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Metalheads Podcast is a metal-themed podcast featuring George, Jay, Will, John, Matt and Markisan. The guys discuss metal news and new releases, perform in-depth interviews with great metal bands, and just generally have a blast arguing about that greatest of musical styles: Metal!
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You must listen.
You must listen.
Now, here is the podcast, Metal Heads Podcast.
Hello, and welcome to the Metal Heads Podcast.
My name is George.
This is Jay.
This is Will.
This is John.
This is The Mad Situation.
And this is Markisan.
And we are back together, baby.
It has been a while. Or as they say these days, it's been a minute. I think the last time we even recorded was like in July. And then posted in August maybe. And Will wasn't here then, but we're all here today. So woohoo! Yeah, some convergence of all kinds of celestial bodies to make this happen. Indeed.
We're going to move right into t-shirt and beer check. T-shirt and beer check. What? What? Just saying it ain't so. Indeed. Before the first hour is even up. So fast. So fast. Oh, I got to go first, right? Yeah. I forgot how this even goes. I know. All right. Well, I'm wearing my Sarcoptes baseball tee.
which I like quite a bit.
And I am drinking Infinite Ghost from Parrish Brewing.
It's an Imperial IPA.
It's got skulls.
I'm a fan of the series, the ghost series that they do.
I don't like every single one, but most of them are pretty damn good.
You had me at skulls.
All right.
Matt?
I actually had infinite ghost earlier this afternoon, but I am currently drinking a diet Mountain Dew and I have a Krips Sherman t-shirt in celebration of all things Krips Sherman and infinite ghost. Right on. John. Nice. So I'm drinking a nitro three philosophers quad from brewery Omegang and I'm wearing my Pagan's Vine triumphant return t-shirt that I got at
USA. USA. America. No, just USA. America. That's not in the name, but. No. Okay. But it's in America. Fuck yeah. Yeah. All right. Well. I am wearing my Lago t-shirt. I think Marcason has the exact same t-shirt. I do. Out of Arizona. If these guys get their shit together, maybe they'll put
another album out this year. We'll see. I did get an advanced track of one that they did and then they released it on them. But it's so good. It's a lot of reminders of Morbid Angel. Yeah. Really good. I actually found their album, the last one, here in Chicago and Reckless in the used bin. I didn't have it for some reason. See of Duress? Yeah.
For $9 in mint condition, I was very happy. On vinyl? Yeah. Oh, dude. If you see another one, pick it up, and I will gladly pay you Tuesday for vinyl today. Or I'll just send it to you if it's $9. Okay, yeah. Thanks. And I'm not drinking any beer, but I do have a small glass of Cabernet. Nice. Ooh, sophisticated wheel on cast. Pinky action there. Yeah.
All right, Jay, what are you not drinking until later? It's delicious. And we're going with the Dio Holy Diver t-shirt today. Because? Because Dio. Exactly. Enough said. All righty. I am wearing my Dead Kennedys California Uber Alice short. And currently drinking a Beer Farm Drinking Buddies.
I'd like to point out that as my glasses point out I'm obviously working for NASA in the 60s now so yeah I'm real excited about that job opportunity it's a good look it's a good look I can't wait to see you in a black and white film in the desert with four other people sitting around smoking cigarettes on top of a bomb I love all those cold war films and yes Jay you have those glasses and haircut for it yeah I had to get some I
I went to the eye doctor recently and he said like, yeah, it's too early to give you glasses, but I'll give you a nice pair of readers. So, and I saw these across the room and fell in love. Nice. You got to get progressives, man. Progressives. That's probably next down the line. Old people glasses. Old people glasses. Yeah. No, it's being bifocals. Technically. Yes. Yeah. But it's progressive to call them progressives.
I just call them progressive rock glasses and then it solves the problem. They're prog glasses. Yeah. Yeah. Prog glasses. John's like, where do I get them? Yeah. I'll take two. You got them prog glasses. Well, speaking of prog, John has recently returned from Atlanta from yet another prog power USA, no America. And, uh, why don't you give us a recap of what you saw?
Well, yeah, it was number 23, and it was my 22nd. Can I start real quick, John? 23, that's crazy. Yeah. Because I remember three, you know. Yeah, and there's only going to be two left with this promoter. He's retiring. Is that right? Yeah. I see the guy who's done it from the beginning. He's done it from the beginning, and there's two other promoters that took over days one and two. I think I heard once that he was,
physician or something and really this was all kind of done out of his
I believe he's in the medical field but I'm not sure what he does I could be wrong about that
what I specifically heard was he was an emergency room physician but
and that was brought up when somebody was bitching and moaning and they were like look this guy does this
as a hobby man you know what I mean so yeah oh yeah pardon my interruption I was just shocked
It's quite all right. Yeah. 23. Hard to believe. And I've been going to Atlanta for since 2001, which is hard to believe. I've only missed installment four of the fest, which is kind of a bummer because I wish I would have gone one because then I would have gone to all of them so far. But there was some killer pants on that one, too. So but such is life. So, yeah, I'll just give a brief recap.
So this year I went down with somebody that we're all familiar with on the podcast. He goes by several names. The linchpin of bullshit. The Metalheads Butler. Or just TR. Whichever one you want to call him. Which no one has an idea what TR stands for. Testicular Recession. Okay. I'll let him answer that question.
Totally rad! Yeah. So we went down a day early this time. We went down on Tuesday instead of the first day on Wednesday. And quite honestly, it's a lot better to do that because I hate rushing down there and then having to get check in the hotel and then rush to the venue because you're there for like 10 hours. So Tuesday we got in and we started partaking in the drinking right away. As one does. Yes. I'll get to that during the beer.
Drinking section. But just for the fest, as usual, it's always fun. George has been there before, so he knows the setup. It's maybe the most laid-back fest you can go to in terms of you can always find a seat whenever you want to sit, if you want to sit. You don't have to sit for every band. Obviously, you can stand to the venue. There's not a bad seat in it unless you're probably up against the wall on the sides. It's shaped like a Greek theater indoors.
So if you're on the very edges of the theater, you might have some obstructed view, but other than that, every seat's great. And even when you're sitting, you're really close. So the picture. John, I love the way you're describing this as if you're writing an article for AARP magazine. Like, well, so if you want to sit, you can sit here. You're over 50. You know what I'm talking about. Well, I'm an AARP member. Me too. Let's just get this out in the open. When you were 30, you were dreaded.
those eight-hour standing fests on hour two. Oh, absolutely. Yeah. It makes a big difference, especially if you partake in the beer beforehand. Then you definitely need to sit. But anyway, I'll run through the bands real quick. Day one, we didn't see every band every day, because what's the point? I don't like a lot of power metal. Yeah, skip the good bands. Yeah. But there's a few that I like.
I always like to get there for the first band
even if I don't like them
as long as I really don't
like what they play
just to say it's the first band
you know hey woo cool
and then I disappear
kicking it off
yeah so
just for the first day
I actually really didn't care
about the first day
I mean I wanted to see a few bands
but I ended up liking it
more than I thought
first band Darkwater we saw
I don't know them
they're I guess a prog band from Germany
I feel like I've heard of them yeah I mean they're cool
they're right I think we
disappeared what was the name dark
water not dick
water dark water no that was
that was that was decibel
I think you're thinking of
dork
dork fartress
no longer exists anymore
so I think we
disappeared for a while and then we showed up again
for the last two bands one was which
was circus maximus who I used
I haven't liked their last few albums, but they don't do much anymore.
But the show is still pretty good. They're good musicians.
And then they closed with the band Angra, which is a kind of power prog band from Brazil that I do like.
And I was indifferent on seeing them because I haven't really listened to much of their stuff since probably mid-2000s.
And they put on an awesome show. They were great.
So much so.
Was, was, am I making this up at Ozzy's guitar?
or Nazi that Megadeth was yeah he went to Megadeth he was yeah Kiko Luray yeah yeah was he's awesome he's not in the band anymore he never he never came back to the band because they have a new guitarist that replaced him but he was there for god 20 plus years before he left for Megadeth their set was great I didn't think I would be into it as much as I did because I'm not a super power metal fan but I do like them so that was cool day two just a few bands we saw this band
called No Spoon, which I didn't know that had something to do with, is it The Matrix? Yeah, Matrix, yeah. Is that what? There is No Spoon. Yeah. So I didn't know that. I learned something new. Nice. A band called Earthside played, which I did not care for their set, not because I didn't like them, but because we couldn't hear anything the whole time. Like, they were having all kinds of audio problems, and it was a little frustrating, so we kind of left there in their set. Good musicians, but if I can't hear the singer when he's
or the guitars. And plus they had no singers. They have all, they're a band from Boston, I guess, or they all went to Berkeley and they have all these different singers on all their songs. And so they piped in the vocals. What? So nobody sang. It was kind of weird. And they had videos of the singers. Crazy. Yeah. But they played and I was just like, ah, not my favorite. I guess it's different at least. Yeah. And then Leprous played after that, which if anyone knows,
knows how much I liked Leprous up to a certain point. And then it was like, all right, I'm checking out now because I don't like what you're doing anymore. But their set was awesome. They played a lot of old material, which was great, especially off the first three, four albums, which is all the stuff that I like a lot from them. I feel the same way about that band. Yeah, but if they played like they played at Prog Power, then they're worth seeing because they're so much fun to watch because they're intense as fuck live. I mean, they jump
and going crazy. And George, it wasn't all falsetto the whole show either, which was kind of nice. Good. You know, because that's the joke of Leprous. It's always like, oh, the whole song. It's like, oh, God. Go back to the old stuff when you used to have some harsh vocals. And then Dark Tranquility finished up. Interesting. They're there because they're touring with Amorphous. And so they were one of the headlines. And they were cool. I've seen them so many times live. Yeah. I'm going to see them tomorrow because I'm going to that show. Awesome. Amorphous, Dark Tranquility, and
Fires in the Distance. Yeah, they're going to be great. I mean, they're great live. Like I said, I saw them when they tour with Opeth. I think I was like five or six times on that tour. I've seen them, I don't know how many times. I don't have anything from them, but they're a really good band live. So day three, there'll be some beer drinking discussion that will come up after. So we did not show up until the third or fourth band. So we didn't roll in until like six for Sewin, which is Martin Lopez's
from Opeth, formerly of Opeth. They were cool. I've seen them a few times. Not a big fan, but they're solid.
Yeah. Then a band called Love Bites, which I had to watch because on Friday, the second to last band, after their set, they do the video for the next year, who's going to be coming for days three and four. So we had to watch. But I also wanted to watch because it was a Japanese band.
Isn't it like a baby metal kind of thing? Yeah. No. They're a power metal band. And they shred. It was crazy. It was wild. I mean, it's not. But it's a bunch of Japanese girls. But they look like they might be in baby. They're all dressed up. Yeah. I've seen pictures. I haven't really listened to them. But the guitarists were shredding the bass player who was like apparently 20 or 21, maybe 22. I was like, holy shit, this girl's really good. Not that I didn't think they would be good. I didn't think they would be that good. I mean, just really talented.
And they've apparently been around for years. But not my thing. But it was fun to watch. And then Amorphous played. And Amorphous is always awesome every time I've seen them. Amorphous is that band that you know what you're getting every album from them. It's not going to change. And it's, I think, Jay, we've had these conversations before about how, like, we like an album and we don't like an album. I think that was, you and I were like that about Queen of Time, I think. I was, for sure. Yeah, and then Halo comes out and I'm like, holy shit, this album's awesome.
You know, they've been documenting this tour really well on their Facebook. I know. And it's super fun to watch because they were like at Amoeba Records and they've been... Did you see when they were out on their paddle boards or whatever? Not paddle boards, but they were... I don't know what... I can't remember what they were doing again. Kayaking somewhere. That's so great too, but they're kind of getting out and seeing the world a little bit while they're out. I can't wait to see them tomorrow. They're so good live. I mean, if you're a fan of them, you should at least see
He's definitely one of the best, you know, harsh, clean vocalists out there. And his harshes are still great. You know, he's getting older now, you can tell a little bit, but they're such a good band. So that was day three. And at day four, real quick, made sure I got to see Disillusion. So now maybe I have a little bit of my prog cred back with Yanni, formerly of Perihelium shit. They were unreal how good they were, Disillusion.
I was really surprised. It was our first time ever in the US, which was awesome. I think then we, maybe we went to get something to eat. And then we came back for Damon Wilson. I don't know if anyone knows who Damon Wilson is. He's a singer. He's been in a bunch of bands. He was in Threshold. He's been one of the singers in the band, Arion, however you pronounce it, the guy from the Netherlands who's got these big ensemble albums that he does. He's in a band,
He's been all over the prog realm. His set was just unreal how good it was. He opened up with this song from Arian called Into the Black Hole, I believe the song's called. And Bruce actually sang on the song originally for this album that came out in 2000. And he's just sounded, he does an alternate version of the song also that was released. It was just so good. By the third song, he was stage diving into the crowd and being passed around.
He disappeared off the stage at one point while still singing. And the next thing you know, he's up on the top in the back of the venue and he's walking down, going through the rows, hugging people. I was like, what is going on here? He did it the whole set. At one point, he was on the floor. The whole floor opened up for him to stand there and sing for everybody. So that's if you're going to go out with a bang, man, he just crushed it. It was awesome. Plus, all the songs he played were great.
So from there, you know, you mentioned the elephant in the room. Here was the elephant at the fest. Winger played. Yes. And they played their album, Pool. And I was like, well, I want to see Damien Wilson and I want to see the final band. So I guess we have to stay for this. They were actually announced as the headliner, but they decided not to do the headline. They decided to play as the fifth band, which is always the better band to play.
because you get more of a crowd.
Because at the end of the...
Well, and everybody would have gone home.
Yeah.
I'm going to tell you right now.
I don't care what anybody says.
That's one of the best shows I've ever seen in my life.
Jeez.
They were so good.
Wow, he's really talented, dude.
It was unreal how good they were.
Yeah, I believe it.
First of all...
He's super talented, dude.
He is incredibly talented.
Reb Beach is an amazing guitar player, if you know who he is.
Rod Morgenstein is a drum god.
And I've been a fan of his for 30 plus years.
of all the stuff he's done, all the bands he's been in. They were so good. And the album pull is actually not bad. It's not like they're, you know, what they get accused of of being bad hair metal, which, or hair rock or whatever you want to call it. He's only 53. I was about to ask, because it was Winger, she's only 17. Yes, she is. They did not play that. What's unfair about that, though, is that's, like, that's their moment. And their moment, I don't think it's indicative of who they are. No, not even.
close. Because they had other great songs on that album. It has Madeline, which is a really cool tune.
