Bleeding Metal Podcast

On another time capsule of an episode recorded in 2023, Kiki and Pia come together to discuss violence in the Metal scene as well as in heavy music. Inspired by the incident at a WE CAME AS ROMANS-show, we show our appreciation for kind security guards working the Metal industry. We also learn about Pia's rebellious nature and her love of gore.

Recorded on November 14th, 2023.

Show notes:

Pia is back! After a short update and her thoughts about Bimbocore, she, Martha and Suzanna discuss the Trailblaze boardgame (crowdfunding campaign is running until April 20th). The three also talk about their favorite releases of the year so far.

We discuss:

How open and vulnerable do artists have to be nowadays? How do musicians like the members of BLIND CHANNEL take care of their Mental Health?

Joel and Niko, the vocalists of the self-proclaimed "Backstreet Boys of Metal", join Kiki and Suzana on an interesting talk about the origin story of BLIND CHANNEL with their "Violent Pop" branding, making music as their form of therapy, and how they're making their dreams of becoming the biggest Finnish Metal band in the world come true.

Recorded on February 2nd, 2024.

Show notes:

Kiki, Martha, and Suzana set out to analyze what exactly is BimboCore and how it can help us reclaim femininity as the valuable and badass trait it has always been - and dismantle the patriarchy while we're at it.

We discuss:

The Metal community is the most welcoming of all musical subcultures - or are we? We have been posing this question for some years now.

On this episode, Kiki and Pia are joined by Sera, who works with a feminist and anti-racist organization in Finland and is part of the Heavy music community. Together, we evaluate where we really are at in matters of diversity and inclusion and discuss how we can support people from marginalized communities feel safer in our shared spaces.

Recorded on October 23rd, 2023.

Show notes:

We're growing! Kiki and Pia have been joined by two new #WomenInMetal to make the upcoming episodes of the Bleeding Metal Podcast even more diverse and interesting.

We’re switching streaming platforms! We will soon be listening to music on the ROKK app. Will you join the streaming platform revolution?

On this episode, Kiki is joined by Alex Landenburg, better known as the drummer of KAMELOT and now the creator of the ROKK app. We had a long but lovely conversation, starting with Alex's career as a musician and how the pandemic inspired the idea for the platform. Now that the app's release is near, we discussed how it will benefit Rock and Metal musicians and how the community can directly support up and coming bands.

Recorded on January 15th, 2024.

Show notes:

We’re still trying something new! This episode was edited by Kiki again with the help of Artificial Intelligence. If you think the sound is worse in comparison to our usual audio quality, let us know - thank you!

As every year, Kiki and Pia begin the new cycle by summarizing their heavy musical highlights of the last twelve months as well as other experiences they enjoyed. Join us to hear which albums we liked and which games we were obsessed with. We also have one or two predictions!

Recorded on December 12th, 2023.

02:52 Kiki and Pia’s favorite albums of 2023

25:28 Prediction time!

26:42 The concerts we attended in 2023

38:57 Games we played in 2023

42:21 What we’re looking forward to in 2024

Show notes:

We’re trying something new! This episode was edited by Kiki with the help of Artificial Intelligence - gasp! Help us out by reaching out in case you think the sound is worse in comparison to our usual audio quality - thank you!

On this new episode, Kiki and Pia talk to Simon McMurdo, the author of Nightwish on Track - a book that discusses every single song that the legendary Finnish Symphonic Metal band ever released or even performed. Simon tells us the story of this immense undertaking as well as some interesting facts and even a few hot takes.

Recorded on September 12th, 2023.

01:13 About Simon McMurdo and his book Nightwish on Track

Show notes:

On a new short episode of Bleeding Metal, Kiki and Pia discuss some new music that just came out later this year. We also celebrate the revival of Nu Metal!

Recorded on September 19th, 2023.

Show notes:

Lindsay Schoolcraft is back on the podcast! Ten years after our first talk, Lindsay joins Kiki and Pia to talk about how important it is for artists to take breaks and for fans to support this. With so many of our favorite Metal acts touring non-stop after the pandemic and some of them getting backlash from fans after canceling gigs due to illness - it seems we really need to talk about this.

Listen to the episode to hear about Lindsay's experience after burnout, her new "corporate job" and how we will hear more from her and her music soon.

Episode recorded on July 27th, 2023.

00:06:58 Catching up with Lindsay about her career

00:09:49 Artist burnout

00:41:39 Lindsay's new job and projects

Show notes:

We're back from our short break with a new season and to start it we're catching you all up on what we've been doing these past few months.

