Episode 82: top albums of the Year

We are back with our top albums of 2025, you might have heard of a few of our choices and both of Mike's were on the more obscure side. Dig in for a real fun episode

2025 Music Review  

Arch Enemy - Blood Dynasty (Sebastian's Pick)

• Melodic death metal album praised for its classic 90s metal feel.
• Key Track: "Paper Tiger" → Recalls Metallica's "Spit Out the Bone."
• Vocals: Alyssa White-Gluz's growls are clear and intelligible, a key factor for Sebastian.
• Context: White-Gluz departed the band shortly after the album's release, immediately launching a solo single.
• Nite - Cult of the Serpent's Son (Mike's Pick)
  • Authentic 80s-style metal with influences from Metallica, Tool, Iron Maiden, and Black Sabbath.
  • Vocals: "Death metal light" growls are clear enough to understand, which was a key requirement for Mandatory Music.
  • Key Tracks: "Crow" (most-played song of the year) and "The Mystic."
• Yungblud - Yungblud EP (Sebastian's Pick)
  • Six-song EP with Aerosmith, featuring a cover of "Back in the Saddle."
  • Impact: Youngblood's youthful energy revitalized Steven Tyler's performance, making the collaboration a standout.
  • Suggestion: Youngblood needs a dedicated, world-class guitarist (e.g., a modern-day Slash) to form a classic frontman-guitarist duo.
• Wucan - Axioms (Mike's Pick)
  • German band playing 70s-style psychedelic hard rock.
  • Instrumentation: Features keyboards, theremin, and prominent flute (noted as distinct from Jethro Tull).
  • Vibe: Described as a modern album that could have been released in the 70s.
• Miss Monique (Sebastian's Pick)
  • Ukrainian DJ playing melodic house/trance.
  • Format: Releases long (1–2 hour) progressive sets on YouTube, often filmed in remote locations.
  • Style: Subtle, wave-like progression creates a mellow, non-lyrical journey.

Mandatory Music is proudly hosted and produced by Michael Heide and Sebastian Kwapich

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Thanks for listening and keep on rocking

Transcript

MM Pod - December 29

VIEW RECORDING - 49 mins (No highlights)

@0:01 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

It's been a hot minute.

@0:02 - Sebastian

We're back!

@0:04 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

We're back. We are back. Well, hello, people. We are back. We do this show called Mandatory Music once in while, apparently.

And Christmas is over. Santa has come and gone. Left us all goodies under the tree, hopefully. Maybe some of you got some coal.

But I got a couple goodies, which was pretty cool. Because, you know, sometimes you don't always, sometimes you get coal.

But I guess I've been a good boy this year.

@0:33 - Sebastian

So, Sebastian, how are you? I am good. I was just going to highlight on that.

@0:37 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

It's like, we were talking about love languages the other day.

@0:40 - Sebastian

And is gift-giving a love language?

@0:43 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Because I think that's mine. I love giving gifts around Christmas time. Interesting.

@0:47 - Sebastian

I get uncomfortable receiving them. But I like giving them to other people.

@0:53 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

That's pretty normal, I think. I love, like, you know, giving people stuff. Um... But getting things is weird.

@1:01 - Sebastian

Yeah, I still haven't really been able to fully, you know, accept the gifts. was like, kind of like, I don't need that.

@1:09 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

I feel uncomfortable. But well, yeah, it's like normal, though. You're right in my twisted in my twisted head. I'm like, do I really am I worthy of this gift?

Or like, why do I deserve this gift? What have I done to deserve getting a gift?

@1:22 - Sebastian

But I guess we have to accept it because you're messing with the other person's karma if we don't accept it graciously.

Right. So you have to accept it with gratitude and say, thank you so much. I didn't deserve this.

@1:32 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

But thank you so much.

@1:33 - Sebastian

Yeah, I got an uncomfortable situation at the bar the other day where somebody. No, it's not. It's a good thing.

So the guy's bill came to $40. Yep. And he leaves me $100. And he's like, that's it. That's all for you.

I'm just like, I can't accept that. So give me a $60 tip on a $40 bill. And he's like, no, no, you deserve it.

I'm just like, I can't accept that. It's like $60, man. And he's like, yeah, I mean, to be honest, if I lived in here, I would be visiting you all the time.

no, no, But this is like my brother's favorite bar and I can see why. And, you know, you take care of him and I would be here all the time if I lived in the area, but I only come here when I visit him in Vancouver every couple, you know, a couple of times a year.

So I was really gracious of him to do that. So, yeah. So, I mean, I took it.

@2:17 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Oh, yeah.

@2:18 - Sebastian

Right. I tried giving it back, but he's like, no, no. I'm like, okay, just making sure that you know what you're doing.

He's like, yeah, I want to give that to you. You had to put the extra zero on it for no reason.

Well, you got to check, right? Sometimes in my business, you have to go, did you mean to leave this much?

And if they say, yes, I did, then you can take it, right? Yeah.

@2:35 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

So that's just doing my due diligence to making sure there was no mistake. Well, you'd be a bad, you'd be bad at your job if you didn't.

@2:43 - Sebastian

You just got to make sure. You got to make sure that they know what they're doing, right?

@2:46 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

So say, yo, dude, WTF. what are you doing, man? Giving me all this extra money. Yeah. Anyways, so we were in danger this year of not having a white Christmas.

Because there was no snow as of Christmas Eve, and then Christmas Eve night.

@3:03 - Sebastian

never have a white Christmas down here.

@3:04 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

I know. We usually always do. So it was kind of like, oh, really?

@3:07 - Sebastian

It came late, didn't it?

@3:08 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

The snow in Camelops. Yeah, like two years in a row, no white Christmas. But nope. Nope. Mother Nature cooperated, and...

@3:14 - Sebastian

Right on Christmas Day?

@3:15 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

We had Christmas... Basically, it snowed all night. Christmas Eve to Christmas Day? Yeah, so Santa had lots of landing padding on roofs, so he wouldn't damage anything.

But yeah, no, and it's been, you know, winter is finally here. Like, I went running, was it yesterday?

@3:33 - Sebastian

It was like minus nine.

@3:34 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

In the snow? Yeah, in the snow, and it was windy too.

@3:37 - Sebastian

Yeah, soft landing though, right?

@3:39 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

No, it's like running on the sand almost, but not quite.

@3:43 - Sebastian

Yeah, it's hard, isn't it? Hard.

@3:45 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Yeah.

@3:46 - Sebastian

It's difficult.

@3:46 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Not even like hard in terms of landing art, it's just more of an effort to it's more strenuous. I'm like, why is this so difficult?

@3:52 - Sebastian

Yeah.

@3:53 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

But I got to put one foot in front of the other and just get over myself and just do it.

