This week, I’m joined by Sandy MacKinnon of Royal Tusk, and together we’re dialing in on the next wave of modern hard rock. From massive riffs to bands unafraid to stretch the genre’s boundaries, we’re curating a playlist packed with heavy songs that prove hard rock is still evolving—and hitting harder than ever. 

We also dive into the stories behind several standout tracks from Royal Tusk’s album Altruistic, unpacking the creative process, themes, and the band’s forward-thinking approach to heavy music.

🎙️ Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform—and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review to help more music fans find the show! Then, scroll down to hear all of the songs discussed in this episode. 👇

Architects – Seeing Red

Black Stone Cherry – Out Of Pocket

Deftones – You’ve Seen The Butcher

Royal Blood – Out Of The Black

Metallica – Blackened

Mammoth WVH – You’re To Blame

Mastadon – More Than I Could Chew

Lacey Sturm – Reconcile

Brutus – War

Papa Roach – Kill The Noise

Royal Tusk – Hated

Brkn Love – Like A Drug

Eva Under Fire – Blow

Rage Against The Machine – How I Could Just Kill A Man

White Reaper – Fog Machine

Beartooth – The Surface

The Struts – Too Good At Raising Hell

Tool – Jambi

Badflower – The Jester

Sleep Token – Euclid