HOW EINAR SOLBERG CONTROLS HIS ANXIETY: Leprous frontman opens up on mental health, confronting worrying thoughts, family, meeting Ihsahn and more

HELLRIPPER TALKS SCORCHING RIFFS AND SCOTTISH FOLKLORE: James McBain on new album Coronach, Metallica vs Megadeth, Anthony Fantano, myth and more

The last few episodes have been heavy even by our standards, with discussions of war, anxiety, suicide, being attacked in the street, ADHD and attempted murder. So, for episode 12, we got Hellripper leader James McBain to talk about fast riffs and Scottish myth, and how both shaped his new album Coronach. We also chatted about the review he got from Anthony Fantano, Metallica vs Megadeth and his isolated life in the Highlands.

DAN TOMPKINS’ JOURNEY WITH ADHD: Tesseract singer on neurodivergence, police past, new project Prince of Failure and more

Dan Tompkins is the singer of British progressive metal luminaries Tesseract and rock two-piece Prince of Failure. On episode 11 of Heavy Stories, he talks about his recent diagnosis with ADHD and life as a neurodivergent person. We also discuss the new Prince of Failure album, his early days in Tesseract, his nine years as a policeman and plenty more.

HOW EINAR SOLBERG CONTROLS HIS ANXIETY: Leprous frontman opens up on mental health, confronting worrying thoughts, family, meeting Ihsahn and more

Einar Solberg is the singer/guitarist in Norwegian progressive metal band Leprous and a solo artist. On episode 10 of Heavy Stories, he discusses his history with anxiety, including how it was exacerbated by being attacked on the street aged 16 and the death of his father when he was 19. He also reveals some of his coping mechanisms and how he was able to stop his mental health from dominating his life. Image: Leo Liberti.

IRAN, RACISM, FAMILY AND MUSIC WITH NINA SAEIDI: Lowen singer on Middle Eastern heritage, bringing weapons onstage, US–Iran War, the time someone died on her

Nina Saeidi is the singer and co-founder of British progressive metal band Lowen. On episode nine of Heavy Stories, she talks about her ancestral roots in Iran and how her Middle Eastern heritage has inspired the music she makes. We discuss the country’s ongoing war with the US and Israel, which has deeply impacted many of her relatives who still live there, as well as her parents seeking asylum in the UK in 1979, how her aunt fled the country after being a political prisoner for nine years, her experiences with racism, falling in love with metal, the time someone actually died on her on the London Underground, and much more. (Image: Katja Ogrin)

THE WORLD ACCORDING TO PROPAGANDHI: singer/guitarist Chris Hannah on American politics, annoying the KKK, going vegan, growing up on airbases, new album At Peace, aggravating punks, musical evolution

Chris Hannah is the singer, guitarist, lyricist and co-founder of Canadian hardcore veterans Propagandhi. On episode eight of Heavy Stories, he sits down to talk about the impact of his childhood on airbases, including how it shaped his political beliefs and veganism. We discuss how Propagandhi was formed as a “progressive thrash” band and the distaste they quickly developed for the punk scene around them, especially the jocks and skateboarders they encountered in California after signing to Fat Mike’s Fat Wreck Chords. This hatred led to them becoming proud bear-pokers, antagonising crowds at gigs and even the KKK. Other topics covered include new album At Peace, the four-piece’s musical evolution over four decades and Chris’ thoughts on American politics under Donald Trump’s second administration. (Image: Dwayne Larson)