Sam also saw Machine Head and Amon Amarth in Nottingham, and we talk about the news that Mark Chapman has been denied parole once again and think back to some significant support slot refusals after hearing the news that The 1975 decided not to open for Ed Sheeran.

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Having fought our way through all that, we look at a couple of what could be considered guilty pleasures. There are probably plenty of you listening that would consider both The Killers and Insane Clown Posse to be, you know, a little embarrassing. We're not having it though! We give you the case for the defence for a pair of albums that many wouldn't admit to loving.

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There's new albums from The Callous Daoboys, JID and 156/Silence to get through, there's also some pretty depressing news from various angles regarding Scott Kelly's disgraced retirement from music, Pras from The Fugees getting tied up in a money laundering scandal, fire starting destruction at Reading and Leeds festivals and... this isn't so bad, Cradle of Filth and Ed Sheeran's collab effort drawing ever closer.

We then look back at the Human Rights Now! tour, which began on this day back in 1988 and featured a bill of Bruce Springsteen and The E-Street Band, Peter Gabriel, Sting, Tracey Chapman and more. All put on to raise awareness of Amnesty International, which it succeeded in doing in spectacular fashion. We track the progress of the ambitious tour and look at the genesis of the Benefit Concert, from Handel playing Messiah for a children's charity back in the 18th century, to Ariana Grande's One Love for Manchester concert set up in the aftermath of the terror attack on her Manchester Arena show in 2017.

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Steve is joined by Sam once again to discuss a very different pair of festival experiences that have happened over the last couple of weeks. Sam found himself at the Arc Tan Gent Festival, the premier UK festival for all things post-rock/metal to gorge himself on the challenging sounds of Cult of Luna, Amenra, Perturbator and more, while Steve has just arrived back from the Reading Festival, which gets more poppy and easily digestible with every passing year, to jump up and down (bad back permitting) to Dave, Bring Me The Horizon, Halsey and Charli XCX.

We do our best to cover as much as possible from both festivals, before answering some of your questions about our experiences, and seeing if we can find some common ground in two very opposing weekends.

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We warm up by chatting about new music in over two decades from Botch, the sad passing of former Cradle of Filth guitarist Stuart Anstis, and looking at new albums from Soilwork, Ether Coven and *sigh*... Muse.

Before getting into the real reason we've teamed up; for Steve and Tom to talk the much more youthful Matt through some of the highlights of the longest running televised music contest in history, The Eurovision Song Contest.

Expect high camp drama, a Terry Wogan love in, some bizarre stage costumes, some of the finest pop music in history and one of the hottest takes on ABBA you are ever likely to hear in your life!

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We're ten albums into what has been a rollercoaster of a career for the Oakland metal legends. Whilst albums like Burn My Eyes and The Blackening are well established classics at this point, it's been a mixed bag ever since, with folk punk, rap metal and radio rock all being dabbled with over the past fifteen years. There's been plenty of line up changes and controversial booking decisions made as well, and at this point none of us are really sure what to expect from a new Machine Head album; will we get the muddled, lengthy Catharsis, or is it really "The Blackening part II" return to form that Of Kingdom of Crown has been talked up as in the build up to the release of the record?

We think we've got the answers...

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This week Steve is joined by Gaz Jones, 90's Brit-rock enthusiast and the host of the very excellent Track One, Side One podcast. Together we cast our critical eye over some cracking new music from Russian Circles, The Spielbergs, Danger Mouse & Black Thought and The Interrupters, before reacting to the heart warming news that the two remaining members of Depeche Mode have shared a picture from the studio.

We end by talking about the upcoming Reading and Leeds festival, you may have heard that Rage Against the Machine have pulled out and been replaced by The 1975... it hasn't gone over so well. So we look back at our withered memories of the festival and try and work out when it changed, what it used to be and preview the line up for this year. Have a listen to our findings here...

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Paul picks six of the albums from his lifetime that he believes are the perfect accompaniment to the horror movie genre, which leads to in depth discussions on Kiss, Death, Sabbat, Bathory, Iron Maiden and Gost.

Plus we pay tribute to the late Olivia Newton John and review and eclectic group of albums from Norma Jean, Beyonce and Chat Pile. Spooky stuff!

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Before we get to that Steve and Sam talk about brand new albums from both Jack White and Working Men's Club, discuss the relative merits of the recent Mercury Mercury Prize nominations, cross their fingers for both a Kinks and Pulp reunion in 2023 and then recoil in horror at the new that there is another Red Hot Chili Peppers double album careering our way. Have we really not suffered enough?!

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Before that we pay tribute to both Paul Ryder and Mariusz Lewandowski, both of whom sadly passed away recently, and end the show by looking back at Woodstock 99 on its 23rd birthday. Obviously it was a very controversial, tragic and infamous festival, and much of the blame of what went wrong is laid at the feet of some of the musicians on the bill. While we can't say that those pointing the fingers are being fair or reasonable in that assessment, we thought that maybe there would have been a more suitable way to book the festival to keep the ethos and aura of the original Woodstock more present in people's minds. So both Steve and Sam have fantasy booked the two main stages on all three days of the festival to see what might have been.

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We also talk about the reformation of Porno for Pyros, pretty good, and the proposed reformation of, can't believe we're writing this, Pantera, which is far from good.

There's also album reviews from the new releases by Black Midi and Interpol, before Sam picks four albums that we have yet to cover on RA thus far this year from FKA Twigs, Final Light, Totally Unicorn and Wormrot. Nice.

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The pair have plenty to talk about, as there are new albums from ... And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, Moor Mother, Coheed & Cambria and Bad Breeding on the agenda, plus we both went to see Knuckles of Ice (AKA a reformed Heck) at The Fighting Cocks in Kingston, which was nice. Before we end the show, inspired by a bunch of new people getting into Metallica thanks to their recent appearance on Stranger Things, talking about the songs that have most benefitted from being used in film, television and games over the years... that's, weirdly, where Louise comes in.

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Then we turn our attention to Nine Inch Nails, who recently completed a full tour of the UK which included a stop at London’s Brixton Academy that Steve saw, but also both of our hosts saw their two night stint at the very aesthetically pleasing Eden Project in Cornwall. Both of the events were completely different in many ways, and we discuss them all, before music about other venues across the world that are as delightful to look at as the massive orb filled greenhouse that we spent the weekend in. 

That should be enough to satisfy you, right? No? Want more? Okay, some people were arrested for partying in a pig pen in a place called Methwold in Suffolk. You’re very welcome.

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Mainly though, our show is a long one because they’ve seen a lot of live music in the past fortnight, and we’ll tell you about it all on the show. Recent gigs from the likes of Deftones, Meshuggah, Will Haven,  Run The Jewels and Genesis Owusu all get a good going over, plus Steve attended the Download festival. Which gives us the perfect opportunity to shit all over Alestorm again. Which we do.

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There’s chat about the latest records from Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood’s The Smile project, Everything Everything, Just Mustard, Porridge Radio and Casket Feeder, who Steve also saw live in London as well. Remfry caught both nights of Glassjaw playing their first two albums in full at the Forum in London and Steve waxes lyrical on the Pet Shop Boys greatest hits set in Birmingham.

Plus there is chat about BMTH frontman Oli Sykes’ claim that he and his band have been misrepresented by the media, Danny Boyle’s new Sex Pistols biopic Pistol and a tribute to Depeche Mode’s Andy Fletcher who sadly passed away aged 60 last week.

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Steve and Remfry have got a big one to start with, as we look at the huge new album from Kendrick Lamar, followed by new releases from Cave In and Spice. We then pay tribute to electronic music pioneer Vangelis, chat about Eric Clapton and Pearl Jam both getting Covid (we’re more sympathetic to one than the other to be fair), say nice things about Eddie Van Halen after it emerged that he gave a significant amount of money to charity before his death and we catch up with that lad who duped a bunch of influencers to go to Fyre fest. He’s getting out of prison early by all accounts! Good… for… him…?

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We also talk about the recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees and reflect on the sad passing of Black Dahlia Murder frontmant Trevor Strnad and Nick Cave’s son Jethro Lazenby.

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Also we chat about the returning Tattoo The Earth festival… yeah, you heard, it’s back! You go 20 years without mentioning something and when you do it comes back within a week! It’s hardly the first time either, as we’ve proved with Crazy Frog, Mr. Blobby and Richard Blackwood, just us mentioning something on the podcast seems to be enough to inspire it to a glorious return. We're magic ... you're welcome.

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So, there are reviews on a pretty massive bunch of releases from the likes of Rammstein, Pusha T, Fontaines D.C., Daniel Johns, Bob Vylan, Dalek, Somali Yacht Club and Samora Pinderhughes. Plus you finally get the compare and contrast of both nights of the recent Devin Townsend two night run at the Royal Albert Hall, and Remfry’s review (sans too many spoilers, chill out) of the start of Tool’s run around Europe. All in all, it’s a pretty big return to form if we don’t say so ourselves, and, hey look at this!, just the one mention of Jimmy Savile! We’re definitely BACK!!!

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As suggested by Dougie Vale, Steve and Remfry take a deep dive into the 2010 self-titled album by Norweigan black n' rollers Kvelertak, an album that has oft been heralded as one of the finest debut albums of the 2010s. But the landscape of heavy music has changed somewhat in the prevailing years and Kvelertak never quite garnered the reputation that they were expected to amass (at least ... in the UK that is). What (if anything) went wrong?

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We also have new music to talk about too, with albums from the likes of Jack White, Wet Leg, Cancer Bats and Greyhaven all reviewed, before, inspired by the news that Tame Impala mainman Kevin Parker recently performed with kids entertainers The Wiggles, we reminisce about some of the most shocking and surprising times we’ve seen bands on TV. Expect chat about The Muppets, Napalm Death, Korn on South Park, Fear on SNL and some unexpected hatred for Phillip Schofield.

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We also review new records from Health, Pup and Steak.

