It took 55 episodes to do so, but On The Record finally took a long-overdue look at the state of heavy metal in Milwaukee. Though the city’s metal scene rarely gets covered adequately by local publications (present company very much included), there’s no shortage of great bands making a name for themselves in town, across the country, and internationally. A host of bars and clubs have stepped up to give metal bands places to play to a modest-but-passionate cast of local listeners.

Halo Of Flies founder Cory von Bohlen (who plays in long-running band Protestant) was kind enough to welcome host Tyler Maas—who, by his own admission, isn’t exactly a metalhead—and Population Control singer Ricky Ramirez into his Riverwest living room to discuss how Milwaukee’s metal scene currently stacks up to past decades and against nearby cities, what bands are bolstering that reputation, and why there’s a lot to be excited about going forward. Speaking of, Population Control is releasing a new record at The Local (formerly Club ?) on Saturday night, and Halo Of Flies is putting out a Northless record at the beginning of March.

As always, this episode is brought to you by our friends at Ale Asylum, which was enjoyed on air. Music in this episode comes courtesy of Protestant (“Vengeance”) and Population Control (“Genetic Overkill”). Subscribe to On The Record via iTunes or Stitcher (for free!).