Metallica built their empire on speed, rage and grit, then watched that same empire question whether they still belonged. From Load to Master of Puppets, they blurred the lines between metal and mainstream with varying levels of fan acceptance.

In this episode, Marc Lajeunesse and Safa Hachi unpack how Metallica’s sound, image and ethos evolved while facing loyalty tests from fans, the media, and even themselves.

We ask: How do you stay true to your roots when you’re the reason the genre grew branches?

In this season of Sonic Subcultures, we ask ‘what makes a listener over time?’ By revisiting 10 formative records for our hosts, we trace the way personal taste can develop and evolve, and how lives intersect with cultural and subcultural moments through music.When AM dropped in 2103, the Arctic Monkeys traded scrappy Sheffield rock for leather jackets and American desert rock swag. The result? A record that didn’t just top the charts but branded itself into Tumblr dashboards and Gen Z nostalgia Playlists.

In this episode, Marc Lajeunesse and Safa Hachi unpack how AM became its own aesthetic ecosystem. From Alex Turner’s “cool guy” act to the double-edged sword of sonic evolution.

We ask: how do you grow as a band when every version of you becomes someone’s personality?

In this season of Sonic Subcultures, we ask ‘what makes a listener over time?’ By revisiting 10 formative records for our hosts, we trace the way personal taste can develop and evolve, and how lives intersect with cultural and subcultural moments through music.

With choreographed personas and sleek marketing, the Spice Girls were pop icons built in the boardroom. But they also opened doors.

In this episode, Marc Lajeunesse and Safa Hachi trace the blurred line between empowerment and performance, and how the Spice Girls helped reshape the pop landscape—for better or worse.

We ask: when feminism becomes a product, who does it serve?

We opened the season with Limp Bizkit’s Significant Other. Now, we close it with Chocolate Starfish. In just a year, the band went from rising stars to overexposed icons– cockier, louder and more self-aware than ever.

In this season finale, Marc Lajeunesse and Safa Hachi reflect on Fred Durst’s transformation from cultural villain to ironic icon, the band’s unapologetic legacy and why Limp Bizkit’s blend of loud, messy rebellion might be exactly what this generation needs.

Dallas-based band UnityTX blends rap, hardocre, and nu metal into a chaotic, genre-blurring sound that challenges everything we thought nu metal was. But their identity as an all-POC band also reveals the deep-rooted racial gatekeeping in alt spaces.

In this episode, Marc Lajeunesse and Safa Hachi explore UnityTX’s 2020 MadBoy EP and how it fits into a broader conversation about nu metal’s legacy. From its whitewashed roots to its revival through fusion and experimentation, we ask: where does nu metal go from here? And who gets to define it?

Back in 2001, Digimortal imagined a future where humans and machines merge to survive. Over 2 decades later, Fear Factory’s industrial-meets-nu metal record feels less like sci-fi and more like the blueprint.

In a world of AI, deepfakes and digital immortality, the album's themes of control, technological takeover and existential dread hit closer than ever.

In this episode, Marc Lajeunesse and Safa Hachi dive into Digitmortal’s cybernetic vision, connecting its dystopian riffs to Black Mirror, surveillance capitalism, and the real-world cost of technological obsession.

In 1999 four Canadian teens dropped Spit, a raw and aggressive debut that carved space for women in a genre dominated by male rage.

Kittie didn’t just make noise, they made space. These teen girls were angry, emotional and proudly feminine, their sound still resonates across generations. Over 20 years later, they’re trending again, resurfacing on TikTok through edits, outfit recreations and relatable lyric quotes.

In this episode, Marc Lajeunesse and Safa Hachi explore how kittie fought back against misogyny with guttural vocals, eyeliner, and fierce vulnerability. From shaping alternative fashion to opening the doors for women in metal, we dive into the cultural legacy of a band that dared to scream back.

Before Around the Fur became a TikTok staple, Deftones were already defining the sexier, moodier corner of nu metal. With breathy vocals, distorted riffs, and a vibe that sits between violence and vulnerability, their sound has become a Gen Z identity marker.

In this episode, Marc Lajeunesse and Safa Hachi break down the band’s sonic evolution, viral (sex) appeal and the contradictions that make them so relatable to a generation obsessed with both individuality and trend cycles. From “My Own Summer” to “Change (In the House of Flies),” we explore how Deftones helped turn nu metal into a lifestyle.