Before "metalcore" became a buzzword, Earth Crisis was already bridging the gap between the raw energy of New York Hardcore with the technical precision of metal. Their sound wasn’t just a sonic shift, but a platform to deliver an uncompromising message of animal rights and their commitment to a vegan straight-edge lifestyle.
This week, in collaboration with The Pitch of Discontent, we are joined by legendary Unearth vocalist Trevor Phipps for a deep dive into the history of Earth Crisis and their landmark debut, Destroy the Machines. We’ll discuss Trevor’s own journey through music and explore how this pivotal album reshaped the landscape of heavy music!
Recommendations:
Blut Aus Nord - Ethereal Horizons
Sanguisugabogg - Hideous Aftermath
Unearth - III: In the Eyes of Fire
Follow Unearth
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unearthofficial
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Website: https://unearthofficial.com/
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Having traversed the realms of grindcore, death metal, and progressive experimentation, English pioneers Carcass sought to refine their sound into something far more unprecedented on their 4th album.
Featuring songs such as “Embodiment,” “No Love Lost,” and the genre-defining title track, 1993’s Heartwork set a new standard for modern extreme metal.
Despite its major label distribution, the album was met with mixed reviews upon its release. However, appreciation for this melodic masterpiece developed over several years and its enduring legacy can still be felt to this day.
Recommendations:
Spencer Radcliffe - Ohio Vision
The Mountain Goats - Through This Fire Across From Peter Balkan
Lamp of Murmuur - The Dreaming Prince in Ecstasy
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Following the critical success of 2024’s Duality, blackened death metal outfit Defacement have returned with Doomed—arguably their most potent and varied album to date.
This week we are joined by Defacement members Khalil, Ahmed, and Tadzio to discuss the intense work ethic behind these back-to-back releases, the logistics of songwriting across borders, and the philosophy behind their devastatingly dissonant sound!
Doomed is OUT NOW via Avantgarde Music and Total Dissonance Worship:
https://defacementofficial.bandcamp.com/album/doomed
https://totaldissonanceworship.bandcamp.com/album/doomed
Recommendations:
Angelo Badalamenti - Fire Walk With Me Soundtrack
Follow Defacement
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This week we are joined by guitarist and grindcore scholar Jack McBride (Bandit) to explore the enduring legacy of Florida’s Maruta and dive into their pummeling sophomore album, Forward Into Regression.
Released via Willowtip Records nearly 15 years ago, Forward Into Regression remains a milestone of technically proficient death metal mixed with the unhinged ferocity of grindcore.
We’ll break down the band’s history, the massive production and riffs behind the record, and why this underrated classic is essential listening for any fan of extreme music!
Recommendations:
Patrick Shiroishi - Forgetting is Violent
Jan Jelinek - Loop-Finding-Jazz-Records
Wu-Tang Clan - Wu-Tang Forever
Defeated Sanity - Chronicles of Lunacy
Euphoria Again - Destination Heaven
Beasters - Intrinsically Worthless
Beasters - Alienated by Solidarity
Follow Bandit
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After the release of the now-classic Leviathan and the relentless touring that followed, Atlanta prog/sludge quartet Mastodon signed to a major label and unleashed another slab of conceptual madness with their third full-length album.
Featuring tracks as varied as the melodic “Colony of Birchmen,” the psychedelic freakout of “Bladecatcher,” and the tectonic shifting “Circle of Cysquatch,” 2006’s Blood Mountain proved that the band’s already legendary status had been earned.
Joining us this week is graphic artist, riff wizard, and Mastodon superfan Liz Walshak (Glacier, SEA) for a deep dive into the making of Blood Mountain and its continued influence on heavy music!
Recommendations:
Amyl and the Sniffers - Cartoon Darkness
Amyl and the Sniffers - Comfort To Me
One of Nine - Dawn of the Iron Shadow
The Acacia Strain - You Are Safe From God Here
Follow Liz Walshak
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liz_shreds/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanitasillustration/
Website: https://www.vanitasillustration.com/about
Follow Glacier
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glacierboston
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glacierband/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@glacierbandma/featured
Follow SEA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heavvysea/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heavysea666/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heavySEAmusic/featured
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It’s the Danzig debut album Charlie Brown! This week we’re celebrating the Halloween season with a dark, blues-inspired heavy metal masterpiece.