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This is the first album by the band since 2016’s The Getaway, and the first album to feature the band's iconic lead guitarist John Frusciante since his departure in 2009. It’s fair to say that the Chili’s haven’t really been at it for quite some time now. Whatever your cut off point on that period is, it’s fairly hard to defend at least the last decade. If you’re a glutton for punishment then maybe you let Frusciante’s return excite you enough to believe that this finally would be some kind of glorious return to form for the band. And if reviews outside of ours are to be believed then, well, maybe it is. Want to know what we think?... Come on, you probably already know what we think, but, you know, have a listen all the same eh?

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Remfry and Steve discuss an under-appreciated gem of an album, the second album from the experimental mathcore quartet Exotic Animal Petting Zoo.

As suggested by Jamie Hall, pinning Exotic Animal Petting Zoo down is tricky, with comparisons made as broad as The Dillinger Escape Plan to Sigur Rós to The Mars Volta to Cynic.

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We also review a batch of new albums and live shows, ruling the roost over the latest releases from Carpenter Brut, Dream Widow, Denzel Curry and GGGOLDDD, and giving you the highlights of recent live performances from Madness, Liam Gallagher, The Ruins of Beverast and some young lad called Ed Sheeran. Plus we round up the rest of the week's news, did you know that Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the… you did… okay, just checking.

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Meshuggah are one of the most important bands in modern metal, pioneering a sound that has been ripped off and copied by all manner of chancers in the djent scene over the years, but the last couple of releases the band have put out, 2012’s Koloss and 2016’s The Violent Sleep of Reason, maybe didn’t hit the same heights as their classic material. It’s hard to know what exactly you should want or expect from a new Meshuggah album here in 2022, they’ve done so much to further the genre, but they have planted their sonic flag in the ground so deep that what they do is pretty rigid at this point. Can it ever inspire the same level of jaw-dropping that they did when they rewrote the rule book? Do they need to reinvent the wheel? Where does Immutable sit within their stellar back catalogue? We’ll answer all of these questions, and more, here. 

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We've managed to cast our ears over the latest releases from Charli XCX, Weezer, Animals As Leaders and Helpless, plus we talk about a whole bunch of recent events involving Ghost and Maneskin impressively taking even broader steps into the mainstream, Standon Calling’s gender balanced festival bill and Aaron Lewis from Staind TELLING IT HOW IT IS! FINALLY! What a divvy.

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It’s been 9 years since we got a full length album from the band, but Placebo have been more than active over the last decade, and it appears we have found the band in a very good place. Never Let Me Go is full of all of the idiosyncratic things that make Placebo Placebo; Brian Molko’s instantly recognisable vocals, and lyrics, the glammy, electro stomp of the band all laced with their trademark acerbic bite. But there is a lot more to the record than just their classic sound, with the likes of Biffy Clyro, Depeche Mode, David Bowie, Franz Ferdinand and… er… All Saints being mentioned in our review. Does it work? Well, you’ll have to listen now to find out won’t you!

Like the sound of Never Let Me Go? Why not order yourself a copy?

Placebo - Beautiful James (Official Visualiser)

Placebo - Surrounded By Spies (Official Visualiser)

Placebo - Happy Birthday In The Sky (Official Visualiser)

Placebo - Try Better Next Time (Official Visualiser)

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They might not be a massive name at present, but this is a band with some serious ambition, and this, their first album on Epitaph Records, looks set to be one of the most essential releases in heavy music in 2022. Quite how we describe this is a fairly exhaustive task, because there is a hell of a lot going on here, reference points from hardcore include Beastie Boys, Bad Brains and Dead Kennedys, in hip hop we could mention Scarlxrd, clipping. or Three Six Mafia and there is even some Rage Against The Machine or System of a Down style metal in here as well. Essentially, if you’re a fan of forward thinking, manic and untamed music with ideas spewing out from every direction then you might want to listen to this record. We go mad for it, we’re pretty sure you will too.

Pre order Diaspora Problems because trust us ... you're gonna wanna hear this

Soul Glo - "Jump!! (Or Get Jumped!!!)((by the future))"

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Yes, while The Crow: City of Angels and Batman Forever were both pretty crud, the soundtrack that accompanied them were both full of some of our favourite artists doing some legit bangers. Korn, Nick Cave, Deftones, Sunny Day Real Estate, Massive Attack, U2, Hole, White Zombie, Bush, Filter, Method Man, Seal and PJ Harvey (twice) are just some of the artists featured over these two corking soundtracks.

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Remfry is beyond excited as he and Steve discuss 'the best band of the 1990s®' according to EVERYONE WHO IS SANE ... Terrorvision, and their 1996, 3rd full-length album Regular Urban Survivors. As suggested by absolute ruddy bloody legends Doug Rae and Wayne Mcwilliam, Regular Urban Survivors was the follow-up to the hugely successful How To Make Friends and Influence People, an album that yielded 5 singles and reached no #18 on the UK Albums Chart. Regular Urban Survivors managed 4 singles, (Easy, Bad Actress, Celebrity Hit List and Perseverance) but reached no #8 in the charts, the highest position for a Terrorvision album. The downfall (and the dire Tequila) were to come but at this point, Terrorvision were a very big deal, playing 4th down on the '96 Reading Festival line-up beneath Offspring, The Prodigy and Rage Against the Machine. 

Now everybody repeat after me ...IWASHIGHONAMOLOTOVOFCOCKTAILSIWASLOWONAHUNDREDTHINGSIWASWRONGTOPUTMYMONEYWHEREMYMOUTHWASIWASRIGHTABOUTTHEWHALESANDTHEDOLPHINSWHALESANDDOLPHINSWHALESANDDOLPHINSYEEEEEEEEAH

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As well as all that, Steve and Remfry find the time to fit in reviews of the new records from Kojey Radical, Drug Church and Ho99o9, plus they talk about their little adventure down to Kingston-upon-Thames to watch the utterly brilliant Biffy Clyro smash a (broadly) acoustic set.

NPR Feature: A Tale of Two Ecosystems: On Bancamp, Spotify and the Wide-Open Future

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Ghost have pretty much become one of the few great hopes for metal in the mainstream over the last decade and with this album and their upcoming arena shows in the UK (including a stop at London’s famous O2) it seems that they are very close to reaching the summit of their ambitions. We don’t want to give away too many spoilers for this album but blimey it's a MAD listen this! Taking all of Ghost’s most bombastic, OTT, wild flights of fancy and cranking them all up to 11venty stupid, Impera is the sort of album that used to turn rock bands into megastars back in the day. It’s been true for a while, but it is very, very clear at this point that Ghost have got their eyes on the prize. Does that mean that the songs here are actually any good though? Well, have a listen and we'll let you know...

Fancy coming together for Lucifer's Son? Click on the link yo ...

Ghost - Hunter's Moon (Official Music Video)

Ghost - Call Me Little Sunshine (Official Music Video)

Ghost - Twenties (Official Lyric Video)

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We also discuss the latest album releases from Tears For Fears, Sylvaine and Beachheads, review a varied set of gigs from the Rolo Tomassi, Pupil Slicer and Heriot triple header, Nordic Giants ambitiously cinematic show and Dave’s triumphant O2 spectacular and talk about new music… sort of, from those greedy buggers Tool!

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Vein.fm have been seriously hyped from the hardcore underworld for a good few years now, but their last album Errorzone put a few noses out of joint when they added a little touch of, gasp!, nu-metal to their sound back in 2018. So a few Mystic Meg’s are assuming that TWIGTRY is going to lean in even further on more mainstream sounds and turn Vein.fm into the next big rock band. Well, more fool you for doubting them, as this is a spectacular 180 degree turn from the band back to the heaviest and most extreme elements of their sound, with a whole new bunch of stuff chucked in their to fuck with you as well. Good news if you like your music to be extreme, but, obviously that doesn’t strictly mean that it’s any good does it. So, listen here to see what we think of it… I mean… we’ve already made it pretty obvious haven’t we. But, listen all the same please. 

Like the sound of an album trying to murder you? Why not pre-order The World is Going to Ruin You?

Vein.fm - The Killing Womb (Official Video)

Vein.fm - Wavery (Official Video)

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Steve and Remfry head back to 2003, to a time when Southern Indie rock quartet Kings of Leon weren't a boring band ... or maybe they were? Thanks to Michael Perry, who suggested we cover the band's debut album (although kindly, he gave us the choice between this and the band's 2004 follow-up Aha Shake Heartbreak). 

17 years on, does the album live up to the ***** reviews and proclamation in The Village Voice that Youth & Young Manhood was "2003's finest rock debut?

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There is more sad news as we also pay tribute to Jamal Edwards, who also passed away at the age of 31 this week, and talk about his incredible work in helping the early careers of everyone from Dave and Stormzy to Ed Sheeran and Rita Ora. We also discuss the latest releases by Bambara and Blood Incantation, ask why Tool are charging nearly £600 for a vinyl and examine the damage done to the O2 Arena in London after Storm Eunice ripped parts of its roof off.

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Although they're pretty successful here in the UK, Gang of Youths are much more of a sizable band in their native Australia and the US. The release of Angel In Realtime. looks like it will change that dramatically though, as this is one of the most poignant, personal, inspiring and ambitious albums of 2022. The narrative around the album focuses on the death and legacy of frontman David Le’aupepe’s father, his relationship with a person he describes as ​​“the most important man in my life” and his reaction to the stunning revelations that came to light in the aftermath of his passing. This is all explored musically with a vast sonic palette that recalls everyone from Arcade Fire to Pulp to The National to Talk Talk to The Verve to Springsteen to Radiohead and beyond. It all sounds very ambitious, but has Le’aupepe done his muse justice with this record? Spoiler; unquestionably he has. 

Want Angel in Realtime in your life? (And trust us, you do!) Why not order or pre-save yourself a copy?

Gang of Youths - the angel of 8th ave. (Official Video)

Gang of Youths - the man himself (Official Video)

Gang of Youths - in the wake of your leave (Official Video)

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Still, there’s been plenty going on, with one of the most talked about Super Bowl halftime shows ever from Dr Dre and Co., Ed Sheeran and Cradle of Filth discussing their odd but inevitable collaboration, a surprise pair of Nine Inch Nails shows being announced in the UK and Remfry going out to Dapper Laughs' (yes really) old stomping ground of the Clapham Grand to see Frank Turner. Turner’s latest album, which could well be number one in the UK album charts this weekend, and the new record from And So I Watch You From Afar are also discussed. Plus we look at a pair of deluxe re-releases from a pair of classic records that actually prove to be far more than just a cynical cash in, courtesy of Jimmy Eat World’s Bleed American and Therapy?’s Infernal Love.

