The MetalSucks Quarantinecast

The Quarantinecast returns today with our first ever double feature: legendary drummer Chris Adler (ex-Lamb of God) and acclaimed guitarist Myrone join us to talk about their new project, Firstborne. We discuss how the band came together in part thanks to MetalSucks blathering on about Myrone’s greatness for years and years, how at first Myrone didn’t believe an email from Adler was real, finding singer Girish Pradan in India, what Firstborne offers for Adler that Lamb of God no longer did, the band’s members writing over the internet and never having met in person, and our mutual love for Ratt, among many other topics.

Give a listen below (or download here)! Check out several tracks Firstborne have released over the past several months right here, including their latest, “Mourning Star.”

The post Firstborne’s Chris Adler (ex-Lamb of God) and Myrone on The MetalSucks Quarantinecast #26 appeared first on MetalSucks.

The Quarantinecast returns today with a special episode featuring acclaimed producer, songwriter, singer and guitarist Jason Bieler, best known for his time in Saigon Kick. We discuss Jason’s new album (the aptly titled Songs for the Apocalypse), the process of working with the incredible list of special guests on the affair (Devin Townsend, David Ellefson, Clint Lowery, Butch Walker and several more), how the pandemic has affected his workflow and creative output, the good fortune and privilege of being able to spend his life working as a professional musician, how ahead of its time his record label, Bieler Bros., was, Iced Earth leader Jon Schaffer’s Capitol-raiding antics, and more.

Songs for the Apocalypse comes out January 22 on Frontiers; pre-order it here.

Listen to the chat via the streaming embed below, or download the episode here.

The post Jason Bieler (Saigon Kick) on The MetalSucks Quarantinecast #25 appeared first on MetalSucks.

You’re quarantined, we’re quarantined, everyone’s quarantined — or whatever this half-in, half-out version of life we’re currently doing is — including all the metal musicians we love. On The MetalSucks Quarantinecast, we’ve been connecting with metal musicians in their homes to find out how they’re coping with isolation, how they’re staying busy, and how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted their band’s plans.

On the latest episode, we catch up with Mastodon guitarist Bill Kelliher. In addition to telling us about the genesis of the band’s new rarities and B-sides collection, Medium Rarities, Bill was startlingly (and refreshingly) forthcoming about his current economic situation, talking in depth about how the pandemic has made it very difficult to scrape by, even for someone in a band at Mastodon’s level. He also reveals the band’s plans for their next album, which they will begin recording next month at Bill’s new studio.

Listen to the chat via the streaming embed below, or download the episode here. No YouTube video this time, sorry folks!

The post Mastodon’s Bill Kelliher on The MetalSucks Quarantinecast #24 appeared first on MetalSucks.

You’re quarantined, we’re quarantined, everyone’s quarantined — or whatever this half-in, half-out version of life we’re all doing is — including all the metal musicians we love. On The MetalSucks Quarantinecast, we’ve been connecting with metal musicians in their homes to find out how they’re coping with isolation, how they’re staying busy, and how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted their band’s plans.

Baroness mastermind John Baizley is our latest guest. We discuss the band’s upcoming livestream performance and all the anxieties, difficulties, safety precautions and tremendous planning efforts that have gone into it, as well as new material the band has been working on over the past few months. We also reminisce about a sweaty, cramped, dangerous but absolutely raucous, energy-filled Baroness show I attended in the back of Don Pedro, a now-defunct Mexican restaurant in Brooklyn, in 2007.

Baroness will livestream a performance of their most recent album, Gold & Grey, in its entirety this Thursday, September 10, at 8pm EDT / 5pm PDT, from the Culture Lab LIC at The Plaxall Gallery in New York City. Tickets for the livestream are $14.99 and include a 48-hour replay of the event through the weekend.

Listen to the chat via the streaming embed below, or download the episode here. No YouTube video this time, sorry folks!

The post Baroness Mastermind John Baizley on The Quarantinecast #23 appeared first on MetalSucks.

You’re quarantined, we’re quarantined, everyone’s quarantined, including all the metal musicians we all love. In our new series, The MetalSucks Quarantinecast, we’re connecting with metal musicians in their homes to find out how they’re coping with isolation, how they’re staying busy during these trying times, and how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted their band’s plans.

Our guest this week is Unleash the Archers vocalist Brittney Slayes, who is getting ready to release the band’s new album, Abyss (pre-order here), one of my personal favorites of 2020 so far. We discuss the band’s new album and the wave of hype they’re currently riding after toiling in relative obscurity for years, how their classifications as “power metal” and “female fronted” have hindered their progress at times, how folks in her native Canada are handling the Covid-19 pandemic vs. their U.S. neighbors to the south, and what the year ahead looks like for the band in lieu of touring.

Listen to the episode below via YouTube, via the streaming audio embed, or download the episode here.

The post Unleash the Archers’ Brittney Slayes on The Quarantinecast #22 appeared first on MetalSucks.

