Two Mics, No Masters
Loud music. Louder opinions.
A conversation‑driven podcast exploring punk, hardcore, metal, and underground music culture as sound, ethic, and community.
The show focuses on ideas, scenes, discovery, and conversation.
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Music/Vocals by Eric DeYoung
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Two Mics, No Masters
2MNM - Ep.5 - Reverse Uno
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Listener Kyle plays a reverse Uno card, and Andy and Patrick review each others favorites of 2025.
Actually recording this time.
SPEAKER_01All right. Good to go. Good to go. Welcome to Two Mics No Masters. I'm Andy. I'm Patrick. We just want to give a quick shout out to a buddy of our at the show here, Kyle. And listener, he's been listening to all the episodes. Actually called me up personally to give his two cents, which he's good at. He'll laugh at that. Thanks, Kyle. But he was like, hey man, I got a great idea. I know you guys just did your top ten uh albums of the year. Why don't you do them in like reverse? So that you know Pat does yours and you you know you talk about Pat's albums too. And then uh kind of give your opinions. I'm like that. That's actually a really good idea. That's a good idea, man. So thank you for that. So this episode is dedicated to you.
SPEAKER_02Alright. So uh yeah, you want me to kick it off? Sure. Sweet. Um we'll start. Um, I think I went in the same order you delivered yours in last time, so I'm gonna do the same. Cool. Uh, first one was pathogenic. Um essentially the way Andy described it, brutal modern death metal. I I like this record a lot. Um out of all the records I listened to, this was one of actually one of my tops.
SPEAKER_00Okay, all right.
SPEAKER_02Um exactly the way you described it, chaotic, but with a purpose, um, a lot of a lot of changes which kept it interesting. Um pretty I would say progressive. Um just just a little bit, I think enough to keep it interesting. Uh-huh. Right. I I really I don't know what else to say about it. I like this record a lot.
SPEAKER_01That's awesome. Really cool. Um, the first one, I don't know if I went in order, I think I might have, but uh, is uh C4. So I listened to this twice because I don't even know why, it's for some reason. But the first time I put it on, I'm like, and I heard in my head, like, oh, they're just they're a hardcore band. So I went into it thinking this is gonna be hardcore, and that's what I heard. And I was like, yeah, I dig it, it's pretty cool. And then I listened to it again, and it was totally different to me. I heard thrash elements in this big time. Yes. I'm like, wait, this is like old school thrash sound, and dare I say a power violence-ish vocal.
SPEAKER_02Yes.
SPEAKER_01I'm like, oh, this is dirty. It is dirty. I'm like, man, this is this is really, really good. Dirty like Boston's water. There you go, exactly. So I was like, this is uh, I don't have to listen to it again. It's it's really, really good.
SPEAKER_02Cool. I'm glad I'm glad you liked it. That was one of my tops. I it came out later in the year, but I listened to it a lot. I can see why like a lot. And it's short too, so you can listen to it. That's the best part. End-to-end. Yep, keep going. Keep going. Um sweet. I'm glad you liked that. Um next is Biohazard. Okay. Um Divided We Fall. It's the name of the record. Um pretty classic biohazard. Um not my favorite biohazard material. It, you know, given that it's been what 20 years or so.
SPEAKER_01I think the last one was 12 or 13 years ago. Oh, okay. So not as long as I thought.
SPEAKER_02I thought it was a solid record. Yeah. Um, Biohazard is they've been around for a long time. They have uh a reputation. Um I I liked it. I I didn't excite me too much, but yeah, I thought it was a solid, solid record. They took you know, the the song with DMC. Um, I thought was interesting.
SPEAKER_01Yep.
SPEAKER_02Um, I usually don't go for the rock rap.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02I think we talked about this like rap core sort of thing. Um but it seemed to fit w in with the record. Some of it was a little cornball for me, but um overall it was like it was you know what you would expect. Yeah, it sounds like the production was pretty good.
SPEAKER_01Right. And like I said in my review, I don't think they could have put out a better record at this point.
SPEAKER_02That's true. Yeah, I would agree with that. I I've never been super excited about Biohazard. Like I really like their first record at when it came out at the time. The self-titled? Yeah, yeah. Um, and the second one after that, a little less so. Um seemed like, especially at the time what I was listening to, it seemed a little commercial to me. Um but yeah, yeah. I I think decent. Yeah, the way you um you reviewed it was pretty spot on. Cool. Uh okay.
SPEAKER_01All right, so the next one I listened to was uh with hate. I think it's called uh from Boston with Hate.
SPEAKER_00That's yes.
SPEAKER_01So, I mean, it couldn't that's a pretty fitting title since I reminds me of Blood for Blood. Yes, I would say.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Uh it's very typical Boston hardcore, what you would think of when you say Boston Hardcore, and you put that on and go, Yeah, yeah, that's literally what it is. Um didn't wow me, but it was like it obviously it's not my style, but what they are, what they do, yeah, it's perfect for for for the kind of band they are.