@3:58 - Sebastian

Speaking of Christmas... I've watched a whole bunch of TikTok videos, and they're so unhinged, but I'm in for it, man.

It's like, it's TikToks of families around the Christmas tree, usually in the morning or at night, and it's like, the Grinch ruins Christmas.

And so you have like one guy coming, one guy came down the stairs dressed as Santa with like a big sack, and all the kids are like, Santa!

They're all like three or four years old, like the kids. There's like a whole group of them. And then the Grinch busts into the house.

It's all a skit, right? But the kids don't know it's a skit. And he goes and tackles the Santa, and they have like a fight, and he takes like the bag and runs away.

And all the adults and Santa are chasing the Grinch, and the kids are just screaming.

@4:44 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

They're like, oh no, I'm sad! That's honestly horrifying for those kids.

@4:49 - Sebastian

It's not a good look.

@4:51 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

This is a bit trauma-inducing for those kids for years to come, but...

@4:54 - Sebastian

It's funny for the parents. Oh, the parents are having a blast. There's like one kid just be-lined it into the bag.

I'm that can't be good for the mental well-being of your children, but as an adult watching this, you're just laughing.

@5:09 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

That's so great. I was watching a movie yesterday. Have ever seen Violent Night? I've heard of it. Yeah, it's from David Harbour from Stranger Things, and he's Santa.

I haven't watched all of Is murderous Santa or something in it? No, I thought it was going to be, he was like a fake Santa, and he just gone on killing people.

Yeah. He's actually Santa. But he's like a, he's a drunk and he basically hates his job. Unhinged Santa. Kind of.

So yeah, like I said, I'm only about 20-25 minutes in, because I was riding my bike and then I just got bored to ride my bike and I turned it off.

But so far what's happened is Santa's at the bar, he's drunk, he's got to go give all the presents.

And then he gave the, the bartender lady, he gave her just like this random present. Here's a present for your grandson.

She's like, how do you know I had a grandson?

@5:57 - Sebastian

Then he walks out the door. He's like, cause I'm Santa. Right?

@6:00 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

He didn't even say that, but she's like, oh my god, it's Santa. So she runs up onto the roof of the bar, and then Santa, he's in a sleigh, and then he pukes over the side.

This is how this movie is.

@6:10 - Sebastian

Oh my goodness.

@6:11 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

He pukes over the side, right on, just full covers her in vomit. And that's how the movie starts. I'm like, oh my god, this is gonna be amazing.

And so yeah, so he's delivering presents, and he gets to this really rich people's house, which it turns out a bunch of bad guys are trying to take all their stuff and kill everybody at the rich people's house.

Santa's downstairs putting his stuff under the tree, sees all the top shelf liquor, keeps drinking, sees a massage chair.

Can't help himself, can't Can't help himself, right? He hates his job. And then he sees a massage chair, takes a seat, passes out in the chair, and he wakes up to gunfire.

And that's sort of where I turned it off.

@6:44 - Sebastian

Well, it's just getting good.

@6:45 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Right? So I'm assuming what's going to happen is Santa's gonna kill all the bad guys and save the day.

That's kind of where this is at. But the family are a bunch of like, have ever seen Righteous Gemstones?

@6:57 - Sebastian

Is that the Adam Sandler movie? No. Oh no, that's on Cud.

@7:00 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

That's uncut yet. Right to Gemstones, a TV show, HBO, it's got Danny McBride, John Goodman. Anyways, so they're like a super rich religious family, like they got their own like, thing.

Yeah. Like an televangelist kind of thing. And the kids are horrible, like they're just money grubbing, like they're just they're terrible people.

ACTION ITEM: Finish Violent Night; report back to Sebastian next week - WATCH

So the same kind of idea. Mom is not nice. The kids just want her money. They want her to die.

Blah, blah. Bad guys come in. Yeah. And John Leguizamo is one of the bad guys. Anyways, I will finish it.

And I'll report back next week when I'm done with it, because it just seems ridiculous. I'm sure Santa is going to go full, die hard and kill everybody slowly.

@7:37 - Sebastian

It's going to channel his own. Oh, my God.

@7:39 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

What's his name? John McClane. John McClane.

@7:42 - Sebastian

Yes.

@7:43 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Yes. Yes.

@7:44 - Sebastian

We watch that on Christmas Eve as well, because that's. Of course, that's a very good Christmas Eve movie. Yeah, exactly.

Totally get it.

@7:50 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

So I think this might be the last year for it, because I kind of I'm like, you know, I know what's funny.

@7:56 - Sebastian

Like we watch Christmas Vacation every year.

@7:58 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

We did not watch it this year. For some reason.

@8:00 - Sebastian

It was just timing wise, we didn't have enough time to put it on. And I think the kids, my niece and nephew, are just too old now to watch that again.

So, yeah.

@8:12 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

You remember in the movie when Chevy Chase had the moose mugs with eggnog?

@8:16 - Sebastian

Yeah.

@8:17 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Sherry got me a moose mug for eggnog.

@8:19 - Sebastian

A Griswold moose mug? Yeah.

@8:21 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

That's awesome. It was the coolest thing. I was just like, oh man, that's the greatest ever. So, anyways.

@8:29 - Sebastian

That's good. I like that.

@8:31 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

So, yeah. So, 2025 is almost done. We got two days, right? Two days. December 29th, we got two days left.

Yes. Lots of music has come out this year, and surprisingly, three good Megadeth songs.

@8:46 - Sebastian

Sure.

@8:49 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

You know, Let There Be Shred is fun.

@8:51 - Sebastian

It's fun. Like, again...

@8:54 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

I think that's, you can feel the fun. So... Is the title bad? Yes.

@8:58 - Sebastian

Are the lyrics terrible? Absolutely. That's what I was going to say. The singing and the lyrics are just horrendous, but you're not listening to Megadeth for the singing and the lyrics.

You're listening to it for the guitar work and stuff, right? Pure riffage. So, yeah, it's definitely got a Megadeth flail to it, right?

So I do have to give props to the album cover, though. I think it's one of the best Megadeth album covers they've ever done.

@9:20 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

I think between that, Rust in Peace and Countdown, I think this is a... It's so good. Yeah, I'd put it in the top three of all time.

@9:27 - Sebastian

It's just so clean looking. It makes sense. You know, it's the juxtaposition of, like, this calm, suited individual who's on fire.

And just not bothered by it at all.

@9:40 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

It's such a good contradiction, so... And it looks good on a poster.

@9:44 - Sebastian

Not that I ever get one, but it looks good on a poster. does, you know.

@9:47 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Right?

@9:47 - Sebastian

Like, it makes good It's an odd choice, though, also, for a metal band to do, like, a largely all-white album.

@9:54 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Because traditionally, metal bands don't do white albums. Like, it's just...

@9:58 - Sebastian

No. It's too pure, too clean. But I guess it looks good. I have no problem with it.