We’ll discuss how the Misfits and Samhain laid the foundation for Glenn Danzig’s solo work, the introduction of longtime collaborator and producer Rick Rubin, co-writing tracks for Hollywood and Roy Orbison, and the chaotic recruiting of jazz guitar scholar John Christ and veteran hardcore punk drummer Chuck Biscuits.
Recommendations:
The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror (I-X)
Son of Sam - Songs from the Earth
Limp Bizkit - Three Dollar Bill, Y'all
Amenra, Cave In, Marissa Nadler - Songs of Townes Van Zandt Vol III
Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
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Everything has to start somewhere. Before the sonic evolution to space-rock on Jupiter and their eventual move to a major label, Cave In was just a group of teenagers trying to find their voice in the East Coast hardcore scene. Born in Methuen, Massachusetts, the band experienced a tumultuous and transitional series of events that helped create their debut album, Until Your Heart Stops.
This week we’re joined by special guest Dan Thomson (lowheaven) for a closer look at perhaps the most raw and atypical record in Cave In's discography. We’ll discuss the last minute addition of longtime bassist Caleb Scofield, how Stephen Brodsky suddenly inherited lead vocal duties, the collaborative recording sessions at 30 Blaine (God City) with Kurt Ballou, and the “skronky” Slayer meets Converge-inspired riffs scattered throughout the album’s runtime!
Check out Ritual Decay - OUT NOW via MNRK Heavy: https://mnrkheavy.com/collections/lowheaven
Recommendations:
Sanguisugabogg - Hideous Aftermath
AFI - Silver Bleeds the Black Sun...
Follow lowheaven
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A decade ago, Salt Lake City’s Cult Leader unleashed their emotionally devastating debut album, Lightless Walk. Quickly making ripples throughout the extreme music scene, the album perfectly balances grinding, visceral bursts of aggression with morose moments of catharsis.
This week we’re joined by guitarist Michael Mason and bassist Sam Richards to discuss the band’s necessity-driven, DIY beginnings, their early tours with groups like Oathbreaker and Yautja, and the sessions at Kurt Ballou’s (Converge) God City Studio that captured this modern classic.
Follow Cult Leader
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Website: https://www.cultleadermusic.com/
Recommendations:
Author & Punisher - Nocturnal Birding
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This week, Riff Worship celebrates 25 years of Electric Wizard’s nihilistic masterpiece, Dopethrone! We’re joined by special guests John Hoffman (STOMACH, Weekend Nachos) and David Stepanavicius (Atræ Bilis, Fulci Rots) to explore the band’s rural Dorset roots as well as the tumultuous events and hazy recording sessions that forged tracks like “Barbarian” and “Funeralopolis.” Please join us as we discuss the album that redefined doom metal for the 21st century!
Recommendations:
Eyehategod - Take as Needed for Pain
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)
Usipian - Dead Corner of the Eye
Ramesses - We Will Lead You To Glorious Times
Follow STOMACH
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stomachdoom/
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weekendnachos2004/
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Between the Buried and Me was born from a desire for unrestricted, musical expression. Guitarist Paul Waggoner and vocalist Tommy Giles started the band to escape the creative constraints of their respective projects and explore new sonic territory.
Following their initial two releases, the band underwent a crucial transformation. In the months leading up to recording their third album, they finalized the iconic lineup that endured for nearly two decades.
While the integration of three new members (Dan Briggs, Dustie Waring, and Blake Richardson) could have easily led to creative tension, the opposite occurred. The collaboration of these five equally talented musicians unlocked an expansive new dimension for BTBAM, allowing them to fuse progressive elements with extreme metal into a wholly unique sound. This foundational dynamic paved the way for all the landmark releases to follow.
Please join us in celebrating Between the Buried and Me and the album that defined their path, Alaska!
Recommendations:
Chat Pile & Hayden Pedigo - In The Earth Again
Algernon Cadwallader - Trying Not to Have a Thought
Dead and Dripping - Nefarious Scintillations
Corrosion of Conformity - Deliverance
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Blending the ferocity of extreme metal with the complexity of jazz, Germany’s own Defeated Sanity push the boundaries of “Progressive Brutal Death Metal” on their fourth full-length.
