Rick Wakeman is to launch a brand new weekly podcast with television presenter and comedian Griff Rhys Jones.

The Sound Of The Seventy Year Olds is described as a "wander down memory cul-de-sac, because let’s face it, they’re of the generation that invented anything that’s any good", and it begins on February 27.

"From changing TV comedy forever, to achieving world musical domination, Rick and Griff have led the way since the 1960s, and in that time, they’ve seen it all," the show's creators say. "From Thatcher to Glasnost, Moon landings and more, they’ve lived through lofty highs and dramatic lows and managed to remember NONE of it.

"Instead, they’ve gone through life worried, not about impending nuclear disaster, but the length of time it took a TV to warm up. While politicians panicked at the three-day week, this pair was only concerned with who would replace Jon Pertwee as Doctor Who."

"The truth is, that’s what we all tend to do, " the pair add. "The economy may collapse, the political landscape may shift immeasurably, and it doesn’t touch the sides, but change the taste of a leading fizzy drink or confection of the day, however and you have a revolution on your hands.

"If you’ve ever been mortally offended when someone offers you a seat on the train, if you look in the mirror in the morning and don’t recognise the craggy wreck staring back, and if you look at the younger generation and shake your head, THIS is the podcast for YOU!"

The Sound Of The Seventy Year Olds is written and presented by Wakeman and Rhys Jones, produced by Mark Jeeves and is an Adore Audio production.

New episodes will be released weekly from 27th February 2026 and are available on all podcast platforms.

Rick Wakeman released his piano album, Melancholia, last year and is expected to release a follow-up to The Red Planet, his 2020 Mars-themed concept album with The English Rock Ensemble, later this year.

It's the return of the Progcast, for one night only!

The band new issue of Prog, being the magazine's first End-Of-Year issue, which features the Critics' Choice, has just hit newsstands on the very last day of the year.

That issue, of course, features the Prog writers' Albums Of The Year and the Reissues Of The Year, both of which went up on the website over New Year. This year we've done things a bit differently. Instead of a Top 20, we've given readers a big Top 50 new albums list and a Top 20 reissues list. Much more prog to get your teeth into, essentially.

Often the subject of frenzied scrutiny and social media comment, we thought we'd amass some of the Prog team - Editor Jerry Ewing, Art Editor Russell Fairbrother, News Editor Julian Marszalek and Associate Editor Jo Kendall - to discuss the results, and why we've gone down this particular route this year and even try to explain why some releases make the cut, and others don't.

So check out the lists in the magazine, if you haven't already seen them, or the links on this page, and as you're typing out 'I can't believe X didn't make the list!' on Facebook or X, get stuck into our ramblings below.

Enjoy, And Happy New Year!

Gene Simmons has appeared on the latest edition of Rick Rubin's Tetragrammaton podcast.

Over the course of a wide-ranging, three-and-a-half-hour, 28,000-word conversation, the pair discuss Simmons' early years, the formation of pre-Kiss band Wicked Lester, Kiss's 50-year career, Simmons' relationships with his bandmates and romantic partners, and all points in between.

While lots of the stories are the usual, well-rehearsed Simmons schtick, the sections on Kiss's music are more interesting, as he and Rubin listen to tracks and talk about their origins and recordings, and the producer remembers his early obsession with Kiss.

"I can remember listening to I want to rock and roll all night and party every day," says Rubin. "I can remember I was in the gymnasium of my junior high school and I remember listening to it over and over again. I want to say trying to understand it.

"I don't mean understand the words, and I don't mean understand the music, but understand what was happening. Why do I want to listen to this over and over again?"

"This is really interesting to me," says Simmons. "Keep going. Keep going."

"I remember that experience of listening to it over and over," Rubin continues. "And it didn't relate to my life in any way, but something about the combination of the music and the sentiment of the words moved me at – I don't know, 13 or 14 years or however old I was at the time – and I remember listening to it over and over and over again and just feeling like it made me want to know more."

The podcast, which promises "In-depth interviews that may blow your mind," has previously featured the likes of actor Al Pacino, journalist Malcolm Gladwell, controversial entrepreneur Peter Thiel, popular YouTuber Rick Beato, System Of A Down frontman Serj Tankian and Beach Boys' members Bruce Johnston and Mike Love.

Marillion keyboard player Mark Kelly has announced the launch a brand new podcast with his daughter, Tallulah.

The excellently titled Prog & Progeny podcast has already served up its first episode, introducing Tallulah Kelly, who is studying journalism, and discussing Marillion, music and life in general.

"A podcast is something I've thought about doing from time to time," explains Kelly. "Steve Hogarth's been doing one for a few years now and I've appeared on it a couple of times. When he runs out of people to have on it he asks the members of the band to come and talk to him. That was quite fun and I thought 'Ah yes, that's be quite a fun thing to do', and as Tallulah's doing this journalism course it seemed like a good fit."

"I'm here to bring a bit of the non-music side of my dad's life," adds Tallulah.

You can hear Prog & Progeny on Spotify, via the Apple Podcasts app or wherever you get your podcasts,, but we've embedded the first episode below.

Singer/guitarist James Hetfield rocks up on the new episode of the Metallica Report podcast to discuss all things lyric-writing.

During the chat, the 61-year-old offers particularly lofty praise to Tom Waits, calling the genre-splicing California musician “a master craftsman at lyrics”.

“As far as Tom Waits just being a master craftsman at lyrics, painting a picture in one sentence, it interests me, and it takes work,” says Hetfield (via Blabbermouth). “I saw Tom kind of live it. It was his vocabulary as well. He could sit and speak like that. I can’t.”

Later in the chat, the frontman also points to another unlikely source of lyrical inspiration: pop-punk icons Green Day.

“[Writing lyrics] is kind of like building a vehicle, building a whatever, collecting lots of little words. And how do they fit together? What does this really mean? Is this enough for a subject matter?” he rhetorically asks.

“Then I go and I watch a band like Green Day, and they have some simple [lines like] ‘Know your enemy’ or ‘Do you know your enemy?’, something like that. It’s so hooky and great, it sticks in you, but that’s not really literary geniusness.”

Hetfield co-founded Metallica in 1981 and has writing credits on almost all of their songs, the sole exception being 1983 bass solo Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth). In 2016, he named his favourite songwriters of all time, and Waits appeared on the list.

“I just wish that I could be as good as Tom Waits, Phil Lynott, Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen, a lot of great lyricists,” he said at a symposium hosted by Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich. “It is really cool to read up on them and hear how they come up with their stuff.”

Over a 50-plus-year musical career, Waits has experimented with rock, jazz, blues, funk, hip-hop, opera and more. He’s also an actor, known for his performances in Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) and Licorice Pizza (2021).

Noted for his strikingly deep voice and countercultural lyrics, he was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2011 by Neil Young. Young described Waits in his induction speech as “a performer, singer, actor, magician, spirit guide, changeling”.

Metallica released their latest album, 72 Seasons, in 2023 and will tour North America in the spring. See dates and details below.

Metallica 2025 tour dates:

Apr 19: Syracuse MA Wireless Dome, NY*
Apr 24: Toronto Rogers Centre, ON*
Apr 26: Toronto Rogers Centre, ON+
May 01: Nashville Nissan Stadium, TN*
May 03: Nashville Nissan Stadium, TN+
May 07: Blacksburg Lane Stadium, VA*
May 09: Columbus Sonic Temple, OH
May 11: Columbus Sonic Temple, OH
May 23: Philadelphia Lincoln Financial Field, PA+
May 25: Philadelphia Lincoln Financial Field, PA*
May 28: Landover Northwest Stadium, MD*
May 31: Charlotte Bank Of America Stadium, NC*
Jun 03: Atlanta Mercedes-Benz Stadium, GA*
Jun 06: Tampa Raymond James Stadium, FL+
Jun 08: Tampa Raymond James Stadium, FL*
Jun 14: Houston NRG Stadium, TX*
Jun 20: Santa Clara Levi’s Stadium, CA+
Jun 22: Santa Clara Levi’s Stadium, CA*
Jun 27: Denver Empower Field at Mile High, CO+
Jun 29: Denver Empower Field at Mile High, CO*

* Pantera and Suicidal Tendencies support
+ Limp Bizkit and Ice Nine Kills support

Former Late Night and Tonight Show host Conan O’Brien improvised a metalcore song on the new episode of his podcast.

The latest edition of Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend, released today (May 9), saw the venerated writer and comedian be joined by Anthony Giacalone, the screaming vocalist of Canadian metalcore band Among The Rest.

The improvised ‘jam’ starts when O’Brien asks Giacalone for a taste of what his vocals sound like.

“What would help you?” the host adds. “Should I be playing a rhythm track?”

“Give me a hard breakdown!” Giacalone responds.

