Hell Bent For Metal

Latest Episodes:

#45 – Mince With Me In Hell Sep 15, 2021

Show notes

In a bumper episode, Hell Bent For Metal talks to Andrew O'Neill – comedian, Edinburgh Festival fixture, former Terrorizer columnist, and the creator of the show The History Of Heavy Metal – about their experience of expressing their gender identity in the metal world, and about being an outsider in most rooms they're in. (And Altar Of Plagues. Standard HBFM.)

In this week's Camp Classic, the relevance to the queer experience of 'Walk With Me In Hell' by Lamb Of God, and what on earth this has to do with Pride, music college, and a certain area of Reddit.

Plus this week's additions for the Hate Crew Gaybar jukebox are ManiaCult, the eleventh (!) album from Belgian brutal death metallers Aborted, and Wolf Hex, the new record from Canadian riffsters Wormwitch.

(Yes, this episode is later than planned. Real Life got in the way. Sorry.)

#44 – Death Metal, And Big Gay Choruses Sep 06, 2021

Show notes

The Night Flight Orchestra (who are very camp) did a video earlier this year which was clearly pro-LGBT+. Which meant Hell Bent For Metal (also camp) had to talk to them. So this week, NFO's David Andersson (also of Soilwork) speaks to Matt about showing your support for the LGBT+ community, embracing the camp, and the joy of a big gay chorus.

Vallenfyre's 2011 debut album, A Fragile King, has a special place in Tom's heart thanks to his history with it. And despite knowing precisely what it's about, the song 'Desecration' has taken on a very queer-specific meaning in his head. He and Matt chat about why.

Plus this week's additions for the Hate Crew Gaybar jukebox are the new EP from Ukrainian jazz/black metal band White Ward, and Istok, the latest album by Russian shoegazy black metal band Trna.

#43 – Roots Glorious Roots Aug 30, 2021

Show notes

The LGBT+ heavy metal podcast fondly recalls that time Rammstein's guitarists kissed on stage in Russia, and explains that, coming from that band, and given the location they did it in, this gesture meant more to the hosts than when some other bands have done similar things. And yes, of course they use it as an excuse to talk about the band's infamous phallic foam cannons.

The latest classic metal song to be outed as mega gay is 'Roots Bloody Roots', as the Sepultura anthem is this week's Camp Classic. And there are a surprisingly large list of reasons for it.

Plus this week's entries for the Hate Crew Gaybar jukebox are Aphelion, the new album from Matt's less-than-secret obsession Leprous, and Differences In Language And Lifestyle, the debut album from Croatian genre-ignorers Moon Unit.

And yes, Mr Rushton had to be tied down while the first one of those was discussed. For his and everyone else's safety.

#42 – I Bedazzled A Bear Once Aug 23, 2021

Show notes

The LGBT+ heavy metal podcast fondly recalls Mastodon's 'Bedazzled Fingernails', and why it spoke to our queer side in a brilliant way – even if it recalled some less happy things for one of our hosts.

Defunct mathcore project Iwrestledabearonce are hauled out of metal's past, expressly for the purpose of explaining why their name becomes rather suggestive when viewed through the prism of gay slang.

Plus this week's entries for the Hate Crew Gaybar jukebox are Primordial Arcana, the new album from atmospheric black metal masters Wolves In the Throne Room, and Colors II, the prog metal odyssey from Between The Buried And Me.

So, as well as IWABO, HBFM visit HCGBs with WITTR and BTBAM. Clear as glittery soup.

#41 – Land Of Gender Dysphoria Confusion Aug 17, 2021

Show notes

Shelby Logan Warne, the singer and keyboard player from Kyros, answers questions from the audience about her recent experience of coming out as trans. It's all the questions regular guests would never, ever be asked, but Shelby wanted to.

Topics include how the band's audience have dealt with the news, what the experience of realising her identity was like, her experience of coming out as trans in her personal life, and the issues surrounding trans healthcare.

Plus Agrypnie's latest album Metamorphosis, and Beautiful Ghosts from pod faves Unreqvited, are this week's entry for the Hate Crew Gaybar jukebox.

