Metal Nerdery Podcast

REIGN IN BLOOD (R.I.B.), the third full length offering by the mighty and powerful SLAYER, is quintessential Thrash perfection.  It’s so sublime it’s practically one song with 10 distinct movements (think “Ten Degrees of R.I.B.”).  It’s so superb that it can only be listened to from start to finish, front to back, in order.  Period.     Go ahead and hit up Smog Dog for some anti-relaxers to keep u...

There was a time when Movie SOUNDTRACKS basically sucked and the only thing that could make them even remotely palatable was the inclusion of a Metal band, really any metal band!  (Obviously NOT Europe!).  Thankfully, we now live in the modern age, where it’s not uncommon to see bands like Slayer and Pantera included on a moving picture soundtrack. (And as you’ll soon discover, bolth bands have ac...

Tell the night manager at the club you know “The Pringles Guy” (be sure you don’t hold back either…especially if folks get “rowdy”), prepare for some “Fuun” and “please hold…”, because it’s time to JOIN US from our 33rd Floor I.U.B.P. Studios as we traverse the WORLD partaking of Metal from locations hither and yon, near, and far. Metal Nerdery Salutes:   METAL WORLDWIDE!   Visit  www.metalnerdery...

There’s entirely too much happening at Metal Nerdery’s 33rd Floor Inverted Bunkerpoon Studios!!! Just know we made liberal use of our speak-holes to discuss HELMET’s third album, BETTY, and the multitude of things we love about them/it (including a tangentional tie-in to Black Sabbath!).   Fire up the grill, throw on some road lobster, porn dogs and hamburgers, and try out some of those fancy ston...

Sometimes in life, it only takes ONE.  ONE experience to understand everything.  ONE move to win it all.  ONE chance to achieve glory.  And in the case of this episode, ONE was interpreted in more than ONE way!    (ONE Ironically sarcastic sigh) JOIN US as we try our best to heed the message of Connor MacLeod (“There can be only ONE”) and stay in ONE lane while everything else goes off the rails....

Practice talking about “Suicidal Tendencies” at all of your work, family and social events and see exactly how many people will absolutely lose their minds…at the fact that you actually are familiar with the S.T. and The Chief Sermonator, The Rev. MIKE MUIR of the Church of SUICIDAL TENDENCIES* (which, to avoid any further triggering, will be referred to henceforthian as “S.T.”*).   Mark the time...

Since analogies are usually the easiest way to explain two things which are similar, think of LED ZEPPELIN as the Metallica of the 60s and 70s…kind of.  As Metallica did with so many obscure NWOBHM bands and songs, similarly, LED ZEPPELIN co-opted the sound of their favorite obscure Blues artists to help forge a new, heavier brand of cockrockian sonic bliss never heard before in Rock’n’roll. Let t...

By 1983, MOTLEY CRUE had cemented their legendary reputation as the most notorious heavy metal band on the Los Angeles Sunset Strip.  The band’s sophomore release, SHOUT AT THE DEVIL, can be summed up as NWOBHM meets L.A. Glam with a generous infusion of decadence, debauchery and just a dash of the occult for good measure (because let’s face it:   if it terrifies the establishment enough to put a...

It would seem that the hour (and a half or so…) is upon us.  As of the date of the release of this episode, we here at Metal Nerdery HQ 33rd Floor I.B.P. Studios (and really, EVERYONE in the greater metropolitan multiverse) will be “officially” unofficially (or “unofficially” officially) celebrating the 30th Birthday of METALLICA, METALLICA’s eponymous 5th studio album affectionately known here at...

While it’s true AC/DC’s debut may resemble Chuck Berry style Rock ‘N’ Roll, understand that it’s got way more sleaze, way more attitude, and way more…balls!  Oh yeah, and way more HEADBANGING!   The “science” proves it:  AC/DC IS METAL!!! Break out your bagpipes and bananas, hang on to your balls and JOIN US as we teleport back to 1975 and immerse ourselves into The First New Album by that (and ag...

In the spirit of continuing our ascension into (and subsequent celebration of) achieving “Triple-Digit” status, we’ve added yet another special guest to come in and discuss Metal Nerdery 101 (that’s “Episode” 101, NOT to be confused with “How to Metal Nerdery, 101”; because if you’ve already got access to relaxers and Metal, then you already know how it’s done)!!!   JOIN US for some more brand spa...

Tony Iommi’s opening cough solo on BLACK SABBATH’s 3rd release (1971’s MASTER OF REALITY) signaled the “Big Bong”, (the creative “spark”, if you will) that would become the “seed”, the “budding” genesis of ALL Stoner Metal.   It’s our 100th episode, and what better way to celebrate our “elevation” into the realm of triple digits than to “inhale” BLACK SABBATH, Vol. III (or “MASTER OF REALITY” in c...