The pair then proceed to make an acapella metalcore song together, with O’Brien mouth-drumming while Giacalone begins to roar along.

O’Brien wasn’t able to hear the vocalist’s snarling due to the noise filters on their Zoom call, but the mix comes through loud and clear for podcast listeners.

“It sounded like you swallowed a crouton,” the host jokes.

He later adds: “Zoom discriminates against people in metalcore bands!”

Co-host Sona Movsesian tells O’Brien, “I think you’d be good in a metalcore band,” to which O'Brien agrees: “I’m a good screamer, and I’m a very dynamic presence onstage. And I do think that Satan resides within me.”

Listen to the interaction, starting at the 8:22 mark, via the player below.

O’Brien is a noted champion of heavy metal music, having had the likes of Slipknot, Linkin Park, At The Drive-In and more as musical guests on Late Night during his tenure at the show.

He also interviewed Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich on his podcast in April 2023.

Metal Hammer published an op-ed last year called “Why Conan O’Brien is metal’s greatest unsung champion”.

Journalist Joe Daly wrote: “Conan’s decades-long support for metal clearly goes beyond mere lip service. His actions reveal a genuine affinity for heavy music, and he clearly celebrates the passionate community behind the sonic fury.

“Conan O’Brien may not be the first name that comes up when people rank (or Google image-search) famous metalheads, but let it be known that this former Late Night man is a true defender of the faith.”

Among The Rest released their EP, Morté, in 2021.

Jason Newsted has discussed the unique energy he brought to Metallica when it came to their famously electric live shows during his stint as the band's bassist in the late 80s and through the 90s. Speaking to official Metallica podcast The Metallica Report, Newsted - who joined the band in 1986 following the devastating death of Cliff Burton - explains that when it came to putting on a show, he refused to do things half-heartedly.

"My forte, my strength in Metallica in my time, was the live show," he says. "That is all that mattered to me, everything else came second. So whatever I could do to go all the way and leave every fucking ounce on the stage, that was part of the programme for that particular stage set. Any time that I had to do anything extra, that's what I could give, that's where I felt the most confident, that's where I got the most pats on the back from the guys, is when I was doing my live thing, sweating my nuts off, background vocals, spinning fucking windmills. All that shit.

"If you look back, I don't spend a lot of time looking back, but every once in a while, somebody will send me a video of this, 'Jason, how's you head?', or these kinda things. 'Doesn't your neck hurt?' 'You got headaches?'...I look at the footage and I'm like, 'What the fuck?!' If you count the actual times that I spun that shit, or that I...I never fucking stopped! You got two hours and twenty minutes, and there had to be tens of thousands of gestures of me pushing my vertebrae out, per night! Thousands and thousands! 

"You look back, like, 'Dude, what the fuck,'" he continues. "No wonder your shoulder is [screwed], no wonder your fucking C6 is all jolting off the back of your back. Now these days it's a little better, but goddamn occupational hazards and all that kind of thing. That's what I could give, bro. That's what I could give so people remembered and came back the next time."

Newsted would eventually depart Metallica in 2001, though he has made occasional appearances with them since, most notably at their induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2009 and at their legendary 30th anniversary shows at the Fillmore in San Francisco in 2011. His eventual replacement, Rob Trujillo, officially became Metallica's longest-serving bassist in 2017.

Listen to Newsted's interview on The Metallica Report below.

“I guarantee you've licked mum’s arsehole!” “I guarantee you I fucking have not!” Metal’s most lovably dysfunctional family are back and as hilariously filthy as ever, as the Osbournes – that’s Sharon, Jack, Kelly and Ozzy himself – have revived their podcast series after a five-year hiatus. Effectively a continuation of their reality TV show, which reinvented Ozzy from The Prince Of Darkness to a cuddly family man, the podcast sees the titular family discuss everything from the antics of their dogs (“Pepsi gobbles shit like it’s going out of fashion”, bemoans Jack), to updates on Ozzy’s health. But while the original The Osbournes series attracted millions of viewers at its peak, Ozzy admits he wasn’t one.

“I never watched an episode!” he hoots, speaking to Hammer over the phone from his LA home. Earlier this year, Ozzy was forced to cancel his long- delayed No More Tours 2 run in the UK, and subsequently announced his retirement from touring overall. In the first episode of the new season of The Osbournes Podcast, Ozzy goes into some details about his health struggles, stating that a fall earlier this year exacerbated a long-standing injury stemming from his quad bike crash in 2003, leaving him feeling like he’d “broken [his] fucking neck”.

“You know what, it’s been pretty grim around the Osbourne house for the past few years,” he admits. “I’ve got no fear of going to Hell – I’ve been going there and back for the past five years. But when you’re sick, all you can think about is you, so when they said about doing the podcast again, it was like, ‘Sure, it’ll get me out of myself again!’”

The second season of the podcast is set to run for 20 episodes, available in both audio and video formats. In the first episode, they also outline plans for spin-off podcasts under The Osbournes brand, each of its stars having their own specially focused shows, including one that will see Ozzy team up with guitarist Billy Morrison to discuss music. Every episode of The Osbournes Podcast is essentially just a conversation between the family members, Ozzy describing the process of scripting as having an idea of a topic, then “seeing where things go”. In turn, it opens the floor to banter and jokes aplenty.

“It’s just us!” Ozzy says proudly. “We have a real laugh with it you know, but it seems a lot of people are listening and liking it. It’s good because family always comes first for me.”

The Osbournes TV series, which saw the family inviting the world into their home, began in 2002 on MTV. It ran for three years and was watched by around 5.3 million viewers every week. While the podcast continues their exploits,  Ozzy admits he’s not rushing to invite TV cameras into the house again. 

“It all started off as a spin-off of that MTV show, Cribs,” he recalls of its origins. “Our episode of Cribs was the most watched on replay, so some producers approached us with the idea of doing it as a full show set in the house. It all went from there. We’d never really planned on being the next big TV family, but it grew on its own steam and went crazy. I’m not particularly planning on doing a re-run of it, but if something happens, it happens!”

While Ozzy is unsure about the idea of reviving The Osbournes TV show wholesale, plans have been announced for a TV show titled Home To Roost, which will follow his journey moving back to the UK. A week after what he has described as his “final” surgery, Ozzy sounds in good spirits.

"I've had all the surgery now, thank God," he says. "It was just dragging on. I thought I’d be back on my feet months ago; I just couldn’t get used to this mode of living, constantly having something wrong. I can’t walk properly yet, but I’m not in any pain anymore and the surgery on my spine went great.”

As for what that means for his ‘retirement’, well, the singer has a history of surprise comebacks.

“I’m getting myself fit, and I am going to go on the road!” he says defiantly. “I want to do one more album and then go back on the road. I want to take my time with this one, do a good rock album!”

The Osbournes Podcast is out now via all your usual Podcast platforms. This interview was originally published in Metal Hammer #381

It's safe to say that Metallica know a thing or two about Lynyrd Skynyrd. In fact, the Southern rock legends are arguably one of Metallica's most important influences: their hallmark anthem Sweet Home Alabama had a subtle influence on Metallica's early anthem The Four Horseman, and the metal icons famously covered Skynyrd hit Tuesday's Gone for 1998's riotously fun covers LP, Garage Inc.

In a new interview for their official podcast, The Metallica Report, Metallica drummer and band founder Lars Ulrich has revealed the five Lynyrd Skynyrd deep cuts that have been on repeat for him recently. 

 "I've been on two things, which is Lynyrd Skynyrd, the heavier Lynyrd Skynyrd songs, most of them deep cuts," he reveals. "One called On The Hunt, one called Cry For Bad Man, one called Workin' For MCA, which may not be the deepest of cuts, Saturday Night Special, and a song called Searching. Those five songs: incredible, deeper, heavier. People that mostly know Skynyrd from, say, Free Bird or Sweet Home Alabama: there's this, sort of heavier, less mainstream side to them. Great, great, mid-70s hard rock songs. Incredible drumming, singing, soloing. Those songs have definitely stood the test of time."

Workin' For MCA appeared on Skynyrd's second album Second Helping, which was released on April 15, 1974. Both Saturday Night Special and On The Hunt were released on Skynyrd's following album, Nuthin' Fancy, which arrived the following year. Searching and Cry For The Bad Man, meanwhile, appeared on Skynyrd's fourth album, Gimme Back My Bullets, released in 1976. 

Skynyrd's first five studio albums, all released between 1973-1977, were instrumental in the Southern rock explosion of the 70s and were particularly inspirational for Metallica frontman James Hetfield. In 2004, the singer/guitarist told Rolling Stone that he considered Free Bird, first released on Skynyrd's 1973 debut album (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd), to be the greatest song ever written. "Nothing tops this workingman's ballad," he argued. "Free Bird fit my life for the first 20 years on the road — not really getting too attached to stuff, living life for the moment and moving on." 