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We also look at the latest releases from Nordic Giants, Maverick Sabre and El Moono, chat about the recent live shows we witnessed from Turnstile and Zetra, say farewell to The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and speak some more about the car crash that is Spotify right now.

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As the follow up to 2018’s critically adored Time Will Die and Love Will Bury It album, there is a hell of a lot of expectation on WMBM, but if you’ve been following us since the beginning, then you’ll not be shocked to hear that we think they’ve skillfully sidestepped any accusations of delivering a disappointment. This is very much a continuation of the previous album, but with an extra lacing of hopefulness and positivity, bringing an end to an exceptional trilogy of records for the band. So, as ever, you can be guaranteed some sublimely brutal riffs, some euphorically soaring and shimmering clean passages and all manner of rhythmically inspiring and bewildering grooves, plus a few new tricks pulled from the Rolo Tomassi bag. We conclude with Remfry talking to James and Chris from the band about how the record came together.

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Today we’re talking about Ants From Up Here, the second album from UK experimental post-rock newbies Black Country, New Road. It’s only been a year since the band released their highly acclaimed debut album For The First Time, but we have a brand new set of songs already, with the band promising to give listeners a more palatable album than their first, with the intention being ‘to write songs that were three and a half minutes’. A quick look at the track lengths on this album will tell you that they’ve definitely failed when it comes to that latter point, but Ants From Up Here is full of contradictions, with the addition of lots of new musical ideas and forms hint that this isn’t going to be For The First Time mark II. Question is; is it any good? Have a listen to find out.

Like the sound of Ants From Up Here? Why not order yourself a copy then?

Black Country, New Road - 'Concorde' (Official Video)

Black Country, New Road - 'Bread Song (Live from Another World)' (Official Video)

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It’s a pretty high bar for Korn to match here on Requiem, and so, fair play to them, it would appear that they don’t even try to do that. Instead opting for a “If it ain’t broke…” mentality and going back to the sound and style that has served them so well over the past couple of decades. Does this make Requiem the best or most essential Korn album ever? Definitely not. But, obvious as it may sound, Korn are actually very, very good at sounding like Korn, and when they get it right they’re a pleasure to be around. How often do they get it right here? Well, if you listen then you’ll find out won’t you now!

Boom-da-da-mmm-dum-na-ee-ma, Da-boom-da-da-mmm-dum-na-ee-ma GO!

Korn - Start The Healing (Official Music Video)

Korn - Forgotten (Official Audio)

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On this episode, we’re looking at Erebos, the third full-length album by underground death metal darlings Venom Prison. It’s been a pretty spectacular rise for Welsh / Russian death metal crew over the last few years, with each of their previous records seeing them steadily climb the ladder of British metal to a position where Erebos now feels like a genuinely big release in the scene. The third album is always a testing ground for the longevity of a band like Venom Prison however ... how much longer can you continue to blast and batter your way around before your audience feels like they’ve heard all your tricks? It’s a problem Erebos skillfully side steps, with none of the band's previous extreme intensity being sacrificed, Venom Prison have released the most daring, expansive and experimental album of their career thus far, with nods to electronic music, ambient passages, power metal and symphonic bombast all peeping up from the precipice at some point during the records run time. Question is; is it actually any good?

Like the sound of Erebos? Why not order it on some sort of lovely physical format?

VENOM PRISON - Judges Of The Underworld (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

VENOM PRISON - Pain Of Oizys (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

VENOM PRISON - Nemesis (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

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Remfry and Steve head back to 2004 for a suggestion to cover GN'R/STP supergroup Velvet Revolver and their debut album Contraband. As suggested by Jonathan Davidson (who very kindly gave us the choice between Contraband or their risible 2007 follow-up Libertad), the timing of the release of this debut was extremely fortuitous, as the retro classic rock sound was back in fashion after The Darkness had paved the way with their debut album Permission to Land the previous summer. Consequently, Velvet Revolver were welcomed with much more open arms than they would have been just a couple of years previously ... but do the songs on Contraband still sound as good today as they did 16 years ago? 

** WARNING: Features Josh Todd impressions **

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There’s also talk on new albums from the likes of Yard Act, 40 Watt Sun, Grivo and Zetra, and we also pick a side on the ongoing Spotify tug of war between Joe Rogan and Neil Young.

Bat Out of Hell - The Story Behind the Album

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That’s not all though, there’s also chat on recent releases from Elvis Costello, Comeback Kid, Toundra and Som, live reviews of Idles and Haggard Cat, the surprising (if fairly minor) rise in CD sales and how old and confused we feel by the recent announcement of the emo*-tastic When We Were Young one day festival in Las Vegas later this year.

*NOT REAL EMO!

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Today we’re looking at the 6th studio album from Canadian stadium punk lads Billy Talent, Crisis of Faith. Billy Talent are both sizable AND interesting, particularly if you’re German, but both of our hosts scratch their heads and try to remember the bands previous album, 2016’s Afraid of Heights, but can’t quite put their finger on having any prior knowledge of it. That’s not to say we have no prior love of BT, in fact their earlier material is very close to the heart of one of us, but that was the past, and can the Billy Talent of 2022 match up to their wiry, yelping and anthemic best of the 2000’s?

Like Billy Talent? Pick up some merch or pre-order the record why dontcha!?

Billy Talent - End Of Me feat. Rivers Cuomo (Official Music Video)

Billy Talent - Reckless Paradise - Official Lyric Video

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Like the sound of the record? Why not pick up a copy?

Videos

Earl Sweatshirt - Titanic (Official Video)

Earl Sweatshirt - Old Friend

Earl Sweatshirt - Sick!

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Steve and Remfry go very in-depth (almost Classic Album-worthy in-depth) on an album that was very hotly anticipated at the time, the debut from Aldershot melodic post-hardcore heroes Hundred Reasons. As suggested by Tierney, this Rioteer's Review provides an opportunity to merrily skip down memory lane as both Steve and Remfry were heavily invested in the scene that Hundred Reasons (debatably) spawned. 

They discuss the hype leading up to the record, the resounding success and sadly, what seemed inevitable decline of a band who, for just a sweet short summer in 2002 looked like they might dominate the entire universe (spoiler ... they didn't).

All that plus, we discover the revelation that Remfry's never heard the saying 'keen as mustard' and Steve stays on brand by obsessing over a band that no-one's even vaguely heard of and oly ever released one(!) demo.

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We’ve had a few weeks off over the Christmas period which has given both Steve and Remfry a little time to listen to some of the records they’d intended to in 2021, but didn’t get round to. We bring you some mainly great releases we missed, a couple of ok ones and one particularly stinky one to round things off.

In the news, we discuss Metallica’s dogs, Glastonbury’s profits and the sad passing of Woodstock founder Michael Lang. Plus, we sift through a few records coming up in the next few months that we can say with absolute 100% assurance that we have not heard, no sir, not us, move right along, nothing to hear here ...

Woodstock Videos

Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer - 8/14/1994 - Woodstock 94

Green Day - When I Come Around @ Live Woodstock 1994 HD

Nine Inch Nails - Head Like A Hole - 8/13/1994 - Woodstock 94 (Official)

Metallica - For Whom The Bell Tolls - 8/12/1994 - Woodstock 94

The Allman Brothers Band - The Same Thing - 8/14/1994 - Woodstock 94 (Official)

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We reviewed the band’s 3rd album Veil of Imagination on episode 102 of the show and were very impressed by their blend of extreme metal styles, progressive elements and classical orchestration. We maaaaaay have said they sounded a bit like Opeth in that review but then hey … that’s no bad thing is it!. 

This time around, the “O band” do come up again, but there is definitely a sense of expansion beyond Veil of Imagination, with psychedelic elements, classic American folk and some evocative synth work added to their already very dynamic palette of extreme metal, classic prog and some truly stirring Michael Kamen-esque orchestral flourishes.

Order yourself a physical copy of Epigone why don't you?

Videos

Passenger

Identifier

Distraction I

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He may well be one of the most famous musicians on the planet right now, but The Weeknd is not your typical Riot Act artist, with one of our hosts having only vaguely dipped his toe into the back catalogue and the other having no prior knowledge of his work at all. Still, this is already a hugely significant release and Dawn FM is a pretty good place to start getting into The Weeknd, as its creator has spoken about the album being a brighter and lighter version of much of his previous material. As well as some seriously seductive and instantaneous 80’s inflected soul pop being present here we also get a varied plethora of famous voices lending their talents to the album, with the likes of Lil Wayne, Tyler The Creator, Quincy Jones and (we’re not making this up) JIM CARREY all lending their voices. The result is an album that is destined to be one of the biggest of the year in any genre … but, is it actually any good? 

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We will return in 2022, which is going to have to go some way to topping 2021, but we’ll do our best to continue providing you with the very best sounds we can find from every corner of the alternative spectrum… whatever that even means to us these days… even we don’t really know! Have a lovely Christmas and thank you for all your support and encouragement over the last 12 months.

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We also bombard you with a mammoth list of our hosts' favourite songs of the year, which excitingly includes an entire reading of that Godspeed You Black Emperor song with the mad long name, and a bit of a chat about how good metal has been this year (Not very on brand is it!)... oh, and we prove we’re shit at maths.

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This week our hosts talk you through numbers 15 to 11, waxing lyrical on everything from soaring, majestic soul to crushing, expansive black metal, from warming, bright shoegaze to icy cold gothic melodrama. All that and much more are represented in our hosts picks, and they also find time to talk through some of the most disappointing albums of 2021. In our humble opinion you understand. Sure. Obviously. 

Oh… Remfry ISN’T wearing new glasses by the way. Just to be clear. THEY ARE NOT NEW GLASSES… Carry on!

