The Smashing Skull Sessions

Hammok is the trio of vocalist/guitarist Tobias Osland, drummer Ferdinand Aasheim, and bassist Ole Benjamin Thomassen. 'When Does This Place Become Our Scene' is driven by their idiosyncratic blend of pop production and the vivacious energy of hardcore. Throughout, experimental textures fully blossom, placing them on the vanguard of forward-thinking punk. It ranges from tongue-in-cheek ragers to tracks that blend caustic tones with their love for emo and indie. “Blast Off (Blast Off) Blast Off” is an album standout, and was the first skeleton key that Tobias Osland wrote by accident. It seemed to arrive out of nowhere, and within a few hours he had a complete demo, driven by a new approach to his guitar-playing — a lacerating lead part that sounds like computers sputtering to life. A strange, alien sound, you could be forgiven for mistaking it for a synth instead of a guitar. I got to sit down with members Ole Benjamin (bass) and Tobias (Guitars and Vocals) where we talked about the recording process for the bands new album, 'When Does This Place Become Our Scene', the filming for the bands music video, 'The Scene', and what the music scene is like in Norway. With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out Hammok here: https://www.instagram.com/hammokband/?hl=en Track Played, 'Blast Off', ©️ all rights reserved Hammok Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

NASHVILLE, TN — He screamed his way into metal history. Then cancer tried to silence him for good. Now, for the first time, Chuck Billy—the iconic frontman of Bay Area thrash legends Testament—tells the whole truth in his unflinching memoir, Holding My Breath: The Two Testaments of Chuck Billy, publishing November 10, 2026, from Permuted Press. This is not your typical rock memoir. Structured as two interlocking testaments, the book traces the full arc of a life lived at maximum volume—and then something louder than any riff: the fight to stay alive. The Old Testament plunges readers into the explosive birth of Bay Area thrash metal, the formation of Testament, the rivalries, the brotherhood, and the reckless, glorious chaos of becoming one of the genre's most powerful voices. The New Testament is something rarer and more raw—a frontman at 38, blindsided by a devastating cancer diagnosis, drawing on his Native American and Mexican-American heritage, spiritual healers, visions, and the fierce love of a metal community. At the center of that community: the legendary Thrash of the Titans benefit concert—one of the most galvanizing moments in heavy metal history—which rallied old rivals into brothers and helped ignite a genre revival while keeping Chuck Billy in the fight. Co-written with Dave Erickson, Holding My Breath delivers the unfiltered insider story of thrash metal's rise alongside a deeply human account of mortality, miraculous recovery, cultural identity, and chosen family. It is, equally, a gift to lifelong Testament fans and to anyone who has ever faced the unthinkable—and refused to let go. I got to sit down with Chuck Billy where we talked about the memoir, the recording for Testaments new album, 'Para Bellum', and so much more! With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out Chuck Billy here: https://www.instagram.com/growthnoise/ Track Played, 'Remember Me As Fire', ©️ all rights reserved Growth. Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

More than the sum of their parts and born again through perseverance, grit and cosmic horror, Kent’s INFECTED DEAD marks their arrival into 2026 as a newly fine-tuned and reincarnated beast. Having regrouped with a new line-up in 2024, the five-piece technical death metal band boasts alumni from the likes of Pupil Slicer, Dawnwalker and Overthrow. Gelling as a unit on stages throughout their home country of the UK, which includes previous touring alongside Bloodshot Dawn and Reprisal, as well as sharing a stage with the likes of Ingested, Vader, Immolation and Pestilence. INFECTED DEAD’s second era is set to be cemented in stone with their forthcoming 'Invicta' EP. Conceived conceptually as far back as 2020, the past 12 months saw the band enter the studio to record their most devastating and widely ambitious material to date. 'Invicta' sees production handled by V.Santura (Triptykon, Dark Fortress and Obscura), and comprises of four tracks, with thematic focus on eldritch abominations and anticosmicism with the connecting thread of Lovecraftian horror. Where complacency breeds horror in the 21st century’s very real and deeply felt dystopian tendencies, be it ecologically, collectively, or personally, INFECTED DEAD has grown from their hiatus into a wisened collective that brings forth astutely parabolic storytelling without giving way to apathy. Tying together Invicta’s themes, the band also brought in acclaimed artist Artem Grigoryev (Profound Lore) for the cover. In the face of cosmic horror and insanity, the UK quintet’s return is a proclamation of being unconquerable in and of itself. I got to sit down with band members Alex and Luke where we talked about how the band started, the recording for their EP and WWE! With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out Infected Dead here: https://www.instagram.com/infecteddeaduk/ Track Played, 'In Spaces Beyond', ©️ all rights reserved Infected Dead. Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Growth wear their pain on their sleeve when it comes to their creative output. A lot of these strong emotions stem from vocalists LF's career in social work which often has him faced with the darker side of humanity, the kind of stuff that your average person can be blissfully ignorant to. His career, coupled with his own personal life hurdles, has set the scene for what listeners will find on 'Under the Under'. It's stark and at times bleak, but within it shines a glimmer of hope. There's light at the end of the tunnel, but one must crawl through barbed wire to reach it. Over half a decade on from the release of their debut album, 'The Smothering Arms of Mercy', Melbourne progressive-death outfit Growth have re-emerged with 'Remember Me As Fire', the first new music from the long-awaited second chapter of their planned trilogy aimed at going beyond expressing emotion, illustrating pathways of recovery while acknowledging the most dread-filled aspects of it.That second chapter, titled 'Under The Under' is planned for release on March 27 via Wild Thing Records. The gap between releases has been deliberate….and necessary. Where 'The Smothering Arms of Mercy' was written from within collapse, sickness and isolation, 'Under the Under' exists in the far more uncomfortable space that follows: what happens when survival is no longer the question and you’re forced to confront who you are once the wreckage settles. In the bands own words, healing, is not gentle. It is an ugly process. Chaotic, disorienting and often more confronting than the pain that preceded it.. With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out Growth here: https://www.instagram.com/growthnoise/ Track Played, 'Remember Me As Fire', ©️ all rights reserved Growth. Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Loud, angry, nihilistic; Gout is the doom-inducing metal project from members of Glasgow bands Lucia & the Best Boys and The Ninth Wave. A far cry from these projects, however, Gout distils the intensity of hardcore with the low, driven crush of sludge forebears. In 2025, following the release of its debut EP ‘Born Rotting’ and a buzz-generating debut show at Glasgow’s Core Festival, the band was chosen as one of The Skinny magazine’s ones to watch and played a sold out debut headline show as well as a host of other shows across the country throughout the year, supporting acts such as Portrayal of Guilt and Inter Arma. Gout’s newest EP, ‘Actual Bastard’, released on 17 April, is a brutal evolution of the band’s sound. Across 5 songs recorded and mixed by the band themselves in Glasgow, the EP is - like the band's eponym - largely unrelenting. Lyrically, vocalist Ally Scott reflects on some of the most uncomfortable aspects of self, evoking visceral imagery of hopelessness and dread, at times with cutting humour and self deprecation. The band add, "Musically, we wanted to have a song which was completely unrelenting from start to finish. We wanted to include a bit of a knuckledragging riff which is where the first riff comes in. We love playing this live and so approached the recording in the same way - not thinking too hard about anything and just laying it all out there." All tracks were recorded live in a small room in Glasgow, with minimal overdubs. This approach preserved the volatility of the performances, allowing mistakes, noise, and momentum to remain part of the sound rather than be edited out. We really wanted to convey the physicality of the band’s live performances and were confident in these new songs, so we didn’t feel the need to dress them up at all. There was an intention to having the sound be really quite exposed, letting the songs drag, surge, and fracture naturally. Although the songs are pretty brutal in places, we’re always mindful of integrating melody to the overall mixture. Many of Ally’s words deal with quite tough issues, sometimes personal and sometimes observational. Though delivered with a lot of intensity and aggression, the words are often very emotive or charged with humour. For example, the first single ‘I Am a Beacon of Health and Wellbeing’ is a case study in fragile masculinity: burying your insecurities under a veil of unwarranted self help advice, preaching about being the best version of yourself when really you were up till 10am snorting drugs with total weirdos and now there is literal blood coming out of your arsehole. In this regard, see the lyric ‘I am a vision of health and wellbeing, from the shit in my blood to the blood in my shit’. Ally’s lyrics are, at other times, more introspective and personal, dealing with mental health on a day-to-day basis: for example, ‘I’m an inmate, and this skin is a prison.’" I got to sit down with vocalist Ally Scott where we talked about how the band started, the recording for the bands EP, 'Actual Bastard', and what the music scene is like in Glasgow. With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out GOUT here: https://www.instagram.com/__gout/ Track Played, 'I Am a Beacon of Health and Wellbeing', ©️ all rights reserved GOUT. Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Hell Is Here, Hell Is Home is the fourth full-length from Melbourne, FL deathcore outfit Bodysnatcher. It follows 2024’s brutal Will Putney-produced EP, Vile Conduct and serves up another powerful barrage of uncompromising deathcore across 10 incredible tracks that see the four-piece—Kyle Medina (vocals), Kyle Carter (guitar), Kyle Shope (bass) and Chris Whited (drums)—turn the catharsis up as loud and as visceral as it will go. Of course, that’s nothing new for the band. If you’ve heard Vile Conduct, or any of the three albums that preceded it—2017’s Death of Me, 2020’s The Heavy Void or 2022’s Bleed-Abide—you’ll know this is a band who have always pitted themselves against personal tragedy, who have fought on individual levels against the dark depths of a despair (often inspired by their own experiences of death). Hell Is Here, Hell Is Home is no less harrowing. “The band has always had roots lyrically in themes of betrayal, overcoming hardship, and moving on from things that happen in life and how to cope with them,” explains Medina. “Ever since the inception of Bodysnatcher, that was the theme. I do think, though, as the band has matured and we as people have grown, so have the ways to dig into the themes more. With more life experience, there are more things to draw from.” Yet while this is still a viciously personal record, Hell Is Here, Hell Is Home is also a dark reflection of the world at large, and its current dystopia. It doesn’t just dwell on what’s happening, though. It lashes out at the way things are with a terrible, violent rage. I got to sit down with vocalist Kyle Medina where we talked about the recording process for, 'Hell Is Here, Hell Is Home', how the European tour of the same name was going and what the music scene in Melbourne, Florida was like. With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out Bodysnatcher here: https://www.instagram.com/bodysnatcherfl/ Track played: 'Blade Between the Teeth', ©️ all rights reserved Bodysnatcher. Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Indian metal veterans Demonic Resurrection who are celebrating 25 years have just announced the release of a new EP on 6th February 2026. The new EP is titled 'Apocalyptic Dawn' and comes packaged with phenomenal artwork by Gaurav Basu aka Acid Toad. The EP features 3 songs recorded by the new lineup featuring Demonstealer, Aditya Swaminathan, Nikhil Rajkumar and Swarnava Sengupta. The band also recruited the talents of Anabelle Iratni (Veille/ex-Cradle of Filth) for the keyboards on the EP. While the EP has been mixed and mastered by Keshav Dhar. (Skyharbor) Demonstealer says "Not many bands make it to 25 years. Even few bands make it to 25 years being from India 🇮🇳. To celebrate this monumental milestone we are proud to announce our brand new EP ‘Apocalyptic Dawn’ which celebrates the legacy of the band but also kick stars the next chapter in our journey." I got to sit down with Demonstealer where we talked about the metal scene in India, playing Bloodstock and the recording process for the bands new EP, 'Apocalyptic Dawn', and so much more. With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out Demonic Resurrection here: https://www.instagram.com/demonicresurrection/ Track played: 'Apocalyptic Dawn', ©️ all rights reserved Demonic Resurrection. Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Heaven Shall Burn, the metalcore band founded in Thuringia, Germany in 1996, has evolved into one of the most influential forces in the international metal scene. Comprising Marcus Bischdff (vocals), Maik Weichert (guitar), Alexander Dietz (guitar), Eric Bischoff (bass), and Christian Bass (drums), they have gained global recognition for their aggressive sound and politically charged lyrics. Their 2008 album "Iconoclast (Part 1: The Final Resistance)" solidified their reputation as an innovative force in the metalcore genre. This success continued with subsequent records such as "VETO" (2013) and "Wancerer" (2016), both of which propelled them to the top positions of international charts. Their latest release, "Of Truth And Sacrifice" (2020), not only reached number one in their home country Germany but also led to headlining performances at major metal festivals worldwide, including Wacken Open Air and Summer Breeze Open Air. This connection to the broader metal community emphasized their enduring relevance in the scene. The band not only sets musical standards but also actively engages in social and political causes, with a focus on human and animal rights. Through their passionate dedication to music and unwavering commitment, Heaven Shall Burn remains a driving force and undoubtedly stands as one of the most influential metal bands of their generation. I got to sit down with guitarist Maik Weichert just after the band arrived at the venue where we talked about the books he has been reading, the recording process for the bands new album, 'Heimat', and so much more. With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out Heaven Shall Burn here: https://www.instagram.com/heavenshallburnofficial/ Track played: 'Empowerment', ©️ all rights reserved Heaven Shall Burn. Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Starting out on the floors of squats and basements, SHORELINE have played pretty much every venue in Europe that has provided them with a power outlet over the past ten years. Since then, they have played shows with scene legends such as FOUR YEAR STRONG, KNUCKLE PUCK, and SILVERSTEIN. This February, they will be touring the UK with ARM’S LENGTH – and just recently, they played a sold-out, acclaimed hometown show at Sputnikhalle in Münster with 600 tickets sold, their biggest headlining concert to date. SHORELINE was formed in 2015 out of a desire to be an active part of the scene back home in Münster. First demo songs on YouTube and plenty of DIY diligence soon got the band on the road. With their third album, To Figure Out, SHORELINE gained attention beyond Europe’s borders when they became the first German band to release an album on the US label Pure Noise Records. I got to sit down with guitarist and vocalist for Shoreline Hansol Sueng where we talked about the band on tour in the UK with Arms Length, Koyo and Ben Quad, the recording process for their new album, 'Is This The Low Point or The Moment After?', and what the music scene is like in Münster, Germany. With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out Shoreline here: https://www.instagram.com/shoreline_band/?hl=en Track played: 'Youthfully Naive', ©️ all rights reserved Shoreline. Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Blaze Bayley- Metal Hall of Fame inductee - is a singer/songwriter born 29th May 1963 in Birmingham, England. Having started his professional music career in WOLFSBANE in 1984, he was elevated to global heights when he joined IRON MAIDEN with whom he released two albums ("X-Factor" and "Virtual XI") and toured worldwide between 1994 and 1999. After leaving IRON MAIDEN, Blaze embarked on a solo career, during which he has released ten full-length studio albums, plus live albums, live DVDs and compilations. He's also enjoyed an enviable reputation as one of the hardest working artists touring around. In 2015 Blaze celebrated the 15th anniversary of his first solo release "Silicon Messiah" and then saw a significant worldwide resurgence of interest in his career, not least with the release of the "Infinite Entanglement" trilogy during the period 2016 to 2018. During these recent years Blaze has toured widely in the UK, Europe, North America and Latin America. He’s become particularly recognised as an independent artist dedicated and remarkably connected with his fans, as well as for his unmistakable high energy, no-nonsense, live performances. During the period 2014 to present date, Blaze has benefitted from a settled line-up for his backing band, picked from British melodic metal band ABSOLVA - Christopher Appleton (guitars), Luke Appleton (bass), Martin Mcnee (drums) and Tom Atkinson (guitars). I got to sit down with Blaze where we talked about the recording of his 2024 album, 'Circle Of Stone', his recent visits to Ireland, and some brillaint advice for anyone wanting to start a band in 2026. With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out Blaze Bayley here: https://www.instagram.com/blazebayley/?hl=en Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Hailing from Finland and known as messengers of melancholy, ATLAS forge a uniquely Northern strain of modern metal where emotion meets cinematic scale. Mixed and mastered by Buster Odeholm (Silent Planet, Vildhjarta, Born Of Osiris, Thrown), the album extends ATLAS’s sonic bridge between old and new. Early singles 'Anodyne', 'Salt and Sulfur' and 'I Whisper Your Name Like a Curse' have already paved the way as ATLAS join Amorphis across Finland this winter, head toward North America with Orbit Culture in early 2026, and return home for Helsinki’s On The Rocks on 23rd May 2026. Sunder distills the band’s core credo - love conquers death - into a modern Metal work of haunting atmosphere and crushing rhythm. The Finnish five-piece blends ancient echoes and Northern mysticism with a contemporary edge, shaped by a towering, emotive production. I got to sit down with guitarist Tuomas Kurikka where we talked about the recording process for the bands new album, 'Sunder', thjeir upcoming tour across North America with Orbit Culture and what the music scene is like in Finland. With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out Atlas here: https://www.instagram.com/atlasfin/?hl=en Track played: 'Anodyne', ©️ all rights reserved Atlas. Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Imperial Slave is a thrashy death metal band from New Zealand, formed in 2020, with two critically acclaimed albums and extensive live experience across their home country, Europe and Japan. The band has steadily built its reputation through both headline and support performances. Formed in Palmerston North, New Zealand in 2020 by vocalist Sam Sheppard, formerly the drummer for influential New Zealand metal bands Sinate and 8 Foot Sativa. Sheppard stepped into the frontman role and completed the line-up with Anthony Hati (guitar), Isaac JohnstonLundy (guitar), and Achilles Manley (bass). The band’s second album, “…STILL AT LARGE”, which was released in 2023, marked a shift toward a faster, heavier and more aggressive death metal sound. In support of the release, Imperial Slave toured Japan in 2024 with US death metal band Nile, followed by a return to Europe in 2025 for several festivals and club shows. Having achieved significant international exposure in a short period of time, Imperial Slave has established itself as a formidable presence within the extreme metal scene, both as headliners as well as supporting acts for renowned metal bands. The band is currently working on their third studio album, scheduled for release in 2026. I got to sit down and chat with vocalist Sam Shepard where we talked about the bands visit to Ireland in 2025, the recording for their 2023 album, '...Still At Large', and whjat he thought about Metallica's visit to New Zealand. With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out Imperial Slave here: https://www.instagram.com/imperialslave/?hl=en Track played: 'Priestiality', ©️ all rights reserved Imperial Slave. Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Leisure Hour is an Emo Rock band who has taken the scene by storm, creating an authentic and diverse communities of baddies through their music. Their upcoming record “… and to think .. “ comes out January 30th via Counter Intuitive records. The band has many plans to tour across the country promoting their record and making a ton of friends along the way. I got to sit down and chat with their drummer Raegan where we chatted about how the band started, the recording process for their upcoming album, '...and to think', and so much more! With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out Leisure Hour here: https://www.instagram.com/leisure.hour/ Track played: 'Ode To Muncie', ©️ all rights reserved Leisure Hour. Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Hailing from the musical landscapes of Swedish coastal city Gothenburg, EF emerged already in 2003. This post-rock ensemble quickly captivated audiences with their emotionally charged instrumentals which they skillfully blended with northern melancholy, indie rock riffs and infusing the short energetic bursts of hardcore into their compositions. What truly did set them apart from other bands at this point of time was the use of tender vocals which made their melodies compelling to a diverse fanbase. The debut album, "Give me beauty...Or give me death!" (2006), marked the commencement of a spellbinding adventure into EF's immersive soundscapes. And with the subsequent releases "I Am Responsible" (2008), "Mourning Golden Morning" (2010), and "Ceremonies" (2013), EF solidified their standing in the post-rock realms. The band's live performances, renowned for intensity and visual allure, added an extra layer to their enigmatic allure and the band have done 400+ shows all over Europe and Asia. In November 2022, EF continued their musical odyssey with the release of their latest album, "We Salute You, You and You!" on the esteemed German post-metal label Pelagic Records. This latest offering would be the bands 5th, their first in 10 years and a celebration of their 20 years together as a creative force. ”We Salute You, You and You!” further showcased EF's ability to craftevocative soundscapes, contributing another chapter to their captivating journey. 2026 marks the 20th anniversary of ”Give me beauty...Or give me death!” which of course calls for a celebration. The band really wants to give their debut album the love it deserves and decides to re-record the full album. They want to make it tight, bombastic and give the songs a kiss of modern EF. Focusing on making orchestral arrangements bigger, the explosive parts bolder and even creating a new ”gem” out of an old outro. This is surely a heart project for the members, for the old fans, but hopefully will be embraced and find a place in new hearts as well. I got to sit down with drummer Niklas Åström where we talked about how the band started, going back and recording the 20th anniversary of, "Give Me Beauty...Or Give Me Death!", and the music scene in Gothenburg. With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out EF here: https://www.instagram.com/efmusicsweden/ Track played: He Came, He Stayed, He Fell', ©️ all rights reserved EF. Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Containing members of Dead Swans, Throats, Brutality Will Prevail, Last Witness and Bring Me The Horizon (to name a few!), Still In love is the brainchild of UKHC’s brightest talents. Following their acclaimed Withdrawal Symptoms EPs, Still In Love have carved out a distinct identity within the UK hardcore scene. Their music blends raw aggression with introspective lyricism, drawing comparisons to bands like Cursed, Blacklisted and Have Heart. Recovery Language delves into themes of personal struggle, resilience, and emotional catharsis, offering a sonic journey through the complexities of the human experience. The album's soundscape is a fusion of relentless riffs, dynamic rhythms, and poignant melodies, reflecting the band's evolution and depth. I got to sit down with vocalist Nick Worthington where we talked about the recording process for the bands debut album, 'Recovery Language', how the band started and skateboarding. With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out Still In Love here: https://www.instagram.com/stillinloveuk/?hl=en Track played: 'Preserve & Cherish (feat. Sam Carter)', ©️ all rights reserved Still In Love Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Formed in Essex in the UK in 2018, Beyond Extinction have brought the brutality with their debut album, 'Where They Gather'. With magazines like Kerrang, Metal Hammer and Distorted Group to name a few writing reviews about the album, the band are solidifying their place in heavy music with their brutal breakdowns and hellish soundscape they've created with this album. I got to sit down with all four band members Jasper (Vocals) Jude (Guitars) Danny (Guitars) and Niall (Drums) where we talked about the band playing The Siege of Limerick, the recording process for their album, 'Where They Gather', the music scene in Essex and so much more. With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out Beyond Extinction here: https://www.instagram.com/beyondextinction/?hl=en Track played: 'Apache', ©️ all rights reserved Beyond Extinction Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

“There’s no point in dressing it up. We’re a meat and potatoes heavy metal band. There are so many genres around these days, people have funny ideas about what heavy metal is. But to me, it’s an attitude, it’s a lifestyle, it’s not something you decide to dip into. You either are or you’re not. And it’s for life.” Honest, hard-working, humble and true, Orange Goblin are easy to spot in a world fuelled by bullshit. For the last 30 years, these London-based diehards have tirelessly flown the flag for balls-out heavy metal and maximum rock ‘n’ roll. Driven by passion, persistence and heartfelt love for metal’s dark magic, Orange Goblin have always been a vital force and a risk-free bet. From the boisterous stoner rock uproar of debut album Frequencies From Planet Ten (1997) and the deeper, doomier rumblings of The Big Black (2000), to more recent critically-acclaimed triumphs A Eulogy For The Damned (2012) and The Wolf Bites Back (2018), their contribution to British metal has been vast and enduring, earning them legendary, tribal treasure status among the denim ‘n’ leather legions of the UK and beyond. Orange Goblin have made many great albums in the past, but none as deep and dynamic as Science, Not Fiction. From the explosive death-boogie of opener “The Fire At The Centre Of The Earth Is Mine” onwards, the band’s tenth album crackles with energy and belligerence. With the new line-up fizzing with chemistry, the hard rocking likes of “(Not) Rocket Science”, “The Fury Of A Patient Man” and “The Justice Knife” breathe new life into some classic Orange Goblin tropes. Meanwhile, twisted prog-doom detours like “False Hope Diet” and “Cemetary Rats” take the Londoners into epic new territory, with everything from skull-shattering punk ‘n’ roll to transcendent space rock hurled into the swirling brew. “It is a continuation of what we’ve been doing, and that’s because when we write, it’s a big mixing bowl of all of our influences and favourite artists, and we try and create the perfect band that we always wanted to hear,” Ben states. “This album, it’s just more accomplished and mature, I guess. None of us are spring chickens anymore and we’ve got ten albums under our belts now. I feel like we’re more professional in the recording studio, I feel like we’re better musicians and writers, and now with me looking after myself, I feel like my performance is better as well. It’s all moving in the right direction.” I got to sit down with guitarist Joe Hoare where we talked about the Orange Goblin coming to an end, the final tour and how the band got their name. With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out Orange Goblin here: https://www.instagram.com/orangegoblinofficial/ Track played: '(Not) Rocket Science', ©️ all rights reserved Orange Goblin Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Formed in Eastbourne in 2023, Believe In Nothing bring together Caine Hemmingway (vocals/noise), Lawrence Rodriguez (guitar), Steve Collier (guitar), and Jasper Lyons (drums). With a history of playing in various heavy South Coast bands, the members hit the ground running, sidestepping the usual growing pains of a new project and quickly locking into a vision of crushing, apocalyptic sonic ritual. Believe in Nothing’s creative ethos centres on sonic mass wielded with weaponised restraint to create jarring dynamic changes. Instead of endlessly piling on layers they embrace controlled tension: Barrages of enormous guitars and drums and noise interjected with sparse movements, cold atonal textures, and stifling silences that feel like all oxygen just got sucked out of the room. The results are dense, oppressive soundscapes not from brute force, but via slow, deliberate accumulation. It’s an immersive, unsettling experience shaped by subtraction rather than excess. They began releasing music in mid‑2024, dropping a demo track ‘Boiling Stone’ to Bandcamp in June 2024. This track was a minimal yet crushing tone‑setting statement that established their turf on a scorched and abandoned earth. The band then planned to dripfeed more demos to Bandcamp at tactical moments but after experiencing their live ferocity, Chuch Road Records picked them up at the end of 2024. The band then began unfolding a string of miserable endtimes inducing singles in 2025. I got to sit down with vocalist Caine Hemmingway where we talked about how the band started, the recording process for their debut album, 'Rot', and how the band got their eye-catching name. With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out Believe In Nothing here: https://www.instagram.com/believeinnothing_noise/?hl=en Track played: 'The Children Are Cattle', ©️ all rights reserved Believe In Nothing Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Hailing