From the shores of the Thrashers Paradise, all the way to the Metal Robot satellites! The Influencers of Metal Podcast brings together Collin Sterling and Tom McKay for a show with laughter, crying, more laughter, and the occasional intellectual discussion. The most fun podcast in metal. Join the fun!
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Pack your bags, grab your passport and make sure Tom actually remembered everything — Metal Around the World is heading to Cambodia! Collin and Tom dive into one of the smallest metal scenes they’ve encountered yet, checking out four Cambodian underground bands: Nightmare A.D., Atakheat, Reign in Slumber and Doch Chkae. From crusty thrash and death metal to black metal so unbelievably lo-fi that it creates an entirely new definition of “underground,” Cambodia proves you don't need a massive scene to find some fascinating heavy music. And when the journey is over, the wheel decides where Metal
If you could book ANY five bands for your own metal festival, who makes the lineup? Collin and Tom are putting together their dream festival stages this week — and their choices couldn't be more different!
Is Pizza Thrash REALLY a subgenre? Collin and Tom investigate the bizarre label given to bands like Municipal Waste, Lich King and Gama Bomb and ask whether Pizza Thrash has enough of its own musical identity to qualify as a legitimate metal subgenre—or if it's basically just a meme for fast, fun 2000s thrash. Plus: Crabcore comparisons, Deathcore slander and a disturbing number of meows.
We're halfway through 2026, which means it's time to find out which albums have survived months of new releases and become the records we actually keep coming back to. This time, Collin and Tom are joined by Chris Thrash to count down their Top 5 albums of 2026 so far — plus an honourable mention from each of them. Chris brings plenty of thrash and old-school death metal, while Collin ventures through prog, and death metal. Meanwhile, Tom's picks range from the core, to blackened modern metal and epic MDM. But this is What Have You Been Listening To?, so obviously the rankings are only half th
It’s the grand finale of Van Halen Week on the Influencers of Metal Podcast, and there’s only one question left to answer: Is Van Halen ROCK or METAL? Few bands have left a bigger mark on hard rock — or had a greater influence on the guitarists who helped shape heavy metal. Eddie Van Halen revolutionized the instrument, David Lee Roth became one of rock’s ultimate frontmen, and songs like “Hot for Teacher,” “Panama,” “Runnin’ with the Devil” and “Eruption” helped define an era.
It’s Van Halen Week on the Influencers of Metal Podcast, and what better way to kick things off than by asking one very important question: Just how METAL was Guitar Hero: Van Halen? Collin and Tom return for episode 10 of their ongoing quest to determine the most metal Guitar Hero game ever made, and this time they’re diving into the 2009 band-focused instalment built around Eddie, Alex, David Lee Roth and the music of Van Halen. Van Halen’s influence on generations of hard rock and metal guitarists is undeniable... but does that actually translate into a metal Guitar Hero game? The guys dig
ABBA might not be the first band that comes to mind when you think of heavy metal… but maybe they should be. On this episode of the Influencers of Metal Podcast, Collin and Tom resurrect the “Six Great…” series to dive into six metal and hard rock covers that take ABBA classics and deep cuts into much heavier territory.
July delivered one of the most unpredictable months of metal releases so far in 2026—and Collin and Tom’s rankings were still changing during the final week. In this edition of “What Have You Been Listening To?”, the guys count down their five favourite releases of July, and show how varied the best can get. There are plenty of surprises to find, lots of bangers, and a ton of ways to do this podcast one way or another. Grab your headphones, gather around the campfire, and tell us: What have you been listening to?
Grab your axes and prepare for battle! Collin and Tom set sail into one of metal's most fascinating subgenres: Viking Metal. From the legendary pioneers who shaped the genre to modern bands carrying the torch, the guys discuss what actually makes a band "Viking metal," why it's one of the broadest subgenres in heavy music, and which artists deserve a place in every metalhead's collection. Along the way, they debate Amon Amarth's genre classification, explore Viking mythology, discover hidden gems, and somehow end up talking about German beer, Lego flowers, and dating profiles.