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Or rather, it would be, if Steve and Remfry weren’t tasked with re-listening to all their favourite music from the past year and attempting to put their favourite 20 albums into some arbitrary list of preference!

Excessive sadfishing aside, 2021 has been an extraordinary year for new music and whittling it down to just 20 albums each has been a tougher task than ever (yes, we know we say that every year). We’re spreading the Riot Act Albums of the Year over 4 episodes this year, with this episode counting down from 20 - 16. On top of that, we take a look at our favourite EPs of the year.

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On top of that, we discuss the Adele shuffle kerfuffle, the grammys' lack of self-awareness and the new album from Cynic as well as live reviews of Rolo Tomassi, Mogwai and Sleep Token.

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On this episode we are diving deeper into the underground than we have previously done so on this portion of the show by looking at Breaking the Trauma Bond, the 4th studio album from London goth-black metal band Voices. Featuring members of cult UK extreme metal band Akercocke, Voices received a little bit of attention and critical love for 2014’s London album but it is here on their fourth record where Voices have really found their… er… voice. This is a sixteen track, 68 minute meld of Danzig, Killing Joke, Satyricon, Bauhaus and Type O Negative, and we wanted to bring it to your attention.

An Audience of Mannequins (Official Lyric Video)

Like the sound of the record? Why not order a copy from our good friends at Church Road Records

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Fourth album Crawler then, has a fair bit riding on it; do the band continue to stomp forward with more boisterous noisy compositions, or do they try and polish themselves into a more mainstream proposition? Interestingly they might well of done neither of those things ... but, is it any good?

The Beachland Ballroom Video

Car Crash Video

Buy Crawler and other Idles merch

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We then get into a news story that maybe shouldn’t be that big, but seems to have taken on a life of its own over the last week, the performance from Brass Against at the Welcome To Rockville festival in Florida, which featured lead vocalist Sophia Urista… ummm… was caught short onstage and… errrr… relieved herself on a willing volunteer. We look at the event, the fall out, the outraged response and ask, really, is it that big a deal? We also asked our followers on Twitter what the most unusual thing they had ever seen during a gig was, which provoked some eye opening, and watering, anecdotes. All of which seem far more shocking than the events of the weekend, and include on stage curries, naked crowd surfing, prosthetic limb throwing, djent knitting and a bloke in a wedding dress who looks like Charlotte Church.

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Having first got together in 2016 for some wonderfully received shows at Roadburn festival and in London, where both Steve and Remfry witnessed the union first hand, it’s been quite a wait for original material from this particular pairing. And whilst, to some, the marriage of scabrous, noisey hardcore and dark gothic laments may not be an obvious fusion on paper, that is to ignore the many seismic sonic turns both artists have made in their career. But playing live together is one thing, can these two unique voices coalesce into one cohesive songwriting unit here? Listen to find out. 

Blood Moon Video

https://youtu.be/a-7uiDx45JM

Coil Video

https://youtu.be/591_kaZf1oM

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Return Video

https://youtu.be/ZFLoVW_J0lM

Blooms of Oblivion Video

https://youtu.be/Pn12FvaaRMI

Buy / Download / Stream: https://ffm.to/err-eoh

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A criminal investigation is under way to try and ascertain what caused such an unnecessary loss of life as well as the hundreds of injuries sustained during the melee last Friday night. We try to make sense of a tragedy that ultimately, should never have happened and discuss the potential factors that led to it. Is Travis Scott himself to blame? The promoter Live Nation? Security? Poor infrastructure? The fans themselves? All of the above? We look at all the factors that potentially contributed to the highest number of accidental deaths at an official US concert venue since the Station nightclub fire in 2003.

A lighter, somewhat more jovial second half of the show is a discussion of some of our favourite music media outlets, a chance for us to recommend other music enthusiasts and their podcasts, YouTube channels, documentaries, blogs and radio shows. Links to all the recommendations covered on this episode are below

The Craig Charles Funk and Soul Show

Heavy Blog is Heavy

Howard Goodall's The Story of Music

James Acaster's Perfect Sounds

Pop, Collaborate & Listen

Trash Theory

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Remfry and Steve discuss a record that features members of Sepultura (Max Cavalera), The Dillinger Escape Plan (Greg Puciato), Mastodon (Troy Sanders) and The Mars Volta (Dave Elitch). The rule of super-groups dictates that surely, despite the calibre of musicians, this would be a crock of shit … but no! By finding the time to flaunt each individual member’s skills, whilst still maintaining the sense of a coherent and (perhaps most importantly) ‘proper’ band, Killer Be Killed is actually mag-bloody-nificent. Steve admits that his response to the record might have been too tepid upon release whilst Remfry manages to (shock-horror) get a reference in about post-rock … whilst talking about a heavy metal record. #branddedman

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On this show we look at the new album from American singer songwriter Lana Del Rey, Blue Banisters, the follow up to her Chemtrails Over The Countryclub effort from earlier in the year. We’ve had a fair few follow up “lockdown albums” coming hot on the heels of a big release to listen to over the past year, and usually the artists releasing such albums tend to lean in on the first record, choosing a similar sonic palette and not making too many stylistic deviations and instead tweaking here and there and making a continuation of what we’ve just heard. It’s fair to say that, although there is much here that is relatable to Chemtrails…, there is enough on Blue Banisters to suggest that Lana Del Rey has made a point of trying to approach her latest effort with something of a different mindset. But, is it enough to get the thumbs up from our hosts?

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We then catch up on some recent releases that we feel are worth talking about from a truly mixed bag; Limp Bizkit, The War On Drugs, Don Broco, Jonsi, JPEGMAFIA, Marissa Nadler, Teethgrynder, Rivers of Nihil, Tom VR and Can’t Swim all have their latest albums discussed and dissected. There’s a lot of chat about the saxophone too. Nice.

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The follow up to their 2017 effort Emperor of Sand, which divided the opinion of both fan and critics, but an album that both of our hosts were big fans of, mainly thanks to it reintroducing some of the more expansive and difficult elements of their sound. If that record tipped its toe back into proggier waters then it is fair to say Hushed and Grim happily powerbombs straight into the deep end, it being the first double album of the band's career and thematically dealing with the loss of their longtime manager and friend Nick John in 2018. This is arguably the darkest, most challenging and yet simultaneously broadest record that Mastodon have concocted in their career thus far, and, as such, it has proven to be something of a slow burn for both of our hosts, but have either of them settled on an opinion on this most unique of metal bands new effort, or is even more time required before it fully reveals itself?

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We here at Riot Act do have time to share stories though, and, armed with a series of your questions from Twitter, we set about discussing an Indie Download (won’t happen), would we now review a Pet Shop Boys album (We would), would Dave Grohl have ended up writing songs for Nirvana (Probably, just not straight away) and what the problem with Tom Hardy and Ted Lasso is (Silly voice and unrealistic penalties respectively).

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After the serious stuff is dealt with we move on to looking at the long forgotten art of the B-Side. What happened to them? What makes a good one? Who are the best at writing them? What exactly and specifically denotes something as being a B-Side? And, most importantly of all, in this digital streaming age, does the humble B-Side even exist anymore? We’ve picked 6 from the vaults to discuss that run the gamut of quality, as well as getting your thoughts on all of the above.

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We cast a critical eye over the 9th studio album from Scottish alternative rock megastars Biffy Clyro; The Myth of the Happily Ever After. Coming just a year after their previous album, A Celebration of Endings, Biffy are back, and it’s not too surprising to see them. After all, this is a band who have often made a point of releasing a companion piece alongside their recent records, but on this occasion A Celebration of Endings “sister” album might be the first of its kind to stand up proudly on its own. Certainly it is being marketed that way, and, rather than the unconstructed and half baked group of experimental ideas that many bands are left with at the end of their album sessions, The Myth of the Happily Ever After does feel much more coherent and thought out than a mere b-side record. But how does it stand up to scrutiny alongside the rest of Biffy’s stellar back catalogue?

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It's our 40th Rioteer's Review and we're covering something a little outside of the usual Riot Act remit as suggested by James Smurthwaite. Steve and Remfry discuss IGOR, the 5th album from controversial rapper, musician, songwriter and producer Tyler, The Creator. 

Released on 17th May 2019, IGOR is a concept album that combines elements of R&B, Hip-Hop, Funk and Soul and interweaves a loose narrative about a love triangle between the titular character and his male love interest.

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There is always going to be a huge weight of context behind any band that have been around as long as Duran Duran, and Future Past is no exception, not only is it their first album since 2015’s Nile Rodgers and Mark Ronson produced effort Paper Gods, it also marks 40 years since their self-titled debut was released. Future Past features numerous contributions, with Blur guitarist Graham Coxon and legendary Italian composer Giorgio Moroder being just two of the names involved with the writing and production of the record, but does the classic sound of Duran Duran remain intact four decades after they first burst onto the music scene? 

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It’s pretty much the only thing that our hosts do disagree on this week, as they chat about ex-Slayer guitarist Kerry King admitting that he believes his band quit too early, even though they haven’t really put out a decent record for nearly two decades. Quite how Steve would break that to Kerry… well… he probably wouldn’t, the big wuss. In reviews we look at the latest albums from Buffalo, New York hardcore veterans Every Time I Die, UK classic rock diehards The Darkness, Canadian modern, hip-hop affiliated jazz trio Badbadnotgood and underground Belgian shoegaze quartet Slow Crush.

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We also discuss the brief internet shitstorm that’s surrounded Jacob Bannon’s iconic Jane Doe artwork for the utterly sublime Converge album of the same name but rather than simply pretend we’re experts in the field of copyright and trademark like seemingly every other twazzock on the internet, we’ve consulted a real IP lawyer who actually knows what they’re talking about. In a shocking turn of events, it turns out that most people commenting on said story don’t have a clue what they’re talking about.

Speaking of people on the internet who don't have a clue what they're talking about, Pitchfork have 're-appraised' some records they reviewed in the past ... except they haven't. They've simply got other people to appraise them who think different things to the people who initially appraised them, which feels like a colossal waste of everybody's time.

