Metal Matters

Latest Episodes:

37: Ryan Patterson on Fotocrime Principle of Pain Jul 23, 2019

Show notes

Ryan Patterson is a 20 year plus veteran in the Underground, D.I.Y. scene be it as a musician, designer, promoter or label manager. His previous band Coliseum has released records on Relapse, Deathwish and Temporary Residence, toured the world and the United States alike. Ryan's new band Fotocrime is an extension of his relentless desire to move forward and push himself as an artist and creative force. Relying heavily on electronic music, post-punk and darkwave Fotocrime seeks to push musical boundaries.

I've been friends with Ryan for over two decades. I look forward to our conversations, so this one was a pleasure for me. Enjoy.

Intro: "Gods in the Dark"

Outro: "Love in a Dark Time"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

36: Classic Record S.O.D. Speak English or Die Jul 16, 2019

Show notes

This is a companion piece to the Crossover Episode that we released last year. If you haven’t checked that one out go back and listen to it. Randy and I break down our favorite thrash metal / hardcore punk crossover bands and give out sometimes contradictory opinions about who was THE FIRST band to metalize hardcore.

S.O.D. were definitely an originator of the genre, pioneers in metal as well as pioneers in offending people and causing controversy. Even back the day, many were not in on the joke and the band came under a lot of fire due to their off-color sense of humor. Randy and I get down and dirty and give our opinions about what we both agree is one of the most important and influential records in extreme music.

Intro: “Chromatic Death”

Outro: “March of the S.O.D.”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

35: Classic Records Rollins Band Hard Volume Jul 09, 2019

Show notes

In a way, this is a continuation of the Black Flag “In My Head” episode because it is our opinion that much of the groundwork for the Rollins Band may have been laid down during the final tour for that record. Randy and I discuss that in detail in this episode. We dive deep into “Hard Volume, the second full-length record by the Rollins Band. There aren’t any hits on this one, but this record captures the band at it’s most experimental, raw and intense.

Intro: “I Feel Like This”

Outro: “Turned Inside Out”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tonight We Ride with All Hell Jul 02, 2019

Show notes

I discovered All Hell last year when I was on a short run of dates with my band Tombs. We ended up playing two shows together and I was completely taken by the band’s songwriting. They combine the grit of early black metal with the catchy songwriting of Misfits and Samhain.

I caught up the band at their show in Brooklyn during their tour with Ringworm. Their new album, The Witch’s Grail, had literally came out on that day so the band was excited. We recorded the episode in my van parked down the block from the venue, so let’s say that there is quite a bit of “urban atmosphere” going on around us.

Intro: “Sorcery and Sanctity”

Outro: “Where Devils Once Danced”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

33: Classic Records Misfits Walk Among Us Jun 25, 2019

Show notes

All Hell Breaks loose when Fellow Gimme Radio DJ Diane Farris joins me for another “Classic Records” episode. This week, we dive deep into one of our mutually favorite records, “Walk Among Us” by the Misfits, a record that we take for granted as being a seminal record but back in the 80’s, the band was somewhat of an anomaly. Diane and I discuss all of that, as well as our own experiences with the band and this amazing punk record.

Intro: “All Hell Breaks Loose”

Outro: “20 Eyes”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

32: The Work of Jef Whitehead Lurker of Chalice / Leviathan Jun 18, 2019

Show notes

This episode started out as a “Classic Records” episode for the Lurker of Chalice LP but turned into an appreciation of Jef Whitehead, also known as Wrest. There are many one-man black metal projects of merit, but Leviathan / Lurker of Chalice is in our opinion, the deepest, darkest and most interesting.

There information available on Whitehead is economical, very little more than a few interviews; the Noisey mini-documentary on one-man black metal features him but he appears to be private and a man of few words. Randy and I express our impressions of the music with a sense of awe that approaches reverence.

Intro: “Granite”

Outro: “6116”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

31: Ghoul in the Mirror Blaine Cook of The Accused AD Jun 11, 2019

Show notes

I had the chance to hang out with Blaine Cook of The Accused AD when they rolled through Brooklyn prior to their appearance at this year’s Maryland Death Fest. He was kind enough to set aside some time pre-show down in the subterranean green room at Saint Vitus.

Blaine is one of the architects of “Crossover Thrash,” having been the vocalist on the seminal EP “Martha Splatterhead” by The Accused back in 1985. Their combination of metal and hardcore punk falling in line with a legion of likeminded troublemakers that I talked about way back on the “Crossover Episode” of this very own podcast!

Check out the new Accused AD record “The Ghoul in the Mirror” or better yet, see them out on tour!

Intro: “A Terrible Tail”

Outro: “Juego Terminado”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

30: Classic Records Poison Idea Feel the Darkness Jun 04, 2019

Show notes

Randy and I tackle Poison Idea’s classic record “Feel the Darkness” in this episode. I have to admit, when I was a kid back in the 80’s, I slept on Poison Idea until 1990, when this record dropped. The record cover looked intense, nihistic, it led me to believe that the people that made this kind of music were living on the edge of the American Nightmare.

From the opening track, “Plastic Bomb” the record stormed with wild turbulence painting a picture of broken hope, darkness and desperation.

Intro: “Plastic Bomb”

Outro: “Just to Get Away”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

29: Night Time Stories and Cold Hope Trevor Shelley DeBrauw of Pelican May 28, 2019

Show notes

Some of my favorite episodes are the ones where creative admiration and friendship meet and the episode is more on par with two friends catching up as opposed to an interview to promote a new album. This week’s episode is one of those; I had the opportunity to catch up with my friend Trevor Shelley-De Brauw of Pelican, a band that has been performing and releasing great records for nearly twenty years.

Trevor and I talk a bit about the new Pelican record, “Midnight Stories” on Southern Lord available June 7, 2019 as well as RLYR, his other project with Locrian drummer Steven Hess. We also get philosophical and at times inspirational.

Intro: “Midnight and Mescaline”

Outro: ”Final Breath”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

28: Take the Stairs to Hell Randy Larsen of Cable May 21, 2019

Show notes

If you’ve been listening to this show for any length of time, you know Randy as one of the co-hosts for the classic records episodes. Randy is also the founding member of Cable, a band that has been performing and putting out records since 1994. They’ve worked with a number of solid independent labels such as Hydrahead, Doghouse, The End and Translation Loss.

Randy and I spoke about the ups and downs of the band over the last 25 plus years and of course, the new record “Take the Stairs to Hell” out on Translation Loss on July 26, 2019

Intro: “Rivers of Old”

Outro: “Failure Comin’ Down”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected