First and Last and Always

Last episode before another nursing school hiatus! And joining us this time, the inimitable Mark Angel Brandt! Mark is a teacher, writer and fellow metalhead currently based in Merída, Yucatán, Mexico. He is also co-Managing Editor for UK/EU at the Canadian heavy music website, Pure Grain Audio, which recently acquired his former website, Broken Amp. Mark joined Dan for an excellent, wide-ranging chat just before the end of your host's winter break. It's got your first, last and always,...

We’re back with an all-new episode! Joining us this time around: Brutalitopia head instigator, Durf! Durf is a Chicagoan, a blogger, construction worker and fellow metalhead, and friend of Dan’s since the glorious experience that was Maryland Deathfest 2016. He’s also a fellow music nerd, so when he joined Dan on New Year’s Eve day to record his installment of First, Last and Always, all kinds of tangents abounded. (Abund? I dunno. Words are weird.) At any rate, the conversation was...

We're back with Episode 22, and another awesome guest in Kelsey Zimmerman! Kelsey --- known to some as Kelsey Chapstick --- is a drummer, MetalSucks blogger, Blast Beat Network advertising expert, and a friend and former neighbor (sort of?) of Dan's up in New York. She joined Dan just before the holiday for a great chat about her FLA shows --- including one that got Dan all kinds of jealous. There'll be no spoilers in this description, so for more, jump on in and take a listen! KELSEY'S...

We're back with a brand-new, full-length episode of First, Last and Always featuring the most excellent Tom Campagna! Tom is a teacher, a family man, a blogger, and most importantly (nowhere near most importantly) a metalhead. As a contributor to Brutalitopia, Invisible Oranges and others, he's well-versed in all things heavy. Tom joined Dan before the Christmas holiday to talk about his big three shows, and the theme throughout this episode is: "location, location, location!" We're talking...

We're back! Finally! And with us, a very special return guest in one Jonathan Petkau. Jon rejoins us a little more than a year after his original episode to fill us in on an awesome show by Australian progressive metal band Ne Obliviscaris in Calgary, Canada. Plus, we talk a little bit about his own metal project, Domestikwom, which just released its excellent, debut full-length, A Peace That Destroys. That's just the tip of the iceberg on this edition of FLA Minis, so jump on in and take a...

Kevin Dillon returns to First, Last and Always for his very own FLA Mini! He joined us via Skype last weekend to discuss the recent (okay, it was in March) Kreator / Sepultura / Soilwork / Aborted show he caught in Dublin. As per usual, it was a terrific chat, and we're stoked to bring it to you. Jump on in and give it a listen! **KEVIN'S LINKS** Tumblr -- http://kevinwritestuff.tumblr.com Bloco Garman -- https://www.facebook.com/BlocoGarman/ Fatal Attractions Podcast --...

We're back! Dan's finished up school for the semester and ready to kick off our third "season" with an AWESOME chat with Bekki Vaden! A Tennessee native, Bekki is a mother, a podcaster, a women's health advocate and all-around awesome person. She's an avid #metalbandcampgiftclub member, and a co-host of the podcast On the Rag Again, alongside two of our former guests, Seth Werkheiser and Megan Osztrosits! Bekki joined Dan for a terrific chat about all manner of awesome concert experiences --...

Our guest in Episode 19 is Hera Vidal! Hera is a writer, researcher and metalhead based in Southern California, who writes and reviews music for the website Metal Bandcamp, as well as on her own Instagram. She and Dan gush a little about Amorphis and Jeff Lynne (not at the same show, bear in mind...but how weird would that have been?) and then dig into Nightwish, Moenia and all manner of other topics. Jump on in and give it a listen! **HERA'S LINKS** Metal Bandcamp post archive:...

We're back with a conversation with Josh Stewart! Josh hails from South Carolina, and currently runs the show over at metal blog Nine Circles. (Which your host may or may not know a thing or two about.) He's also an active #metalbandcampgiftclub-er and one of the nicest, most stand-up dudes you will ever meet. So yes, he and Dan talked about their share of metal, but they also strayed into country territory for a bit, too. (Woohoo, genre diversity!) All that and tons more in Episode 18, so...

Welcome back! Our guest this time out is Brendan Hesse. Brendan is a writer for Digital Trends, a Pacific Northwesterner and a former colleague of Dan's at Nine Circles -- so you know there's gonna be some metal in this chat. But would you guess there's also some Backstreet Boys? And a TOTALLY awesome "Always"? (Seriously--shit-eating grin material, y'all.) Jump in and check it out! **BRENDAN'S LINKS** Digital Trends: http://www.digitaltrends.com/users/bhesse/ Nine Circles post archive:...

