Riff Worship

Leftist political outrage, weaponized through cutting satire and absurd humor. Erratic, yet undeniably inventive and memorable songwriting.  San Francisco’s Dead Kennedys channeled their disdain for the status quo on their debut album, a landmark work that not only launched a new era of punk music but also captured a transformative moment in American youth culture. Please join us as we discuss the...

3 EPs and several members later, Boston’s Isis solidified their lineup while crafting their debut full-length album. During this period, the band found  themselves balancing between their evolving identity and the influence of acts like Godflesh , The Melvins , and Neurosis . While many have cited their follow-up, Oceanic , as a career-defining moment, this debut features a raw heaviness interwove...

Following the release of their respective full-lengths, labelmates Sunrot and Body Void have joined forces to offer an assault of visceral noise and crushing riffs. This collaboration not only serves to honor Trans Day of Remembrance but also provides direct support to the TGNC community. All digital sales of this split release will be donated to Black Trans Liberation (NYC) Sunrot // Body Void sp...

Following the success of 2004’s Demigod , Polish black metal exports Behemoth cemented their place at the forefront of extreme metal. Determined to push their limits even further, they intensified their technical precision and speed, while introducing atmospheric elements on their massive follow-up, The Apostasy Recommendations: ⁠ Full Of Hell and Andrew Nolan - Scraping The Divine ⁠ ⁠ Thirdface -...

As longtime collaborators, Uppsala’s In Solitude spent much of their youth writing music they wanted to hear. When they began to release records and tour, however, journalists were eager to pick apart their influences and label them under any category that felt familiar. In Solitude defies easy categorization. Upon first listen, the band may evoke the sounds of their Scandinavian predecessors. As...

After a series of lineup changes, production flubs, and exhausting legal battles, Cradle of Filth emerged under a new label, poised to make a statement in the new millennium.  Fueled by the ambition of their enigmatic and versatile frontman, Dani Filth , the band’s 4th album feels like a band finally achieving their twisted sound and vision. Nothing captures the Halloween spirit quite like the wor...

Following a prolific 2023, Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean wasted little time getting to work on their sophomore LP. Starting with a clean slate, the band continues to evolve their sound on their most menacing and visceral release to date. No filler. No tricks. Sisyphean Cruelty is as direct and honest as a band can get. This week we are joined by members of Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean t...

With a lineage stretching several decades, Converge have solidified their reputation as one of hardcore’s most influential and hardest-working bands. This wasn’t accomplished overnight, but we may be able to pinpoint when things began to click. Originally released as a 5-song EP, Petitioning the Empty Sky currently stands as a collection of material from various recording sessions. Written by the...

This week on Riff Worship, we are joined by Luke Cazares & Donnie Small of Laceration to discuss their latest album, I Erode I Erode is OUT NOW via 20 Buck Spin Follow Laceration on Facebook & Instagram Recommendations: Vile Rites - Senescence Blood Incantation - Absolute Elsewhere Engulfed - Unearthly Litanies of Despair Sovereign - Altered Realities Hulder - Verses In Oath Mortal Wound -...

After unleashing their genre defining Doom EP , Arizona deathcore upstarts Job For A Cowboy inked a deal with legendary label Metal Blade Records .  Rather than simply replicate the formula that launched them, the band shed their early influences and took a bold step forward, crafting an intense brutal and conceptual piece of brutality for their debut full-length. While this shift left some longti...

With deep roots in Belgium’s H8000 scene, Ghent’s Oathbreaker similarly redefined the boundaries of hardcore by incorporating other extreme and unconventional influences. Following their Deathwish debut as well as collaborations within the Church of Ra collective, 2013 marked the release of their sophomore album and perhaps their most realized work by this point. Packed with anguished vocals, stri...

After a tumultuous start, several members of Washington's hardcore punk scene joined forces following the dissolution of their previous bands. Despite their hardcore roots, however, the band frequently experimented with diverse sounds and textures. This is especially prevalent on their sophomore album. In true DIY fashion, they also handled its production and packaging. This week on Riff Worship,...

Prior to arena tours and Grammy Awards, the band Ghost was merely an idea. Drawing influences from his adolescence, Tobias Forge developed an aesthetic, canon, and sound before setting foot on a stage. Join us this week on Riff Worship as we dive into Ghost's melodic and satanic debut album, Opus Eponymous Recommendations: Collapsed Skull - Your Father's Rage Evaporated In The Sun Regional Justice...