If I could interject, John, that same weekend I was doing my annual Parametal Festival.
Hold on. I have a section. That's a highlight of the fest.
Oh, beautiful.
I want to bring in for that.
Okay.
Because Matt, TR, and I had a moment, even though we were a thousand miles apart from each other.
But I want to get to that.
But anyway, I just want to finish up. The set was awesome.
I'm not I'm going to tell you right now apparently what they did they've they didn't want to do the set because apparently it's really difficult to sing the album and Kip Winger was really worried about it they contacted the venue to find out what board they used for the sound they rented the same board and practiced on that board for a week beforehand just so they could get the the sound down and then when they sound checked they didn't even play they just played sections of songs and had people go all throughout the venue
to test the sound.
That's the best sounding show I've ever seen there.
Hands down.
Not even remotely close.
They sounded amazing.
I was like, fuck, this is really good.
Wow.
Yeah, I was surprised.
And Jay, you're right.
Unbelievably talented.
Everyone in the band can sing, which is Rod Morgan scene didn't sing that I could tell,
but everyone sings.
His brother was there playing with them because they needed an extra guitarist and singer to fill out all the vocals.
If I recall correctly, and I think I do, I think pre-Winger, he was kind of like a studio musician or something. Alice Cooper. Didn't he play with him? Was he with Alice? I thought that he was with him. So he was like this rock solid dude. And it's just unfortunate. And I don't know their catalog, but I do know, I understand and know of his talent. And so it's just interesting. I say again, like, it's just not, it's not just that the hit 17 was not so great, but it's also like the videos of, you know, it's like the high-to-hair metal.
What was this song? Head into a heartbreak or whatever, which was so indicative of that era. Yeah. But I will say, everyone in the band is super talented. I totally believe everything you said. I can see. I think Europe is the same way, by the way. Apparently the album pool is Prague adjacent, which I was like, I'm not buying it. And Alyssa was like, okay, I can hear a little bit of that. Is it like a deep catalog album? It's their third album.
And here's the thing. It's also Glenn telling everyone to go fuck off. It's his best. He'll do whatever hell he wants, which is, I think, awesome, too, though. So whatever. It is what it is. I had fun. I don't care what anyone says it was great. And I will tell you, I heard more people say I apologize for mocking this last year, which I thought was funny. Anyway, the band that comes to mind right now is Europe, and they're the same way. Europe had Final Countdown was this big hit, and they're doing
these bluesy hard rock records now.
And they're all super, super talented musicians.
Yeah.
And it's just too bad that that happens to people.
Yeah.
So, and the last band that played was Pagan's Mind, who made their triumph of return, as my shirt said.
They hadn't been there since 2014.
It was the last time they were there.
They have no new music and they played and they were outstanding again, as they always are.
So I'm a big fan of theirs.
I know TR likes him a lot so it was cool. Fest was great you know we got to hang out with our friend Julie. These guys see Julie sometimes she posts actually she posts quite a bit on New Music Friday. Yeah. And her husband was there too Lance. I met them first time I met them was at Opeth at Radio City Music Hall. TR and I met them there. And apparently she's known about me longer than I since I met her. Apparently she knew me back when I was on MySpace. Am I correct?
She knew about some stuff I was doing. So maybe they knew me from one of the
porcupine tree mailing lists or something. I don't know. But they were there. They're always fun to hang out with.
And then made a new Prague Power friend. He's the he's the Warren of Prague Power. His name is Ryan. He's the son of a colleague of TRs that TR works with. So he's like, I think, 32 or 33. And he was he was only there for the first two days. And he was just
like a kid in a candy store. Oh my God, I wanted to come to this. And by the end of the first day, I was like, well, you're done, man. You're going to want to come every time. And he's like, I got to figure this out for next year. So yeah. He's only got two more tries, right? Yeah. And the other two promoters may continue. It's just with Glenn, it ends with 25. So real quick with beer drinking, we went to a place called My Parents Basement, which I don't know why you wouldn't go there. They have beer.
Probably 30 pinball machines and comic books. And literally the whole time you're there, the dude who's serving beer is also going through comics and he's pulling them out, putting them back into plastic, putting the board, the cardboard behind him the whole time. You need a beer while he's doing that. You know, he's listening to your conversation the whole time. He's like, and he makes a couple of comments. Somehow, somehow TR has never seen escape from New York. What? Yes. I was like, epic fail. And the guy's working.
I know I'm talking about when you see you're in the stores and they're not paying attention you don't think they're listening to you but they're listening to you while they're doing that right and they're going through just hundreds of them like it's nothing and he looks at me says excuse me you've never seen Escape from New York it was just awesome it's like yes so yeah god yes so we from there we went to a place called Lost Druid Brewery which is right down the street and this is all in Decatur which was a cool place we hung out there then we had to go back to the
area because there's a place called little cottage brewery you're like oh little
cottage right well it's a metal brewery like i sent a picture to you guys that big like beast on
the wall yeah you know they're a big metal brewery walked in playing metal music apparently they were at
decibel metal beer in denver in 2023 they were one of the featured breweries there nice so if you guys
are down there i would suggest all three of those we also made it to a place called the brick store pub
which was very cool. I'm going to get back to that in a second. Now, I want to bring in my good friend Matt the Situation to help me here with the Highlight Fest. So Saturday night, as we're waiting for Winger to come on, I see Matt posts on Untapped that he was at a show. And so literally, Tiara and I at the same time sent him a message and we say, you're at a show. Where are you? Matt, would you like to comment on where you were?
I was kind of at a casino in the middle of nowhere for what is called Rock Timber. I've been there a few times. It's all like 80s hair metal. You know, not nothing I take super seriously, but I also have a very good time going. And you and you were there to see who again? The highlight for me was definitely Stephen Pierce. He a rat. Nice. So this is what Matt responds back to us on Untapped.
Literally. Two seconds later, Matt gets a message from me on Facebook Messenger that said, this right now, hold my hairspray, and it's a picture of Winger playing. Literally. I had no idea he was at a hair metal fest when he sent that. Matt literally craps his pants. Because at Rock Timber, the last time I was there, Winger played, and Red Beach came back to the band. It was like all original members. They opened up with battle stations from Bill and Ted's Part 2.
That's awesome. Basically, I cried like a small child. Like Chris at Europe. Yes, exactly. Like Chris at Europe. And then they'd put their full set. And then John's like, oh yeah, here's a winger. I'm like, what? And then, you know, you had mentioned that they were playing pull in its entirety, which I totally freaked out when I got back. And I, to your point, John, listening to it, you can see why that would have been chosen to be something for that weekend. Not like, like,
the lead attraction to the weekend. But like, oh yeah, Winger's playing Paul. And honestly, they are still good. Kip Winger still sounds good. They do. Yeah. So then Matt proceeds to send a picture. Not to cut you off, I want to just tell you a quick, sends a picture. He's watching Aldo Nova. Life is just a fantasy. He, like, honestly, I mean, I knew the name. I recognize the covers. And he closed with fantasy. But,
Like we saw most of his set. It was super enjoyable. He like the way he was talking makes me feel like he's from Canada. But like the way he was talking, I was like, you have to be like from Europe or something. It was like Italian or something. But I don't know. Maybe not. But I just pulled that straight out of my butt and said it. So now that you see that, George, that does kind of sound familiar, like Italy via Quebec or something like that. But anyways, he was, I don't know. And like listening to fantasy was,
So we had a little hair metal
convergence, albeit
a thousand miles apart.
Fantastic.
It's like a Hallmark Channel moment.
Yes, exactly.
Just not during December when it's Christmas
and all those films are just
terrible.
He's from Montreal, so maybe he's
French-Canadian.
His full name is Aldo
Caporruccio. So I don't know.
Maybe there's a little Italian in there somewhere.
Yeah, Canadian.
So I have one other quick highlight of the fest 2.0.
Oh, sorry.
On Friday.
Sorry.
Nova was born in Montreal, Quebec to Italian immigrant parents from a small village
near Rome.
Thank you.
Sorry, John.
Continue.
No, it's okay.
See, we all kind of figured that out on our own, which is amazing.
All right.
So highlight fest number two.
I think you guys will appreciate this.
I know Marcus will definitely appreciate this because he
has a little history on what what's going to happen here in a second.
So while we're at little cottage brewery indicator an hour plus into drinking now Friday,
we're now missing bands at this point. Right. And I kind of wanted to go back to see fifth angel play their first ever U S show.
Surprisingly. Oh, another beer came up.
I would have wanted to see them. Well, yeah, I did.
I did. I think somebody's fallen asleep here. But the beer. So real quick, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, TR just kind of blurts out in a semi-urgent voice. We need to get going like that. And I'm like thinking, what do we have to go back? We've already missed fifth angel. I'm like, what's going on? I said, back to the fest. And he responds with that linchpin of bullshit voice and says, no, to the next place to drink more beers. Just like I'm out of nowhere.
We ended up at this place called the Brick Store Pub, which was a cool bar that has a Belgian bar upstairs, but was not open yet. So all right, that's it. That's the whole fest. That's awesome. I had an awesome time seeing Julian Lance and making friends with a new guy, Ryan, who's like Warren. He could be my kid. Yeah. Yeah. But that's it was awesome. So I got a few questions, John.
Sure. Do they have good beer there? At the show? At the fest? Yeah. Yeah, and have a couple that are decent. Creature Comforts is there. They're Tropicalia, which is a solid beer. I always like that. And they have a couple other mainstays for the area, which are okay. All the better beers, they're not going to have there for the city. So that's the places that we were at. Little Codge beers were awesome.
And Lost Root had good beers. But they have some craft beers there. So you can at least have something and not feel like you're buying like an $18 Bud Light or something. And I like you can leave and just come back. That sounds great. You can. Yeah, that's the nice thing about the Fest. You can leave the building and come back. So the other question I had is you've been going all these years. Yes. What is like the one band that maybe you discovered that you kind of fell in love with
is there any band that you didn't really know about and you saw there and you're like all right now i'm a big fan i gotta follow this band jeez i don't know winger you can think about i'll tell you what i appreciate them a shit ton more hey i've never not admitted that i bought the first winger album it's the only one i ever bought from that whole hair scene i didn't buy any of that other stuff that some of you might have bought when you were at that age well yeah it's because the stuff i bought
was good. I never bought a winger. Still don't own a winger. Great. Yeah. Comparatively. What was that band with the twin dudes with the long hair? Nelson? Nelson. Weren't they? They were Ricky Nelson's kids? Yep. Or Milli Vanilli. Yeah. They were kind of like Milli Vanilli but like white dudes with blonde hair. That's a really good question though, Marcus. I would have to go through all the lists to see who played. And it might be more than
I know that's a tough question, but I'm kind of curious.
You know a lot of bands, you've seen a lot of bands.
Yeah, and you're usually prepared when you go already.
Because you know who's going to be playing.
I couldn't tell you if I tried.
But it could be a situation too where maybe you know the band and then you see them live and you're like blown away by that.
I got one for you. I got one. I do.
George will appreciate this.
I'd never listened to Blind Guardian before.
I saw Blind Guardian in 2000, was it 2001 or 2002? Let me check real quick. Because that would have been Prog Power 3. Yeah. It was 2002. I had never listened to them before, and I was blown away by their set. That's awesome. And I've been a fan of theirs since that's one of the only other power bands I like. Oh, I got one more. It's the Power
It's funny.
They're going to be playing next year.
Orden Ogin.
Is that their name, I think?
Yeah.
I actually don't mind them.
I mean, they kind of dress silly, but I actually don't mind them.
They play a little bit more 80s style power metal.
They put on Elm this year, I think.
Yeah.
I got the promo for it.
They don't stop, man.
Those guys, they're pretty consistent.
Every one to two years, they got something on.
I think the singer, the main guy, he can't play guitar anymore.
Because the last time we saw them at Prog Power, he talked about this was the last show he was going to be playing guitar because he has an issue with one of his arms, I think. I could be mistaken, but I would say those two. Definitely Blind Guardian because I'd never heard them. And now, every time they, if I get a chance to see them, they're awesome live. They're so good. So who's playing next year? That's what I was going to ask too. Oh, sorry. No, so let's see. Do I want to go? You know? All right. I kind of want to go.
So day two,
I don't know some of these bands.
Alterarum.
I don't know them.
Maestrick.
Don't know them.
The ocean is playing on day two and they're playing all collegial.
Which would be awesome.
But I can't imagine they're coming over just for that.
I have to imagine they're going to be on tour too.
I don't know.
Iron Savior.
I'm guessing their power.
Vol is playing.
I saw them last time they played.
They're good.
Savor was an 80s band that was on Combat or something, I think.
All right, Savor?
I believe so, yeah.
Yeah, I don't know.
And then I definitely will not be staying for the headline for this night.
Sonata, Artica, I don't really care for them that much.
I mean, people are going to go ape shit over them, I think.
That's day two.
There's no day one announcement yet.
Day three, I don't know who Majestica is.
Never heard of them.
is playing after them, which I only know about them because I saw their album on Bandcamp. Band I didn't think would ever come is playing. Bellacore is going to be playing, which is cool. I want to see them. I don't know who this band is. Everyone loves this band. It's just all this cheese shit. This is the cheese shit that I don't care for. Night Flight Orchestra. Oh, yeah. I like them. Yeah. I mean, they're just a rock band. They do a whole shtick, which is cool. I might watch a little bit. Jay will appreciate.
The next band, Vandamplass, is coming back. Before you started talking, I was going to tell you, Vandamplass comes, maybe I'll make an appearance. You got to buy both days if you go. Or then you have to wait for someone to sell single days if you just want to do a single day. Yeah. But they're coming. And then that Orton Ogin is going to be headlining day three. Then day four, I don't know who Aviations is. I don't know who All for Metal is. Then this band called Jalissic is the name, but that's a guy.
his last name. He's a singer.
And he's been in a bunch of bands.
I think that new Derek Sherinian band,
Whom Gods Destroy, I think is what it's called.
He also sang with Michael Romeo,
a guy from Symphony X.
He's an awesome singer.
Then Cemetery Skyline,
which is the lead singer from Dark Tranquility.
So he's going to be doing three years in a row
with three different bands.
Because doesn't he have that other,
what's the other band he has?
The Halo Effect. I don't know if you guys like The Halo Effect. Some of you guys are the melodic death metal stuff. I never got into it that much. So it's that guy. The lead singer for all three of those bands. He's coming back with another new band. Then I don't know this band, but I want to check them out. Scald. Oh, they're awesome. Yeah. Well, that's the band that like the Russian band. I don't know if they're Russian. I don't think so. I think they're from, it says here in France, if I'm not mistaken.
