Radioactive Metal

John Connor is pissed! Now more than ever the use of A.I. is prevalent in today's society. And it's reared it's ugly head into Metaldom! This episode we do a deep dive in to in the whole situation and try to differentiate the real and the not-so-real. In our "News, Views and Tunes", we discuss our recent trip to a Punk Rock Flea Market and new Megadeth tune. Musically, we crank some Blood Feast, D...

With every pop culture fandom, there are two kinds. You have the casual fan. and you have the "connoisseur". A connoisseur is defined as a person with expert knowledge and appreciation for a subject. And Metaldom has their share. As well, every more established band has these two "types" of fans. So this week we're choosing artists and which efforts from their discography Joe and Jane Average woul...

We've all seen those "Spirit of Halloween" costume memes. Where the creators take a current event or public figure making headlines and create a mock costume. One of the most recent really hit close to home: The Record Collector. Along with a stereotypical picture, there are 5 points that traditionally make up a serious record collector. And some of these had us saying "Hey! That's us!" So if conf...

Happy Halloween! Oct.31st is one of our fave daze of the year. So we want to do something special to celebrate All Hallow's Eve. 80s zombie flick "Return of The Living Dead" is the ultimate in entertainment. Lots blood, boobs and one helluva soundtrack! So this time out, we're going to take a page from those YouTube "10 Things..." type shows. And do our own audio treatment. Just when you thought y...

"Our childhood is literally dying on us." Its an expression we've said all too often. Unfortunately, we have to say it again. We recently lost the great "Space" Ace Frehley of the legendary KISS. We've never hid our fandom so the news hit us pretty hard. So this time out we're talking all things Ace. All our Frehley faves, the highs and lows and the influence the Acer had on music in general. In o...

Happy Bday to...us!! Hard to believe that a mere 17(!) years ago, RAM was just two guys goofing off talking about what we know best. OK, so not much as changed. But we wouldn't want it any other way. So to celebrate we figured we'd goof off some more. Forbes (!!) recently released their Top 30 Rock Artists Of All Time. We went over the list and scratched the outfits that didn't make the cut for us...

Last episode we focused on the anniversary of the infamous P.M.R.C. Senate hearings. The Parents Music Resource Centre was a pro censorship organization and they had their own hit list - The Filthy 15. Songs that they decided were a no no for everyone else. The week we thought "Hey, I wonder what other songs post hearings that would've made Tipper Gore's list?" So we got our grey matter moving and...

Believe it or not, it's been 40 years since the P.M.R.C. senate hearings. For the young 'ens, The Parent's Music Resource Center was an organization of Senator's wives that were all about censoring music they didn't like. The Senate hearings were a momentous occasion when Frank Zappa, Dee Snider and John Denver (!) stepped up for Freedom Of Speech. Recently it was the anniversary of this dark day...

This summer was the 50th anniversary of a simple fishing movie that scared the Beejeesuz out of the nation. Steve Spielberg's "Jaws" was a groundbreaking film for a variety of reasons. To commemorate this momentous Bday, the flick hit the theatres and we had the best seats in the house. So this time out, we decided to have a "Geek Fix" discussion topic. We go over how we first discovered this clas...

Due to technical difficulties and schedules, we ended up taking an unforeseen sabbatical. But we're back!! Veteran RAMmers know that cohost Aaron is a killer musician. And his weapon of choice is the bass. So he's been gnawing at the bit to do an episode "all about the bass!" Our Rush correspondent Mr. Mark Buell is also pretty handy with said instrument. So we figured it's a good time to geek out...

The big thing on the minds and mouths of Metaldom is the  huge announcement from Megadeth. It's looking like Dave and the Boyz are pumping out another record, hitting the road and then calling it a career. We're excited for the new album. But we're skeptical of it being their retirement tour. I mean, been there, done that. So this week we're going in deep and dissecting everything. As well, we tak...

Our 40th Anniversary Album Spotlight Series continues. Bay Area legends Exodus are synonymous with old school metal thrashin' madness. And it all started with the underground classic thrash debut "Bonded By Blood". We go back with this record from the moment it hit the new release racks. So we were eager to give it the 411. We start with how we discovered it and that iconic cover. Then we go track...