from Norwich, UK, Birdwitch are a self-described “Dream Violence” band, blending elements of doom, shoegaze, post-metal and prog (amongst other influences). Birdwitch offer an emotional, spiritual melting pot of rage, pain and catharsis, introspectively exploring in an attempt to heal, learn and grow in this short life. Their debut EP, 'bless the spark that found its home', was released on October 7, 2025, featuring tracks such as “Starling.” I got to sit down with members Raya (Vocals) and Kieron (Drums) where we talked about how the band started, the recording process for their debut EP, 'bless the spark that found its home', and the music scene in Norwich and more! With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out Birdwitch here: https://www.instagram.com/birdwitch_band/?hl=en Track played: 'Calcify', ©️ all rights reserved Birdwitch Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Desertion draws inspiration from ‘90s punk greats like Seaweed, Knapsack, or Dear You-era Jawbreaker, and filtering them through a punchy modern lens to create visceral post-hardcore that's sure to inspire stage dives and catharsis in equal measure. "10 Days" follows earlier singles "Stale Change" and "Desert" (which drew attention from Stereogum, BrooklynVegan, and more), and the hard-hitting track and its accompanying delves deeper into the intense themes of Desertion. Vocalist/guitarist Max Lajoie discussed the song and video, saying: "'10 Days' about the time I spent by my mom’s side in the hospital after we learned she had cancer. She was gone 10 days after her diagnosis. The song captures what I felt for leaving her behind years earlier, for all the things I couldn’t do, for not being able to stop time. It’s about holding her hand as she passed and feeling like I was both present and absent, both there and not enough. It’s a reflection on how fast everything can unravel, and how love, even when it feels too late, is all we really have to give. The video drifts through an imagined version of the days that kept unfolding while I was gone—painting, cooking, waiting behind a fragile mask. It’s about coming back too late, and trying to say sorry through the fragments of what was left behind." Desertion explores grief with uncommon vulnerability as Lajoie depicts the immense pain and complicated emotions around the unexpected passings of both his parents. “When I was 17, my dad passed away from suicide,” he says. “Then ten years later my mom called me to tell me she had cancer, and ten days later she passed..Desertion is more about how these tragedies have informed so much of my life–it’s about trying to look them in the eye and reassess them as an adult. I want to move past them but I also want to take some kind of lesson from them.” The stakes feel high with such painful and challenging subject matter, and Desertion holds nothing back musically or lyrically. This is 29 minutes of ultra-urgent music that's sure to leave an impression long after it's over. I got to sit down with vocalist and guitarist Max Lajoie where we talked about the recording process for the bands album, 'Desertion', getting his thoughts on Deftones new album and what the music scene is like in Quebec, Canada. With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out Spite House here: https://www.instagram.com/spitehouseband/?hl=en Track played: 'Desert', ©️ all rights reserved Spite House Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

French bruisers ten56. have announced the arrival of their brand new album, IO. The highly anticipated follow-up to their earth-shattering debut Downer will drop on 5th September via Out Of Line, presenting a more calculated, more aggressive and far darker version of the band than ever before. Pre-order and pre-save the album here. To celebrate the news, ten56. have also shared a music video for their new single 'I Know Where You Sleep'. Clocking in at under 2 minutes, the single is an unrelenting statement of intent that sees the band brutally utilise blast beats, gutturals, dissonance and towering breakdowns to devastating effect. Speaking on the album, the band shares: “With IO, we’ve taken the distinct foundation on which we built our debut album on, and pushed that twisted, vulgar, yet vulnerable emotional rollercoaster even further. We thoroughly hope people enjoy the journey we created with this pivotal sophomore release.” I got to sit down with members Aaron & Steeves where we talked about the recording process for the album, how they came up with the cover art and Disneyland. With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out ten56 here: https://www.instagram.com/ten56hq/ Track played: 'I Know Where You Sleep', ©️ all rights reserved ten56 Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Emerging from the vibrant underground music scene, K L P S is a force to be reckoned with in the realms of post-metal, sludge, and post-hardcore. Drawing inspiration from luminaries such as Breach, Burst, Converge, Neurosis, and ISIS, the band melds complex rhythms with emotive soundscapes, crafting an auditory experience that is both powerful and introspective. Since their inception, K L P S has steadily carved out a name for themselves, earning significant airtime on renowned platforms, including Daniel P. Carter's BBC Radio 1 show. Their music has captured the attention of critics and fans alike, receiving mentions in prestigious publications such as AFTONBLADET and Sweden Rock Magazine. The band’s raw energy and thought-provoking lyrics have led to an insightful interview on Lambgoat and a highly regarded album premiere featured on Metal Injection. Notable online music outlets like Brooklyn Vegan and No Echo have praised K L P S for their innovative sound further establishing their presence in the post-metal genre. With the release of their self-titled album on These Hands Melt, K L P S is poised to reach new heights, inviting listeners into their immersive sonic world. As they continue to push boundaries and inspire a devoted fanbase, K L P S is not just a band; they are a movement, redefining the very essence of heavy music. Get ready to experience the intensity and depth of K L P S—where every note tells a story. I got to sit down with vocalist and guitarist Daniel Wollenborg where we talked about the recording for their album, 'K L P S', how the band started and our thoughts on Deftones. With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out KOLLAPS/E here: https://www.instagram.com/klps_music/?hl=en Track played: 'UNDERTOW', ©️ all rights reserved KOLLAPS/E Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

We Lost The Sea is a cinematic instrumental band from Sydney, Australia. Formed in 2007, friends came together to create a new collection of noise that gathers relentless crushing guitars together with post-rock atmospherics and brooding melody. The group's debut full-length, 'Crimea', engineered and mixed by Cult of Luna's Magnus Linderg, was released in 2010. The group played several successful shows throughout Australia, including performances with American band Rosetta, and signed to Bird's Robe Records in 2012. 'The Quietest Place on Earth', the band's second full-length, appeared on the label that December. The album expanded the group's sound significantly, incorporating pianos as well as greater dynamic changes. In March 2013, tragedy struck when their close friend and vocalist of the band, Chris Torpy, sadly took his own life at the age of only 24. This was devastating for the band, and the next two years were spent rebuilding and trying to figure out how to move forward with their music. From 2015 to 2017 saw the band write and record their cathartic and emotional third album 'Departure Songs' and tour around Australia and Europe. The new album 'A Single Flower' follows six years after their fourth album Triumph & Disaster', and it offers its heaviest - and most diverse collection of songs yet. I got to sit down with drummer Alasdair where we talked about how he joined the band, the recording process for their new album, 'A Single Flower', and Dream Theater! With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out We Lost The Sea here: https://www.instagram.com/welostthesea/ Track played: 'Everything Here Is Black and Blinding', ©️ all rights reserved We Lost The Sea Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

The future of British Metal lies in safe hands with Conjurer, who announce their long-awaited new album Páthos, to be released 1st July 2022 via Nuclear Blast. Páthos is not an album for the half-hearted or faint-hearted. Elements of sludge, death, doom, black metal and hardcore influences clash and collide throughout, all masterfully finished by Will Putney's exquisite mix and master. The fifty-minute runtime of Páthos is not without its moments of the sublime. That a band can be at once so triumphantly beautiful and gut-punchingly heavy is testament to Conjurer's quality, and a surefire sign of their future longevity at the top of Britain's heavy music scene. A triumphant return from Conjurer following their world-renowned 2018 debut Mire, Páthos is a band flexing their creative muscles, deepening their approach and thought, and expanding their sound. I got to sit down with guitarist and vocalist Dani Nightingale where we talked about the bands recent visit to Ireland in May with Make Them Suffer, the recording process for their album, 'Pathós', and Star Wars! With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out Conjurer here: https://www.instagram.com/conjureruk/?hl=en Tracks played: 'All You Will Remember', ©️ all rights reserved Conjurer Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

