That's Not Metal

TNM returns from a week off with a cross continent double fest report as we hit up Yorkshire's Fortress and Poland's Mystic Festival, seeing every band under the sun from Agalloch to Ulcerate, W.A.S.P. to King Diamond, Bullet to Beherit. Releases: Turnstile - Never Enough Volbeat - God of Angels Trust Kaonashi - I Want to Go Home Orthodox - A Door Left Open View From the Soyuz - Ubiquitous Katatonia - Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State King Parrot - A Young Persons Guide To Gruesome - Silent Echoes Gaahl’s Wyrd - Braiding the Stories Autumn Nostalgie - Metanoia Austere - The Stillness of Dissolution Dimscûa - Dust Eater Buckcherry - Roar Like Thunder Fallujah - Xenotaph Hexvessel - Nocturne Dolven - In My Grave…Silence letlive. - The Blackest Beautiful Revisited Sigh - I Saw the World’s End - Hangman’s Hymn MMXXV The Cure - Mixes of a Lost World Queens of the Stone Age - Alive in the Catacombs Metallica - Load (Remastered)

A bumper Album Club dissection as Mötley Crüe go horribly wrong on Generation Swine. Crossfaith's electronicore captures a moment on Zion, Have Heart's melodic hardcore landmark Songs to Scream at the Sun, and Suffocation invent/perfect brutal death metal with Effigy of the Forgotten. Brandon. We love you. This episode was originally published May 2024 on patreon.com/thatsnotmetal.

Sam is lured back to the UK's pop punk home for Slam Dunk 2025 and has to think long and hard about Electric Callboy, and we doff our caps to Svalbard's decision to drop the curtain on a decade plus career as one of the UK's favourite heavy bands. Releases: Skunk Anansie - The Painful Truth Midnight - Steel, Rust and Disgust Thus Spoke Zarathustra - I’m Done With Self Care, It’s Time for Others’ Harm Home Is Where - Hunting Season Witchcraft - Idag Witchrot - Soul Cellar Year of No Light - Les Maitres Fous Hellcrash - Inferno Crematorio Sexmag - Sexorczym Chepang - Jhyappa Ossuary - Abhorrent Worship …And Oceans - The Regeneration Itinerary Magus Lord - In the Company of Champions House of Protection - Outrun You All MSPAINT - No Separation Crowquill - Crowquill Swans - Birthing Garbage - Let All That We Imagine Be the Light Stray from the Path - Clockworked Desolated - Finding Peace The Haunted - Songs of Last Resort Rivers of Nihil - Rivers of Nihil Vildhjarta - Där skogen sjunger under evighetens granar KUSANAGI - Paramnesia Planning for Burial - It’s Closeness, It’s Easy Cwfen - Sorrows Grin - Acid Gods Coltsblood - Obscured Into Nebulous Dusk Trivax - The Great Satan Svartsyn - Vortex of the Destroyer Obsidian Tongue - Eclipsing Worlds of Scorn Lord Vigo - Walk the Shadows Vader - Humanihility Wormrot - TNT

In a month that saw two no. 1 metal albums, we go through 2025's biggest reviews gauntlet with Ghost, Machine Head, Behemoth, PUP, The Callous Daoboys, Model/Actriz, Age of Apocalypse, & Sijjin. Ghost 30:52 Machine Head 1:17:32 Behemoth 1:42:36 PUP 2:06:43 The Callous Daoboys 2:21:42 Model/Actriz 2:47:50 Age of Apocalypse 3:00:55 Sijjin 3:14:07

We rummage through the wreckage as Trivium and Bullet for My Valentine's Poisoned Ascendancy tour comes to a sudden stop with fingers generally being pointed at one party, and we ask big questions like: are four-sided longsleeves good? Releases: Bury Tomorrow - Will You Haunt Me, With That Same Patience Callous Daoboys - I Don’t Want to See You in Heaven Novelists - Coda Pridian - Venetian Dark Hundredth - Faded Splendor Arm’s Length - There’s a Whole World Out There Death Before Dishonor - Nowhere Bound Pelican - Flickering Resonance Steve von Till - Alone in a World of Wounds Ondfødt - Dimsvall Blood Monolith - The Calling of Fire Antropomorphia - Devoid of Light Cadaver Shrine - Into the Horrible Depths Drouth - The Teeth of Time Full of Hell - Broken Sword, Rotten Shield Youth Code - Yours, With Malice