A wise man once said "Learn something new everyday." Here at RAM we like to think we do just that. In our own special way. This episode Aaron taught Snowy the definition of "reverb". And by extension something called The Reverb Shops. Over the years, veteran musicians can accumulate a hell of a lot of instruments, gear and memorabilia. When it time to maybe unload some of this, enter The Reverb Sh...

The massive success of the "Back To The Beginning" fest got us thinking. There are a number of other legendary artists in the twilight of their careers and are deserved of this kind of tribute treatment. We immediately thought of the Master of Shock Rock - Alice Cooper. Like Ozzy, Alice really took off in the early 70s and is one of the most influencial artists ever. So this week we fantasy promot...

There is only topic on the hearts and minds of the citizens of Metaldom. So for this special episode dedicated to the immortal Ozzy Osbourne, we decided to forego all of our usual segments and music and just focus on all things Ozzy. We share our favourite "Ozzy moments. Go over how we first discovered the "Prince of Darkness". Our fave album and song and how Ozzy expanded beyond the Metal world a...

We're sure everyone was quite pleased with the "Back To The Beginning" show. But you can't please everyone, all the time. With every festival, someone has said "I wish Band X was on the bill." The Ozzman's influence is so great they couldn't possibly have squeezed everyone onstage. That's not going to stop us from sharing who we would've loved to have seen paying tribute at The Big Event. We go ov...

Realistically, there could only be one topic this week. Arguably, the most important event in all of Metaldom just went down in the form of the Back To The Beginning fest. The line up was a Who's Who in the genre. Most importantly, the world witnessed the final sets from Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath. It was an all day PPV extravaganza that had us glued to the screen. So we do a deep dive into t...

Do you want to play a game? For years, teens have been playing the classic "2 Lies and a Truth" party game. We here at the RAM offices have vast amounts of experiences in Metaldom. Be they as fans at live shows, working as a roadie/stagehand or just everything that goes into creating this very show for the last 17 years. So we though we would put each other to the test and play a few rounds. Hey,...

Five episodes ago we discussed artists that Metaldom discovered first before mainstream success. Arguably, we left Faith No More off the list. FNM dropped their debut record "We Care A Lot" in '85, well before their "epic" break thru. So that makes this album a great candidate for our on going "40th Anniversary Album Spotlight Series". We get into each track, discuss the impending influence this r...

For diehard music connoisseurs a vast discography is always aces. But releasing a lot of albums doesn't always mean a banger every time out. Some artists do achieve that "sweet spot". An era of three or more fave albums in succession. So this week we go over our picks of the artists and albums throwing Three Strikes = Homerun! In our "News, Views and Tunes", we share our Friday The 13th and Father...

One of the most important moments in Metaldom history is fast approaching. July 5th will be the legendary Ozzy Osbourne's last gig. To commemorate  this momentous event is the "Back To The Beginning" fest. Commencing out of Oz' hometown of Birmingham, some of the biggest names in our genre will be there to pay tribute. Metallica, Slayer, Alice In Chains, Anthrax and Ozzy himself will be doing doub...

Our 40th Anniversary Album Spotlight Series continues. This time we tapped one of the most important albums in 80s underground thrash. The amazing Megadeth debut "Killing Is My Business...And Business Is Good" introduced mainman Dave Mustaine's new project to a both curious and eager audience. Little did the underground know what a behemoth Dave and the (interchangeable) Boyz would become. Along w...

Heavy Metal has always had it's share of misunderstood meaning in it's lyrics. Yes, some of the lyrics are quite clear: sex, old Beelzebub, and rock n roll. But there are a number of classic tunes that Joe and Jane Average lost the plot with. Tunes from Ozzy/Sabbath, Maiden and Twisted Sister have has their unjustified criticisms. Songs that got their panties in a bunch but all knew better. So thi...

For music conisseurs discovering an act before they develop a wide(r) audience scores cool points. The citizens of Metaldom have been racking up the points for decades. There have been numerous bands that Joe and Jane Average picked up on well after the Metalheads/Punks were in on the ground floor i.e Metallica, Soundgarden, Green Day. Yep, we knew 'em first. This week we have a laundry list of su...

"Spotify Fights Back" is a rather oxymoronic statement.   This is a recent headline from MusicRadar and it's got us in a tizzy . In said article, Spotify is basically saying their business model is fair ball. But musicians have a slightly different take.   So this week we go our round against the streaming giant. In our "News, Views and Tunes", we tackle A.I. in the music biz and go over the "Thun...