Metal Gateway Podcast

About Metal Gateway Podcast

A podcast exploring people's metal gateways: in-depth talks with metal musicians (and others in the scene) about how they discovered heavy metal music and how it has shaped their lives. Hosted by Brian Sibley.

Publisher

Brian Sibley

Category

music · music

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

26 Feb 2024

Latest episode

15 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

15 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   15 Aug 2026

   Enrique Sagarnaga, Drummer - Crypt Sermon/The Silver/Daeva

   Season 2, Episode 2 - My conversation with Enrique Sagarnaga, who plays drums in Crypt Sermon, The Silver and Daeva. Recent releases featuring Enrique: The Stygian Rose - by Crypt Sermon Looking Glass Hymnal Blue - by The Silver Through Sheer Will and Black Magic - by Daeva A couple of Enrique's favorite Bolivian metal bands: Kulto Maldito and Black Candles Performance by the Chilean band Cuatro (stylized as IIII) from Cascadian Midsummer festival in 2025: the video of that show. Check out their album Nueva Desesperanza as well. It's excellent. Enrique's recent non-metal discovery: Valkama, by Tenhi, the Finnish neofolk band. Gorgeous stuff. *** The Metal Gateway Podcast is a production of Studio Portcullis. Our theme music is by Tauntaun. If you enjoyed this podcast, please like, share and subscribe. if you are feeling extra generous, please leave us a review on your podcast platform of choice. Reviews really help other people to find the show. If you have comments or questions or suggestions for guests you'd like to see on this show, please email them to metalgatewaypodcast@gmail.com or slide into my DMs on instagram @metalgateway This Podcast © 2026 by Studio Portcullis. All Rights Reserved.

2. 

   8 Aug 2026

   Carl Kumpe

   Season 2, Episode 1: my conversation with my old friend Carl Kumpe to kick off the second season of the show. I hope you enjoy the conversation! Theme music for this show is by Tauntaun: tauntaun.bandcamp.com The Metal Gateway Podcast is a production of Studio Portcullis - Copyright 2026

3. 

   12 Apr 2026

   Bonus Episode - The Future of Discovery

   Season 2 Bonus Episode - How will the kids of today become the metalheads of tomorrow? I sat down with Decibel writers Tim Mudd and Joseph Schafer to discuss the future of music discovery, and we explored what this will mean for the metal scene, given that we live in an era where a lot of recommendation comes to people via algorithm. The rest of Season 2 is coming soon! Show Notes: Links to a few things mentioned on this episode: Low Throes, Tim Mudd's band - https://www.lowthroes.com Stereogum Article - https://stereogum.com/2258777/metal-sleep-token-bad-omens-spiritbox/columns/sounding-board NYT article "Country music is entirely at war with itself" Knocked Loose (https://youtu.be/AYeDnOLfl0g?si=Ubt7RKjeURhoQdfO) on Jimmy Kimmel Book - "Filterworld (https://www.kylechayka.com/filterworld)" Theme music for this show is by Tauntaun: tauntaun.bandcamp.com The Metal Gateway Podcast is a production of Studio Portcullis - Copyright 2026

4. 

   21 May 2024

   Rebecca Vernon (The Keening/SubRosa)

   Season 1 Episode 10 - In this episode, the first season finale, I had a conversation with Rebecca Vernon, whose latest project The Keening arrived in our ears last year. You may recall that Rebecca is the founder of the band SubRosa, whose influence has been felt across the doom/sludge scene for nearly 20 years. Rebecca and I sat down and she told me about her “uncool beginnings” (her words, not mine) in the alternative music scene in Utah where she spent her teenage years and early adulthood, and how that led to the formation of SubRosa and the work she’s doing today. We talked about a lot of other things, including ska, the surprisingly vibrant goth scene Salt Lake City, how she first became a drummer, and later how she stepped out from behind the kit and picked up the guitar and fronted a band for the first time. I hope you enjoy the conversation! SHOW NOTES: The Keening - North American 2024 Summer Tour (w/ Pallbearer & Inter Arma -- June, July, August) - dates and tickets: https://bit.ly/4bmxwsK (https://bit.ly/4bmxwsK) The Keening music - https://bit.ly/4aA0l3I SubRosa music - https://bit.ly/4dLjL8x Red Bennies - https://bit.ly/4dSxVET Kid Hideaway and the Warboy: https://bit.ly/44YKESv SLUG - Salt Lake UnderGround - https://www.slugmag.com Book - The War Of Art: https://bit.ly/4aua4IL

5. 

