Laughing Monkey with Shawn Ratches

Stevie D says Buckcherry is already looking ahead, with the next album planned as part of the band’s schedule for next year. He outlines the steps involved in moving that record forward, from writing and early planning to getting into the studio and shaping the final songs. The focus is on keeping momentum going while making sure the material is ready before recording begins.

Outside of Buckcherry, Stevie D ...

Cloven Hoof have spent decades building a legacy as one of the enduring names in British heavy metal, earning a reputation for power, character, and a sound that has remained unmistakably their own. Across changing eras, the band have continued to carry forward the spirit that first defined them, combining classic metal force with a strong sense of identity. That history gives every new release added weight, and it is exactly...

In this episode, we talk about Forbidden, the new album that marks an important turning point for the band. Built on the history, sound, and identity that have defined the group over the years, Forbidden reflects both where the band has been and where it is headed next. It is a record shaped by growth, change, and a clear sense of purpose.

We also discuss the arrival of the band’s new singer and what that means for this next c...

Dan Lilker is a highly respected figure in heavy music whose career has stretched across thrash metal, hardcore, crossover, and grindcore. He first came to wider attention as a founding member of Anthrax and performed on the band’s 1984 debut album, Fistful of Metal. Although his time in Anthrax was brief, it placed him at the beginning of a major moment in American thrash and helped establish his place in metal history.

He we...

Max Cavalera is one of metal’s most influential figures, first rising to prominence as the co-founder, vocalist, and rhythm guitarist of Sepultura. Emerging from Brazil in the 1980s, Sepultura helped reshape extreme metal with landmark albums like Beneath the Remains, Arise, Chaos A.D., and Roots, blending thrash, groove, punk, and tribal influences into a sound that reached far beyond the underground. Cavalera’s fierce...

Possessed emerged from the Bay Area metal underground in the early 1980s and quickly became one of the defining bands in the first wave of death metal. After early demos and a growing local reputation, the band released Seven Churches in 1985, a record widely recognized for helping shape the sound and language of the genre. They followed it with Beyond the Gates in 1986 and The Eyes of Horror in 1987 before the original run c...

Mortiis, the project of Norwegian musician Håvard Ellefsen, began in 1993 after his departure from Emperor, where he had been the band’s original bassist. From the start, Mortiis developed as a separate creative outlet, first centered on atmospheric, synth-based compositions that stood apart from the black metal scene he came out of. In the years that followed, the project expanded in both sound and form, moving through disti...

* **0:19** – Introduction of Paul Mazurkiewicz and his projects.

* **1:12** – Discussion on the origins of Paul's rock band, Umbilicus.

* **2:34** – Early projects: Path of Man and the search for a 70s-style rock singer.

* **6:15** – Reforming during the pandemic and starting fresh with new members.

* **10:30** – Details on the Umbilicus E...

Miljenko Matijevic joins the show for a one-on-one conversation about “Without You,” and his work with Niclas Engelin, the new collaborative album that’s on the way, his voice, and the realities of today’s music business. Best known as the founder and voice of Steelheart, Matijevic reflects on the songwriting, the performance side of singing, and how he approaches recording and longevity as a rock voca...

Stephen Gibb, often known as Steve Gibb, is a guitarist, singer, and songwriter with a career rooted in hard rock and heavy metal. Born in London in 1973 and raised in Miami, he is the eldest son of Barry Gibb. Although he comes from a famous musical family, Stephen developed his own identity by pursuing a much heavier sound than the pop style long associated with the Bee Gees.

Throughout his career, Gibb has performed with several ...

alor Kand is a musician known for his work with Christian Death, where he became a central creative figure as a guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. His presence helped define the band’s identity for decades, and he became closely associated with its intense sound, theatrical style, and confrontational themes. In addition to performing, he played a major role in shaping the group’s direction and keeping it active ...

* **00:00** - Intro and Welcome

* **00:35** - Meet Hardip (Lead Guitar) and Ben (Vocals)

* **00:57** - Band History and First Releases

* **02:22** - The Bond Between Band Members

* **04:13** - Influences and Finding Their Sound

* **06:58** - Playing Alongside Different Genres

* **10:37** - Working with Tony (VENOM INC ) on the New Album

!Jesse Hughes has described Eagles of Death Metal as a creative partnership built with Josh Homme from the start, and in interviews he has spoken openly about how closely they write together. Hughes said he and Homme write the songs together, while also calling Homme his best friend and praising the chance to work in a Joshua Homme production session.

On the gear side, Hughes’ documented live setup is very specific: he has use...

* **00:00** – Introduction and welcome to Dave Rude from Tesla

* **00:22** – Discussing the new album and the "economy of albums" in rock today

* **01:28** – Why Tesla chooses to release singles versus full albums

* **02:17** – How the new covers record came together "by accident"

* **03:03** – Exploring the vocal-focused direction of the new album

* **04:48** – Balancing...

Paul Booth is an American tattoo artist and multidisciplinary dark surrealist from Boonton, New Jersey, whose career has spanned nearly four decades. After beginning his tattoo journey in the late 1980s through an apprenticeship in New Jersey, he developed a signature black-and-gray style centered on macabre, psychological, and surreal imagery. Rather than follow standard flash trends, Booth built his name through large custo...

I spoke with Karl Agell about the story behind Legions of Doom, a band born from a heavy kind of history. In the aftermath of Eric Wagner’s passing, what could have remained only a tribute to the past slowly became something more active and alive. Karl talked about how the project grew out of grief, friendship, and unfinished creative momentum, with musicians choosing not to let that chapter simply close.

What makes Legions of...

Davy Vain’s story starts before Vain the band ever broke out. He first built a name behind the scenes as a producer, then stepped forward as a frontman and songwriter when he formed Vain in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1986. After early buzz, club shows, and a growing reputation, the band signed with Island and released No Respect in 1989, an album that never became a huge chart smash but earned lasting respect for its raw, ...

Boris T. is the online name of Boris Behara, a Croatian musician and YouTube creator best known for metal-focused videos and for leading the one-man project Tryglav. His channel originally started as “Tryglav Official” before expanding into broader content about extreme metal, music culture, and underground scenes.

As a musician, he is tied to black/death metal, with Tryglav described as a Croatian one-man project formed...

Wino is officially heading back into the studio to begin work on a new The Obsessed record, marking the start of an exciting new chapter for one of doom’s most enduring voices. With fresh material now taking shape, the upcoming album promises to carry forward the band’s signature weight, soul, and uncompromising spirit while opening the door to what comes next.

At the same time, Ritual Arcana is deep i...