#40 – Gazzetta Metallo Italia Aug 09, 2021

Show notes

Tom and Matt answer the questions you always wanted to ask a queer metaller but were afraid to, including whether the homophobia problem in metal is unique to the genre, and what the gay perspective on hair metal is. Which provokes opinions.

This week's Camp Classic is 'The Mighty Ride Of The Firelord' by Rhapsody Of Fire, from their 2000 album Dawn Of Victory, back when they were still simply called Rhapsody. This prompts a discussion on cultural differences that influence what is or is not viewed as gay.

Plus this week's Hate Crew Gaybar jukebox additions are Exhumed Information by Italian death metal/'80s horror movie soundtrack band Fulci, and Sentient, the debut EP from UK groovy metallers Insurgent.

It's a very Italian show. Still camp and brutal though, obviously.

#39 – "I'm Banned From Upstate New York Because My Act Is Too Gay" Aug 02, 2021

Show notes

Tom talks to Abi Vasquez, singer for UK black metallers Underdark, who tells her experience of being out as trans in extreme metal, and how different areas of the scene deal with it differently – and offers some hope for the way metal is headed for the LGBT+ community.

Matt chats to Peter Angelo, metalhead, amateur strongman, and comedian, where they also talk about his experiences of being out in the metal scene of New England, and how it's quite different to being out in comedy. He explains how he went down brilliantly with a biker gang, but got banned from upstate New York for being "too gay".

Plus the Hate Crew Gaybar jukebox has just one addition this week, with both hosts uniting behind Mortal Coil by Dödsrit.

#38 – "Straight Guys Have Told Me I Don't Like Girls, I Just Haven't Slept With Them Yet" Jul 26, 2021

Show notes

Tom talks to Annabelle and Alisha from Witch Fever, a majority-queer band who are all women or non-binary people, about LGBT+ spaces in heavy music, providing the representation in the scene they want to see, and poor behaviour they've been on the end of from straight men.

Matt explains why 'Shock Me' by Baroness speaks to him as a bi man, and what it has to do with learning to deal with homophobia. Tom finds his own relevance to him finding his identity, and somehow links it to Monty Python. Sort of.

Plus this week's new entries for the Hate Crew Gaybar jukebox are Corrupted Pillars Of Vanity by Ætheria Conscientia, and Dark Triad: Bitter Psalms To A Sordid Species by Epiphanic Truth.

#37 – Grand Magus' Massive… Euphemism Jul 19, 2021

Show notes

One of the LGBT+ heavy metal podcast's favourite things in metal is unveiled – that being how many of the lyrics and titles sound euphemistic and/or phallic. Starting with a classic of the genre: Grand Magus' superb 'Like The Oar Strikes The Water'.

This week's Camp Classic is 'Altered State – Of Matter – iii. Resist' by TesseracT (and yes, we had to write it down to remember!), and the many queer interpretations both Matt and Tom get from it are discussed. Uniquely, this is a Camp Classic with lyrics by a former guest on the show, Ashe O'Hara, who joined us in HBFM #10.

Plus the Hate Crew Gaybar jukebox's new additions this week are Aorta by death/doom gloombringers Majestic Downfall, and Desolate from Icelandic tech death virtuosos Ophidian I.

#36 – Dragula Queen Of Darkness Jul 12, 2021

Show notes

El Reeve and Claire Simson are the LGBT+ heavy metal podcast's first guests from a majority-female, majority queer band. The Mountain Caller pair talk about the affirming experience that has been, and whether misogyny or homophobia have been larger presences in their experiences.

Tom talks about how a misunderstanding made Rob Zombie's 'Dragula' a source of dread when he was a closeted ball of hormones, as this week's Camp Classic harks back to the late-90s – so naturally there's also mention of what the hell all this has to do with The Matrix.

Plus it's the day you've all been waiting for, as Matt has to talk about Powerwolf, with their new album Call Of The Wild going in the Hate Crew Gaybar jukebox – but not before he tries to out-Tom Tom's pick, by putting Harpyie's Minnewar in himself.

It's possibly the campest HBFM yet.

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