Twin Terrors Macabre Manor of Mead Metal and Mayhem

Just a bit of thanksgiving fun where we talk about sharing alcohol (and when we don't) and give a few shout-outs to our listener locations around the world (recorded a bit ago, so we'll have to update this soon!), as well as other little tidbits of jocular fun. Yes, we know Thanksgiving is almost a week away.  Better 666... sorry, I meant 6... days early than 1 day late. (This came from a longer r...

Welcome to the Manor!  Join us as we discuss the final months of the Deep Purple Mark II era, with album things and song things and all sorts of things you never knew you were missing (probably because you weren't, but we were).

Welcome back to more Led Zeppelin!  We know you've been clamoring for this (clamor, clamor, clamor).  The first of four parts on the Brown Bomber era, with this episode focusing on touring and what the critics were saying (and what the band thought of that), as well as a few miscellaneous bits.   Next episode... groupies! Picture is a promotional still from 1969 (which both Jody and James happen t...

Welcome back to the Manor!  Sadly October Country is on the far side of our fields, but we do get to at least discuss things of interest.  Beer and metal!  We get into Iron Maiden's beer series with Hallowed and talk about the beer (this particular one and the general style), the song, and the Catholic holy day of obligation, the Solemnity of All Saints, better known as All Hallows Day, the day fr...

Welcome back to the Manor as we finish up our Octoberblitzkreig!  In the last episode of our Halloween season, we (mostly Jody) regale you with poems about vampires... and vampyres... and vampire brides... and whats nots.  Also, James gives his version of Echtra Nerai, an old Irish tale of Halloween/Samhain spooky goodness, filled with the talking corpses, death, and battles with the sidhe.  This...

Welcome to the metal part of the manor!  We talk about our favorite song that's Halloween themed and why, as well as throwing out an album suggestion.  Yes, there are song snippets.  By the way: since recording, the Pumpkins United album from Helloween has come out and the live version of Halloween is fantastic!

Yes, James went to see the show.  He was hoping it would be a bit more spooky, but for a young adult movie based on a young adult book series, it wasn't half bad.  We talk about the movie and the books and other horror themed young adult series we enjoyed when we were younger.   Image credit:  from James' library

We promised our horrible 24 hour contest entry and here it is!  We obviously had no idea what we were doing. If nothing else, it's a wee bit more spookiness to enjoy this Halloween season.  Enjoy!

It's the Great Pumpkin, Brutes!  Tomorrow marks the 60th anniversary of the first mention of this Halloween figure in the funny pages.  We talk a bit about the grand figure himself, but then also discuss his semblance to other Halloween notable figure "Sam Hane," who of course we know there isn't an actual Samhain deity named Samhain, but the background of the figure is great fun to discuss!  

Coven!  That most magnificent and much maligned occult rock band.  Their debut album inspired some and frightened many, mostly through a massive misunderstanding of what Jinx, Oz, and Steve, as well as their myriad band mates, were trying to do.  Join us as we get into the wonderful evilness that lurks within this classic piece of music and it's context.  Context!   We talk about magick, musick, s...

Sit by the fire and enjoy some more vampiric goodness!  We continue our exploration into the blood suckers, moving from folklore (last week) to literature!  We focus mostly on the older writings, but touch on the more recent, knowing that we'll have more to say on those later.   Image courtesy of Jody's library and the book he's referenced a few times over these two episodes.

Wow!  We almost missed this in the hubbub of our annual Halloween October Spooktacular Evilfest.  Merry 50th, Python Players!   Image: James' wall paper and sound CD he purchased years ago and is no longer any good except for the few images he saved as JPGs.  

Welcome to October Country in the Manor!  We've already started the season with last week's Trooper 666 (which is okay, as we start our Halloween celebrations in September anyway), but now we're all in for the rest of the month.  These first two weeks are going to focus on vampires, with this week looking at the folklore of our fanged brethren.  What causes, harms, cures, and hampers them?  Listen...

Welcome back to the Manor!  This time, with October Country just around the corner, we discuss Iron Maiden's Trooper 666!  A fantastic beer with fantastic numerology for the number of the beast.  Now come join us "Woe to you, oh Earth and sea, for the Devil sends the Beast with wrath Because he knows the time is short Let him who hath understanding reckon the number of the Beast For it is a human...

Another special for Hobbit Day (which is in two days from this episode posting)!  Here we give our own special treatment to those much talked about people and things, Tom Bombadil and the Barrow Downs' Barrow Wights, as well as Goldberry and the Old Forest.  What we liked, who they are, why it's okay that they weren't in the movies, and much more.  Grab a pint and a pipe and enjoy!   Image:  we we...

Welcome to the Manor and the second of our "what we do on a holiday" special, this time for Hobbit Day!  Join us, as we celebrate both Bilbo's and Frodo's birthdays on September 22nd.  We wanted to get this episode out a bit early, so you can prepare yourself.   So listen on, if you want ideas on how to celebrate.  Of course, since it's us, it definitely involves reading and/or drinking, but there...

Welcome back to the Manor!  This week, we (well, mostly Jody... James is fairly clueless on this) discuss the behind the scenes of the movie Star Beast for its 40th anniversary!  Well, Star Beast... ALF... something...  

Welcome back to the Manor!  Today we play "stump the bastard," where James tries to stump Jody on his knowledge of linking musicians of the '60s - '90s to Deep Purple and Black Sabbath.  He does a pretty good job!  Also, we talk about Scrooge McDuck.

Back at the dawn of time, specifically last fall as we were starting the podcast, we recorded a very long episode on our favorite beers and beer styles.  It ended up being long enough to break down into four episodes!  Between that and then recording what we thought were more worthy episodes, it's just taken a while to produce these.  In fact, we've only finished this one so far (which includes a...

Join the Terrors as they head up to the crossroads, so they can sell their souls to the devil (spoilers: he didn't want them).  We'll head across Europe this time, as  the first of two parts on the Crossroads, before we make it a trilogy with an episode on Robert Johnson sometime in the future. Also, here's the full article of James':  https://owlcation.com/humanities/The-Crossroads-a-liminal-sett...

There were just so many good bits we took out of the Deep Purple episodes (specifically Machine Head) that we had to make an extra special episode for those jocular moments!  Enjoy. 

Join the Terrors as they discuss the Iron Maiden/Robinson ale Light Brigade.  We've already discussed the song and the history, so here we get into the reason for this beer:  Help for Heroes, a British charity that helps vets.  We also touch on similar American and Canadian charities.   https://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/ https://www.military.com/spouse/military-life/military-resources/these-10-woun...

Welcome back to the Manor! For our 50th episode, we spend just a brief bit of time talking about what makes Third Places so special and what we look for in a Third Place.  What's a Third Place you ask?  It's that special place of social gathering outside of home and work.  Like a pub you say?  Yes.  Like a pub!  Enjoy and thank you for putting up with us for 50 episodes!  Here's to the next 50.  S...

Welcome to the Manor!  This time, against the advice of the sane and hinged, we're talking about Con******* Th******!  With any luck, we'll be back next week for our 50th. (If you're reading this, send help!  We're at 616 Metalbrook, Lane, Rosswell, NM.) Image:  James' cell phone case.

Open a bottle of The Trooper English ale and enjoy the Terrors as they discuss the beer itself, the song after which it's named, and the history from which the song is based!  Mmmmm... Trooper ale...