This landmark release showcases the band’s technical proficiency on tracks like “Naraka” and “The Purging,” while delivering relentless brutality through more direct assaults like “Verses of Deformity” and “Initiation.”
Join us in celebrating Defeated Sanity and their 2013 classic album, Passages Into Deformity!
Recommendations:
Lamp of Murmuur - The Dreaming Prince in Ecstasy
HORSEBOY - Wild, Passionate, Ugly
Intercourse - How I Fell In Love With The Void
Gas Chamber - Hemorrhaging Light
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In a brief, yet explosive, four-year period, KISS transformed from a struggling New York City club band into a global phenomenon.
Fresh off the success of a People’s Choice Award (“Beth”) and rigorous touring cycles (including a series of record-breaking shows at Budokan), the band’s larger-than-life aesthetic and stadium-shaking sound were fully realized by 1977. The commercial and pop-culture dominance of KISS was further cemented with the release of their platinum-selling 6th album, Love Gun.
Produced by the iconic Eddie Kramer (Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones), Love Gun captures the personas of all four members with riff-heavy jams like “I Stole Your Love” and “Shock Me,” the bonafide hard rock anthems like “Love Gun,” and even ‘60s inspired R&B tracks like “Tomorrow and Tonight” and “Then She Kissed Me.”
Joining us this week is legendary Rwake vocalist and KISS superfan, Christoper Terry, for a deep into the band and their rock ’n’ roll opus!
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This week on Riff Worship, we’re diving into the short-lived but legendary hardcore punk band, Inside Out.
Fronted by a pre-Rage Against the Machine Zach de la Rocha alongside guitarist Vic DiCara, their sole EP, No Spiritual Surrender, became a cornerstone of the ’90s hardcore scene.
From the their formation to their unique blend of influences and connections to other iconic acts like Shelter and 108, we explore how this band left an indelible impact despite its brief existence.
Join us as we celebrate the legacy of Inside Out and their timeless EP, No Spiritual Surrender!
Recommendations:
Death Goals - Survival Is An Act Of Defiance
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Hits from the Crypt (Apple)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
00:00:00 - Intro
00:01:09 - Inside Out
00:05:14 - A Brief History of Inside Out
00:14:15 - No Spiritual Surrender
00:20:28 - Album Review
00:29:30 - Quicksand, Shelter, Inside Out - Summer Tour 1990
00:34:53 - Aftermath / Breakup / 1993 Reunion
00:40:05 - Final Thoughts
00:44:32 - Recommendations
00:44:41 - Death Goals - Survival Is An Act Of Defiance
00:45:59 - Primitive Man - Observance
00:47:39 - An Albatross - Blessphemy
Inspired by the Dante Alighieri epic poem “The Divine Comedy,” Sepultura’s Dante XXI is a modern soundtrack for a descent into hell.
Tracks like "Convicted in Life," "Fighting On," and "Ostia" demonstrate the band's ability to blend their hybrid of thrash, death metal, and hardcore with beautiful orchestral arrangements. Much like Virgil, Derrick Green’s commanding vocals cut through the chaos to guide listeners through the darkness.
Join us as we celebrate the legacy of Sepultura and their 2006 masterpiece, Dante XXI!
Recommendations:
Chat Pile & Hayden Pedigo - In The Earth Again
One of Nine - Dawn of the Iron Shadow
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Formed by members of several New Jersey DIY heavyweights like Black Army Jacket, Endeavor, and Human Remains, Burnt by the Sun set out to create music they longed to hear themselves. The band’s effortless ability to blend different textures of extreme metal quickly set them apart from their metalcore contemporaries.
This is especially evident on their Relapse Records debut, Soundtrack to the Personal Revolution. In collaboration with producer Matt Bayles (Botch, ISIS, Mastodon), Burnt by the Sun delivers 10 blistering tracks packed with intricate, progressive arrangements.
The album serves as both a snapshot of musicians fully tuned-in with one another, and a precursor to the legendary projects that would follow.
Join us this week as we discuss the enduring legacy of Burnt by the Sun and their classic debut album, Soundtrack to the Personal Revolution!
Recommendations:
NO FAITH - Forced Subservience
Marissa Nadler - New Radiations
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Born out of Oakland's DIY hardcore punk scene, Neurosis emerged as a band driven to defy the conventions of what heavy music could be. Before they discovered how to replicate the sounds they envisioned, the band spent years honing their craft and grinding it out on the road.