If you're looking it up let us know
I wasn't but that sounds right to me
I thought it was a doom metal band
from a million years ago
No this is like a folk
kind of
I don't even know if they're even metal
to be honest with you
they do a lot of rhythmic playing
they played some clips of them
they have these gigantic huge drums on stage
that they play
This isn't the same band I'm thinking of
Yeah, S-K-A-L-D, Scald. Ah, okay. And then the headline for the whole fest is Symphony X is returning for the first time. And holy shit, that's going to be 13 years since the last time they played there. Which is funny because I see them every time they tour. Which is like every couple of years. Yeah, the band I'm thinking of is Scald with a C. Oh, okay. And that's Epic Doom Metal. Ah, okay.
is that the Russian one? I think that one is. Markazan? They may be Russian, I'm not sure. Is it the one where the singer died or something? The singer died, yes. It came out in the 90s and now they're back. Is that the one that Chris told you guys about? Yes. During that one he was on last time? Yes, that was his like... He was like, if you like Doom and don't have this, go away kind of thing. Meaning it was that good that we should all have it. Yep. Okay. Yeah, actually this band apparently is
from Sweden. I don't know why I said France. This skull that I'm thinking of. And it's folk. It's folk metal. I guess. If this is the right. This might not be the right band. I'm looking at. Anyway. I don't know. All right. Maybe they are from. Oh, they are from France. They're Nordic folk music. Neo pagan folk. From France. From France. Yeah. Of all places. So anyway, I went on probably longer than I needed to. That was our interview. Sorry. Yeah. Sorry.
That was a great recap though, John. Oh, thank you. I felt like it was there. Yeah. I mean, there's, I don't know if they're going to continue it. I mean, one of the guys is from your hood, Matt. Nathan, he's from up there. You've probably seen him at a show and don't even realize it. He's really tall. What's that? Nathan Explosion? No, I don't think it's Explosion. No, he's checked me into shows in the past. He's a huge dude. He used to have really long blonde hair.
He went and stopped me. I was on the floor years ago and he stopped me and just yelled at me because he used to always stand on the rail. He said, dude. Yeah. In a big, heavy voice. I went, what? He goes, I love your fucking shirt. It was my Swallow the Sun shirt. It's like, hell yeah, man. Sounds like Nathan Explosure. I feel like it's Monarch. Yeah, I'm trying to keep going, John. I was going to say it was back before all the prog empowered nerds were into more extreme metal. Now extreme metal is more acceptable. Not acceptable. Everyone's more into it now. I was just like,
I feel like his moniker is the sword lord
yes he's the sword lord
I thought Will was the sword lord
well different sword lord
did he think you had swallow the cum
or swallow the sun
if he's the sword lord
I'll never tell
he's actually a really nice guy
he really is
I will vouch for that
and then the other guy is Milton
and I want to say he's from the northeast somewhere
They may decide to continue on after that. I don't know if I'm going to continue. I was going to ask you that, John, if you're going to keep going or you're just going to end your journey. It just depends. Depends how bad I want to keep making those journeys. And whether you can get depends for them. Probably depends on the bands, too. Yeah. I mean, what else? We'll see. All righty. George, I got your joke, by the way. Thank you.
News It Is It Is
First Up
PK Also
I Believe His Full Name Is Peter Kubik
K-U-B-I-K
Co-founder And Main Songwriter
for Abagor killed himself at the age of 49. That is unfortunate. I know, I don't know if anyone else here is much of an Abagor fan. I know I tend to fanboy on them and everybody else just kind of rolls their eyes, but this is quite the bummer for me. I noticed on their Metal Archive page that it still says they're active, even though there's only two people in the band. I do not support this.
I know one of the guys has been with the band for a while and the singer's been gone and back and whatnot but I just don't think there's Abagor without him so I would like to see an end here but we'll see I guess. Yeah it's pretty sad I mean I'm 49 so that's don't do it I think about that. Sorry. No. Yeah it's too good I'm sorry to hear that. How did he do?
it, you know. Don't know. It's immaterial, but. Yeah. They usually don't disclose that kind of information. Often they don't. Yeah. And it was a morbid question to ask. Yeah. Shame on you. Shoot. Probably. Drink a beer right now. Next up, not nearly as sad, but still disappointing. Mike Dean, founding bassist of Corrosion of Conformity, announced that he's leaving the band.
after 40 plus years.
That's kind of a bummer for me.
You know, back in the day before Pepper was in the band, Mike did the singing,
much more hardcore punky style.
Was he the singer on like Technocracy?
Yeah.
Yeah.
What was the last album he sung on?
Well, Pepper came in for a while and then Pepper left for an album and they did an album.
I forget what it's called, but they did an album without Pepper where he sang again, and it was freaking awesome. You know, heavier, not as bluesy. Was it Blind? No. Blind was like the last record before they went really bluesy, because I think Deliverance was after Blind. Blind. You have that right? Yeah, so Mike sang on Eye for an Eye, Animosity, and then Technocracy, which I think was an EP. Animosity.
The One Album.
all over the map. I don't really know them. Well, they started off very much like a hardcore punk band. Yeah, very much so. And animosity and technocracy. Yeah, animosity. Very much. Yeah. Frickin. I got that on cassette when it came out because Metallica had like COC shirts and stuff. And I was like, what is this? And I bought it. And there's a puss head cover. So it's like friggin ridiculously crazy. And I was like, what is this? And it was so like beyond.
where I was ready for when that came out in 85.
Yeah, I think I was in art class with this guy, Mike Goodwin, who I just recently friended back on Facebook.
But he's the one who introduced me to Sick of It All's first album, Blood, Sweat, No Tears, the early Croissant Conformity.
Like, yeah, like that good old school, like slightly like punk, but like it was punk crossover and crossover enough for.
For Metalhead to enjoy? Yeah. What was another band? They became... DRI was one. Well, DRI, yeah, was another one, but Ludacrist. They became... Hardcore rapper? No, no, Ludacrist. Ludacrist. And they became the Going Down With The Ship band. I'm not going down with the ship. No idea what you're talking about. This sounds like rap.
They're like crossover band. But if you want to listen to animosity, check out songs like Mad World or Holier. Hungry Child is insane. Yeah, Hungry Child. For the Hungry Child. Yeah, Hungry Child was great. Yeah, so. Old school COC. Man, you're talking my language now. Yeah. It's like middle school, high school years. Yeah, you know, I like the Pepper stuff. It's good. But I like the other stuff too. So.
is a bummer. Yeah, I have to say, well, I think Blind is my favorite album. Well, that's... Had none of those guys singing. That's a completely different album. Yes. But, uh, all right. Next news item. Opeth announced their new album, The Last Will and Testament, now releasing November 22nd, though originally slated for October. There's a little somebody that's back, and it's...
is harsh vocals.
What up?
Before we jump into the meat of this, I thought somebody else was delayed recently.
So there's something going on with vinyl manufacturing.
It's Metallica's fault.
Adele's putting out a new record or something.
Yeah, she does seem to jack things up.
Yeah, but there was some other band and they were like, I got moved back.
And then it was the same.
They gave the same excuse, manufacturing problems.
They actually delayed everything, including digital.
You know, okay.
So let's talk that through a little bit.
Cause I thought about that and the manufacturing process that I'm going to just guess it's final.
That's the problem.
But at least one format.
And I thought about that too.
And I thought, what's the, what's the plus and the minus of stopping everything?
Again, I don't know the plus and minus of stopping everything.
I think you might be less likely to sell hard format copies.
I guess if I think it was a problem with how they recorded it because the quote is we strive to deliver the highest quality product possible and to achieve that we need a bit more time to ensure the final release meets our standard so I don't think they were happy with how it came out not that they were delayed with the actual vinyl so which is fine with me like I would want the highest possible quality to you of course yeah but we're not addressing the elephant in the room and that's the harsh vocals
I'm dressing it so
it remains to be seen how many are on there yes yes it's about half the album
okay so what I've heard but yeah they they dropped the first song and I was like fine let me listen
to it and then I was just like
I had heard it right away and I was like okay I'm gonna wait and see if anyone says anything
And I get a message from George. He's like. Head imploding. Yeah. Cause not only are there harsh vocals. But it's so different. What else is actually also now. Remember what I said to you that I thought was. I was more excited for than the harsh vocals. Heavy guitars. Yeah. Yeah. It's like. It's this beautiful. So what you're saying is you just want Opeth to play metal again. Make Opeth metal again. Yes.
I honestly don't even care if he does harsh vocals anymore. I just they buried the guitars now. It's not even they're still heavy live but they they're buried in the mix and I was like man bring them back to the forefront where they used to be. Yeah. One other cool thing is Ian Anderson is on it so that's really fucking cool. Yeah. But now Mike's being all coy about it's like well yeah we've had some correspondence. He's totally messing with everybody right now and I love it.
Everyone's like losing their shit over this
and
He said for years that he wasn't going to go back to that
and then all of a sudden, boom, here it is again
And it's so good
It has been
I don't know why it creeped into my Facebook feed
but it did
I started seeing like from Opeth fan groups
and stuff
and Opeth fan groups are those ones that have gone a little too far
sort of like, hey, let's all tell Opeth jokes
You know what I mean?
It's just like everything's themed Opeth
I got it this morning, I just want you all to know
I listen to Blackwater Park again. And people freaked out. Yeah. Everyone's losing it. Where do the elephants play into this? That's what I'm trying to understand. Are they the harsh vocals? Are they the heavy guitars? I think they're playing those heavy-ass guitars because they stomped. Are they snouts? Jesus. I don't know. Here's what I would say. Because we haven't been together in a year, I watched
Streams from Vaken beginning of August, one of which was Opeth.
And I shared this with John as they were playing.
The thing I love the most is I love Michael's sense of humor,
but also his realism to really understanding good music.
And you can hear that taste in their music, but he was playing.
And George, as you know, Vaken has three stages that are almost side by side.
Two massive ones and a smaller one to the right.
Oh, Beth was playing on that stage. And I'm like, hey, I'm really glad to see all of you here being the fact that the Scorps are playing right now, meaning the Scorpions. And he's like, let's watch them. And so they basically just filmed him and the band watching the Scorpions play at a distance. That was the funniest thing I've ever seen in years, especially from a band. Like totally like, to me, that summed up his attitude, their attitude with music. And it kind of made me more excited for this.
And so I kind of dug in a little bit to Opeth, have not given them the time that's due, but honestly, with a new track coming out, that was actually more distracting. And to listen to it and is it Last Will and the Testament, the name of the album is what I'm thinking. Yeah. But there's no song titles except for one of the songs. Everything is just section one, two, one through six, I think. Yeah. But, you know, also as that outsider who doesn't, you know, I'm not up in the know with, you know, kind of the ups and downs of Opeth. Really good song.
I mean, obviously the lack of harsh vocals has been something people have talked about for some time since maybe Pale Communion. I can't remember the name of the album. Heritage. Thank you. But yeah, John, another good point. Like, you know, good to hear those heavy guitars versus kind of that 70s prog sound. I'm totally with John on that one. To me, it's more important to get the heavy guitar sound back versus the growls because the singing is so good anyways. But it's nice to hear the growls.
But give me some real heavy guitars
It doesn't even have to be all heavy harsh vocals
You throw it in once in a while
And that's what I loved about it
He totally, I mean the harsh vocals are different
Than the previous harsh vocals
The way they were with Opeth
But he blends everything together
He's like, okay, well
We did all this other stuff after that
And we're taking that
And we're taking the earlier stuff
And we're cramming it in there
And now it's this whole new thing
That's kind of cool
Yeah, but he's not going to do Bloodbath
That's just not gonna happen ever again
And I mean
I don't care
Heavy guitars
The occasional
I don't even care if they're harsh vocals
Heavy guitars
Occasional heavy vocals
Perfect
I think it's gonna be great
Yeah
Yeah
Cause the guitars have been
Buried
It's not that they're not heavy
They're just buried in the mix
And I always got frustrated
Cause I'm like
You have two amazing guitar players in the band
And
Can't really hear them
Unless you see them live
So
No
It's cool
I know
It actually fucked up October for me. Yeah. Because now I have to pick an album of the month and October is not October. It's listober. There is a lot. It is loaded. And I'm just like, now I have to actually figure this out. Before I was like, ah, October's done. I don't have to worry about anything. Yeah. Well, there's still Debbie. Oh, there's tons.
Yeah. There's so much. I've got like 10 albums I want to get already. I love that new Debbie, both the new Debbie songs, that Jainism, the new one. That's fucking awesome. I mean, there's Cosmic Petrefaction, Yotin, Blood Incantation. Jerry Cantrell's got a new album coming out. I mean, it's not metal, but it's still going to be awesome. I've heard a little bit and it sounds good. I mean, month is crazy. Yeah. So.
We'll see.
And my list is already blown up.
Oh,
we're not even in October yet.
So I know.
Oh,
there's also mother of graves.
Swallow the sun,
black curse.
Stop.
Oh yeah.
Aronzi Pazuzu.
Stop.
Stop it.
What?
What about an elephant?
Oh,
cage the elephant.
I don't think they have anything.
Yeah.
Oh man.
All right.
So we have one more news item. What? Yeah. Iron Maiden, while still on their current tour, I'm seeing them next month, has announced another tour, their 50th anniversary tour, Run For Your Lives, which will apparently be stuff off the first, I think they said eight albums, if I recall that, like Up Through Fear of the Dark. I think it's Up Through Fear of the Dark, yeah. So, yeah. It's nine, yeah, nine studio albums. So it's the first Bruce run, basically.
Okay. Plus the first two albums, assuming? No, no. Well, yeah. I mean, all, yeah. Yeah. Up to when he left. Right. I think is what they're focused on. Yeah. So, I don't know. Can I cash in my current ticket for a next year ticket? George, where are you seeing them? In Baltimore at that arena that changes names every other year. First Mariner or C something G something. TR and I are going.
November.
Yeah, I remember.
Yeah, they're playing on both.
They're playing
in Philly and Baltimore.
And they're both, I think,
both days that they're playing,
I have my kids.
And I asked my kids if they want to go again
because they saw Iron Maiden
at the Capital One Center in D.C.
And they said no.
And I was like, really?
Come on.
You're losing them.
You're losing them. I'm losing them to you too. You know, a funny thing about me too, and I've just noticed this in this year, this tour, they're all really starting to show their age. So there won't be that many more tours. Like Steve's face is sagging. It looks pretty old. It's going to be hobble for your lives. You know who looks great still? Yannick. It's all that guitar slinging he does.
He's in the best shape of all of them.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I was wondering, is he actually going to play the guitar, or is he just like throw it around?
