That's Not Metal

We once again convene for a review of the UK’s biggest underground event at Damnation Festival and witness legendary returns from Dragged Into Sunlight, Nails, Cradle of Filth, Bleeding Through, Inter Arma, and so many other TNM faves absolutely tearing it up.Elliot's audio is beaming in through the internet on this one, but we'll be back sounding proper soon.Releases:Make Them Suffer - Make Them SufferSólstafir - Hin helga kvolState Champs - State ChampsThe Arrival Note - …Home is So Far From HereThe Body - The Crying Out of ThingsThank - I Have A Physical Body That Can Be HarmedKlone - The UnseenMassacre - NecrolutionYoth Iria - Blazing InfernoPaysage d’Hiver - Die BergeCounterparts - Heaven Let Them Die

We convene on Halloween night to talk yet more big reunions at big American rock festivals, the news that Ithaca are calling it a day, and give the definitive answer on whether bands wearing their own shirts is cool or not and whether we're too focused on the size of bands in appreciating their art.Releases:Jerry Cantrell - I Want BloodJapandroids - Fate & AlcoholPinhead Gunpowder - UntGrand Magus - SunravenEnsiferum - Winter StormSwallow the Sun - ShiningHarvestman - Triptych: Part ThreeSerpent Column - Tassel of AresBetter Lovers - Highly IrresponsibleDevin Townsend - PowerNerdPixies - The Night the Zombies CameKids In Glass Houses - Pigs In Glass HousesAmyl and the Sniffers - Cartoon DarknessMeryl Streek - Songs for the DeceasedPom Pom Squad - Mirror Starts Moving Without MeFit for an Autopsy - The Nothing That IsPøltergeist - NachtmusikButcher - On Fowl of Tyrant WingGaerea - ComaSchammasch - The Maldoror Chants: Old OceanBlack Curse - Burning In Celestial PoisonLiving Gate - Suffer As OneBunuel - Man

We face some of our toughest Album Club challenges yet: Matchbox 20's Ken anthems Yourself or Someone Like You, ponder how Attila's About That Life achieved some kind of longevity, cheer originality in hardcore on Twitching Tongues' In Love There is No Law, and the troubling eternal mystique of Acid Bath's When the Kite String Pops.This episode was originally published July 2023 on patreon.com/thatsnotmetal.

We convene for conversations on 2024's most monolithic potential landmark records, reviewing Blood Incantation, Undeath, Balance and Composure, High Vis, Touché Amoré, Oranssi Pazuzu, and Chat Pile, as well as scratching our heads at festival clues and Acid Bath(?!), and a toast to the late Paul Di'Anno.Blood Incantation 45:58Undeath 1:22:56Balance and Composure 1:45:20High Vis 2:00:55Touché Amoré 2:19:41Oranssi Pazuzu 2:42:46Chat Pile 3:09:54

On this Album Club episode we return to the scene of the crime to again preview some of the must-see sets at this year's Damnation Festival: Cradle of Filth's old school origins with The Principle of Evil Made Flesh, Ne Obliviscaris' Citadel, Discharge's Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing, and Dragged Into Sunlight's terrifying Hatred for Mankind.

We've got a big catch-up chat talking about Sam's trip to a Tokyo hardcore show, tours from Orange Goblin, Cannibal Corpse, and Frank Carter fronting the Sex Pistols, leading into a discussion of the surprising news around The Rattlesnakes calling a hiatus and their potential future, and questions around nostalgia festival booking double standards and which band we'd want to see "do a Wintersun".Releases:High Parasite - Forever We BurnWeather Systems - Ocean Without a ShoreOrigami Angel - Feeling Not FoundAdorior - Bleed On My TeethSpite - The Third TempleBlood Incantation - Absolute ElsewhereUndeath - More InsaneFever 333 - Darker WhiteTrash Boat - Heaven Can WaitBalance and Composure - With You In SpiritDrug Church - PrudeChubby and the Gang - And Then There Was…Godspeed You! Black Emperor - No Title as of 13 February 2024 28,340 Dead1349 - The Wolf and the KingLowen - Do Not Go to War With the Demons of MazandaranCosmic Putrefaction - Emerald Fires Atop the Farewell MountainsMaul - In the Jaws of Bereaveme

