The LGBTQ+ heavy metal podcast talks to Shooting Daggers, a feminist queercore band, about their experience of the metal scene. There’s also a Camp Classic from Ghost, and a bumper visit to HCGBs, with entries from Kreator, White Ward, Undeath, and Exocrine.
Hell Bent For Metal welcomes London feminist queercore band Shooting Daggers to the podcast, to talk about the contrasting natures of the metal and hardcore scenes when it comes to how welcoming they are to queer women.
HBFM have been saying since they started that, in their view as fans of all 3 scenes, the punk and hardcore scenes are more welcoming to queer people than metal is. As a hardcore band whose music makes it clear they listen to metal, and who have played many shows to metal crowds, Shooting Daggers have a perspective on that assessment.
Sal and Bea from the band do tell Tom that there are more bands with women and queer people in punk and hardcore. However, in their view, it’s not as simple as saying that those scenes are more welcoming than metal – not just because metal has treated them better than perhaps the podcast’s experience would lead Tom to expect, but because punk and hardcore have issues of their own in this area.
The Camp Classic this week comes from Ghost. Their new album ‘Impera’ went into HCGBs (unanimously, and with even greater than normal enthusiasm) earlier this year. When it did, the hosts promised it contained multiple Camp Classics, the first of which is discussed this week: “Call Me Little Sunshine”.
Tom, Matt, and Charlie immediately all hit on the same very positive interpretation, from the very same lyric. It’s a reference to an aspect of life metalheads are likely to find very familiar, even if from a very different perspectives. But despite how cheerful and upbeat the meaning found within Ghost’s Satanic whisperings, the chat manages to finish on something of a bum note.
This week’s visit to the Hate Crew Gaybar is what Brits describe as a “session” (translation: a long time in the pub, where you’re probably better off sticking to milder liquor if you intend to survive with your pride intact). There are a podcast-best four releases for the jukebox. Three come from the hosts actually doing the podcast, and a fourth from Matt Rushton, who has travelled through time and space to be incredibly predictable.
Matt Dawson is putting in ‘Hate Über Alles’ by Teutonic thrash metal legends (and confirmed allies) Kreator. Matt Rushton steps out of the Tardis to put ‘False Light’ by Ukrainian avant-guard black metal/jazz troupe White Ward, before immediately buggering off again. Charlie is putting in ‘It’s Time… To Rise From The Grave’ by classic death metal slimemongers Undeath. And last but definitely not least, Tom has French tech death wizardry for the jukebox, in the shape of ‘The Hybrid Suns’ by Exocrine.
It’s a bumper show, and every bit is worth catching.
Listen to Hell Bent For Metal on Spotify here, listen on iTunes here, or choose one of the other ways to listen here.
Sign up for the Knotfest Email List for exclusive access to news, tours, interviews, pre-sale codes, giveaways and more.