Hell Bent For Metal

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#93 –The Jock And The Whale Sep 22, 2022

Show notes

In a perhaps unlikely #yeshomo, HBFM this week explain how Ivan Moody of Five Finger Death Punch (and possibly Germany's football team, apparently) erroneously appeared on their gaydars. And no, this isn't some meta irony. They're quite serious.

Gojira's last album may have been divisive among Tom and Matt, but the song 'Into The Storm' from it was instantly nominated by both as a Camp Classic – one that's up for discussion this week. And there isn't a speck of disagreement over why in sight.

Plus this week's sojourn in the gaudy lighting of the Hate Crew Gaybar sees Gold by Unprocessed, Sunrise On Slaughter Beach by Clutch, and Divine Council by Psycroptic all go into the jukebox.

#92 – Breaking The Jaw Sep 13, 2022

Show notes

Hell Bent For Metal never needs much persuasion to talk about things phallic, but even their interest may be stretched to breaking point this week, as 'Jawbreaker' by Judas Priest is analysed for all the euphemisms for something to do with members. Because, oh my, are there a lot. And somehow there's a connection to daft attempts at censorship from the 1980s.

Technical brutal death metal band Nile write incredibly crushing, virtuoso songs about ancient Egypt, and its mythology. So they're perhaps an unlikely candidate for a Camp Classic, but nonetheless, their song 'Evil To Cast Out Evil' is this week's nomination. And it turns out to be an uncontroversial one, as its metaphors are immediately and obviously relevant to the experiences of many queer folk.

Plus there are three albums for the jukebox in the Hate Crew Gaybar this week, with Heroine by Thornhill, Survival Of The Sickest by Bloodbath, and BlackBraid I by BlackBraid all going in.

#91 – Let's Taake 'Bout Sex (Education) Sep 08, 2022

Show notes

Hell Bent For Metal has been hinting at what they think about Sex Education, the LGBTQ+-friendly comedy drama smash hit, for months now. Now they dive deep into the show, and explain how their view on it has been affected by being metalheads.

The Camp Classic this week comes from Czech metalcore band Skywalker, and their song 'Justify Me', and it's an unusual one, as the queer relevance is so explicit there is no room for misunderstanding, so the discussion focuses more on the insight shown than differing interpretations.

Plus this week's visit to the Hate Crew Gaybar sees Narrative by 156/Silence, and Heavy Pendulum by Cave In added to the jukebox.

#90 – Cack Panther Sep 01, 2022

Show notes

Hell Bent For Metal digs into why 'Death To All But Metal' by hair metal parody troupe Steel Panther really isn't a helpful set of lyrics to the LGBTQ+ community within metal, whatever the intention behind it is.

This week's Camp Classic comes from Asira, a criminally under appreciated British black metal band with no respect for genre boundaries. 'This Hollow Affliction' somehow contrives to lead both hosts to the same conclusion through totally different routes.

Plus there are three albums for the Hate Crew Gaybar jukebox this week, with Metempiric by Knoll, Vol I: A Frith Befouled by Aeir, and Gnosis by Russian Circles.

#89 – Hell Bent For Riot Act 2: The LGBTQ+ Metalhead Guide To Eurovision Aug 26, 2022

Show notes

Hell Bent For Metal joins forces for the second time with Riot Act, the alternative music podcast, as their host Steve Hill joins Tom and the returning Matt Rushton to present you with the LGBTQ+ metalhead guide to the Eurovision Song Contest. The annual celebration of kitsch, camp, and occasionally, a good song or two, has long had a huge queer following, and it's even flirted with metal from time to time.

The hosts (the ones who like Eurovision, anyway) present their favourite ever performances, and also pick out some of their most hated. And there's obviously chat about the biggest metal moment in the competition's history, a huge queer pioneer winner, some "interesting" UK entries, and the biggest act ever to come out of the contest – themselves a massive gay icon.