Autumn releases arrive with the album for the season, a huge return, and several much hyped debuts to assess, from Unto Others, The Black Dahlia Murder, Nightwish, Zetra, Heriot, Vended, Vicious Blade, & The Jesus Lizard.Unto Others 21:45The Black Dahlia Murder 57:55Nightwish 1:19:30Zetra 1:37:58Heriot 1:52:42Vended 2:08:41Vicious Blade 2:27:34The Jesus Lizard 2:38:44

Album Club is back with Slayer's sunset on their imperial era Seasons in the Abyss, My Bloody Valentine's shoegaze starting gun Loveless, a comprehensive look back on the divisive effect of Cancer Bats' Searching for Zero, and Blood Incantation's Starspawn blasting death metal through the stargate.This episode was originally published July 2023 on patreon.com/thatsnotmetal.

Another UK live event hits with Cosmic Void Festival and Cirith Ungol's UK date on their final tour, Iron Maiden announce their huge 50th anniversary tour, The Cure start to finally tease new music, and there's the unfortunate Jane's Addiction punch-up implosion to deal with.Releases:Nightwish - YesterwyndeUnto Others - Never, NeverlandVended - VendedCrimson Veil - HexCharlotte Wessels - The ObsessionKublai Khan TX - Exhibition of ProwessRegional Justice Center - Freedom Sweet FreedomGiant Walker - SilhouettesAlunah - Fever DreamDemon Head - Through Holes Shine the StarsDungeon Crawl - Maze ControllerGlacial Tomb - Lightless ExpanseCoffin Rot - Dreams of the DisturbedKanonenfieber - Die UrkatastropheMork - SyvDreamless Veil - Every Limb of the FloodEsoctrilihum - Döth-DerniàlhDeathless Void - The Voluptuous Fire of Sin

We take a trip to No Play Festival to see SeeYouSpaceCowboy and a day of UK hardcore bands, and follow up on last week's Linkin Park announcement with, well... all of that. Not the conversation we imagined having last time.Releases:Pyrrhon - ExhaustMan’s Gin - The ReprobateThe Jesus Lizard - RackCursive - DevourerNada Surf - Moon MirrorChastity - ChastityZetra - ZetraOceans of Slumber - Where Gods Fear to SpeakSatan - Songs In CrimsonWolfbrigade - Life Knife DeathSlomosa - Tundra RockTorus - TorusDale Crover - GlossolaliaWinterfylleth - The Imperious HorizonTrelldom - …by the Shadows…Taur-im-Duinath - Verso casaNightWraith - Divergence

The fruits of Linkin Park's rollout emerge with all of the details of their reunion and return, Slam Dunk leads with its first announcements for 2025, there's trouble in the W.A.S.P. camp, and there's a live report from NWOBHM cult legends Satan.Releases:Rat Lord - Blazed in the Northern SkyEnumclaw - Home In Another LifeBoston Manor - Sundiver40 Watt Sun - Little WeightMolchat Doma - Belaya PolosaAluk Todolo - LUXBlitzkrieg - BlitzkriegHelvetets Port - WarlordsGod is an Astronaut - EmbersGod Dethroned - The Judas ParadoxPeelingFlesh - The G CodeBodysnatcher - Vile ConductLaura Jane Grace & The Mississippi Medicals - Give An Inch

Album Clubs kick off with an EP that set it all alight with Nine Inch Nails' Broken, Baroness make modern rock's great double album Yellow & Green, The Hotelier hit an emo revival high Home, Like Noplace Is There, and Satyricon take black'n'roll to the mainstream with Now, Diabolical.This episode was originally published May 2023 on patreon.com/thatsnotmetal.

The big reunion the world was apparently waiting happens with Oasis, but it was nearly two in week with Deryck Whibley finding himself at the centre of a storm of confusion, plus talk on the comedy metal albums we actually like.Releases:Stand Atlantic - Was HereSimone Simons - VermillionWithin the Ruins - Phenomena IIUniform - American StandardMelt-Banana - 3+5Fleshgod Apocalypse - OperaSpectral Wound - Songs of Blood and MireKoldbrann - Ingen SkanselGravenoire - Devant La Porte Des EtoilesBlack Birch - Black BirchDemiser - Slave to the ScytheNil / Castle of the Winds - Bastard Sons of TyrannyMark Lanegan - Bubblegum XXWintersun - Time IINails - Every Bridge BurningLeprous - Melodies of AtonementNick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Wild GodThrown - Excessive GuiltOceano - Living ChaosSatan’s Satyrs - After DarkPhaëthon - Wielder of the SteelTeeth - The Will of HateAnciients - Beyond the Reach of the SunDeceased - Children of the MorgueConcrete Winds - Concrete WindsAvmakt - Satanic Inversion of…Copse - MMXXIVCutdo