You can listen to the latest episode of The Metallica Report below via Spotify, or elsewhere via your usual podcast platforms.

Ozzy Osbourne has discussed his ongoing recovery from his recent health issues as well as he and his family's returning podcast in a new interview in the latest issue of Metal Hammer. 

Osbourne, who underwent serious spinal surgery in 2022, announced his retirement from touring earlier this year, though has since suggested he is by no means totally done with live shows, despite cancelling a planned appearance at last month's epic Power Trip Festival.

Speaking to Hammer to promote the latest season of the resurrected Osbournes Podcast, the Prince Of Darkness reveals that the podcast has provided a major boost in helping him bounce back.

“You know what, it’s been pretty grim around the Osbourne house for the past few years,” he admits. “I’ve got no fear of going to Hell – I’ve been going there and back for the past five years. But when you’re sick, all you can think about is you, so when they said about doing the podcast again, it was like, ‘Sure, it’ll get me out of myself again!’”

“It’s just us!” Osbourne adds of the podcast itself. “We have a real laugh with it you know, but it seems a lot of people are listening and liking it. It’s good because family always comes first for me.”

Despite the podcast's comeback proving to be a huge success, Ozzy isn't rushing to resurrect  the Osbournes' legendary reality show from the early 2000s, which was a humongous hit when it first aired on MTV.

“It all started off as a spin-off of that MTV show, Cribs,” he recalls of the show's origins. “Our episode of Cribs was the most watched on replay, so some producers approached us with the idea of doing it as a full show set in the house. It all went from there. We’d never really planned on being the next big TV family, but it grew on its own steam and went crazy. I’m not particularly planning on doing a re-run of it, but if something happens, it happens!”

Pick up the latest issue of Metal Hammer, featuring Sleep Token on the cover, here.

The latest episode of former TV talk show host Conan O' Brien's popular Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend podcast features former Nirvana duo Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl, plus renowned recording engineer Steve Albini, discussing the making of In Utero, Nirvana's third and final studio album. 

The Seattle band recorded In Utero at Pachyderm Recording Studio, a residential studio in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, in February '93.

“If you’ve ever been in Minneapolis in February, it’s like an ice planet, I swear to God,” Dave Grohl once told this writer. “During the day it was fifteen degrees below zero. At night it went down to twenty-five, thirty degrees below zero.  It was fucking freezing: the coldest I’ve ever been in my entire life. So, we were in total isolation and locked indoors because if you stepped outside you’d die. But it was a beautiful place, and an unusual place to record.”

In conversation with Conan O'Brien, Grohl, Novoselic and Albini reveal that there wasn't a huge amount of entertainment options at Pachyderm during their stay at the facility, and that, in order to amuse themselves, the band and their producer made prank telephone calls to a selection of their fellow rock stars - including Kiss bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons and Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder.

"I pretended to be Kurt calling Gene Simmons," Albini confesses. "Gene Simmons had called their management because there was a Kiss tribute album being put together, and Nirvana - the biggest band in the world - were friends with the Melvins, and Melvins did a Kiss cover, and he assumed that Nirvana would want to do a Kiss cover. Gene Simmons can not fathom that anyone on earth is not a massive Kiss fan."

As it happens, Nirvana had already recorded a Kiss cover, Do You Love Me, for Hard to Believe: A Kiss Covers Compilation, which emerged in 1990 on C/Z Records.

"Oh God, that was a disaster," recalls Krist Novoselic, who admits to be a teenage Kiss fan. "We were drunk."

"So the word comes down that Gene Simmons is desperate to get Nirvana on this album," Albini continues. "And Kurt is like, I don't want to talk to fucking Gene Simmons, and I said, I'll do it! So I called him back, and I pretended to be Kurt, and I parried the whole thing away by saying that I wasn't making all the decisions because I had a reliability problem. And Kurt is sitting right next to me, listening to me doing an impression of him. [In Kurt Cobain voice] 'Do you know The Wipers? I really love The Wipers'. And Gene Simmons comes back with, 'I don't know The Wipers. I know the Melvins. I love the Melvins!'"

On another occasion, Albini called up Eddie Vedder, pretending to be producer Tony Visconti, telling Pearl Jam's frontman that he'd recently been played a record by the band, and that he wanted to get Vedder in the studio "with a real band, guys who can really play."

"I thought he handled it pretty deftly," Albini adds. "I think he acquitted himself well, talking on the phone to Tony Visconti, record producer, who wanted to fire his band."

"Oh, please put these out," says Conan O'Brien. "I'll take care of the legal end of it!"

Listen to the full podcast below:

For Louder's own in-depth long-read feature on the making of In Utero, featuring insights from Grohl, Novoselic and Albini, go here.

Ask a dozen people who were the first heavy metal band, and you’ll get a dozen different answers. Now Rob Halford – a man who knows a thing or two about the subject – has weighed in on this eternally thorny topic. And his answer? Judas Priest.

In a wide-ranging and fascinating interview on comedian Marc Maron’s hugely popular WTF? podcast, the Priest singer is asked by the host about the genesis of heavy metal as a genre.

“Some say there was the great band called Blue Cheer, Summertime Blues was a really heavy song,” replies Halford, referring to the cult late 60s US heavy rock pioneers. “Some people suggested the name heavy metal was from a Steppenwolf song, ‘heavy metal thunder’ [from Born To Be Wild].

“But as far as the sound, this is the great debate. Using Sabbath as a primary example… I’ve always pushed that Sabbath were a heavy metal band, but my friend Tony Iommi will always go, ‘No, we’re like a rock band, a hard rock band. I said, ‘No, you’re heavy metal.’ ‘No, no…’

“So, I will take that trophy that Judas Priest were the first ever, definitive heavy metal band. So that‘s a big thing to say, cos when this podcast cos they’ll say, ‘Halford says that Priest were the definitive heavy metal band…’. I stand by the statement for a lot of reasons.

He continues: “It’s a definitive sound, it’s a well-honed craft that came from these guys in the band that all had their own definition of what this heavy sound, this heavy experience should be.”

In the same interview, Halford talks about his industrial-metal band Two, which he formed during his hiatus from Priest in the late 90s, revealing that veteran music mogul and label boss Jimmy Iovine almost refused to release the X-rated video for the band’s single Pig because it wasn’t explicit enough.

The video was directed by porn filmmaker Chi Chi LaRue, who offered his services to Halford. “We met up and he goes, ‘Oh my god, you got a new project going on? I must make a video,’” recalls the singer. “Fast forward  two weeks and we’re in a lot somewhere in Hollywood, and he’s got all of his porn friends… It was pretty risque.”

The finished video featured assorted porn stars and models of various genders enacting an orgy, albeit a non-explicit one. Halford sent the clip to Nothing Records co-founder Trent Reznor and Jimmy Iovine, president of parent company Interscope. The latter was less than impressed.

“Jimmy said, ‘I’m not releasing this. There’s no porn in it… You told me there was going to be porn stars.’ I said, ‘There is all porn stars. If you look at ’em and you know porn, there’s Bridget The Midget, there’s blah blah blah.’ ‘Yeah, well they weren’t doing the fucking and the sucking and all that.’

“It would never have got played! It would have been banned. ‘You want me make a video that’s gonna be banned so the music isn’t listened to, so there’s gonna be silence? Silent porn? Just a black screen?’ ‘Yeah, that’s exactly what I wanted!’”

In the same interview, Halford talks about life as a gay man in the 80s metal scene, his decades of sobriety, Priest’s infamous subliminal messaging trial and why you should never piss off 50-year-old metal fans.

Priest themselves recently returned to the fray with their new single, Panic Attack, taken from new album Invincible Shield, released on March 8, 2024 via SonyMusic.

Devin Townsend has relaunched his Devin Townsend podcast as both audio and visual versions you can listen to & watch the first episode, titled Synesthesia, below.

In a statement, Townsend says: “Hello, this is Dev, and I’m here to introduce you to the Devin Townsend Podcast - a monthly series of observations about the process of writing and creating music, presented by Inside Out Music.

This new version of the podcast will shift focus slightly and move on from simply talking about my past records, and instead focus on a real time observation of the next ones. I have a fair amount of experience to offer, however rather than trying to come across as some sort of a 'self help' character, I feel that there’s enough people asking me how those experiences have shaped my writing that this seemed to be an angle to get behind, and in our tiny little scene, it seems like there was actually space for it. So here we go.

Essentially, this podcast will start from the very beginning of my process of creating a project I believe to be called ‘The Moth' with all the creative, personal, technical, and psychological things that come along with that. At this stage, I’m just starting to formulate ideas, so this exists from minute one of this project.

