The Heavy Metal Hangover

We are officially back after a three-week hiatus, and there is a massive amount of ground to cover! On this episode of The Heavy Metal Hangover, Rex and Duff catch up on life away from the mics and dive headfirst into Rex’s recent trek to Monster-Mania Con. We talk about meeting horror and guitar royalty—including the dream encounters with Robert Englund, Doug Bradley, and Dokken/Lynch Mob shredder George Lynch. Plus, we preview seeing Iron Maiden live next week and what it means to see our foundational metal heroes still tearing up stages.
The conversation turns reflective as we process the recent, heavy losses of cross-genre and pop-culture icons like Dolly Parton and Tim Curry. We discuss the profound impact these transcendent figures had on all of us as artists and fans, and how their passing forces a difficult look at the heavy metal pantheon. We reflect on the metal heroes we have already lost, the anxiety around the advancing age of the genre’s original architects, and the urgent reminder to celebrate, support, and see these living legends while they are still here with us. 

This week on The Heavy Metal Hangover, Rex and Duff open the show with a look back at the 1988 schlock-fest Hard Rock Nightmare—complete with garage bands, cabin-in-the-woods slasher tropes, and peak '80s hair.
Then, we transition to the real life pit: Crowd Etiquette at Metal Shows. We’re asking if the old school rules apply or if the younger generation of metalheads has a new etiquette to follow in the pit. But one thing remains... "You guys in the front here, keep an eye on each other, alright? If you see someone going down, help 'em out, alright? That's what you're here to do, help each other out." (thanks Tom Araya). 
Finally, we tackle one of the most controversial topics in heavy music today: Does Gatekeeping Actually Have a Place? We explore the fine line between elitism and cultural preservation. What happens when a subculture gets co-opted or sanitized by outside trends, and does it actually hurt the members of the subculture of scene? 

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 Bach, Mark Osegueda (Death Angel), Brittney Slayes (Unleash the Archers), and original legends Stan Bush and Vince DiCola to see if this reboot lives up to the 1986 classic.
Then, we shift gears to pay tribute to Teutonic heavy metal royalty as we check out a brand-new tribute album honoring the mighty Accept. From "Fast as a Shark" to "Balls to the Wall," we discuss how these modern acts handle the German legends' iconic catalog.
Finally, Rex brings a shocking story straight from the rink: what happens when you’re hanging out with your hockey team and realize nobody in the room knows who a world-famous classic rock band is? We rant about the sudden generation gaps, locker room music culture, and the existential dread of realizing your team's playlist needs a serious rescue mission. Grab a drink and join the conversation!