@10:06 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Yeah, it's pretty rare. I know Slayer did one, but I think that was kind of the inside joke. We're Slayer and we're going to have a white cover.

I think it was Christ Illusion maybe was white. And Metallica had hardwired, which was mostly white. So it's not unheard of.

@10:23 - Sebastian

Actually, they have. Yeah, you're right. Hardwired is mostly with death magnetics all white, except for the coffin in the middle, which is like in the ground.

@10:31 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Yeah, there's a lot of white in that, too. So it has been done, but I kind of think Megadeth is...

@10:37 - Sebastian

Oh, so you're saying that Megadeth is following the footsteps of Metallica yet again?

@10:40 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

No, I'm not saying that at all. Not at all. They might have gotten the same promo company to do it, but that's okay.

Probably. The same artist or whatever. But no, I think it's slick.

@10:51 - Sebastian

It's good. The 23rd honestly can't come soon enough. think it's...

@10:55 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Yeah. And then we're going to see them like three weeks after that. I don't remember what the show is, but it's sometime.

@11:00 - Sebastian

Yeah, when is this show? 18th, 19th, February.

@11:02 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

right? Yeah, something like that. So yeah, that's going to be fun to see Exodus and, and, uh, uh...

@11:08 - Sebastian

Rick Hammett started it all, right?

@11:10 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

And Anthrax, and I think that's it.

@11:12 - Sebastian

Okay, so let me ask you this question. Where would you rank, how would you rank the three Megadeth songs that have been released so far?

@11:19 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Um, I think I put I Don't Care at number one.

@11:22 - Sebastian

And then, oh, I love it.

@11:24 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

It's so good. It's so good. Come on, man. It's so good.

@11:27 - Sebastian

That breakdown in the middle is awesome. care.

@11:29 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

But it's so, but it's so Megadeth. It's so Dave Mustaine. It's, like, if you're going to put a song on, like, like his, sort of his epitaph kind of thing, that's the song you'd put on there, because it's, that's just him.

But it's funny, he says he doesn't care, but I think he really does.

@11:47 - Sebastian

Oh, he cares too much. He's been talking about being kicked out of Metallica for 40 years, but apparently he doesn't care.

But then why do you keep talking about it 40 years on?

@11:54 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Plus, you obviously do care. Oh, I don't care. I'm like, you do.

@11:58 - Sebastian

Because you keep bringing it up. F those guys. else will bring it up.

@12:01 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

You bring it up.

@12:03 - Sebastian

And every year or two, you just can't help yourself. You're just throwing a dig on Metallica every so often.

@12:10 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Absolutely. That's okay. But songs are good. I put Tipping Point 2 and I put Let The Breast Shred last.

Same. I did the same thing. It's not like, okay, this one's terrible. I'm sure there isn't going to be bangers on the whole record, but that's okay.

I'm just happy.

@12:29 - Sebastian

They're short though, right?

@12:30 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

They're all like- They are. And I think that's kind of nice. It's refreshing.

@12:34 - Sebastian

To the point?

@12:35 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Yeah. Yeah. They're to the point. I've listened to a lot of Black Keys lately too, and their songs are short.

They're to the point. There's no bloat. Unlike, you know, like 17 Seasons was full of bloat. It was just bloated.

It's just like, stop already.

@12:52 - Sebastian

Yeah. That's a good point. It's like, long songs are great, but it needs to have the substance and the journey there, right?

It You can't just do the same riff over

@13:00 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

over again and just like really thrive on that one riff then people are just like okay come on man like well you look at a song like well we'll talk Metallica but look at whoever may roam it's the longest song on the record it's over seven minutes but it doesn't feel like it no you go on a journey though right it's a journey but it's also a slow song if you actually break down the bpm it's not that fast right and that one riff like the riff lingers for a long moment right yeah so yeah so you know there's I kind of I'm kind of into shorter songs right now it's kind of fun that's almost like what he did with Michael that's it's like it leaves you wanting more right it's kind of like okay and this could have gone on longer but I'm kind of glad it it didn't maybe he's getting older and he can't play all that kind of stuff well he does have some hand condition where he can't play his hands are causing him a lot I can't remember what it's called so is the Finnish guy doing all the solos now then no Dave's still doing them he's still doing some yeah but

Dave's struggling mightily with playing guitar for long periods of time. So it makes sense why this is his last album?

I think so. Sure, you can go play for an hour, hour and a half a night or whatever, but I think longevity-wise, his hands are going to fail him, which is a shame.

Any musician that loses the dexterity or even comes down with a condition that, you know, like arthritis, carpal tunnel, and he's got some thing, I can't remember what it's called.

If was a professional, I would know, but I don't. But that's enough Dave talk, okay? It's enough talk about me.

Like my new song, Let There Be Shred.

@14:40 - Sebastian

Yeah, I don't care if you do or not. I'm past my tipping point. Yes.

@14:45 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

So, as I said, like a hundred years ago, a lot of music came out this year. Yes. And I think we, you and I have the same taste, but we don't.

@14:55 - Sebastian

Yeah, I can guarantee you my favorite album of the year won't be one of your favorite albums.

@14:59 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

No, and I'll guarantee you. Mine will not be one of yours, which is totally fine. That's the beauty of it.

I know I said originally we're going to do our top three, but you might have come up with three, but I could not.

@15:12 - Sebastian

I came up with two. And the third one is an artist that I've been listening to, but she doesn't have an album this year or really a lot, but we'll get to that later on.

So do you want me to give you my first album?

@15:29 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Yeah, please.

@15:30 - Sebastian

Okay. So you introduced me to this song and I didn't even realize they had an album coming out, but it's Arch Enemy and Blood Dynasty.

@15:38 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

I'm not surprised.

@15:40 - Sebastian

I immediately fell in love with the song Paper Tiger because it's a throwback to like 90s metal. And that song reminds me a lot of Spit Out the Bone, which if anyone's been following us in podcasts, you know how much I love that Metallica song.

@15:54 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Seb loves Spit Out the Bone.

@15:55 - Sebastian

But the thing about Arch Enemy is they're classic. She as melodic death metal, and obviously with a singer like Elisa White-Gloose, which they've had quite a bit of controversy in the last year.

@16:08 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

out.

@16:09 - Sebastian

And prior to that, Jeff Lomas, the guitarist, left, so this is the first album with a new guitarist, so they record the album, go on tour, and then they finish the tour and the lead singer leaves, or separates, depending on what you want to say, right?

Like, rumors say she was tired of just doing the same album over and over and over again, but if you look at Arch Enemy's journey, they have a pretty interesting journey, because they started off with a male singer for the first couple of albums, and they were very death metal, like very, like the first couple of albums are like, this is not the Arch Enemy that plays today.