Mongolian throat singing. Traditional folk instruments. Heavy riffs. So... is The Hu Folk Rock? Or Folk Metal? In this month's “Are They Rock or Metal?,” Collin and Tom are joined by fan-favourite guest The Pumpkin Queen to tackle one of the toughest genre debates yet. The trio dives into The Hu's unique blend of Mongolian folk music and modern heavy music, discusses how songs like “Wolf Totem” introduced millions of people to throat singing, and debates whether the band's songwriting leans more toward rock or metal. Along the way, they chat about The Hu's collaborations with Papa Roach, Hales
What is Cannibal Corpse's heaviest song? It sounds like an impossible question... until Collin willingly sacrificed his sanity by listening to all sixteen Cannibal Corpse albums. After narrowing more than 200 songs down to a shortlist, Tom and Collin battle through one of the most brutal discographies in metal history to rank the 10 heaviest Cannibal Corpse songs ever recorded. From the Chris Barnes era to George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher's reign of terror, the guys debate crushing riffs, monstrous breakdowns, punishing grooves, unforgettable album artwork, and the songs that define one of death
Nothing beats an Influencers-2 holiday! Summer is here, the barbecue is fired up, the drinks are cold, and the playlist needs to be loud. Collin and Tom each bring their picks for six metal bands that perfectly capture the spirit of summer. Whether you're relaxing by the pool, hanging around the campfire, hitting the beach, or hosting a backyard party, these bands prove that metal isn't just for dark winter nights. From party metalcore and pirate metal to folk drinking anthems, comedy metal, and even some thrash, this episode is packed with great recommendations, plenty of laughs, and enough q
Festival season has arrived, and while most people are thinking about food trucks and carnival rides, Tom and Collin have something much louder in mind. This week on the Influencers of Metal Podcast, the guys take a tour around the world's biggest and most legendary metal festivals—from Canada's Loud As Hell and the brand-new ProgStorm, to European giants like Wacken Open Air, Hellfest, Bloodstock, Rock am Ring, Mystic Festival and the legendary 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise. Along the way they debate surprising headliners, discover a festival that no longer exists halfway through recording, arg
Sleep Token is one of the biggest and most divisive bands in modern metal... but are they actually geniuses, or is the mystery just a really effective gimmick? In this edition of Gimmick or Genius, Collin and Tom dive into one of metal's hottest debates. They discuss Sleep Token's anonymous image, lore, live reputation, songwriting, fanbase, and whether either of them actually understands what the band's gimmick is supposed to be.
The monthly listening party returns! Collin and Tom are back with another edition of What Have You Been Listening To?, breaking down the albums, bands, and songs that have been dominating their playlists throughout June. This time, the duo is joined by a very special guest — the Pumpkin Queen — who jumps into the chaos as the official audience representative, sharing her thoughts, reactions, and one of her own recent metal discoveries. From doom metal and hardcore to metalcore, gothic influences, and theatrical metal madness, this month’s WHYBLT proves once again that there is always something
A great entrance theme can make or break a wrestler. The right song can turn a simple walk to the ring into a full-blown moment of chaos, intimidation, and pure hype. In this episode of the Influencers of Metal Podcast, Collin and Tom return to the world of wrestling and metal by reimagining the entrance themes of six current WWE and AEW wrestlers — replacing their existing music with the perfect metal anthem. From Scottish brutality to Samoan power and NXT rising stars, Collin puts his wrestling knowledge to the test by matching each wrestler’s personality, background, and character with a me
Before the blast beats, breakdowns, and walls of distortion… there was the beginning. Collin and Tom fire up the metal time machine and head back to the 1970s — the decade where heavy metal began crawling out of the blues, putting on leather jackets, turning the amps up to eleven, and scaring everyone’s parents. In the first episode of their new “Decade Defining Albums” series, the guys explore the bands that helped build the foundation of metal, from the unmistakable darkness of Black Sabbath to the early speed and aggression of Motörhead.
