Backstaged: The Devil in Metal

A time machine through the origins of metal music, its connection to darkness and decadence, the lifestyle of many of its followers and how its upped the ante on the phrase "sex, drugs and rock n’ roll." It might be the colossal doom of Black Sabbath, the cutting precision of Judas Priest and Iron Maiden or the graphic lyrics of Slayer, metal is The Devil’s Music. Some fans have fallen under its seductive spell, turning them into rebellious beasts. Bestselling author and music journalist Jon Wiederhorn is your host with insightful and sometimes outrageous interviews with musicians from over 30 years. Take a trip through the tropes of metal and examine — and sometimes celebrate — what makes metal so lasting. Hear from members of Black Sabbath, Metallica, Pantera, Slayer, Anthrax, Motley Crue and many more as we hunt down the devil within and discover why it’s okay, and even necessary, to keep metal alive.

Alan Cumming's Shelves

In Alan Cumming's house you'll find some shelves. Well, lots of shelves in fact, and on these shelves are curiosities, rarities, and oddities, that Alan has collected throughout his varied and colourful career. Artefacts if you will from the museum of Alan's life. In each episode of this podcast Alan reaches for one of these items, to tell the story behind it, ruminating on the memories it brings up.

However, Alan does not do this alone. His guests range from Cyndi Lauper and a pair of white leather gloves to Geri Halliwell and (lots and lots of) Spice Girls merch, and even Sir Ian McKellen and a hemp dog collar. We've also got Monica Lewinsky and a Creative Coalition Award, Fay Ripley and a Red Carpet Photo, and Jane Horrocks and a polaroid from Second Best.

Not all guests will be famous though. Alan's life has taken many a twist and turn, and so there will be guests you don’t know yet, but their stories are brilliant.
Part of the Acast Creator Network. Launches May 18th.

The FADER Uncovered

The FADER Uncovered is a series of in-depth conversations with the world’s most impactful musicians, from genre-defining stars to avant-garde pioneers hosted by seven time Grammy Award winner, Oscar Award winner, legendary record producer and DJ, Mark Ronson. Each episode is rooted in these musicians’ iconic FADER cover stories, an institution that, over the past two decades, has told artists’ stories like no other. It’s a chance to talk about the past, present, and future of music and artistry, reflecting on the breakthroughs, creative struggles, and evolutions that can take place under the spotlight. Join Mark Ronson for a new episode every week.
First episode with Questlove premieres May 10, 2021.

Romeo y Julieta

Director Saheem Ali continues his audio exploration of William Shakespeare’s canon for The Public Theater in New York with a new production of ROMEO Y JULIETA, collaborating with playwright Ricardo Pérez González on an adaptation of noted scholar Alfredo Michel Modenessi’s Spanish translation. Actor Lupita Nyong’o plays Julieta, with Juan Castano as her Romeo, in this bilingual Spanish and English production that will bring one of history’s most famed lovers to your homes and phones in a stunning new audio play.

R.L. Stine's Story Club

From the mind of R.L. Stine, the creator of Goosebumps, comes a new series that will give you chills, make you laugh, and entertain like only R.L. Stine can. Join Ivy, the club president, as she takes listeners into the strange, the bizarre, and the frightening world of R.L. Stine. R.L. Stine's Story Club - let the thrills and chills begin! Starring Ariel Winter (Modern Family) as Ivy, R.L. Stine's Story Club is part of the GoKidGo universe of shows for kids, written and directed by NY Times bestselling children's author Patrick Carman. For ages eight and up.

The Cancer Mavericks: A History of Survivorship

Most people don’t know that you’re considered a cancer survivor at the moment of diagnosis. It wasn’t always this way. Sixty years ago, a cancer diagnosis was a death sentence. And if you did survive, you were left to figure out the rest of your life on your own. But some survivors demanded something different, something better. From OffScrip Media, this is The Cancer Mavericks, a deep-dive narrative into the people who fought for better treatment, forced doctors to listen, and pushed America to see the human side of the disease. For more information about this series, visit https://cancermavericks.com.

Hold Still, Vincent

This table read of the feature film script, "Hold Still, Vincent" documents the true story of Vincent Chin, who was killed by two disgruntled autoworkers. His murderers were given lenient sentences, which sparked a civil rights movement within the Asian American community. Hold Still, Vincent is an unflinching and visceral examination of one family’s fight for justice that is conducive to the current racial zeitgeist in America today.

Cheat!

Have you ever wondered about those people in life who don’t play by the rules? Maybe it was the person who looked over your shoulder in that exam. The person who got the job instead of you because they lied on their application or the nice fella on the phone who said he was from the bank and ended up taking all your money.

We have a name for these people. We call them cheats. People who cheat the system, largescale cheats, social media cheats. We are fascinated by them. We read about them in paper. Or watch news stories about them on TV. We marvel at their rise and take a weird pleasure in their fall. But do we ever ask what makes these cheats actually do the bad things they do? What makes them cheat?

From Somethin’ Else, makers of ‘Power: The Maxwells’ and ‘The Fault Line: Bush, Blair and Iraq’, hosted by storyteller Alzo Slade, ‘Cheat!’ tells the inside stories behind some of the biggest scandals in contemporary history and the flawed protagonists at their heart: controversial and contentious figures from the world of pop culture, business, sport, music, politics. Why do people cheat? Is it ever justifiable? And most importantly are cheats – these people we think of as the dregs of our society – actually not so different from ourselves?