They still have these death metal tendencies, but they've softened a little bit and are expanding their horizons, so they go into, you know, like this is a straight up.

@16:52 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

A metal thrap song from the 90s. play a couple of seconds of Paper Tiger, which I know we talked about months ago, but...

@16:57 - Sebastian

That opening riff is so good with the harmonics. I we've talked about the use of harmonics as underused, in my opinion.

It just adds this flavor to it, right? some of the stanzas, Blood Dynasty is a great song, Dream Stealer is a good song, Paper Tiger is my favorite song on the album.

@17:17 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

I forgot about Dream Stealer, that's a good record. It's a good record.

@17:20 - Sebastian

And I've listened to a lot of it, actually, so it's up there for me. I had this conversation with someone the other day, and then they were saying, like, is metal dead?

Like, what is good out there that's metal right now? And if you don't like new metal, like Slipknot, Korn, or where Sleep Token is, there's not a lot out there.

I mean, there's bands like Testament that put out an album this year, which, I mean, I'm not a Testament fan at all.

Yeah, like, and modern metal, like, modern metal is, I don't know, for us, we're a little bit older, so it's not quite.

it's dying, right? Not Not Modern metal is turning into like Korn and Slipknot, and I mean, Deftones came out with an album this year, which is very highly regarded, but I'm not a Deftones fan at all.

Yeah, I don't get it. I just don't really- Yeah, but apparently that's like the number one metal album of the year that came out, but I'm just not a death metal guy.

Well, not for us. Or no, I'm sorry, a Deftones guy that much, right? Because I want more- They're like alt metal.

The thing with Deftones though, and I know we're getting off our jammy here a little bit, but the thing with Deftones though, is like they have that staple, really low six string, or it could be seven string, because I'm pretty sure they play seven string guitars.

So they play a lot like in the C scale, and it's just got that like new metal lowness to it.

That early 2000s, kind of.

@18:46 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Yeah.

@18:47 - Sebastian

And when you hear it on every song- That's my thing, because when they put the record on, I like the single.

@18:54 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

I thought it was really good, then I tried. I'm like, me personally, no offense, but it just all sounds the same.

Yeah. So whatever. But no, but Blood Dynasty is an awesome album.

@19:06 - Sebastian

And there's no long songs on it.

@19:07 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

No.

@19:08 - Sebastian

Because the longest song, I believe, is...

@19:10 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Probably four minutes.

@19:11 - Sebastian

It's March of the Miscreants, I believe, which is at four minutes and 49 seconds. Perfect.

@19:17 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Get in, get out, have 95 guitar solos in four minutes, and you're good.

@19:22 - Sebastian

Yeah, they're all in the high three minutes, around the four minute mark. Some slightly less, some slightly over, but they're all the same speed.

So, good album. Yes.

@19:33 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Probably my favorite metal album of the year, for sure.

@19:35 - Sebastian

Absolutely. Blood Dynasty.

@19:38 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Diamonds. Okay, Blood Dynasty, sort of Blood Diamonds.

@19:40 - Sebastian

That's a... That's a good movie, by the way.

@19:42 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Yeah, it was also an album by, what's the... Machine Head.

@19:45 - Sebastian

Blood Diamonds.

@19:46 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Yeah.

@19:47 - Sebastian

Also, Break the Spell is a great song, too. That's like another one I like, so...

@19:52 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

And her voice, and honestly, her voice fit the music so well. Like, because it wasn't... The nice thing with having a female growly singer is she's not so...

@19:59 - Sebastian

... ... So that's kind of where I draw the line. If I can't understand a single syllable of the lyric you're saying, I'm not really interested in it.

So that's why I've never been a fan of death metal, like Cannibal Corpse or those types of bands, because they're all like, I don't know what you're saying, man.

Like, you know, but with, with Alyssa, you can hear, she's done something incredible where you can hear every single word she's saying, but it's in that like death metal and growl props to her for being able to do it because, And she can actually sing too.

Like when she, she, there's a couple of, not really with Arch Enemy, but you, you can hear her like with Kat Von D and a couple of her solo stuff.

Oh yeah. Um, I will say this though. Oh, might be a hot take. May not. I've listened to a couple of her solo stuff.

@20:52 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

I do not like it.

@20:54 - Sebastian

No, it's, it's, it's missing that the, the intricate musician. That Arch Enemy can bring to the table. Yeah, that's right.

@21:05 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

But she's going to have to grow as an artist too, right? Being on her own and she'll find her way, right?

Yeah. And whatever she puts out might not be, you know, Arch Enemy style metal.

@21:15 - Sebastian

might be more melodic sort of. I think that's where she's going.

@21:18 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

think she's going. Evanescence kind of style, right?

@21:19 - Sebastian

Yeah, but more of like a death metal tone. I think she's trying to do like a Nightwish thing where it's like epic music and storytelling and not being so.

Muted six string of just going like, you know, that kind of Arch Enemy style, but still have that death metal growl.

think that's what she wants to do. She wants to be more open to different genres of music, I guess.

But she's also worked with a ton of artists in like the last couple of years outside of Arch Enemy.

Like, she's got her hat into many bowls. Maybe that pissed them off and they're like, you know what, maybe we're going to bring out.

It'd to know what actually happened between the two of them, right? Because it's just, they put out a statement saying, a very short statement saying, oh, she, uh, we're.

were parting ways with Alyssa, and then she later on put out a statement that day and released a single that day.

@22:06 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

did the single right away.

@22:07 - Sebastian

So I'm like, okay, so was this always the plan?

@22:10 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Yeah, exactly.

@22:11 - Sebastian

So, yeah. But anyways, it's a great metal album. It's harder than, it's definitely harder than like Metallica and Megadeth.

But if anyone likes metal, just give it a good listen.

@22:25 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Arch Enemy's good. They got like 25, 30 years of background. Yeah, they've been around for ever. That catalog, oh my God.

Yeah, like they've been around for a long time.

@22:33 - Sebastian

Yes, sir.

@22:33 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Okay, so I'm going to go with a band that's slightly way less popular.

@22:41 - Sebastian

Hey, you like what you like, Mike.

@22:42 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

I like what I like. And I discovered this band called Wukon. Probably about three years ago, I was just on YouTube.

Just like I watch a lot of like, they're German. I watch a lot of like sort of German like TV live performances and stuff.

Don't ask me why. I just found it and it's cool. I But I found this band, Wukong, and I just thought they were, again, female-fronted, as Arch Enemy was, is, probably still will be.

@23:08 - Sebastian

I do know Wukong, yeah.

@23:11 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Their music is psychedelic. It's hard rock. It's like sort of 70s classic rock. It's all this stuff. And there's keyboards.

There's theremin. And the lead singer, she's a hell of a guitar player, hell of a singer, and she plays the flute.

And there's flute in the songs. So it's not like Jethro Tull flute, but it's like, the flute is a prominent instrument in...