Recorded on November 3rd, 2023.

Show notes:

The official language of this episode is Finglish - a gift from Bleeding Metal with love to our Finnish-speaking audience. It's a very entertaining episode and we hope you all enjoy it.

During this year's Tuska Festival in Helsinki, Kiki hosted a forum and had captivating conversations with some of the performing artists. On this episode of the podcast, we present to you the recording of Kiki's interview with animal rights activist and ARCH ENEMY-vocalist Alissa White-Gluz.

Pia and Kiki then comment on the conversation and how each and every one of us can be an activist by being conscious of our choices and behaviors.

01:58 Live recording of the interview with Alissa White-Gluz
18:01 Pia and Kiki comment on the interview

Show notes:

Since Pia was not able to attend Tuska Festival 2023, she asks Kiki all about the festival weekend, including but not limited to the Tuska Forum by Bleeding Metal, which Kiki hosted at the event in Helsinki.

Tune in for an in-house interview and a preview of the upcoming episodes that were recorded live at Tuska 2023!

Episode recorded on July 6th, 2023.

Show notes:

In an extraordinary episode, Kiki and Pia recount their experiences at different music festivals, especially in the ten years of working together on Metal & High Heels turned the Bleeding Metal Podcast. But before we go down memory lane, we must address two pieces of news from the Metal scene that are important to us. We also have a special announcement.

We are bringing to life the TUSKA FORUM by BLEEDING METAL! With the overarching theme of Young Voices & The Future of Metal, the forum will feature an interactive panel about Artificial Intelligence in Metal as well as interview guests like Alissa White-Gluz, TURMION KÄTILÖT, Marko Hietala, and Samy Elbanna. The select audience of TUSKA FORUM by BLEEDING METAL will surely be entertained and informed, as an addition to the fantastic Tuska Festival 2023 line-up - one of the youngest in the history of Finland’s biggest Metal festival. And you, our dear listeners, will get to listen to the interviews later on, right here on the feed of the Bleeding Metal Podcast.

01:53 Our statement about the allegations of sexual abuse against the singer of that German industrial Metal band
05:29 Our condolences to the family and friends of Dirk Lehberger, an esteemed member of the Metal community
07:54 Our experiences in (Metal) Music Festivals
43:30 The sideshow of Tuska Festival 2023 features the TUSKA FORUM by BLEEDING METAL - whoop, whoop!

Show notes:

We like our topics deep and our episodes dark. Initially, Kiki and Pia planned to talk to Sue from THE HELLFREAKS about mixing styles and genres, because that happens on the Hungarian band's new album "Pitch Black Sunset". Ultimately, our whole episode became a mix of topics and we didn't skip a deep one: War, death, COVID, politics, fears, money, feminism,... You know, our favorite topics!

By the end, we also talk about cats to lighten up the mood before saying goodbye!

Episode recorded on May 25th, 2023.

00:00:00 THE HELLFREAKS and their new album "Pitch Black Sunset"

00:21:59 War, covid, personal fears

00:27:43 Death

00:40:16 Politics

00:45:01 Metal and punk scene in Hungary

00:55:25 Vocal styles

01:06:55 Cats

Show notes:

Kiki and Pia welcome Charlie from AS EVERYTHING UNFOLDS back on the podcast! We catch up about how much the vocalist has personally grown with the band in the past few years and how her writing shifted focus from more private, Mental Health-related topics to more abstract, creative themes in the band's new album "Ultraviolet". Personal growth and combining creative passions are big topics in this conversation, as well as on AEU's new record, which we now see in a different light.

After the recording of the episode, Kiki was able to catch the band live and witness AS EVERYTHING UNFOLDS having fun on stage with a confident Charlie delivering great vocals and getting the audience excited. It was a great show despite its short duration - highly recommend checking out the band's headline dates!

Episode recorded on May 1st, 2023 - intro recorded after the band's gig supporting CALLEJON in Karlsruhe on May 20th, 2023.

01:48 Charlie Rolfe introduces herself
05:30 Charlie on her “famous” quote about wearing dresses on stage
08:46 Mental Health in AEU’s debut album’s lyrics
12:58 Photography in the lyrics of “Ultraviolet”
21:59 Performing older songs after outgrowing them thematically
29:21 Challenges for the new album
31:35 Owen leaving AS EVERYTHING UNFOLDS
41:29 How Charlie takes care of her Mental Health nowadays
43:08 About video games and then music

Show notes:

Hungarian band THE HELLFREAKS has just caught our attention with their fifth and latest album "Pitch Black Sunset", which has been out since April 14th, 2023. It's quite the short album, which makes this bonus episode even shorter.