TNM's 2025 festival summer begins with Incineration descending upon Camden for extreme metal sets from the likes of Lamp of Murmuur, Blackbraid, Spectral Wound, Blood Incantation debuting Absolute Elsewhere in the UK, & a mountain-moving Celtic Frost performance by Triptykon. Ough. Releases: Sijjin - Helljjin Combat PUP - Who Will Look After The Dogs? Propagandhi - At Peace Press Club - To All The Ones That I Love Bleed - Bleed Model/Actriz - Pirouette Knives - Glitter Your Spirit Dies - My Gnawing Pains Will Never Rest Paradise Slaves - With Hell In His Eyes Slung - In Waves Snooze - I Know How You Will Die Shearling - Motherfucker, I am Both: “Amen” and “Hallelujah”... Dispyt - Från Melankoli till Meningslöshet Hate - Bellum Regiis Froglord - Metamorphosis Sleep Token - Even In Arcadia Behemoth - The Shit ov God Tetrarch - The Ugly Side of Me McClusky - The World is Still Here and So Are We Peter Murphy - Silver Shade Death SS - The Entity Ghost Bath - Rose Thorn Necklace Svarta Havet - Månen ska lysa din väg Jade - Mysteries of a Flowery Dream Candlemass - Black Star Harms Way - Other World

On the single biggest release week of the year we head down to Ghost kicking off the Skeletour here in the UK, Charli XCX officially declares it a Turnstile Summer, the original Alice Cooper band reunites after 52 years, and there's important updates about last week's Weezer movie announcement. Releases: Superheaven - Superheaven Melvins - Thunderball Lik - Necro Ancient Death - Ego Dissolution Tribunal - In Penitence and Ruin Heaven’s Gate - Tales from a Blistering Paradise Zeicrydeus - La Grande Heresie Ungraven - Hollows Made Homes In Their Sunken Cheeks XweaponX - Weapon X Demo 2 Employed to Serve - Fallen Star Inhuman Nature - Greater Than Death Ghost - Skeletá Machine Head - Unatoned Landmvrks - The Darkest Place I’ve Ever Been Caliban - Back From Hell Wednesday 13 - Mid Death Crisis H.E.A.T. - Welcome to the Future Heart Attack Man - Joyride the Pale Horse Eluveitie - Anv Pagan Altar - Never Quite Dead Conan - Violence Dimension Sumac / Moor Mother - The Film BRUIT < - The Age of Ephemerality Cancer - Inverted World Caustic Wound - Grinding Mechanism of Torment Kardashev - Alunea Phantom - Tyrants of Wrath Venator - Psychodrome Hyena - About Rock and Roll Big Boy - Love Songs Profanatica - Wreathed In Dead Angels David Eugene Edwards & Al Cisneros - Pillar of Fire/Capernaum Cirith Ungol - Live at the Roxy

Reviews really hot up with some of the most hyped and acclaimed records of the year, some experiments from familiar faces, and some real underground crushers with Deafheaven, Scowl, Employed to Serve, Inhuman Nature, Messa, & Final Dose. Deafheaven 25:41 Scowl 57:31 Employed to Serve 1:20:33 Inhuman Nature 1:43:08 Messa 1:52:32 Final Dose 2:07:53

We cover some of the biggest, baddest, craziest Album Clubs there is: Thin Lizzy go studs and leather on Thunder and Lightning, Wintersun undergo an epic, farcical saga to create Time I, Palm Reader's raise UK hardcore's ambition on Beside the Ones We Love, and Agoraphobic Nosebleed's hellish 99 song chemical digi-grind Altered States of America. This episode was originally published March 2024 on patreon.com/thatsnotmetal.