@23:34 - Sebastian

Mike, what am I looking at there? What is that on his face?

@23:37 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

That's got a mask, but it looks like... I don't know what that is. So we're looking at the Wukong Axioms.

@23:42 - Sebastian

Their new record came out in August. It looks like a Silence of the Lambs.

@23:45 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

It's kind of Silence of Lambsy. It's like this weird face with a mask on it with no eyes. But anyways, so yeah, they're, you know, it's sort of vintage-sounding style.

@23:56 - Sebastian

It definitely gives you a 70s psychedelic-off vibe.

@24:00 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

And they kind of all dressed apart. And this album, I don't buy records from bands' websites. But you did with Wukon.

I did. I got this and a t-shirt, and I don't buy band shirts at all, and I'm the biggest Metallica fan in the world, and I refuse.

So I bought the album, I got a shirt. I love these guys. I think it's their fourth or fifth record.

And the whole album's good. It's in this vein, some songs are a little faster than others, some are slow, some are psychedelically winding, like the final song, Fountain of Youth is just awesome.

@24:32 - Sebastian

I don't mean this in a negative way at all, but listening to Wukon kind of gives me Austin Powers vibes.

@24:40 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Come on, man.

@24:41 - Sebastian

Do you know when he's playing the psychedelic music in Austin Powers?

@24:44 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Okay, when he's driving the car? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, when he's in his car, he's in the...

@24:48 - Sebastian

And he's listening to the psychedelic rock music. Fair enough. It gives me that vibe to it. It's straight out of the 70s, man.

@24:54 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

there's a late 60s, 70s kind of vibe. And I just, I really, I don't know. I just... Yeah. I like to support bands that don't have the hugest followings.

@25:03 - Sebastian

This would be what your hippie parents listened to back in the day, but it's an album that came out this year, but it could have came out in the 70s.

It easily could have come out in the 70s. I don't mean in a negative way. mean, that's the sound they're going for, right?

@25:16 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

And it's fabulous. And their last record was, I don't know, there was a couple of great songs, but this album is like just firing on all cylinders, lots of energy, lots of just, it's just different.

Like it's original and it's, I don't even know how to quantify it. I just like my, my kids think I'm nuts for listening to these guys.

And I'd be like, come on guys, like, Oh, just open up and just find something different. And yeah. Yeah.

So we've got some flute, even got some flute and sort of got that inner Led Zeppelin ish or Jethro Tull.

Yeah.

@25:51 - Sebastian

Right.

@25:52 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Yeah. So anyways, that's Wukan. Just look them up. They're from Germany there. They are amazing. Absolutely amazing. Agreed. Agreed.

Yeah.

@26:02 - Sebastian

What's next one? So two European bands.

@26:05 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

We did two European bands.

@26:06 - Sebastian

Because Arch Enemy is from Sweden. Yes. Okay, so the next one that I'm doing is an EP, actually. Ooh, EP.

So we started exploring Youngblood earlier in the year, and pre-planned, before even the Aussie thing, he partnered with Aerosmith to do a six-song EP.

Technically, it's only five songs, because one of the songs is remixed, so it's two. But they do Back in the Saddle on the EP.

isn't it? It's good, isn't it?

@26:38 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

It's very good.

@26:39 - Sebastian

Yeah, man. And initially, I was just kind of like, I listened to the album, and I was like, they all kind of just sound like Aerosmith songs, right?

But then the more I listened to it, the more I was like, he's like the British version of Steven Tyler.

@26:51 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Oh, he totally is.

@26:54 - Sebastian

And it's good. Like, it's a good hard rock album. Yeah. And so... So... Yeah, it's such a good song, Back in the Saddle.

@27:03 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Like, think of Youngblood. Six months ago, he was, you know...

@27:07 - Sebastian

He was known, but not globally.

@27:09 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Yeah, now he's like... I know he's all over your TikTok, he's all over mine. We see him on the TV all the time.

@27:17 - Sebastian

It's just like, dude's everywhere. But he's authentic and honest.

@27:21 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Yes.

@27:22 - Sebastian

Oh, he totally is. cares a lot about his fans. He cares a lot about the music business, and he has a good time doing it.

Yep. You just get the sense when you look at him perform and look at him do his thing. This is somebody that was born to do this.

@27:36 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Oh.

@27:36 - Sebastian

He's not doing it for the money. I mean, he is, obviously.

@27:39 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

They're all doing it for the money. You think you get into it, you need to earn a living, right?

@27:44 - Sebastian

Yeah, but he's willing to go through the torment and hellscape that is trying to become a musician because the payoff is so satisfactory to him, right?

Oh, absolutely. It's all about performing. And I'm just super excited to see where his future goes. Mm Listening to him work with Aerosmith kind of begs me, I had this thought a couple days ago and it stayed with me, it's like, he needs to be partnered up with this young, new, great guitarist, like a new version of Slash, or a Nuno Benton chord, but not someone age-appropriate, Nuno, but someone that's in that same age bracket that's up and coming.

Like, you know, and because there's something to be said about having someone like, I mean, look at a hard rock bands and every great front man is paired with an equally great guitarist, right?

Like Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, Axl and Slash, right?

@28:40 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

You can look at Nuno and Gary Cherone, you want to go that way, Ozzy and Zach Wild, Ozzy and Randy, Ozzy and Tony Allen and David Lee Roth, right?

@28:49 - Sebastian

You know, Sammy, right? Even Page and Plant, right?

@28:53 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Sure.

@28:53 - Sebastian

You know, for as good as he has a front man, you need an equally good guitarist. And I think Youngblood,

I don't even know any of his bandmates. They just know him as Youngblood, right?

@29:04 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Yeah. I think he's pretty loyal. I think those guys have been in his band for a long time. Yeah.

I think. I don't know. I'm just kind of going on sort of how he acts around them and how much he talks them up.

Like, I know nothing. Like, to have a guy like Slash in your band would be the greatest thing ever.

@29:19 - Sebastian

But someone that's like a 20-year-old or 28-year-old version of Slash, right? But yeah, you're right. So Dominic Harris, or Youngblood's Turing Band, features core members like longtime guitarist Adam Warrington, bassist Silky, Lanjar, recent guitarist Sam Simmons, and drummer Ben Sharp.

Yeah. He has a keyboardist named Katie. No last name. Just Katie. I guess we're doing the Cher thing. Hell yeah.

@29:47 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Well, when you're that good, you only need one name.

@29:50 - Sebastian

Yeah. So I don't know.

@29:52 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

I think he just works with a revolving door of, like, band Except for the guitar player, I think.

@29:57 - Sebastian

I think that's, like, one of his...

@29:58 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

staple guy, yeah. Yeah, he's... He's there forever, but that's okay, but no, man, that Youngblood EP is, when he told me, I'm going to do an EP, and I'm like, what EP?

