That's Not Metal

The possible future of Babymetal is pondered, Bloodstock tips given, Lingua Ignota's puritan nightmare album Sinner Get Ready tops an eclectic reviews batch with Gost and Lantlôs, and Album Club is Britrock heroes Funeral for a Friend's underrated hardcore turn Conduit.

A reflection on a sombre week with the passing of Joey Jordison, ZZ Top's Dusty Hill, and the news of Black Peaks splitting. We also review new Creeper, Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! and King Woman, and Album Club toasts Joey and Wednesday 13's Beyond the Valley of the Murderdolls.

There's discussion of Iron Maiden's Senjutsu being another double album, the success of Eurovision rock winners Måneskin, and Josh Todd's mad Minor Threat fantasy, reviews of new Descendents, Alexis Marshall, and Erdve, and Album Club toasts half a century of Black Sabbath's monolithic Master of Reality.

The week is made massive by new tracks from Trivium, Ice Nine Kills, and actual Iron Maiden, questions include the worst self-titled albums, reviews follow up on our Killswitch Engage special with Times of Grace and Light the Torch alongside Powerwolf, and Album Club is on Blood Command's 2010s cult hit Funeral Beach.

There are some issues with microphone quality in this episode that clear up around 45 mins in, so heads up there. Tech has not been on our side this week but cheers for supporting.

Reviews catch up on some of 2021's gems, spanning grunge, NYHC, Norwegian legends, prog goth, expansive doom, and sickening death metal.

Iron Maiden are tickling our tastebuds with their online teaser campaign, At the Gates' masterfully strange new album tops reviews along with Urne and Pt. 2 of The Hell's Joris saga, and with the announcement of its sequel Album Club is Between the Buried and Me's demented prog classic Colors.

Perran is joined by friend of the podcast Mitch Harrod for a review of Download Pilot, the first rock festival to return after the COVID-19 pandemic, to discuss what a festival is like after COVID and of course the bands who won the weekend.

Metallica's Blacklist looks mental and prompts talk of the best remasters, reviews of new Beartooth, Helloween, and Amenra records, and Album Club is the progressive post-hardcore immersion of Thrice's Vheissu.

Perran and Alec topline the crazy Hellfest news, new songs from Machine Head, Unto Others & more, Fear Factory, Hacktivist and Bossk are in reviews, and Album Club looks at the MySpace moment and surviving status as a heavy music landmark of Job for a Cowboy's Doom EP.

It's the arrival week of AFI's Bodies along with new Deafheaven and Poppy in news, Go Ahead and Die and Wristmeetrazor reviews, talk on the best albums not streaming, and Album Club is Alice Cooper's career-reviving crack at making glam spooky with Trash.