The Rising Tide are a 4 Piece modern deathcore band based out of Manawatu, New Zealand. Originally formed in 2012 and disbanding in 2016, the band returned in 2021 with a new line up and improved heavy sound. The Risings Tide’s sound consists of stupidly low tuned guitars, crushing sub drops, emotional orchestral elements and over the top harsh vocals. Their debut album, 'Trauma', came out the 21st of March, 3 years after their, ''Visions', EP. I got to sit down and chat with Phil and Cody via the power of the internet where we chatted about how the band started, the recording process of their debut album, 'Trauma', and their favourite things about New Zealand. With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out The Rising Tide here: https://www.instagram.com/therisingtide_official/?hl=en Tracks played: 'Sick', ©️ all rights reserved The Rising Tide Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Slovenia’s most awesomely audacious, genre defying metal pioneers Within Destruction have officially announced their next chapter with the reveal of their upcoming album 'ANIMETAL'. Speaking on the news of their upcoming album, the band share: “ANIMETAL is a culmination of all the stylistic experimentations that preceded it. These tracks are unapologetically authentic to the band’s identity. With each album released after the band’s deathcore era, we have gradually pushed the boundaries of electronics, clean hooks, and pop sensibility. Each song has a unique identity within the tracklist while retaining the band’s signature heavy-core sound. In previous albums, we experimented with melodic choruses, but with ANIMETAL, they have become a defining feature of our music. Every song has its own hook and appeal, and we hope it resonates deeply with listeners. “Thematically, ANIMETAL explores a wide range of subjects, shifting between fictional, larger-than-life characters and situations, and motifs that are deeply relatable to everyday life. Heavily inspired by anime plots and protagonists, the lyrics often take on a first-person perspective, portraying the struggles these characters face. From the grim battles within one’s own mind to the delusions we sometimes find ourselves lost in, and the crushing weight of the external world, we aim to create a connection with listeners through the storytelling in these tracks.” Building on the momentum of their previous singles ‘DEMON CHILD’ and ‘KANASHIBARI’, WITHIN DESTRUCTION’s fifth studio album, ANIMETAL pushes their sonic experimentation to new heights. Combining their trademark brutality with anime-inspired electronic flourishes, the album reflects their fearless creativity and relentless drive to challenge genre boundaries. I got to sit down with guitarist and clean vocalist Howard Fang where we talked about the recording process for, 'Animetal', playing the bands album release show at Club Asia in Japan, gearing up for European festivals and more! With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out Within Destruction here: https://www.instagram.com/withindestructiondm/ Tracks played: 'Cybergirl', ©️ all rights reserved Within Destruction Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Unto Others emerged in the summer of 2017, born from the frustration of singer/songwriter Gabriel Franco following the disbandment of his previous group. Initially named Idle Hands, the band served as Franco's creative outlet, allowing him full control over the songwriting process. With the addition of Sebastian Silva, Brandon Hill and Colin Vranizan, the band quickly gained traction in the underground music scene with their blend of old-school Heavy Metal, Goth, New Wave, and Post Punk. Their EP "Don't Waste Your Time" garnered critical acclaim, leading to a European tour and accolades from renowned metal publications. The momentum continued as Unto Others entered the studio to record their debut full-length album, "Mana," produced by Gabe Johnston and Franco himself. The album's release in 2019 marked a significant milestone for the band, with positive reviews and high streaming numbers. Despite facing challenges like visa issues and the pandemic, Unto Others persevered, signing with Roadrunner Records and releasing their sophomore album "Strength" in 2021. The album received widespread acclaim, and the band continued to tour extensively across the US, Europe and UK, supporting bands like Behemoth, Arch Enemy, Carcass and Napalm Death, building a dedicated fanbase worldwide. Building upon the resounding success of "Strength" in 2023, Unto Others introduced "Strength II ...Deep Cuts" featuring six previously unreleased tracks from the same prolific sessions produced by Arthur Rizk. In 2024, Unto Others embarks on a transformative journey with industry titan Century Media for their highly anticipated third album, "Never, Neverland," set to launch on September 20th. Produced by acclaimed Tom Dalgety (Ghost and The Cult), the album not only solidifies Unto Others as successors to Type O Negative and the Sisters of Mercy but also marks them as a band on the verge of something unholy and massive. Building on their underground classics "Mana" and "Strength", the album represents a departure, with harsh light breaking through their darkened gothic and classic metal motifs. Lead singles like "Butterfly", "Raigeki ", the grandiose "Angel Of The Night" and punkish abandon of "Suicide Today" reveal a progression from their earlier sound, blending melodious gloom with punkish abandon. Amidst this pivotal moment, the band's unwavering focus remains steadfastly fixed on extensive tours across Europe, the United States, and beyond. Fueled by relentless dedication and a fiery passion for music creation and audience connection, Unto Others charges forward. Their distinctive sound reverberates through the veins of contemporary heavy metal, solidifying their position in the genre's evolving landscape. I got to sit down with Gabriel where we talked about the bands visit to Ireland in Febuary with Green Lung, the recording process for the bands album, 'Never, Neverland', and camping! With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out Unto Others here: https://www.instagram.com/untootherspdx/?hl=en Tracks played: 'Butterfly', ©️ all rights reserved Unto Others Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Leading lights of British metal, Employed To Serve, take pride of place on the heavy metal world stage as they return with brand new single 'Atonement' feat. Will Ramos of Lorna Shore, plus long-awaited new studio album, 'Fallen Star', set for release on Friday, April 25th. "We want to fly the flag for heavy metal and the traditions that it holds," offers guitarist and songwriter Sammy Urwin, "But at the same time we want to play our part in taking things forward." Since meeting in their teens on the outskirts of Lurdon, vocalist Justine Jones and guitarist / co-vocalist Sammy have had their sights fixed on the road ahead. At first, it was all about standing with the local scene bands they admired, but before long they were forging a path of their own, lifers with a mission, evolving from the feral mathcore of their early EPs to detonating a full-throttle career high with 2021 album, 'Conquering. And now there's 'Fallen Star', an 11-track tour-de-force that sees the collective ETS vision refined to an even sharper degree... Produced and mixed by Lewis Johns, a longstanding presence behind the desk, it features a number of special guests, including Killswitch Engage's Jesse Leach on 'Whose Side Are You On?' and Svalbard's Serena Cherry on 'Last Laugh'. 'Fallen Star', the band's third album via Spinefarm, is a record of dizzying diversity, yet also one that is utterly uncompromising. I got to sit down and chat with Sammy Urwin where we talked about the recording of the bands new album, 'Fallen Star', working with Serena Cherry, Jesse Leach and Will Ramos on the album and going all the way back to 2021 where we talk about Download fest. With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out Employed To Serve here: https://www.instagram.com/employedtoserve/?hl=en Tracks played: 'Whose Side Are You On? (Feat Jesse Leach)', ©️ all rights reserved Employed To Serve Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Formed in 1986, Exhorder’s journey has proven exciting, yet tumultuous. Fraught with euphoric peaks and crippling valleys throughout its existence, the band debuted that summer with the do-it-yourself demo recording, “Get Rude”. Swiftly building a strong local following in the New Orleans punk rock scene, Exhorder entered a legitimate 24 track studio in 1987 and crafted their controversial classic demo, “Slaughter In The Vatican”. From there, the international attention the band drew via the world of underground tape-trading was indisputable. However, as fate would have it, the band broke up for the first time in early 1988 due to internal struggles. A reformation ensued later that year, and Exhorder set out once again to pursue its vision. The band soon signed with Mean Machine Records, but the label dissolved before the band’s debut could be completed. The contract was subsequently purchased by R/C Records, a subsidiary of Roadracer/Roadrunner Records. With a small recording budget and repairs to previous sessions, the album version of Slaughter In The Vatican was finally completed in 1990. With the assistance of legendary producer Scott Burns in 1990, Slaughter in the Vatican was finally completed nearly five years after much of the material was written. In the years that followed the relaunch of the band, Exhorder has toured extensively in both the United States and Europe. The reputation the band has carried as a force onstage continues to grow. With a new release in association with Nuclear Blast completed and set for release in 2024, Exhorder are plotting another busy year performing worldwide. I got to sit down with Kyle Thomas before the band played Whelans on the 21st of April where we talked about the band returning to Ireland, the recording process for their new album, 'Defectum Omnium', and his favourite Exhorder songs to play on guitar. With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out Exhorder here: https://www.instagram.com/exhorderofficial/?hl=en Tracks played: 'Wrath of Prophecies', ©️ all rights reserved Exhorder Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Formed in 2023 by guitarist Liam Myers, Worm Circus emerged as a raw and aggressive force within the Potsdam hardcore scene. In 2024, Liam met drummer Ray Stevens at a local hardcore show, leading to a lineup shift that saw the band scrapping its original material and starting fresh. With Ray behind the kit, they crafted a new sound, heavier and more intense than before. Soon after, bassist Dan Mariano joined the fold, solidifying the instrumental section. Following a lineup change on vocals, Blair Hutchison stepped in to complete the band’s sonic assault. The debut EP from Worm Circus blends unrelenting aggression with emotionally charged dynamics and lyrics through 4 unique songs. With a DIY approach, the release was entirely self-produced and engineered, in addition to being mixed and mastered by close friend and musical companion, Dustin Wright. I got to sit down with Ray, Liam and Blair where we talked about how the band started, the recording of their debut EP, 'Worm Circus', the music scene in Potsdam anmd so much more. With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check Worm Circus here: https://www.instagram.com/wormcircus/ Tracks played: 'Hidden Hand', ©️ all rights reserved Worm Circus Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