@30:08 - Sebastian

I'm what the hell?

@30:09 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

What EP came up? Yeah, and I'm like, what could you possibly be talking about of doing an EP? I'm like, Foo Fighters?

@30:16 - Sebastian

I'm like, no. They just put out one song, I'm like, don't They, like, honestly, My Own Angel is a typical Aerosmith song, but, like, the funny thing, though, is, like, it also reawakens Steven Tyler, too.

Oh, sure did. Right? Because he sounds different on these songs than he did in Aerosmith. Like, I think on a lot of the latest Aerosmith songs, he's just, I don't want to say phoning it in, but he knows what, he just does it, right?

@30:39 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Well, they haven't done anything original in so long, I guess.

@30:42 - Sebastian

No, but you have this youthful energy in Youngblood, which is definitely, you can feel it starting to inflate.

@30:48 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Steven Tyler, and he feels like he's reborn again, right?

@30:52 - Sebastian

Absolutely.

@30:53 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Hopefully. That'd be nice.

@30:55 - Sebastian

Yeah.

@30:56 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

That's good. Or even just Steven Tyler by himself, or I don't know what the state of I band is.

I have no idea.

@31:01 - Sebastian

I gotta be old, man. Well, they are almost 80, right?

@31:04 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Probably. They've been around since the 1970s, so they've been around 55 years.

@31:09 - Sebastian

Seventies.

@31:10 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

They haven't been around forever, yeah. Yeah, like he did a guest spot on Slash's solo record, but he just played the harmonica and it was awesome.

Like he just came out, apparently got to watch the documentary, this is off a tough topic, but ooh, I could have added, did that come out this year?

I could have added that. Slash did a cover record of all sort of classics from the 60s and 70s.

@31:30 - Sebastian

I remember that.

@31:31 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

You know, Brian Johnson from ACDC does a song and then Steven plays.

@31:35 - Sebastian

sounds normal in it.

@31:36 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

He does. Yes, he does. And he, yeah, Beth Hart's on there. There's Demi Lovato. There is so many, well, of the Dan came out in 24.

Yeah, he's got Billy Gibbons, Chris Stapleton, Iggy Pop, Paul Rogers, Demi Lovato, Brian Johnson.

@31:57 - Sebastian

Killing Floor is the song you're thinking of. That's what Brian Johnson is.

@32:00 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Steven Tyler, yeah, that's a good one. it does a harmonica solo. It was like one take and then done.

Yeah, Beth Hart, Tash Neal, which Living in the City, it's a great cover.

@32:08 - Sebastian

He's channeling his inner Santana because Carl Santana did like a cover album, or not a cover album, but he did an original album with Smooth with the guy from Matchbox.

@32:18 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Rob Thomas, yeah, and Michelle Branch and all that stuff. But most of these covers are pretty well-faithful renditions. Like, Pop of the Rolling Stone with Demi was awesome, The Pusher, the whole thing's awesome.

@32:33 - Sebastian

I listen to this all the time.

@32:34 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Yeah.

@32:35 - Sebastian

All the time.

@32:36 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Too bad it was two years ago, it was last year because it would be number one because it's so good.

And there's like documentaries on YouTube if you want to go watch Slash in the Studio, like doing each song with whatever artist, like the one with Brian Johnson's awesome.

Like, it's just, he's just a jolly, funny, little old man. Like, it's just, it's great.

@32:53 - Sebastian

Absolutely great. Correct me if I'm wrong, but he, he actually sings. He doesn't do like the Aerosmith voice.

@32:58 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

He actually. Me and the AC-DC voice?

@33:01 - Sebastian

Yes. Yeah, AC-DC voice. I'll put on a little ditty for a little bit of it here.

@33:06 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Just give me a second. I'm gonna keep yammering on as I get things ready to rock and roll.

@33:12 - Sebastian

I do have to say though, Slash's guitar tone is one of the best guitar tones I've ever heard in my life.

@33:20 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Like, it is...

@33:23 - Sebastian

There's a reason why everyone has copied his setup. Like that Les Paul with Marshall Halstack. I mean, it's not new.

@33:31 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

It's nothing new. Everybody's done it.

@33:32 - Sebastian

there's a reason why people do it, because it sounds so good.

@33:35 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

There's something with his playing, his feel, and his... I don't know how he does it, but yeah, it'll kick it in a minute when he starts singing.

But yeah, he sings kind of normal. Yeah. But again, another old classic blues cover. Yeah.

@33:54 - Sebastian

12-bar blues, I think.

@33:55 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Yeah. Yeah.

@33:58 - Sebastian

It's so not Brian Johnson.

@34:00 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

It's but it's actually Brian Johnson. It's Brian Johnson, but it's not Brian Johnson. This is what he should be doing in ACDC.

This is what he really is, oh my god. In the video, like the making of your video, I think there's one for each song.

@34:13 - Sebastian

I learned this year that this is his actual voice. Yeah. Or last year that this is actually his voice, not his ACDC voice.

@34:19 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

I always thought that he sounded like ACDC. Well, was like, before ACDC, he was like a, like an Eagle Diamond type guy.

Yeah, like a folky type. Yeah, like he was just wearing the sequins and doing the 70s thing. And then now he's like, I was cold.

@34:34 - Sebastian

And then he got the medal of a railroad track.

@34:37 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

The greatest gig of all time.

@34:39 - Sebastian

So.

@34:40 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Yeah, you got to do that. Yeah. Well, you do what you got to do, right? Yeah. But yeah, so no, that's a, if yeah, it's called the, the, oh my god.

I can't even, of the Damned by Slash.

@34:50 - Sebastian

Yeah, it came out loud. The song is called Killing Floor. you want to hear the Brian Johnson one that we just.

it. So you have something up here.

@34:58 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Oh yeah. So. Nice. Yeah, you can see my scream. So yeah, so, well, we're talking about death metal vocals.

I don't like death metal vocals, but this band Knight, they're probably from San Francisco. And they're like a throwback musically to the 80s.

Like they're very heavily influenced by like, there's Metallica, there's some Tool vibes, there's Iron Maiden vibes, there's Sabbath with Dio vibes, lots of harmony guitars, lots of good guitar.

Groove. Like his album is actually quite groovy. Like it's really good. And then the whole idea behind the vocals is they wanted like a death metal light vibe.

If you know what I mean? Like it's like, it's growly, but I can understand every word he says for the most part.

@35:47 - Sebastian

That's important to me.

@35:48 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

It's important. And they're just, they're middle-aged dudes. They just put this band together like five, six years ago. I think the singer is like a metal producer and he just put this band together.

@35:55 - Sebastian

I'd love to see them live because I think it'd be really cool.

@35:57 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

So, but I'll play a little. A little bit of the song Crow, which is the number one song of the year for me on my Apple playlist, of my playtime.

