That's Not Metal

It's time for us to undertake our hour deep dive review into the brand new Metallica record 72 Seasons, on top of the new Every Time I Escape Plan music, Foo Fighters & others, a talk about the increase of festival cancellations in the UK, and a glut of Metallica-themed questions to seal the deal.Releases:Poison Ruin - HarvestOverkill - ScorchedSmoulder - Violent Creed of VengeanceVoidCeremony - Threads of UnknowingSól Án Varma - Sól Án VarmaThe Infinity Ring - Nemesis & NativityEnter Shikari - A Kiss for the Whole WorldGrave Pleasures - PlagueboysBell Witch - Future’s Shadow Part 1: The Clandestine GatePortrayal of Guilt - Devil MusicThe Smashing Pumpkins - Atum: Act ThreeThe St. Pierre Snake Invasion - GaloreAngus McSix - Angus McSix and the Sword of PowerDorthia Cortrell - Death Folk CountryTanith - VoyageSign Language - Madison & FloralOath of Cranes - The Unsung MantrasDawn of Ouroboros - Velvet IncandescencePredatory Void - Seven Keys to the Discomfort of BeingBirdflesh - Sickness in the Nor

If you're not all on Metallica... Toasting Balance and Composure's return, and reviews debate Enter Shikari, Bury Tomorrow, Grave Pleasures, a hardcore gauntlet of Jesus Piece, Enforced, & The Hirs Collective, and black metal opuses from Lamp of Murmuur and Dødheimsgard.Enter Shikari 20:32Bury Tomorrow 43:27Grave Pleasures 1:09:07Jesus Piece 1:29:24Enforced 1:40:53The Hirs Collective 1:49:57Lamp of Murmuur 2:07:59Dødheimsgard 2:24:08

Hyperblasts reviews new EPs from Scowl, Tribulation, and the split from Fit for an Autopsy, Thy Art is Murder, and Malevolence, and takes in news of Motley Crue's lawsuit, petty KISS drama, and Josh Klinghoffer's sky high self-confidence.Releases:Scowl - Psychic Dance RoutineTribulation - HamartiaFit for an Autopsy/Thy Art is Murder/Malevolence - The Aggression SessionsPowerwolf - InterludiumRise of the Northstar - ShowdownThe Nightmares - SéanceMudhoney - Plastic EternityWorriers - Warm Blankethealthyliving - Songs of Abundance, Psalms of GriefUnderstand - Real Food At LastAnthropophagous - Abuse of a CorpseMidnight Betrothed - Death…My Faithful BrideSunrot - The Unfailing RopeLo! - The Gleaners

We've got a double review on Hyperblasts with the verdict on Fall Out Boy's supposed return to form So Much (for) Stardust and Depeche Mode's poignant Memento Mori, along with new music from Empire State Bastard and Portrayal of Guilt among others and totally topical hot button questions.Releases:Lamp of Murmuur - Saturnian BloodstormOHHMS - RotBury Tomorrow - The Seventh SunGel - Only ConstantLordi - Screem Writers GuildCity and Colour - The Love Still Held Me NearFoxteeth - Through the BlueSamiam - StowawayThe Ongoing Concept - AgainKingsmen - Bones Don’t LieDead Lakes - DaydreamerThe Last In Line - JerichoDemonstealer - The Propaganda MachineRotten Sound - ApocalypseAllfather - A Violent TruthSpirit Possession - Of the Sign…Kommand - Death AgeVredensdal - Sonic Devotion to DarknessAara - Triade III: NyxAttack Attack! - Dark Waves

The State of Unrest Tour with Lamb of God and Kreator finally gets done and dusted, as well as an arena show for Beartooth and a 40th anniversary blast for W.A.S.P., hip-hop delivers two very different takes on heavy metal, and we talk the worst festivals we've been to.Releases:Night Demon - OutsiderKruelty - UntopiaSkourge - Torrential TormentForetoken - TriumphsVerminous Serpent - The Malign CovenantHyperdontia - DerangedDownfall of Gaia - Silhouettes of DisgustKamelot - The AwakeningBabymetal - The Other OneDawn Ray’d - To Know the LightFall Out Boy - So Much (for) StardustDepeche Mode - Memento MoriAugust Burns Red - Death BelowOv Sulfur - The Burden ov FaithThe Bouncing Souls - Ten Stories HighThe Hirs Collective - We’re Still HereGatekeeper - From Western ShoresSaxon - More InspirationsAcid King - Beyond VisionLiturgy - 93696Ne Obliviscaris - ExulKeep of Kalessin - KatharsisMork - DypetShores of Null - The Loss of BeautyCruachan - The Living and the DeadIhsahn - Fascination Street SessionsSoftcult - See