Albums reviewed this week are In the Court of the Dragon by Trivium (43:38) In These Silent Days by Brandi Carlile (1:27:55) Modern Escapism by blanket (1:40:48) and Windflowers by Efterklang (1:50:28)

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In more musically related matters, a study released by the UK Intellectual Property Office which analysed streaming services data between 2014-2020 has concluded that approximately 720 British musicians make a living solely from streaming royalties. We won’t spoil how many musicians are registered in the UK, but let’s put it this way … it’s a lot more than 720!

Reviews this week are of Illusory Walls by The World is a Beautiful Place and I am no Longer Afraid to Die (25:13) Oxidized by Frontierer (57:42) Flux by Poppy (1:29:35) and Garden of Burning Apparitions by Full of Hell (1:45:06)

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It’s been a busy week for news for Steve and Remfry to digest this week, some of it is quite serious, like the implications of UMG being made public on the stock exchange and destroying the myth that there’s no money in the music industry, some of it is quite exciting, such as the very unexpected reformation of The Fugees and news of Rancid returning to the UK, some of it is very tiring, Slipknot and Machine Gun Kelly bellyaching at each other on Twitter for example, and some stories are just bizarre, like Liam Gallagher claiming rock and roll is alive and well because he fell out of a helicopter… fine, but he’s no Brian Harvey!

Once all that is out of the way we turn our attention to reviewing a very varied selection of new music from hotly tipped pop-tech-metal sensations Sleep Token (46:23) electro post-rock instrumental conceptualists Public Service Broadcasting (76:33) a very unique collaboration between underground, forward thinking metal artists The Body and Big I Brave (98:37) and Danish “Doomcore” (copyright Stephen Hill, 2021) destroyers LLNN (112:50)

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Foxing and their unique brand of indie emo post-rock pop have been a favourite of Remfrys for quite some time and many of you will remember that their 2018 third album Nearer My God was his favourite album of that year. In August 2021, they returned with Draw Down the Moon, an album that once again completely re-invented the band’s sound whilst still retaining the essence of what makes them Foxing.

Together, Conor and Remfry discuss the themes of magik, mysticism, neo-paganism and witchcraft that ended up influencing the album and how Foxing integrated those themes with a love of D&D, tabletop gaming and text adventures to create an album that sounds quite unlike anything else.

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Steve and Remfry are kicking themselves after never having previously heard this excellent suggestion from David S Grop to discuss Locust, the second full-length album by Swedish alt metal quintet Mary Beats Jane. Maybe they're being too harsh on themselves though ... as the boys discuss, if you weren't from the US or the UK in 1997, it was a tough ole' time getting coverage in music magazines (bar a few notable exceptions). 

And it's a bloody shame that because, based on this record, Mary Beats Jane, featuring OG The Haunted vocalist Peter Dolving, were an absolutely cracking band. Could it be argued perhaps, that Mary Beats Jane were even better than The Haunted?

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Steve talks about his excitement at the announcement that Rick Astley and Blossoms teaming up to play the songs of The Smiths in possibly the most beguiling partnership since Sting and Shaggy released an album. We also peruse Rolling Stone’s hot-off-the-press updated version of their Top 500 Songs of all Time list, a list that was last updated in 2003.

On top of all that, Remfry has live reports of Mother Vulture and highlights from Portals Festival, including Bossk, Human Pyramids, CLT DRP, itoldyouiwouldeatyou and Nervus.

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There are also brief reviews of Bad Pond Festival as well as Arab Strap’s much anticipated debut show in London since the release of their critically lauded come-back album As Days Get Dark.

Oh and there's a nonsense story about how Classical music leaves us hooked on chocolate biscuits.

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We also take a brief look at the state of ALT LDN festival, as well as live shows from Voices and Idles.

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On this week’s show, we pay our respects to Charlie Watt, the ‘engine’ behind the drum kit for The Rolling Stones who passed away on 24^th August at the age of 80. In other news, Spencer Elden, the baby on the cover of Nirvana’s seminal 1991 album Nevermind, is suing surviving  band members Dave Grohl and Krist Noveselic, Courtney Love, photographer Kirk Weddle, the managers of Kurt Cobain’s estate, his Grandma, his second cousin, his dog, the first girl he ever kissed and probably Steve if he ever hears this podcast, after alleging that his parents never signed a release authorising the use of the image for the artwork. The lawsuit also cites the image as ‘child pornography’ … right you are Spence mate…

Albums reviewed on this week’s show are Glow On by Turnstile (39:04) Wallflowers by Jinjer (59:20) The Live Long After by Sugar Horse (74:49) and Push by Sons of Alpha Centauri (96:30)

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Scott Baird is a ruddy bloody legend because he's only gone and given us Deftones' eighth studio album Gore as the next entry on Rioteers Review, an album that both Remfry and Steve feel is very much maligned, not so much by critics, but more by Deftones fans. So why is that eh? Cause it's proper bangin' it is ... no honest it is. Go on, listen to it, it's well good, what's your beef eh? EH!?

Anyways, Steve and Remfry make their respective cases and make raspberry noises apropos of nothing (sorry about that). 

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Whilst they were away, someone filed a lawsuit against Bob Dylan for sexual misconduct against a minor dating back to 1965, a claim that has caused controversy amongst internet sleuths the world over. We discuss, without drawing any solid conclusions, cause that would be premature without all the facts ... unfortunately, someone forgot to tell the internet.

Albums reviewed this week are Infinite Granite by Deafheaven (82:05) Colors II by Between the Buried and Me (103:15) VI by The Bronx (123:01) and Transmute by Press to Meco (130:37)

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Albums reviewed this week include Distant Populations by Quicksand, Primordial Arcana by Wolves in the Throne Room, King’s Disease II by Nas and Into the Blue by The Joy Formidable.

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Releases reviewed this week include Sinner Get Ready by Lingua Ignota (43:34) Draw Down the Moon by Foxing (72:19) Darwin Falls by Fawn Limbs (92:45) and American Noir by Creeper (110:26)

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After a decade in the US indie underground R.E.M. had achieved a significant mainstream breakthrough after signing to Warners and releasing 1988’s Green and 1991’s Out of Time albums. The latter turned the band into near household names with the success of Losing My Religion, so when they came to record a new album they did so with the pressure of following up a legitimate smash hit. As if that wasn’t enough the musical landscape had been changed hugely with the success of Nirvana’s Nevermind, which made the alternative rock of a band like R.E.M. now the hottest sound in music. But, rather than copy the previous album or try and incorporate the sounds of bands that they themselves influenced, R.E.M. stood staunchly to the belief that their own artistic vision was all that mattered. That vision was to lean on their own sense of mortality as frontman Michael Stipe suffered a series of losses in his personal life and wrestled with feelings of grief and thoughts of his own mortality. It resulted in a record that is slower, more melodic, grander and thematically more reflective than anything that was happening in music at the time. Despite the risks, Automatic for the People would go on to become an even bigger success than any of their previous material, spawning a series of hit singles that remain staples of mainstream rock to this very day.

Go to patreon.com/riotactpodcast to hear part two

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We’re also incredibly saddened to see the news that Black Peaks have split up (10:10). A band beloved by Remfry, Steve and many Riot Act listeners, Black Peaks often seemed like genuine contenders for an exciting guitar-based British band who actually stood a chance of breaking through into the mainstream. From Shrine to Glass Built Castles, from shows supporting Deftones, A Perfect Circle and Mastodon to the Brighton Centre stream, Black Peaks put 100% into everything they did and approached every challenge with their own distinctive, unique voice.

Reviews this week are We’re All Alone in this Together by Dave (44:59) Wildhund by Lantlôs (91:17) and Celestial Blues by King Woman (105:22)

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In the second part of our mini-series of self-indulgent Rioteers Reviews (in aid of our 2nd Birthday celebrations) Steve casts a beady critical eye over I Tell My Guitar The Things I Used To Tell You, the debut 2010 EP from a certain Mr. Remfry Dedman. 

Littered with Easter Eggs and references to some of the biggest artists in Remfry's music collection (Soundgarden, Glassjaw errr ..... Chopin), ITMGTTIUTTY is an inebriated emotionally scarring journey into one man's failed attempts to get intimate with a lady (sort of). 

Dedman's languid gaze into the abyss stoked an unquenchable fire in the horny 20-something and he bears his soul in a po-faced, ever-so-slightly pretentious fashion. 

The highly experimental artiste would often test the patience of audiences with pithy, 3-minute folk tunes stretched out to 13-minute, densely layered 20-part vocal harmony monoliths ... sort of like James Blunt meets Neurosis. 

You can listen to I Tell My Guitar The Things I Used To Tell You at the following link:

https://open.spotify.com/album/0LG072wnnimJrYBqWHn98w?si=hd0LU9h5SJSAYv6ASQqdIg

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Krister, Dave, Steve and Remfry have all picked our five favourite one hit wonders, and we also spend some time (a little too long if we’re honest) on trying to work out just exactly what it is that makes a one hit wonder. Does a second single count? Do they need to achieve a certain chart placing? Is it just as simple as being the one song that we all remember? We posit all those questions before getting into our choices. Some are legit bangers, some are hugely underrated and long forgotten gems, some are established and beloved anthems… and some are Remfry’s choices. Still, bit of a laugh innit! 

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Krister, Dave, Steve and Remfry have all picked our five favourite one hit wonders, and we also spend some time (a little too long if we’re honest) on trying to work out just exactly what it is that makes a one hit wonder. Does a second single count? Do they need to achieve a certain chart placing? Is it just as simple as being the one song that we all remember? We posit all those questions before getting into our choices. Some are legit bangers, some are hugely underrated and long forgotten gems, some are established and beloved anthems… and some are Remfry’s choices. Still, bit of a laugh innit! 

Part 2 out on Wednesday...

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Albums reviewed this week include House of Lull, House of When by Alexis Marshall (24:16) Savigaila by Erdve (43:52) 9^th & Walnut by Descendents (53:54) and the self-titled full length album from Lower Automation (64:54). Oh and Remfry just about sneaks in a review of the Mastodon Live at the Georgia Aquarium livestream as well (73:21).

