July 19, 2021
Friends, Romans, Metalheads, lend me your ears.
No 30 week wait betwixt episodes this time. In this installment I'm in conversation with actual Simone Simons from actual Epica. Or is that Simmons?
Of course we chat about the latest album Omega, as well as her evolution as a singer, what makes her cringe to listen back to and her desires to make a movie soundtrack.
Thank you to Simone for being such a warm, fun and personable interviewee.
All material apart from music & station ident copyright RJ Bayley 2021.
Music used with kind permission with thanks & also under fair use policy for documentary/illustrative purposes.
June 25, 2021
Friends, Romans, Metalheads, lend me your ears.
Metal Empire Interviews is back, and what an absolute barn-stormer of an interview to resurrect it. A near hour of Helloween chat with the Andi Deris, lead singer of the iconic band since 1994's Master of the Rings.
Skip to 19:27 if you want to bypass all my waffling.
Thank you to Andi for being such a funny, warm, friendly, candid and talkative guest. I felt like I was Skyping an old friend.
All material apart from music & station ident copyright RJ Bayley 2021.
Music used with kind permission with thanks & also under fair use policy for documentary/illustrative purposes.
November 25, 2020
Friends, Romans, Metalheads, lend me your ears.
On this episode we're dipping back into the...pond... of time(?) to an interview that seems a lifetime ago, thanks to the intervening plague, but was in fast just earlier this year.
This is a conversation with Fabienne Erni of Illumishade and it's one I did before the Fatrick Bumbatrick style really solidified, so you might notice my staying slightly more on topic than these days. To be honest I cringed a bit listening back to it, but Fabienne was such a relentlessly happy and enthusiastic guest she carries the whole thing and you probably wouldn't notice if I hadn't told you, but I have now, and I haven't written all those words just to delete them. Stream of consciousness intros, stream of consciousness outros and now stream of consciousness show notes too, apparently.
All material apart from music & station ident copyright RJ Bayley 2020.
Music used with kind permission, thank you.
November 13, 2020
Friends, Romans, Metalheads, lend me your ears.
In an effort to mollify the furious public, here's the second Metal Empire Interviews podcast in as many days. See? Still knocking them out, those real life events were really real.
Here I had the pleasure of chatting with the founder & guitarist of metal titans Accept.
Among the topics we touch on are the meaning(less) of the band name, the additional unofficial member for the past decade, going meat free, getting their career backwards and biscuits.
Wolf is the kind of guy I'd love to hang out in the back garden with on a hot, starry Nashville night, chowing down on vegan BBQ and slurping alcohol free beer. Just really relaxed, warm, friendly and very easy to talk to. It's a great way to spend some time if you're looking to de-stress.
All material apart from music & station ident copyright RJ Bayley 2020.
Music used with kind permission, thank you.
November 12, 2020
Friends, Romans, Metalheads, lend me your ears.
This is where it all started. This is where the fatrick bum batrick interview style commenced, quite unexpectedly. Phil Pendergast, singer and guitarist of Khemmis, was such an absolute joy to talk to, that I just let the 15 minute interview, turn into 20 minutes, then into 30 and then sod it, a full three quarters of an hour 45 minute monstrosity.
It was all so good I couldn't bear to cut any down, so the citizens of the Metal Empire had the full thing thrust upon them, and they loved it.
So, join Phil and I for a very delightful conversation about facial hair, developing a story with album art, the interplay between visuals and the genre, coffee table book goals, David Bowie and more.
All material apart from music & station ident copyright RJ Bayley 2020.
Music used with kind permission, thank you.
![Monique Pym from Reliqa: The Name of Your Destiny]()
October 15, 2020
Friends, Romans, Metalheads, lend me your ears.
Bad news charm h8rs, Monique Pym from Reliqa is charming AF.
In this installment the Reliqa frontwoman educates me on the difference between 'prog' and 'progressive', discusses the metal tradition and pitfalls of mispelling your band's name, and the meaning of Mr. Magic.
I also sound quite drunk during the interview.
Speaking of drunk, I also sound extremely drunk during the protracted waffling that bookends the interview. I don't even drink. I'd just consumed gallons of caffeine. Skip to 12:46 if you're just here for the actual quality content and not my terrible Australian accent, ramblings about petrol flavoured Pepsi and Scottish fighting.
Do I sound like this all the time?
Metal Empire is broadcast live on MetalNation.com/Radio, Wednesdays at 1300 GMT/0800 ET/1400 CET and repeated on Saturdays at 2300 GMT/1800PM ET and Midnight CET.
All material apart from music & station ident copyright RJ Bayley 2020.
Music used with kind permission, thank you.
![Elize & Olof from Amaranthe: DEATH WOOF]()
October 2, 2020
Friends, Romans, Metalheads, lend me your ears.
Prepare for one of my favourite interviews ever, a satisfying 30 conversation with Elize Ryd (singer, songwriter) & Olof Mörck (guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter) of the genre breaking power-death-dance-electro-pop-metal pioneers
Amaranthe.
While discussing the concepts behind their new album Manifest, we also confidently and intransigently barrel off topic.
MARVEL as Olof and I discuss our mutual history of adopting of Romanian street dogs!
THRILL as we extoll the virtues of audiobooks in an age of busy lifestyles!
CRINGE at my paltry attempts at death growl vocals despite excellent, canine-based tuition from Elize!
Metal Empire is broadcast live on MetalNation.com/Radio, Wednesdays at 1300 GMT/0800 ET/1400 CET and repeated on Saturdays at 2300 GMT/1800PM ET and Midnight CET.
All material apart from music copyright RJ Bayley 2020.
Music used with kind permission, thank you.
Olof's Twitter:
@MorckOlof(Elize doesn't etc, etc.)
