The Heavy Metal Hangover

This week on The Heavy Metal Hangover, Rex and Duff dive headfirst into the new Reformatted Edition of the iconic 1986 Transformers: The Movie soundtrack. We peel back the curtain on the Knights of Unicron—the underground house band featuring death metal royalty Matt Harvey and Ross Sewage (Exhumed, Ghoul) alongside drum powerhouse Gus Rios (Gruesome). We talk about their work backing up massive guest vocalists like Sebastian...

The dust has settled, the hiatus is officially over, and we are back in the studio! On this long-awaited episode of The Heavy Metal Hangover, Rex and Duff are catching up on where we’ve been, what we’ve been up to, and why we’re hitting the ground running. We dive straight into the recent industry shifts and a rising retro trend that have pushed us back to buying physical media—from killer special features t...

Is the mainstream rock shortage a corporate hit job? This week on The Heavy Metal Hangover, Rex and Duff are dissecting Billy Corgan’s recent statement that rock music was intentionally and purposefully scrubbed from popular culture by the industry powers-that-be. We look at the validity of his claims, debate whether rock was pushed or if it simply walked away, and ask what it means for the future of guitar-driven music.

But ...

We’ve been living on the road and in the pit! This week on The Heavy Metal Hangover, Rex and Duff are breaking down our thoughts on some killer recent live shows, including the high-octane thrash of Death Angel and the hilarious, riff-heavy spectacle of Steel Panther. If you want to know who still delivers the goods live in 2026, we’ve got your front-row report.

Then, we are shifting gears into the ultimate temple of gr...

In this episode, Rex and Duff get personal. We’re digging into those life-defining records that aren't just collections of songs—they’re core memories. We look at how the first time we heard the blistering thrash of Megadeth, the heavy metal thunder of Accept, or the raw, sunset-strip rebellion of Guns N' Roses fundamentally shifted our DNA. Why is it that the crackle of a needle or the snap of a cassette case can...

In this episode, Rex and Duff are tracking the pulse of modern metal. We start with a deep dive into the absolute best of the newest releases, breaking down the crushing weight of Immolation’s Descent and the relentless thrash energy of Nervosa’s Slave Machine.

Then, the stakes get high as we kick off a new set of "King of the Mountain." We’re putting our personal favorites on the line to see which tracks and live...

In this episode, Rex and Duff are putting our favorite bands under the microscope for a series of Album vs. Album battles. It’s a head-to-head clash where we take 2 records of a band’s career and pit them against each other to see which one truly reigns supreme.

Before the dust settles, we take a quick detour into the production booth to discuss the "Vintage" 80s sound. Is chasing that old-school analog warmth a stroke ...

This week on The Heavy Metal Hangover, Rex and Duff are taking a page out of the Airheads playbook. We’re dissecting that classic line—"Maybe a gimmick would help"—and looking at the bands that actually pulled it off. We’re peeling back the layers on the heavy hitters who bet big on their image, from the foam-covered chaos of GWAR and the evolving masks of Slipknot to the Satanic stagecraft of Ghost.

We dive...

Is a masterpiece still a masterpiece if no one suffered to create it? This week on The Heavy Metal Hangover, Rex and Duff are stepping back from the headlines to have a massive philosophical debate: Does human effort matter in the age of AI? We’re exploring the shifting value of art in 2026 and asking what happens to our connection as listeners when the barrier to creation drops to zero.

We dive into why certain genres—...

We’ve all seen it: the "name three songs" guy, the genre-police, and the gatekeepers who make new fans feel like they aren’t "metal enough." This week on The Heavy Metal Hangover, Rex and Duff are taking a hard look in the mirror and asking: How can we be better ambassadors for the music we love?

We’re diving into the toxic side of gatekeeping and why being judgmental only hurts the scene in the long run. We discu...

The 2026 Winter Games are in the books, and while Team USA is bringing home the double-gold after those heart-stopping overtime wins in Milan, we aren’t here to gloat. On this episode of The Heavy Metal Hangover, Rex and Duff are being good sports and paying tribute to the birthplace of hockey by recognizing the absolute titans of Canadian Rock and Metal. We’re taking a break from the rivalry to celebrate the bands that...

This week on The Heavy Metal Hangover, Rex and Duff are taking a massive ride through the history of the Metal Gods themselves: Judas Priest. We are attempting the impossible—ranking all 19 studio albums from worst to best. From the bluesy beginnings of Rocka Rolla and the twin-guitar revolution of British Steel and Screaming for Vengeance, to the crushing intensity of Painkiller and the modern masterpiece that is Invincible ...

The Complete Megadeth Album Ranking. From the raw, cocaine-fueled fury of Killing Is My Business... to the technical perfection of Rust in Peace and the experimental turns of the late '90s, we are leaving no stone unturned. We’re counting them all down to see which record truly wears the crown.

But that’s not all—the wait is over, and we’re finally giving our full, unfiltered thoughts on the brand-new Megade...

The year is coming to a close, and the smoke has finally cleared from the 2025 release calendar. This week on The Heavy Metal Hangover, Rex and Duff are putting their reputations on the line as they reveal their personal Top 10 Metal Albums of the Year. From the high-speed thrash of the legends to the experimental sounds that pushed the boundaries of the genre, we’re ranking the records that defined our speakers over the last...

Rex and Duff are tackling a heavy question this week: Are we losing our connection to the music? With millions of tracks just a click away, we discuss whether having infinite access has actually made us value individual albums less. Do we still sit with a record, read the liner notes, and let it haunt us, or have we become "musical tourists" constantly chasing the next skip button?

We dive into how AI and streaming are changing the...

Get ready for the ultimate metal debate because Rex and Duff are etching their choices in stone! This week, we're taking on the massive challenge of building our "Mount Rushmore" of Metal Musicians. Who belongs on the sacred mountain of shred? We're talking definitive lists and tough decisions across all positions:

We'll be naming the four essential Metal Guitarists that defined the riff, the four Drummers who laid down the thunder...

Get ready for an aggressive dose of thrash speculation! Rex and Duff are diving deep into the hype surrounding the upcoming Megadeth album. While the album isn't out yet, we're laying out our predictions: Will it be a return to their golden era? Will it feature more technical fire or a return to a simpler groove? We'll break down the recent singles and updates, and of course, spend time talking about Dave Mustaine's controversial c...

Get ready for another dose of high-volume heavy metal and low-budget horror! Rex and Duff are back, and this week we're digging our nails further into the coffin of Metal Horror Films, continuing our discussion on the perfect and imperfect blending of loud riffs and cinematic gore.

Then, we transition to a debate that's been rattling the scene for decades: "Built-by-the-Label" Bands. We're talking about bands that emerged from a ca...

Get ready to raise a glass of cold gin, throw up the horns, and celebrate the incredible legacy of the legendary Ace Frehley! This week on The Heavy Metal Hangover, Rex and Duff dedicate the entire main segment to the Space Ace, discussing his signature tone, his overlooked songwriting contributions, and the true cultural impact he had on an entire generation of guitarists. We'll be talking about his classic tracks like "Shock Me,"...