Yeah.
Both.
That's a fair question.
That's a fair question.
I'm definitely going to go because it's also my 50th anniversary of my birth next year, so I appreciate them honoring me on this tour.
Well, I don't think Nico's got much in the tank left.
They've had to slow a lot of songs down for him, and he's had some health issues.
Yeah.
Well, he had a stroke.
Yeah.
He admits even now, he's like, there's still some stuff I can't do.
That's why they don't play a lot of songs that they used to play, yeah.
And so.
No more Where Eagles Dare, I feel sure.
They'll just fuck it up when they come to D.C. anyway.
So, I mean, it's not like.
Yeah, I don't get another chance at.
God damn it.
What was it?
Where Eagles Dare, that was the one.
That was the one you had a problem with, right?
Our show had so many problems.
It was unreal
Yeah
The last two times I saw Maiden
There were so many issues
But yeah, that was the one that we all saw at Jiffy Loop, I think
Yep
And like
But you can just tell like in the first like half of the
I should say half of the
The first few songs I set that
It was
His ear mics or whatever were not synced up to the music
And he was
He was singing
Like not off key, but like off
Timing
Yeah
Or just not at all
It was almost like
It was like
Iron Maiden's version of a Kung Fu film from the
Yes, exactly.
Like he was like lip syncing.
Like you're not in tune with the music, dude.
George and Will will tell you.
They saw me when, when, when Eagles dare got fucked up.
My head just, I went, my head just went down.
I was like, I've waited how many years to see this song.
You saw a very special version of it.
Yes.
Oh, they had, remember they had problems with all the props in the background.
They couldn't get all the image, those big, huge, I don't know, banners or whatever they had. They couldn't get those all set up. And I was just like, and then I realized it's like what the third show of the tour. And I'm like, it's, this is always the early shows are always just crap for every band. They struggle because it's early in the tour. Not every band, but they struggle a lot early on. Yeah. I mean, it's doing it forever. I just realized the other day that it's the 40th anniversary of power slave. I don't know why I didn't know this.
Well, I'd... That's crazy. There's a reason for that coming up in a little bit, but... True story. Hmm. Oh! Rude end. Shall we move on to the new releases, then? I gotta get a beer. Although, I will say, a friend of the podcast, Eric, we are all going at the end of this month, and he's bringing his daughter. So it is a nice generational... Nice....to it. So... I just... I can't do this tour. Yeah? There's only...
I see like three songs I'm like I don't want to see the same shit over and I don't like that last album that much John do you have something against elephants is that what this is not in the room not at all all right fair I feel like there's got to be a word for like fear of elephants you know like trisca dekaphobia totally there okay it's fear of elephants I'm gonna google it all right I'm surprised you're not referencing the oliphants only like Tim oliphant
What move it? Don't you remember that? Elephants is called mice. Anyway. Wait, hold on. It's pachydermophobia. I should have known that one. Elephant phobia? I guess. Do we all have it? Is there a shot we can get? I don't know. Are you high on elephant dust?
That's elephant dander. Do they have dander? They must. Look at that skin. It's all wrinkled and dry. It's all dry and wrinkled. I'm going to go to the bathroom then. Got a mouthful of dander. All right, well, we'll just wait for everybody to come back then. Leave my ear paws in so don't talk any shit. You're listening to the...
Could you do that somewhere else? Sorry, dude. Alright, so for our listeners, I just want to let you know, I just cut out about 20 minutes of random bullshit that you're not going to hear. But it existed. So, and now we'll move on to new releases. And you can just sit and wonder what we were talking about.
The elephants are going to be pissed. I know. James needs to feel bad every time Bodie did to me. Yeah. All right. First up, we have the first album from High Parasite called Forever We Burn. This is a gothic metal album featuring Aaron from My Dying Bride. I don't know why nobody has really talked about this yet. I meant to listen to the whole thing before we recorded.
But I didn't. But I've heard a couple songs. And this is pretty fucking badass. It's better than
most recent My Dying Bride, I think.
And I know Julie agrees with me, so I've got that at least.
Yeah, I didn't say anything because I didn't know it was coming out until you said,
I can't believe nobody has been saying anything about this.
I was like, what is this?
It's pretty awesome.
I listened to the first two songs. It was good.
Yeah.
Yeah, I didn't like it.
Well, poop in your hat.
I was surprised because, you know, Aaron Stanthorpe's involved, but I thought it was kind of weak. I don't know. I haven't listened to the whole thing, so I don't know. Maybe it doesn't hold up, but the stuff I listened to, I was like, this is cool. It sounds like to me it was like a cross between like Depeche Mode, Power Metal, and Rammstein. I was like, nope, I'm done. I don't get that, but whatever. It sounded like a band cosplaying, like better goth metal, like 90s era Paradise Lost, but poppier to me. And they actually refer to their sound as death pop.
Yeah, right.
He did throw some harsh vocals in, which I always liked his harsh vocals. Yeah. You know, I wish he did them more, but when he does do them, they're really good. So I think they are. George is right here. Will House. Yeah, I think so. I'll have to go back and listen to the rest of it, but. I got to finish it too. Yeah. Can I say one thing about it? No. I'm still reacting to the 20 minutes of the podcast that we're cut out. R.I.P. 20 minutes.
It's a very internally emotional thing. Sorry. George is cutting out the best 20 minutes of the whole podcast. But I love Death Bob. You know, I should take all the stuff that I cut out at the end and just put it into a separate bonus file of just bullshit. I was just going to say, if you had the patience and time and the will, it would be great if you took that 20 minutes and just cut it up and interspersed it throughout the whole podcast. Just like pause and just inject a section and it just like, what the fuck was that all about?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Well, that's, that's too much work.
Like if you had subscribers on one of those platforms.
Yeah.
It's like our Patreon or like our only Patreon.
Yeah.
Patreon.
Here's our garbage.
Thanks for paying for it.
Isn't that super chat on YouTube to get you to pay more money?
Oh, I think they called super chat.
Okay.
Oh, if you're a subscriber, you get super chats.
You can hear us talk more.
I was thinking of a patron, like Matt said, because I know there's a couple of podcasts
that do that, that I had subscribed to.
and you get a lot of extra material. They give you the raw cut. We could do that. We could just give the free people like an hour and then be like, if you're on Patreon, you get the whole six hours. I want to apologize. When I said Patreon, I really meant OnlyFans. Oh, yeah, yeah. It's a different thing. Yeah, we could just put it under Will's account. Or Fancy, Matt. Yes, exactly. All right, next up, could it be Satan?
Yes, it is in fact Satan. And their seventh album songs in Crimson. That's so prolific these last few years. Oh, I'm very nice. I've been cranking them out and they've been touring. And I know people have been digging them. I have. I'm not a big fan, so I haven't listened to this one either. The releases have been hit or miss, but. I love the last one, like 2022. So I'm I still love Jay. Like the last album.
they put out, which I don't know how long that was ago, but Jay's saying, like, I think I have to agree, we're all big fans of Satan. Is it the band or is it kind of the D? I don't know. It sounds like Satan. It did. It was okay. I actually kind of liked it. I thought it was pretty solid, catchy, ripper like they do, right? But I like about that band, though, in that new wave British heavy metal
They kind of have a quirkiness to them. Like they got those warbly vocals. They got that kind of odd guitar phrasing. Yeah. So I do like that because they stand out a little bit more to me in that scene. So I kind of enjoyed this one. He's not a cloud rider with his vocals. He's not way up there, you know, or his vocals aren't as powerful. Well, I mean, and you guys know this well enough, but Courtney Act was like one of these kind of ones that was like Sirith Ungle's King of the Dead.
It was like it had this weird cult following
and then they were gone for years and years
They changed names, didn't they?
A couple times, Jay?
Huh?
Didn't they change names a couple times
and band members came in and out?
No, the guitarists were in another folk metal band
that I think is still around
Yeah
And they put out a bunch of records
I mean, they
and he was
the singer was in Blitzkrieg
and he also does this Alice Cooper cover band thing
But Blood Creek was kind of known. I mean, you know. They were also like known as Blind Fury and Pariah, I thought, weren't they? During, like in the interim or something? Yeah, they changed their name to Blind. They put out an album as Blind Fury in 85. At least some of the members were involved in that. Yeah, I see that here. Oh, Skyclad. Oh, yeah. I was thinking Skyclad.
Yes, we're in Skyclad. And yes, I see that Blind Fury reference on the Wikipedia page. I'm not entirely sure. But you're right. It was what, like 26 years between Satan albums, though, I think. Correct. And I think that was because it had this completely unamicable separation from the, well, he spoke about it when we interviewed him. I don't know if you remember that. Yeah. We interviewed them one time and we said, what's the, one of our questions was, what is the, the, the, the, the secret to longevity. And the singer said, don't
I was like we as a group interviewed Satan. Yeah, you were not. Yeah, we did at Maryland Death Fest one year. Yeah. You haven't been born yet, man. Yeah. It's funny because Courtney Act was like this like Holy Grail like things. And prior to them coming back, I spent years looking for that album. And I got it on CD at some point. And I was like, meh.
it on vinyl just because you couldn't get it.
And I paid through the nose for court in the act on vinyl.
And then, of course, now you can get it anywhere.
Well, but that is the whole wave they've been writing ever since.
Every time I've seen them in San Francisco a couple times,
and it's been sold out every time I see them.
I mean, people who are dedicated to that court in the act,
those are the guys who like them now.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I mean, they're a good time.
They are a good time.
It's like Angel Wish.
Don't they have that kind of cult following like Angel Witch does? Yeah. That's fair. Or I'm trying to think of something else. I mean, honestly, it would be like if Merciful Fate was never that big and they came back and did a couple records. Diamond Head. Their people are going to go. Yeah. Spot on, George. Diamond Head, definitely. And like Jay mentioned, Blitzkrieg. Blitzkrieg, yeah. Yeah. I really want to listen to Skyclad now. Yeah, Skyclad rules. I fucking know of them back in the day. When we went and saw, Sergei and I went and saw
One time, and he brought every Skyclad CD he had and made those guys sign for the longest fucking time, which they did willingly and happily. Yeah, well, Martin from Sabat is in Skyclad. Yeah, it's kind of like a super group, really. Yeah, last episode, like 12 years ago, I mentioned Sabat as my pick from the crypt, and Martin was the singer for Sabat and also for Skyclad.
What a small world. And I guess. Small island. The unanswered question is I don't know if Skyclad is still. An operation. I don't think so. And. Nope. They are active. But now about in 2017. Yep. No shit. Shit. Yeah. In relation to. My God. Skynet. Well. Well. It's. Well I'll tell you this. It's real. I'm pretty sure.
He became self-aware. Shoot. Oh, hey. Martin's not in the band anymore. Who's singing? See, this is what the Patreon fans get, is all this shit right here. Kevin Ridley. Oh, he's been the singer for 23 years. I guess Martin hasn't been in the band a while. So he's basically their Scott Travis done. I guess so. I guess so. All right. Next up, Unto Others.
Never Neverland. And I gotta tell you, that's the second to last track on the album. I really wanted him to throw in a, yeah, yeah, we're off to Never Neverland. But he didn't. Oh, no. I thought it was the last song on the album. The bonus track, the Ramones song, Pet Sematary. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Which they destroy in the best way. I mean, they kill it. It was so good. And this album is so good.
this comes out. You'll probably see that it's my album of the month because it's so freaking good. George, you're on the goth train right now. This is a lot heavier than their previous albums. You can shut your fucking mouth. It is definitely heavier and it's cool because it's like chonka chonka chonka and then they go into the gothy type stuff and then it's chonka chonka chonka. I mean, I think it's really good. It's unique bouncy pop goth and it will certainly make my top 10 rock
I don't know what's the name change.
Idle Hands.
Yes.
Thank you.
Okay.
I think they re-released the first album with.
Yes.
They did.
Two others on it then, right?
Oh, did they?
Okay.
Why did they?
What was the name change about?
Somebody else had it.
They got hit with.
What's wrong with Idle Hands UK or something?
They're not from UK.
Sounds terrible.
XJ.
It could be Idle Hands Merga.
Well, no, that would just be Idle Hands USA.
I'm trying to say Merga.
I have the first album with the idle hands name on it. Yeah. On vinyl. Or might too. Yeah. AD or X. That's how you get around it. Yeah. So I will say, and we had this conversation a while back and George and I, I think you and I came to the same revelation. Like they were good. And then we saw them live. I know for me, it was opening for King time. And I don't know if it was the same for you. That was the same revelation. Yeah. It was like, Whoa. Okay. I get this. And then like the recorded stuff.
sounded completely different after that yeah i want to share members of with silver talent i'll shoot
tangent uh king diamond just announced an american tour too a pretty hefty yep definitely how
about announcing an album silver talent in there too i didn't know that i don't know george i i hear you buddy but
when i just i have no faith in that yeah i
It's mercyless, but I don't know. I have no faith in that record coming out either. Yeah. I'm like, stop touring, make albums. I'm not giving you any more money for shows until you make an album. Was there somebody else cool on that bill, Matt? It was, oh gosh, the British kind of stoner band. Electric Wizard? No. Orange Goblin? Great option, John. No, another great option.
Son of a beast thing. Who was it? Oh, Mercur is going to be with him for some of it. Also, Overkill and Night Demon. That's kind of cool. Conan, Matt? No, it's Night Demon, I think. Oh, Night Demon. They're not stoner, though. No, they're like power metal. They're like traditional metal with thrash. Yeah, yeah, okay.
Trad, Trad's probably a better moniker. That's a pretty cool bill. And that actually is probably a better way to describe what I'm talking about. More Patreon material. More OnlyFans, I'm just saying. You can take my shirt off. Next time on Patreon, we're going to feature all of us picking our butts and talking about what toppings we like on pizza featuring Dave from Mortis Gold. And that pizza will be called Uncle Acid and then Dead Beats. Yeah, no. That's what I'm talking about.
Yeah, they were on that. I skipped them. Hey, we haven't casted in a while. We deserve to have a little fun. Yeah, we do. Yeah, we do. And my fun, we mean fun with a P-H-U-N. Yeah. I think I have the name of the episode now. Anybody else want to say nice things onto others? I listened to it. I thought it was all right. Absolutely not. Well, screw you. Oh, wow. It's really good, Josh. It is really good.
