The P.O.D. Kast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 16: Crazy Town's "The Gift of Game", or Mr. Shifty Goes To Platinum Dec 08, 2020

Show notes

In Bryan's words, it was time that we get to a truly bad album on the podcast. Never mind the fact we've reviewed Puddle of Mudd and a slew of bad albums for the bonus episodes, but we really dig in for one of the weirdest and most puzzling albums in nu-metal history, Crazy Town's "The Gift of Game". Buoyed by the #1 hit single, "Butterfly", this album sounds like a band capitalizing on a genre to make money and doing the entire genre a disservice in the process. On the episode, Bryan and John get into their saga of trying to buy the domain crazytown.com, Bryan posits his theory that Crazy Town and Limp Bizkit are pretty close to being the same band, and John basically loses his mind the whole time. We also take a look at some of the worst and most baffling lyrics the genre has ever seen and we find a beautiful Rolling Stone profile that outs Crazy Town as yet another nu-metal that seems impossible to hang out with.

You know who is great to hang out with? Us. And you can do more of it over at our Patreon. Donate to the show at https://patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you THREE bonus episodes every month. We do one full-length bonus episode where we review an album and two short song reviews every month. It's the best deal in podcasting! And this month, we have a special surprise: a live show! Join us on December 28th, as we review 5 of Marilyn Manson's music videos, LIVE on Zoom and ONLY for our donors. You won't wanna miss it!

Episode 15: Staind's "Break the Cycle", or Rolexes and Golf Nov 10, 2020

Show notes

It's been awhile since we last saw you, and we're thrilled you're back again for another episode of the P.O.D. Kast! This month, it's all about one of nu-metal's most divisive bands, Staind. A band that Bryan hated and John liked, the division in age between Bryan and John becomes clear as Bryan was fully moving away from nu-metal in 2001 when this album came out, and John was fully entrenched. Wherever you stand on the age line might determine how much you liked it, but one thing is certain: in 2020, it isn't great.

We dive into more of nu-metal's weird history with this band, from Fred Durst nearly kicking Staind off of his tour due to an objectionable album cover to eventually signing them and becoming their "dad", to Aaron Lewis' redneck beginnings (and endings--guy is a Trump country artist now). This album contains multitudes, an $800,000 production budget with songs directly aimed at topping the charts mixed in with paint-by-numbers nu-metal and some songs that still hit pretty hard if they get you at the right moment. Staind was the sound for 2001, a bridge between the nu-metal monsters they toured with and the butt rock juggernauts that were soon to follow, and we get into their entire complicated history right here.

If you want some more complicated history, you can head on over to https://patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you access to a great bonus episode every month AND our entire back catalogue of bonuses. Last month, we had our great friends Stefan Heck and Brett Payne on to discuss Korn: Unplugged, and this month, it's a nu-metal superpod (that's what you call the supergroup of podcasts), as we get together with our friends in Roach Koach to discuss a truly awful Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2003 soundtrack. We also introduced a new tier this month, where a $20 donation gets you a personalized review of any nu-metal song, and of course for $50, you can tell us what album to do for a bonus episode. It's all there, we hope you join us!

Episode 14: Orgy's "Candyass", or Murder Bryan's Opus Oct 06, 2020

Show notes

It's an album that Bryan has wanted to do since Day 1 of the show, and the day has finally come, as Jordan Uhl donated enough money to make it so! It's a classic POD Kast episode in that we talk a lot about the music, but we are just as fascinated with the band, as Orgy were another insane nu-metal story, from their inception to their eventual, extremely messy demise.

For an album that was released right in nu-metal's peak and was the first release on Jonathan Davis' album Elementree, it is really an outlier in the genre, one that managed to take the sad-mope 80s new wave and combine it with nu-metal into one sleek package. The music itself is pretty good, John decides (obviously Bryan loves it), but doing some research into the band reveals conflicting feelings for the Boys. We learn all about the band's take on why they wore makeup, why Jay Gordon gave up football to become a singer, why they broke up, and how Jay Gordon made money off of fellow band Lit. We also discuss Bryan's detailed history with this record, from loving it when it was originally released to the role that the song "Revival" played in his marriage. And for a little bit of bonus content, we do a mini-review of Deftones' new record, Ohms.