For over 35 years UK death metal legends Cancer have been delivering some of the most brutal and uncompromising music in the genre. Now, they return with Inverted World, their highly anticipated follow-up to 2018’s Shadow Gripped. Set for release on 25th April via Peaceville Records, the album promises a return to their signature blend of serrated riffing, guttural vocals, and relentless aggression. Expect a dark and visceral journey into dystopia, corruption, and existential horror. Speaking on the upcoming release, founding member and vocalist John Walker shared “I started writing the new material shortly after the Covid lockdowns. I nearly always usually start the writing process by basically fooling around on the guitar, then after a while riffs start to turn into musical ideas. The lyrics, I tend to spend some time thinking about a concept and then I pick the vocabulary appropriate to the idea. Inspiration comes from what's happening and what has happened in the world and curious tales that interest me. This album is the bands seventh full length release and I feel very fortunate at my age to still be able to do it, mixed by V. Santura I'm super happy with how it's turned out.” Death metal titans Cancer burst onto the UK extreme metal scene over thirty-five years ago and quickly established a strong global following over the early part of their careers, primarily due to the release of the legendary debut To the Gory End, swiftly followed by the equally revered Death Shall Rise album, which notably also featured death metal maestro James Murphy on lead guitars. The band’s trajectory increased further with follow-up opus The Sins of Mankind, leading to a stint with major label EastWest under Warner Music. 2018 saw the band return after a long period of inactivity for comeback release and Peaceville debut Shadow Gripped, which reunited the original core trio for the first time since 1995 for a stellar nod to the glory days of old; savage, thrash-tinged deathly odes to the macabre, gaining the approval of old fans and a new generation of death metal maniacs alike. In a year which also marks the 35th anniversary of the genre-classic debut, To the Gory End, founding member and vocalist/guitarist/songwriter John Walker leads a now-revamped quartet for Cancer’s seventh full-length album in the form of Inverted World. A relentless attack of masterful song-writing and brutal hooks, Inverted World explores the dark and murky world of manipulation and barbarity both past and present, with themes relating to shadowy entities and cult mentalities, including the brainwashing of people into compliance and the weaponizing of religion. And as an extra treat for the band’s fanbase in particular, the track ‘Corrosive’ also resurrects the old and familiar tale of the acid bath murderer. I got to sit down and chat with John Walker where we chatted about the recording process for the bands new album, 'Inverted World', the bands upcoming gig in Ireland in September and working with James Murphy from Obituary. With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check Cancer here: https://www.instagram.com/cancerofficialband/ Tracks played: 'Corrosive', ©️ all rights reserved Cancer Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Thrashing - quite literally - into existence in 2017 INHUMAN NATURE are on the cuswp their upcoming album, 'Greater Than Death', out the 25th of April! The London, UK firebrand continues to fly the flag for the new wave of thrash and crossover across three battleproof tracks. Following their self-titled 2019 debut album, a split with UK contemporaries Road Mutant and a string of EP’s and singles, Under The Boot sees INHUMAN NATURE charge headfirst into themes of apocalypse, abyss and blind compliance, sparing no soul in the process. Vocalist, Chris Barling leads the group with venomous disdain across the EP’s 12 minute runtime, backed by a newly solidified line up composed of past members of Hang The Bastard. INHUMAN NATURE’s amalgam of old-school thrash and NWOBHM influence is still the foundation of their sound, yet with a growing confidence following several releases and countless forays into the live circuit across the UK and Europe, the London quintet are set to unleash hell in a far darker way from here on out. I got to sit down with members Chris (Vocals) and Daragh (Bass) where we talked about the recording process for their album, their upcoming performance at The Siege of Limerick and their last visit to Ireland joining Crowbar. With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check Inhuman Nature here: https://www.instagram.com/inhumannature/?hl=en Tracks played: 'Possessed To Die', ©️ all rights reserved Inhuman Nature Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Straight out of the Crescent City, BRAT are set to release their forthcoming debut album, Social Grace, via Prosthetic Records on March 15. Since their 2021 inception, the New Orleans deathgrind / hardcore band’s journey to date has been one of blistering ascension both on the road and in-studio with relentless US touring and two head turning EP’s already under their belt. Enter 2024 and BRAT are ready to give extreme music the pink pill. Between an intense live schedule over the last three years, which saw BRAT share the stage with the likes of Eyehategod, Cro-Mags and contemporaries in grind such as ACxDC and No/Mas, the band recorded Social Grace over the course of a year and a half at HighTower Recording studio (Thou, A Wilhelm Scream, Eyehategod). Recording songs in batches helped BRAT finetune and focus their songcraft in condensed bursts, resulting in a coalescence of death metal, thrash, and powerviolence brutality. BRAT’s self-described barbiegrind / bimboviolence aesthetic is one of intentional dichotomy to their sound, with a keen focus to allow space and inclusivity for outsiders that shirks the traditional in favor of jubilant authenticity. Feral and ferocious in content and anti-purist in nature, BRAT’s Social Grace is a cataclysmically heavy party that everyone’s invited to. I got to sit down with members Liz, Brenner and Ian before they played The Academy in Dublin, on tour with Napalm Death, Full of Hell and Crowbar where we talked about how the tour was going, reflecting on the first birthday of their debut album, 'Social Grace', and more! With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check BRAT here: https://www.instagram.com/brat_band/?hl=en Tracks played: 'Barracuda', ©️ all rights reserved BRAT Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Living With Giants is an instrumental post-rock band from Sacramento, California. Starting as a solo project in 2009 by Ryan Mannie, the project gained more members, releasing their debut album in 2011. From 2014-2021 the band took some time off, finally returning as the duo of Carver Simmons and Ryan. The band has since continued releasing new music comprised of the crescendoing drums, droning bass, airy guitars and immersive atmosphere which they have become recognized for. In 2024 Living With Giants introduced Andrew Curteman as their percussionist, adding new sonic characters to their vocabulary. With a sound being described as both "waves of crashing distorted guitars" and "beautiful" listeners are offered a varied take on soundcrafting. Formed by Ainsley Budd (Manchester) and Andrew Helliwell (Durham) in late 2022, they released their debut album "We Were Always Here" in November 2023. Meeting at University in Manchester in 2013 the pair shared love for similar bands and genres. Inspired by the likes of Radiohead, Biffy Clyro and Arcane Roots and post rock bands such as This Will Destroy You, Sigur Rós, Mogwai and Godspeed You! Black Emperor, their twisting style of post and alternative rock saw them sign with Stray Horse Records in the summer of 2023. Partnering up with friends, Living With Giants, from the US in 2024/2025 to release a Split vinyl EP, having both bands release 2 singles each exclusive to the EP Selling out the first limited 10" vinyl run, they started a 2nd limited 12" run The two bands teamed up to release a split EP which came out 7th of February. I got to sit down with Ainsley, Andy, Carver and Ryan to talk about the recording of the EP, how the idea came about and more! With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out both bands here: https://www.instagram.com/beneathwavesband/ https://www.instagram.com/livingwithgiants/ Tracks played: 'On The Fall And Rise of The Light ' & 'UM7', ©️ all rights reserved benenathwaves & Living With Giants Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

It’s been 7 years since US Death Rock’s new rising sensation New Skeletal Faces arrived on our planet and embedded themselves in the seedy outlying corners of the Southern Californian music scene. Today, Peaceville are excited to announce that the California trio have signed to the label and will be releasing their new album Until The Night later this year. Upon signing, New Skeletal Faces said “We are honoured to be joining the Peaceville roster and believe that there is no better asylum for NSF. Being alongside the most intense artists this earth has procreated, we look forward to this camaraderie in spreading our diseased view on what the darkness in Rock ‘n’ Roll should be”. Formed in 2017, the trio of Errol Fritz, KRO, & Don Void present themselves as a cosmic abomination that tote the genre lines between all manners of darkness in music. New Skeletal Faces cast their own black light onto the long dormant corpse of Death Rock, shattering the mirror of modern Heavy Metal into fragments that reflect back a fresh new take on this form of music with an energised & outlandish conviction. I got to sit down with members Errol & Don where we talked about the bands new album, 'Until The Night', the recording process for the album & their upcoming tour with Mayhem starting March 17th in Atlanta. With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out New Skeletal Faces here: https://www.instagram.com/newskeletalfaces/?hl=en Track played: 'Ossuary Lust', ©️ all rights reserved New Skeletal Faces Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