All right. Last new release. Winterfelleth. The Imperious Horizon. Eighth album. UK black metal. Comes to no surprise as anybody I'm sure that I have not listened to this. What did you listen to? He listened to one album. He listened to one album. Which is more rock than metal. You're getting weak in your old age here. George, you gotta get some metal in you. Oh, I have all the metal.
than you will ever have in you. No surgeries. Because I'm older. Metal Musil. Yeah, Metal Musil. Metal Musil. No, no, you don't have to do the spoonful stuff, man. You can get the tablets or the pills. You're fine. Gummies. Well, I thought this was a really strong release. It's good. It has that frostbitten atmospheric darkness you expect, but I just feel like there's something about this album that kind of revitalizes their sound for me a little bit.
They're not doing anything differently, really. So maybe it's the production or the pacing that resonates with me. But I just I liked it a bit more than I expected. And I really love the track Silent Grace because it has vocals from Alan Alvaro on it, a primordial. And that was a really great surprise because his voice works so well with that song. And I actually felt more passion from him on that track than I did on all of their last record, which I just I didn't care for it.
I keep listening to it and I just don't care for it. Last record of Winterfelleth or last record of... Primordial. Primordial, okay. Yeah. So yeah, I really like that. I think this is a really strong record. Cool. I'll have to give it a little spin before the end of the year. Do it. All right. Shall we move on to what we are listening to?
I think we shall. Marcus, what are you listening to? What am I listening to? All right. The first thing I have on my list is eccentric pendulum. Perspectiva.
Inter Invertalis on Subcontinental Records. So Arun from Moral Collapse sent me a message to let me know about this album. And he plays guitar and bass on it and he performs vocals on it just like he does on Moral Collapse. And it's pretty great. I didn't even know anything about this. So Eccentric Pendulum plays relentless progressive death metal with daubs of thrash dropped into it. There's none of that ambient stuff to ponder like the last
It's just scorching prog death track after track. So is it from India? Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Cool. Yeah. Nice. He messaged me from time to time just because he knows I like moral collapse. He just sends me emails, which is kind of cool. So and even though the band has a drummer on this, they still got motherfucking Hannes Grossman to play on one of the tracks. Yeah. It's on the first moral collapse. Exactly. But they got it. He's not. He doesn't.
I'm playing the whole thing on this one just on one track. It's all they can afford. It's really good. It's really good. His rates are going up. I just listened to it like a couple days ago, I think. So, but I've spun it a bunch of times, but you should definitely check it out, John. Yeah, I'm still waiting for my second Moral Collapse CD to show up. It's only two years late. Oh, serious. Tell your buddy, man. I'm going to tell him. Yeah, I will. I was like, yeah, I'm not even going to.
Piss on this one.
This is one of the few I just gave up on.
I was like, eh, whatever.
I never got it.
I was into them when the first album came out.
Big time.
Because I had them on my...
I think they made my top 10, maybe?
Now they're on your shit list.
The first one was really high for me.
Yeah.
Not on my shit list.
I was just annoyed because when that last one came out, there was still a lot of issues
with shipping on stuff.
And it was coming from India. Not that you can't get stuff from India. I was just like, I don't know what happened here. And I'm just not in the mood to chase after another fucking CD or LP that's not showing up. So I let it go. Well, I'm going to tell him that you tell him you say, yeah, he sent me stuff. I got like a signed copy, a test pressing of the first moral collapse record from him. So, I mean, I guess we're kind of buddies. I don't know. Tell your buddy to get with it. I will.
I will do that. All right. So the next one on my list is Furton ethos on AOP records. It's a mesmerizing, heavy atmospheric black and post metal album layered with piano violins. There's a dulcimer on there since choral arrangements. It's really good. It's still heavy, even though it has all that stuff in it. Not metal. Much more metal than onto others. It has a very rich sound to it.
So it's very black metal. Just happens to have a lot of stuff going on in it. And then the next one on my list is Blighted Eye, Agony's Bespoke on Beyond the Top Records. It's really well done, melodic, progressive, block and death with some doom passages in there. These guys got a MyRadar back in 2020. They put out an EP called Wretched. So it's kind of cool to see them put out a full length. Four years later, they've definitely leveled up.
with the songwriting, the musicianship. So it's really, it's a strong release. I think maybe it could have been cut down a little bit, but it's pretty good. Then Invocation, The Archaic Sanctuary, and then in parentheses, Ritual Body Postures on Iron Bonehead Records. This one is a gargantuan gem of atmospheric black death from Chile. And I think it's a pretty massive standout in the death genre,
because the riffs are some of the most crushing that I've heard this year. And the drumming is really fucking good. It's incredibly dynamic. And the album just delivers that perfect ambiance, you know, that kind of down in a forgotten catacomb of eternal oozing darkness feeling that always makes me feel so safe and warm. Will, you should listen to that one, Invocation. I think you'd like that one for sure. Invocation is the name of the album or the band? Band. Okay, got it.
I'll look for it right now. I think, well, everybody might like it, but I think in particular you would. Dead Sacraments, The Pale Temple, and Others, an independent release. This is a Chicago band. They play big doom riffy dungeon metal with vocal harmonies, and it features three out of four members from a band called Angel Eyes, which is no longer. And they had this kind of a dark, doomy sound that mixed in a lot of ambient textures.
And I really love that band. It's actually one I should probably do on Pick from the Crypt one day. But I also wanted to mention, too, that the cover for this Dead Sacraments album was digitally painted by our friend Luke Orem, who has been on the podcast before. I've been seeing him post some stuff lately. Oceans of Slumber, Where God's Fear to Speak on Season of Mist Records. This is a band that I have liked over the years.
And I especially love their last record, but it was not metal. It was more mellow, kind of a progressive rock sound. So I was kind of surprised when we got the promo for Where God's Feared to Speak and discovered that it's like the heaviest and the best thing that they've done. Just truly excellent cinematic progressive metal with gorgeous vocals on it. And I'm just really impressed by this release. I've spun it a lot. And then the last one on my list.
is going to be my album of the month for September. And that is Pierron, Exhaust. And that's on Willow Tip Records. And they play progressive, experimental, technical death that has elements of grind, math, core, punk, noise rock. It's a fucking dense and just intricate record with these whiplash riffs, contorted song structures. But it's also weirdly accessible. And it's just absolutely refreshing.
and an unhinged ferocity. And man, I can't get enough of this thing. I just keep playing it over and over. It's like maybe about 38 minutes. So it goes pretty fast. I am dying to see this band live because I feel like they will just destroy the stage when I see them play. Because I hear that they're just very animated on stage and the music is just savage. So I love Piran. So there you go, John. You can lock that bitch.
What do you think I'm doing right now? See, what he doesn't know is when they say animated, they mean it's kind of like gorillas. They're like animated on the screen. They're not actually there. They're cartoons. Yes. Or like elephants. Could be going to say. The elephant that's locked in the room. Now we need Macedon to release an album titled Elephants. No, it'll be Pachyderms. Pachyderms could do that. But Pachyderms could be a number of different animals.
I mean,
I mean,
right.
I can write letters.
I'll write letters to people.
I don't know.
Matt,
what are you listening to?
Oh,
here's the thing.
Like we haven't podcasted in about 18 months and I'm going to be honest because if I bring anything to this podcast,
which is nothing really other than honesty,
I have not listened to a lot of new music.
Honestly,
um,
got into a lot of podcasts.
Honestly,
this stairway to 11 one,
which also,
um,
The Requiem Metal Podcast has this episode about Crip Sermon. It's like eight hours long. I think I'm about... What? Nobody can be longer than us. I'm like 164th of the way through it, but it's really good. So you know the 10 minutes? Well, it's great because they have the band members on and I think Albert's on and they get other people to talk about the band. It's pretty cool. Year-end episode, 10 hours. They do 10 hours. You gotta take the crown back. They're scholars. We're at, you know,
Find me on onlyfans.com. Anyways. So in terms of new music, obviously, as George mentioned, Unto Others, the new Rip to Shreds. I need to hear that. She is good. We have it in the promo box, Hell is Other People. I don't know where I'm at with that album, but I'm super intrigued by the name. I like it. I just don't know how much, you know, where it's going to kind of land in that. Earthship, the album is Soar. They have members from another band, I believe they're called Grin.
or Grin, I think. Which is so funny. I don't know if that was on my 2024 list or my 2023 list. You definitely had it, yeah. I don't know if it was that mid-year or if it was last year. That's a good, I don't know. It's essentially it's like German kind of sludge, psychedelic metal. And Earthship is the same thing. I found this band Hybrid Chaos, Subliminal Abyssal Carnage. It says they have a vocalist, but you don't really hear vocals in it. It kind of sounds like,
Gorguts, but with some different production values and settings. Very interesting. IOTUN mention. Good stuff. Rorkel, a band I love. They have an album out live at Soul Crusher with some Roman numerals, which I just don't know what they are. New Coffin Rot's good. So this band, Evangelist, with an A-E symbol. So I remember them when they were not what they are now, because I didn't realize there was some beef.
And now they're like a different band. It was like two people and this person has taken it on and the other person's like, no, we don't exist. The other person's like, we do exist. There's a big fucking elephant in between them. Wow. What's it like now? Ecstasis Meta. If I could tie it to any sound, it would be Bluto Snored, which I'm a huge fan of. Also mentioned Glacial Tomb. Lightless Expanse is really good. Glare of the Sun, TAL.
as their album title. I found this band Fudget Fugit Fugit Astral Consciousness Total Like Ambient Black Metal. Normally something I would not gravitate towards but I really enjoy it. Piran as you've mentioned. I saw them with Iwata at what would be the equivalent of a VFW. Fucking Melt in My Face. Black Curse has a new album out. Burning Incestual Poison. And I'll also mention
There's preorder up for fewer repercussions of the self for me. I like how Matt's like, oh, I haven't listened to much. Here's 30 albums for you. Well, I'm just, no, here's the thing. I'm just scrolling down the screen reading off what are highlights for me. I have to go back and like, just like heads could roll. And so I'm just being nice, giving people time because they all deserve it. But like the ax is going to fall. The other shoe's going to drop. People are fucked. So.
You should run for office. Yeah. Making podcasting great again. Yeah. All right. John. I think that should be your new band name. Matt. Big fucking elephant. I like it. Fucking elephant. You're down with BFE. That's BPHE. It's like incident.
Big Dick energy.
Did you go to the circus recently?
No, I went to a ministry concert.
They had elephants there, I guess.
So I didn't realize it's been 18 months.
I thought it was only a year since we last podcast, but Matt said it's been 18 months.
My list is stuff I listened to like the last couple of days.
Because it's been so long, I don't want my list to be as long as Matt's. Even though he said he didn't have anything that he listened to other than podcasts. Way to throw him under the elephant, John. I've retired. Way to have the elephant squash him. I'm crushing your head. Way to have the elephant hit Matt with his trunk. I'm on a sabbatical. But here's 50 albums I've listened to. Yeah, exactly. All right, so some of my albums haven't been released yet. Actually, three is
The Five I have listed haven't been released yet. So I have listed. Are you from the future? Is that what you're saying? Perhaps. I am Darth Vader from Planet Vulcan. I like it. I like where this is going. All right. So my first one has three of the six songs released so far and has Blood Incantation's Absolute Elsewhere, which releases next Friday. Bandcamp Friday.
This album is fucking awesome. Will, sorry. It's got some ambient stuff on it, so you'll only like half of it probably. Is there any saxophones, flutes, or children singing? No. Okay, I'm good. All right. I just got my decibel with them on the cover today. Me too. I need to. Decibel gave this a 10 in the previous episode. They have three songs up, so I guess they have Starkey is the first song, but it's
and it's three different sections, tablets, they call them. It's awesome. It's good. I sent George a message. I said they figured out the cheat code between 2020's, you know, progressive technical death metal meets 70's Pink Floyd and Tangerine Dream. They got the cheat codes to it. I mean, it's all that stuff's happening in their songs, which is kind of crazy. Nice. I love it. To build on what you're saying, John, I apologize for interrupting, but I believe there,
is a documentary that goes along with the making of this album, which I feel like, you know, that kind of thing should definitely go hand in hand in terms of, you know, what we digest for this kind of thing. Yeah, they're getting bigger, more grandiose with their sound. And still death metal, but they've added all the Tangerine Dream type-esque ambience in Berlin school stuff that's going on. I actually got a notification that my vinyl shipped for that, so I think we can get it. Awesome.
I also got the vinyl but I also got that book set with the DVD off it so mine's probably
gonna take forever because whenever they have to send both out at the same time it's like oh my god what do we do we can't send them both out at once so bastards all right my next album hasn't been released yet and is coming out on October 11th and that is Aranti Pazuzu I can't even pronounce it so I'm just gonna say shapeshifter that's what it is in English it's their latest
Installment of their insane psychedelic black metal, if you want to even call it that anymore. It's ominous. It's chaotic, cosmic, psychedelic landscapes. They still are going all over. This one's even bigger and more intense. Jay, I think you, I know you and I had a moment with them at your place drinking beers and hanging out with your cat, who seemed to like the music, which was kind of cool. She's never been the same, John. What's that? She's never been the same. No, well, that's, I mean, I saw,
how she was long looking out the window the other day for waiting for something to come which is oddly what my cat does all day long um yeah if you're a fan of this band oh man this is gonna be awesome it's i like the album a lot it's you gotta be into that dark psychedelic black metal meets kraut rock if that's your thing then you put on that psychedelic snuggie and you let it just take you off in that cosmic
You don't have to get high. Ride the elephant. Ride the elephant, baby. I think that's what's going on. Matt listened to this album and he's on an elephant now. You're listening to it and you realize I'm not even actually sitting on furniture. I'm floating above it. I'm just floating. What happened? Wow, that guy screams. That's crazy. Next album was coming out on October 11th. It's now been delayed until November 22nd. That's the first two installments.
sections or whatever you want to call it from opus the last will and testament we already talked about it you know it's going to place on my list if it's if it's anything like that first part then yeah it'll place high all right so uh the next album this actually has been released and it's a couple years old and that's angra's cycle of pain after seeing their set and being convinced by my new prog power friend ryan about i should get checking
out because it's more proggy and not as much power metal. And I was like, yeah, well, let me see about that. I'll be the judge of that. Let me judge this, Ryan. I listened to it. I was like, damn it. He was right. Thank you. This is awesome. I immediately bought it. I've been spinning it a lot. It's cool. And George, it's got the singer. I think his name is Fabio Leon from Rhapsody. Yeah. Wow. So he's a great singer. Oh, he is. But he's obviously,
He's not the same as the other guys that were in anger. And everyone's all like, he's not the guy, Andrew Mateos, who passed away years ago. Everyone's losing their shit in Brazil, apparently. At least that's what one guy on the internet said. Man, my weirdest interview ever was interviewing Rhapsody on their tour bus. It was just fucked up. And they're all Italians, right? Yeah, they're all like, what are you talking about? Yeah. Not that there's anything wrong with it. Who is this guy under the bus? I've heard that interviews can, language,
Yeah.