If I’m asked to speak publicly, I would much rather express things that I feel I can comprehend upon reflection of my personal experiences rather than just fill the air with more opinions on ‘current events’. My hope is that it may actually help other creative types who may find themselves new to some of these thoughts or hurdles, so just take it with a grain of salt and maybe there will be something in it of value for you and your work.

Thanks for everything, and I’m excited to see where we go. Being a musician and an artist is rewarding and challenging. I love it."

Devin recent announced that he will release a 25th anniversary remastered and expanded reissue of Infinity, his third solo album, originally released in 1998, through InsideOut Music on November 24. Townsend has replicated the original cover by appearing naked for the new artwrok.

Paul McCartney has admitted that he found Yoko Ono's presence during The Beatles' final recording sessions "disturbing", and admitted "I don't think any of us particularly liked it."

The former Beatle was speaking to Northern Irish poet Paul Muldoon on his podcast series, McCartney: A Life In Lyrics, in a new episode titled Let It Be.

Looking back upon the relationship between his bandmate and friend John Lennon and Lennon's Japanese artist girlfriend Ono, McCartney says that the relationship "was bound to have an effect on the dynamics of the group."

Famously, as well documented in Peter Jackson's The Beatles: Get Back film, at Lennon's insistence, Ono sat in on the band's studio sessions while they were making their twelfth and final album, Let It Be.

"Yoko being literally in the middle of the recording session was something you had to deal with," he says. "The idea was that if `John wanted this to happen, then it should happen. And there was no reason why not..."

At this point, Muldoon interjects to say, "Well, except there is a reason why not: you're there to do some work..."

"And anything that disturbs us is disturbing," McCartney adds.

"I don't think any of us particularly liked it," he continues. "It was an interference in the workplace... So not being very confrontational, we just bottled it up and just got on with it."

Later, McCartney states that Lennon's persona was, "very guarded, hopelessly guarded."

"That’s where all his wit came from," he reflects. "Like so many comedians, it’s to shield themselves against the world."

You can listen to the full episode below:

Avenged Sevenfold singer M Shadows has discussed the ways in which he feels technology is having a negative impact on the way modern rock and metal is made. Speaking to Doc Coyle on the Bad Wolves guitarist's podcast The Ex Man, Shadows opens up on the myriad influences that helped shape Avenged's radical new album Life Is But A Dream..., pointing out that despite some fans' assumptions, the album's lead single, Nobody, didn't feature any samples. Shadows then goes on to lament the way that technology has impacted heavy music in recent years.

"There's a lot of vocoder and things we're doing on this record," he explains. "But we're not using ProTools vocoder, right? We brought out the keyboards, we're singing into stuff, we're talking [through] the talk box...but I think as you do that stuff and you do all those new, forward-thinking things in an organic way, I think it just has a knack to it that's very cool. 

"One thing that I think," he continues, "and I've said this on Twitter and you get 'Old man yelling at the clouds', I think technology overuse is killing metal and killing rock. Everyone's using the same samples, they're using the same tools to fill out the speakers, they're brickwalling their mixes, the vocals pop and it's way on top...the normal person that listens to that, they're like, 'This just sounds like one straight line of something, but it's not appealing to me because there's no dynamic, there's no this or that, it all sounds the same.' I think that's why bands like Tool, bands like System, they really stand out because there's so much dynamic, there's so much realness happening.

"I think there's a reason why rock has a hard time translating," he later adds. "Some of these songs...I think, like, what would Master Of Puppets sound like if the drums were quantized, everything was filled out on the speakers, everything was perfectly tuned...it just wouldn't have that same thing that it makes you feel."

Avenged's wild direction on Life Is But A Dream... has drawn extreme reactions from their fanbase, many hailing its ambition, others shocked by how far the band have strayed from their original sound. Speaking to Metal Hammer earlier this year, Shadows revealed that the band found some of the more intense negative reactions to new material hilarious. "We were just laughing," the frontman admitted. "That was more fun to us than someone saying, ‘Oh, this is great.’ We always gear towards a little bit of ruffling feathers.”

Listen to Shadows' appearance on The Ex-Man Podcast below.

As a man who has seen and experienced a lot over his incredible career, Ice-T is certainly someone with plenty of wisdom to imbue upon us mere mortals. With that in mind, podcast publisher iHeartPodcasts probably couldn't have picked a better person for their latest venture; signing up Ice to create bite sized motivational quotes in podcast form. 

Named Ice-T's Daily Game, the show is available daily on all podcast platforms. We were able to chat to the man himself to get the lowdown on the show. 

So, what inspired you to get back into the podcast game Ice? 

“Well, I’m on social media, I’m on Twitter, I used to have Fanclubs so I could talk to the people that wanted to talk to me, and Twitter can be useful for getting close to people who wanna talk to you... long as you block all the bullshit! 

I came up with The Daily Game, it’s just little titbits of knowledge and wisdom I picked up. The person who has the most wisdom is the person that’s been through the most shit, taken the most losses, if you can pay attention to these jewels, it might be able to save you from headaches. I was doing that on Twitter for a few years until iHeartRadio got hold of me and said ‘Hey, why don’t we do these as a podcast?’. So, alright, let’s do it.” 

They’re short and sweet too. 

“Exactly, they’re about five minutes of your time. I take a quote that I think is helpful, and I break the quote down, and I tell you how I see it working in real life. You get that every day, you can wake up, make it part of your regime, and you’ll be surprised at how much they can help you.” 

So, how do you come up with the quotes? Is it just when the inspiration takes you? 

“Yeah. I might get one from you! You never know, people have these little things they walk with. We recorded 200 right out the gate. They researched my Twitter page and said that I had already given 2500 of them out, so it has legs. Everyone is capable of saying something that makes you go ‘Whoah! That was good, that hit me!’ That’s why it’s called The Daily Game; in the streets we’re all playing the game.” 

And you don’t have to respond to the trolls you get on Twitter this way either! 

“Well, you know, you get someone like me who is willing to engage with the fans and be cool, and then you always gonna get an asshole! So, I think ‘You wanna be famous today?’ and I make ‘em famous! (laughs) It’s good, all I gotta do is retweet ‘em and my fans come in ‘Get the fuck outta here, we’re trying to have a conversation! Don’t be fucking with Ice!’ 

I’m all for blocking, but some people say shit so stupid that you gotta let them know how stupid they are. But, honestly, here’s a little daily game for you here: the only way you gonna be upset is if one of your friends say that shit to you. Some random asshole on the internet, who cares. Someone you respect say something, that might get to you, but that ain’t happened to me so far.” 

And how long can you see the podcast running for? Will you ever run out of wisdom? 

“I don’t' think I’ll ever run out of wisdom! But there’s only 365 days in a year, we already done a year’s worth, so we’re gonna see where we are after that, but, from what I understand, it’s already taken off. We’re moving fast, but there will never be a shortage of knowledge and game, so hopefully it’ll be something people will listen to for years to come.” 

Listen to Ice-T's Daily Game below

Red Hot Chili Peppers' bass legend Flea is launching a new podcast series to explore the formative musical experiences, influences and inspirations which shaped some of the industry's most iconic figures.

Set to run for 15 episodes, the podcast, titled This Little Light, will find the bassist in conversation with Rick Rubin, Patti Smith, country star Margo Price, jazz/soul/R&B bassist Thundercat and more, delving deep into the roots of their musical journeys, and looking at the teachers, key experiences and pivotal influences which helped set each guest on their individual musical journeys. The series is scheduled to launch on March 30.

A portion of the proceeds from the podcast will be invested in the Silverlake Conservatory of Music, the non-profit Los Angeles music school which Flea founded in 2001.

“I wanted to do This Little Light to benefit my music school, the Silverlake Conservatory of Music,” Flea says in a statement announcing his new venture. “The idea behind it being music education, falling in love with music and embarking on a musical journey for your life. Everybody’s path is so different, and it’s fascinating to learn how every musician came to music and developed their study of it over time.”

As the series launches, the Red Hot Chili Peppers will embark upon the North American leg of an expansive world tour in support of last year's Unlimited Love and Return Of The Dream Canteen albums, with the opening show taking place in Vancouver, Canada, on March. The tour will hit Europe in June, and take in stadium shows in London and Glasgow.

On this week's Metal Hammer Podcast, El chats to Tom Dare of the Hell Bent For Metal Podcast, the LGBTQ+ heavy metal podcast that looks at metal from a queer perspective and offers a platform for the metal scene's LGBTQ+ community. 

Tom talks about his experiences coming out as a gay man in the metal scene, why he felt the need to start Hell Bent For Metal, why we need to continue holding problematic attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community to account in metal and some of the albums he's been excited about this year.