The time comes to hold a funeral for one of our podcast's greatest villains You Me At Six as their reign of tyranny comes to an end assessing their end and legacy, Turnstile hit us with their first track of Never Enough, a bumper questions section talking the best metal solo artists and two album wonders, and announcing a particularly crunchy band special. Releases: Epica - Aspiral Cabal - Everything Rots Teen Mortgage - Devil Ultrasonic Dream Messa - The Spin Idle Heirs - Life is Violence Benthos - From Nothing In the Woods… - Otra Malphas - Extinct Final Dose - Under the Eternal Shadow Putrid Offal - Obliterated Life Ryoji Shinomoto - Children of Bushido The Lord Weird Slough Feg - Traveller Supplement 1: The Ephemeral Glades CBZK - Dybuctwo Angell - Veiled by Woe

Linkin Park release a new single but downgrade shows, Evanescence release 2025's hottest AMV, Midnight write an anthem for Cleveland Metal, and Danzig's in hot water for far right dogwhistles on merch. Releases: Scowl - Are We All Angels Bleed From Within - Zenith Thornhill - Bodies Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs - Death Hilarious Benediction - Ravage of Empires Tómarúm - Beyond Obsidian Euphoria Allegaeon - The Ossuary Lens Rotting Christ - 35 Years of Evil Existence - Live in Lycabettus Balmora - Prologue Dynamite - Settle the Score Not Without Punishment - Blood Runs Cold

Sam and Perran sit down to talk about Knocked Loose's recent massive headline tour in the UK bringing Basement, Harms Way, & Pest Control into massive Academy venues, as well as Powerwolf announcing a UK arena and Download booking the Vengaboys, and a mega end of month release round-up. Releases: Ophicvs - Steel Beast Cradle of Filth - The Screaming of the Valkyries Bloodywood - Nu Delhi Lordi - Limited Deadition Secret Cutter - /// Stormo - Tagli/Talee Ursa - Call of the Infinite Noisepicker - The Earth Will Swallow the Sun Gates to Hell - Death Comes to All Corpus Offal - Corpus Offal Rancid Cadaver - Mortality Denied Rothadás - Töviskert… a kísértés örök érzete… lidércharang Iron Form - Cut From Cold Blood anvilchandelier - anvilchandelier heavenscoldhands - heavenscoldhands Deafheaven - Lonely People With Power Underoath - The Place After This One Memphis May Fire - Shapeshifter Arch Enemy - Blood Dynasty Alien Weaponry - Te Rā The Darkness - Dreams On Toast Backxwash - Only Dust Remains Jivebomb - Ethereal Doomsday - Never Known Peace The Warriors - Burn Yourself Alive Forlorn - Aether Savage Master - Dark & Dangerous Lady Beast - The Inner Alchemist Seven Sisters - Shadow of a Fallen Star Pt.2 Cult of Fire - The One, Who is Made of Smoke Teitanblood - From the Visceral Abyss Lucifer’s Child - The Illuminant Urn - Demon Steel Amenra - De Toorn / With Fang and Claw Wallows - More Satsuma - this is my outside voice Silent Planet / Invent Animate - Bloom In Heaven

In our new reviews show we stop to take stock of the state of some of our most popular heavy bands with Architects, Spiritbox, & A Day to Remember, as well as Whitechapel, Spiritworld, Warbringer, Imperial Triumphant, & Rwake. More hardcore bands imploding over idiocy too. Architects 27:10 Spiritbox 1:05:56 A Day to Remember 1:30:17 Whitechapel 1:46:14 Spiritworld 2:08:37 Warbringer 2:25:29 Imperial Triumphant 2:39:08 Rwake 3:03:49

Napalm Death's 2025 edition of the Campaign for Musical Destruction (Bollocks) rolls around, Tool are being sued by their fans over setlist controversy, and we give our take on the ground-shaking moment when a member of Mastodon departs the band. Releases: Coheed and Cambria - Vaxis - Act III: The Father of Make Believe Steven Wilson - The Overview clipping. - Dead Channel Sky Warbringer - Wrath and Ruin Nite - Cult of the Serpent Sun Rwake - The Return of Magic The Body / Intensive Care - Was I Good Enough? Wombbath - Beyond the Abyss Warhammer - Total Maniac Red Fang - Deep Cuts Earth Crisis / Integrity Split

We really cover ground on this one: prog goes pop on Rush's Power Windows, 2010s Britrock goes horribly wrong when The Blackout Start the Party, American Football reinvent emo on LP1, and black metal's most comforting album in Agalloch's The Mantle. This episode was originally published February 2024 on patreon.com/thatsnotmetal.