It's like the whole band sitting around us on the bus
and like just staring at you.
Yeah.
And you know, this was early on.
I was not much of an interview.
And I never published it.
I don't even know where it is.
It was like on a, like a cassette recorder kind of thing.
And I have no idea where that went.
So I'm sort of picturing the Chris, uh,
Oh, what's his name?
You know, the Saturday Night Live, uh, interview.
Oh, Chris Farley.
Yes.
When you like any of you, Paul McCartney and stuff.
Remember that time when you were in the Beatles?
And you're like in the Beatles? That was cool. Do you remember that? Damn it! I always ask stupid questions. Anyway, that guy, the singer, Fabio Leon, he did a moment where he did some operatic singing, like a real Italian singer, meaning like the tenor type singers or whatever you want to call them. Yeah, sure. It was amazing. Because you hear him singing the metal stuff, but then when he did that style, vocals.
That was cool. I'm not even a fan of that stuff. But the talent's there. It's amazing. So anyway, last album, Typhonian. It's the name of the band. The album is The Gate of the Veiled Beyond. Second album from a German death metal band, which now sees them kind of incorporating some more black and death with some froggy stuff going on. A lot of melodic black and death metal mixed in. I picked up their EP in 2021, The Cosmic Pendulum of Time. It's got a whole space thing going on here.
which was cool and I like this one and it just so happens that it's now going to be my
September album of the month one because I like it and two it's the only thing I really listened to new this month
but I just I it was all prog power this month I mean I had to prep and then it just took over and then like I said I listened to all those albums that haven't been released yet and there's more I mean I've listened to Mother of Graves and the Yoten album they're both
But that Typhonian album is fucking awesome, John. I agree. It's kind of wild. I mean, I didn't expect the whole blackened, melodic black stuff to be incorporated. I like the last one, but this one is like way, way better. And they've got a whole epic track at the end and all these crazy keyboards. It's just kind of wild. So it's cool. You know? So I saved all those other albums that are coming out in October for next year when we get together again to talk about
I know I really wanted to talk about the Yotan but I'm saving it. It's good. Listen to it today in the car. All right, Will. Oh, technology. I have no idea how to push a button. That's not what I heard. I'll go through quick. Glacial Tomb, you guys talked about that. Lightless Expanse. That is my
It is. Ben from Chemist from Glacial Tomb. Just incredible. Apep. These are a kind of like I think they're a German band that does a lot like Nile. Does kind of like I don't want to say rips off Nile but they kind of worship Nile. It's all about Egyptian folklore and stuff like that. The name of the album is Before Whom Evil Trembles.
Check it out. Hyperdontia, Death Metal Band, their album Harvest of Malevolence. And then Deceased, who I know these guys pretty well at this point. They're from Arlington, Virginia. Their new album, Children of the Morgues. It's like a deathy thrash. It's Deceased. You know what you're going to get. It's great. And then speaking of Niall, Niall in the Underworlds awaits us. I think it was my previous album of the month.
for August.
I'll check.
Because we haven't done a podcast in like two years.
So I'm rolling through these pretty quick.
Where the hell have I been?
It keeps going up.
Yeah.
Kind of like a stoner rock metal band duel.
If you know these guys.
Breakfast with Death.
I really love this album.
And so like I know you guys have no problem putting things that are absolutely not fucking metal.
Like less metal than clutch on your list. And so I would put this on my list. That's kind of pushing it well. Let's be honest. No, it's not. I will bite my tongue really fucking harder. I've never put the Krucik album on, but you know. Well, yeah. Anyway. Let's switch topics because this is coming to me real soon, I'm sure, but I'm going to be the next target here, so. Yeah. Hollywood vampires. Anyway. But anyway, Duel Breakfast with Death. It's a great album.
It's kind of stoner metal rock. It's more in the rock category for me, but I love it. Void Witch, which I think I'm pretty sure Justin told me about. These guys, it's like a death doom. The name of the album is Horoplating Presence. Decibel Pandit. Man, I really love this album. It is very, it's about as close as you're going to get to Temple of Void. And Decibel's criticism
was that they're kind of like like all the bits and pieces are there it's just like the album is kind of all over the place which it kind of is a little bit but god damn like when it's on it's on i just love it void which and then god the throne the judas their album judas paradox um i'm kind of digging this one because it kind of gets back to more of their roots their last couple albums it just have been like yeah yeah i'll skip i'll pass i was gonna listen to it but then decibel like gave it a really
I didn't.
Well, I mean, but it's like, the problem is like, God the Throne was so good for so long. And their last couple albums just haven't been that great. This one is way better than probably the last two albums. I don't remember the name of them because they're easy to forget. But yeah, this new one's good. Give it a listen.
All right.
And I'm done.
All right.
And I'm spent.
I like that.
And I'm done.
All right.
You got Metal Thunderdome too.
Mine's pretty short here
That's what I heard
But I wasn't going to say anything
God damn it
You can't say anything
It's like you can't say anything anymore
No you can't
But I do want Will to know
I've never watched The Sopranos either
The Vandenplausse record
Continues to pay dividends
Also I'm still listening to
I agree
Glacial Tomb is great
My album as well
I read an article in the New York Times or something, and they were talking about this new Surge Tankian release, and I was like, okay, I'll check it out. It's fun and great. It's a little EP. It's at least a system of down adjacent, so it's worth your time if you're a system of down guy. And it's apparently songs from the last 30 years. He just wrote a memoir or something. I was really glad I checked it out and listened to it a couple times. And the only other thing I'll mention today is that Venom just
released a live record from 1984 live in London. I don't think it's the live at the Hammersmith video thing. I don't think. But in any case, it's really cool. I have the original three member. This cool live record come out and I hadn't listened to Venom in a little while. So I picked it up right away. And I love it. It's just the classic lineup, classic songs recorded during the classic times. Nice. And then a lot of other stuff, too. But that's all. That's what I have. That's closest to being.
All righty. I don't have a very long list and you know, half of it's not even metal. So go fuck myself, but
but the first one is
and nobody's mentioned it yet except tangentially with the 40th anniversary of power slave. And that is the new Ashen Horde song back in the village. Oh, that's so cool that he did that. I haven't listened to it yet. It's good. Trevor songs on that record. Our friend Trevor
working with our pal, Carl Chamberlain. And Carl just rips the shit out of this. He knocks it out of the park. So this is a really... That's what George put together. It's a really cool version of Iron Maidens back in the village. So good on Bandcamp. Check that shit out. Awesome. Okay, moving out of the realm of metal for a moment. I've been sort of deep diving the dead milkmen. Oh, wow. Sweet.
Yeah, I like the dead milkman. Is that because you found a big lizard in your backyard? Exactly. See, you know who they are. You know who they are. Oh, I know. I do. Yeah. It's like junior high years. Are you stalking him again, Will? Yeah. What do you mean by again? Still. Still. Yeah. You know, I've been an off and on fan of them for a long time. Beals of Bubba was my album that I picked up in high school that I really loved, and that has the big song Punk Rock Girl on there. And I heard that on the radio the other day, and I was just like, man, I need to
dig into this.
And so I went and spent a fortune on,
on Cobas to get like most of their albums.
There's still two of them that are just too expensive,
uh,
to pay for digitally.
It's like,
I'm not paying 15 bucks for an album digitally.
Um,
however,
the CDs cost twice as much if you can find them.
Uh,
so I'm not sure what I'm going to do there,
but anyway,
big dead milkman fan.
And just,
and you know,
I didn't even know they were back together again.
They've,
they've had a few albums and they had one last year.
It's called Quaker City Quiet Pills. And there is a really cool song, depending on your way of thinking. The opening track is called Grandpa's Not a Racist, He Just Voted for One. And it's pretty good. So there's that. John left right before I was going to talk about his band, so we're going to wait. It's all John's fault. We're going to wait. This is going on the Patreon.
Is it rock or is it going to be metal? It's rock. You guys keep talking about Patreon and I've heard of it, but what is it? I don't know either. It's a thing where people can sign up and they pay X amount of dollars a month. I don't know if it's, I think you can like, there's a set amount. And then you get extra things. So sometimes the podcast will put it up. It's sort of like a Kickstarter for things. It's ongoing though.
So it's like you pay like a
it's almost like a subscription.
Right.
So they usually have tiers like you might be able to pay a dollar a month or you
and you get something extra.
You pay like five.
What do you get?
Like you get a photograph?
You like you get like.
It depends on what the.
Like you get a BJ.
Like what do you get?
It depends on what it is.
With podcasts it's extra content.
It's catered to fans.
Like just only fans of our podcast.
So I recently.
No I shouldn't say about a year ago I figured out what only fans was because there was a
show on Netflix or something about like OnlyFans like what the fuck is this oh okay porn yeah all right so next up is Marillion and I listened to two of their albums uh you know back in the day I I would look at these guys and go oh look at that album cover these guys got to be metal let me listen to some of that
and go, oh no, this sucks. And so I never really got into them like I probably should have because now I went back and I listened to Misplaced Childhood and Clutching at Straws and Not America, but fuck yeah. It's really cool. And so, John, thank you. You're welcome. Yeah.
dig into some of their other stuff. Also, Two Fish and his solo stuff. So we'll see where that goes. All right. Every dog has his day in the sun. It only takes me just years to get in the sun. But eventually you all come around. That's right. Eventually it happens. Someday I'll be standing at your grave, John, and I'll say, I'm sorry, I was. Yeah. And I'll say, God damn,
He had great hair.
And then John's hand will reach up out of the ground and grab you by the throat and pull you down.
Hell yeah.
Down to the depths of my hill.
Which is probably Steel Panther.
Yeah.
That's more like purgatory because I'd be like, just send me to hell.
All right.
All right.
Two more.
This one has been mentioned.
Nile, The Underworld Awaits Us All, their 10th album.
Maybe not as good as the previous one, but still pretty cool. And finally, Zeal and Ardor, Grief, their fourth album, Swiss avant-garde metal. I know Marcasson's not going to like it, but I don't care. This one is just as awesome as the last one. I don't know why you singled me out. Because you hate everything. I don't hate everything. Although, I did go, I saw Glass and Who I Love. I hate everything. Sorry.
Yeah, that's not true. Okay, that's fair. Dislikes most things. Okay, we'll go with that. Although, Zeal Narder played with glassing, and I just went and saw glassing and left before Zeal Narder came on, because I really don't care for that. Oh my god! Like him? That's all that matters. It's so good. It's a bit heavier. It's not metal, is it? It is. It is. That one I would consider metal, actually. And I thought John would be into this one, because it's a lot proggier. It's like proggy metal. If there's even a debate, it means it's not metal.
And it means clutch can be my number one again. Thank you. That's all. See, I don't debate that one too much because it's never going to be on my list. You know, you know, well, I'm going to retroactively reinstate that number one for you. Okay. You heard it here. We're going to reinstate that right now. I mean, everybody's got that's only because your number one, your top five for the last like five years, hardly any of it's been metal. That's why. George. Oh, okay. Well, yeah. And,
And Jay was the time too. George has gotten a little softer. I remember in the beginning when I first started listening to the pocket, he was a little heavier. He's getting a little softer. I'm not getting softer. I'm just not as interested in hearing the same albums repeated over and over again. You know? Wait. Repeat what you just said? I'm not interested in hearing certain albums repeated over and over again. I remember when someone in his podcast said that and got shit for saying that. Well, now I'm saying it.
It's the rule now. I see. If I say it, it's gold. Yeah, exactly. If I say it, I'm just some drunk old dude on the side of the road looking for a ride home. I mean, I still like death metal and black metal, but there's not a whole lot going on that I've heard that's particularly innovative. And so I'm looking for things that are weirder, stranger. I have a lot of innovative stuff on my list. So does John. George is just much of strange. I get it.
George is looking for Stranger Things. That's exactly right. That should have been a really strange Stranger Things. My friend Holly really likes that ZL Niter record, George. I know. I talked to her on Facebook about it. One bone. George, my little sister really likes that record. I still like George. I'm trying to find that in with him. You're sort of trying, but you're not trying that. I'm trying. He threw me under the bus.
I got a deaf friend who's really into that. Some guy posted a message online and liked it. And next time on Metalhead's podcast, oh wait, there aren't going to be anymore because fuck you guys. Cutting out so much, this episode is going to be like 14 minutes long. I mean, this is usually when we finish an interview at this point. That's true. That's true. This is one of those times where
You know George got cut all that crap out because we're giving him shit. You just want to hear it. No, no, I'll leave it at him. For the rest of the podcast, I guess he's... George made a declaration. I really like this Thunderdump, Zelenardo. And, uh... Yeah. George made a declaration. He said he's not editing the podcast anymore, so maybe it's all about you. He just said he was editing out 20 minutes already today. Yeah. No, I gave up on that real quick because you guys are assholes. Wow. Has anything changed since the last time we met a year ago?
We're not assholes. We're just full of zeal. And art ardor. You're my assholes. Sorry, I'm trapped in this 20-minute vortex of lost footage. But still, on the next Metal Heads podcast, you're watching The CW. You're welcome, listeners. This is starting to feel like the Jane's Addiction reunion, isn't it? Oh, a little bit. A little bit. A little bit.
Who's Dave Navarro? Well, you yelled at me on stage. You totally just yelled at me on stage. I'm just sitting here playing. I just said that because you always dislike them when I bring them up. That's all. I would just say for the record, Jay cut me. He circumcised his elbow. I can never be a military brother to Will, but we are brothers. We were in the trenches together for a few years.
of the skin flap. I touched your blood. You ate it, right? You ate the force of the skin? Yeah, you ate it. Fried it up with some fava beans. And you're talking the number eight, not A-T-E, correct? Yes. No, he ate it. It tasted like cabbage. It's weird. Jay has it in a vial. It's part of his wind chimes on Sunday. I was eating kimchi for lunch the day before. I don't think I know her. I never liked kimchi.
It's great how we can all hold six different conversations at once and still be talking about the same stuff. Did anybody watch the documentary on Paramount Plus? It's like a three part thing. About what? Wallapalooza. I'm kind of tangentic. I'm building on the peripheral thing. No, but I did just watch and I hope I'm not just cutting you off there. OnlyFans?
You gotta watch the one Will on Pete Rose. Oh. Oh, I did start that. I didn't finish it. Is it new? Yeah. I think it's pretty new. Yeah, within the last couple months. Oh, man. They screwed him. He screwed himself. You totally did. Fuck that guy. Oh, I love him. I think he's an amazing player. He screwed himself. All he had to do was keep his mouth shut for one year. Watch the documentary and you'll really realize how much he screwed himself. He screwed. Totally.