Elsewhere, Editor-In-Chief Merl details some of the 40 exclusive interviews that make up part of the new special edition issue of Hammer as part of Metallica's approaching 40th anniversary celebration. 

The magazine not only includes previously unpublished material with Lars Ulrich and Kirk Hammett, but brand new interviews about Metallica's amazing history with the likes of Jason Newsted, Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Halford, Kerry King, Geezer Butler, Bob Rock, Joe Satriani, Scott Reeder, Gary Holt, Scott Ian, Pepper Keenan, Flemming Rasmussen, Cronos, Emily Eavis, Doyle, Matt Heafy, Adam 'Edge' Copeland and many, many more. 

Order the latest issue of Metal Hammer now.

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Led Zeppelin IV is 50 years old. Celebrate its birthday by listening to the Led Zep IV episode of Classic Rock's podcast The 20 Million Club.

Hosted by British broadcasting legend Nicky Horne, The 20 Million Club also features guests appearances from the Classic Rock team, with every episode exploring one of the biggest-selling rock albums of all time.

Released in November 1971, IV was housed in an anonymous sleeve, with no band name and no album title. The record company delayed release for month, fearing that it was commercial suicide. The idiots. 

It became the band's best-selling album. But why? 

Who is the old man on the album cover? Who's the other guy on the inner sleeve? We talk 'superhype', Jimmy Page's fascination with black magic, the lyrical "hippy-Hobbity shit", the mysteries of the sleeve art, the musical influences and more. Is it the best Led Zeppelin album? What's the worst song on it? Do big-legged women have souls? Listen for the answers to all these mysteries and more.

The 20 Million Club can be listened to right now on Apple Podcasts and Spotify or anywhere you get podcasts. There will be five more episodes to come in this season. Subscribe to never miss an episode and please leave a review.

Iron Maiden’s polymath frontman Bruce Dickinson will add yet another entry to his CV by launching a new psychology podcast with Oxford University’s psycholoist and author Dr. Kevin Dutton on Halloween (October 31).

The official blurb for the forthcoming Psycho Schizo Espresso podcast reads: ”If psychology was a country, then it would be the world's top tourist destination bar none. It's an enchanted territory with something for everyone: from aliens to drug lords, from serial killers to conspiracy theories. Join intellectual explorers Bruce Dickinson and Dr. Kevin Dutton for an Indiana Jones style adventure through some of its most far-flung corners as they delve intoThe  the psyches of rock icons, sporting superstars, and special forces soldiers and get the latest tips and insights from some of the most respected thought leaders and brain scientists on the planet.

“If you've ever wondered whether psychopaths like Hannibal Lecter and Patrick Bateman really exist outside the imaginations of Hollywood screenwriters and film directors, why ghosts only seem to appear at night, and about the true meaning of the Book of Revelation's most enduring and enigmatic mystery — 666, the number of the beast — then welcome aboard Flight Psycho Schizo Espresso and observe the 'fasten seatbelt' sign!”

“Not long after meeting Bruce, it became instantly clear to me that we shared a number of wide-reaching interests and that we should channel that into a podcast,” says Dutton. “Psycho Schizo Espresso is certainly a journey of exploration for the both of us, and we are sure our listeners are going to learn a lot from our guests. Whether from the music industry, academia or elsewhere — you may, for instance, share our interest in psychopaths, both good and bad — this is certainly a podcast that we feel everyone will enjoy and should go and subscribe to straight away.”

Episode One will feature New Testament scholar Professor Steven J. Friesen from the University of Texas, author of Imperial Cults And The Apocalypse Of John - Reading Revelation In The Ruins, and expert on the Book Of Revelation. The episode will be the first of a two-parter exploring the Devil's role in heavy metal and decoding one of the Bible's most impenetrable secrets, the hidden meaning behind 666, "The Number Of The Beast”.

The Psycho Schizo Espresso podcast can be found in the usual places podcasts can be found. 

On the new episode of the Metal Hammer Podcast El, Jonathan and Steve answer your questions!

We discuss whether metal personalities will ever get on mainstream TV again after the return of Never Mind The Buzzcocks, why metal from Latin America doesn’t get the attention it deserves, and the evolution of Download and Bloodstock festivals.

We also cover some of the most important issues of 2021: which breeds of dog are most metal, and what’s the most metal condiment?

Buy our Joey Jordison tribute issue, out now.

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Listen now via Spotify, Apple, Podbean and more.

Merl, El and Jonathan cast their ears over an insanely busy couple of weeks for great albums, as we discuss whether Spiritbox's much-anticipated debut album Eternal Blue lives up to the hype; why Employed To Serve may have just made the album of their career with Conquering; how Carcass managed to out-do half the death metal scene once again with Torn Arteries; why the sky's the limit for Unto Others thanks to immense new album Strength; and whether Alien Weaponry's new album Tangaroa lives up to their excellent debut.

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Listen now via Spotify, Apple, Podbean and more.

Classic Rock has today launched The 20 Minute Club, a companion "minipod" to The 20 Million Club podcast, dedicated to classic singles.

The 20 Million Club, presented by Nicky Horne and featuring Editor Sian Llewellyn and members of the Classic Rock team, is a podcast about the biggest-selling albums of all time – the ones that have sold 20 million or more.

The 20 Minute Club is a new series of bonus episodes covering classic singles that were in the charts (either the UK Top 40 or the US Billboard Hot 100) at the same time as our featured album.

The newest episode of The 20 Million Club sees the team take a deep dive into Guns N' Roses' Appetite For Destruction, released on July 21, 1987, so in the first episode of The 20 Minute Club, we'll take a shorter look at hit singles that were in the charts the same week that Appetite was released.

We kick off with Genesis' single In Too Deep, from the album Invisible Touch. A no.3 single in the US in July 1987, it had fallen to 43 the week that Appetite For Destruction came out. The team discuss American Psycho, Mona Lisa and the how "the music of Phil Collins and Genesis just became one big homogenous blob of yuppie sex music".

Episodes of The 20 Minute Club will automatically appear in The 20 Million Club feed and can be listened to right now on Apple Podcasts and Spotify or anywhere you get podcasts. Subscribe to never miss an episode.

Written for the 1986 Bob Hoskins crime drama Mona Lisa, where its romantic sentiment seems at odds in a scene where Hoskins' character trails around Soho peep shows, In Too Deep also featured prominently in a key scene in the movie of Brett Easton Ellis's book American Psycho, where the protagonist Patrick Bateman comments: “In Too Deep is the most moving pop song of the 80s”.

Ellis later jokingly claimed that listening to Genesis was one of the most traumatic parts of writing the book: "There were moments in the book that were harrowing to write about and I’m thinking of Genesis… and the mutilation of women, but I found listening to Genesis more harrowing. I was not a big Genesis fan but I was figuring out who Patrick would like and felt he’d be part of the Genesis audience. Do you know how many times I listened to Tonight, Tonight, Tonight?"

In 2016, Ellis claimed that he was snubbed by Collins at an event (“Phil Collins didn't want to meet me … because he had gotten upset about the Genesis stuff in the book") but in a web chat on The Guardian that same year, Collins said he was "flattered" that his music was referenced heavily in American Psycho. 

"If my music is being held as representative of an era, then that's more than I thought would happen to me when I was 13 or 14," he said. "I thought the movie of American Psycho was quite funny - I don't know if it was meant to be. I don't think him being a psychopath and liking my music is linked - my music was just omnipresent in that era."

Genesis’ upcoming The Last Domino? tour begins in Birmingham at the Utilita Arena (NIA) on September 20.

Episodes of The 20 Minute Club will automatically appear in The 20 Million Club feed and can be listened to right now on Apple Podcasts and Spotify or anywhere you get podcasts. Subscribe to never miss an episode and please leave a review.

On this week's Metal Hammer Podcast sponsored by KILLSTAR, Merl chats to Mike Schiff, director of upcoming mega-documentary The History Of Metal And Horror.

Mike has spent years amassing one of the most impressive cast-lists ever as he talks to the likes of Slipknot's Corey Taylor, Alice Cooper, Rob Zombie, Korn's Jonathan Davis, Anthrax's Scott Ian, the maestro of horror John Carpenter, Hellraiser legend Doug Bradley, Friday The 13th favourite Kane Hodder and many, many more about the decades-long relationship between heavy metal and horror movies. Put short: Mike has such sights to show you...

Listen now via Spotify, Apple, Acast and more.

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The first in a new season of Classic Rock's podcast series The 20 Million Club is out now, with a look at Guns N' Roses' game-changing Appetite For Destruction, the best-selling debut album of all-time.