Recorded on May 8th, 2023.

Show notes:

Have you ever wondered why certain genres are more widespread in certain countries? Or why they are more successful there?

Well, we have a brainstorming session for you! This is what happens when not one but two artist interviews get postponed - Pia and Kiki get to talk about topics that have been on their minds without researching about them beforehand.

Recorded on April 14th, 2023.

03:40 Recap of the This is Pop! episode “Stockholm Syndrome” and disclaimer
24:32 Our (not fact-based) reflections on the Geography of Music
45:18 Female Fronted Metal returns

Show notes:

"Ultraviolet", the new album from AS EVERYTHING UNFOLDS resembles a photograph - the capture of a moment in time. The young British band work with the concept of photography in this album, which they describe as "an open work on the thoughts and feelings surrounding us at the time. The anger, the frustration, the progress - everything is on show and nothing is hidden".

As fitting as this description is, we liked the lyrical depth that their previous album had. Pia and Kiki discuss in this bonus episode, what we liked and disliked about "Ultraviolet" and why you should give it a listen, too. AS EVERYTHING UNFOLDS' second album "Ultraviolet" comes out April 21st, 2023.

Recorded on April 9th, 2023.

Show notes:

As a musician, finding a band to join can become very difficult. There are not always friends around who share the same vision as you. To start a band, different things have to fit: characters, skill levels, music style choices, availabilities, and ambitions. In this episode, Pia asks Kiki about her journey as a musician and Joko comes back to tell us about her experiences, which include several collaborations and sharing the stage with CALIBAN, while she looks for her next band. Together, we also discuss whether searching for a band is even more difficult for women, gender double standards in the matter, and we try to find a male vocalist who “does it all”.

Recorded on March 17th, 2023.

00:02:05 Kiki's and Joko's histories as musicians
00:14:29 The difference between Power Metal and Symphonic Metal
00:17:59 Joko's collaborations
00:23:03 How to search for a band
00:28:14 Different standards for male and female vocalists
00:41:38 Band search after/during the pandemic
00:50:03 Music and games

Show notes:

The new IN FLAMES album "Foregone" has both of us, Pia and Kiki, hyped and impressed. In this episode, we discuss the history of the band, the role of the pandemic on "Foregone", and the lyrics on the album and how they relate to current topics in the world. 

Recorded on February 22nd, 2023.

Show notes:

German Symphonic Metal band XANDRIA starts a new era with their album "The Wonders Still Awaiting" giving us an opportunity to talk to them and reflect on moments when we have reinvented ourselves, including this podcast. XANDRIA-founder Marco Heubaum and the band's new vocalist Ambre Vourvahis join Kiki and Pia to catch up on what was happening with the band during their break, how the new lineup came together, and the future of the band holds.

There were technical difficulties with this episode and we were not able to keep our usual audio quality - we apologize for that and thank you for your patience. Listen in for some emotional insight into "The Wonders Still Awaiting" and how we deal with change. 

Recorded on January 30th, 2023.

01:30 XANDRIA's break and come-back with "The Wonders Still Awaiting"
21:24 How Ambre and Marco see their own reinventions
30:13 Kiki and Pia talk about times when they have reinvented themselves
39:22 Reinventing Metal & High Heels into Bleeding Metal
42:33 Music and games we're enjoying

Show notes:

After around five years of complete silence, the German Symphonic Metal band XANDRIA returns with a new line-up and a new album. In this short bonus episode, Pia and Kiki discuss their opinions and interpretations of the full-length release that the band has optimistically titled "The Wonders Still Awaiting".

Recorded on January 27th, 2023.

Show notes:

Gina Lucia runs a Youtube channel with the related #bookstagram and discord community around books and reading. However, unlike most resources about reading, she doesn't strictly encourage doing it more and more. Instead, her videos are analytical about the psychology of reading and can even be critical of a society that puts people who read more books on a pedestal.

Gina gives advice about reading but most importantly about taking the pressure off this activity. Another important focus to her is that reading is inclusive and accessible to everyone. We loved talking to her about her journey to becoming a YouTuber as well as inquiring about her taste in music and games.

Recorded on January 19th, 2023.

