Huntsman Hill: A Music Retrospective

Steve Albini was one of a kind. As a songwriter and musician in his bands Big Black, Rapeman and Shellac he made aggressive, uncompromising music with biting songs about the darkest side of the human experience. As an audio engineer he recorded pivotal albums for the likes of Nirvana, Pixies and PJ Harvey and worked with thousands of others covering every genre conceivable and changing the sound o...

While still nowhere near the sound of classic Sabbath, "Tyr" is the closest we've been since "The Mob Rules." If nothing else, the 1990 sound of the band was unique from what other guitar driven bands were doing at the time. It's not the Pixies or Jane's Addiction or Bad Brains or Alice in Chains and it's certainly not Cannibal Corpse, each of whom released significant records that same year. What...

Max Cavalera has been audibly pissed since the 1985 release of Sepultura's debut EP "Bestial Devastation" (and probably before). His mood has not improved in the years since. From Nailbomb to Soulfly, Cavalera Conspiracy to Killer Be Killed, every project the Brazilian guitarist/songwriter/shouter has been involved with has loudly had more than its fair share of vitriol. Maybe forming a band with...

Today, Henry Rollins is a humorous spoken word performer and author but the Henry Rollins of old was mostly just angry.  Very, very angry.  First with DC punk outfit SOA and then as Black Flag's fourth singer, Mr Rollins could barely contain his testosterone fueled rage and both bands benefitted.  Once Black Flag disbanded, Rollins went solo for a couple of releases before forming Rollins Band and...

The first Motörhead release without Fast Eddie Clarke and the only to include his replacement, ex-Thin Lizzy guitarist Brian Robertson could have been a disaster.  Instead, it's Another Perfect Day.  Lemmy's rasp and bass roar remain in tack as does Filthy Phil's frenetic pounding, and while Fast Eddie's speedy riffing is missed, in it's place are Robertson's newly welcomed guitar melodies that ad...

The shadow(play) of this band and this record in particular, looms large.  From its iconic cover to the deification of singer Ian Curtis after his suicide shortly after the albums release to their transformation into the stadium filling New Order afterward, everything about Joy Division feels big and important.  But what about the music itself?  Sure it influenced everyone from The Cure to U2, Tea...

Outside of Black Sabbath and the Ramones, it's hard to imagine a band more influential to Alternative music than Wire. Without their first three albums, 80's Post Punk & College Rock, 90's Shoegaze & Brit Pop and the indie rock of 2000's would have all sounded completely different and early 80's Hardcore maybe never exists.  Their 1977 debut is simultaneously a totem of its time and entirely timel...

Unbeknownst to us, this long unavailable album would be remastered and made available on all your notable music streaming services only a week or two after we recorded this episode.  That means that you can now hear it with Apple Music or Spotify clarity as opposed to the less than desirable ad-riddled YouTube experience we had to endure to prep for this conversation.  Does that vastly improve the...

The best mashups are like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and the worst play like an 11 years olds YouTube channel. So what happens when you put Chocolate City's favorite sons into the Brooklyn Zoo?  An Emo motherfucking ruckus!!!  DC killa bees y'all!    LINK TO EPISODE IN BIO   Recommended Listening   Wugazi 13 Chambers Playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3p5V13QvhPHQfgJySsNWeb?si=c935427f8174...

Fuck This Band    Recommended Listening   EP78:  Voivod "Killing Technology" https://huntsmanhill.com/2018/09/30/ep78-voivod-killing-technology/   HHPP Spotify Track:  "To Hell With Good Intentions" https://open.spotify.com/track/6voBjlyjKJ51YmsuOhVxmM?si=ec2a0acccc71476c   Spotify Playlist:   https://open.spotify.com/user/1298220429/playlist/4gy1wWwypkoFS2lUztvZ44?si=waSq07DBQlq3x9G1_nK0pg   Cont...

We're not getting older, we're getting bitter    RIP Mr Chi Pig    Recommended Listening   EP5:  "…And No One Else Wanted to Play" https://huntsmanhill.com/2016/12/21/ep-5-snfu-and-no-one-else-wanted-to-play/   HHPP Spotify Track:  "The Devil's Voice" https://open.spotify.com/track/7fKAcYpq6N55ficeXaGMZo?si=cf3278348dd0482d   Spotify Playlist:   https://open.spotify.com/user/1298220429/playlist/4g...

Essentially Hatebreed w/ a dash of Slayer.  It's not the most original formula but that doesn't mean it isn't a fun listen.      Recommended Listening   Videos Deathwestern https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lSSzMZg0oE&list=RDEMUxm5PCua3VxOjzHA5MlaGg&start_radio=1   TV Show Preacher  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5016504/   Other Music Panopticon "Kentucky"  https://open.spotify.com/album/41MBKLkhzs5...

Our journey through uncharted Sabbath waters continues with the band's thirteenth studio album.  Released in 1987, at this point more of a Toni Iommi solo project than a band.  This one features Tony Martin, their fifth singer and a solid contribution from ex-Uriah Heep, Rainbow & Blizzard of Oz bassist Bob Daisley.  It's not exactly a return to form but it's a step in the right direction.     Rec...