We're at August Album Clubs with an early 2010s selection of The Gaslight Anthem's derided Get Hurt, Sylosis' thrash ambition on Edge of the Earth, Trap Them defining Entombedcore on Darker Handcraft, and assessing the impact of Infant Annihilator's meme deathcore The Palpable Leprosy of Pollution.This episode was originally published August 2022 on patreon.com/thatsnotmetal.

Avenged Sevenfold finally break their musical silence, we dissect Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Metal Songs list, and reviews tackle Babymetal, Zulu, Periphery, Suicide Silence, Judiciary, Dawn Ray'd, and OHHMS.Babymetal 49:48Zulu 1:07:24Periphery 1:28:08Suicide Silence 1:48:51Judiciary 2:11:13Dawn Ray'd 2:22:30OHHMS 2:39:13

The electronicore scene is fractured by Blessed by a Broken Heart dramatically returning to the scene calling out Electric Callboy for supposedly stealing their sound. Who will prevail?! We also saw Napalm Death with Barney (slightly) consigned to a chair, talk our dalliances with the slam scene, and about Funeral for a Friend doing a Casually Dressed tour, again.Releases:Majesties - Vast Reaches UnclaimedPeriphery - Periphery V: Djent is Not a GenreSuicide Silence - Remember… You Must DieJudiciary - Flesh + BloodMeet Me @ The Altar - Past // Present // FutureManchester Orchestra - The Valley of VisionStory of the Year - Tear Me to PiecesNanowar of Steel - Dislike to False MetalGorod - The OrbFluisteraars - De Kronieken van het Verdwenen Kasteel - I - Harslo

New music from Svalbard and Cradle of Filth, Avenged Sevenfold teasing through social media "hacks", a trip to Obituary and Conjurer's London show, and trying to pick four of the deathcore new breed.Releases:Can’t Swim - Thanks But No ThanksZulu - A New TomorrowEnslaved - HeimdalHaken - FaunaFull of Hell & Primitive Man - Suffocating HallucinationViscera - CarcinogenesisEntheos - Time Will Take Us AllNecropanther - BetrayalSortilège - ApocalypsoFake Names - Expendables.gif from god - Digital Red

Architects call for a band strike on venue merch cuts, Frozen Soul release their first Matt Heafy-produced cut, and a lengthy report on Gojira's arena tour with Alien Weaponry and Employed to Serve and theorising on how far they might go.Releases:Avatar - Dance Devil DanceGraphic Nature - A Man Waiting to DiePigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs - Land of SleeperMan Must Die - The Pain Behind It AllUlthar - Anthronomicon / HelionomiconCult of Fire - Om Kali Maha KaliHost - IXNaut - HuntGoing Off - What Makes You Tick?Hundred Reasons - Glorious SunsetGodsmack - Lighting Up the SkyDope - LovesongSteel Panther - On the ProwlInsomnium - Anno 1696Lovebites - Judgement DayMegaton Sword - Might & PowerBig|Brave - Nature MorteDeath Pill - Death PillVenomous Concept - The Good Ship Lollipop

July Album Clubs look at the victory of one of heavy metal's patron saints Dio's Holy Diver, the most ripped off pop punk album of the decade Under Soil and Dirt by The Story So Far, the psychological horror metalcore splurge of Norma Jean's Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child, and examines bluegrass and worker's solidarity in black metal with Panopticon's Kentucky.This episode was originally published July 2022 on patreon.com/thatsnotmetal.