   14 May 2024

   Charlie Anderson - Violinist of Panopticon

   Season 1 Episode 9 - From his roots in country music in his home state of Texas, Charlie Anderson's musical journey has taken him to the extremes of black metal, where he plays the fiddle in the now legendary black metal band Panopticon. Charlie was kind enough to sit down with me at Cascadian Midsummer festival and tell me the story about how he discovered metal music at quite a young age, and how a few seemingly random events led him to where he is today. I hope you enjoy the conversation! Show Notes: Celtic Frost - A Dying God Coming Into Human Flesh - https://youtu.be/dW6RXTjm4iA?si=wolYk6zmI9ZdcSyD Yes - Close to the Edge - Have you listened to this? If not, you must: https://youtu.be/FQETATIFxE8?si=n06JGoAhTIFTAeOD Shoutout to Jordan Day - https://jordanday1.bandcamp.com Link to Panopticon Bindrune Rime of Memory - https://bindrunerecordings.bandcamp.com/album/the-rime-of-memory Panopticon tour dates - https://linktr.ee/truepanopticon Transit Method - https://transitmethod.bandcamp.com/album/othervoid Credits: Theme music for this show is by Tauntaun: tauntaun.bandcamp.com The Metal Gateway Podcast is a production of Studio Portcullis - Copyright 2024

6. 

   7 May 2024

   Kakophonix - Metal Cellist Extraordinaire

   Season 1 Episode 8 - If you're an accomplished cellist who really understands metal, you can have a fascinating and varied career, and that's exactly what Kakophonix has done. He's a core member of the dark neofolk project Osi & The Jupiter, which has played numerous metal festivals and tours. He also has a solo project called Hvile i Kaos, which he describes as "black ritual chamber musick." Links to those projects are in the show notes below. In addition to these projects and his work as a music teacher, he's done guest and/or session work on the cello for many metal artists, including Abigail Williams, Vale of Pnath and many others. He sat down with me on a rainy afternoon at Cascadian Midsummer festival in June of last year to tell me his story. I hope you enjoy the conversation! Projects Kakophonix is actively involved in: Osi & The Jupiter: https://osifolk.bandcamp.com/album/cedar-and-sage-riders-of-the-gallows-vol-1 Hvile i Kaos: https://hvileikaos.bandcamp.com/track/vessel-333 Kakophonix at Metal Archives: https://www.metal-archives.com/artists/Kakophonix/446992 We also discussed these two bands, which are not his projects but that some might find intriguing: Antestor — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Forsaken_(album) Admonish - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Admonish_(band) Theme music for this podcast is by Tauntaun: https://tauntaun.bandcamp.com/ The Metal Gateway Podcast is a production of Studio Portcullis - Copyright 2024

7. 

   3 May 2024

   MiniCast #1 - I Slept On Blind Guardian

   BONUS MINI EPISODE - I slept on Blind Guardian. I did this for over 30 years. For this transgression, to all Blind Guardian fans the world over, I am deeply sorry. But after my experience on Wednesday night I have awakened from my slumber. This is a Blind Guardian Appreciation Episode. Thank you for listening!

8. 

   30 Apr 2024

   Matt Johnston - Former Music Director - KAOS-FM in Olympia, WA

   Season 1 Episode 7 - The early 1990s in the US was a pivotal time for heavy music, particularly in the Pacific Northwest, with the emergence of Grunge. Matt Johnston had a front row seat to a lot of those moments, as he was the music director of KAOS radio - the legendary college radio station in Olympia, Washington -- from 1991 to 1994. During that time, Matt got to see a lot of shows and meet a lot of people. He's got great stories to tell about that period, but also about what it was like to be a young metalhead where he grew up on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. Enjoy the show! Links to things mentioned on this episode: Matt’s Metal Gateway - Spotify Playlist: https://spoti.fi/4beyJBZ Hawaii - Marty Friedman’s Hawaii-based band before he joined Megadeth. Their album “One Nation Underground” (1983) - https://bit.ly/44lVqln Sacred Rite - another Hawaii-based metal band from the 1980s. Their 1980 self-titled album: https://bit.ly/3QplRRC PMA - Matt’s magazine and podcast: https://www.getthatpma.com/ (https://www.getthatpma.com/) KAOS Radio - Listen live on the Interwebs: https://www.kaosradio.org Theme music for this show is by Tauntaun: tauntaun.bandcamp.com The Metal Gateway Podcast is a production of Studio Portcullis - Copyright 2024

9. 

   23 Apr 2024

   Andrea Morgan - Violinist (Exulansis/The Keening)

   Season 1, Episode 6 - Andrea Morgan plays the violin for a couple of bands (Exulansis and The Keening). She was kind enough to sit down with me last summer and talk about her metal journey, the presence of classical string instrumentation in extreme metal, and the role of small festivals in the metal scene today. Thank you for listening, and I hope you enjoy the conversation! Links mentioned in this episode: The Keening - European 2024 Spring Tour (w/ Bell Witch -- happening now through May 18) - dates and tickets: https://www.bellwitchdoom.net/live The Keening - North American 2024 Summer Tour (w/ Pallbearer & Inter Arma -- June, July, August) - dates and tickets: https://www.pallbearerdoom.com/tour Exulansis music: https://bindrunerecordings.bandcamp.com The Keening music: https://thekeeningmusic.bandcamp.com/

10. 

