IoMP 129: Why the 2026 Grammy for Best Metal Performance Makes No Sense (Collin's Rage)
The Grammys and metal have never exactly been best friends—but this year? This year might’ve finally broken Collin.
In the latest episode of the Influencers of Metal Podcast, Collin and Tom dive headfirst into the 2026 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance… and what starts as a discussion quickly turns into a full-on verbal demolition.
They break down the nominees—from Dream Theater’s highly anticipated Parasomnia era (complete with the return of Mike Portnoy), to the ever-controversial presence of Ghost, to the divisive rise of Sleep Token.
But the real breaking point?
Spiritbox—one of the most dominant modern metal bands—gets passed over yet again, despite multiple nominations, massive popularity, and even stealing the show at the Grammys themselves.
And then comes the knockout punch… Turnstile wins… A punk band... Winning a metal category… That’s when the gloves come off.
If you’ve ever yelled at an awards show, ever thought “there’s no way this makes sense,” or ever felt personally attacked by a Grammy decision… This episode is for you.
Hit play now—and maybe keep a fire extinguisher nearby.
DISCLAIMER: Copyright Exceptions under the Copyright Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-42), allowance is made for "fair dealing" for the purposes of criticism or review.
Check out more from the Influencers of Metal Podcast!
It’s Van Halen Week on the Influencers of Metal Podcast! Collin and Tom continue their quest to find the most metal Guitar Hero game by diving into Guitar Hero: Van Halen.
Hear which records from Galneryus, Haserot, Protest the Hero, Left to Die, Motionless In White, and more survived the chaos on this month’s edition of “What Have You Been Listening To?”
Few bands have disrupted heavy music quite like The Hu. But does that make them rock... or metal?
Festival season has arrived, and so it’s time for us to explore some of the biggest festivals in the world.
Is Sleep Token one of modern metal's greatest success stories—or one of its most overhyped bands?
Collin, Tom and the Pumpkin Queen break down their June listens, listener recommendations, and the albums dominating their playlists — featuring everything from doom metal and hardcore to metalcore madness
Heavy metal didn’t appear overnight. It crawled out of the blues, turned up the distortion, and terrified everyone’s grandparents.
Collin and Tom are travelling to Uzbekistan to uncover one of the world’s lesser-known metal scenes.
Collin and Tom launch their new series “Is It Really a Subgenre?” by diving headfirst into the legendary meme known as Crabcore.
Guitar Hero 5 has Iron Maiden, Rammstein, Dethklok and Children of Bodom… but somehow still only clocks in at around 10% metal. So where does it rank in the “Most Metal Guitar Hero Game” tournament?
Collin and Tom dive into the weirdest, funniest, and most confusing metal covers ever recorded.
This time, metal’s most iconic duo talk about the metal bands they wish were still around.
Frozen Soul, Jungle Rot, Faith No More, Cryptosis, Venom, Castle Rat, and more take center stage in the May 2026 edition of “What Have You Been Listening To?”
Van Halen helped revolutionize guitar playing, inspired generations of metal musicians and laid some of the groundwork for the hair metal explosion — but does that make Van Halen a metal band?