This week on Riff Worship, we discuss the 2011 E.P. Nothing Lasts by Bay Area hardcore quintet Punch - a 10-minute kick in the ass that urges you to seize every moment and create the change you long to see. Oh, and it has riffs! Recommendations: Super Unison Tørsö - Home Wrecked Gel - Persona Uniform - American Standard Fit For An Autopsy - The Nothing That Is Nile - The Underworld Awaits Us All ⁠...

After the dissolution of ⁠ The Swarm aka Knee Deep In the Head ⁠ , several of its members joined forces to start a new band. As veterans of the Southern Ontario hardcore scene, this project mirrored a familiar intensity of their contemporaries and past efforts. However, their seamless fusion of catchy rock hooks, black metal melancholia, and doom-inspired riffage solidified the group as an anomaly...

As the ‘90s came to a close, Slipknot unleashed their eventual multi-platinum “debut” album seemingly out of nowhere. They quickly followed this up with arguably the heaviest album to crack the Billboard Top 5. The rapid success and constant touring during this period placed a lot of pressure on Slipknot’s nine members and strained their relationships with each other. With the band on the verge of...

This interview with John Hoffman (Stomach, Weekend Nachos) originally aired on August 19th, 2024 on WONC FM89.1 ⁠ Follow Sifting Press for all updates on John's upcoming book, Oil Spill ⁠ Follow Stomach on Instagram Follow Weekend Nachos on Facebook & Instagram For all updates on the show, follow us here: @RiffWorshipPod  on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Coming up in the chaotic Massachusetts crust punk scene, Terry Savastano dreamed of playing heavier and slower. Much slower. Affirmed by the likes of Black Sabbath , Saint Vitus , and Winter , Savastano recruited his bandmates in Disrupt to explore this vastly uncharted territory. With a name that feels more like a mission statement, this new band evoked complete anguish and despair both aesthetic...

Four roommates and mainstays of the Massachusetts punk scene set out to start an abstract and noisy side project together. As their other bands folded, however, this eventually became the main focus and overtime developed into one of the most influential acts in chaotic hardcore. Join us this week as we discuss Ampere’s lightning-fast All Our Tomorrows End Today Recommendations: ​ Longings - Dream...

This interview with members of Denver, Colorado crossover band Ukko's Hammer originally aired on August 5th, 2024. Listen to the Ukko's Hammer playlist from the original broadcast Ukko's Hammer S/T cassette tape is OUT NOW Follow Ukko's Hammer on Instagram For all updates on the show, follow us here: @RiffWorshipPod  on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Channeling the obscure sounds of the ‘50s, b-horror aesthetics, and a fierce eroticism, The Cramps have captivated waves of impressionable teenagers for decades. This was especially the case for Justin Pearson ( Three One G , Deaf Club , The Locust ), who witnessed the band’s raw live performance at a young age, cementing his path in music. Join us this week on Riff Worship as we discuss the influ...

A career spanning 20 years, eight albums, and massive critical acclaim has to begin somewhere. We continue our series on the year 2004 with Mastodon's conceptually-driven, riff-filled sophomore album Leviathan Recommendations: Chat Pile - Cool World Squid Pisser - Dreams Of Puke Fight Amp - Hungry For Nothing Gaerea - Coma For all updates on the show, follow us here: @RiffWorshipPod  on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

On Baroness’ second full-length, guitarist/vocalist John Baizley is joined by his longtime friend, Peter Adams . Much like the hosts of this show, the two were instrumental in each other’s exploration of heavy music. Rather than fighting their influences, the band also began leaning into their Southern musical roots, which are featured prominently on this album. Riff Worship is happy to be joined...

After the massive success of The Real Thing , label executives and management within Faith No More’s circle were itching for another MTV smash hit. However, extensive touring to promote the album exhausted the band and left them yearning for something far less conventional. Despite plenty of discouragement, Faith No More emerged with one of their most challenging, successful, and strangest offerin...

The ‘90s served as a transitional era for hardcore punk and while many shed themselves of their ethos to get ahead, others dug their heels in and continued to push boundaries. Four college students in Amherst, Massachusetts did just that in 1999, unleashing 11 tracks of their own chaotic and dissonant version of hardcore. Although the band was short-lived and relatively unknown at time, the album...