Hell Bent For Metal

Latest Episodes:

#64 – Dance Of Death Metal Jan 25, 2022

Show notes

Hell Bent For Metal once more seeks out heavy metal's finest phallic euphemisms, this time setting their sights on the riff-tastic 'Snakes For The Divine' by High On Fire. And what could possibly be making the hosts giggle about a song with a title like that?

This week's Camp Classic is a long look at the danceable death metal of Dyscarnate's song 'The Promethean'. And as well as explaining why this song makes them believe when you say you want it that way, there are discussions both about how you need to be extremely skilled musicians to make people want to dance to death metal, and also about why there's such a strong link between pop music and gay men.

(HCGBs is closed this week, due to industrial action. Full explanation in the show.)

#63 – Slave To The Grindr Jan 18, 2022

Show notes

Hell Bent For Metal recounts the story of how Sebastian Bach, when he was still in Skid Row, was at the centre of one of heavy metal's most upsetting incidents of homophobia involving a t-shirt with an offensive slogan – and how Seb's actions since are a brilliant example of how people can grow and change.

This week's Camp Classic is 'I Wish I Had An Angel' by Nightwish, which leads to a lengthy discussion of, amongst all things, the awfulness of trawling through Grindr. After some sass about their outfits in the video, obviously.

Plus this week's visit to the Hate Crew Gaybar sees jukebox additions in the shape of Shadow And Flames by Riverwood, and Light Bends by Pridelands.

[CW for homophobic language, obviously]

#62 – Czech My Brain Jan 11, 2022

Show notes

Viktor Palak, host of Modeláři, a radio show in the Czech Republic that specialises in metal (and related genres), chats to Hell Bent For Metal about his experience of being out in metal, how metal has more points of affirmation than we might acknowledge, and how he views queer life in his home country.

This week's Camp Classic is 'Seven Hills' by While She Sleeps. And while the song's meanings might be immediately and specifically clear, that doesn't stop there being plenty of room to identify queer relevance in Loz Taylor's lyrics – particularly in the areas of solidarity and finding mental resilience within yourself.

And this week's visit to the Hate Crew Gaybar sees the jukebox get new entries in the shape of Modern Escapism by Blanket (which is one Matt's still spinning from last year), and Epigone by Wilderun (which is Tom's first 2022 entry into the jukebox).

Warning: This episode includes (very, very) bad Yorkshire accents.

#61 – The Ultimate Gay-Off: Power Metal v Black Metal Jan 03, 2022

Show notes

Hell Bent For Metal moves into 2022 by taking on a major, pressing question: Which subgenre is the gayer, black metal or power metal?

This week's Camp Classic is 'Destroyer Of Senses' by Shadows Fall, from their 2002 album The Art Of Balance. And as well as being a metalcore classic, it also has clear queer relevance to both hosts.

Plus there are new entries for the Hate Crew Gaybar jukebox additions, as the hosts correct errors by putting albums they missed in 2021 into the jukebox, with Noktvrn by Der Weg Einer Freiheit, and To Overtake | To Overcome by Voidsphere being added.

The Hell Bent For Metal Blooper Reel 2021 Dec 31, 2021

Show notes

Hell Bent For Metal aim to present a high standard of podcast to you all… and these are the moments that absolutely did not qualify, but that you may still find funny.

This is a compilation of all the blunders, bungles and bodily noises that Hell Bent For Metal had to leave on the cutting room floor in 2021.

Happy New Year, and we hope to see you in 2022.

#60 – Inhuman Rumpage Dec 27, 2021

Show notes

Hell Bent For Metal recall a time when Guitar Hero was a global phenomenon, and it made a London power metal band one of the best known bands in the world – and that the song that did it, DragonForce's turbocharged 'Through The Fire And Flames', had a video that looks a tad more gay than the band may have intended.

The Camp Classic this week is suitably NYE-friendly, as Whitesnake's 'Here I Go Again' (the 1987 version – the metal one) spawns digressions about queer dating and the brilliantness of camp. But with so many lyrics relevant to queer life, how could it not?

Plus the visit to the Hate Crew Gaybar sees the jukebox receive albums to ring in 2022 in party mode, with Spineshank's Self-Destructive Pattern and Unleash The Archers' Abyss picked.

#59 – Transilvanian Homo Dec 20, 2021

Show notes

In the Christmas episode, Hell Bent For Metal unintentionally cause James and Dan from the A Gay And A Non-Gay podcast to have a surprisingly passionate discussion about stereotypes around metalheads and metal bands, in the second part of the chat between the two pods.

This week's Camp Classic is the apparently unlikely 'Leave No Cross Unturned' by Darkthrone. And while the 2013 epic from the Norwegian black-metal-turned-crust-turned-speed-metal legends might sound a stretch, its joyful gay relevance is one Tom's convinced about – but will Matt agree?

Plus there are two "seasonal" entries for the Hate Crew Gaybar jukebox, as the hosts pick albums to get them through Christmas. Matt goes for the winter wonderland of Pariah's Child by Sonata Arctica, and Tom goes for the Mesopotamian fire of Enki by Melechesh.

#58 – The Devil Wears Dillinger Dec 13, 2021

Show notes

This week, Hell Bent For Metal celebrates the time Dillinger Escape Plan marked same-sex marriage becoming legal in the USA by releasing a shirt for The Trevor Project, which is a charity that aims to prevent suicide amongst LGBTQ youth.

This week's Camp Classic comes from one of the hosts' top 20 albums of the year, which means it's time for Powerwolf's 'Alive Or Undead' to be looked at from a queer angle. Or, more accurately, several of many potential queer angles.

Plus this week's visit to the Hate Crew Gaybar sees the hosts run concisely through their top 20 albums of the year, then enter one album each from those top 20s to the jukebox. Those albums are Empire Of Love by pod favourite Violet Cold, and Tales Of Othertime by Stormkeep.

#57 – Sashay To Hell Bent For Metal Dec 07, 2021

Show notes

Hell Bent For Metal are joined by Dan Hudson and James Barr from the UK's biggest LGBT+ podcast, A Gay And A Non-Gay. They discuss their new documentary 'Sashay To Hell', about the Non-Gay (Dan, who loves metal), taking the Gay (James, who very, very doesn't) to Bloodstock.

This week's Camp Classic is the perhaps rather surprising choice of 'In The Grip Of Winter' by death metal legends Autopsy. From which, much to even his surprise, Matt manages to find exactly the same thing to identify with as Tom.

Plus there are three entries for the final regular visit of the year to the Hate Crew Gaybar, as Servant Of The Mind by Volbeat, None But A Pure Heart Can Sing by So Hideous, and The Holocene Termination by Demonstealer all go in the jukebox.

And the hosts discuss their very first gig together, which was Leprous' last-minute show in Leeds.

#56 – Camp Suey! Nov 29, 2021

Show notes

Hell Bent For Metal casts a queer eye back over the varied and plentiful looks of Daron Malakian, the inspired guitarist of System Of A Down. In the return of the #YesHomo feature, Tom and Matt explain why some of these appearances erroneously set off the gaydar of both hosts.

This week's Camp Classic is 'Leave Me Here' by Cult Of Luna, from the Swedish post-metallers' 2004 album Salvation. And while there's one very superficial reason CoL speak to the hosts' queer sides, there's a rather deeper reason that's the focus.

Plus this week sees two releases going into the Hate Crew Gaybar jukebox, with the Carcass' Torn Arteries and Rhapsody Of Fire's Glory For Salvation being added.

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