August Burns Red is an American metalcore band from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, known for their technical instrumentation, heavy breakdowns, and intricate guitar work. The band formed in 2003 and has since become one of the most respected acts in the metalcore scene. Known for their technical precision, uplifting themes, and relentless energy, August Burns Red has built a devoted fan base worldwide. They’ve toured extensively, headlining festivals and sharing the stage with some of the biggest names in metal. Their annual Christmas cover songs have also become a tradition, showing their playful side while maintaining their intense sound. With the celebration of the 20th anniversary of their debut, 'Thrillseeker', the band have taken to the studio to re-record. I got to sit down with bassist Dustin Davidson where we talked about the recording of the album, the tradition of Christmas Burns Red, and John Mayer! With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out August Burns Red here: https://www.instagram.com/augustburnsred/?hl=en Track played: 'Barbarian', ©️ all rights reserved August Burns Red Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

New Orleans’ EYEHATEGOD is the snarling, bilious sound of dead-end America. Since 1988, they’ve been a soundtrack for the troubled masses. Ugly music for ugly times. That’s the sense of disenchantment and disease that lies the heart of their latest and sixth full-length album, “A History of Nomadic Behavior”. Anyone familiar with EHG’s story knows this is survivor’s music, a sound unto itself where Sabbathian riffs are meted out with a caustic anger that goes beyond punk. That’s been the blueprint since guitarist Jimmy Bower (also of NOLA supergroup, Down) founded the band in 1988 with vocalist Mike IX Williams joining not long after. With a discography including sludge-punk mainstays like “In the Name of Suffering” (1990), “Take as Needed for Pain” (1993) “Dopesick” (1996) or 2014’s eponymously-titled LP, released in the US through Housecore Records, EHG laid the cracked foundation for their infamous and influential sound. “A History of Nomadic Behavior” finds the band, now slimmed to a four-piece rounded out by bassist Gary Mader and drummer Aaron Hill, leaner and meaner than ever; road-hardened by recent tours with Black Label Society, Corrosion of Conformity and Napalm Death in the US and abroad. From the bitter pill of opener “Built Beneath the Lies” to the hypnotic haze of closer “Every Thing, Every Day” it’s clear that that EYEHATEGOD hasn’t slowed or mellowed with time. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. This is disorienting, uneasy listening. Music that still very much hurts. I got to sit down with vocalist Mike IX Williams in Lost Lane before the band took the stage where we talked about the last night of the Turn Troubled Tables tour, how the band got their name and so much more! With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out Eyehategod here: https://www.instagram.com/eyehategodnola/ Track played: 'Circle Of Nerves', ©️ all rights reserved Eyehategod Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Rampaging into their 25th year as purveyors of the most ruthless extreme metal, Goatwhore return with perhaps the strongest album of their storied career. Angels Hung From The Arches Of Heaven is 47 minutes of their trademark blend of death, black, thrash and sludge metal delivered with breathless intensity and an unrepentant bloodlust, making for one of the most thrilling records to come out of 2022. “I would describe this record as being very raw, but clarity is shaped within the chaos,” states vocalist Louis Ben Falgoust II. “It’s a journey of everything we have done and some new approaches as we advance forward. When we write we mainly focus on the music and what we enjoy about playing it. We don’t write just to appease others, we want to enjoy playing it in a live setting as well, especially night after night on the road.” Reaching a quarter century anniversary is a good time to pause and reflect on what has been achieved, and Falgoust is philosophical. “It has been a rough road, but looking back and reminiscing on the things we were able to do musically and touring wise, it has been very much worth it. You get so caught up in the touring and releasing albums cycle that every now and then you have to step off the momentum and just see what has been done. When you do get that opportunity, then the entire vision opens up and you really get to see the scope of accomplishments, and that is when every little piece comes together and the realization of the things you have done hits you.” I got to sit down with guitarist Sammy Duet where we talked about the Turn Troubled Tables tour, the recording process for their album, Angels Hung From The Arches of Heaven and how the band got their name! With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out Goatwhore here: https://www.instagram.com/goatwhorenola/?hl=en Track played: 'Angels Hung From The Arches of Heaven', ©️ all rights reserved Goatwhore Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Following the incredible success and adoration received from 2019’s stunning debut ‘Lonely World’, a record that harnessed melody and melancholy to devastatingly gorgeous effect, Acres found themselves playing the biggest shows of their career so far and achieving things they had only previously dreamt about. But when the world around them suddenly felt so uncertain, they had a choice to make of what they should do next. Instead of rushing out with something that they didn’t fully believe, they locked themselves away and painstakingly created something that not only represented where they had been but also where they wanted to end up. The result is ‘Burning Throne’, a crushing, cathartic and perfectly crafted account of what it means to stare into your own oblivion and learn about who you really are from it. Not only showcasing some of the band’s heaviest material to date but also their most poignant and honest, it is a body of work that the band have injected every ounce of their soul into as well something that they are immensely proud to have as a vital part of their story. I got to sit down with members Ben and Alex before they hot the stage in The Academy in Dublin where we tal;ked about their expierience in Dublin, the recording process for their EP, 'What It's Like To Feel Worthless', and their upcoming tour with The Devil Wears Prada in April. With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out Acres here: https://www.instagram.com/acres_uk/ Track played: 'Leave You To Rot', ©️ all rights reserved Acres Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Deriving their name from the colossal tempests raging on Jupiter, a planet known for its ferocious beauty and epic scale, Jovian Storms' music invites you to witness the collision of crushing riffs and atmospheric synths, as the band embarks you on a spacefaring journey. I got to sit down and talk with bassist Tom Gentil where we talked about how the band started, the recording process for their EP, 'Umbra', and much more! With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out Jovian Storms here: https://www.instagram.com/jovian.storms/ Track played: 'Voronoi', ©️ all rights reserved Jovian Storms Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Orbiter is a heavy psych and doom metal band hailing from Helsinki in Finland. The band blend together heavy riffs with soaring vocals and haunting psycedelia. The bands debut full-length, 'Hollow World', came out in September of 2023 picking up exactly where they left off with their 2020 EP, 'The Deluge'. I got to sit down with members Tuomas, Sami and Carolin where we talked about the recording of the album, working with producer Hiili Hiilesmaa and their expierience of coming over to Ireland to play at the Siege of Limerick festival. With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out Orbiter here: https://www.instagram.com/orbiterband/?hl=en Track played: 'Raven Bones', ©️ all rights reserved Orbiter Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Desolated are a five-piece hardcore band, lyrically inspired by remorse and experiences, touring worldwide and promoting their message; this is a band with extensive presence and unstoppable momentum. Desolated have numerous releases to their name, not to mention countless performances, ranging from intimate basement shows to international Main Stage festival appearances. Without exception, the atmosphere is consistent- expect nothing less than an intense display of violence. I got to sit down with vocalist Tony Evans where we talked about the tour with Malevolence, his go-to meal deal from Tesco and the recording of their single, 'VICTIM'. With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out DESOLATED here: https://www.instagram.com/desolatedinc/?hl=en Track played: 'VICTIM', ©️ all rights reserved DESOLATED Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Alternative punk duo CRASHFACE are back with their brand new single and chaotic music video for 'MANIAC', which features a guest collaboration from Wargasm's Sam Matlock. Along with the new track, the band have announced their brand new upcoming EP, LIFE AND DEATH IN THE WASTELAND, due for release 13th September. "This one is for embracing crazy. Continuing on from the story of 'C.H.A.I.N.S.A.W', 'MANIAC' persists with venom in expressing frustration with the modern world, specifically the music industry (The Wasteland), especially in what it's forcing artists to do in order to be "relevant". Our brother-in-crime JAW has made this video what it is and knocked it out the park yet again. We wanted it to maintain an Edgar Wright-esque jagged edge while staying true to our aesthetics, and I think we've nailed it. And massive shout-out to the legendary Slim Jim's in London for letting us do this super last minute! I had the song idea for a while but got pretty stuck, then showed it to Sam while we were hanging out and he was all in. The man is chaos but it's exactly what this chapter needed. And it's a cute 360 because Sam actually helped me write and record the first ever CRASHFACE song, the solo in 'System At It' is him playing! So it's pretty fitting that he's helping us kick off our third EP." I got to sit down with members Charlie and Otto from CRASHFACE where we talked about their new song, 'MANIAC', featuring Sam Matlock from Wargasm, Reading Festival and the filming of their music video for, 'MANIAC', and more! Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out CRASHFACE here: https://www.instagram.com/crashface/ Track played: 'MANIAC', ©️ all rights reserved CRASHFACE Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