They just wanted to make an example out of him for one year. Yeah, well, granted he is an asshole, but he's still Charlie Hustle, man. He's always. No, he was an amazing player. Yeah. He never bet on his own team. Exactly. I'm like, hey, if Shuba's joke is not going in, fuck that guy. He's not going in. He never bet on his own team to lose. Yeah, exactly. Oh, is that what it is? He bet on his own team to win? Well, he did bet on the Reds?
I finally admitted he bet on the Reds. Well, if you're betting on yourself to win, then so what? If you're betting on yourself to lose and you purposely, as the player manager, lose the game. Yeah, then you can throw the game. But to win, whatever. So here's the argument in the documentary, though. And the argument in the documentary is that what you said is true. What you guys just said is true. But if you should be saving a reliever for a Thursday night's game, but you're pretty sure you can win the game,
you bet on if you put that reliever in tonight. All right, that's fair. Choices that aren't best for the team. Or you could follow the number one first rule in the book of baseball. You don't bet on baseball. That is the number one rule of Fight Club. You don't bet on Fight Club. Literally, you were told that every spring training, you don't bet on baseball. But now if it happens here in the era of DraftKings and all that shit, forget it.
I like the rest of us.
I'm still on that chillest Joe mountain. I'm not coming off until he if he goes in, then Pete Rose can go in. Wow. Wow. Joe got basically booted because he couldn't read or write. I'm not throwing Georgia bone here. I watched a documentary recently. I don't know if he likes this, but it is a rock documentary series for the tragically hip, which is a band that I love. Oh, yeah, I was excellent. It was one of the best. I want to see that because they're like Canadian royalty. Yeah, these songs about Canada.
Like, Geddy Lee's in it. It was excellent. I watched all four parts in a row. Rush is Canadian royalty. These are like princes and princesses. I think the Tragically Hip is probably the biggest band from Canada of all time, John. I obviously love Rush. Really? I never heard of them. Yeah, you have.
Fuse ever. In Canada, for sure, yes. Okay, we're going on Canadian sales, whoopie doo. Yeah, when you convert that to American sales, it's not even close. No, seriously, I think they're the biggest ban from Canada of all time. I think you might be right. They are a pretty big deal. Worldwide sales or Canadian sales? Yeah, I gotta believe that. It's about, yeah, sales from Canada, but also just being beloved in Canada. Oh, okay, that's fine. There is no ban.
That compares, I don't think. You know, Canadians are weird. Did you finish your stuff, George? Yes, I did. We are ready to move on to Thunderdome whenever you are. Yeah, it doesn't matter. This is all getting cut out anyway. No, I'm leaving this one. I'm leaving this one.
So, Will, I think you're going to walk us through your Thunderdome. My Thunderdome is... So, I had to come up with this on the fly because I was under the gun. I had about 500 things going on the last week and not much of it was good. So, I put one together. So, I put it... I pitted
The Memus Satanist. Satanist. Released in 1914. 2014, sorry. 2014 against Primordials or Greater Men Have Fallen. Correct. Which is also released in the same year. Both of them used to be a little bit more black metal than they are in 2014. Like the earlier years. You know, they both still wear the corpse paint.
and everything. So I thought it'd be interesting to just put these guys together because they're very different now than they were when they first started off. I mean, you hear the early primordial stuff and it's very much in the black metal realm. And Behemoth still is kind of in the black metal realm. It's very much more into the epic death metal realm when the
by the time they get to the satanist but anyway i thought it'd be
interesting to put these two together they're both released in 2014 both roots in black metal
both popular 10 years ago already wow yeah yeah in 10 years yeah so uh so go mug is on yeah no i thought
it was a good thunderdome well and i'm happy you finally got to do one of these because i remember we
talked about it like i've never done this thunderdome it's been forever so i'm glad you get to finally
It's been a hot minute. Yeah. So when I saw this pick, I initially thought it was going to be stupid easy for me because I'm such a big fan of Primordial, but it actually turned out to be a little bit harder decision than I anticipated because I listened to The Satanist again and it made me remember how good it is. So I really love the scope of that record, the symphonics on that album. It's got that kind of a deep burn delivery in the songs, which was
was different for them and I remember
at the time there was a really long wait for this
record because I think Nurgle got
cancer like
right prior to
this release so there was like a ton of anticipation
and expectation
and then the Satanist came out and it
just felt really good to see the band just
crush it because a lot of people
love this record like it's their favorite
of the Behemoth records
but doesn't it have children singing
no
I thought it was this one okay
I do have one. No, that was like 10 years after that. It was after. It was like eight years after that. It was a couple years ago. Yeah, because I was on the cast when that came out. Okay. But, you know, even though, you know, I really dig listening to that one again, I still have to go with Primordial here because I just, I love where greater men have fallen. I listen to this record pretty regularly and I've only really spun the Satanist a handful of times. One of my favorite tracks,
on this primordial record is wheeled lightning to split the sun the closer and i just feel like the whole album it's more emotionally satisfying and passionate uh to me than than maybe all of the primordial records just because of alan uh avril's vocal performance on that it probably ranked three for me because i love gathering wilderness into the nameless dead but i mean we're talking like inches here uh
As we usually are with Will. Size matters. Yeah. So my final answer for you, Will, is Primordial, Where Greater Men Have Fallen. Okay. There's no bad choices here, I can tell you that, boys. Matthew. So this is awkward. It's actually not pronounced the Satanist, it's pronounced the Santanist. And this is a Carlos Santana tribute album. And when you approach it like that,
And I was the exact opposite, approaching it, thinking that Santanis was going to be my choice, just because I'm so big into Behemoth, Santana, and then their collaboration with Shakira. But there is, there's just something about Primordial. Shake your devil. And because I'm such a child, I would equate, like listening to Primordial is like U2-esque black metal, or it's listening to The Departed with black metal. There's, you know, both of these albums have their, like,
Anthem-esque qualities. They're just in a slightly different fashion. With Behemoth, it's kind of that death
metal with those blackened undertones. With Primordial, it really is kind of that rawness of, like,
you know, the word folk is so, you know, it just has so many meanings. I don't know the other word to say that, but it is, it's kind of that Celtic, but not Celtic, it's almost like that IRA-esque folk metal that goes and you kind of
I feel the people in their struggle with life and at the end of the day I do have to go with
primordial and for greater men of fall which is a huge shock which that is for me to talk about to
myself in the mirror in the bathroom or some men's room um on onlyfans.com thank you by the way Matt uh this is going to be awkward is the name of your sex tape from now on
Well, it'll be the name of his second sex tape. Let me apply for the copyright. All right, then, John, if you'd like to follow that. I got trunk phobia from all Matt's talk today. So this was so beyond ease. This is by far, I've been
The Easiest Thunderdome for me. It's Primordial all the way. I never really got into Behemoth like you guys. I mean, I saw them. I think I saw them with Will and George at that. Didn't they play with Slayer? Yeah. When we saw them. And the show was good. I mean, I enjoyed the show, but I never really got into them. So it's Primordial, especially this period of Primordial. You know, The Gathering,
Wilderness Through Where a Great Amount Have Fallen is just all four albums are just awesome. I mean, I don't even hear really black metal that much on those albums more than I hear just extreme folk. I mean, maybe pagan black metal, which is definitely not like regular traditional black metal. There's so much more emotion. It's epic sounding, you know. And one of the one of the best probably opening songs to an album in what the last 10 years.
Easily. The title track. The whole album's great. Primordial all the way for me. It's maybe unfair to Behemoth, but I just didn't really got into them. I just knew that. I could watch more soccer and not have to worry about figuring this out today. Oh, wait. I'll tell you what I did. I went to the pint instead and drank some beers.
So John called me today in the middle of Evelyn's baseball game and I actually had the ringer on. So like I'm right behind home plate and off. I'm like, I'm like, fuck. My phone's ringing. I always have it on vibrate because, you know, why would you not? And anyway, so you actually did go today, John? Yes, I did. Did you go by yourself? I did. I'm sorry, bud. I drink alone. It's okay. I failed you.
All alone in the pub light. The Liverpool game had just ended. I cleaned up from lunch and I headed over. Three o'clock. I'm sorry and I'm jealous. I will try and be a better friend. Yeah, it's not a big deal. All right, so... Me, I guess. Since well ago last, I think. Yes, that's right. I'll be the first one to buck the trend and go with Behemoth. And it's not...
I feel a little silly because I think
I understand the richness of
the primordial and probably
the higher
level of intellect
and Irish poetry
and the whole thing but
we are talking about behemoth
pinnacle here I think really
and it is a pretty perfect
record in its way so
well so that's it I think I'll just say
that I of the two
I would listen to them both a lot, but of the two, I think it's
a more complete artistic statement
in its way, especially even with the visuals that come on the cover and stuff.
And
also just kind of a reminder that people
should also go listen to Vangelion, the one before it,
which is really fucking good.
So I'll buck the trend and I'll go with Behemoth.
All right.
Three for one.
Well, I live my life according to the gospel of Jay, and so I too choose the Satanist. Well, you know, I think that was your number one record that year, George, if I'm not mistaken. It probably was. Maybe it was number one. No, I don't think it was. Oh, no, no, because that was Trypticon year, I think. Yeah, no, but it was up there. It was definitely up there. And yeah, I mean, yeah, both good bands, but on the whole, I think I like Behemoth.
And it's just more evil.
Yeah.
What is that?
It's about Satan.
Yes.
So.
Behemoth it is.
All right.
We're either in a dead heat or.
I guess we're about to find out.
Tied or dead.
What are we?
So.
I will 100% admit and rejoice in that I've been on the most.
I'm like,
And I'm like, oh yeah, Avril, yeah, that's the lead singer in Dread Sovereign. And I was just like blown away by their performance. And it was, it was, I think it was inside Soundstage. Is that the name of the place? Yeah. In Baltimore? Speaking of which. Yeah, that's another story. But, but yeah, I was like, God damn, this is good. And then I tried to like, okay, let me look up Dread Sovereign on Bandcamp.
and there's nothing there and you have to find it like on
iTunes or something like that.
But I have been
religiously
infatuated with Primordial lately
or Dread Sovereign, whatever.
And I went back and if you look at my
Bandcamp recent purchases, I have like
this whole like
day or week or I'm just buying tons of
Primordial. Don't forget Twilight
of the Gods.
Yeah, so yeah, and he's got all these other
Bands that I just have not checked out yet. And I have just been absolutely in love with Primordial lately. With that said, my choice is still Behemoth of Satanist. Yeah! Tied, baby! Because goddamn, that is such a perfect album. It's pretty perfect, yeah. It is. And that song, O Provost Lucifer, that is like an anthem. And Primordial is, I feel like,
I'm dying to see Primordial on a big stage. I feel like they, I need to see them in a giant amphitheater. I need a giant production. Their sound is just so arena-like. It's massive. Yeah, it's just massive. And a lot of it just comes from a lot of his vocals and everything. But man, that Behemoth record, it's my favorite Behemoth record. And I love Evangelion and stuff.
I think this one just kind of put it a little bit over the like
like
back up from the brutality
but add in like
great choruses and
stuff like they just kind of hooks
and
yeah yeah yeah just like more of that
instead of like just pummeling your face with
black metal which
you know hey who doesn't like get pummeling the face
with something black but um
black and huge black and huge
I can't help but think like Nurgle's condition at the time actually doesn't play into this you know kind of this like return to yeah I don't recall that's I it has to man though I think he was I think he was probably you know basically well by the time they made it if not real skinny but but I'm sure it also definitely impact on it lyrically because I know they canceled tours and stuff oh yeah no no he was done and out for that
I think it was a little shaky for a minute there you know yeah I'll tell you cancer fucking sucks man yeah you know it's funny um John BT reached out to me just a week or two ago he texts we text each other relatively often and just sort of like hey I just listened to this and blah blah and he had just listened to the Satanist for the first time what really yeah and you know it's just one of those things that got by him and he was like what what do I do next you know
He listened to it again, duh. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So it was kind of cool to see him discover that. That's cool. Yeah. So, so at this point, yes, I'm going with behemoth, the Satanist, but I will tell you this, that seeing primordial live is, is one of my like super high end bucket list things to do in my life. Weren't you there when we saw him at death fest?
Maybe not. I don't know.
I don't remember seeing that.
It was Edison Lot.
I think that was the year before, George.
Yeah, I don't recall.
Yeah, I don't recall.
Because I didn't see him there.
I saw him at Prague Power a couple years before that.
Well, interestingly, this puts us at a dead heat,
so this matters now what people vote on the website.
Exactly.
I'm going to predict it'll probably
edge toward behemoth.
Honestly.
It doesn't happen enough because we usually have a guest
who also votes.
Oh, that's true.
So we're going to break the time.
I'm the podfather.
I get two votes.
No.
No.
And the democracy has spoken.
The voter dues.
But I also have not seen Primordial,
and they're one of my favorite bands.
And every time they come here,
which isn't that often,
I saw him twice in one day. He used to go back to Dublin and just go see him. I saw him at Wacken. They were good at Wacken. You were very good at Wacken. I know. At MDF, they had two hands. Twilight of the Gods played earlier and then Primario played later. Have you ever seen Dead Sovereign? Dread Sovereign? Because I did. I don't know if I have. I've seen Sam, though.
Not for, it's been too long, but you know. I was only at Death Fest this last year on a Saturday, half a day, and hung out with Louie and Chloe, and then Sam just kidnapped me. He was like, we're going to see all these things. Yeah, so let's segue that into the fact that it was just announced that Ram's Head Live, which is a big piece of MDF these days, is no longer.
They are moving. They're moving. Ram's Head is removing
their self from Ram's Head Live and now it's just going to be
Power Plant Live or whoever. Right. Somebody's, there's still going to be shows
which, you know, I was like, first thought was
what's MDF doing? Because the last Ram's Head
Live show is next month, I think, or November.
Yeah. Is the Ram's Production Company or something?
Like, what are they? They've got like three or four venues in the
Oh, they're just venue properties. Yeah, that's the biggest one. So we're waiting to find out what the new venue will be called. Well, the old venue will be called. It's live. Melhead's podcast live. That's right. We got to get on that. I mean, what if it just went to like Goat's Head? Goat's Head live. I think it's going to be called the elephant. Yeah, the elephant room. Elephant Tusk live. But I guess we'll see. And I'm assuming
that, you know, all shows that have been booked into the future will still be honored and happen. But, but, you know, no one MDF and the way the hotels in the area work, you never know. It just from, from the little that I read, it just sounds like the Rams head tavern is removing their name for whatever reason from Rams head live. It'll still be a venue. It just be called something else. And it's just not going to be affiliated with Rams head tavern, which started somewhere bump up Baltimore. Annapolis. I think.
