With a recording career now in it’s 50th year, Judas Priest have come to define what heavy metal is all about. From the twin axe attack of Glen Tipton and KK Downing, to Rob Halford’s uncompromising lyrics, Judas Priest have released 19 studio albums, 6 live albums, 12 compilations and 1 very cool box set. The band has sold over 50 million records worldwide with 12 million in the US alone. On this episode, The guys are going to rank their albums from what they think is their weakest all the...

In honor of Wrestlemania Weekend, it's all about Rock and Wrestling, specifically how the worlds of Rock and Metal and Pro Wrestling have been intertwined for decades. From the simple strums of “Freebird” introducing the Fabulous Freebirds, to the extreme metal of Deadbody's House of Black intro, professional wrestling theme songs are an important part of a wrestler’s character. Today the guys are  going to discuss its beginnings and how its evolved for today’s wrestling superstar. Then at...

In the world of music, not many genres have the ability to captivate an audience quite like heavy metal. And what better way to keep their attention than by having a mascot. Heavy metal mascots come in all shapes, sizes and species. Not every band has one. Not every band needs one. Today we’re going to go over some of the most poplar heavy metal mascots of all time. Hosted by - Kenneth Dean, the Dean of Metal and Chris Kaye Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/debatingmetalpodcast Instagram -...

1986 was an amazing year and not just because a certain Debating Metal host was born that year but because it truly was the Year of Metal. So many huge albums by some of the biggest metal bands in history were released in 86.  Bands like AC/DC, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Guns N Roses and Van Halen all released albums in 86 and the guys are going to talk about a few of them as well as talk about the year as a whole. And then when they get to the end, they’ll give you their BIG 4 Metal Albums...

First introduced in 1952 as what would become known as a 45, they first were a way to split an LP into 2 or 3 smaller 7” EPs. Later on, they became a way to compile several singles onto one format. As time went on EPs waned in popularity but made a comeback in the 70’s when punk rock and the DIY craze began. In the late 70’s, and 80’s EPs in Heavy Metal became increasingly poplar as a way of releasing music for the independent and financially challenged artist. On this episode, Kenneth Dean...

On this special 4th Anniversary episode, the guys are  talking about what each  think are the 10 Most Important Bands in Heavy Metal History. They both have come up with a list of 10 bands who they think are the most important.  They may share some bands on our lists and some they may not.  But overall, they'll give you a compelling overview of the most important band in heavy metal history.  They will also share some thoughts about the last 4 years since the show started including what they...

In the mid 80’s, the Bay Area Thrash was taking off thanks to the likes of Exodus and Metallica. One band in particular, Legacy, which formed in 1983, would go on to sign a record deal, change singers, change their name and go onto become one of the most influential Bay Area Thrash bands.  That band is Testament.  In 1986, original vocalist Steve Souza left to join Exodus as a replacement for the fired Paul Baloff.  At Souza’s suggestion, Testament hired Chuck Billy as their new singer. With...

It’s that time of year again when we reflect back on what a year it was.  2023 started with a one-off reunion of a makeup wearing New York band and ended with the retirement of a makeup wearing New Your band. In the middle, we got a whole bunch of other reunions, firings, tours and a whole bunch of new music. As the guys take a look back on the past year, they give you their Big 4 Metal Albums of 2023. So sit back, pour yourself some spiked egg nog, turn it up to 11 and let the debate...

From New York City to the Sunset Strip in L.A., Glam Metal rose to prominence in the early 80’s and rode the wave of popularity until the rise of Grunge in the early 90’s. On this episode, the guys will give you what they feel is the BIG 4 of Glam Metal and at the end, they’ll give you their BIG 4 Glam Metal Vocalists.  Hosts - Kenneth Dean, the Dean of Metal and Chris Kaye Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/debatingmetalpodcast Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/debatingmetal/ Twitter -...

When it comes to our favorite bands, we all have our favorite person in the band.  And sometimes we even have someone we can do without. Today, the guys are going to discuss exactly who those people are and why they feel they are the most and least valuable in their respective bands. Today the guys are starting something they’re calling MVP-LVP. The premise is they will choose a number of bands and debate who their Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Least Valuable Player (LVP) is.  Today they're...

The guys along with special guest Sklo continue their ranking of KISS' albums from Worst to First. This episode sees the guys go from #12 to #1.  And once they’re done talking about that, they’ll give you their BIG 4 KISS Members.  So sit back, relax, turn it up to 11 and let the debate begin… Hosts - Kenneth Dean, the Dean of Metal and Chris Kaye Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/debatingmetalpodcast Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/debatingmetal/ Twitter -...

Having released 24 studio albums, including their 1978 solo albums, 8 Live albums, various compilations and a box set, KISS are one of the best selling American bands in the history of music. With 30 Gold and Platinum albums to their credit in the US alone, KISS has been a staple of the hard rock and heavy metal scene for 50 years. On this episode, the guys along with special guest Sklo rank their albums from what they think is their worst all the way to what they believe is their best. And...

