Jonah Ray Rodrigues (Mystery Science Theater 3000, Comedy Central's The Meltdown, Nerdist) stars in Destroy All Neighbors, a splatter/horror comedy about a frustrated musician trying to finish his prog-rock epic. Jonah talks about getting into punk and metal in Hawaii, playing music, Weird Al, standup comedy, making art, and, of course, Metallica. …

"It's Two Minutes to Late Night!" Jordan Olds, aka Gwarsenio Hall, talks about the fantastic covers of "Blackened" and "Creeping Death" (featuring members of Mastodon, Testament, Carcass, Cannibal Corpse, and many more) organized by Two Minutes to Late Night, the heavy metal late-night talk show. We talk about his history with standup comedy, the v…

It's just me! Ryan J. Downey here with a look back at some of the killer Metallica shows I've seen over the past 35 years, including small underplay club shows, unique award show and late-night talk show performances, festivals, and more. I seamlessly and organically tie some of these experiences to different guests who've joined Speak N' Destroy s…

"Why isn't there a metal site that talks about metal the way people actually talk about it?" The MetalSucks co-founder, formerly known as "Vince Neilstein," tells the origin story behind the opinionated news site. There's also an in-depth discussion about "The Metallica Economy": how the kickoff of a new Metallica album/touring cycle is the digital…

Eyal Levi is the CEO of URM Academy (an online school for rock and metal producers), Riffhard (an online school for metal guitarists), and guitarist for Dååth. He talks with Ryan J. Downey about his upbringing as the son of a famous composer; learning different instruments; and, of course, a whole lot about Metallica. Speak N' Destroy podcast theme…

Nico Perrino is the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression Executive Vice President and host of FIRE’s So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast. Before his writing appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Politico, and The Guardian, Nico's first byline was in So What!, the Metallica fan club magazine. He discovered Metallica at age 10, spent his tee…

72 Seasons At The Movies! Entertainment attorney and journalist Andrew Carter (ex-Terrorizer Magazine) and fellow entertainment attorney Eric German (whose clients include Five Finger Death Punch, Ice Nine Kills, and Bad Wolves) return to Speak N' Destroy to talk about the theatrical premiere of Metallica's 72 Seasons. Andrew, Eric, and Ryan J. Dow…

WAKE guitarist Rob LaChance hitchhiked across Canada as a teenager to see Metallica at Woodstock, where his friend ran naked into the pit while tripping on acid. He and bassist Ryan Kennedy also talk about "Enter Sandman" on MuchMusic; Binge & Purge; ...And Justice for All, and more. "They were the only band to me for a long time." Speak N' Destroy…

SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor on why Master of Puppets is “a perfect heavy metal album”; watching the late Joey Jordison fill-in for Lars; the Black Album; and his contribution to The Metallica Blacklist project. “Metallica is our Led Zeppelin, Beatles, and Black Sabbath all rolled into one.” Speak N' Destroy podcast theme by Scott Mellinger. Visi…

DEATH ANGEL guitarist Ted Aguilar, who joined in 2001, goes way back with the Bay Area thrashers, whose Kill As One demo was produced by none other than Kirk Hammett. Ted talks about his early bands, discovering Kill 'Em All, meeting James Hetfield in an airport, the Metallica 30th anniversary shows, and much more. Speak N' Destroy podcast theme by…

William Irwin is a college professor and author of The Meaning of Metallica (2022) and Metallica and Philosophy (2007). He is a Distinguished Service Professor in the Philosophy Department at King's College, Pennsylvania and author of several books on pop culture and philosophy. Speak N' Destroy podcast theme by Scott Mellinger. Visit the Speak N' …

OBITUARY helped pioneer the legendary Florida death metal sound, with a history stretching all the way back to 1984. Drummer Donald Tardy talks about discovering Kill 'Em All in 1983, the epic songs on Ride the Lightning, how he "studied every millisecond" of Master of Puppets, ...And Justice for All, the Black Album, Load/Reload, the latest Metall…

CAVE IN included a Metallica medley as a hidden track (remember those?) on 1998's Beyond Hypothermia and has released ambitious albums for more than 20 years, including the phenomenal Jupiter (2000) and the more recent Heavy Pendulum (2022). Stephen Brodsky (guitar/vocals), Adam McGrath (guitar), and JR Conners (drums) talk discovery, metal, Metall…