If you want more bonus content, you can head on over to https://patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you access to a bonus episode every month. We tend to review compilations and rarities over there, and this past month was no exception, as we reviewed the Mission:Impossible 2 soundtrack with Jesse Farrar of Your Kickstarter Sucks. It was a wild look into music in the year 2000, with the album straddling the line between the impending death of nu-metal and the beginning of the butt-rock revival. We've got another huge bonus episode planned this month and Bryan and John's podcast co-hosts Brett and Stefan are gonna join them for Korn: Unplugged. You won't wanna miss it!

Episode 13: Limp Bizkit's "Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water", or Poor Wes Sep 02, 2020

Show notes

We finally made it to one year here on the POD Kast, and our two hosts celebrate the occasion the only way they know how: by listening to a little bit of Limp Bizkit. It was 12 months ago when we first launched this podcast with Significant Other, and it makes sense to return to our roots, as we lean heavily into Fred Durst's self-indulgent phase with this one.

Released just over a year after Significant Other, Limp Bizkit were legitimately one of the hottest bands in the world, and this album was no exception, though the cracks really begin to show. The boys delve into how this might be LB's best album musically but worst lyrically, Fred's celebrity phase, dating Christina Aguilera, Wes Borland's guitar playing, and how an album with such an absurd title and general message could become as popular as it did. We also see the other side of Wes, as he leaves the band shortly after this album and we speculate about what went wrong. Plus, Bryan explains how this album was the beginning of the end of his love for the nu-metal genre, and John learns that loving Limp Bizkit became really tough once this album dropped. Keep on rollin', baby.

If you wanna keep rollin' on to some sweet bonus content, you can donate to the show at https://patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4 a month gets you access to a bonus episode every month as well. It's for when one episode of nu-metal content just isn't enough. We always bring on a special guest to discuss a compilation album with us, and this month, we reviewed the Queen of the Damned OST with Jaya Sundaresh, our first soundtrack and one with a backstory that's so early 00s and SO nu-metal it hurts. Get on it!

Episode 12: Static-X's "Wisconsin Death Trip", or The Masked Singer Aug 04, 2020

Show notes

One of the most iconic figures in nu-metal, Wayne Static, is almost more of the focus of this episode than the band is, as we look into Static-X's start as a band, Wayne's eventual death, and the band's decision to dress Edsel Dope up in a Wayne mask and go on a 20th Anniversary Tour of this album. It's the first album we've reviewed from the side of nu-metal that also held a pretty large industrial influence, and both Bryan and John explain that it was one that largely passed them by at the time but one they are excited to revisit.

In a continuing series where Bryan Quinby (Street Fight Radio) and John Cullen (Blocked Party) review one classic nu-metal album per month, Static-X comes in from a listener donation, and for John at least, it feels like the only way this would've ever gotten a review from the P.O.D. boys. But Bryan and John are game for it, as the album shows some flashes of what Static-X could have been, were they not so focused on "evil disco" and building tracks strictly from the drums and programming up. And the weird legacy of the band proves almost more interesting, as the in-fighting over the name, Wayne Static's drug problems, and the introduction of Xer0 make them a more fascinating tale than most. Plus, we find some time to talk about Korn's cover of "Devil Went Down to Georgia" going viral and Corey Taylor's new solo project.

If you want a fun solo project, you can take some alone time and use it to donate to the show at https://patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you a bonus episode every single month. Last month, we had the wonderful Jordan Uhl on to discuss Strait Up, the tribute album to the deceased lead singer of the band Snot which features nearly all of nu-metal's greatest singers, and we've got another great episode coming this month as we tackle the Queen of the Damned soundtrack. Plus you get access to all of our back catalogue of bonus episodes and there's new stuff coming every month. Donate now!

