Laughing Monkey with Shawn Ratches

I recently interviewed Joe and Chuck from Carnivore A.D. to talk about the band’s new EP, their current touring plans, and the creative process behind the new material. The conversation dug into how the songs came together, what drives the writing, and how the band balances honoring the brutal legacy of Carnivore while still pushing forward with its own identity. Joe and Chuck shared insight into the energy behind the new release, the chemistry within the band, and what fans can expect when they bring the songs to the stage.

We also went back into the early history of the band, discussing the roots of the Carnivore sound, the New York metal/hardcore attitude that shaped it, and how that history continues to influence Carnivore A.D. today. From songwriting stories to touring memories, the interview gives fans a closer look at the people behind the music and the mindset that keeps the band moving. It is a strong episode for anyone into heavy music, underground metal history, and the raw, confrontational sound that made Carnivore’s name stand out.

Taime Downe is back for his first interview in a while, and the conversation covers exactly what Faster Pussycat fans want to hear: touring, the band’s legacy, the writing and recording process, and what is next. Rising out of the mid-1980s Hollywood rock scene, Faster Pussycat built its reputation on a sound that sat somewhere between glam, punk, and sleaze rock, with early staples like “Babylon,” “Bathroom Wall,” “Cathouse,” and later “House of Pain” helping define the band’s identity.  
In this interview, Taime looks back at the history of Faster Pussycat and the staying power that has kept the band going for four decades. The band’s self-titled debut and its follow-up, Wake Me When It’s Over, established Faster Pussycat as one of the standout names from the Sunset Strip era, while later releases like Whipped! and The Power and the Glory Hole showed that the band was never interested in standing still creatively. Even after all these years, Faster Pussycat has continued to tour extensively, keeping the songs alive onstage for longtime fans and newer audiences alike.  
Taime also talks about the current chapter of the band, including new music. Faster Pussycat released the single “Motorbike” in May 2025, with Taime saying he had started writing it about a decade earlier and that the band recorded it more than once before landing on the version that felt right. The release also featured a cover of the INXS song “Don’t Change” as the B-side, giving fans both a new original track and a reworked favorite through the band’s own dirty, swaggering lens.  
It is a conversation that connects the past to the present: the history, the records, the road stories, the tours, and the new single that proves Faster Pussycat is still moving forward. For fans of Taime Downe and the band, this one is a chance to hear directly from the voice that helped shape one of the most distinct acts to come out of the late-’80s hard rock scene.

Talking with John Bush was a reminder of why he remains one of heavy metal’s most respected frontmen. In our interview, Bush discussed Armored Saint’s new album, Emotion Factory Reset, due May 22, 2026 via Metal Blade, describing it as a record that pushes the band forward while still sounding unmistakably like Armored Saint. The band’s official bio frames it as a new chapter built on diverse songwriting and a willingness to stay adventurous, while Bush has said the material expands on Punching the Sky and Win Hands Down but carries its own distinct sound and vibe.
We also looked back at the history of Armored Saint, one of Los Angeles metal’s most durable and underrated bands. Formed in the early 1980s, the group built its reputation with albums like March of the Saint and Delirious Nomad, then delivered what many fans consider a defining statement with Symbol of Salvation in 1991. Over the years, Armored Saint has endured lineup changes, industry shifts, and tragedy, including the loss of guitarist Dave Prichard, yet the band never lost its identity. That resilience is a huge part of why Armored Saint still commands such loyalty decades later.
What came through most in this conversation was Bush’s loyalty to the band and the brotherhood behind it. Even with his long and celebrated run in Anthrax, Armored Saint has always remained central to his musical identity. Now, with Emotion Factory Reset set to become the band’s ninth full-length studio album, Bush sounds energized by where Armored Saint is right now: still heavy, still evolving, and still doing things on its own terms. Not bad for a band that has spent more than forty years proving that cult status and class can hit just as hard as mainstream fame.

Chris Reifert remains one of the most important and recognizable figures in death metal history. After first making a major mark as the drummer on Death’s Scream Bloody Gore, he went on to found Autopsy in 1987, helping shape a far filthier, darker, and more depraved branch of the genre. With Autopsy, Reifert became central to the band’s unmistakable identity, combining savage drumming, sickened vocal delivery, and a songwriting approach that fused raw death metal with doom-laden atmosphere. Records like Severed Survival and Mental Funeral helped establish Autopsy as one of the most influential acts in extreme metal, with a sound that was ugly, crawling, primitive, and completely their own.
What has always separated Reifert from many of his peers is that Autopsy never felt like a museum piece. Even after decades in underground metal, the band has continued to create new material with the same diseased spirit that made them legends in the first place. Rather than simply trading on early classics, Autopsy has kept pushing forward, releasing later albums that still carry the band’s signature rot, heaviness, and warped sense of horror. Reifert’s long-running dedication to the genre has made him not only a pioneer, but also one of death metal’s most enduring lifers.
In my interview with Chris Reifert, he also made it clear that Autopsy is not standing still. He said the band plans to start work on a new album toward the end of the year, a detail that should excite longtime fans who have followed the group’s relentless run of grotesque and punishing releases. That comment speaks to what has always defined Reifert’s career: even after helping build death metal from the ground up, he is still focused on creating the next wave of sickness rather than living in the past.
For an interview introduction, Chris came across exactly as fans would expect: grounded, direct, and still completely committed to the underground spirit that made Autopsy essential in the first place. His reflections on the band’s legacy, past records, and future plans show that Autopsy continues to operate with purpose, and with the same morbid heart that has kept them vital for so many years.

In this interview, I spoke with HansFyrste (vocals) and Erik “HaaN” Sæther (guitars) of Svarttjern, the Oslo black metal band they founded in 2003. The conversation digs into the band’s history, their evolution from early demos into full-length releases like Misanthropic Path of Madness, Dødsskrik, and Shame Is Just a Word, and the path that has kept Svarttjern a respected name in Norwegian black metal.
No filler. Just a proper talk with both men about the band, the records, and the road behind Svarttjern.