Metal Hammer of Doom: Poppy - Empty Hands

Metal Hammer of Doom: Poppy - Empty Hands

From Radulich in Broadcasting by Mark Radulich

May 25, 2026 · 1h 12m

About this episode

Mark Radulich and Jesse Starcher review Poppy's latest album 'Empty Hands', exploring its themes and musical style.

Tonight on the Metal Hammer of Doom, Mark Radulich and Jesse Starcher review Empty Hands, the latest album from Poppy. Once dismissed as an internet-art curiosity built on surreal YouTube performance pieces and synthetic pop aesthetics, Poppy has evolved into one of the more fascinating figures in modern heavy music. Empty Hands pushes deeper into industrial metal, metalcore, glitch electronics, and emotionally raw songwriting, blending crushing riffs and breakdowns with hyper-polished hooks and digital-age anxiety. Produced by Jordan Fish (formerly of Bring Me the Horizon), the album explores identity collapse, emotional exhaustion, fame, alienation, and the cost of living inside algorithmic culture. Is this Poppy’s strongest statement yet, or another example of modern genre mashups substituting style for substance? We break down the music, themes, performances, and where Empty Hands fits in the evolving landscape of contemporary metal. Disclaimer: The following may contain offensive language, adult humor, and/or content that some viewers may find offensive – The views and opinions expressed by any one speaker does not explicitly or necessarily reflect or represent those of Mark…

People in this episode

Host: Mark Radulich

Guest: Jesse Starcher

Topics covered

  • album review
  • industrial metal
  • metalcore
  • emotional songwriting
  • algorithmic culture
  • modern heavy music

Keywords

  • Poppy
  • Empty Hands
  • album review
  • industrial metal
  • metalcore
  • Jordan Fish
  • modern music
  • emotional exhaustion

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Bring Me the Horizon, W2M Network

Books & works: Empty Hands

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