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Find out the shocking truth about Steve’s secret Shikari addiction, the revelation that Remfry might not think Kanye is total balls and the question that’s been on the lips of the entire music industry … do the Riot Act lads fake their orgasms?

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As part of our second anniversary celebrations last year, we turned Rioteers Review on ourselves for the first (and last) time. Steve and Remfry are discussing Overton Progessive Melodic Noisecore band Stegal, the 2001 debut full-length album fronted by a certain Mr. Stephen 'Bri' Hill.

A searing amalgam of Deftones' White Pony and Converge's Jane Doe (sort of), Stegal garnered a reputation for being the most annoying band in Overton, pissing off their contemporaries with their antagonistic ways and stage-wrecking antics. 

Picking up a physical copy of Angharod these days is nigh on impossible, with some enterprising entrepreneurs attempting to sell second-hand copies of the scarce record for £99 (although rumours persist that a box of around 200 copies are gathering dust in the house of one of the band members).

Criminally, Angharod never received a vinyl release, forever destined to remain a collectible curio amongst fans of people who get far too angry about pop-punk and cult music podcasts. 

You can listen to the Complete Discography of Stegal at the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmQPhG665-w&list=PL0ZGQFL_Yf9Atmbpv5ew-vOVmsgnH_hOS&index=22

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There's not an awful lot going on in terms of new releases this week, but there is a bunch of stuff that we've missed over the past couple of months that definitely deserves some recognition, so we review new(ish) releases including the OST to DC Dark Nights: Death Metal (21:49) Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine by Brockhampton (53:19) Black to the Future by Sons of Kemet (84:33) Entertainment, Death by Spirit of the Beehive (102:32) … And Again Into The Light by Panopticon (114:30) and Bright Green Field by Squid (128:19)

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New releases reviewed this week are Call Me If You Get Lost by Tyler, The Creator (40:22) The Nightmare of Being by At the Gates (82:08) Consolamentum by Year of No Light (96:45) and Turnstile Love Connection by Turnstile (114:07)

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New releases reviewed this week are De Doorn by Amenra (101:39) Serpent & Spirit by URNE (122:04)Year of the Horse by Fucked Up (139:41) and It's a (Doggy Dog) World EP by The Guru Guru (161:00)

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We review new releases including I Lie Here Buried With My Rings and My Dresses by Backxwash, Migration by Bossk, Aggressive Continuum by Fear Factory, Path of Wellness by Sleater-Kinney and Arrows In Words From the Sky by Machine Head.

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We’re here to discuss their second full-length album Migration, a record that had a very unorthodox gestation. We discuss the collaborative nature of the record, how the band wrote music over noisescapes that were provided by Japanese band Endon, the guest spots from Cult of Luna’s Johannes Persson and Palm Reader’s Josh Mckeown, the circumstances behind the delay of vinyl that is affecting bands on a global scale, plus the future of Bossk and the exciting prospect of even more new Bossk music coming sooner than people might think.

Pre-Order your copy of Migration here

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Albums reviewed this week include Bodies by AFI (18:41) Blue Weekend by Wolf Alice (40:52) No Gods No Masters by Garbage (69:50) and Replica of a Strange Love by Wristmeetrazor (91:08)

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Albums reviewed this week are Nowhere Generation by Rise Against (35:24) Arrows by Red Fang (62:29) Family the Smiling Thrush by Boss Keloid (78:58) and Drool by Part Chimp (92:32)

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Once we get around to talking about ... ya know, MUSIC, we discuss the news that Download are set to host a three day pilot festival at a capacity of 10,000 in three weeks time ... a festival ... with music ... in a field ... in three weeks. Bet the internet's still gonna kick off though isn't it! Oh and ex-Megadeth bassist David Ellefson is, in the words of Frankie Howerd, a very dirty old man.

Reviews this week are Cavalcade by black midi (23:26) Lustful Sacraments by Perturbator (54:09) Wretched Abyss by Noctule (80:13) and Perfect by Mannequin Pussy (91:26)

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Albums reviewed this week include Intruder by Gary Numan (37:51) Witness by VOLA (60:35) Frontera by Fly Pan AM (72:59) and Flag by Prosperina (83:04)

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Thank the God of synth-pop then that there's plenty to talk about on this week's show otherwise we'd be stuck in an eternal shitstorm loop. We discuss award show politics and ponder how an artist who has released just one single in the past 12 months can win Best International Female Solo Artist over someone who, in the same period has released three full-length albums all of which have gone to #1 in the UK Charts. Similar pondering occurs over Rage Against the Machine and Iron Maiden still not being deemed worthy entrants to the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame ... although we're less fussed about it than the internet seems to be. Plus we discuss Die Antwoord's removal from ALT+LDN festival and what (if any) implications that has for festival bookings in the future. Oh and listening to heavy metal makes you fat ... apparently. 

In terms of reviews, it's our first catch-up show of 2021, as we dissect releases from bands we missed including Bob Vylan's We Live Here (52:52) For Your Health's In Spite Of (72:12) Genesis Owusu's Smiling With No Teeth (82:53) Youth Code & King Yosef's collaborative effort A Skeleton Key in the Doors of Depression (98:36) Ben Howard's Collections From the White Out (121:28) and Kauan's Ice Fleet (133:21). Oh and we get into an argument about nu-metal. 

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Albums reviewed this week are Van Weezer by Weezer (18:42) Endless Arcade by Teenage Fanclub (47:40) The Last Three Seconds by Voronoi (59:35) and There Is No God Where I Am by Cruelty (78:35)

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In this first part of a two part special, we look back at Superunknown, the 4th (or 5th) album by Soundgarden. Remfry leads the chat and states his case for Superunknown being not only an undeniable classic but pretty much one of the best records of all time (and there's little disagreement from Steve). Released on 8th March 1994, Superunknown was an expansive, experimental smorgasbord of sound that explored a rich tapestry of psychedelia, stoner rock, crooner vocals and doom-laden riffs, an album which takes a Black Sabbath mixed with The Beatles approach as its starting point(!) and twists that idea into ever more exploratory and fascinating territory. 

Universally lauded upon its release, Superunknown was released at a strange time for the scene that the band had sprung from. As George Garner put it so eloquently in his retrospective feature on the album for Kerrang!, “Soundgarden were the first of the big grunge acts to sprout and yet the last to bloom.” This had advantages and disadvantages and with the death of Kurt Cobain exactly 4 weeks after Superunknown was released, the tide was beginning to turn in the press and audience's interests. But Soundgarden easily transcended the term grunge for those who weren't blinded by trends and Superunknown is a rich banquet of delights which will endure forever. 

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Still, there is plenty to get excited about as it's a HUMONGOUS week for new music! We review Fortitude by Gojira (16:30) The Million Masks of God by Manchester Orchestra (51:43) Typhoons by Royal Blood (1:12:27) and Hell Unleashed by Evile (1:37:27)

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In other news, the internet has been a-buzz with hype after Mudvayne announced they are set to return to US festivals to play their first shows since their hiatus in 2010. Exciting news for sure, but maybe not quite as exciting as many people seem to be making out. 

Albums reviewed this week are Sweep It Into Space by Dinosaur Jr. (24:30) Californian Soil by London Grammar (44:06) Vital by Big I Brave (1:05:18) and Intermission by Assertion (1:17:10)

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Albums reviewed this week are Ultra Pop by The Armed (22:25) The Battle At Garden's Gate by Greta Van Fleet (39:41) Sleeps Society by While She Sleeps (56:30) and Violence Unimagined by Cannibal Corpse (75:33)

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2012's L'Enfant Sauvage proved to be the moment where Gojira became unstoppable. Yes the underground had been hyping them since at least 2005's From Mars to Sirius, but the move to Roadrunner Records and four year wait between The Way of All Flesh and L'Enfant Sauvage had given the band more exposure and also allowed some people to catch up to the fact that Gojira had, slowly but surely, become one of the very best and innovative metal bands on the planet. 

L'Enfant Sauvage managed to be a glorious conglomeration of everything the band had been aiming to be up until that point. Ferocious death-metal inspired riffs coalesced seamlessly with more exploratory, ambient (comparatively) progressive tendencies ... Death meets Tool in effect. But Gojira somehow managed something even greater than that descriptor, holding steadfastly onto an identity that was theirs and theirs alone. 

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Reviews this week include Let the Bad Times Roll by The Offspring (19:47) The Greatest Mistake of my Life by Holding Absence (50:30) Loss by Devil Sold His Soul (70:47) and Norweigan Gothic by Årabrot (87:01)

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In other far less exciting news, Daron Malakian has stated that 'guns are essential' in response to a frankly bizarre (and pretty crap to be honest) cover of BYOB by GunDrummer, a musician / irresponsible gun fetishising lunatic who replicates beats and drum patterns using firearms. In his defense, it's a better use of guns than shooting people, so you carry on Mr. GunDrummer. 

And a group of songwriters who collectively have writing credits for some of the biggest artists in pop music (Dua Lipa, Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, One Direction, Michael Bublé, Lorde, Shawn Mendes and Selena Gomez amongst others) have formed an advocacy group called The Pact to raise awareness and prevent pop stars from taking writing credits on songs that they didn't write. Naughty naughty pop stars... 

Albums reviewed this week are G_d’s Pee AT STATE’S END! by Godspeed You! Black Emperor (38:01) Etemen Ænka by Dvne (78:49) Stumbling Through The Walls by Hiraki (102:19) and The Machine Is Burning And Now Everyone Knows It Could Happen Again by Bruit ≤ (115:00)

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Remfry and Steve discuss the self-titled debut album released by Placebo, as suggested by Cameron Sheppard. Released on 17th June 1996, Steve and Remfry discuss how the band exploded in a cloud of glitter and dewy panda-eyed cynicism into a British culture obsessed with Britpop and lad culture as well as the relative merits of this record when put up against the rest of the band's catalogue. Oh and Steve brings up the time that Brian Molko claimed that Caprice tried to 'crack on to him' (allegedly). 

