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Kurdt Vanderhoof chose to place Metal Church on hiatus, bringing a pause to the band’s long-running journey. After some time away, he revisited the project, ultimately reviving Metal Church with a refreshed lineup of new musicians and a renewed direction.

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ON THIS EPISODE:

- The “Ugly” End of the Last Lineup
- The Rebirth with a New Lineup
- Handling Disgruntled Singers and Social Media Poison
- The Reality of Touring as an “Old Guy”

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Saturday Night Live: THE CLASSIC METAL SHOW is Live Saturdays 9pm-3am EST on Rumble/Locals.

Rock and roll was supposed to be the ultimate middle finger to the establishment, but as we see in this session, the “establishment” is exactly where the smart money ends up. We dive into the bizarre, polarized fates of Peter Green and Jami Gertz.

On one hand, you have Peter Green—the soul of Fleetwood Mac—who was so haunted by the concept of “filthy lucre” that he literally tried to give it all away before losing his mind to the Munich commune and a spike of LSD. It’s a tragic, cautionary tale of what happens when the “art” becomes too heavy for the artist to carry.

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On the flip side, we look at Jami Gertz. Remember the girl from Twister and The Lost Boys? She didn’t just survive Hollywood; she married into a $10 billion empire and now owns the Atlanta Hawks. While Green was running from the money, Gertz was lapping the field. We break down the “luck vs. skill” factor in rock-star wealth and why some legends die broke while bit-part actresses end up owning the league.

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There’s something refreshing about a veteran metal band that still sounds hungry instead of coasting on nostalgia. That’s exactly why FLOTSAM AND JETSAM continue to earn respect while so many legacy acts settle into autopilot. With the announcement of Rats In The Temple, the Arizona thrash veterans aren’t acting like survivors — they’re acting like contenders again.

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Here’s the reality: FLOTSAM AND JETSAM never got the mainstream glory many lesser bands stumbled into, but metal fans who actually pay attention know this band has remained remarkably consistent. While countless thrash groups faded into parody versions of themselves, FLOTSAM kept writing sharp, aggressive, no-BS metal that still carries weight.

And now Rats In The Temple feels like another reminder that they’re nowhere near done.

The title alone sounds vicious. It has grit. It has attitude. It sounds like a band that still understands what heavy metal is supposed to feel like — dangerous, loud, and completely unapologetic.

What makes this announcement genuinely exciting is that FLOTSAM AND JETSAM have quietly been on one of the strongest late-career runs in modern thrash. Albums like The End Of Chaos and Blood In The Water didn’t feel like legacy cash grabs. They felt energized. Focused. Mean in the best possible way.

That matters.

Fans are tired of recycled “farewell tours,” watered-down records, and bands pretending passion still exists when everybody can hear it doesn’t. FLOTSAM AND JETSAM have avoided that trap by continuing to sound like they actually care.

And Eric A.K. remains one of the most underrated voices in metal history. Period.

The guy still sounds commanding, still sounds unique, and still delivers the kind of conviction younger bands spend entire careers trying to fake. That voice gives FLOTSAM an identity most thrash bands would kill for.

The bigger story here is that traditional thrash metal is suddenly feeling alive again. Not trendy. Not sanitized for algorithms. Alive.

Bands that built their reputations in sweat-soaked clubs are proving they can still release music with urgency while newer acts often chase aesthetics more than substance. FLOTSAM AND JETSAM represent the kind of authenticity metal desperately needs right now.

That’s why this album announcement is landing differently with longtime fans.

People aren’t just politely excited.

They’re genuinely expecting this thing to rip.

And honestly? They should.

If the recent material is any indication, Rats In The Temple could end up being one of those records that reminds everybody why FLOTSAM AND JETSAM deserved far more recognition all along.

The hunger is still there.

The aggression is still there.

The songwriting is still there.

Most importantly, the band still sounds like they have something to prove — and that mindset is exactly what keeps heavy metal alive.

What happens next is going to be interesting because expectations are suddenly getting very real for this record. If FLOTSAM delivers another high-level thrash release, the conversation around modern legacy bands is going to shift again.

Because some bands survive.

FLOTSAM AND JETSAM still attack.

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POLL

Is FLOTSAM AND JETSAM one of the most criminally underrated thrash bands of all time?

• Absolutely — they should’ve been as huge as the Big Four
• No — they’re respected exactly where they belong
• They’re better NOW than most classic thrash bands still touring