From Italy, Hideous Divinity are a death metal band compromised of members from Aborted and have been active since 2007. With 5 albums, inclduing their 2024, 'Unextinct', release, going on tour with Nile and bringing the Italian death metal with them. I got to sit down with Enrico, Stefano and Eduardo before they hit the Opium stage playing Nile, Intrepid and Pestifer where we talked about Father Ted, the recording process for their new album, 'Unextinct', and how the tour with Nile, Intrepid and Pestifer was going. With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out Hideous Divinity here: https://www.instagram.com/hideousdivinity/?hl=en Track played: 'The Numinous One', ©️ all rights reserved Hideous Divinity Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Formed in Tallinn, Estonia, in 2016 they started out as a thrash metal band. Quickly though, leaving thrash band in favour of Old School Florida Death Metal. The bands debut EP came out in 2017, 'Empress of Devastation', with even more music following. In 2023 their EP, 'Slaying Of Sanity / Murder of Mind', came out in January. I got to sit down with Simo and Aldo, guitarists for the band right after their set in the Opium in Dublin where they were playing with Nile, Hideous Divinity and Pestifer where we talked about the recording of the EP, how the band formed and how the set was. With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out Intrepid here: https://www.instagram.com/intrepidest/?hl=en Track played: 'Mesmerism', ©️ all rights reserved Intrepid Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘

The project was fantasized by young hairy twins, fanatics of 90’s death metal scene. With a first EP in 2006, Pestifer aligns concerts on a local scale. In 2010, the band takes a new dimension releasing its first album, “Age of Disgrace”. Two European tours in support of Kataklysm and Krisiun follow and they sign with Ultimhate Records. Following a new 13-date European tour with Nile, Pestifer release a new album on Greatdane Records in 2014. “Reaching the Void” confirms the band’s musical direction and brings a new trend with more “sci-fi” themes. The following years, the band undergoes some line-up changes with the arrival of a new guitar player. In mid-2019, the band records a concept album, marking a new milestone for Pestifer. I got to sit down with the band before they took the stage of The Opium in Dublin with Nile, Intrepid and Hideous Divinity where we talked about the tour, the recording of their EP, 'Defeat of The Nemesis', and how the band started! With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out Pestifer here: https://www.instagram.com/pestifer.official/ Track played: 'Defeat The Nemesis', ©️ all rights reserved Pestifer Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Speaking on the new single and music video, David Bruno (vocals) comments: “We open up our second album with Return To The Soil, which is fitting because it was one of the first songs we really nailed down when we were first crafting Under The Reviled Throne. It describes the Lich’s journey into the wastes as he and his mighty army begin their quest to dominate the continent. Also there are witches, and I love writing songs about witches” After three years of extensive US touring and shows with the likes of Allageon, Gorod and Inferi among others, as well as headline stints, SUMMONING THE LICH set about bringing Under the Reviled Throne to life. Intended as a death metal equivalent to The Empire Strikes Back in scope, the group set their sights on raising the stakes in both story and songwriting. SUMMONING THE LICH took the considered approach of eschewing superfluous technicality in favor of a leaner and more streamlined focus on song structure. Each of the tracks on Under the Reviled Throne were written with the purpose of guiding the listener through the eponymous Lich’s descent into misanthropy and tyranny, without sacrificing their idiosyncratic sound. This balancing act of dexterity and structure is exemplified best on cuts like Return to the Soil and lead single, My Horrors Unending. The latter of which succinctly merges SUMMONING THE LICH’s inclination for extremity and stop and start dynamics with rhythmic pummelling and memorable hooks. With Arrias under existential threat, Under the Reviled Throne is a dazzlingly ambitious tale of hope and resistance in the form of its protagonist Taane (introduced on previously released album track, The Forest Feasts). Elsewhere, The Carrion Fleet’s narrative of the city of Bastell succumbing to flames at the hands of the Lich’s army ushers in the ominously brooding. I got to sit down with David where we talked about the recording process for their new album, 'Return To The Soil', Dungeons and Dragons, Lady Gaga and more! With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out SUMMONING THE LICH here: https://www.instagram.com/summoningthelich/ Track played: 'My Horrors Unending', ©️ all rights reserved SUMMONING THE LICH Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Everyone's A Murderer promises to be TO THE GRAVE's heaviest and most evolved offering yet, both sonically and thematically. The album attacks societal and environmental themes with the relentless intensity the band are known for, giving voice to the voiceless via their unique, signature blend of brutally impactful deathcore. Providing further insight on the new album, Evans shares: "For this record my aim was to speak through the faceless activists that fight for animals, for those living in vystopia feeling alone and helpless in a world that will fight tooth and nail to defend the animal holocaust. Due to it being illegal to rescue farmed animals from abuse these activists must stay silent about it to avoid having their own freedom taken. It wasn't an easy task, it's never going to do justice to the horrors animals go through every day by the millions in cold, dark sheds around the world or to those that have witnessed it and are doing everything they can to put an end to it. There's no words, no lyrics and no music that can describe the violence or bring back the lives stolen by human hands, so this is for them." I got to sit down with members Dane, Matt, Jack andf Nic where we talked about how the recording process for the album went, how they came up with the artwork and more! With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out To The Grave here; https://www.instagram.com/tothegraveau/ Track played: 'Burn Your Local Butcher', ©️ all rights reserved To The Grave Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Demersal is a band that has never feared exploring emptiness and intense emotions through their raw and aggressive sound and is set to share their most complete and diverse examination yet with their self-titled new album. Hailing from Odense and Copenhagen, Demersal weave squalls of sound and emotions that reflect the intensity of frustration that increasingly sweeps the crumbling world. They draw on the dispute of hardcore and anguish of screamo within their sound and align it to blackened post rock contemplation to cast a richly intense but equally cathartic confrontation as chaos and atmospheric intimation unite. The band has toured extensively throughout Europe between their debut EP, ‘To Mend A Yellow Wound’, in 2017 and their debut LP, ‘Less’, in 2020 and they shared the stage with acts such as Portrayal Of Guilt, Pupil Slicer, LLNN, Eyes, Hexis and many others. They have since released their second EP, 'Death Routines' (2021), as well as several split releases with Regarding Ambiguity, Letterbombs, Vientre and Piet Onthel (2022). May 10th sees the release of the band’s self-titled sophomore full-length and their most adventurous, diverse and impacting album yet. The album explores the importance of care and the notion of being there for each other in times of crises, as a way of dealing with a world in decay. It serves as a counterpoint to modern capitalist ideals of self-sufficiency - the notion that one should be a strong individual who’s able to stand up for oneself and one's own values alone - and it encourages to share one’s vulnerability with caring people and to reach out when the world feels the most incomprehensible. I got to sit down with Viktor who is the co-vocalist and guitarist for Demersal where we talked about how the band got it's name, the recording process for the bands second album, 'Demersal', and more! With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out Demersal here; https://demersalband.bandcamp.com/album/demersal Track played: 'Something', ©️ all rights reserved Demersal Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Over a raucous decade, DARKO have by definition, become veterans of the UK punk scene and it is not uncommon to see them standing as an essential name within the intricate and complex world of contemporary punk and hardcore. In 2020, longtime voicebox Dan Smith returned to his native Australia and parted ways with the band after so long in the vox seat. Dan’s evocative, emphatic and emotional lyricisms have left quite the legacy throughout the band's releases. DARKO's four other noisemakers have curated a backdrop of vicious, hybridised Skate Punk and Melodic Hardcore that has been pushed beyond itself across thirty countries. DARKO have now enlisted longtime touring compadre Tom West of UK shredders, Almeida. The band have never hid from what ails them or the society they inhabit but with West at the vocal helm now and forgoing the complacent societal padding forced upon us all, his lyrical discomfort has spurred the band’s most unbarred barrage yet. There is nothing hidden here, nothing soaked in distracted metaphor or softened non-confrontational rhetoric, DARKO are making full use of their scene privilege and challenging people who look akin to them to unleash their own salvos. But what of the backing? These are stops that have also been beyond pulled. DARKO’s evolution is tied to their past but with threads so long that there is an abundance of slack to play with. Notes of Polar Bear Club, Mastodon, A Wilhelm Scream, Protest The Hero, Rise Against and Propagandhi can all be savoured in their contemporary flavour profile. Serrated, lacerating Thrash and metallic digressions contrast the meandering guitar lines rooted in Skate Punk classicism. Writhing, emotive and complicated Post-Hardcore structures supplement the “techy” displays they are known for as an overarching and indisputably Punk-charged Prog-aesthetic allows the versatile and varied vocal range to seamlessly traverse the entirety. I got to sit down with the bands vocalist Tom West and guitarist Rob Piper where we talked about the recording process of the EP, how the band came up with their unique name and how the artwork of the EP came to be. With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out Darko here; https://www.instagram.com/darko_band/ Track played: 'AUX II', ©️ all rights reserved DARKO Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/