The LGBTQ+ heavy metal podcast raises an eyebrow at Amon Amarth telling us to raise our horns, finds queer relevance in a Slayer song (somehow), and puts releases from Tyrannus, bigLOVE and Kardashev into the jukebox of HCGBs.
Hell Bent For Metal, being a mature, serious podcast, that’s never afraid to take on hard-hitting and important issues within metal and society, this week reads the lyrics to “Raise Your Horns” by Amon Amarth… and looks for phallic euphemisms. In fairness to them, in this case, they are so close to the surface, they’re basically poking far enough through that they can take your eye out, so they weren’t trying that hard.
Returning after a week off and with Matt Rushton away, Tom is joined by former guest Charlie Howard, and journalist and podcaster Matt Dawson. Together, they chortle along to the song, taken from the 2016 album ‘Jomsviking’, which is about Vikings being thirsty for a drink from a nice big horn. Somehow, they manage to stumble into some (slightly) more serious points along the way – specifically, about how previously unexplored queerness can be explored under circumstances the song reminds the hosts of.
In shocking news, Tom has somehow managed to find a Slayer song he thinks is a Camp Classic. Yes, really. That song is “Altar Of Sacrifice” from ‘Reign In Blood’, which, despite being about becoming evil for Satanic purposes, apparently has some queer relevance. And while it might be a very specific, typically “Tom” reason, it is not one he has to get very far into explaining before everyone is on board with it.
Perhaps even more shockingly, both Matt and Charlie find further queer meanings of their own too. While they go for different interpretations, both hit on important subjects, such as the process of coming out (and what that really means), and the experience of being trans at a time when society is becoming more hostile to trans folk.
Plus there’s another visit to the Hate Crew Gaybar. The three releases being added to the jukebox this week are ‘Unslayable’ by Scottish death/black/thrash Lovecraftian horror band Tyrannus; ‘Crusaders Of Joy’ by bigLOVE, the absolutely foul Thou-esque sludgy doom sideproject from Justine Jones and Sammy Unwin of Employed To Serve; and ‘Liminal Rite’ by self-styled “deathgaze daddies” Kardashev, who return to HCGBs again, after their last EP also went in the jukebox last year.
Listen to Hell Bent For Metal on Spotify here, listen on iTunes here, or choose one of the other ways to listen here.
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