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New releases reviewed this week include Is 4 Lovers by Death From Above 1979 (25:37) Tonic Immobility by Tomahawk (52:09) OH NO by Xiu Xiu (64:49) the self-titled album by Black Spiders (78:19) and Serj Tankian's Elasticity EP (90:28)

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Reviews this week include Chemtrails Over the Country Club by Lana Del Rey (29:32) Dream Weapon by Genghis Tron (55:53) Give One, Take One by '68 (69:14) and Resident Human by Wheel (82:28)

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Steve and Remfry discuss the 3rd full length studio album from Helmet, Paige Hamilton's edgy alt-metal riff lords. Suggested by Chris Schwarten and Max Ellis, the album was released June 21st 1994. Coming out during a period of transition from grunge to nu-metal, Hamilton's razor sharp riffs would go on to influence the nu-metal movement's groove and bounce

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In other news, Kreator are going to be headlining Bloodstock Festival this year (if it goes ahead) replacing Mercyful Fate, Architects secured a No.1 album on the UK Official Album Charts and, bizarrely, Maroon 5's Adam Levine has claimed that there are no bands anymore ... 

Reviews this week include The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy by Rob Zombie (35:43) Mirrors by Pupil Slicer (58:22) Nature Always Wins by Maximo Park (1:13:34) and A History of Nomadic Behaviour by Eyehategod (1:30:05)

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Sadly and somewhat predictably, Download Festival has been cancelled in 2021, and Van Morrison has announced a new studio album (his 42nd!), a double album with some dubious eye-rolling, old man titles. 

Steve and Remfry review new releases including Carnage by Nick Cave & Warren Ellis (32:58) As Days Get Dark by Arab Strap (59:16) L.W by King Gizzard & the Wizard Lizard (1:20:33) and I Won’t Care How You Remember Me by Tigers Jaw (1:35:12)

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Riot Act goes pop (sort of) at Elliot Holt's suggestion as Steve and Remfry discuss the sophomore album by indie-electro pop trio London Grammar, who (confusingly) are from Nottingham. Steve gets personal, antagonises David Cameron and does an appalling Northern Irish accent whilst Remfry sits and listens in a sulk (even though he's not in a sulk at all).

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The rest of the news covers the full range of the good, the bad and the ugly as The Former Boss of the United States of America and The Boss start a podcast together (good), Daft Punk announce they've split up after 28 years (bad) and Reading & Leeds strongly indicate that they will be back this summer, leading a whole slew of UK festivals to announce they will also be returning in 2021 (ugly). Oh and in altogether terrifying news, some fart-hat has decided to make a biopic about Robbie Williams ... starring Robbie Williams.

Reviews this week are For Those Who Wish to Exist by Architects (51:18) Little Oblivions by Julien Baker (90:47) Single Album by NoFX (106:40) and Life Is Not a Lesson by Glitterer (122:08)

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#westandwithmorbid

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Thanks to the suggestion from Rich Hobson, Remfry and Steve are returning to their favourite era ... the early 90s. But lo! What is this!? An album from 'the best decade of all time' that neither Steve nor Remfry have heard? What folly is this? Of course, Candlebox were the butt of many jokes once the grunge movement exploded, particularly with the release of their 1993 self-titled album ... but do they deserve such scorn? It's like clear gravy baby!

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They also take a look at the nominees for this year's Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame and Steve is infuriated that Tina Turner isn't already in the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame. But not as infuriated as he is with Weetabix, and their suggestion of putting baked beans on the whole-grain wheat breakfast cereal.

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And news verges from the horrific to the ridiculous as we discuss the grim allegations that have come out against Marilyn Manson and the lawsuit taken out against Taylor Swift by a Utah theme park that just so happens to share a name with the latest album from the pop sensation. 

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We discuss the albums themes, with that awkward feeling of being an avid consumer against consumerism being among them, the records more pop like sensibilities, taking us into discussions on everyone from Talk Talk to Pet Shop Boys to The Weeknd, what the definition of progressive music is in the year 2021 and, of course, both of the Steve’s love and admiration for Taylor Swift. 

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And as it's a crossover episode, we throw in one of Hell Bent For Metal's features in the form of Camp Classic, where we pick a work from metal's history which the gay community might see differently to the straight folk in the room. And this week's pick is the video to Sonne by Rammstein. 

There's also brief discussion around The Flaming Lips' super cool Oklahoma 'bubble' show and the cancellation of Glastonbury and what that rather inevitably means for UK festivals of a similar size in 2021.

LINKS

Drumtalk's Sean Reinert (Cynic) Tribute

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKJdCM-ngGE

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Steve and Remfry dissect the 2004 debut album from Canadian rock duo Death From Above 1979. Just catching the tail end of the Garage rock revival, 'You're a Woman, I'm a Machine' was released to very positive reviews, particularly amongst the indie press (5/5 on Alternative Press, 10/10 on Drowned in Sound, **** in Mojo and Uncut). The boys discuss their experiences seeing Death From Above live, their split, their resurgence and comeback almost a decade later.  

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Releases covered from 2021 include Wardruna's Kvitvran (53:56) Viagra Boys' Welfare Jazz (71:14) and Lonely the Brave's The Hope List (85:42) Steve and Remfry also pay tribute to New York Dolls guitarist Sylvain Sylvain and acknowledge that Phil Spector's died. 

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There is some brand new music however in the form of The Helm of Sorrow, a new collaborative EP from Emma Ruth Rundle and Thou (89:06) that's come hot on the heels of last year's debut collaborative full-length May Our Chambers Be Full. 

Riot Act is delighted to be supported by Signature Brew. Head to https://www.signaturebrew.co.uk and type in the code ‘riotact’ at the checkout to get 10% off your purchase.

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Sadly things aren't as quiet on the news front as we pay tribute to two musicians who both passed away recently; underground hip-hop rapper MF Doom and Children of Bodom guitarist / singer Alexi Laiho. Plus we get political after photographs of Iced Earth guitarist Jon Schaffer are circulated showing him to be one of the protestors at the US Capitol siege.

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It's our 25th Rioteers Review and what a super group of musicians we have to talk about for you my friend, as Steve and Remfry discuss Them Crooked Vultures, the 2009 self-titled debut from Messers Homme, Grohl and errr ... Paul-Jones? They discuss the album, seeing the band play Download and whatever happened to that proposed follow-up album?

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To listen to the second part head to patreon.com/riotactpodcast and sign up for our £5 a month tier for access to this and all other Classic Album podcasts.

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The criteria is to choose best of collections by bands who may not have an essential back catalogue as a whole, but have a great collection of songs all the same. Maybe they are missing that all killer, no filler definitive album, or maybe the band or artist themselves have an average discography when taken as a whole, but collect together their hits and you've got one almighty banger of an album. There's controversy aplenty, as Remfry picks a best of by one of the biggest metal bands of all time and Steve threatens anyone that doesn't like Motown.  

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We've been beavering away behind the scenes for the last couple of months to create a Christmas Carol Medley performed by a veritable feast of guests to raise money for a fund setup by Music Venues Trust for venues that didn't receive funding from the UK Government bailout. 

Remfry sat down with our arrange meister general Mr. Tom Peters from Alpha Male Tea Party, who has painstakingly arranged four carols together for our band of uber-musicians to perform. They talk about bringing all the disparate elements of the medley together, forming an uber group consisting of members of Alpha Male Tea Party, Delta Sleep, The Physics House Band and InTechnicolor to bring the instrumentals to our monstrous medley of festive fun. 

Joining them on vocals are members of SikTh, Her Name is Calla, False Advertising, El Moono, Congé and Better Than Mending. They also discuss the choice of carols, Good King Wenceslas, Ding Dong Merrily On High, O, Little Town of Bethlehem and Silent Night. 

https://riotactpodcast.bandcamp.com/releases

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Gill has provided us with a long-list of bands that he used to cover in the magazine and we find out what's happened to them in the intervening years. Bands featured include Lower Than Atlantis, Alexisonfire, Anvil, We Butter the Bread with Butter, Sebastian Bach, Motley Crue, Bleeding Through, Down Bullet For My Valentine and Lostprophets

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There were tempered expectations for the 1995 self-titled album, written and recorded (almost) entirely by Grohl. Many critics seemed downright offended that a drummer (A DRUMMER!!!) would have the NERVE to step out from behind the drum stool and play guitar ... AND SING!! AT THE SAME TIME!! MADNESS!

It didn't take long for Grohl to make those critics look rather silly and 25 years on, the songs on Foo Fighters' debut album (This is a Call, I'll Stick Around, For All the Cows, Alone + Easy Target, Exhausted) still sound brilliant, despite (or maybe even because of) their raw, ragged production. The self-titled album served as a reminder that fuzzed-up guitars, a sweet melody and above all else, great songwriting is really all you need to deliver an album that will endure for many years to come.

Remfry leads the chat and covers the Pocketwatch demo, how Eddie Vedder gave Grohl his first big break post-Nirvana, the Robert Lang Studio sessions that would result in the self-titled record, track-by-track analysis, the chaotic Reading ‘95 show and the critical reaction; the good, the bad and the Christgau.

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recount their albums of 2020 from 10 to the predictable and inevitable no.1 album of the year. 

We also look into the worst albums of the year, the most disappointing of the year and the surprises of the year. 

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Vlad is one of the founders of Small Pond, a record label, studio and practise space based in Brighton. Bands who have released music through Small Pond include CLT DRP, Bitch Falcon, Wild Cat Strike, Natalie Evans, The Physics House Band, Mutiny on the Bounty, Luo and Kint. Remfry asks Vlad about how he came to Brighton, build a recording studio and practise space from scratch with absolutely no previous building experience and setup Small Pond as a record label and successful venture that has helped to nurture some of the most talented, forward-thinking acts on the South Coast. 

They also discuss Bad Pond Festival, an annual event that is streaming live for free on Saturday 19th December. The stream will also feature pre-recorded interviews by Remfry that will air between sets. 

Bands playing Bad Pond are ...

- Jamie Lenman

- Saint Agnes

- A.A. Williams

- Orchards

- Gender Roles

- CLT DRP

- Yumi and the Weather

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On this week's Rioteer's Review, suggested by Michael Perry, Steve and Remfry discuss the debut (and currently) only album by No Devotion, the collaboration cobbled together by 5 ex-members of Lostprophets and Thursday frontman Geoff Rickley. They discuss the origins of the record, the controversy surrounding it and how Permanence could be held up as one of the key albums to establish the current trend and love for 80s new wave synth sounds. 

