The Metal Hammer Podcast

Five Finger Death Punch's Chris Kael has taken to Instagram to silence critics of Parkway Drive's new album, Reverence. But why are fans split over the record? How are Parkway Drive evolving? And should we all just turn off the internet and be nice to each other?We also chat about Guns N' Roses' $1,000 deluxe box set, new music from Babymetal and Wes Borland, and why coffee's best when it comes out of an animal's bum.The Metal Hammer Podcast is powered by Olympus.

What the hell is going on with Ghost?! Are the Papas dead? Can you go see them? What's the deal with Papa III? We dive deep into the recent addition to Ghost lore and discuss whether or not they're actually a metal band.We also chat about Babymetal's new record label, what Guns N' Roses are teasing, the future of metal, and whether Kiss would still be Kiss without any original members. Plus a needlessly long discussion about Lordi's restaurant...The Metal Hammer Podcast is powered by Olympus.

Merlin, Luke and Jonathan have just about recovered from their weekends of heaviness – from the Metal Hammer tour to Roadburn festival – but they're back with all the latest news and go deep into the concept of festivals. Would a touring festival work in the UK? Which festival is the best? We find out!We also discuss new music from Scars On Broadway, Sleep and Deafheaven, as well as reveal the brand new issue of Metal Hammer with the almighty Ghost on the cover! Plus we answer your questions and give a full review of the best gig of the year.The Metal Hammer Podcast is powered by Olympus.

Luke sits down with Ihsahn to talk about his new album Ámr and the processes behind creating arguably his best solo record yet. They also discuss the influence of Iron Maiden on a young Ihsahn, why there hasn't been a new Emperor album, Edgar Allen Poe and why music can act as religion for some people.The Metal Hammer Podcast is powered by Olympus.

The Hammer team are losing their collective minds over the revelation that Howard Jones and Jesse Leach are working on a new Killswitch Engage song together! This is obviously going to be amazing. But what do KSE mean to heavy metal in 2018? Can they still break into arenas? What do we want from a new album? Merlin, Eleanor and Luke celebrate one of metalcore’s greatest bands.We also discuss the news that Rammstein are in the studio, the new song from Bury Tomorrow and Ghost’s new video for Rats. There’s also an exclusive interview clip from Ihsahn and we find out what the biggest misconception is about working in the music press.The Metal Hammer Podcast is powered by Olympus.

This week System Of A Down announced a bunch of US dates following a series of teasers on social media, which most fans assumed to be new album news. But do we actually want new music from SOAD? Merlin, Eleanor and Luke debate whether a new album from the bizarro-metallers would actually be any good, or if it would tarnish a near-perfect legacy. We also discuss the new Ghost frontman, work on the new Slipknot album, the idea of virtual reality gigs and why certain bands never made it big.The Metal Hammer Podcast is powered by Olympus.

As Watain come under fire for a photo of guitarist Set Teitan giving the Nazi salute, we ask why bands continue to use the provocative gesture, and whether there's ever a justification for it. Plus, we discuss the latest teaser videos from Ghost and Babymetal. All hail Papa and the Fox God.The Metal Hammer Podcast is powered by Olympus.

The 2018 Golden Gods are go! Merl, El and Jonathan reveal who you can vote for to win this year's awards. Listen to the nominations, then go to Metalhammer.com to have your say.The Metal Hammer Podcast is powered by Olympus.

Merl, El and Jonathan talk about the controversial 'legal touting' issue facing music fans, plus Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson teaming up with Courtney Love, Parkway's brutal Underworld show and much more.The Metal Hammer Podcast is powered by Olympus.

In a week where Parkway Drive and Five Finger Death Punch announce new albums, we ask which bands are likely to make the leap into arenas and the mainstream in 2018? This week Merlin, Eleanor and Luke discuss the possibility of metal's new breed making a bid for the mainstream. We also discuss our biggest regrets in music, albums being played in their entirety, the funniest things we've seen at gigs and much more! There are even mentions of Doctor Who and Robot Wars.The Metal Hammer Podcast is powered by Olympus.

Pirate metal – is it ridiculous or should metalheads embrace the silly side of music? In this week's episode, Merlin and Luke are joined once again by Reviews/Subterranea Editor Jonathan Selzer to discuss gimmicks in metal – from Babymetal to Alestorm to Trollfest. We also have news about Tool, Record Store Day and Fred Durst's new movie (yep), and debate whether the never-ending stream of sub-genres is a good or band thing for metal.The Metal Hammer Podcast is powered by Olympus.

Luke sits down with Rob Halford and Ian Hill from Judas Priest to talk about new album Firepower and what it means to be heavy metal! The pair also discuss Priest's early days, working with Andy Sneap and Glenn Tipton's Parkinson's diagnosis. And will the mighty Judas Priest ever call it a day? Find out now!The Metal Hammer Podcast is powered by Olympus.

Merlin and Luke are joined by Metal Hammer's Reviews and Subterranea Editor Jonathan Selzer this week to discuss extreme metal's relationship with censorship, following the cancellation of a Taake tour in the United States. We also chat about news music from Parkway Drive, the possibility of Joey rejoining Slipknot, the best thrash band of all time and what's going on with Ghost.The Metal Hammer Podcast is powered by Olympus.

We sit down with Andrew WK, to talk about life, the universe and everything. In this extended interview with the Party King, we discuss the concept of destiny, what Andrew's true purpose is, and why music is the most powerful force on the planet.The Metal Hammer Podcast is powered by Olympus.

This week, Merlin, Eleanor and Luke discuss the complicated relationship between musicians and politics, plus news about new records from Tool, Slipknot and Behemoth. We also take a look at the new sounds coming out of heavy music, and why you better brace yourself for the synthwave invasion!