@36:07 - Sebastian

Oh man, I can't possibly imagine how long you've listened to it.

@36:11 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Okay, so yeah, we'll let the song play out. While the song's playing, we'll keep talking about it. I'm gonna look up my, see if I got it here.

@36:19 - Sebastian

It's very doom-metally.

@36:20 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Oh yeah, big time.

@36:22 - Sebastian

Like, this sounds like Kaius or, you know, like early Kaius.

@36:25 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Yeah, some Stoner vibe in there and there's, let's see here, 2025, I won't tell me how many times.

@36:32 - Sebastian

Dude, this sounds like 80s metal. It is. Exactly. It's got like an 80s metal vibe to me. Oh, totally.

@36:37 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

So this song is my number one, and the next track on the album is my number two. The Mystic?

@36:43 - Sebastian

The Mystic, yeah. So it's...

@36:50 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Yeah, this definitely fits your vibe. It does. And this album is just, oh my God, it's killer. The whole thing, like the whole thing is good.

ACTION ITEM: Add Night (Cult of the Serpent's Son) to rotation; listen through - WATCH

Like musically, it's amazing. Like if can get around the vocals and it's not quite your thing. Just give it a chance, because if you're into classic metal, this album is so awesome.

@37:05 - Sebastian

I need to give it a listen, actually.

@37:07 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

should have never even heard of them.

@37:09 - Sebastian

Well, you did mention them.

@37:10 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

I think I did, and you're like, yeah, yeah, whatever.

@37:12 - Sebastian

kind of just...

@37:13 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

You just passed it, yeah.

@37:14 - Sebastian

Yeah, you just kind of just shrugged me off.

@37:17 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Yeah, but the whole record is good. So, and there's cool guitar interludes, and it's nothing super flashy, but it's appropriate.

With the song, no one's trying to show. Mike. Exactly, serve the song. And these guys are fabulous of that.

The vocals are, I questioned them at first, but I grew to absolutely love them and love this band. And I think they've only got two records out.

@37:45 - Sebastian

I will have to put them in rotation, actually.

@37:48 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

They have two records out. Okay, okay. Yeah, so this is a little ditty from the art, in the artist's words, what are your top three albums of all time on Apple?

And why? Why did you choose these three albums in particular? This is what they said. They said Power Slave by Iron Maiden, Countdown by Megadeth, and Injustice for All by Metallica.

The golden era of heavy metal, Maiden's grandiose Egyptian theme, Magnum Opus, Metallica's grief-induced masterpiece, and Megadeth's dream lineup in their finest hour.

That's what these guys said in their top three.

@38:20 - Sebastian

Is that your, is that your rap? Your, um, what is it called?

@38:25 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Swatify gives you like a year in review? they give me a, I got, I have a replay. I've also got, um, let's see, this is my music story of the year.

Oh, here we go. Yeah. So my number one, so yeah, so my number one album is Night, Cult of the Serpent's Son.

@38:40 - Sebastian

I listened to it for 562 minutes. Huh.

@38:44 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

So that's like six, seven hours of, and the album is only, I think it's 40 minutes. It's 36 minutes.

So that's how many times I've listened to it.

@38:54 - Sebastian

I've listened to it a lot.

@38:55 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Amazing. A lot. Um, yeah. And, so.

@39:00 - Sebastian

Do want to know what my number one song is of the year? Yes, I do. Hold on, let me find it again.

Number one. It's Mama Said by Pussifer.

@39:22 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Really?

@39:23 - Sebastian

Interesting. know, when we did that song, I've been listening to it like all year. Really? Good.

@39:27 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

And then my number two song is Paper Tiger by Arch Enemy.

@39:30 - Sebastian

Ah, knew it. I knew it would be there. It's close. Wow, that's funny.

@39:38 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

I want to see if, because this might be different on my computer, because I never listen to music on this thing.

@39:43 - Sebastian

I listen to a lot of Satanized too, for some reason, of ghosts, but yeah. Oh, interesting. And Hell on Earth is up there as well.

Oh, really? And Tombstone Town is up there as well. If you haven't heard that, it's Dorothy with Slash. It's so good.

Cool. Tombstone Stonetown. Dorothy's pretty cool. Such a good song, actually.

@40:06 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

I'm not going to look at my computer. Oh, it's the same on my computer. It's just all under one.

So there you go.

@40:14 - Sebastian

I have another artist that I've been listening to. She doesn't have an album out this year, and she is in the melodic trance or melodic house music.

And I've talked to her about her before a lot, but I just want to highlight her again. Her name is Miss Monique.

She is a Ukrainian DJ, and she puts out, like, a live set every once in a while on YouTube, and I just put it on.

It's usually, like, an hour to two hours long, so it's very progressive, right? So a lot of the stuff that you see on her stuff is very hard trance, almost.

But when you listen to her sets, it's more of a progressive feel to it.

@40:53 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

And you know how much I like melodic house trance your house music, yeah? I have found her earlier in the year.

@41:01 - Sebastian

I love her style because it's not overly...

@41:05 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

it's a lot more progressive and subtle and slower pace. It just fits my palette really well.

@41:14 - Sebastian

I kind of listen to everything she puts out, basically. And she'll fly to these remote locations and set up a mixing board on top of a cliff at a sunset.

And then you can see a waterfall behind her.

@41:29 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

And she'll do an entire hour-long set, basically. Yeah, no, I've been listening to a lot of electronic music lately.

Most of it sounds like video game soundtracks, but... I'm trying to find... I found a band. It's like this kind of music with guitar.

Oh, nice. Yeah. And I was like, oh, these guys are cool. think it might be these guys. might be a band called Dance with the Dead.

And they've got a bunch of... I guess it's like two dudes. And they just make music. Yeah. It's just, it's like this, with the guitar.

@42:02 - Sebastian

Yeah, if you listen to her actual podcast, Progressive Mix, they're usually at least an hour long, sometimes they're two hours, sometimes they're 45 minutes, but it's very subtle in the changes in progression of it, so it's like you go on this wave-like journey with her.

That's cool. I like this. on when I'm home and there's traffic, and it's just, there's no words usually. And it just mellows you right out.

Yeah, it's good. It's really good. Oh, I like this. This is good. Good pace for running. That's good stuff.

Highly recommend her.

@42:32 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Yeah, man.

@42:33 - Sebastian

That's Miss Monique, everybody.

@42:34 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Yes. Yes.

@42:36 - Sebastian

And go watch the videos. Something of the norm of metal.

@42:38 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Absolutely. And go watch the videos, because the visuals are good.

@42:42 - Sebastian

Yeah.

@42:43 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Yes. Agreed. So, yeah. So, we kept it short. Not short. Yes. We kept the list short of, I know Ghost put out a record, blah, blah, blah.