Imagine the following scenario:  you are one of the most powerful names in all of Thrash and are tasked with releasing a follow-up to your own unmatched, game changing, genre defining, masterpiece.    Do you: A:  do what’s “safe” and duplicate what you’ve already perfected (*yawn*)?  OR B:  continue to evolve and expand your sonic palette by changing your approach?   Thankfully, SLAYER went with o...

Metal Prophecy states that TB4 (The Big 4) made a pact with TAI (The Almighty Iommi) to unite like some ginormous Voltronesque Thrash Beast for the furtherance and advancement of Thrash (and really, ALL Metal, but mostly, REALLY Thrash) to a new frontier (or perhaps even “a new level”, you might say…) of unheralded, unmatched power.  The prophecy required that each of TB4 release an album of their...

Purple and Orange. While it might sound like the name of some evolutionarily engineered super strain of relaxers, purple and orange perfectly describes the chromesthesia generated by the sound of "VERTIGO", the 50th anniversary tribute to Black Sabbath's crushing 1970 self-titled debut and also the first new album by ZAKK SABBATH. Fire up those black lights & lava lamps, roll another bowl of whate...

For the year that gave us dial-up internet, Global Positioning System satellites, and "Seinfeld", 1989 gave us an equally legendary year in Thrash (and that's including Metallica's absurd Grammy "loss" to Jethro Tull. Insert retroactively-effective kancel-kulture tantrum-sigh here.)   JOIN US and behold the painstaking craftsmanship and delicately balanced relaxer levels required to manifest such...

The San Francisco Bay Area is a sacred place in thrash, birthplace to many legendary (and muchly important) thrash bands and equally lauded (which means muchly awesome) thrash albums.  FABULOUS DISASTER, the 3rd release from Bay Area Thrash Lords EXODUS is, without question, very muchly one of those albums.  And EXODUS is, also without question, also very muchly one of those bands. In fact, this m...

“We’re MOTORHEAD and we play rock ‘n’ roll…”  -Lemmy Kilmister.    It has been said that if you go to the Rainbow Bar & Grill in West Hollywood, sit down at the bar, and order a Jack & Coke, the spirit of LEMMY KILMISTER will manifest as a cloud of cigarette smoke and tell you to get out of “his spot”.   For over 4 decades, MOTORHEAD pummeled fans with their abrasive, uncompromising brand of metal...

THE SWORD is truly a blessing.  Blending the crushing heaviness and urgency of their own cutting-edge brand of doom metal with the cosmic feel of classic 70’s style prog-rock, THE SWORD has carved out their own place in the pantheon of modern metal.   Set your relaxer levels to “wormhole” (don’t make it weird), check out the name of The Rib Lounge’s new house band (it’s actually even weirder than...

After grunge all but sucked the life out of thrash while at its zenith in the early 90’s (I mean, it “didn’t”, but it also kinda “did”, y’know?), the landscape had been forever altered and “thrash metal” as we previously knew it had been forever transformed, now with greater attention to groove, swagger, and swing (and let’s not forget those sublimely sick breakdowns! HFS!!!).   While still employ...

Behold, the frosty arctic tundra that is The Great White North. Also known as Canada, or as geography enthusiasts sometimes call it: "Extremely Northern North America".     If the endless snow packed landscapes and brutal arctic frigidity of The Great White North have taught our Canadian friends anything it's how to stay warm by utilizing the power of Metal.  Seriously, don't deny the permafrost m...

Certain names in Metal are uttered in hushed tones of reverence, as if belonging to godlike, super-advanced creatures from other dimensions. Such respect and reverence are deserving of genre defining prodigies and artists who are often light-years ahead of their own time.  In this instance, we’re referring to The Riff Lord Wizard sent to further evolutionize Metal to yet another level of genius ri...

PANTERA is one of the few bands to raise the bar consistently and continuously with each album.  THE GREAT SOUTHERN TRENDKILL is the most “everything” Pantera album.  It’s easily the angriest, heaviest, darkest Pantera album EVER and is, most indubitably, the “kick in the jimmy” that the Metal world was in dire need of in the mid 90’s after grunge and alternative music effectively “declawed” Metal...

“Among their own kind they live, a life that’s so obscure…” – DEATH. The thought of anything obscure with regard to Thrash immediately provokes thoughts of the Mall Days of Yore; a time before the existence of internet search engines, music streaming services or even social media bots to recommend bands or albums based on prior purchases.  A time when word of mouth within the Thrash community held...

Tony Iommi’s opening cough solo on Black Sabbath’s “Master of Reality” was the clarion call for a new KINE of Metal.  The KINE of Metal that smells like Sleep’s jam room.  The KINE of Metal that is overflowing with stony, doomy, fuzzy goodness.  Yeah, man…we’re talking about Stoner Metal…dude.   Take whatever leftover relaxers you have from your 4/20 festivities, roll them into a ginormous bowl an...