01:02 Gina's introduction
10:27 Gina Lucia Reads on Youtube
18:24 The snobbery around reading
26:42 Reading a lot as a social virtue
32:17 Reading and consuming stories through other media
42:17 Gina's Readathons
48:51 Music we're listening to right now

Shownotes:

Another year comes to a close and we're reminiscing about it. Kiki and Pia discuss their favorite albums of the year, what bands they have discovered, and what video games they have been playing. We also take a look at what's coming up in 2023 with excitement and hope. 

Listen in and tell us your favorites of this eventful year. 

Recorded on December 6th, 2022.

03:40 Bleeding Metal Podcast Recap
13:57 The year in music
31:44 Upcoming music in 2023
35:09 Band discoveries of the year
37:57 Games of the year 2022

Shownotes:

Finding out what makes us different from other people is essential while getting to know ourselves. However, "othering" can lead to discrimination if we don't keep these observations neutral. In this episode, Kiki and Pia discuss their views on "othering" and "defensive othering" and their experiences with these concepts. Join us in analyzing these behaviors and discussing how to change them. 

Recorded on November 12th, 2022.

03:31 Definitions
08:52 The problem with othering and defensive othering
14:12 Defensive othering in the Metal scene
19:46 Defensive othering between women
26:52 Defensive othering as young people
33:02 Conclusion
36:08 Games and music we're currently enjoying 

Shownotes:

This episode had more than its share of technical issues (maybe there were some patriarchal demons messing with us?). Still, it was a meaningful conversation that we hope will empower you all to take charge of your reproductive life, to get informed, and to weigh your options consciously.

WE AWAKE's guitarist Marnie joins us to talk about her experience as a woman in Metal and her choice to get sterilized in her early twenties. We open up about our own choices, how hormonal birth control is sometimes not the best choice, and how the possibility of getting pregnant can have a toll on one's mental health. 

Recorded on October 9th, 2022.

00:53 Marnie's introduction and about WE AWAKE
08:16 Marnie's experience being a female guitarist in Metal
12:10 Being childfree by choice as a woman in 2022
20:58 The decision of having (biological) children or not
26:57 Voluntary sterilization for women
36:46 Reversing sterilization
41:00 Sterilization and Mental Health
44:41 Information and Autonomy
52:17 Halloween plans and what we're listening to currently

Shownotes:

In this sequel to our episode with Tobias Duncan from TRASH BOAT, we discuss other aspects and intersections of our identities - including music subcultures, hobbies, and other parts of ourselves that make us who we are. It's an emotional and personal episode but like identity itself, it has a strong socio-political significance. We want to encourage you to look at yourself through this lens: find out the different parts that make you unique and - if you feel safe - claim those labels and show the world how we're all unique and should all have equal rights and opportunities. 

Recorded on September 22nd, 2022.

00:07:56 Music as part of our identities
00:17:35 Gaming as part of our identities
00:22:40 Stigmatized identity labels
00:31:52 Other parts of our identities
00:43:41 What we're listening to

Shownotes:

When Kiki saw TRASH BOAT on stage at High 5ive Summer Fest in Stockholm, singer Tobias Duncan introduced one of their songs by saying that he doesn't identify with any gender and sexuality label. So we invited him to join the podcast and explore more deeply what it means to identify as a specific gender, the use of labels, and why we specify our pronouns or don't. 

We will be releasing a sequel to this episode, discussing other aspects and intersections of our identities, which include music, subcultures, and beliefs.

Recorded on August 16th, 2022.

01:00 - TRASH BOAT singer Tobias Duncan's introduction
03:37 - Our identities
13:31 - Identity and labels
20:38 - Representation
28:01 - Weaponizing identities
40:59 - Pronouns
1:04:27 - What we've been listening to recently

Shownotes:

Summer festivals are back this year and we welcome a familiar voice to talk about our experience at High 5ive Summer Fest 2022. Our former co-host Steffi joins us for this bonus episode to talk about the trip Kiki and she made to Stockholm for this Metalcore festival and the travels they each planned around it. Tune in to find out about the performances of bands such as ELECTRIC CALLBOY, WE CAME AS ROMANS, FUTURE PALACE, and BLEED FROM WITHIN, as well as get travel tips for your next visit to Sweden.

Recorded on July 24th, 2022.

