Chris Akin Builds Empire While Ranting on Everything + Throwback

This episode of The Classic Metal Show is pure CMS chaos at its best — two old friends catching up after a busy week, no filter, no corporate bullshit. Chris dives deep into transforming his massive pinball arcade with a powerful new backend system (the same one powering Netflix subscriptions), sharing how it’ll handle everything from bookings to global ticketing. He’s all-in on the grind, even joking about building his own replacement just to collect the checks while chilling.

The conversation gets hilariously unhinged fast: electric bills that’ll make your dick hurt, PTSD scams versus real hustle, women claiming Steven Tyler incidents from 50 years ago, and why Chris would rather scream at aisle-hoggers in Walmart than meander like a lost shopper. Neeley matches the energy, talking studio upgrades that finally killed the static, Amazon vs. Walmart price wars, and why both hosts avoid box stores like the plague.

They roast long-ass interviews (looking at you, Hair Metal Guru), AI accusations on old Don and Blackie Lawless clips, and the pain of flipping sleep schedules at almost 60. Chris announces he’s canceling YouTube Premium at $27/month (“Suck my balls”) and drops SmartTube as the ad-free fix. Plus, they tease upcoming guests like Dave Landau, Jeff Tate, and Armored Saint, hype the Locals for early interviews and requests, and explain why the music break is on the protected stream.

Raw, real, and relentlessly entertaining — this is CMS warming up exactly how fans love it: zero fluff, maximum personality, and plenty of metal talk teases on the horizon (Crimson Glory, Steven Piercy, Annihilator kicking things off).

Watch the full episode for the unfiltered catch-up that sets the tone for another wild night of classic metal. Subscribe, join Locals for extras, and crank the volume.

#ClassicMetalShow #CMSNetwork #ChrisAkin #PinballPA #MetalTalk #UncensoredRock

Timestamps00:00:00 - Intro: Oppu Leine from Amorphis/Octoploid Welcomes You to CMSTV00:00:25 - Brand New Crimson Glory “Chasing the Hydra”00:00:33 - New Steven Piercy Track Tease00:00:40 - Chris Akin Joins the Mic – What’s Up Boss?00:01:00 - Chris’ Six Weeks of Pinball PA Overhaul Training00:01:50 - Netflix-Level Tech Coming to Pinball PA00:02:20 - Building a System to Replace Himself (And Collect Checks)00:03:01 - Steven Tyler “Victims” Rant – 50 Years Later Bullshit00:03:36 - Why Chris Is All-In on This Massive Upgrade00:04:53 - Electric Bill Reality Check – $2,500 to $4,000 a Month00:06:19 - Celebrating 10+ Years of Pinball PA Wins & Celebrity Visits00:07:35 - Mindhunter Netflix Shoot & American Pickers Talks00:08:05 - Chris’ Stacked Career History & Coming Out on Top00:08:54 - The Tough Year Chris & Neeley Survived Together00:10:02 - Neeley’s Studio Upgrades – New Cables & Interface00:11:48 - Audio Sounds Cleaner Than Ever00:12:35 - Amazon Praise & Next-Day Delivery Love00:14:53 - Walmart App vs Amazon Showdown00:16:09 - Why Chris & Neeley Avoid Box Stores Like the Plague00:17:38 - Chris’ Epic Walmart Aisle Meltdown Story00:19:50 - No Meandering – In & Out Shopping Mentality00:21:06 - Fire Stick Jailbreak Days & Amazon Return Hacks00:23:20 - Streaming Devices Dying Because TVs Are Smart Now00:24:38 - Chris’ “Whatever’s Easiest” Life Philosophy00:25:26 - The Stress of Running Multiple Businesses00:26:48 - Sheetz Love Fest – Schmagles, Baja Wraps & Gas Station Food00:30:24 - New Viewer Mally Asks: Does This Channel Talk Metal?00:31:05 - Warm-Up Phase Explained – Hang In There00:32:06 - Hair Metal Guru Coming Back Next Week00:33:11 - Brett Muscat Interview Roast – What Happened to That Haircut?00:34:54 - Advice for Long Interviews – Give Us the Cliff Notes00:36:15 - Sleep Schedule Hell at Almost 60 – Six-Hour Shows Won’t Last Forever00:37:35 - Book Project Update with Co-Author00:39:20 - AI Accusations on Old Don & Blackie Lawless Interviews00:41:50 - YouTube Editing & Shadow Bans Suck00:42:28 - Chris Canceling $27 YouTube Premium – SmartTube Hack Dropped00:46:49 - New 30-Min Best-Of Screens for In-Betweens00:49:41 - Locals Plug – Early Interviews & Requests00:51:20 - Music Break Starts with Annihilator “The Trend”

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