We're back with the second edition of FLA Minis! This time, we're joined by an awesome panel of metalheads, including Tom Campagna (writer for Brutalitopia and Invisible Oranges), Anton Santanen (Zyklonius from #metalbandcampgiftclub, Nine Circles), Frank Santorelli (Frank of Metal, Nine Circles) and our recent guest from Episode 15, Chris Voss! We recorded over drinks at Milk and Roses in Greenpoint, Brooklyn -- just before last Saturday's Khemmis / Crypt Sermon / Sanhedrin show at Saint...

We've got our first intercontinental guest this week! Kevin Dillon joins us from Ireland to share his First, Last and Always in Episode 16. Kevin is a drummer, a writer and a film buff who combines those last two interests on his blog, Small Screen Saver. He's also a dedicated metalhead, who told some great stories about Metallica, Babymetal and a particularly riveting tale of lost shoes. What's that mean? Jump on in and take a listen! **KEVIN'S LINKS** Small Screen Saver --...

Our guest this week is Chris Voss! Chris is a musician (Necrolytic Goat Converter, FirstForgiveness), writer (Nine Circles) and all-around good guy from Long Island, New York. He joins Episode 15 to talk about, well...a whole bunch of shows that make Dan jealous as all hell! We're talking Def Leppard, Opeth, you name it. Plus, a whole bunch of nerding out about Metallica and philosophies of music fandom. It's a great time all around, so jump on in and take a listen! **CHRIS'S LINKS**...

Our guest this week is Eric Pressman! Eric is a veteran of the punk and hardcore communities, having played in both The Mistake and Terror, as well as served as tour manager for Throwdown. He joined for a chat last week and covered all manner of awesome stuff: a Bon Jovi and Skid Row show, tales from Ozzfest, plus a recommendation for Minneapolis black metal band False's next all-covers set! What band did he recommend? Jump on in and give it a listen! **OUR LINKS** Web:...

Our guest on Episode 13 is Travis Turner! Trav's a fellow music podcaster -- creator, producer and host of a terrific show called As The Story Grows -- as well as the co-founder of Lavirra Productions, which handles all manner of online media. Our conversation covered everything from Christian metal, to Insane Clown Posse, to how best (if at all) to classify Primus. Tons of great stuff in between all that, so jump on in and take a listen! **TRAV'S LINKS** As The Story Grows --...

We're back with a new full-length episode at last! Joining the show this week is Jonathan Petkau. Jon runs three terrific podcasts -- Respectably Loud, The X-Hausted Files, and Metal Minute -- and is also the mastermind behind the independent metal project Domestikwom. He's got three terrific stories to share, so jump in and take a listen! **JON'S LINKS** Respectably Loud -- https://respectablyloud.simplecast.fm/ The X-Hausted Files -- https://thexhaustedfiles.simplecast.fm/ Metal Minute --...

It's the first edition of FLA Minis -- a new segment here on the pod that'll focus on one-off concert experiences. Seen a good show lately? Tell us about it -- whether you've been on the show before or not, we want to hear it. For the first edition, Dan covers last Friday's Carcass / Deafheaven / Inter Arma / Divination show in Reading, PA. Give it a listen!

Welcome back to First, Last and Always! (That's right, the first "and" in our name has gone away. Fare thee well, first-and!) After an eight-month break, Dan's resurrected the podcast and he's here to tell you all about it. Plus, a recap of the Skinny Lister / Lincoln Durham / Trapper Schoepp show he went to in Philadelphia last week. Dive on in and take a listen!

Our guest on Episode 11 is Shayne Mathis! Shayne is a writer, fellow metalhead and, of course, a fellow podcaster -- producer of the terrific heavy metal podcast, Full Metal Hipster. Shayne and Dan had a great conversation about Lollapalooza, getting into metal, a riot at a particular show in Columbus...hell, Shayne even surprised Dan by revealing that "The Crow" had sequels. Multiple sequels! Great times all around, so give it a listen!

Our guest in Episode 10 is Lindsey Turnbullet! Lindsey is a blogger, editor, publisher, fellow tweeter, and just an all-around good person. And her conversation truly brings back THE METAL to First and Last and Always. We cover everything from Iron Maiden to Nifelheim to Pig Destroyer -- so for fans of a heavier persuasion, this is the episode for you! (Okay, we also touch...BRIEFLY...on Blood, Sweat and Tears and the Backstreet Boys. But very briefly. Like...a sentence each.) All that and...