When two-thirds of Mountain Caller – guitarist Claire Simson and bassist El Reeve – were on Hell Bent For Metal back in HBFM #36, Tom described the band as "majority queer". And while the "queer" bit is accurate, Max Maxwell, the band's drummer, is on the show this week to explain why the "majority" bit isn't true. They are, in fact, a band whose line-up are all part of the LGBTQ+ community.
Max joins Tom for an extended chat that starts with Max explaining why he felt it was so important to him to correct the record and what his experience of being out so far has been. The discussion also touches on the imposter syndrome that comes with being newly out and trying to talk about your queerness, as well as why the label "pansexual" is so important to Max's experience. There's also the usual digressions, including how British stand-up comedian Joe Lycett explained pansexuality really well, and how 'Schitt's Creek' managed to come up with the perfect metaphor for it – but somehow managed to coin a euphemism at the same time.
With Matt still unwell (get well soon!), Kerrang! journalist Emma Wilkes joins Tom to put four very different albums in the the Hate Crew Gaybar's jukebox. First up is the almost indescribable 'Celebrity Therapist' from much talked-about mathcore ensemble The Callous Daoboys – an interesting pick for this pod, given Tom being vocal about his dislike for the subgenre.
Next up, 'Morbidity Triumphant' by death metal legends Autopsy gets the once-over, before 'Love, Death And Decay' by Belgium's emotional but genre-ignoring crushers Stake is entered. And finally, 'Pagans Rising' by Swedish melodic but ballsy band Hexed lands right in Tom's sweet spot.
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