    16 Apr 2024

    CJ Yacoub - Drummer of Canis Dirus

    Season 1 Episode 5 - CJ Yacoub - CJ is the drummer of Canis Dirus, Vulning, and others. I met them last summer at Cascadian Midsummer festival and had a chance to sit down (literally, in the forest) to hear the story about how they discovered metal music. If you're a black metal fan in Chicago on May 31, you can catch CJ playing with Vulning at Beat Kitchen - info and tickets here: https://www.seetickets.us/event/sadness/592126 Reminder -- Metal Gateway is a proud sponsor of Northwest Terror Fest 2024 - May 9-11 in Seattle (https://northwestterrorfest.com) and please come say hello if you’re at the fest! Other links: Vulning (split w/ Sadness) — https://vulning.bandcamp.com/album/sadness-vulning Canis Dirus - latest release - https://canisdirus.bandcamp.com/album/a-harmonious-union-of-vibration Canis Dirus full length and physical copies:  https://shop.bindrunerecordings.com/collections/bindrune-titles/products/canis-dirus-independence-to-the-beast-lp-cd-pre-order CJ's listing at Metal archives: https://www.metal-archives.com/artists/CJ_Yacoub/788441 Enjoy the show!!

11. 

    9 Apr 2024

    Joseph Schafer

    Season 1, Episode 4 - Joseph Schafer eats, sleeps and breathes metal. He’s the vocalist for Colony Drop (everyone’s favorite Gundam-themed metal band), he’s one of the organizers of Northwest Terror Fest (Seattle’s premier extreme metal festival), and he’s a frequent contributor to Decibel magazine and other publications. He was kind enough to find time in between all of these projects to sit down and tell me his story. Northwest Terror Fest: https://northwestterrorfest.com In this episode: Colony Drop - Stand Against the World - from their full length album Brace for Impact: https://colonydropband.bandcamp.com/album/brace-for-impact Music for this podcast provided by Tauntaun (https://tauntaun.bandcamp.com/) - used by permission. The Metal Gateway Podcast is a production of Studio Portcullis - Copyright 2024

12. 

    2 Apr 2024

    Jeff Braimes - Vocalist of Panic

    Season 1, Episode 3 - From their formation in 1985 until they disbanded in 1994, Jeff Braimes was the vocalist of Panic, a Seattle-based thrash metal band. He’s retired from metal now, but he stopped by the studio to tell me about how he got into it, and offered his perspective on what it was like to be in a metal band in Seattle when the whole Grunge thing happened. Enjoy! A few links for folks who are interested in exploring Panic’s stuff: Music Video - Panic - Blackfeather Shake: https://youtu.be/mm2B46Zf88U?si=1lsqvybFAoro5wE5 Full Album - Panic - Epidemic - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lMcIBOcLrng3c51XJlEO0I1Zm_qODax24&si=az9cDStnI2osr2bA Panic - Leave It Alone (from their 1987 Demo, produced by Terry Date, mentioned and excerpted in this episode) - https://youtu.be/UqDcPG_iHkI?si=zuXjEAwzob4SGsiw Panic at Metal Archives: https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Panic/1132 Music for this podcast by Tauntaun (tauntaun.bandcamp.com) - Used by permission. The Metal Gateway Podcast is a production of Studio Portcullis - Copyright 2024

13. 

    26 Mar 2024

    Matt Jacobson - Founder of Relapse Records

    This week's guest -- Matt Jacobson -- started Relapse Records in the basement of his mom's house in Aurora Colorado in 1990. In the years since, the label has become one of the most influential metal labels in the world. Thanks for listening! Please like, share and subscribe! Theme music for this podcast is provided by Tauntaun. Used by permission. The Metal Gateway Podcast is a production of Studio Portcullis - Copyright 2024

14. 

    19 Mar 2024

    Joe Giersch

    In this first-ever full episode of the Metal Gateway, Brian interviews his friend Joe Giersch, who you met if you listened to the Preview episoide. Thanks for listening! Please like, share and subscribe! Theme music for this podcast is by Tauntaun. Used by permission.

15. 

    26 Feb 2024

    Preview

    The Metal Gateway Podcast - Episode 1 coming in March 2024! This preview episode explains the reasons why this show exists and what we hope to achieve with it. It contains an except from a conversation between Brian Sibley (host of the Metal Gateway) and his friend Joe Giersch, who was the inspiration for the project. Theme Music for this podcast provided by Tauntaun. To check out their music, visit Tauntaun's Bandcamp (https://tauntaun.bandcamp.com/). Please like, share and subscribe. Thank you!

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

6 ratings

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.