Genre Focus Episodes

Starset’s Annihilation sounds huge, polished, and futuristic - but is it actually gripping, or just packaged metal? Derek and John get into the heart of what makes the track work for one listener and fall flat for another, using it as a launchpad for a bigger conversation about modern metal, production, and what actually makes a song hit. John breaks down why Starset’s mix of melodic vocals, chunky riffs, electronic texture, and ambient atmosphere works so well, and why Dustin Bates’ vision feels so intentional. Derek pushes back, calling the song boring while still acknowledging the band’s sonic power. They talk through the role of lyrics versus vocals, and dig into the production team behind the band’s layered sound. From Randy Slaugh’s programming and texturing work to the way modern metal balances heaviness with accessibility, this episode gets into the details that separate a forgettable track from a real statement. They also widen the lens to cover other new releases and l…

Derek and John recently posted their top 11 all time bands on Instagram and in this episode they run down each of their lists and talk briefly about why each band made their list. Who are the bands that would be on your all time lists? Who would you like to hear these jackwagons review, interview or get into? Comment down below and they might just oblige. Also, if you want a STR sticker pack, subscribe to the channel, like and share the video and then shoot ‘em a DM and they’ll drop a pack in t...

Tweedle Dee (Derek) and Tweedle Dum (John) combined their two brains into a simpleton process to come up with the best metal album of 2025. Watch and listen as these dopes somehow land on a pretty damn good list of Top Metal Albums of 2025.

Derek and John talk Ozzy, legacy and ask if there will ever be another Ozzy Osbourne?

WATCH EPISODE: 2024 has been another great year for new music releases. The Shit Talk yahoos sat down to run down their top five albums of the year. There's some consistencies and some left-fielders this time around, but the conversation definitely did not result in any trips to the hospital, so they're considering it a success. Check out www.shittalkreviews.com or @sh!ttalkreviews at Instagram to check out the full reviews from the Shit Talk Reviews crew. #albumoftheyear #heavmetal #podcast ...

The guys show their softer side and show that men are not all bone, cock and weapons. We can feel music, even of the softer variety!

The dimwitted nimrods are kicking off 2024 with a swim in the Italian doom scene with a chat about Witchsnake

RAMBLE WARNING! This time around, the morons (under the guise of having been busy,) aren’t talking about an album. After some time on the road the Sh!t Talk chuckleheads ramble on (ad nauseum) about their trip to New England,

You're stuck on a deserted island. Forever. You've got next to nothing with you except (obviously) a few albums and the means to play them. We jump in for a quick conversation about a few of the albums that we'd definitely want with us. No surprise to any of us, David wants the quintessential Barry Manilow collection. Derek throws a curveball and goes with a Bette Midler retrospective and John keeps it super classy with the Muppets Greatest Hits. Which albums would be on your list? #desertedis...