Kim McAuliffe (Girlschool) Reflecting on 45 Years of the band

British heavy metal act Girlschool did a tour of India in 1985! Yeah, I was also surprised to hear about it when I spoke to vocalist/guitarist, Kim McAuliffe.

I spoke Kim McAuliffe about their 14th release WTFortyfive. We also discussed the journey of the band over 45 years without any grand plan or strategy and of course their tour of India.

Tracks played on this episode

Girlschool – It is What it is 

Girlschool – Born to Raise Hell

Nathanael Larochette interview

Nathanael Larochette joins me again on the podcast, this time to discuss this solo release, Old Growth. We discussed the emotional and creative journey of the project, the excitement of sharing it with others, and the satisfaction of physical merchandise. 

Nathanael also recommends a couple of albums that everyone should check out.

Tracks played on this episode

Nathanael Larochette – Ashes  

Haavard –  Printemps

Do stream/download Old Growth and also pick up vinyl or a tab book

Shawn Drover (Withering Scorn)

In our latest episode, I had the incredible opportunity to speak to Shawn Drover (ex – Megadeth, ex – Act of Defiance) about the birth of a new project – Withering Scorn.

Shawn Drover took me on a journey through his creative process of Prophets of Demise and the excitement of starting a fresh musical endeavor. We dove into the world of social media and how it has revolutionized how artists connect with their fans. Shawn opens up about the challenges and joys of navigating this digital landscape, giving us a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes of promoting albums in the modern age.

We also touched on the importance of physical music products, the financial constraints of European tours, and the future possibilities for Withering Scorn.

India fans – Don’t miss Shawn Drover sharing his appreciation for India and its amazing fans and his experiences of visiting the country multiple times.

Tracks played on this episode

Withering Scorn – Prophets of Demise

Thanks to Blabbermouth for the link back

Midhaven interview

Midhaven are a band that I have known for a while now. I had written about them when they released their debut album, Spellbound close to 10 years ago. Check out the article here.

This episode ended up being an Indian metal special.
It starts off with the single, Kill the Parasite from Splinter, a Pune/Kolkata-based old-school thrash metal act. 

Later in the episode, I speak to Aditya Mohanan and Karan Kaul of Midhaven. The Mumbai-based metal act released their 2nd album, The Lotus & The Thunderbolt in 2021. The duo discusses releasing the album during the pandemic, their merch, and more 

Tracks played on this episode

Splinter – Kill the Parasite

Midhaven – Zhitro

Check out The Lotus & The Thunderbolt

Follow Splinter – https://www.instagram.com/splinter_thrash

Follow Midhaven – instagram.com/midhaven.ind

Tom Geldschläger (Fountainhead) + Vader gig recap

This episode is a metal artists touring India special. 

In the start of the episode, I am joined by my friend Aditya Rao and we discuss the Mumbai leg of The Uprising which was part of Vader’s An Act Of Darkness In Asia: 40th Years Anniversary Tour, supported by Hate and Thy Disease.

Yup, Peter did meet Pitor!

Later, I spoke to Guitarist/ producer Tom Geldschläger aka Fountainhead who is currently on tour in India. We discussed his experience on the India tour, his upcoming album Changeling, the problem with production on technical death metal and much more.

Tracks played on the episode

Fountainhead – Hitherto 

Godless – Empty Graves

Showmik Das (KHNVM) interview

KHNVM (pronounced as khoo-num) is a German-based metal band formed by Bangladeshi-born Showmik Das aka Obliterator. I’ve known Showmik Das for some time now, when he was in the band Homicide in Bangladesh. We spoke ahead of the release of KHNVM’s 3rd album Visions of A Plague Ridden Sky about his move to Germany, forming KHNVM and even their recent tour of Brazil. Tune in!

Tracks played on the episode

KHNVM – Foretold Monuments of Flesh

KHNVM – Awakening the inner alchemy Pt. 2

Buy the album on cd and merch too – https://neckbreakerrecords.bigcartel.com

Harry Nott (Burner) interview

Church Road Records are currently one of my favourite record labels. Getting an email from them about an upcoming release ends up being the highlight of my day/week. A couple of months ago I got an email from label owner Justine Jones (Employed To Serve) about the upcoming Burner album, It All Returns to Nothing and I was really excited to hear it. From the first song itself, one can tell that this is a dark and heavy album. 

Burner vocalist Harry Nott joined me on this episode to discuss the journey of making the album. We also discussed the band’s creative process, their thoughts on social media and much more. Tune in to find out more. 

Tracks played on the episode

Burner – Hurt Locker

Burner –  Prometheus reborn 

Check out It All Returns to Nothing

Check out Burner live from earlier this year.

Garry Brents (Memorrhage) interview

I am joined again by prolific musician Garry Brents on the podcast, this time to discuss his latest project Memorrhage. We discussed the inspiration for the project, the nostalgia for nu-metal, and also the impact of bands like Korn and Slipknot. 

There is a segment reminiscing on the heydays of nu-metal.

Tracks played on the episode 

Memorrhage – Reek
Memorrhage – Utility

Dive into the Memorrhage DNA

Check out Memorrhage

Buy Memorrhage vinyl and merch

US https://bigmoneycybergrind.bandcamp.com/merch
EU https://hunkofplasticrecords.limitedrun.com/products/742600-gonemage-memorrhage

Garry Brent’s previous appearance on the podcast

Per Nilsson (Scar Symmetry) interview

This is one more episode from the bucket list ticked off!

I was introduced to Scar Symmetry as a teenager listening to melodic death metal, bands like Amon Amarth and Soilwork. Both of who I managed to speak to last year.

Per Nilsson is the creative genius behind Scar Symmetry. We spoke in advance of the release of the band’s much-awaited album, The Singularity (Phase II – Xenotaph), and unravel the connections and key themes that bind the Singularity Trilogy together. We also dive into the production and creative process behind the album and also Scar Symmetry‘s recent tour.

“It’s a bit like I’ve been baking this cake for such a long time and now I get to eat it.”

Tracks played on the episode 

Scar Symmetry – Chrononautilus 

Listen/Order The Singularity (Phase II – Xenotaph) – https://scarsymmetry.bfan.link/xenotaph

Abhorred interview

It’s finally live! This episode has been a few years in the making.

I managed to get Serge Lutfi and Pravin Mukhi of Abhorred on the podcast. Abhorred was one of the earliest metal acts in the UAE and released 2 EP, The Empire’s Fall and The Infinite. 

I first heard Abhorred when I lived in Abu Dhabi in the early 2000s and was getting into metal. On the episode, I got Serge and Pravin to look back at the band’s origins dating back to 1999, recording and performing live in the UAE and much more. 

It’s a trip down nostalgia.

Tracks played on the episode 

Abhorred – Eternal Hell

Abhorred – A Lifelong Philosophy

Check out Serge’s bands

Verdict – https://www.facebook.com/Verdictuae

Aramaic – https://www.facebook.com/AramaicDXB

Check out Pravin’s band PENGSHUi – https://www.facebook.com/pengshuimusic