Actual mythical albums lead this month's album reviews, as we discuss the actually real Wintersun album Time II, the comeback of Nails, Zeal & Ardor, Twin Atlantic, Four Year Strong, Leprous, & Nile.Wintersun 40:06Nails 1:21:18Zeal & Ardor 1:50:16Twin Atlantic 2:06:28Four Year Strong 2:24:22Leprous 2:37:44Nile 2:51:32

We're back for our annual report from Bloodstock Festival where Opeth, Architects, & Amon Amarth headlined atop Malevolence, Clutch, Satyricon, Whitechapel, Hatebreed, Green Lung, & plenty more.

Aerosmith unceremoniously call it a day, OPETH HAVE GROWLZ AGAIN, and we discuss the most disgusting things we've witnessed at festivals and have a conversation on the ethics of using depictions of real death on album artwork.Releases:Twin Atlantic - MeltdownFour Year Strong - Analysis ParalysisDune Rats - If It Sucks, Turn It UpKing Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard - Flight b741Oso Oso - Life Till BonesFucked Up - Another DayDestroy Boys - Funeral Soundtrack #4Mushroomhead - Call the DevilHammerFall - Avenge the FallenAnd So I Watch You From Afar - MegafaunaKurokuma - Of Amber and SandTendrils - Long DeadMamaleek - Vida BlueFulci - Duck Face KillingsOxygen Destroyer - Guardian of the UniverseMalodorous - The Carrion RecoilViscera Infest - TeratomaIn Aphelion - ReaperdawnHeilung - Lifa Iotungard: Live at Red Rocks Ampitheatre

Gojira make history with their absolutely insane Olympics performance, there's a massive stream of singles from Undeath, Better Lovers, High Vis, Jinjer, Oranssi Pazuzu, Jerry Cantrell, & more, and Sam talks about Bruce Springsteen again.Releases:The Smashing Pumpkins - Aghori Mori MeiAnberlin - VegaBlues Pills - BirthdayBarbarian Hermit - Mean SugarShadow Knell - Shadow KnellBlind Guardian - Somewhere Far Beyond RevisitedFootballhead - Before I DiePoison Ruin - ConfrereCalderum - Desecration of the Bastille

We are joined by drummer and vocalist Alasdair Dunn of experimental black metallers Ashenspire to blow the doors open with one of our most eclectic Album Roulettes with dance-noise, abstract hip-hop, discussion of the true ethos of post-black metal, and tips on getting into jazz as a metal fan.Ed Scissor & Lamplighter - Tell Them It's WinterCIVIL ELEGIES - CombatAltar of Plagues - Teethed Glory & InjuryModel/Actriz - DogsbodyEx Eye - Ex EyeDoomCannon - Renaissance

A hyperspeed Hyperblast with Rou Reynolds joining the War of the Worlds cast, and the first returning track from the original Jane's Addiction line-up.Releases:Orange Goblin - Science, Not FictionDeep Purple - =1Paul Di’Anno’s Warhorse - Paul Di’Anno’s WarhorseUprising - IIIPowerwolf - Wake Up the WickedDream Evil - Metal GodsHarvestmen - Triptych: Part TwoState Faults - Children of the MoonWormwitch - WormwitchColdCell - Age of UnreasonMayhemic - TobaVoid Witch - Horripilating PresenceKaonashi - A Second Chance at Forever: The Brilliant Lies from Casey DiamondGhost - Rite Here Rite Now (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

The week Tenacious D implode in the least predictable circumstances, TNM reviews and gives judgement on albums from Scene Queen, Speed, Crossfaith, 200 Stab Wounds, Ulcerate, Crypt Sermon, & Blind Girls.Scene Queen 18:55Speed 51:00Crossfaith 1:03:30200 Stab Wounds 1:22:57Ulcerate 1:41:53Crypt Sermon 2:03:52Blind Girls 2:15:14