You’re quarantined, we’re quarantined, everyone’s quarantined, including all the metal musicians we all love. In our new series, The MetalSucks Quarantinecast, we’re connecting with metal musicians in their homes to find out how they’re coping with isolation, how they’re staying busy during these trying times, and how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted their band’s plans.

Our guest this week is Megadeth drummer Dirk Verbeuren (ex-Soilwork), who gives us an update on recording Megadeth’s new album while in quarantine, his long-running grind project Bent Sea, how the current isolation has inspired him to create, how he navigates political differences with Dave Mustaine, his thoughts on the future of touring and more.

Listen to the episode below via YouTube, via the streaming audio embed, or download the episode here.

The post Megadeth’s Dirk Verbeuren on The Quarantinecast #21 appeared first on MetalSucks.

You’re quarantined, we’re quarantined, everyone’s quarantined, including all the metal musicians we all love. In our new series, The MetalSucks Quarantinecast, we’re connecting with metal musicians in their homes to find out how they’re coping with isolation, how they’re staying busy during these trying times, and how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted their band’s plans.

On this episode we talk to Moon Destroys mastermind Juan Montoya, formerly of Torche and MonstrO. Juan tells us about how he and his family have been coping with the isolation brought on by the coronavirus, the current state of the raging pandemic in his home state of Florida, Moon Destroys’ latest EP, Maiden Voyage, his plans for future music and more.

Listen to the episode below via YouTube, via the streaming audio embed, or download the episode here.

The post Moon Destroys’ Juan Montoya (ex-Torche) on The Quarantinecast #20 appeared first on MetalSucks.

You’re quarantined, we’re quarantined, everyone’s quarantined, including all the metal musicians we all love. In our new series, The MetalSucks Quarantinecast, we’re connecting with metal musicians in their homes to find out how they’re coping with isolation, how they’re staying busy during these trying times, and how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted their band’s plans.

Jon Schaffer of Iced Earth and Demons & Wizards is our guest on this episode to talk about his upcoming book of artwork, lyrics and interviews, Wicked Words and Epic Tales, which is currently in the crowdfunding phase. In addition to the book, we were interested in speaking with Jon because of his outspoken political views, and indeed, Jon’s stances on the current coronavirus pandemic are very different from ours: he believes the entire thing has been blown out of proportion by the media for the express purpose of limiting and controlling Americans’ freedoms (“they’re not conspiracy theories, they’re conspiracy facts”), and does not believe we should stay home and stay safe (when I wished him the customary “stay safe” goodbye at the end of our chat, he responded with “I’ll stay free”). Lots of fireworks in this one; make sure you stay tuned in for the whole thing.

Listen to the episode below via YouTube, via the streaming audio embed, or download the episode here.

The post Iced Earth’s Jon Schaffer on The Quarantinecast #19 appeared first on MetalSucks.

You’re quarantined, we’re quarantined, everyone’s quarantined, including all the metal musicians we all love. In our new series, The MetalSucks Quarantinecast, we’re connecting with metal musicians in their homes to find out how they’re coping with isolation, how they’re staying busy during these trying times, and how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted their band’s plans.

On today’s episode we’re joined by Living Colour frontman Corey Glover from his home in Newburgh, NY (“can’t afford Brooklyn” anymore, he tells us). Glover speaks with us about his thoughts on the current racial tensions in the U.S. and the frustration he’s feeling as someone who has been singing about these issues for more than 30 years. We also discuss how he’s getting by during the pandemic, his opinions on places that are re-opening too soon and folks who deny how serious a health threat the coronavirus poses, and his latest project, Disciples of Verity, which also features former members of God Forbid and Sekond Skyn. We also get an update on new Living Colour material.

Listen to the episode below via YouTube, via the streaming audio embed, or download the episode here.

The post Living Colour’s Corey Glover on The Quarantinecast #18 appeared first on MetalSucks.

You’re quarantined, we’re quarantined, everyone’s quarantined, including all the metal musicians you love. In our new series, The MetalSucks Quarantinecast, we’re connecting with metal musicians in their homes to find out how they’re coping with isolation, how they’re staying busy during these trying times, and how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted their band’s plans.

Sevendust guitarist Clint Lowery joins us this week to speak openly and honestly about both the ongoing pandemic and the Black Lives Matter uprising in response to the murder of George Floyd. Clint talks about his unstoppable drive to create music as a coping mechanism, his surprise-released solo EP, how he’s enjoyed being able to spend more time at home with his family as a result of the lockdown, the economic realities of no touring in the near future and how he plans to survive, his support for the Black Lives Matter movement, whether he thinks Sevendust’s fortunes were ever affected by having a black member of the band, and a quick update on the next Sevendust album.

Listen to the episode below via YouTube, via the streaming audio embed, or download the episode here.

The post Sevendust’s Clint Lowery on The Quarantinecast #17 appeared first on MetalSucks.