It wasn't until their third album, Souls at Zero, that Neurosis began to fully experiment. By incorporating new instrumentation like keyboards, samplers, and string arrangements, they tapped into a new, boundless well of creativity.
While this new direction still honored their punk roots, it wasn't immediately welcomed by longtime fans who had been drawn to their raw 924 Gilman Street shows. Thankfully, Neurosis never compromised, continuing to evolve their sound across several landmark albums.
This week on Riff Worship, we're joined by Christopher Zucchero, owner of the Chicago staple (and inspiration for the FX series The Bear) Mr. Beef, to discuss the monumental impact of Neurosis and their sound-defining album, Souls at Zero!
Follow Christopher Zucchero / Mr. Beef on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mr.beefchicago/?hl=en
Recommendations:
Mort Garson - Ataraxia: The Unexplained
Death Goals, feat. Hirs Collective - Tchotchke
Osees - ABOMINATION REVEALED AT LAST
This week we honor the legacy of the one and only Ozzy Osbourne! Join us as we explore his legendary career, from his revolutionary time with Black Sabbath to his iconic solo work. We'll dive into our favorite Ozzy Osbourne albums and songs, and discuss his undeniable and continuous impact on the world of heavy metal.
Ozzy Osbourne Tribute Playlists
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1vglnDS7kEqlwgZwIVCdyF?si=17269a834a2c4af2
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/riff-worship-a-tribute-to-ozzy-osbourne-playlist/pl.u-jV89909TdblWz1
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Off the heels of their successful Metal Blade Records debut, The Oncoming Storm, Boston metalcore shredders Unearth were set to unleash a much-anticipated follow-up.
Stepping out of their comfort zone, they recruited legendary producer Terry Date to forge what became the band's most aggressive and vitriolic album to date: 2006's cutting III: In The Eyes Of Fire.
With scathing tracks like "Giles," "This Time Was Mine," and "Imposter Kingdom," the band truly set themselves apart from the pack.
Joining us this week is special guest Owen Morawitz (The Pitch of Discontent) to discuss Unearth's legacy and their mastery of "the breakdown."
Follow The Pitch of Discontent
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT94iQy4Opeeq1-r0yQxZcg
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Kb5sztDISleZsxfEjyHV4
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-pitch-of-discontent/id1756206561
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Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/pitchdiscontent.bsky.social
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePitchofDiscontent
Recommendations:
Upon Stone - End Time Lightning
Weeping Sores - The Convalescence Agonies
PSYCHO-FRAME - SALVATION LAUGHS IN THE FACE OF A GRIEVING MOTHER
The Armed - THE FUTURE IS HERE AND EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE DESTROYED
Terminal Sleep - They Circle Below
Blood On My Hands - Death Through Devotion
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Following the global acclaim of 2003’s Through the Ashes of Empires, Robb Flynn and Machine Head set out to create a follow-up that would cement their place at the forefront of modern metal.
The album took many shapes before the band ultimately shed all external expectations and wrote purely for themselves.
This resulted in politically-charged epics like “Clenching the Fist of Dissent” and “A Farewell to Arms,” along with deeply personal explorations of mental health and grief in “Beautiful Mourning” and “Aesthetics of Hate.”
Machine Head also showcase some of the most intricate arrangements and technical performances of their career, especially on standout tracks like “Wolves” and the now-iconic “Halo.”
Please join us this week as we celebrate Machine Head’s 2007 masterpiece, The Blackening
Recommendations:
Innumerable Forms - Pain Effulgence
Mizmor - Mnemonic: Ambient Mosaic
Deadguy - Near-Death Travel Services
Deliquesce - Saviour / Enslaver
Sanguisugabogg - Hideous Aftermath
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After years toiling in Austin’s DIY hardcore and punk scene, Mammoth Grinder truly came into their own on their third album, Underworlds.
Now a four-piece (recruiting members of fellow-Austin heavyweights, Iron Age), the band channels their extreme music predecessors in Discharge, Master, and Repulsion into 10 pummeling tracks that laid the groundwork for future releases.
Join us as we discuss the origins of Mammoth Grinder and the making of this underground classic!
Recommendations:
Innumerable Forms - Pain Effulgence
Matt Jencik & Midwife - Never Die
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