Sometimes, a song or album we like didn’t quite appeal to the masses or was released at a time when the band was going through turmoil and the music didn’t quite get that push. Maybe it was released before the band got big and no one really talks about that album. But somewhere on that album is song you really like or maybe you really love that album and nobody else does. On this episode, the guys picked 4 albums each that they think need some awareness or reconsideration.  At the end, they...

In recent weeks, The guys have made a concerted effort to broaden the scope of what they talk about and how they talk about it. Well on this episode they really take a left turn as they are going to talk about their guilty pleasures. Maybe it’s a song you heard your parents play a million times when you were young. Maybe it a song or album that you used to listen to when you weren’t into metal. Maybe it’s none of the above.  Either way, the guys are going to deep dive into the music that is...

Every band at some point or another has had lineup changes of some sort of variety. From Black Sabbath to Metallica to In Flames and Amon Amarth, member changes happen to even our favorite bands.  On this episode, the guys have chosen 8 bands to discuss which of their lineups is the best and at the end, they will give you their BIG 4 Rainbow Lineups. So sit back, relax, turn it up to 11 and let the debate begin. Hosts - Kenneth Dean, the Dean of Metal and Chris Kaye Facebook -...

On this episode the guys are taking a trip once again back in time but not as far as they’ve done before.  This time they’re going back to 1997. Nu-Metal was all the rage, and a lot of new bands were beginning to peer around the corner. 1997 may not have been glamourous. It may not have been earth shattering, but it was important. It was like a transition year that saw the birth of many new artists that would later become mainstays on the metal scene and saw the end of a few influential bands...

After the rise and fall of Grunge, the New Wave of American Heavy Metal saw an explosion of new artists and new styles. One of the bands that stood out and lead the way was Lamb of God. Formed in 1994 as Burn the Priest, the band released their self titled debut album in 1999 and 1 year later changed their name to Lamb of God and the rest they say is history. After 10 full length albums (9 Lamb of God, 2 Burn the Priest), 1 EP and 1 live album, Lamb of God have sold over 2 million albums in...

On August 4th, Metallica rolled into Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ for a weekend takeover that included 5 bands, 2 free parking lot concerts, 2 full shows w/ different setlists, over 30 songs and over 80,000 of the band’s closest friends, including Debating Metal alum, Sklo, on both nights. For Kenneth Dean, Metallica came to Arlington,TX and AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, and setup camp there for the weekend. But his participation was a little different. Kenneth sat...

Last episode we gave you our take on albums that were rereleased after their initial debut for one reason or another.  Today were taking a look at albums that are more Special Edition than the re-releases we talked about last episode. These include Anniversary Editions, Deluxe Editions and even one that came with a platinum album in its sleeve. Today we’re expanding on that list of albums with Remixed, Remastered & Re-Released II. So sit back, relax, turn it up to 11 and let the debate...

Sometimes, despite talent and good songs, a band doesn't get things right the first time and might have to change things up to break a new market. On this episode, the guys are going to talk about albums that for one reason or another were remixed, remastered and rereleased by the band. In most cases, it’s a bands first album that may have been self-released and their new record company wants a share of the new profits. Or in some cases the record label had different ideas that they thought...

When it comes to the music business, not many artists can claim to have had 2 successful careers, let alone 1.  Artists like Ozzy Osbourne and Sammy Hagar are examples of artists who have had multi-platinum success first in a band and then as solo artists with Sammy even joining an already successful band and making it more successful than before. Another example of this is Dave Grohl, who first came to prominence as the drummer for the highly successful grunge band Nirvana. After taking some...

Celebrating his 50th year in the business David Coverdale began his career in 1973 fronting the legendary Deep Purple.  4 years later in 1977, Deep Purple disbanded and his solo career began. After releasing 2 solo albums, David formed Whitesnake and never looked back. Since 1978, Whitesnake has released 13 studio albums, 9 live albums and 12 compilations having sold over 12 million albums in the US alone. Today the guys will choose 15 songs each from Whitesnake's 13 album discography that...

With a career that lasted over 10 years and came to an unfortunate end with the death of drummer John Bonham, Led Zeppelin released 8 studio albums, 4 of which went DIAMOND, 1 collection of leftover tracks, 4 live albums and various compilation albums, reaching heights most bands only dream of. On this episode, the guys are going to rank their albums from what they think is their weakest all the way up to what we believe is their very best. The at the end, we give you are BIG 4 Led Zeppelin...

Today we are taking a trip once again back in time to the early 80’s and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal Scene where Venom's first two albums set the stage for an entire genre. Today we’re putting Venom’s debut album Welcome to Hell against its successor Black Metal, song for song to see which one is the better album.  While both albums are considered influential, only one album can come out on top. And don’t forget to stick around to the end where we give you our BIG 4 Venom Songs. So...