In the early days of Metallica, their bass player carried a hammer on tour and had a gun that shot knives – or so the story goes. Their former lead guitarist was a drug dealer who kept two pitbulls for protection. They were blamed when a teenager, high on LSD, murdered a man in cold blood and quoted the band’s lyrics. And in 1986, long before they became a h ... Show More
Today
Hunter S. Thompson: Fear, Loathing, and Gonzo Baby Gonzo
The great writer Hunter S. Thompson was nearly beaten to death by Hell's Angels, and then nearly electrocuted in a hotel bathtub when he pissed off the wrong people. He dropped acid with the Merry Pranksters, hunted deer with his car, and carried around an alcoholic monkey in his ... Show More
40m 12s
Feb 13
Alice in Chains' Layne Staley: The Rooster, the Jungle, and Dying Young
Though they were one of the first so-called “grunge” bands to sign to a major label, Alice in Chains were something of an outlier in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s Seattle scene. They didn’t fall directly into the punk camp, or the hair metal camp, and even the true metalheads thought ... Show More
39m 47s
Apr 2025
559. The Rolling Stones: Satanic Majesties of Sixties Rebellion (Part 2)
"We're not worried about petty morals." What happened to the Rolling Stones in 1967 to see them on the brink of imprisonment and mass censure, while at the height of their success, with fame, fortune, mansions, world tours, and best selling albums to their names? Was Brian Jones, ... Show More
1h 8m
Jul 2021
Behind The Song: Guns N' Roses "Sweet Child O' Mine"
<p>In episode 71 of the Behind The Song podcast, Janda dives into the history and lyrics of "Sweet Child O' Mine" by the band once called the most dangerous in rock, Guns 'N Roses. The song, written by Axl Rose for his then-girlfriend, was a departure from the rest of the materia ... Show More
16m 8s
Feb 2025
Episode 81: Inside Metallica HQ; Meet the Runners
The week of February 12, 2025 on The Metallica Report…
We speak with the Metallica HQ Studio Runners—Jackson Langford, Jack Ketchum, Alex Coltharp, and Dana Lindstrom—about their tasks and duties around the building and beyond. From massive lunch runs to damaging cars and walls ... Show More
38m 49s
Sep 2025
Episode 111: Back To The Metallica Vault
This week on The Metallica Report… It’s another gloves-on adventure at Inveniem, home to the real-life Metallica Black Box. Spider-Dan, Inveniem’s Ally Bace, and Steffan unearth grocery lists, handwritten lyrics, and early band name sketches. There’s also an amusing self-written ... Show More
20m 28s
Feb 2025
I Fought the Law: The Death of Bobby Fuller
In 1966, Bobby Fuller was a rising rockstar. His eponymous band and their song "I Fought the Law" was climbing the charts when he suddenly died. As is the case with many rockstars, theories about his death abound. Was his death really an accident or suicide, or could it have been ... Show More
37m 1s
Aug 2025
“Heavy Metal Drummer”—Wilco
In this week’s episode, Rob uses the blueprint he learned from all of his favorite rock band movies, like 'Dig!' and 'The Great Muppet Caper,' to better understand the self-proclaimed misunderstood band Wilco. He takes us through Jeff Tweedy’s journey, starting with Wilco’s prede ... Show More
1h 32m
Oct 2023
The Making of HOUDINI by Melvins - featuring Buzz Osborne
For the 30th anniversary of the Melvins’ 1993 classic, HOUDINI, we take a detailed look at how the record was made. Buzz Osborne, Mike Dillard and Matt Lukin had formed the Melvins in 1983 when they were teenagers living in Montesano, Washington. Drummer Dale Crover ended up repl ... Show More
56m 28s