Hosted by British broadcasting legend Nicky Horne, The 20 Million Club also features guests appearances from Classic Rock Editor Siân Llewellyn, alongside Scott Rowley, former Classic Rock Editor-In-Chief (and current Content Director of Music at Future), as well as Paul Elliott, the first UK journalist to interview Guns N' Roses.

Arriving at a time when bland dance and ten-a-penny pop dominated the charts, Guns N’ Roses were like a whirlwind of thrilling, drug-fuelled hedonism when they first came to prominence in 1987. A streetwise hurricane of equal parts Rolling Stones, AC/DC and Aerosmith, the members’ love of Hanoi Rocks gave them a glam dash, but underneath lurked a fertile hunger that was simply dangerous. Sex, drugs and rock’n’roll: that’s what the Guns N’ Roses who recorded Appetite For Destruction were made of. 

But Appetite was remarkable for many reasons – no one saw it coming, but it gave us the band who, in one fell swoop, redefined what rock’n’roll was all about in the days pre-Nirvana and helped shape the rock landscape we see before us today.

This is the first episode of season 2 of The 20 Million Club, but you can catch up on the first series now. Since launch the team have argued the merits of AC/DC’s Back In Black, Led Zeppelin's 4th album, Alanis Morisette's Jagged Little Pill, Queen's Greatest Hits, Prince's Purple Rain, Pink Floyd's The Dark Side Of The Moon and Meat Loaf's Bat Out Of Hell.

The 20 Million Club can be listened to right now on Apple Podcasts and Spotify or anywhere you get podcasts. Subscribe to never miss an episode and please leave a review.

The biggest metal album of 2021 has finally arrived, and it's time to go in deep. Merl and Jonathan dissect the 17th studio album from Iron Maiden, Senjutsu, discussing Maiden's journey over the past two decades and how it's led them to this point, why they're never going to be the band that smashes out 10 five-minute bangers, the best songs on the album, how The Writing On The Wall represents Maiden's most interesting single in years, how Darkest Hour's Winston Churchill lyrics represent a unique take on an increasingly divisive character, how Death Of The Celts feels like the ultimate Clansman sequel and much, much more.

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It's one of the biggest Metal Hammer Podcast guests ever as Metallica legend Jason Newsted joins us for the very first time!

Jason talks to Steve about some of the biggest moments of his career with Metallica, including his first reaction to hearing his (lack of) bass on ...And Justice For All, how producer Bob Rock helped to make him understand that less is more for ‘The Black Album’, how he feels about the fans' reaction to Metallica's drastic image change for the Load album, what planted the seeds for his eventual exit from the band, the projects with Devin Townsend and Sepultura that never came to fruition and much, much more.

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Bloodstock is BACK and we're excited about it! On the new Metal Hammer Podcast sponsored by KILLSTAR, Merl and Steve run through the evolution of the festival since its humble beginnings in 2001, plus rake their mitts over this year's excellent lineup. Will Devin Townsend, Kreator or Judas Priest be the headliner of the weekend? Will While She Sleeps win over the Bloodstock crowd? Will the tent survive Napalm Death? Can Wargasm get it together live? All this and much more...

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The new Metal Hammer Podcast is a Q+A special as Merl and Steve tackle some questions from you lot – our lovely, loyal listeners! We discuss how new Iron Maiden album Senjutsu will affect their Legacy Of The Beast setlist, the upcoming gigs and festivals we're most excited about (bring on Bloodstock!), underrated musicians, the best five years for metal ever, instrumentals, cover bands, Crystal Lake and much more!

Listen now via Spotify, Apple, Acast and more.

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Merl, El and Steve react to the devastating news that Slipknot legend Joey Jordison has died at the age of 46. We discuss his amazing legacy with Slipknot, from standing out as an anomaly of a drummer in the nu metal era to becoming one of metal's most beloved figures. Plus, we chat about Murderdolls and what a bizarre left turn they were for him, his short-lived Scar The Martyr project, his acrimonious departure from Slipknot, his return to music with Vimic and Sinsaenum and his emotional night at the Metal Hammer Golden God Awards in 2016.

Listen now via Spotify, Apple, Acast and more.

The Metal Hammer Podcast is sponsored by KILLSTAR. 

Order the latest copy of Metal Hammer now. 

This week's new Metal Hammer podcast is live now. In a world exclusive new interview, Metal Hammer Deputy Editor Eleanor Goodman talks to the legendary 'Godfather Of Nu Metal' himself, Ross Robinson! 

The influential producer opens up about his turbulent time recording Slipknot's second and explosive album Iowa, from the serious injury that left him in chronic pain during the recording process to the mental state of the band themselves over the course of what proved to be a life-altering experience.

Listen now via Spotify, Apple, Acast and more.

The Metal Hammer Podcast is sponsored by KILLSTAR. 

Pick up Metal Hammer magazine's Iowa special now via www.tinyurl.com/GetHammer.

The new Metal Hammer Podcast is live and it's a biggie. Joining Merl on this week's show is the legendary Sharon Den Adel from everyone's favourite Dutch symphonic metal megastars, Within Temptation! Sharon and Merl discuss Within Temptation's upcoming livestream extravaganza, the band's recent new single Shed My Skin (and how they ended up teaming with Annisokay for it), the long awaited Within Temptation / Evanescence tour and the countries Sharon is still hoping to hit up before all is said and done.

Listen now via Spotify, Apple, Acast and more.

The Metal Hammer Podcast is sponsored by KILLSTAR – get your exclusive KILLSTAR discount from www.killstar.com/pages/metalpod. 

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Fresh from a history-making weekend at Donington, Merl, El and Steve get stuck into Download Pilot 2021 with a mammoth two-hour review of the festival that got the world talking. 

They discuss how the testing and entry conditions worked to get 10,000 people safely back on the sacred grounds of Donington, how it felt to be back in a field with a load of mates again and the experience of seeing a band walk out on a festival stage for the first time in two years. Oh, and there was also plenty more music! The trio review some all-time great sets from While She Sleeps, Creeper, Skindred, Enter Shikari, Bullet For My Valentine, Loathe, Bleed From Within, Employed To Serve and more. One of these bands even got Merl to come out of circle pit retirement, but you'll never guess for which song.

We also reveal the brand new issue of Metal Hammer starring Slipknot and get psyched for Metallica's epic Black Album celebrations.

The Metal Hammer Podcast is sponsored by KILLSTAR – get your exclusive KILLSTAR discount from www.killstar.com/pages/metalpod

Get the new issue of Metal Hammer at tinyurl.com/GetHammer

On the new Metal Hammer Podcast, Merl chats to the one and only Benji Webbe from Skindred! We find out what Benji has been up to in lockdown, what prompted his son to put him on a strict, life-changing new regime, why he returned to Earache Records with Skindred over 20 years since first joining them with Dub War and what prompts Disturbed mainman David Draiman to text him at least once a year. 

Oh, and we get hyped for Download Pilot Festival! Benji tells us which bands he's looking forward to seeing live, and why he'll always have time for the Bullet For My Valentine boys.

Listen now via Spotify, Apple, Podbean and more.

The latest issue of Metal Hammer, featuring Babymetal on teh cover, is out now.

On this week's Metal Hammer Podcast, Merl, Steve and Jonathan take in some of the latest metal releases you need to know about. 

We discuss the clusterfuck around Fear Factory ahead of their new album, Aggression Continuum, and debate whether the record lives up to their legacy. 

Plus, we rate the new Perturbator album and decide whether it's done enough to shrug off the 'synthwave tag'. Steve and Jonathan go in two-footed on new Atreyu album, Baptize, and we review new releases from Svalbard frontwoman Serena Cherry's Noctule project and rising Nashville collective, Black Moon Mother.

Listen now via Spotify, Apple, Podbean and more.

Get an exclusive KILLSTAR 10% discount and entry to a £100 gift card draw by heading to www.killstar.com/pages/metalpod.

The latest issue of Metal Hammer, featuring Babymetal on teh cover, is out now.

The new Metal Hammer Podcast is live and it’s a big one as Merl, El and Steve pick one Trivium album to enter into the Metal Hammer Podcast Hall Of Fame!

It's two classics as Ascendancy faces off against Shogun. Ascendancy was the album that put Trivium on the world stage with classic anthems such as Pull Harder On The Strings Of Your Martyr and A Gunshot To The Head Of Trepidation turning the band into metal's newest superstars. 

Shogun, meanwhile, was the album that put Trivium back on the horse after the misstep of The Crusade, and might still be their most ambitious album to this day. But which one makes it in? The Metal Hammer trio debate and decide. Plus, we have new sponsors – welcome KILLSTAR!

Get an exclusive KILLSTAR 10% discount and entry to a £100 gift card draw by heading to www.killstar.com/pages/metalpod.

Get the Metal Hammer podcast.  