The Influencers of Metal Podcast is heading back around the globe! This time, Collin and Tom land in Uzbekistan, a country known for its ancient Silk Road history, stunning architecture, and apparently… an absolutely ridiculous amount of black metal. The boys dive into the underground metal scene of Uzbekistan. From raw black metal to atmospheric darkness, they explore bands including Smärtgränsen, Dark Dimension, Autumnus Aeternus, The Only Survivor, Krsnī, and the mysterious depressive black metal project of “can’t get closer to the voice” known for making everyone sad. Along the way, they d
This week on the Influencers of Metal Podcast, Collin and Tom officially hit the “we’re running out of ideas” stage of podcasting and launch a brand-new series: “Is It Really a Subgenre?” First victim? Crabcore. The legendary 2000s meme born from low squats, synchronized breakdowns, keyboard synths, and enough hair straightener fumes to destroy the ozone layer.
The quest to find the MOST METAL Guitar Hero game of all time continues! Collin and Tom dive into Guitar Hero 5 — the game with a gigantic setlist, questionable metal representation, and somehow BOTH Iron Maiden and Band Hero energy at the same time. From Children of Bodom, Darkest Hour, Megadeth, Rammstein and Dethklok… to Limp Bizkit, Faith No More, Motley Crue and GWAR doing GWAR things… the boys try to figure out if Guitar Hero 5 has enough QUALITY metal to overcome its lack of quantity.
In this episode of “Are They Rock or Metal?”, Collin and Tom tackle one of the hardest bands to classify in heavy music history: Faith No More. From “The Real Thing” and “Angel Dust” to “King for a Day… Fool for a Lifetime” and “Sol Invictus”, the guys break down how the band constantly shifts between genres while somehow still sounding unmistakably like Faith No More. Are they too weird for rock? Too funky for metal? Too heavy to sit comfortably beside the Red Hot Chili Peppers? Or are they simply one of the greatest alternative metal bands ever?
On this gloriously unhinged episode of the Influencers of Metal Podcast, Collin and Tom return to one of their favorite recurring topics: absolutely baffling metal covers. From Blind Guardian somehow making “Mr. Sandman” sound majestic, to Sodom covering “Surfing Bird,” the guys dive headfirst into the weirdest “why did this band cover THAT?” moments in metal history. Along the way, they discuss DragonForce turning Titanic into speed metal, Exhumed doing Madonna with a backing track and frog vocals, and Children of Bodom somehow making Eddie Murphy songs work. Plus: pirate metal folk songs, Me
Breakups suck. Whether it’s your ex leaving you because you spent the mortgage payment on Cannibal Corpse vinyl variants… or your favourite metal band calling it quits forever. In this episode of the Influencers of Metal Podcast, Collin and Tom dive into the bands they wish were still around, from legendary icons like Death, Type O Negative, and Dio to underground favourites like Cathartic Demise and Astaroth Incarnate. The episode spirals gloriously out of control with debates about hologram concerts, Peter Steele’s impossible charisma, Ryan Gosling dating a sex doll in Lars and the Real Girl
In the May 2026 edition of WHYBLT, Collin and Tom dive into the albums, songs, and discoveries that dominated their playlists over the past month. Along the way, they discuss listener submissions from Municipal Waste, Brojob, and Motionless in White, highlight honorable mentions from Faith No More and Breaking Benjamin before counting down their Top 5 albums and songs of the month, featuring Frozen Soul, Jungle Rot, Venom, Castle Rat, Dimmu Borgir, Kryptosis, Atavistia, Pro-Pain, and more.
Love is in the air. So are emotional breakdowns, questionable seduction tactics, and at least one man trying to romance a cathedral. This week on the Influencers of Metal Podcast, Collin and Tom dive headfirst into the world of metal power ballads — from the tearjerking sorrow of “Snuff” by Slipknot and “Hickory Creek” by Whitechapel, to the arena-sized heartbreak of “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” by Poison, and a lot more.