No, that one is actually not even. Isn't the tavern the one that's on a side road? Because there's three of them right now. There's the one in Annapolis. There's the one in Baltimore. But there's also one in a small town. I don't even know what it's called. Anyway, it'll still be a venue. It just won't be called Rams Head. Yeah. So as the idiot outsider, which both those terms go hand in hand for me, I always hear Rams Head synonymous with,
Is it soundstage? Is that the other? Yeah, it's like right next to our area. Or two blocks away. But they have no relation to each other. They're cousins. I think it's just that they're both venues they could use during Death Fest. Yeah, they're two blocks away from each other. Is one of those where we saw carcass? That was Power Plant. That was outside. Outside of Ramsehead. Yeah. The whole area is called Power Plant. Okay. And you can
get COVID there. Just FYI. And lose your wallet. Yeah. FYI stolen. Let's see what's left here. Wow. Pick from the Crypt. I missed that night. That is a total matriarch. Yes. So pick from the Crypt. Mark Assam, what do you got for us this time? All right. So for this one,
Picked an album from a band called Totem Skin. And the name of the album is Welsh Mertz, and it's from Halo of Flies. And this is the band's last record. It came out in 2015. And they had a sound that combined crust, grind, sludge, hardcore atmospheric black metal into like one potent savage whirlwind.
that record, but it also breaks into those mellow post-metal moments and some slow, heavy passages, but it all flowed really well. I really love the production on this record as well. And the reason I listened to it is because the main songwriter for Totem Skin is named Christopher Oster, and he went on to form Dud's Reet, which was pretty high on my list at mid-year, their new album.
But he had evolved his songwriting when this band ended to that epic melodic black metal sound that you hear in Dud's Read. But when I go back and listen to Totem Skin, I always hear elements in their music that set the stage for Dud's Read. I think they did two albums and then some EPs before moving on. So yeah, I love it. I always like to go back at it.
I think particularly because I listened to Piron and I was kind of in that mood for that kind of manic music. And so I thought of Totem Skin. Great record. I was going to go with that one, but I won't. I'm really backpedaling.
It was meant to be kind of a Halloween-themed food with a drink pairing. And we had gone a couple years before, my wife and I, and it was like, hey, here's this food drink. And I think the Labyrinth was playing on the TV in the basement bar of this restaurant. Well, this year it was actually a much more involved thing. So it started out in this garage, and there was a murder that happened. But as it was going on, before the execution happened, there was
Like, oh God, what is it called? Elephant Cups. Oh, how are you? Bounce the Ball. It goes in the Solo Cups. Why can't I not? Beer Pong. And like I'm listening to the soundtrack. I'm like, oh my God, are we listening to death? Like when you go to a restaurant and hear death. And so I'm doing a gimme. I'm going, I believe it's off of Spiritual Healing. I can't tell you the name of the song. But I'm going off, I'm going with Spiritual Healing by death as my pick from the crypt.
Fair enough. You know, halfway through that, Matt, I was going to say, Matt, do you know where you are right now? I'm crafting a box of blankets. What's in the box? A little death pong. I know this story is going somewhere. I cut my fingerprint off of my hand, but still. But it didn't go where you thought it was going to go, did it, Jay? No, but it had a good ending.
And it made the whole story worthwhile. I enjoyed it very much. And the person I said, who curated the playlist? And they pointed me to a person who also was kind of a, like various people were bringing a suit at one point, but she did this thing where she put a blade on her tongue and it went right down the middle where she had already had her tongue split. And so. Bifurcated. Is that what the term is? Yes. Okay. I went to a tattoo shop one time dressed like what I thought was a normal person.
They handed me a scrapbook and said, you might like what's going on in here. And I looked at it was just all of that going on and like blood everywhere in the photos. And I thought you, I should have said something about that. I don't like blood. Um, but it was actually, it was horribly fascinating. So yeah, that's my pick from the crypt. Bifurcated tongues freak me out. Well, what's the most interesting piece is that it splits, but those two things like have their own thing going on. Yeah. Yeah.
I almost have like two tongues. It's weird. So take that Gene Simmons. Yeah, it's pretty cool. Actually. Hmm. Pretty cool. Why don't you do it? I don't want to do it, but I, you know, I want to see it. Okay. On the next metal heads podcast. Gene Simmons doesn't have to take anything. Cause he copyrighted that first. Yeah. To be sure. True. Got a couple of bucks out of that one. Yeah. He's making money off that. Uh, so my,
Pick from the Crypt is from my world famous band. But it got me thinking when I listened to Satan, it got me on a little bit of a new wave of British heavy metal kick. And so I don't know how I came to this album, but I was like, this is going to be my pick from the Crypt. Because when you look at their whole catalog, this is definitely their Crypt album, meaning a lot of people don't really listen to it. And a lot of fans who like the band don't really care for it that much.
They would all be wrong
because I actually think it's a pretty good album
and it's I think a pretty good
debut album
more than that to come later
so
I think John's playing
beer pong now
no he's referring
to an upcoming episode of a different podcast
yeah
so I don't like beer pong
Markisan who the hell
that ball falls on the ground and you put it in a
And then you put it in your mouth? Oh, dirty. It's like you took the whole, your whole mouth and dipped it into the... And you just put the whole balls right in your mouth. Exactly. It's weird. That ball's been in how many mouths? Anyway, so my pick from the Crypt is Def Leppard's On Through the Night. Oh! Nice. Let's be honest. Most people who like Def Leppard would never listen to that album because it's not what, it's not their hysteria. Rock Brigade! Rock Brigade! And it's,
I don't care what Joliet says, they were a metal band for the first two albums, whether he likes it or not. You can't erase that history. Especially this album, which is very new wave of British heavy metal. Still a lot of 70s in their sound then. It's a cool album. It's not a super great album, but it's a really cool album. But George mentioned Rock Brigade, which is great. Wasted, Hello America, It Could Be You. Good stuff. I didn't like it at first. That was actually my first.
Def Leppard, or maybe it wasn't. Maybe I got Pyromania first, but I know that I got on through the night through, you know, the Columbia House. Right. And I was like, it's like, it's an 18-wheeler with a guitar on it. Isn't it this tractor-trailer flying through space? Yeah. Not their finest moment on an album cover. No. Although they don't really have many, but. Is that before High and Dry? Yes. This is the first one. Yeah. See, I knew it because
I was on it early because I got into them with High and Dry. I remember when all those songs came out on the radio when that album first dropped. I had the first two albums and I was all in on those guys. Then Pyromania came out, which was cool. I liked it. It was light years different already, even though a lot of the songs still included Pete Willis, the original guitarist. He had written a lot of those songs or parts of those songs. I'm fully willing to admit that
Because I would have been, what year do you think that came out? 81? 80. 80, wow. 80. No, what year did Pyromania come out? 83. 83. And that was like right before, you know, like the Slayer thing and stuff. I wasn't totally aware of it, the stuff. I loved Pyromania. Oh, I loved it too. I thought it was great. And I, you know, because I was still like Scorpions Blackout. That was kind of where metal was at at that time. And I remember riding around in the car and photograph coming on quite a bit.
I still like that album a lot. There's still a lot of good stuff on it. I just got it all on vinyl like six months ago. Oh, nice. It's great. It reminds me of my child. I was 10 years old and I remember loving the album. I wasn't that old. I will tell you, I saw that tour. I was already 35. I was 32. Get it straight. And yes, you did have the shorts. Yes. I had.
I bought them at the show. I was like literally standing right in front of Phil
Colin at the J of all places, the Oakland Coliseum right up front, but they owned the world that year, man.
They just everywhere. Yeah. And they, they released a show on the Pyromania box set or whatever the anniversary, a live show from LA from a couple of days before that. I saw that almost song for song, same exact show. It was awesome.
There's also the famous German show. I always forget what the fuck the name of it is. Schiazza. Rock Plast or whatever. It's in my schiazza. It was the one that was Maiden, Scorpion's Priest, Death Leopard. It was Peace of Mind Tour. Marches of Rock? No, what the fuck was that called? I'll look it up. And in any case, they were part of that. And it was just like the epic. Well, in any case, yeah. I mean, for a few
They were a really fucking cool band. No, they were. Actually, what changed them was the car crash. Yeah. That changed everything. That and the money and the girls. I mean, let's be honest. That really did change everything. But he couldn't play the same way anymore, so they had to change their sound. It's cool that they did that, though, as opposed to just kicking him to the curb. I was going to say, kudos to them. They were going to keep him along with a second drummer. The second drummer. I mean, it's the infamous thing.
a famous story. He didn't show up and they went on anyway and they were like, this is really good. He can play. But their sound did change dramatically though. Yeah. All right, Will. I'll be quick. Or you'll be dead. You'll be dead. Dancing 2, Lucifuge. Yeah. Fucking love that album. I was just recently listening to something that reminded me a lot like dancing and I can't remember what it was.
I think it was something I recently bought on Bandcamp. But anyway, like, opener, Long Way, Black from, Back from Hell, and then got that song, Under Her Black Wings. The way that starts. And it just sounds so epic. Like, God, I love that album. Yeah. The first three, the first three Danzig albums are just amazing. So. They are. Yeah. Yeah. That's it. Lucifer. John, the show I was trying to think of, and George and anybody else who remembers,
is Dortmund and it was Iron Maiden, Death Flapper, Judas Priest, Michael Schenker, Ozzy, and Quiriot. It was like everybody who was huge at that time. And so it would have been the year of, and Scorpions were there too. But anyway. Well, if it's in Germany, yeah. I mean, they would be a headline, I would imagine, right? Yeah, totally. All right, well, in honor of the new Opeth record and in honor of Will,
and myself, to a lesser extent, John, I'm going to choose something that's not metal at all. But it's rootsy metal, and it's in honor of the Opeth record because Ian Anderson is on it. And so I'm going to call this a roots metal record. Do it. Jethro Tull, Minstrel in the Gallery. Not enough people are smart enough to go back and discover what Jethro Tull was all about. Minstrel in the Gallery is one of my favorite Jethro Tull records. If it's not good enough for you, there are
Bands from Falconer to God knows who. I've read so many of these with metal bands. We're obsessed with these guys. So I think if you're a metal fan, it's worth you checking out some Jethro. Absolutely. I just put their catalog. They're a little crunchy. Yeah. I just put the whole catalog on my phone. Not so much on Minstrel and the Gallery, to be perfectly honest, but this would be their damnation, maybe. But it's proggy as all get out in its way and that kind of thing. Jay, did you...
ever pick up any of those box sets from the laser's edge dude i just got thick as a brick for 20 like 20 bucks dude i was at this barnes and noble in tucson nice with the box and it was because nobody bought it and nobody goes to this barnes and noble they don't even man the music section anymore they're all like that now all of them 23 dollars dude and i was like that's awesome and i've and i've got the
I think is it break? I'll have to go look and see which ones I bought. I haven't bought them all. I've got, I think, three of them. That, Aqualung, and Benefit, I have. Yeah, I have the Aqualung. They're expensive, some of them. They are. That's why I was so shocked to find this one for just a couple bucks. Yeah, and I saw that Laser's Edge had a few of them for a decent price. Okay, I'll take a look. I heard that Aqualung won a Grammy for like heavy metal or something, right? That was Crest of the Nave.
That was the broadsword.
That was the,
yeah.
Crested.
The beast.
No,
they were fooled by the cover.
They didn't listen to any of those records.
They got fooled by the fact that all those bands that were metal bands,
listen to Jethro Tull.
That's a good point.
No,
no,
that's probably a better excuse.
George.
Hey,
mine is,
uh,
a band that unfortunately is no longer around,
uh,
called Diabolical Masquerade. Oh, nice. This is one of my favorite mid to late 90s black metal bands featuring Blackheim, who goes by his real name these days, Anders, I think. He's in Catatonia and Bloodbath. But Diabolical Masquerade was his kind of pet project. And he put out four albums.
Real Albums. The last one was a soundtrack that was weird. It wasn't real music. I mean, it was real music, but it wasn't songs. It was an OST album. Yes. And so I'm going with the third and final metal album, Nightwork, from 1998. But you should also check out Raven Dusk in My Heart from 96 and The Phantom Lodge from 97. And this is when black metal was still
I mean, okay, it wasn't like mayhem cool, but, um, you know,
and immortal and stuff like that. But, uh, it was very cool. And Nightwork is, it was almost,
it was a little progressive, I think for the time. Um, and, uh, it's just, it's a little different than some of the other black metal stuff. And I, to this day, I, I am a huge fan and I was kind of hoping that someday he might put out some more, but I guess the other bands are too lucrative for him to play.
I just added it to my band camp. I haven't listened to them in a while, so I want to listen to it again. Yeah, those first three albums are killer. If you want some good, solid black metal from back in the day, Diabolical Masquerade, do it. Wow. Nice. Cool. So nice, well-rounded selection.
From the Metalheads Podcast. Will, I have your doors. Doors? Open it. Will, open that door and tell us if Jay's on the other side. Hold on, guys. Let me go check. He opens it. It's just a burrito. Hi, Jay! Will opens his door and a big blow-up doll falls out.
door. That's where the gimp is.
Yeah.
All right. Well, here we are at the end.
We haven't quite breached three hours, probably a lot less after I cut out those 20 minutes.
We only got about an hour's worth of material.
Yeah.
Yeah.
But it's good to be back.
And hopefully we'll be back next month.
Certain schedules are looking a little complicated at the moment.
But schedules are schedules
Yeah
We'll be back as soon as we can
I want to thank John for being our guest today
And talking about Prague Power
It was really great
Yeah I know
Spent all that time talking about
It gave us some material at least
You know since we don't have much
Yeah
Well that's why I suggested it
Yeah
Plus I just wanted to hear about it
Yeah
Nice
Well thank you for asking
You got it buddy
Alright Jeff
So it's nice to see your
Three hours
Levels faces
It's hard to say goodbye.
And it's just...
Oh!
Will's awake, and it's awesome.
Good job, Will.
That's what happens when it's under six hours.
You can't talk any more shit about me, because you fall asleep a lot lately.
But that's because I drank way too much.
Well, I know I had fucking cancer, so go fuck yourself.
Still playing that car.
You know what?
Mic drop.
If I'm not getting tackled in the parking lot, sometimes I fall asleep. Yeah. On pavement, no less. Yes. All right, ladies. Yep. We'll see you next time. All right. Bye, boys. Bye. Love and joy. Adios.
I'm not sure what I mean
I shivered on the wall
They tricked me all to be doing