The Metal Hammer Podcast has announced a new sponsorship deal with world-renowned alt-fashion brand, KILLSTAR.

The deal with KILLSTAR, who specialise in clothing, shoes and accessories for metal, goth and alternative music fans, will begin with episode 166, broadcasting this Thursday (June 3) and featuring a special Hall Of Fame episode on metal heavyweights, Trivium.

“The Metal Hammer Podcast has undergone a lot of evolutions over the years, but one thing has always remained the same: that it's a podcast by metal fans, for metal fans,” says Metal Hammer Editor, Merlin Alderslade. “When we decided to find a sponsor to partner up with for the show, we wanted to make sure it was a company who are run with the same ethos. When KILLSTAR came on board, we couldn’t have been more delighted - they’re one of the most respected alternative clothing brands in the world, and a team-up like this just makes sense.”

The partnership will see special KILLSTAR deals and discounts announced for Metal Hammer Podcast listeners. Tune in every week via Spotify, iTunes, Acast and wherever else you get your podcasts for exclusive interviews, the latest news and special edition episodes from the Metal Hammer team.

Head to www.killstar.com for all the latest KILLSTAR ranges and updates.

Genesis guitarist and bassist Mike Rutherford is the guest on the latest Rockonteurs podcast, hosted by Saucerful Of Secrets members Gary Kemp and Guy Pratt. You can listen to the podcast below.

Rutherford takes a break from rehearsals with Genesis for their upcoming October tour dates t discuss his career with Genesis and Mike + The Mechanics, and he reveals how rehearsals have been going for the upcoming Genesis live dates.

"We had a rehearsal last January in New York to try out, to see if we were any good," says Rutherford. "Try out the songs, and Nick, Phil's son, who's drumming with us. And it went pretty well so we said let's rehearse last October and November. And we'd booked the tour and then lockdown happened and thought 'We were crazy rehearsing, it might never happen'. And then we thought If we don't so it now, and it goes back another year and a half it's not meant to be. So we rehearsed anyway and it went well. We came out with a show we think is good and we're ready to go.

"We've been going for over 50 years and there's a nice chemistry, being in a band. The banter. Theres certain things I can say and only Phil and Tony will know what I'm talking about. it was just nice spending time together. And a big plus was Nicholas, Phil's son, who's drumming with us... Because he's Phil's son, he's almost got an English feel and it kind of makes it almost easier to play."

The Rockonteurs podcast sees Kemp and Pratt chatting with fellow musicians about their careers. Previous guests have included Nick Mason, David Coverdale, Brian Johnson, Nile Rodgers and more...

The newest episode of the Metal Hammer Podcast is live, and it's a special review round-up of the most recent releases you need to know about. Merl, Steve and Jonathan pick a few albums each to talk about, and they're all ragers. Have The Crown put out a contender for the best death metal album of 2021? Plus, the boys dissect new albums from two of the most exciting young UK bands in Dvne and Pupil Slicer, and Jonathan takes us on a trip to Italy to find some of Europe's most out-there new records..

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The latest Metal Hammer Podcast is one of our biggest shows ever as Merl, Steve and Jonathan decide which Metallica album gets inducted into the sacred Metal Hammer Podcast Hall Of Fame - Ride The Lightning or Master Of Puppets?

The lads reveal how they first each discovered Metallica, discuss why these two albums were so important to metal's evolution, where any small chinks in either album's armour might be (and we had to search hard to find them...) and which songs on each record are our favourites. 

And while we're here: a big shout out to the mighty Conjurer for providing the new theme for the show! 

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The Metal Hammer podcast brings you all the biggest news and hottest topics every week from the world of metal with Merlin, Eleanor and guests at Metal Hammer magazine, as well as interviews, reviews and deep dives. 

Listen below, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The Heavy Network has welcomed new podcast Band Practice to their schedule, hosted by acclaimed underground punk outfit The OBGMs.

The podcast is set to follow the trio (Denz, Cola and Joe) as they explore the world of music through a POC lens. They talk music, culture, race and life as they know it via variously hilarious anecdotes and conversations. In the words of the podcast's introductory jingle: "If you wanna hear guys talking shit with their friends, come to band practice with the OBGMs".

The latest episode, So Bitter, features Stefan Babcock from Toronto pop-punk group Pup. Babcock explains his relationship with the all-too-relatable feeling of imposter syndrome, and reveals, "Every time I write a good song, I think it's the last one I'm going to write. I'm like oh f*ck I'm washed. It's over." He also shares stories of his early bands, songwriting and dangerous adventures on the road. 

The podcast aims to create a space for the overshadowed figures in the music industry, such as POC and minority groups. OBGMs frontman Denz McFarlane says “This is a Black-fronted punk band, and that’s really important. Rock'n'roll is mostly white suburban kids – that’s what gets promoted. But we are black and we out here. I was inspired to make rock music when I saw a black guy onstage, and if someone sees that in us, I hope it will inspire a new generation to go after this.”. 

You can listen to the podcast on Spotify or Apple. New episodes are released every Friday.

The popular The Album Years podcast from Steven Wilson and Tim Bowness has returned for a second series. The podcast, which features the No-Man members discussing the important album releases of a specific year in their own unique style has proved a hit with listeners, charting highly around the globe.

In the first episode the pair discuss 1981, looking at releases, from, among others, Rush, Iron Maiden, Pat Metheny, Rupert Hine and Phil Collins' debut album Face Value.

"Taking in Post-Punk, Electro-Pop, Metal, Progressive, Jazz and more, in this edition Wilson and Bowness discuss artists as diverse as Japan, A Certain Ratio, Rush, Grace Jones, Rupert Hine, OMD, Pat Metheny, Iron Maiden, Magazine and others," the pair say. "Against all odds, they also make a valiant attempt to defend Phil Collins' masterwork Face Value! Launched at the beginning of the UK lockdown in 2020, The Album Years ended up being in the Top 5 music podcast charts in nearly 30 countries."

The first series of the podcast ran for 12 episodes, looking at years ranging from 1967 to 1998.

Listen to The Album Years.

The brand new Metal Hammer podcast is here, and this week Merl sits down with Epica singer Simone Simons to talk about the unique recording process behind their bombastic new album Omega, whether they thought twice about releasing an album during a pandemic, why it took so long to get a new album together at all, how Disney and Nightwish helped Simone's journey into singing and what she misses most about touring. 

You can pick up an exclusive Metal Hammer Epica bundle featuring a lyric sheet hand-signed by Simone here.

• Download the Metal Hammer Podcast from iTunes
• Download the Metal Hammer Podcast from Spotify
• Download the Metal Hammer Podcast from ACast
• Download the Metal Hammer Podcast from Podbean

What? It’s the weekend already? You’re shitting us. That can only mean one thing. 

That’s right. The new Metal Hammer podcast has landed.

This week, we're focussing on Architects, as Merl, El and Steve dissect the Brighton heroes’ immense and complex new album, For Those That Wish To Exist, and look into their history so far, why it's an achievement that this album could be made at all, and what this album means for their career from here. 

The dynamic, er, trio also decide which guest spot on For Those That Wish To Exist worked the best - Parkway Drive's Winston McCall, Royal Blood's Mike Kerr or Biffy Clyro's Simon Neil, plus we pick our favourite tracks and discuss whether there's a glass ceiling for a band like Architects. 

The Metal Hammer podcast. Architects. You know the drill

• Download the Metal Hammer Podcast from iTunes
• Download the Metal Hammer Podcast from Spotify
• Download the Metal Hammer Podcast from ACast
• Download the Metal Hammer Podcast from Podbean

Bruce Springsteen has teamed up with former US President Barack Obama to record a podcast series. The first two episodes of The Renegades: Born In The USA – which features conversations between the two men – are available on Spotify now.

"On the surface, Bruce and I don’t have a lot in common," says Obama. "But over the years, what we’ve found is that we’ve got a shared sensibility. About work, about family and about America. 

"In our own ways, Bruce and I have been on parallel journeys trying to understand this country that’s given us both so much. Trying to chronicle the stories of its people. Looking for a way to connect our own individual searches for meaning and truth and community with the larger story of America."

Springsteen first met the then future President on the campaign trail in 2008, when he appeared at several rallies and performed solo acoustic shows in support of Obama's candidacy. Springsteen then appeared at the Obama Inaugural Celebration in Washington, D.C. on January 18, 2009.

He also campaigned for Obama's re-election, appearing at campaign events in Ohio, Virginia, Pittsburgh, Iowa and Wisconsin. At the Wisconsin rally, held in Madison, Springsteen told the crowd, “It’s crunch time now. The president’s job, our job, yours and mine – whether you’re a Republican, a Democrat, an independent, rich, poor, black, brown, white, gay, straight, soldier, civilian – is to keep that hope alive."

