

www.deadliftsanddeathmetal.com

www.facebook.com/deadliftsanddeathmetal

www.instagram.com/deadlifts.n.deathmetal/

G'day! Mornin'. 'Eve. Wherever you hail in the world, we're currently reaching the final few hours of #MusicMondays over here at ISC.

Rather than just flatten out all the incredible tracks and recent Heavy News (music news) engorging our very strained inbox, I thought it best to take a different tack for our second broadcast.

Show notes soon available over at www.innerstrengthcheckpodcast.com/blog with further details of all releases, tour announcements and other news discussed.

Format:

(0:00) Intro

(02:38) ISC Patreon announcement (WOO!)

(08:01) Heavy News - 'Satanic Panic as Turkish Government Cancels Behemoth Tour' + Aus Tour Dates

(12:44) Info & Featured Tracks: Forcefed Horsehead - 'Cryptids' & Shaving The Werewolf 'Smoking The Crack of Dawn' (from the From Horrid To Worse split/EP, released 13.02.26)

(22:24) RANDOM GRATUITOUS PETER GRIFFIN BOOGEY-TIME!

(22:40) Electric Six - Dick Valentine Interview spiel (ISC Podcast)

(23:54) Info & Featured Track: Necronomicon Ex Mortis - 'Hungry for Brains' (from the Zombie Blood Nightmare EP, releasing 20/02/26)

(30:28) Heavy News - 'The Animals: Greatest Hits Australian Tour 2026' + Tour Dates

(34:45) Info & Featured Track: Dissentience - 'Kaiju' (Title Track from Kaiju EP, releasing 20.02.26)

(41:03) Heavy News - Nevermore Sign To Reigning Phoenix Music, Produce Documentary & Announce New Lineup Members

(45:16) RANDOM GRATUITOUS FIFTH ELEMENT CLIP TO REFLECT HOW OBVIOUS IT IS I'M EXCITED FOR NEVERMORE TO TOUR HERE AGAIN!

(45:33) an AWFUL dad-joke, Outro & Final Featured Track/Info - Phasma - 'I' (from upcoming LP Purgatory, out 20.02.26 via Transcending Obscurity Records)

As Always,

Peace, Love and Grindcore xoxo - Brady.

Time to put on your dancing shoes, Australia!

Electric Six can't get enough of the place, with next months' Greatest Hits Tour as their third arrival on our shores since 2023.

I was joined on the podcast this morning to chat with the bands' mainstay frontman Dick Valentine to discuss thoughts on the upcoming tour, recent international tours, what to expect from an Electric Six show and more.

Show notes, including ticket links, venue/date/other tour info, additional artist media and more available shortly over at: www.innerstrengthcheckpodcast.com/blog.

If you'd prefer to consoooooom this episode in audio-only format, the interview will also be available here on our channel's Podcast tab, plus a host of other streaming apps.

Peace, Love and Querying Why They Keep Starting Fires - Brady.

Genre tags are a funny thing - you'll often see bands lumped in with the 'atmospheric' and 'post-XYZ' tags, who play it safe within those domains. Not Denmark's MØL, however.

Dreamcrush releases in a week's time, and it sees significant stylistic shifts which, in this writers' opinion, they landed. Here to talk about the album and give us extra insights into influences, style, taste, recording and musicianship is talented guitarist Nicolai Busse! A man proud of his craft and the new directions the band are taking together organically.

Check out our awesome conversation here, then head over to the blog link below for 'Young' single music video, additional Dreamcrush album info/preorder links, artist links and more.

Available in the show notes at:

www.innerstrengthcheckpodcast.com/blog

Dreamcrush arrives Jan 30th, 2026 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Peace, Love and Dane-core - Brady.