There's also a round up of a couple of news items from Riot Act's world, plus the Hate Crew Gaybar is open once again, with albums from Muse (at Riot Act's suggestion), Ether Coven and Soilwork going in.

It's an epic show, but for a 66-year-old competition that's iconic for the queer communities of entire continent, it's comparatively restrained.

#88 – Gods Of Grind(r)core Aug 22, 2022

Show notes

Hell Bent For Metal finally gets around to talking about Napalm Death, as the grindcore gods' song 'Suffer The Children' turns out to be super relatable to the LGBTQ+ metal fan, as Tom, Matt D and Charlie all confirm. Plus there's a full rundown of the myriad weird ways Tom's seen Napalm Death, and an explanation as to exactly why he describes the band a very specific way.

Plus there's an amusing if rambling explanation as to why the wardrobe choices of stoner metal legend and all-round rifflord Matt Pike (Sleep, High On Fire) wardrobe choices, in context, has occasionally confused the hell out of some gay onlookers' gaydars.

There's no HCGBs this week due to a twink-related incident explained in the show, but there is news on something cool coming from HBFM on Friday.

#87 – The Queer Metalhead Guide To Brookyn Nine-Nine Aug 17, 2022

Show notes

Hell Bent For Metal takes a look at Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the US sitcom based in the 99th precinct of the New York Police Department, to analyse how the show handles queer representation and LGBTQ+ issues, and also discusses how being a metal fan can affect the way someone could view it – including how metal is represented in the show itself. Plus there's an origin story for one of HBFM's [stolen] running gags.

This week's Camp Classic is 'And Then There Was Silence', the epic song about the fall of Troy by legendary German power metallers Blind Guardian. And while there's the entirely predictable chat about how the song's camp as tits (which you already guessed), there's some rather more deep-and-meaningful reasons it's relatable to from a queer perspective.

Plus the Hate Crew Gaybar has no less than five albums for the jukebox this week, as They Fear Us by Ithaca, Body Prophecy by Black Magnet, Roman Candle by Funeral Chic, God's Country by Chat Pile, and Born Into Chaos by Yatra all going in. It's a bumper crop, but a more streamlined way of discussing them to go with it.

All in all, it's a far more cheerful show than #86.

#86 – The Return Of The SeeYouSpaceCowboy Jul 31, 2022

Show notes

Hell Bent For Metal is back after a break due to illness, and kicks it off by inviting Connie Sgarbossa from SeeYouSpaceCowboy to talk about being out in the scene, as well as breaking down stigmas about mental illness and addiction.

This episode's Camp Classic is the shred-tastic 'Blood On Your Hands' by Arch Enemy. And perhaps understandably, given what's happening in LGBTQ+ news right now, this one's far from cheerful, and leads to a long discussion about the worrying state of affairs happening around us.

Plus this week's visit to the Hate Crew Gaybar sees Darwin by Red Sun Atacama, From Without by Zetra, and Páthos by Conjurer go into the jukebox.

(CW: descriptions of anti LGBTQ+ hate)

#85 – Hell Bent For The Horizon Jun 28, 2022

Show notes

Hell Bent For Metal chats about how Bring Me The Horizon's Oli Sykes and Mat Nicholls are doing a charity triathlon for Ukrainian LGBTQ+ charity Ukraine Pride. Which you can donate to here: https://justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ukrainepride

Katatonia provide the Camp Classic this week, with 'Liberation' being shown to have three separate queer interpretations. But it's the massively trans interpretation that gets the main focus.

Plus this week's visit to the Hate Crew Gaybar has three releases for the jukebox, with The Ruination Of Imperialism, the split EP from Terminal Nation and Kruelty, An Endless Static by Gozer, and the self-titled debut album from Final Light all going in.

The Oslo Terrorist Attack Jun 25, 2022

Show notes

Tom explains why the Oslo terrorist attack is so terrifying to the LGBTQ+ community, both in terms metal fans will understand, and in the wider context for anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime.

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