A Somethin' Else production.

Camp Hell: Anneewakee

The Anneewakee Treatment Center for Emotionally Disturbed Youth operated in Douglasville, Georgia for over 25 years. Purportedly, it was a place that parents could send their troubled kids for help. But in reality, it was a breeding ground for abuse. This is the story of Anneewakee, as never told before.

Algorithm

When Afrikka Hardy was strangled in 2014 it seemed completely random, but it wasn’t. It was part of a pattern.

Four years earlier, reporter Thomas Hargrove had created an algorithm to detect serial killers, and flagged Gary, Indiana as the site of an unusual number of strangulations.

But when Hargrove reached out to warn local police he was ignored -- until Afrikka Hardy was murdered, and those cold cases suddenly didn’t look so cold.

Algorithm follows the investigation into Afrikka’s murder, exposing the warnings that police ignored, and uncovering more than anyone expected -- that a serial killer was strangling women in Gary, Indiana could've been stopped. And that Afrikka Hardy should be alive today. 

This podcast will explore how technology can be used to identify and track serial killers, and how an algorithm can influence the way homicides are investigated all across the country.

Un(re)solved

What prompted the FBI to reinvestigate over one hundred unsolved civil rights era murders? And what does justice look like for families whose loved ones were killed? Reporter James Edwards seeks answers to these questions, reflecting on his own family’s experiences along the way. Hear episode 1 on June 11.

Songs in the Key of Death

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Songs in the Key of Death looks at the historic true crimes that inspired a selection of murder ballads, combining music, true crime, history, and edge-of-your-seat storytelling, along with new recordings from SAD13 and Bonnie "Prince" Billy.

Hosted by music critic and author Courtney E. Smith, each episode of season one explores a single murder ballad that has been passed down by scores of singers, with each generation telling their own version of events and putting a new spin on stories of very real, often gruesome slaughters. After being told and retold, these songs and the murders that inspired them have become legends. The show looks at the violent criminals we can’t stop singing about, the grisly history they reflect, and the underrepresented voices of victims who didn’t get to tell their own stories.

Aack Cast by Jamie Loftus

Aack! Cathy, the iconic and much-maligned comic strip by Cathy Guisewite, chronicled the day-to-day tribulations of its titular working woman for 35 years, met with equal praise and derision. In this podcast, Jamie Loftus (Lolita Podcast, My Year in Mensa) weaves between reporting and fiction, putting a cruelly treated cartoon everywoman in context.

Beyond the Games

Beyond the Games looks at the 2000 Sydney Olympics 20 years on. TV host Mark Beretta delves into scenes and secrets that have never been revealed, and celebrates the innovation that has made Sydney Olympic Park a world-leader in urban transformation and sustainable development.

Off The Podium

Three men who dream of Olympic glory and have as much athletic prowess as a piece of cheese sit down (or stand up) and discuss the Olympics, bringing you daily updates, segments and attempted humour that would make even the most passionate Olympics fan in the world crack a wry smile. Well, at least we hope. If it doesn't then we'll gladly give you your money back.

Aftershock

Aftershock is a fast-paced thriller about a massive earthquake that destroys the West Coast, causing a mysterious island to rise up from the Pacific - with Sarah Wayne Callies (The Walking Dead), David Harbour (Stranger Things), Jeffrey Dean Morgan (The Walking Dead), and Tati Gabrielle (The 100).

Running Things with Donovan Bailey

Running Things is a new original series hosted by world record-breaking sprinter and two-time Olympic Champion Donovan Bailey, alongside content creator, DJ, and writer Simon Jain. Every week, Bailey and Jain have inquisitive, open-minded discussions about global topics relevant to the modern human experience, such as the Black Lives Matter movement, the psychological and sociological effects of social media, the politics of sport, critical moments in pop culture and news, and more — all with a dose of levity and optimism. 

Each episode is intended to offer enriching dialogue that leaves listeners with a deeper comprehension of the subject matter, and a feeling of empowerment that translates into their daily lives. Throughout the series, Bailey and Jain will from time to time be joined by notable guests.

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Disappeared

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According to the FBI’s National Crime Information Center, there are now nearly 88,000 active missing persons cases in the US. Most of their stories have never been told — until now. Introducing Disappeared, the official Disappeared podcast from Investigation Discovery. Hear the stories of these missing people and the chilling details of their disappearances. On every episode, you’ll hear audio from episodes of the hit TV series Disappeared — and now, you can uncover the mystery while you’re on the go.

Stream full episodes of Disappeared on discovery+. Go to discoveryplus.com/disappeared to start your 7-day free trial today.

discovery+ is currently only available for US subscribers.

A Bintel Brief

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The Forward’s classic Jewish advice column, A Bintel Brief, is now a podcast. Our co-hosts, two Jewish mothers, dish on the dilemmas of Jewish-American life, identity, culture and politics. New episodes every Thursday.

Forever is a Long Time

When Ian Coss decided to get married, every living member of his family who had ever been married had also gotten divorced: parents, grandparents, and all his aunts and uncles on both sides — some of them twice. Today, he has questions: What is the value of a lifetime commitment? Are we doomed to recycle the patterns of behavior we get from our ancestors? Are we all just better off alone? Forever is a Long Time is a five episode series that weaves reflection and original music through Ian’s conversations with his wife and divorced family members — a look at love with people who have made mistakes.