00:14:06 High 5ive Summer Fest in Stockholm
00:56:01 Traveling after the festival

Shownotes:

The practice of yoga while listening to heavy music, called Metal Yoga, is not a new concept. More and more yoga studios, as well as festivals, offer it nowadays. It shouldn't surprise anybody anymore, since it seems yoga can be combined with anything and everything - there's even such a thing as beer yoga!

Do metalheads listen only to Metal? Even when they want to party? Spoiler alert: the answer is no. 

To lighten up the mood and prepare for the summer, Pia and Kiki reminisce about their very first party experiences and what kinds of music they listen to nowadays when they want to get in a celebratory mood. In these scary times especially, it's good to appreciate what we have and celebrate what we can. 

Recorded on June 3rd, 2022.

00:07:13 Music at Metal parties
00:10:34 Our first parties
00:26:10 Cultural differences
00:31:36 Concerts and festivals
00:50:27 What we are listening to at the moment

Shownotes:

On a new episode of Bleeding Metal, Kiki and Pia open up about their feelings on the invasion of Russia in the Ukraine. It's one of the most emotional episodes we've ever recorded and it means in no way to take away the attention of the people, who are directly affected by this war. Nevertheless, we think it is important to talk about the topics that affect our Mental Health, while also continue to offer our audience a safe space to talk about feelings or escape from these dark times by listening to our stories. 

Recorded on March 24th, 2022.

06:26 - Pia’s story
13:47 - Kiki’s story
27:00 - What we’ve seen in the media
33:44 - What we can do in Europe
36:55 - How metalheads are supporting Ukrainian people affected by the war
48:48 - Taking care of our own mental health
58:09 - What we’re listening to right now

Shownotes:

On a new episode of Bleeding Metal, Kiki and Pia talk to German gamer, Twitch streamer and tea expert OddNina. We talked about representation in Gaming, how some video games can bring up important topics to the table, and we of course compared the Metal and the Gaming communities. 

Recorded on February 10th, 2022.

00:11:42 Gaming
01:01:39 gaming and the metal scene

Shownotes:

Will we ever grow tired of talking about Feminism and how it relates to the Metal scene? The answer is nope!

On a new episode of Bleeding Metal, Kiki and Pia are joined by Dr. Anna S. Rogers, sociologist and lecturer at the University of Georgia, who just released a book about Heavy Metal Feminism. Listen in to learn about concepts like "defensive othering", the male gaze in Metal, and tokenism. 

Recorded on January 13th, 2022.

00:05:25 Doing Gender In Heavy Metal
01:22:11 Music we are listening to at the moment

Shownotes:

Kiki and Pia connect through the timezones to chat about what music they've been listening to this year. We discuss our favourite albums, favourite songs, music videos but also the video games we have played throughout the second year of the pandemic - yes, someone had to say it.

Recorded on October 14th, 2021.

00:00:00 Greetings and personal news
00:05:30 About Spotify CEO Daniel Ek's investment in
00:21:35 Our favourite music of 2021
00:58:03 The games we played this year
01:02:41 What we're looking forward to in 2022

Shownotes:

What is "mental load"? And how does it affect the romantic, creative, and other types of partnerships? And how can we share it so that the tasks are in fact shared equally?

Kiki and Pia discuss their experiences with unequal mental loads and how we can all try to be better.  

Recorded on October 21st, 2021.

00:00:00 Definition of "mental load" and thank you!
00:04:24 Mental load in partnerships
00:31:12 Mental load in bands
00:46:42 What we've been listening to lately

Shownotes:

What is intersectionality and how does it relate to white feminism? And what are our experiences as intersectional feminists in the Metal scene?

Kiki and Pia welcome HORIZIS-singer Martha to the podcast to talk about their experiences and views around the topic of feminism and the intersections each of them fall into, including being metalheads.  

Recorded on October 5th, 2021.

00:06:52 Different forms of feminism
00:30:00 Intersectional feminism in the metal scene

Shownotes:

Our podcast has a new name with which we begin a new chapter of the podcast and our lives. With Bleeding Metal, we want to approach the more  important topics, such as politics, mental health, feminism, LGBTQIA+ rights, among many others and be more vocal with our opinions around them.

In this episode we talk about ourselves and how we came to be who we are, so that all you listeners out there can get a better understanding of our perspectives - and our musical opinions.

Recorded on September 9th, 2021.

00:10:53 Introduction Pia
00:30:38 Introduction Kiki
00:54:22 Small actions change a lot
01:03:27 Political bands and our favourites
01:07:32 Metal & High Heels is now Bleeding Metal