The Smashing Skull Sessions

Host and Reviewer: Pat O' chats with bands, musicians, labels and everyone involved in the Rock and Metal community, covering all genres and topics. Don't forget to check Out The New Album and Single Review Sections

About the show

The Smashing Skull Sessions is a worldwide podcast and music review website set up in alliance with the Metal Cell Podcast, to give international bands, musicians, promoters, labels and fans another voice. It’s all about showcasing the vast array of metal music that’s out there and highlighting the many genres of heavy music that define us all within this close-knit community. This is a global venture, and I hope to reach out and bring you music, insight and discussions from everyone involved in the metal scene, and everything in between.

The show is hosted by me, Pat O Regan, and I hope to offer my guests a different style of interview which is uniquely Irish and should be both entertaining and revealing. I also hope to review and discuss up and coming releases, and maybe even revisit albums that may have gone under the radar. The Smashing Skull Sessions doesn’t work without you, the listeners and the readers, so a huge thank you for stopping by and supporting us. And of course, feel free to share and spread the word. Enjoy,

Pat O’ Regan

The Smashing Skull Sessions on social media

Episodes and Blog Entries

  • Episode 25: God is an Astronaut: Torsten Kinsella (Guitars/Pianos/Synths) discusses his involvement in the music scene and the 20th anniversary of God is an Astronaut's debut album 'The End Of The Beginning'.

    Episode  |  October 14th, 2022  |  1 hr 10 mins
    #album, #app, #apple, #applemusic, #check, #headbang, #heavymetalmusic, #heavymetalpodcsts, #instudio, #irishmetal, #irishmetalgigs, #irishmetalinterviews, #itunes, #listening, #live, #liveradio, #lthemetalcellpodcast, #metalinterviews, #metalmusic, #metalpodcast, #metalreviews, #metalshow, #music, #musicpress, #newmusic, #nowplaying, #playlist, #playlists, #premium, #radio, #song, #songs, #soundcloud, #spotify, #spotifyplaylist, #subscribers, #supportirishmetal, #supportyourlocalmetalscene, #twitter, #youtube

    It was a pleasure to welcome Torsten Kinsella (Guitars/Pianos/Synths) of God is an Astronaut to the show. The Irish instrumental/post-rock behemoths have been around for over two decades, and for this special podcast we get to discuss and celebrate the 20th anniversary of their debut album 'The End Of The Beginning'.

  • Gaerea - mirage

    Article  |  October 12th, 2022
    By Tim Pijnenburg
    #blackgaze, #music, #musicreview, #musicreviews, #podcast, #post rock, #post-black, #post-metal, #post-rock, #psychedelic, #review, #rock #prog rock

  • Kodiac – Split Routine (single)

    Article  |  October 10th, 2022
    By Pat O'
    #alternativemetal, #blackgaze, #blackmetal, #experimental, #music, #musicreview, #musicreviews, #podcast, #post rock, #post-metal, #post-rock, #psychedelic, #review, #rock, #shoegaze

  • Episode 24: Jo Quail - Cellist/Composer

    Episode  |  October 8th, 2022  |  1 hr 16 mins
    #album, #app, #apple, #applemusic, #check, #headbang, #heavymetalmusic, #heavymetalpodcsts, #instudio, #irishmetal, #irishmetalgigs, #irishmetalinterviews, #itunes, #listening, #live, #liveradio, #lthemetalcellpodcast, #metalinterviews, #metalmusic, #metalpodcast, #metalreviews, #metalshow, #music, #musicpress, #newmusic, #nowplaying, #playlist, #playlists, #premium, #radio, #song, #songs, #soundcloud, #spotify, #spotifyplaylist, #subscribers, #supportirishmetal, #supportyourlocalmetalscene, #twitter, #youtube

    "Heaviness is an emotional concept rather than an expression of volume" - Jo Quail.

  • Mountainscape - Atoms Unfurling

    Article  |  October 5th, 2022
    By Pat O'
    #blackgaze, #music, #musicreview, #musicreviews, #podcast, #post rock, #post-black, #post-metal, #post-rock, #psychedelic, #review, #rock #prog rock

    Blast beats and black-metal undercurrents up the ante once more, swallowing you up in a maelstrom of post-metal ecstasy and fury, a musical nirvana for anyone who can appreciate heavy music.