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In this Rioteer's Review, suggested by Max Ellis, Remfry and Steve discuss the 1992 sixth studio album by psychedelic 'grunge' underdogs Screaming Trees. They discuss the band's involvement in the Singles soundtrack, pour yet more worship upon Screaming Trees vocalist Mark Lanegan (as per) and attempt to get to the bottom of why Screaming Trees never 'hit big' in the same way as their contemporaries Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains. 

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They also talk about the potential Hole reunion (and if they're bothered were such a thing to occur) as well as the all-star Alice in Chains tribute show at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle. 

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Steve and Remfry discuss the Original Soundtrack to controversial Oliver Stone directed and Quentin Tarantino scripted satirical black comedy Natural Born Killers. Compiled by Trent Reznor, who reportedly watched the film 50 times, it's contains an incredibly varied smorgasbord of musicians including Leonrad Cohen, Dr. Dre, Patti Smith, Nine Inch Nails, Bob Dylan, L7, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Peter Gabriel and Jane's Addiction. 

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We review new releases from Sólstafir (1:02:24) Ólafur Arnalds (1:28:22) Vennart (1:39:57) Bitch Falcon (2:04:14) Mountain Caller (2:15:26) and This Be The Verse (2:25:34)

Plus, we chat about the latest live streams from The Bronx (17:09) Puscifer (22:46) Mr. Bungle (35:40) and Code Orange (42:01)

The Bronx - Side Effects - 10/5/2017 - Paste Studios, New York, NY - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aswsg8lDEEA

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Steve also reviews the Fever 333 livestream (8:50) from Los Angeles and Remfry picks a fight with pretty much every musician that has ever existed. 

Mr. Bungle Quietus Interview - https://thequietus.com/articles/29126-mr-bungle-interview-trey-spruance-trevor-dunn-the-raging-wrath-of-the-easter-bunny

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Remfry and Steve discuss the sophomore album from massively influential lo-fi psychedelic indie folk rockers Neutral Milk Hotel. They discuss the themes of the record including loss of innocence, esoteric lyricism and Anne Frank, the influence the album has had on a variety of artists from Arcade Fire to mewithoutYou and it's status amongst the music journalist 'elite' as the Sgt. Pepper of the 90s. There's also a lot of talk about semen ... sorry about that.  

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We're delighted to say Riot Act is supported by Signature Brew. Head to https://www.signaturebrew.co.uk and type in the code 'riotact' at the checkout to get 10% off your purchase. 

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Reviews come courtesy of Greg Puciato, Touché Amoré, Bon Jovi, METZ and Venom Prison

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Remfry also had the chance to ask Simon about a number of other projects he's put his name to during lockdown including Empire State Bastard, Tippy Toes and a new Marmaduke Duke record. 

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There are also reviews of the new albums by Jónsi, Enslaved, Corey Taylor, Anaal Nathrakh, Laura Jane Grace and Moor Mother. Plus congratulations are in order for IDLES on their #1 album and to Kilimanjaro Live boss Stuart Galbraith for attempting to give the government a kick up the arse by revealing a target date for live gigs to return in the UK. 

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For our twentieth Rioteers Review, Scott Bamford has suggested that we talk about Rotterdam post-hardcore mob thisGIRL's 2002 debut full-length album A Short Strut to the Brassy Front. Steve recounts his memories of playing shows with the band 'back in t'day' with rowdy Will Haven intim Stegal and Remfry keeps peddling out the same old rubbish joke, much to the annoyance of Steve. 

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On top of all that, Remfry and Steve discuss the terrific 2000Trees announcement, the sad circumstances that have led to the hiatus of Anathema and Steve reviews NoFX's livestream 'performance' of their 1992 White Trash, Two Heebs and a Bean.  

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We also pay our respects to reggae legend Toots Hibbert who sadly passed away last week and another legendary band descends into the pit of Broken Records as Pink Floyd's double one side live, one side studio album Ummagumma is dissected and assessed for a placing in our league table of despair. 

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After a relatively long hiatus (apologies for that) we're back with Rioteer's Review and we've got a corker for you here as suggested by Callum McMillan. Biffy Clyro's second album The Vertigo of Bliss is remarkably different to the arena-bothering Biffy Clyro of today, far more acerbic, angular and generally 'shouty'. Steve and Remfry discuss the band as they were then and talk about an album that remains one of the favourites in their back catalogue for a certain type of Biffy fan. 

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Speaking of overuse of words that are prefixed by the word 'over', Remfry becomes over-excited by the fact that the first chord change in 7 years occurred during the performance of John Cage's As Slow As Possible, a piece of music being performed in a church in Germany over a period of 639 years. He needs to get out more. Steve sobers him up with the news of Milk Teeth's demise and breaking news as we went to record that Creeper drummer Dan Bratton has left the band. 

There is also devastating news as Holy Roar records, a label we've historically championed on the show, has dissolved due to disturbing and distressing rape allegations that have been made against the label's founder. Remfry and Steve would like to reiterate that any form of sexual assault is unacceptable and their deepest sympathies go out to those who have had the courage to speak out.

Some important links for those who have suffered or know anyone who has suffered at the hands of sexual abuse: 

https://www.mind.org.uk/need-urgent-help/using-this-tool

https://rapecrisis.org.uk/get-help/

https://www.victimsupport.org.uk/

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Reviews this week come courtesy of Oceans of Slumber, Bloxx, Bill Callahan, Pig Destroyer and a surprise EP release from '68.And finally, after a few weeks of utterly despicable grotty garbage on Broken Records, we take a look behind Hollywood actor Corey Feldman's fifth (yep ... fifth!) record Angelic 2 the Core: Angelic Funkadelic / Angelic Rockadelic, a double album that really needs to be heard to be believed! Oh and Steve becomes furious at Remfry's appraisal of The Lost Boys, a film he's finally got around to seeing just a short 33 years after it's initial release. 

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Steve and Remfry discuss Killing Joke's seminal self-titled 1980 debut as well as the impact the band had on the likes of Fugazi, Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, Metallica, Foo Fighters and more. They also talk about the characteristics of post-punk and how Thatcher's Britain became the nucleus for the genre.  

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Remfry joins in to help review new releases by PVRIS, Ulver, CLT DRP, Narrow Head and Brotherhood of the Lake and Broken Records is forced to go to some really nasty, grotty places once again, as we take a look at Bad Blood, the sixth record from Jesus David Torres aka Dahvie Vanity, the despicable probable-nonce responsible for Blood on the Dance Floor.

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Steve and Remfry take on an excellent suggestion by Max Ellis of one of our favourite vocalists Mark Lanegan. Released in 2004, Lanegan's sixth full-length solo album was his most commercially successful to date, featuring a myriad of guests including PJ Harvey, Izzy Stradlin, Duff McKagan, Joshua Homme, Nick Oliveri, Greg Dulli and Chris Goss amongst a plethora of others. 

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They also abandon all hope at the absolute twattery of attendees at Sturgis Biker Rally ... no, not because they paid money to watch appalling 'All-Star' Shrek-wreckers Smash Mouth, but because seemingly the overwhelming majority of the crowd appeared mask-less amid an ongoing, global coronavirus pandemic .... blithering idiots!

There's also sad news in the form of producer extraordinaire Martin Birch's passing as well as LG Petrov's diagnosis with un-curable cancer. If you'd like to help donate to the cause, visit Petrov's Go Fund Me page at https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-petrov 

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Together, they look at covers of songs by the likes of The Beatles, Refused, The Prodigy, Nina Simone, Sunny Day Real Estate, Pink Floyd, Kate Bush, Nirvana, Iron Maiden, Weezer, Deftones, The Police, Killing Joke and Frank Sinatra

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Steve and Remfry go through the main events of the metal calendar from 2011 to present and along the way, give Gill 8 albums to listen to so he has an overview as to what the hell has been happening in this crazy world of heavy metal. Those albums are The Satanist by Behemoth, Statues by Black Peaks, Devil is Fine by Zeal & Ardor, Mareridt by Myrkur, Leather Teeth by Carpenter Brut, Prequelle by Ghost, amo. by Bring Me the Horizon and Underneath by Code Orange.

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In part 2 we look at the bands first record of the 90’s, and potentially the album that saved U2’s career; 1991’s Achtung Baby. Starting from the existential crisis that gripped U2 in the aftermath of the poorly received Rattle And Hum project, to the Berlin sessions that were full of soul searching, radical musical direction changing and eventually where U2 found the inspiration for the next chapter of their career, and ending up looking at the band embracing excess, irony and rock superstardom as a means to hit back at their detractors. We look at the influence of the album on artists as diverse as Nine Inch Nails and Jack White, how it stands up today and how U2 ended up inside a lemon on the next stage of their journey. 

Two specials, two albums, one band, that you never asked for, we’re giving it to you regardless. Happy birthday us. You’re very welcome.

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A free, whether you asked for it or not, double header Classic Album series podcast on Irish megastars U2. In the first part we look at the bands 1987 behemoth The Joshua Tree, an album that turned U2 from hotly tipped and much loved arena rock heroes to the single biggest band on planet Earth. From the coming of Age at Live Aid in 1985, to the exploration and discovery of American artists that inspired the album, to the double Grammy winning, multi-million selling success that came in the aftermath of the record, we look at the story of one of the biggest albums of all time. Then we delve into the backlash that came U2’s way as the pressure the band felt and the fatigue the public felt toward the band threatened to destroy them.

Two specials, two albums, one band, that you never asked for, we’re giving it to you regardless. Happy birthday us. You’re very welcome.

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There's some crap news as we discuss the demise of Q Magazine and we pay tribute to Tim Smith of Cardiacs, who tragically passed away earlier this week from dystonia. And Broken Records takes a lighter turn than it has done in weeks, as we take a look at Dee Dee King AKA Dee Dee Ramone's 1989 hip-hop solo record 'Standing in the Spotlight'.

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