In The Renegades: Born In The USA, the pair discuss their hometowns and role models, explore modern manhood, confront the reality of a divided America, and offer a vision for how the nation might move forward as one. 

The new episode of Classic Rock's new podcast series The 20 Million Club is out now, with a look at Meat Loaf's Bat Out Of Hell, the third best-selling album of all-time.

Hosted by British broadcasting legend Nicky Horne, The 20 Million Club also features guests appearances from Classic Rock Editor Siân Llewellyn, alongside Scott Rowley, former Classic Rock Editor-In-Chief (and current Content Director of Music at Future).

On its release in 1977, few people would have put money on Bat Out Of Hell becoming the third best-selling album of all time. The week that it entered the UK album charts – released October 1977, it didn't hit the chart until March 1978 – an album called Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols sat at 31. Meat Loaf scraped in at 60. 

In a year of massive change for the music business, Bat Out Of Hell seemed out of step: theatrical and overblown at a time when punk was seemingly ushering in a new wave of gritty realism and anti-rock stars. But maybe that was the secret to its success. Maybe it was the fun antidote to punk's nihilism and prog's navel-gazing. And what was Meat Loaf if not a new kind of rock star? Big and daft, with gloriously huge songs about teenage love and going-all-the-way, Bat Out Of Hell is both preposterous and actually very relatable. 

You can catch up on the whole series now. Since launch the team have argued the merits of AC/DC’s Back In Black, Led Zeppelin's 4th album, Alanis Morisette's Jagged Little Pill, Queen's Greatest Hits, Prince's Purple Rain and Pink Floyd's The Dark Side Of The Moon and more.

The 20 Million Club can be listened to right now on Apple Podcasts and Spotify or anywhere you get podcasts. Subscribe to never miss an episode and please leave a review.

EXTRAS:

Meat Loaf doing Paradise By The Dashboard Light on The Old Grey Whistle Test, May 1978

Official Albums Charts entries for Bat Out Of Hell:

According to the Official Charts Company, Bat was in the UK Albums Charts for 522 weeks, and reached a high point of 9. Bat Out of Hell II went to number 1 but only stayed in the charts for 67 weeks. Bat Out Of Hell entered The UK Album Charts on March 5, 1978 for the first time (at no.60).

Meat Loaf's first album?

The picture above is a reissue of the Stoney and Meatloaf album from 1971. You can tell it's a reissue because the sleeve has Meatloaf (one word) as the lead artist, hoping to capitalise on the success of Bat Out Of Hell. But back in 1971, original sleeves had 'Stoney and Meatloaf' at the top. Stoney was Shaun Murphy, a singer who worked with Bob Seeger, Eric Clapton and later fronted Little Feat. The album was released on Rare Earth records, an imprint of Motown.

Even back in 1971, Meat's weight was used as a marketing device. Check out (I'd Love to be) As Heavy as Jesus:

Are there any albums more ridiculous than Bat Out Of Hell?

A: Yes, there are millions. Just to choose one: Olias Of Sunhillow by Jon Anderson is more ridiculous than Bat Out Of Hell. Gentle Giant, Gong, Rush – they had some crazy ideas for albums. In comparison, Bat is just a bunch of horny love songs.

In the podcast, Scott comments that he'd probably been sent an album that day that was more ridiculous. Was that true? "Well today," he said, "I got sent a press release for a band called Suffocate For Fuck Sake but yesterday's press release for 'UK underground shitgrind act' Shiteater probably beats that: their album is called Annointed In Urine, Crowned in Faeces and the press release boasts that it contains 'elements of old school death metal, grindcore, and thrash for one thrilling stool loosening experience' and songs like Reigning From a Throne of Cold Porcelain, Uncontrolled Projectile Defecation, Left Hand Cack and Wicked Tyrant of Repugnant Feculence. 

"C'mon: that is more ridiculous than Bat Out Of Hell."

• Crazy, overblown and dumb: How Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman made Bat Out Of Hell - the Classic Rock feature
• Meat Loaf albums ranked from worst to best
• 1989 interview with Jim Steinman from Melody Maker about working with Def Leppard and the Sisters of Mercy
• Meat Loaf, a flying wheelchair, and the greatest story ever told

The sixth episode of Classic Rock's new podcast series The 20 Million Club is out now, with a look at Pink Floyd's The Dark Side Of The Moon, the fourth best-selling album of all-time and an album recently voted the greatest ever rock album.

Hosted by British broadcasting legend Nicky Horne, The 20 Million Club also features guests appearances from Classic Rock Editor Siân Llewellyn, alongside Scott Rowley, former Classic Rock Editor-In-Chief.

It's lyrically bleak, musically bonkers and It only has five real songs on it. So how did TDSOTM become the 4th best-selling album of all time? This month, The 20 Million Club swap personal tales of Nick Mason and Storm Thorgerson and consider why Dark Side was the most shoplifted album in HMV Glasgow in the 1990s. 

PLUS: Is The Great Gig In The Sky an astonishing tour de force or just annoying? What's aged about the album? Who comes out of it the best? What does the sleeve actually mean?

All that and Nicky's bizarre encounter with Syd Barrett.

Since launch the team have argued the merits of AC/DC’s Back In Black, Led Zeppelin's 4th album, Alanis Morisette's Jagged Little Pill, Queen's Greatest Hits, and Prince's Purple Rain.

The 20 Million Club can be listened to right now on Apple Podcasts and Spotify or anywhere you get podcasts. Subscribe to never miss an episode and please leave a review.

EXTRAS:

The Mortality Sequence (aka the early version of The Great Gig In The Sky):

Actress Naomi Watts talked to The Guardian about her father Peter Watts, former Pink Floyd road manager and one of the voices on The Dark Side Of The Moon. Peter Watts is pictured on the sleeve of Ummagumma (below, right) with roadie Alan Styles (left):

Scott's Storm Thorgerson obituary has several stories about the man (who wrote a monthly column on album art for Classic Rock) is also online.

• Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon: Inside the making of their classic album
• Dark Side Of The Moon: why is it so bloody popular?
• Pink Floyd: a guide to their best albums
• The 50 greatest Pink Floyd songs ever

The Heavy Network has announced their first new podcast, On Wednesdays We Wear Black. 

The podcast aims to create a diverse space for unrepresented voices within the alternative worlds, promising to "diversify the space and provide an entertaining platform not only to tackle unspoken issues, but for the candid and hilarious discussions that these communities are often excluded from". Episodes will give a voice to women and non-binary people as they explore the world of sex, racism, music and alternative lifestyle.

Hosted by an industry-acclaimed crew of people from a variety of backgrounds and generations – including radio presenter Sophie K, radio presenter and musician Alyx Holcombe and Metal Hammer journalist/TikTok favourite Yasmine Summan – the podcast will be a home to challenge unspoken issues, alongside the hilarious, down-to-earth stories that come hand in hand. 

Podcast host Sophie K explains: “I noticed that the variety of podcasts I listen to had certain similarities. I want to hear diverse voices, I want things to sometimes be challenging but also hilarious and crude. I also want to feel that I'm hanging out with my mates at the pub rather than listening to some elite backstage conversation. However I couldn’t find that in the alternative space. I feel that for too long certain voices have been left out of rock conversations.”

“Every year when pride or black history month comes along we get wheeled out to talk about how we exist in this space. Now I want to create a space where the outcasts can feel represented, whether someone is queer, melanin-blessed, female or non-binary, this is a space we can all hang out and talk about everything from tampons to rock to fan fiction without getting censored by some guy who finds it offensive.”

On Wednesdays We Wear Black will run weekly, with the first episode available now on all major podcast platforms. Get it on Spotify or Apple now. 

Neal Morse has launched a brand new podcast, Musicians Having Coffee And Talking About Stuff. You can watch the first episode in full below in which he is joined by guest and Transatlantic/Neal Morse Band/Flying Colors band mate Mike Portnoy.

"Today's launch day for my new podcast, Musicians Having Coffee And Talking About Stuff," Morse reports. "I’m joined by my friend Mike Portnoy and we get into all kinds of topics: McRib, Spotify, The Bee Gees... you name it. Watch the video on YouTube or listen to the audio on the Waterfall streaming app.

"The title says it all, really! In the first episode, I’m joined by my dear friend Mike Portnoy and you can hear us talk about weird things like junior high school, McRib, and Spotify!"

"Honoured to be the first guest on Neal Morse’s new Podcast Musicians Having Coffee And Talking About Stuff," adds Portnoy. "Watch two longtime friends and musical partners chit chat about everything from the McRib to the Bee Gees to the current music industry to spirituality and everything in between!"

Transatlantic will release their latest album The Absolute Universe on February 5.