Scars and Guitars

Levi Benton (Miss May I)

MISS MAY I release their new album Curse of Existence via SharpTone Records in September 2022. Vocalist Levi Benton was available to discuss and answer questions about the album's place as the definitive statement from the band.

Scott Carstairs (Fallujah)

The new album from Fallujah is titled Empyrean, and it's a summary of the group's work to date; Scott has taken his guitar playing to the next level, there are too many exceptional solos and lead passages to single out, so it was great to chat with him and explore the nuances of the album.

Johan Soderberg (Amon Amarth)

Amon Amarth has launched a new album for 2022, titled The Great Heathen Army. The album is a great opportunity to catch up with the group's guitarist and discuss the finer points of the album, guitar playing and other topics.

Regan Batley (Motherslug)

Motherslug is the bastard child of Sleep and Electric Wizard after a night of drinking and drugging with Neurosis and Kyuss, very heavy stuff! The group's gargantuan sound must be heard to be believed, which is why guitarist and riff lord Regan was asked to testify on the show. In this chat, we dive deep into the mechanics behind the group's monstrous sound and have a grand old time celebrating their killer new album, Blood Moon Blues.

A tribute to Stuart Anstis

A titan of extreme metal guitar performance, the great Stuart Anstis left this mortal coil on August 21, 2022. He will long be remembered through his songcraft and musicianship, which can be heard across Cradle of Filth's game-changing albums, Dusk and Her Embrace and Cruelty and the Beast. Throughout this tribute, Daniel Mitchell (Autumns Eyes) and I wax lyrical, diving into what makes Stuart's guitar playing and songwriting so colossal and why his enduring influence will continue well into the future.
Vale, Stuart Anstis, 2/5/1974 - 21/8/2022.
Thanks to Dan for the chat; it could be the start of a regular thing. For everything Autumns Eyes, check out the website: https://autumnseyes.com/; there are also social links on his site.

Steve Kilbey (The Church)

Steve and The Church are playing select dates across Australia in early September 2022, which is why we have an opportunity to chat. Throughout the discussion, Steve talks about his bass playing, an old encounter with Bauhaus's Peter Murphy and the friendship that could have been, and a deep cut within his solo career that he more or less had forgotten about, among other choice subjects.

Tim Smolens and Chris Bogen (High Castle Teleorkestra)

Tim Smolens (bass, keyboards, cello, vocals) and Chris Bogen (guitars, analog synths, noise collages) are the guests on the show discussing the brilliant album from High Castle Teleorkestra, called The Egg That Never Opened. This band is for you if you're a fan of Mr Bungle, especially the Disco Volante (95) and California (99) albums. Throughout the conversation, the gents discuss the music, themes and concepts explored across the album.

Leni DiMancari (A Rising Force)

In this conversation with Leni, we cover a heap of topics, including the excellent new album from A Rising Force called Eclipse. This episode is notable as we expand the conversation into socio-political subjects, something I hope I can do more over the next phase of the podcast. Thanks to Leni for an epic encounter, one I hope we can repeat!

Zach Moonshine (Metal Devastation Radio, MDPR, The Zach Moonshine Show, Tennessee Metal Devastation Music Fest)

Zach Moonshine talks about his career as the host of The Zach Moonshine Show, Metal Devastation Radio and his promotion business, MDPR. Showing he is of an entrepreneurial mindset, Zach has recently launched the Tennessee Metal Devastation Music Fest, so he also talks about that.

Pedro Espada (Voodoo Moonshine)

Florida/Georgia-based hard rockin' blues outfit Voodoo Moonshine are back with a new single and video from their latest album, 'Bottom of the Barrel, "Give It to Me". The release is the catalyst for a chat with the band's vocalist Pedro Espada, which follows the conversation released earlier in 2022 with guitarist Jeff Losawyer. Pedro shares his thoughts on the album, band life and the state of hard rock and metal.