  • Feed Me To The Waves - It All Lingers (single)

    Article  |  October 3rd, 2022
    By Pat O'
    #metal, #music, #musicreview, #musicreviews, #podcast, #post rock, #post-metal, #post-rock, #psychedelic, #review, #rock #prog rock

  • King Dude - Death

    Article  |  September 28th, 2022
    By Tim Pijnenburg
    #blackgaze, #music, #musicreview, #musicreviews, #podcast, #post rock, #post-black, #post-metal, #post-rock, #psychedelic, #review, #rock #prog rock

  • Overhead, The Albatross – L’Appel du Vide (Single)

    Article  |  September 26th, 2022
    By Pat O'
    #alternativemetal, #blackgaze, #blackmetal, #experimental, #music, #musicreview, #musicreviews, #podcast, #post rock, #post-metal, #post-rock, #psychedelic, #review, #rock, #shoegaze

  • Episode 23: Long Distance Calling: Florian Funtmaan (Guitars)

    Episode  |  September 24th, 2022  |  34 mins 21 secs
    #album, #app, #apple, #applemusic, #check, #headbang, #heavymetalmusic, #heavymetalpodcsts, #instudio, #irishmetal, #irishmetalgigs, #irishmetalinterviews, #itunes, #listening, #live, #liveradio, #lthemetalcellpodcast, #metalinterviews, #metalmusic, #metalpodcast, #metalreviews, #metalshow, #music, #musicpress, #newmusic, #nowplaying, #playlist, #playlists, #premium, #radio, #song, #songs, #soundcloud, #spotify, #spotifyplaylist, #subscribers, #supportirishmetal, #supportyourlocalmetalscene, #twitter, #youtube

  • TWIN DRUGS - In Now Less Than Ever

    Article  |  September 21st, 2022
    By Pat O'
    #alternative, #grunge, #indie, #indierock, #music, #musicreview, #musicreviews, #podcast, #post rock, #post-metal, #post-rock, #review, #rock

  • Blackbraid - Blackbraid I

    Article  |  September 14th, 2022
    By Tim Pijnenburg
    #blackgaze, #music, #musicreview, #musicreviews, #podcast, #post rock, #post-black, #post-metal, #post-rock, #psychedelic, #review, #rock #prog rock

  • Burning Bones - New Tsars

    Article  |  September 12th, 2022
    By Pat O'
    #alternativemetal, #blackgaze, #blackmetal, #experimental, #music, #musicreview, #musicreviews, #podcast, #post rock, #post-metal, #post-rock, #psychedelic, #review, #rock, #shoegaze

    Melbourne's indie rockers Burning Bones recently released two tracks under the title New Tsar with an incisive running time of just over seven minutes, but for that short moment in time, we are embraced by two deliciously mellow and strangely melancholic lullabies to bask in.

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    Episode 22: Silent Whale Becomes A Dream

    Episode  |  September 10th, 2022  |  45 mins 14 secs
    #album, #app, #apple, #applemusic, #check, #headbang, #heavymetalmusic, #heavymetalpodcsts, #instudio, #irishmetal, #irishmetalgigs, #irishmetalinterviews, #itunes, #listening, #live, #liveradio, #lthemetalcellpodcast, #metalinterviews, #metalmusic, #metalpodcast, #metalreviews, #metalshow, #music, #musicpress, #newmusic, #nowplaying, #playlist, #playlists, #premium, #radio, #song, #songs, #soundcloud, #spotify, #spotifyplaylist, #subscribers, #supportirishmetal, #supportyourlocalmetalscene, #twitter, #youtube

  • Chloe Dancer – Chloe Dancer EP

    Article  |  September 7th, 2022
    By Pat O'
    #blackgaze, #music, #musicreview, #musicreviews, #podcast, #post rock, #post-black, #post-metal, #post-rock, #psychedelic, #review, #rock #prog rock

    Chloe Dancer is an eerie and deviant three track EP, that creeps and prowls through various musical genres, from slow shoegaze passages through to frantic blast beaten tirades. Its this stark contrast of styles that make this EP a hugely Immersive and compelling listen

  • Huracan – Bruises (Single)

    Article  |  September 5th, 2022
    By Pat O'
    #metal, #music, #musicreview, #musicreviews, #podcast, #post rock, #post-metal, #post-rock, #psychedelic, #review, #rock #prog rock

  • RussianCircles-Gnosis

    Article  |  September 1st, 2022
    By Tim Pijnenburg
    #music, #musicreview, #musicreviews, #podcast, #post rock, #post-metal, #post-rock, #psychedelic, #review, #rock #prog rock

    Gnosis turned out an awesome album. With its length of less than 40 min, it keeps the attention and adrenaline flowing from start to finish. The way these three musiscians are aligned and the way they can compliment each other is extraordinary. With a nice production and stunning artwork this is just a top notch release that will end up high in many yearlists I predict