Episode 11: Disturbed's "The Sickness", or Nu Metal's Triple Major Jul 09, 2020

Show notes

An album that Bryan describes as "elevator music, but nu-metal", Disturbed kicks off a bafflingly successful career with this, their debut album, "The Sickness". An album that brought the world "ooh-wah-ah-ah-ah" and launched a thousand nu-metal jokes, Disturbed created the blueprint for how a band that originally came up in nu-metal could be successful well past the genre's expiration date. All the foundations of Disturbed are here, from David Draiman's weird rap-sing style to the chugga-chugga of every single song, as one bleeds into the next and we go deep into all of it.

In a continuing series where Bryan Quinby (Street Fight Radio) and John Cullen (Blocked Party) review one classic nu-metal album per month, this is an album that pitches straight down the middle. You know what you're going to get from the outset, with weird, very specific lyrics that turn out to be mostly made up, to the cover of an 80s new wave song designed to move copies. And move copies this album did, as it's gone five times platinum since its release and continues to be one of the pillars of the genre. Plus, we learn who David Draiman is as a guy, and guess what? He's not great. Shocker, we know. From describing how smart he is in nearly every interview (a triple major, baby!) to our most fun Challenge ever, we dissect just who this guy is, and how he came to front one of the most popular metal bands ever.

If you want to feel smart and popular, you can donate to the show at https://patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4 a month gets you access to a shiny bonus episode every single month, and access to our entire back catalogue as well. We're fresh off reviewing WWF's Forceable Entry with Stop Podcasting Yourself's Graham Clark, and past guests include Molly Lambert, Nick Wiger, and Felix Biederman. This month, we've got the review of Strait Up, the Snot-led tribute to their deceased lead singer Lynn Strait, which features the band fronted by a bunch of nu-metal singers and it's extremely underrated. It's gonna be a great one and you don't wanna miss out on all the times Bryan and John get together to talk nu. Donate today!

Episode 10: Kittie's "Spit" w/ Fallon Bowman of Kittie Jun 04, 2020

Show notes

We are extremely pleased to be joined by Fallon Bowman, one of the founding members of Kittie, to discuss their debut album, "Spit". We said we would never have a guest on the main episodes of the program, but this is Fallon Bowman! We have no choice. She rules.

In a continuing series where Bryan Quinby (Street Fight Radio) and John Cullen (Blocked Party) review one classic nu-metal album per month, we revisit one of the formative nu-metal albums from John's childhood, Spit. Kittie, one of the best all-female groups of all-time is also Canadian, so John heard them a ton growing up, and Bryan gets his first exposure to a band that he calls "a perfect nu-metal sound". We discuss how John was super afraid of Kittie as a young teen, why "Brackish" would be the song Bryan would choose if someone asked him what nu-metal is, and just what made this small group of 4 Canadian women so special. And then to top it off, we are joined by Fallon Bowman to talk about how Kittie wrote the majority of this record as 14 year-olds, what it was like to tour with Ozzfest and be firmly entrenched in this genre as young women, and ultimately, why Fallon left the band before their second record was even written. Plus, we share a lot of laughs, as the interview goes double the time it was supposed to. It starts at 48:22.

If you want to go double the time with us, you can donate to the show at https://patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4 a month gets you access to another helping of P.O.D. Kast goodness. One regular episode not enough? We got you covered. We do one bonus episode per month, and each bonus episode is a review of a compilation album or a nu-metal-adjacent album. In May, we had Felix Biederman from Chapo Trap House on to discuss Everlast's long-winded "Whitey Ford Sings the Blues". This month, for the first time ever, we plan to let YOU decide which nu-metal compilation we review, and we'll have another great guest along for the ride. $4 and you get those episodes, plus our whole back catalogue of nu-metal goodness. Get into it.

Episode 9: Puddle of Mudd's "Come Clean", or the Tao of Wes Scantlin May 06, 2020

Show notes

We've finally arrived at a pivotal moment in the show's history: an album both hosts absolutely despise. After Bryan rigged the show poll to get a convincing win for Puddle of Mudd after Kittie was hours away from victory, he reaps what he sows as he ends up misremembering the album as good and discovers that in the year of our lord 2020, the band Puddle of Mudd is very, very bad.

