Rock Feed

Skillet frontman John Cooper opens up about depression, betrayal and the fans Skillet lost over COVID.

On the Rock Feed Podcast, John Cooper talks about Skillet's new EP After the Storm, out October 9, 2026, the real meaning behind Monster, finally seeing a counselor, why Skillet is bigger in Europe than America, touring with Nickelback and Creed, Joe Rogan, and every track from Scream to Come and Find Me.

#Skillet #JohnCooper

0:00 Cold open

0:34 John Cooper on After the Storm

2:01 Depression, his mom and "the fuse"

4:05 Church turmoil and betrayal

7:07 "I feel like You let me down"

10:39 Praying every hour

12:40 Why he finally saw a counselor

18:31 22 million records, not a household name

21:59 Disturbed, COVID and free speech

26:14 Becoming a frontman

28:45 Why a Skillet show is a feeling

29:37 Chester Bennington's lyric secret

34:57 The pyro secret he kept from Jen

36:14 Being called hateful

40:50 Why Skillet fans are so loyal

45:39 How Creed and Nickelback opened Europe

50:58 Bigger in Europe than America

52:00 Individual freedom and surveillance

56:46 Losing up to 15% of fans in 2020

58:38 Joe Rogan and the rise of faith

1:01:10 How he handles the hate

1:05:54 After the Storm track by track: Scream

1:09:09 Lift Me Up

1:10:18 Grave Stomper

1:11:22 After the Storm (the double-wide)

1:13:10 Heaven Help Us

1:16:22 Come and Find Me and David Cowell

1:19:19 Going independent

Ronnie Radke opens up about Falling In Reverse’s new song “Joseph” featuring Corey Taylor and Serj Tankian—the sequel to “Ronald.” In this Rock Feed interview, Ronnie talks prison, fame, band feuds, Motionless In White, Spiritbox, MGK, and the controversy behind his rise.

00:00 Intro

00:57 Bringing Corey Taylor & Serj Tankian Together on 'Joseph'

05:40 Rise to Fame & How Brett Gurewitz Saved His Life

09:26 Making Falling In Reverse’s Music Videos

11:07 Would Ronnie Reunite With Escape the Fate?

12:37 Inspiration vs. Copying Other Artists

15:53 His Dad’s Reaction to His Success

16:16 What Happened With Chris Motionless

19:25 Andy Biersack’s Tour Confrontation

22:32 A Falling In Reverse, MIW & BVB Stadium Tour?

23:37 Fans Who Grew Up With Falling In Reverse

25:23 The Fan Who Rushed the Stage

26:49 Inside Falling In Reverse’s Lineup

30:29 Why Former Band Members Were Fired

31:23 Ronnie’s Honest Take on Yungblud

34:32 MGK

37:45 Spiritbox, Touring Backlash & Fan Pressure

42:46 Prison, Therapy & Finding Peace

45:44 TikTok Shop & the Business of Selling Merch

49:45 Friendship With Alex Terrible

51:38 Standing by Marilyn Manson

53:55 Ronnie Responds to Allegations About His Past

55:13 Marilyn Manson’s Rib Removal

57:49 Internet Haters & Parasocial Fans

59:58 Turning Off DMs & Growing Up Online

01:02:55 Being Hated vs. Being Ignored

01:03:33 Songwriting & Outlasting the Warped Tour Era

01:06:52 Sebastian Bach, Eddie Trunk & Backing Tracks

01:11:46 The State of Rock & Respect for Papa Roach

01:14:04 Ronnie’s Childhood Cat Story

01:17:10 Ronnie’s Message to His Critics

In this episode of the Rock Feed podcast, we sit down with a true icon of the music industry: Matt Pinfield. From his early days building a radio station in his basement to shaping global music culture at MTV, Matt’s journey is nothing short of legendary.Matt opens up about his "nine lives," sharing the visceral details of surviving a life-threatening aneurysm at 15, a horrific car accident in 2018, and his miraculous recovery from a massive stroke in 2025.

Brian Burkheiser breaks his silence. In his first sit-down interview since parting ways with I Prevail, Brian tells his story — from forming one of rock's biggest bands to the vocal injuries, the Eagle Syndrome diagnosis, the legal battle, a manic episode that landed him in a psych ward, and everything in between. Now he's back with his new band Scatterbrain and the debut single "Phases" out everywhere now.

Mark Tremonti joins the Rock Feed Podcast to discuss the massive success of the Creed comeback tour, the truth behind the rumored feud between Scott Stapp and Fred Durst, and the emotional experience of recording inside Eddie Van Halen’s legendary 5150 studio.We also dive deep into the brand new self-titled Alter Bridge album, the "survival mode" that saved the band during the Blackbird era, and Mark's heartfelt Frank Sinatra project dedicated to his daughter. Plus, hear the untold story of how Miles Kennedy really joined the band.

Andy Biersack is back, and he’s getting real about Black Veil Brides, the new single “Certainty,” and why people still misjudge the band years into their career. In this interview, Andy Biersack breaks down how “Certainty” became the “missing song” that completed the record, why Black Veil Brides chose to self-produce their new album, and what it’s like seeing these heavier songs surprise people who never gave BVB a real shot.

Tech N9ne breaks down how he crossed into the rock and metal world, from discovering Slipknot in the late ’90s to collaborating with Ronnie Radke and Falling In Reverse. In this Rock Feed Podcast episode, Tech explains the respect code of metal culture, how random DMs turned into real collaborations, and why rock artists embraced him as one of their own.

Avenged Sevenfold guitarist Zacky Vengeance joins the Rock Feed Podcast to break down the wild, untold story behind the band’s rise, from van tours and punk shows to MTV, TRL, and hearing “Bat Country” on KROQ for the first time. Zacky also reveals the deeply personal inspiration behind his new solo project Darkhorse, why he stopped caring about industry rules, and how creative risk saved Avenged Sevenfold.

SKILLET frontman John Cooper is responding after people online called the band’s new Christmas song “demonic” and even “satanic.” Cooper explains why the reaction didn’t make him angry, why he found it confusing, and how the criticism actually pushed the song even higher.In this interview, Cooper talks about why some people feel the band took something sacred and turned it into something evil, why he believes that criticism misses the entire message of the song, and how the internet often brings out the worst in people. He breaks down the meaning behind the track, the emotion in the video, and why it has resonated with thousands of people dealing with loss, hospital stays, grief, and real pain.

Wolfgang Van Halen joins the Rock Feed Podcast for his first-ever appearance to talk Mammoth’s new album “The End.” Wolfgang Van Halen breaks down the 18-month album grind, why touring shuts off writing mode, and how recording every instrument is his way of proving this is 100% his vision.We also get into the real pressure of the Van Halen name, why Wolfgang Van Halen is determined to be his own person, the bands that shaped his sound, and the four-year fight to claim the Mammoth name. Listen now, then drop your favorite track from The End in the comments.