@42:53 - Sebastian

It's my favorite Ghost album, to be perfectly honest with you.

@42:56 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

It's favorite Ghost album. It's too poppy for me.

@42:59 - Sebastian

But. Yeah.

@43:00 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

You know, I don't know. If I'm going to listen to, like, 80s synth pop, I'm going to go listen to 80s synth pop.

I don't need Ghost doing it, if you know what I mean. Yeah.

@43:10 - Sebastian

I think next year is a good year for albums, though.

@43:13 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

I think there's a lot coming out next year.

@43:15 - Sebastian

Well, you got the Megadeth album coming out. Yes.

@43:18 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Right? There's rumors Gojira might put something out sometime next year. There's probably going be more Guns N' Roses, which I'm probably not going to be very good.

@43:28 - Sebastian

I don't like any of the songs they put out, to be honest with you.

@43:31 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

didn't mind. Okay. So, Nothing, I think, is the one, which, let's see.

@43:37 - Sebastian

I think it's the one. It's got that weird piano intro.

@43:40 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Okay. And, but the chorus is, like, the most Guns N' Roses thing I've ever heard since.

@43:47 - Sebastian

That's what's missing for me, though, right?

@43:49 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

It's like... The Illusion albums? Yeah, like, what is this? Like, I know it's a Chinese Democracy leftover. That's what all these songs have been, which is Slash putting some guitar onto it.

But, like, this is not guns, this does not, don't know. Anyways, I'm going fast forward to the chorus.

@44:06 - Sebastian

Do it.

@44:15 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

But this sounds like Guns Roses. Like, this is Use Your Illusion, Guns N' Roses. And clearly that's not his voice from 2025.

Because it doesn't sound like that anymore. But then it just goes back and it's like, what are you guys doing?

Who signs off on this ?

@44:33 - Sebastian

Like, seriously. Yeah, it's kind of, they lost their edge to make good music. They just put the song out because they put it out.

But, I mean, we have, okay, so if you're a Zac Bryan fan, he has an album out in like a week.

Alter Bridge has an album out on the 9th of January. Yeah. Well, let's see what else I have here.

Creator. If you like Creators, there's a new up there. They have an album on January 16th.

@44:58 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

5440 has an album coming out. Shout out to Vancouver.

@45:01 - Sebastian

Yeah, shout out to Vancouver. What else do we got here? Megadeth also on the 23rd.

@45:07 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Poppy, if you like Poppy, she has an album coming out. Van Morrison has an album coming out in the 30th.

@45:13 - Sebastian

And then Lana Del Rey has one coming out.

@45:15 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

What's the other one? Pussifer has an album coming out on February 6th.

@45:19 - Sebastian

So that's new stuff from Maynard. And rumor has it that Tool was in the studio in the summer. So I don't know.

There's no actual update on a new Tool album.

@45:29 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

We'll be 77 by the time the album comes out. It's quite some time. They'll actually be dead.

@45:33 - Sebastian

They'll have died of natural causes. Yeah. Mumford & Sons has a new album out in February. I don't know if you're a Mumford & Sons No, I heard.

@45:40 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

But the new song came on. I was doing something.

@45:42 - Sebastian

I'm like, what is this? And I skipped it.

@45:44 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

I'm like, oh, it's Mumford & Sons.

@45:45 - Sebastian

like, Paul Gilbert has an album out February 27th, along with Rob Zombie, in the same day. They have an album coming out.

@45:53 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Oh, I forgot all about Rob Zombie.

@45:54 - Sebastian

Rob Zombie. I'm so tentative about that album, man. And it's just... just... I think, I don't know. I don't know.

@46:02 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

I just don't know. It's probably going to be what you think it's going to be. Yeah, I guess. Be a giant man.

@46:08 - Sebastian

Rumor has it Bruce Springsteen has an album coming out. Deep Purple might have an album coming out. Evanescence has a new album.

X set as Fear Factory. Gojira, you already said that, rumored. Lita Ford, Madonna possibly has a new album coming Oh, yeah.

Ministry might have a new album coming out. Muse, Papa Roach.

@46:27 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

So there's lots of music coming.

@46:29 - Sebastian

Trivium, yeah, Trivium. If you're a Trivium fan, I'm not really that much.

@46:33 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

I listened to one of the new singles today, and it didn't grab me.

@46:37 - Sebastian

Too new metal-y for me. Yeah, it was just like... Emo metal.

@46:41 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

I don't think I'm in this. I'm not in an angry space right now. And I just, I'm like, you know what?

I don't need to listen to this. Get myself all amped up. That's why I can't listen to Alison James anymore.

@46:53 - Sebastian

Yeah, it's very broody, isn't it?

@46:54 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

It is. It's broody, and it's depressing. And I'm like, you know what? I'm not there. I'm like, I'm good.

I don't need to listen

@47:01 - Sebastian

I get that. Yeah.

@47:02 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

get that. You know, kind of how it goes.

@47:05 - Sebastian

But yeah, that's our show.

@47:08 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

That is our show.

@47:09 - Sebastian

We're back from holidays.

@47:11 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Yeah. Yeah. Life has calmed down. We're good. Back to the weekly thing. Yeah. So we're happy to be back because I haven't seen your pretty face in so long.

My unshaven. I know. got more hair on your face than I do.

@47:25 - Sebastian

This is not normal. Like, normally I come in clean shaven and Mike looks like a blurry Sasquatch photo.

@47:32 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

No, just kidding. Looks like a haggard old man. But yeah. Yeah.

@47:37 - Sebastian

So we'll be back.

@47:38 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

that don't know what Mike looks like, he grows a very good beard. I can grow a mean beard if I really want it, yeah.

@47:43 - Sebastian

His beard is chef's kiss.

@47:45 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

It's amazing. Yeah, thank you. But too bad it's basically white.

@47:49 - Sebastian

Yeah.

@47:50 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Except for like right around my dimples. stays like right here, like on the side of my mouth. That's the only part that stays brown and the rest of it's white.

He shaves the rest of it and just leaves these two tufts. Yeah. Right. There's... I more beard in my life because I actually have hair in my face.

@48:02 - Sebastian

You can't see it because it's white. Well, you're very small on my screen, too.

@48:07 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

didn't actually... good. Well, don't blow me up. Sure. So yeah, we'll be back next week and Happy New Year.

@48:14 - Sebastian

Be safe on the 31st if you're out there.

@48:17 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Yes, be safe, please. Don't drink and drive.

@48:19 - Sebastian

Don't be stupid.

@48:20 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Nope. Because we want you to come back and listen to us next week. That's correct. That's correct.

@48:24 - Sebastian

And that's it. We will see you next week.

@48:28 - Mandatory Music (mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com)

Right on.

@48:29 - Sebastian

Bye. I think it's off. Yeah.