EP256:  X - More Fun in the New World -  Beginning with their debut "Los Angeles" in 1979, X put out four consecutive nearly perfect records culminating with "More Fun in the New World" in 1983.  It would be their last album produced by Ray Manzarek and the bands sound would more overtly incorporate elements of Roots Rock and Americana whole John Doe and Exene Cervenka's lyrics would begin leaning...

If you have heard Big Star's music, chances are that you're a fan.  If you haven't but love Cheap Trick or REM or the Replacements or the Plimsouls or the Go-Go's or Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers chances are that you're a fan but just don't know it yet.  They were that good.  In this, our first episode discussing the Power Pop geniuses, we deep dive record #1.    RIP Chris Bell RIP Alex Chilton RI...

EP254:  The Adolescents.  Inspired by our Orange County lineage, we discuss this classic debut LP from 1981 and how it stacks up against the rest of the OC Punk canon.  It's the rare episode recorded with all three amigos together in the same room, coming to you live and direct from Venice Beach CA!      RIP Steve Soto    Recommended Listening   EP68:  Remembering Steve Soto  https://huntsmanhill....

Pierre Kezdy was a staple of the Chicago Punk scene for more than 25 years.  Beginning in the early 80's with Strike Anywhere Kezdy made his mark with his distinctive bass playing and melodic songwriting.   His work with Naked Raygun across classic albums from 1986's "All Rise" through 1990's "Rayun…Naked Raygun" would cement his legacy and joining ex-Raygun guitarist John Haggerty for several Peg...

How does a band stay interested in making music together when they're 20+ years into their recording career and their creative forces have competing sensibilities?  If you're Fucked Up you indulge every whim, throw everything into a blender and see what comes out.  Results vary on their 2023 release but it's never short of compelling.     Recommended Listening   Turned Out A Punk https://open.spot...

BABYLON FALL!!!!!     Recommended Listening   Venom "Welcome to Hell" https://open.spotify.com/album/72v57SJxlkhi5ALoBTBGH0?si=Q0IBE9oKQHyumWHTxyxFyw   Sepultura "Chaos A.D." https://open.spotify.com/album/5r4qa5AIQUVypFRXQzjaiu?si=QuThihZCTnybx43JfWwmJQ   Motörhead "Overkill" https://open.spotify.com/album/6rfGeD9P5kyZTSwif5tOJb?si=5ofkg0ZbSzml_HntxU4qgg   Corrosion of Conformity "Eye For An Eye"...

We're a little late to the Best of the Year party but better late than never, here's our annual top tens from the year of our lord 2023.     RIP Bob Nalbandian   Contact us at:   huntsmanhillpodcast@gmail.com Spotify Playlist:   https://open.spotify.com/user/1298220429/playlist/4gy1wWwypkoFS2lUztvZ44?si=waSq07DBQlq3x9G1_nK0pg   Our Music manhuntsman:   https://open.spotify.com/artist/7tFBWn0UFkdOE...

The boys of the HHPP Choir still singing Galway Bay and the bells are ringing out for Christmas day as we celebrate the life of the great Shane MacGowan.  Rest in peace good sir.     RIP Shane MacGowan  RIP Bob Nalbandian   Recommended Listening   EP21:  The Pogues "If I Should Fall From Grace With God"  https://huntsmanhill.com/2017/04/16/ep21-the-pogues-if-i-should-fall-from-grace-with-god/   Ki...

The fabled question posited by Neil Young, "is it better to burn out than to fade away?"  looms large when considering Sabbath's 12th studio album.  It makes a strong argument for the former.  The prior quality of Tony Iommi's work and his indelible influence on every single piece of heavy music that came after affords him eternal appreciation and love regardless of the atrocities that came after....

INXS had a TON of hits during their 80's heyday and you'd instantly recognize all of them, The Swing's "Original Sin" included.  The rest of the album is filled with deep cuts that only the diehards will recognize.  Results may vary but if you want to know what 1984 sounded like, you could do a lot worse than starting here.     RIP Shane McGowan  RIP Geordie Walker  RIP Scott Kempner  RIP Bob Nalb...

Part 2 of our Soulside series, this one focusing on their incredible third LP, which not only served as a sonic transition into the equally great Girls Against Boys but also unknowingly proved to be the inspiration for the HHPP outro music.      RIP Bob Nalbandian   Recommended Listening:     EP67: Hall & Oates "The Very Best of Daryl Hall & John Oates" https://huntsmanhill.com/2018/06/25/ep67-hal...

We love to eat we love to prey mold over mind hooray!   Recommended Listening:     Skatenigs "Chemical Imbalance" https://open.spotify.com/track/0OMvirjF7mCSoGnf4uIpol?si=366f045eaaf646d6   Waritme " Fast Food For Thought" https://www.discogs.com/master/141468-Wartime-Fast-Food-For-Thought   Lead into Gold  https://open.spotify.com/artist/31AGUo9XdSojGBaIRvLOPl?si=vLWpxY6dQHK_xdqh41Pvrg   Omertà 6...