• The Die Hard inspo
• World-building and set pieces
• All druids, all day
• Youth versus experience and why both are valuable
• Work-life balance as a lord regent and a palace guard
• The protagonist’s adjustment to physical disability
• If this book had been inspired by a buddy cop movie instead of Die Hard
• If this protagonist had been cast in a different ‘80s action movie setup
• Action scenes in print versus film

You can find our Spotify profile with our Last Shield playlist at https://open.spotify.com/user/31kosaxlm6j56e44766ijo4ndzjq?si=cdd4a1a247c646e1

Special Features:

1. Post-Carnage Job Interviews
2. Cannibal Corpse Carnage Countdown
3. Rock, Paper, Whatever: Sunweald Palace Edition

Music Mentions:

Fighter by Kerrigan

Surrender also by Kerrigan

Loving the Dead by Vried and Djerv

“What Is Coworker Metal?” article, Metal Injection

Reading Recommendations:

1. The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
2. Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett
3. Slayers of Old by Jim C. Hines

August’s Book: Grab your sword and sandals, because we’re reading The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. This modern classic retells the myth of Achilles through the eyes of his most beloved companion Patroclus. Epic love, epic action, epic spears in faces.

Playlist Contents:

• The Awakening - Saor
• To Live Is to Fight - Almora
• Betwixt Shield and Sword - Curta'n Wall
• Assassin - Trouble
• Walking Wounded - Frayle
• Hamrer Hippyer - Heilung
• Revenant - SuidAkrA
• Sanctuary - Adfeilion
• The Green Enchanted Forest of the Druid Wizard - Ifernach
• Dark Altar Magic - Hoaxed
• Let's Kill These Motherfuckers - Lair Of The Minotaur
• The Oaken Throne - Empyrium
• Shield Anvil - Queen of Dreams
• Taker of heads - Waylander
• Deep Stillness (Rest for a While) - Solstice Rider
• The Punisher - Kasck
• I Am Warrior - Cruachan
• Hammer Smashed Face - Cannibal Corpse
• Unbroken You Remain - Hand of Kalliach
• In Youth We Learn, in Age We Understand - Sakis Tolis

We discuss:

• Going back to concerts after years away
• The joy of seeing and hearing expertise
• Stage setup
• The audience
• Children at metal shows
• Frozen Soul: Chad Green’s stage presence, the Texas metal vibe, and one solid death metal beatdown
• Fleshgod Apocalypse: Veronica Bordacchini’s next-level voice, Francesco Ferrini’s stellar piano skills, Francesco Paoli’s ferocious performance, classical themes and old world charm, light design, showmanship, inspiration behind the album Opera, Eugene Ryabchenko’s blast beats, stage design
• Avatar: sets and props, Johannes Eckerström: ringmaster, John Alfredsson’s menace faces and cymbal-hat minions, the murder circus vibes, Jonas “Kungan” Jarlsby’s shred session, expert act pacing, favorite moments
• Variety in touring partners

Upcoming Titles in Books:

1. Mudlark by Mary Helen Specht (07/2026)
2. The Mortons by Scott Westerfeld and Justine Larbeleister (07/2026)
3. Ship of Death by Kyle Winkler (09/2026)

Upcoming Titles in Music:

1. MetalMorphosis by Masterplan
2. Helden X Hymnen by d’Artagnan
3. Assiege pour l’eternetie by Vehemence
4. The Venom in the Mouth of God by Combichrist

Book Club Reminder: In our next episode, we’ll discuss The Last Shield by Cameron Johnston, so grab your copy and get ready to die hard with a druidic vengeance!

• World-building
• The enduring popularity of Underworld travel narratives
• Alternative careers for magicians
• Advice for the protagonists
• Ideal metal musicians to guide you in the Underworld
• Petty sins that deserve their own circles in Hell
• Our ideal rulers of the Underworld
• Work-life balance in academia

Due to the book’s contents, we may also briefly discuss manipulation and abuse in academia and suicidal ideation.

You can find our Spotify profile with our Katabasis playlist at https://open.spotify.com/user/31kosaxlm6j56e44766ijo4ndzjq?si=cdd4a1a247c646e1

Special Features:

1. Metal Trivia
2. 1985 Date Night Movies
3. Would You Rather? Underworld Edition
4. Design-a-Hell
5. Pick a Hell: Fictitious Character Edition

Music Mentions:

Path of Resistance by Primalfrost

Year of the Cobra by Year of the Cobra

Warriors of Greyhawk by Greyhawk*

*The departing vocalist from Greyhawk we mention is Rev Taylor, who left the band to focus on his opera career (yes, really) and was replaced by the talented Anthony Corso.

Reading Recommendations:

1. Johannes Cabal the Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard
2. The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest by Aubrey Hartman
3. The Incandescent by Emily Tesh

July's Book: The Last Shield by Cameron Johnston. Get ready for a Bronze Age beatdown, Die Hard style, in this grimdark fantasy novel about a palace guard who would die for her oath but prefers to kill for it.

Playlist Contents:

• Katabasis - Persefone
• Would You Walk With Me Through Hell? - Lord Of The Lost, Infected Rain
• The Meadows of Asphodel - Mors Principium Est
• The Great Below - Kvaen, Jeff Loomis
• Crystal Logic - Manilla Road
• In Tartarus - The Night Eternal
• Devil's Light - Novembers Doom
• Hounds of Hell - Dead Soul
• Lethean - Katatonia
• Don't Pay the Ferryman - Domain
• Souls of Black - Testament
• Bleed In My Arms - Sentenced
• Underworld - i Häxa
• The Descent to the Last Circle - Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult
• Dis - Daidalos
• Cerberus - Carved Memories
• Will I Deserve It - Structure
• Lethe - Throes Of Dawn
• Inked in Blood -Sigh
• Don't Come Back from Hell Empty Handed - Oceans of Slumber

Book club (readalong/deep dive) episodes post 1st Thursdays starting June 2026.

Minisodes (trends, news, upcoming releases) post 3rd Thursdays starting June 2026.