Ghost unveil all things Skeletá, Slayer add yet another mega-show onto the UK summer, and Bobby Liebling is being seen by more people than should ever see Bobby Liebling. Releases: Architects - The Sky, The Earth & All Between Oversize - Vital Signs Cloakroom - Last Leg of the Human Table Avantasia - Here Be Dragons Dirkschneider - Balls to the Wall Reloaded Stress Test - Stress Test Havukruunu - Tavastland Grima - Nightside Effluence - Pianistic Dismemberment Sleep Paralysis - Sleep Paralysis Grave Infestation - Carnage Gathers Sepulchral Voice - Crimson Moon Evocations Ritual Ascension - Profanation Scimitar - Scimitarium I Hail Conjurer - Order of Disgrace Tubal Cain - Slime Abyss Spiritbox - Tsunami Sea Whitechapel - Hymns In Dissonance The Wildhearts - Satanic Rites of The Wildhearts Raging Speedhorn - Night Wolf Jethro Tull - Curious Ruminant Destruction - Birth of Malice Guiltless - Teeth to Sky Ingrown - Idaho Staticlone - Better Living Through Static Visions This Gift is a Curse - Heir Dawn of Ouroboros - Bioluminescence Cryptosis - Celestial Death Whipstriker - Cry of Extinction Reconciler - Three Songs Rootbrain - Mother Tomb Sunami/Pain of Truth - Coast to Coast Split Death Pulsation - Demo

We close out February with reviews of some of our boldest and sloppiest with Killswitch Engage, Bleeding Through, Winona Fighter, Pissgrave, Vacuous, & Gràb, Green Lung & Unto Others' recent Heathen Neverland trip across Europe, and yes, Sam finally reviews a Dream Theater album. Killswitch Engage 40:37 Bleeding Through 1:06:01 Dream Theater 1:31:51 Winona Fighter 1:56:08 Pissgrave 2:10:38 Vacuous 2:31:42 Gràb 2:43:22

There's reports from High Vis and Tribulation both hitting headline tours around the UK, A Day to Remember bring news of their surprise album and its promised big ole volumes, and Parkway Drive stake a claim on the Sydney Opera House. Releases: Killswitch Engage - This Consequence Silverstein - Antibloom Anxious - Bambi To Obey a Tyrant - Frigore Inferni Wren - Black Rain Falls Hirax - Faster Than Death Morax - The Amulet Pissgrave - Malignant Worthlessness Gràb - Kremess Abduction - Existentialismus God Complex - He Watches In Silence Spy - Seen Enough

letlive. finally break the seal on their UK return dates, Death Grips seem to disband again, and there's questions on the misconceptions that surround some of rock's most underrated, misunderstood bands. Releases: Bleeding Through - Nine Lacuna Coil - Sleepless Empire Love is Noise - To live in a different way Winona Fighter - My Apologies to the Chef The Nightmares - Fire In Heaven Hangman’s Chair - Saddiction Pothamus - Abur Mantar - Post Apocalyptic Depression Savage Lands - Army of the Trees Fell Omen - Invaded by a Dark Spirit Church Tongue - You’ll Know It Was Me Final Resting Place - Bound by Affliction Lacerated - Lacerated

A bumper edition of Hyperblasts sees Trivium & Bullet for My Valentine embark on the Poisoned Ascendancy tour, Cattle Decapitation & Shadow of Intent also co-headline, Gojira win a Grammy, Courtney LaPlante wins the Grammys, and oh yeah Black Sabbath?! Lot to cover in this one. Releases: Dream Theater - Parasomnia Jinjer - Duel Marko Hietala - Roses from the Deep Majestica - Power Train Obscura - A Sonication Phrenelith - Ashen Womb 16 - Guides for the Misguided Morast - Fentanyl Saor - Amidst the Ruins Ereb Altor - Hälsingemörker Unreqvited - A Pathway to the Moon