BARRY co-creator and executive producer Alec Berg explains the Metallica poster on Barry Birkman's wall, the Metallica and Pantera songs in the show, and details his first experience hearing Metallica. Berg spent a good chunk of his formative years in Pasadena, where he used to see Van Halen around town, and caught early shows from Armored Saint an…

UNDEATH frontman Alexander Jones talks about his journey through punk, hardcore, and death metal, and how that led to Metallica. Speak N' Destroy podcast theme by Scott Mellinger. Visit the Speak N' Destroy website and socials HERE. Part of the PopCurse podcast network.

ROB ZOMBIE bassist, Haxans cofounder, and host of Gibson TV's Metal & Monsters series Count D. (aka Piggy D.) talks about the Metallica catalog; seeing the band on the Black Album tour, with Guns N' Roses, in Vienna, and more over the years; his encounter with Lars Ulrich, when he was in the band Amen; Load/Reload; Some Kind of Monster and St. Ange…

Bonus Episode! Master Of Puppets arrived March 3, 1986. In this bonus episode, Ryan J. Downey details 10 Reasons Why Master Of Puppets Rules, in celebration of Metallica's landmark third album turning 36. Read the written piece at Loudwire. Speak N' Destroy podcast theme by Scott Mellinger. Visit the Speak N' Destroy website and socials HERE. Part …

BROKEN HOPE guitarist Jeremy Wagner purchased several pieces of Cliff Burton memorabilia at auction and graciously returned them to Cliff's longtime girlfriend, Corinne Lynn, and the late Metallica bassist's family. The stuff included laminates, demos, family photos, and even t-shirts worn by Cliff. Jeremy tells that story in full here and talks ab…

WHITECHAPEL guitarist Ben Savage wrote a sixth-grade essay about Metallica, so you know his fandom is real and pure. Ben talks about growing up in the South, his gymnastic coach parents, discovering Metallica, his favorite riffs, the origins of Whitechapel, and his band's longevity. Plus, Ben ranks the Metallica catalog. Speak N' Destroy podcast th…

METALLICA: THE $24.95 BOOK author BEN APATOFF joins Speak N' Destroy to talk about the 40th anniversary shows; what makes his book different from the other books about the band; mainstream attitudes toward Metallica; James and Lars; research; and a lot more. Grab Ben's book HERE. Speak N' Destroy podcast theme by Scott Mellinger. Visit the Speak N'…

It's just me! I'm talking about the Metallica 40th anniversary celebration, the cover songs released by Metallica post-Garage Inc., and filling the Speak N' Destroy audience in on some of what I've been up to the past few months, and new interviews arriving in 2022! Speak N' Destroy podcast theme by Scott Mellinger. Visit the Speak N' Destroy websi…

RIVERS OF NIHIL guitarist Brody Uttley was born in 1991, the year the Black Album was released. He talks about the musical journey that led to his tech-death metal band and production work, with an emphasis on the crucial role of Metallica in his life. Speak N' Destroy podcast theme by Scott Mellinger. Visit the Speak N' Destroy website and socials…

The Acacia Strain guitarist has his wife's name tattooed on him, in the Metallica font! This is a super fun episode. Speak N' Destroy podcast theme by Scott Mellinger. Visit the Speak N' Destroy website and socials HERE. Part of the PopCurse podcast network.

BYZANTINE vocalist/guitarist Chris "OJ" Ojeda and bassist Ryan Postlethwait talk discovering Metallica; the failure of old-school tab books; high school talent shows; winning a pair of Lars Ulrich's drum sticks in a MetClub contest; meeting the band in a VIP experience; the Metallica monitor mix; each of the Metallica albums; how metal fans react t…

AMENRA / OATHBREAKER guitarist Lennart Bossu counts Ride the Lightning among the five heavy albums that changed his life. The Belgian musician ranks the Metallica catalog, talks about meeting Kirk Hammett, his favorite riffs, seeing the band live, the spiritual side of post-doom collective Amenra, and more. Speak N' Destroy podcast theme by Scott M…