The superb new Paramore record tops February reviews with In Flames, Hellripper, Sanguisugabogg, Narrow Head, Naut, Host, and Going Off in tow, as well as Unto Others b-sides, lost Linkin Park songs, and Code Orange's ARG remix album.Paramore 37:30In Flames 59:54Hellripper 1:16:12Sanguisugabogg 1:27:06Narrow Head 1:41:38Naut 1:51:52Host 2:00:02Going Off 2:11:16

The results of the 2023 Grammys are discussed with a particularly poor showing for Rock & Metal, with the problems of treating categories like lifetime achievement awards and valueing genre tourism over homegrown acts, and we pay respects to one of our favourite alt punk bands Camp Cope.Releases:Paramore - This is WhyYou Me At Six - Truth DecayPierce the Veil - The Jaws of LifeNarrow Head - Moments of ClarityDelain - Dark WatersKlone - MeanwhileStormo - EndocannibalismoFrozen Dawn - The Decline of the Enlightened GodsOak - Disintegrate

The Prince of Darkness announces his touring retirement, Slipknot and Year of the Knife surprise drop new music on us, Zara Larsson pulls an oopsie! with her choice of questionable band merch, and we try to drill into the intrinsic appeal of a skeleton.Releases:In Flames - ForegoneSanguisugabogg - Homicidal EcstasyMemoriam - Rise to PowerFvnerals - Let the Earth Be SilentCalderum - Lord CramridorTorso - A Crash Course In Terror

News absolutely boots off with discussion of Pantera being removed from various festival lineups in Europe, Panic! At the Disco calling it quits, and a barrage of bizarre and questionable new music arrives from The Xcerts, Ghost ft Joe Elliot, power metallers dropping diss tracks, and... David Ellefson and Violent J covering Faith No More. Give us strength.Releases:Maneskin - RushNew Found Glory - Make the Most of ItRiverside - ID.EntityTidal Wave - The Lord KnowsImperium Dekadenz - Into Sorrow EvermoreNothingness - SupraliminalDeiquisitor - ApotheosisTribunal - The Weight of RemembranceDryad - The Abyssal PlainGrief Symposium - …In the Absence of LightFucked Up - One DayWhite Reaper - Asking for a RideSightless Pit - Lockstep BloodwarOozing Wound - We Cater to Cowards…And Oceans - As in Gardens, So in TombsBizarrekvlt - Den Tatpe KrigenTrastorned - Into the VoidFreeroad - Do What You Feel!The Lucid - Saddle Up and Ride

Summer arrives and we go into some classic Album Club territory with Sum 41's moodier metal turn Chuck, Blind Guardian's Nightfall In Middle Earth, Your Demise upset the windbreakers on The Golden Age, and Cattle Decapitation's boundary-crossing look into a dark future The Anthropocene Extinction.This episode was originally published June 2022 on patreon.com/thatsnotmetal.

2023's first TNM reviews come from VV, Katatonia, Obituary, Twilight Force, Fireworks, Swiss Army Wife, Ahab, & Grief Symposium, Fall Out Boy do the unthinkable and write a rock song again, and we debate Trivium setlists after their long awaited UK tour.VV 35:10Katatonia 51:38Obituary 1:04:03Twilight Force 1:16:06Fireworks 1:25:32Swiss Army Wife 1:36:19Ahab 1:43:17Grief Symposium 2:00:40

Hyperblasts returns for 2023 bringing the first round of early news including new music from Sleep Token, Periphery, and Enter Shikari, Till Lindeman's statue getting nicked, and our quick little look ahead at the albums and shows we're looking forward to this year.Releases:Iggy Pop - Every LoserAnti-Flag - Lies They Tell Our ChildrenHellPoison - Ultra Outbreak of HellThe Canyon Observer - FiguraVV - Neon NoirObituary - Dying of EverythingAhab - The Coral TombsPolar - Everywhere, Everything

It's the last dance of the year with the TNM Awards, as the gang assemble to anoint the greats and truly take to task the bull:Most Improved BandSong of the YearWorst Song of the YearHero of the YearVillain of the YearBest New BandBiggest DisappointmentGig of the YearEP of the YearArtwork of the YearMovie of the YearComeback of the YearSurprise of the YearOutstanding AchievementWorst Band of the YearUnsung HeroesStory of the YearBand of the Year

AOTY season continues at TNM with lists from 2022's fresh contributors Mark & Elliot, and most importantly the results of the listener album of the year poll are revealed and given the magnifying glass.