In a bumper episode, '#45 – Mince With Me In Hell', Hell Bent For Metal talks to Andrew O'Neill – comedian, Edinburgh fixture, former Terrorizer columnist, and the creator of the show 'The History Of Heavy Metal'. They talk about their experience of expressing their gender identity in the metal world, and in particular about presenting in a way that doesn't fit the gender binary goes down in heavy metal spaces. They also discuss how that experience has changed in recent years, and how far metal has come.
Andrew also tells Tom about being an outsider in most rooms they're in, whether it's because their gender presentation sets them aside amongst metal fans, or being a metalhead (and looking like it) sets them aside in professional comedy. They also explain how, however crap he may be, Jack Whitehall has to be considered a comedian, and that growing up in extreme metal prepared them for being a comedian who doesn't play to the mainstream tastes. The latter point is explained through his and Tom's shared love of Altar Of Plagues. (And yes, that's pretty standard HBFM.)
Tom and Matt then discuss the relevance to the queer experience of "Walk With Me In Hell" by Lamb Of God, in this week's Camp Classic. While this may seem like an unlikely nomination initially, it quickly becomes apparent that there's a huge amount to talk about.
Both hosts offer different negative experiences either they've had themselves, or they've heard described by other queer people, which the lyrics of the verses very clearly speak to. They and then also about how the chorus speaks to two other very different experiences of a much more positive kind.
They will also explain what on earth this song's relevance to life as a member of the LGBT+ community has to do with Pride, music college, and a certain area of Reddit. And naturally, there's also a discussion about why Lamb Of God rule, and which of the hosts got starstruck meeting Randy Blythe.
Plus the first of this week's additions for the Hate Crew Gaybar jukebox is 'ManiaCult', the eleventh (!) album from Belgium's purveyors of gore-splattered brutal death metal, Aborted. And the second entry is 'Wolf Hex', the new record from Wormwitch, the Canadian riffy, in-your-face black metal band.
(And yes, this episode is later than planned. Shitty Real Life got in the way. Sorry.)
Listen to Hell Bent For Metal on Spotify here, listen on iTunes here, or choose one of the other ways to listen here.