In a continuing series where Bryan Quinby (Street Fight Radio) and John Cullen (Blocked Party) review one classic nu-metal album per month, the target this month is fairly big, as Come Clean is baffling from many angles: the lyrics, the songwriting, what genre it really belongs to, what era it was recorded in, and just how someone like Wes Scantlin managed to front a successful band. The fellas look at how this album managed to get popular despite all of these shortcomings, including Wes' own hometown of Kansas City essentially disowning him, him publicly insulting Fred Durst despite Fred being the one to break them, and a lead single where the song trails out with Wes Scantlin singing how he loves the way his girl smacks his ass. Plus, this month's Challenge gets personal as Bryan and John rewrite "She Hates Me" to include verses about their significant others.

If you want to be loved in the same way as our significant others, you can donate to the show at https://patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you access to a shiny new bonus bauble every month! We've done four bonus episodes so far with some fantastic guests like Nick Wiger of Doughboys, Molly Lambert of Nightcall, and Keith Buckley of Every Time I Die, and this month, we have Felix Biederman from Chapo Trap House joining us to discuss Everlast's Whitey Ford Sings the Blues. It's gonna be a good one, folks. Hop on board!

Episode 8: Incubus' "S.C.I.E.N.C.E.", or Californians Gone Wild Apr 07, 2020

Show notes

Incubus is what happens when you take 5 guys from California, give them a bunch of mushrooms and a major-label deal before they're 22 years old, and ask them to make a debut album for the masses. Given where the band ended up, it's a bit wild to listen to their major label debut, S.C.I.E.N.C.E., a record that has more in common with Primus and Red Hot Chili Peppers than it does Korn or Limp Bizkit.

Join Street Fight Radio's Bryan Quinby and Blocked Party's John Cullen for this month's classic nu-metal album review, an album that some might not agree is nu-metal but that saw them tour with a ton of your favourite nu-metal bands and get categorized as such early on (for the record, we think it is, but it's their only one). We deal with all this album has to offer, from the bizarre cover art to the insane lyrics of lead singer Brandon Boyd, who had his shirt off more than he had it on and managed to date a string of supermodels despite singing songs about living in space and aliens probing his butthole. The boys also engage in another initials version of The Challenge, and get surprised at how much they enjoyed revisiting this album, which has held up almost as well as anything else in the nu-metal oeuvre.

Do you know what oeuvre means? Us neither. But if you want to learn more about a subject we do know lots about, you can subscribe to our bonus content at https://patreon.com/thepodkast, where just a meagre $4 gets you access to a bonus episode every month! Last month, we had the fantastic Nick Wiger from The Doughboys join us to dissect Korn's first "documentary", "Who Then Now?" from back in 1997. It was uhh, not good, but we had a ton of fun talking about it with Nick, who told us after the recording that he was drunk but we couldn't tell! It was great. This month, we have another HUGE guest for you, as we continue to find people who loved nu-metal and are itching to talk about it. Get on board!

Episode 7: P.O.D.'s "Satellite", or Not Christian Rock, but Rock from Guys Who Love Jesus Mar 17, 2020

Show notes

It took us 7 episodes, but we finally get down to the band who gave us our name: Payable on Death, or as you know them, P.O.D. Another album that bafflingly sold 6 million copies, overcoming its release on September 11th, 2001 and its reputation, being Christian Rock in a time where that wasn't cool, to become one of the best-selling nu-metal albums of all-time.

Street Fight Radio's Bryan Quinby and Blocked Party's John Cullen sit down once again to review a classic nu-metal album as part of their monthly series about the genre. The boys take a long look at their own history with religion, their history with this album, and dissect some of the worst songs of the nu-metal era, from the shameless pandering of "Youth of the Nation" to the weird reggae crossovers to one of the worst utilizations of a guest feature ever as H.R. from Bad Brains gets subjected to whatever the hell that song is. It's an album that could've only existed in 2001, and despite it being our namesake...we don't really like it.

Something we do like is doing one bonus episode every month on our Patreon. You can contribute at https://patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4 a month gets you access to that bonus episode. Last month, we had Keith Buckley, lead singer of Every Time I Die, join us to discuss the Ozzfest 2001 live album, and this month, we have another very special bonus episode with a very special guest. Join us on this journey back into the nu-metal abyss.

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