SPEAKER_02Exactly. That's why I liked it so much. I thought it was essentially for that style hardcore, it was a flawless record.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. I could see that. And I listened to it going, it's not really for me, but I could see why someone would love it. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02So totally. I didn't actually I listened to that record a lot. Um I bought I bought the seven inch. Oh, nice. Um that's like immediately as soon as it became available. That's how you know you like something. Yeah, totally. I didn't make the connection with Blood for Blood until you just said it. I was like, oh, yeah, I could tell it. It's really straightforward in your face, like, shut up, I hate you. Exactly.
SPEAKER_01So it's straight edge hardcore. You know what I mean? Oh, there you go. Okay. I forgot they were straight edge. Yeah. I think you mentioned that in the review.
SPEAKER_02I mean, it doesn't it's for what it's worth you said or something like that.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, for what it's worth. Yeah. It doesn't really play into the music, probably.
SPEAKER_02No, it doesn't, it's not what you would hear from a stereotypical straight edge band. Just lyric-wise, a lot of stuff about being straight edge and stuff by just thinking. So that's why I said for what it's worth, it doesn't right.
SPEAKER_01It doesn't really impact their sound. No, not at all. And if you don't care about that, then it literally has nothing to do with it. Then it wouldn't even matter. Right. Probably wouldn't know if I didn't say that. Right. They don't come across like they are.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, right. Oh man. That's cool. Yeah. So next for me was Testament, Parabellum. Um, again, sounded exactly the way you described it. Um, I I uh historically like Testament. Um, this was not one of my favorite releases by them. Um you'd mentioned people getting upset or commenting on the use of double bass. It was fine. Or like the blast beats. Yeah, the blast beats. It was fine. Yeah. I mean, um, you know, a lot of really classic testament riffing and stuff. So it was it was enjoyable. It just it wasn't just a standout for me. Yep, yep. Gotcha.
SPEAKER_01Um yeah, but I liked it. Cool. Uh next one I listened to was Combust. Uh, I thought I thought the music was really good, and I did not care for the vocals. Interesting. Okay. It threw me off. And uh I had a hard, it was a hard listen. Okay. Because I was like, oh, can you be quiet so I can hear the music? But uh it but again, like it's funny, all all the bands in your list, like I even the the ones I kind of didn't care for too much, I could see them all playing live and being like, oh, this is a really good live band. You know, which I feel like is is kind of like more how hardcore is, it has to be experienced live to get the full effect.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_01You know, that's just like typical for hardcore.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_01You know, um, it can feel like I was like, okay, you know, it's this is a good record, but you can tell live it would be like, this is really, really good. Now I fully understand what the band's about. Yeah. But yeah, the vocals threw me.
SPEAKER_02So that's fair and and accurate about the live performance. I had seen them relatively recently. That terror show that I I I missed combust, actually. Yes. Um, exactly. Um, which people will hear about in uh hopefully in a previous episode. Um or next episode, we'll see. We'll see where it lands. Who knows? Right, right. Yeah. Uh we have no rules here, so none. None. Pants off should be. Yeah, totally. All right. I think that's fair. They're they're um I like them live. They're they're a great live band, hot little lot of energy.
SPEAKER_01Okay, you get I kind of got that feeling. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Um cool. But but I get that. I think that's a fair assessment. All right, so next, tribal gaze. No surprise here that I like this one. This was also on my list. Um you know, those big cavernous rifts, and you know, the production was pretty pretty nasty. Yeah. Thick. Thick, yes. All the C's. All the C's. Uh so no surprise on that one. That's still I that still gets play for me. Yeah, it's a good one. Solid record. Yep.
SPEAKER_01Uh the next one I actually don't have a description for, which I know what it means, but uh is boot camp. Uh I mean it was it was good, but it didn't really hit me at all, so I don't really have a description for it. Yeah. It was just kind of like, okay, it's like uh I think the songs are really short, if not mistaken. Um it was kind of like more just like typical hardcore to me. Yeah, I was like, okay. You know, nothing I would go back to, but I was like, all right, for what it is, like I appreciate it.
SPEAKER_00Cool, you know? Yeah, it's fast hardcore.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, actually.
SPEAKER_02Okay. Um next up is Internal Bleeding. Um classic band. I you know, slam slam riffs, they're just pretty much known for their just nasty riffing. Um this record is the same, however, not again, not my favorite release. A little disappointing to me. I felt like it was just more of a collection of riffs as opposed to some songs, some more, you know. Great riffs, but they just didn't feel like they went anywhere. Like structured kind of like a grab bag full of riffs. Yeah. I can see that. Um just you know.
SPEAKER_01Too bad, because I love internal bleeding. Oh yeah, absolutely. And I it's funny you say that because I always feel like they're the kind of band that writes a great song and puts a monster riff in there. Yes. So it breaks it out perfectly. Yeah. And now I'm kind of, like you said, just lack that more. Yeah. Or just they focus more on just a straight breakdown riff, you know? Yeah. Sounds like kind of a bummer. Kind of a bummer. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02It was still enjoyable. Yeah. There was a lot of I mean, still brutal, obviously. And yes. Yeah, yeah, for sure. Uh just didn't really hold my attention like their previous releases. Right. I probably if I was gonna listen to internal bleeding, I would not go back to this album, I don't think.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Alright. Uh the next one you had was Home Invasion. Uh, I remember it's kind of like the same, the previous band for me. It was really it was a super short record, wasn't it? Yeah, if not mistaken. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Um, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Um kind of the same in the same vein for me as the last one. It was just like uh more typical hardcore. Uh and I think this band as well, I didn't care for the vocals. It threw me as off as well. Um but yeah, it just didn't really do it for me. Um kind of too typical hardcore. Like it just and it got to the point of I felt like I was at a show and I was seeing like three or four hardcore bands on a row, and I was like, uh, I pat my fill. So even though it was super short, which I was thankful for, but uh yeah.
SPEAKER_02That that that's interesting because I think I commented on some of my picks being very much in the same lane, yeah. Or or wheelhouse, and I think that was just where I'm at or I was at at that point. Also, Andy is wrong, they do not sound the same. I'll let you decide for yourselves. Come on, you you know you won't agree with me. Yes. Um oh next on the list is Mongo. I I actually love this record. I it almost made my list, but got inched out by some other stuff. This this is just a great record. Yeah. Very much hardcore, but raw and um very metal influenced. Yep. Um not metal core, just heavy, metal y hardcore. Um very metallic, yeah. Yeah, good record.
SPEAKER_01Also short. Right, which is perfect. Yes. Even though I'd like to hear a full LP from them. Yes. I I can dig that. Same. Hopefully we have some should be in the works, I would assume. Yeah, some mongrel more material coming down. Eight to ten songs. Yeah. Sweet. Cool. Or another EP, maybe. Yeah. Even that. I'm down for whatever. I'll take whatever they're gonna give us. Yeah. Oh yeah. Um the next one was Alienator. And I'm I'm I cannot remember what these guys sound like, I'll be totally honest. Yeah. Um, if you could refresh my memory.
SPEAKER_02Uh they're they're fat fast hardcore band. Um similar to C4, like sort of metally, thrashy um lyric. Like their breakdowns are sort of metally and thrashy, but then they have these fast parts. Okay. Um I'll think about another listen then. Sort of snarly vocals. Yeah, give it a give it another listen.
SPEAKER_01I will. That sounds cool.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Um, yeah, actually, it's funny. Not I do remember actually now, just brought back a memory because I remember listening to in this order and being like hardcore, hardcore. I'm like, uh, and then I put that on, I was like, oh wait. It kind of like struck something inside. Now I do remember. Yeah. Yeah, okay, so I I dig it. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02I love I love that record a lot, actually. And a couple years ago they had another LP, and or maybe it was I don't know, maybe it could have it was definitely a seven-inch, but um their previous stuff was pretty good. To check that out. This is what this is why I have to write things down because years and releases escaped me. Uh-huh. Um next on my list is Cryptopsy. Um I I had listened to this before and I I really I listened to it again. Um I really spent some time just kind of digesting it. It is super fast. Like slightly. Like it's it's essentially a blast beat. With some riff riffing around it, you know what I mean? Like the what? Yeah. Uh so fast. And um, I liked it. When I listened to it, I was definitely in the mood for it. Nice. That helps it does help. Super technical. I don't know that it's something I would listen to a lot. I think this is one of those records I have to be in the mood for.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, even someone like me, I have to be in the mood for it. That's my jam. Right. Yeah. Cool. That's funny. Yeah. So the next one on your list was greet death. I wrote down four words. I can't wait. I wrote an absolute palate cleanser. Oh, that's accurate. I was like, what? Like, what is happening? Yeah. But I dug it. I'm like, this is cool. Yeah. And it was like refreshing to hear it after, you know, kind of like all like the hardcore mesh between some metallic hardcore, and obviously just real heavy stuff. And hearing this, I'm like, oh, okay. I kind of sat back, I was like in the car driving home from work, and I sat back and just kind of like just took it in. It was like, this is this is really cool. It was totally different, obviously, than everything that you had on this prior or anything that follows it. So uh it was it was kind of fun to listen to, you know.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, cool. It's different. That's pretty much what it was for me. It was a palette cleanser because you know, exactly the reasons you just said. Um, I I found it to be a really good record. So yeah, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Yeah, it was cool. Even if you never listened to it again, I'm glad you took the time to listen and you know, yeah, it was you found it at least enjoyable. Definitely.
SPEAKER_01Right on, man. Yeah. Shocked you, didn't it? Because you were looked a little worried for a second. Like, oh, what are these words gonna be?
SPEAKER_02You got totally. I was yes, I was expecting something much different. Um speaking of something much different, uh the next record on my list is Byzantine Harbinger. Oh, I'm interested to hear this. Um, I did not make it through this record.
SPEAKER_01That's when you said that earlier before we saw that, I figured it was that.
SPEAKER_02I just it didn't, I I don't know if I wasn't in the mood for it. Like parts of it, I was like, alright, cool. And then it veer off into some other stuff. Very progressive. Um, I don't I don't you you had mentioned that they're they're continuing to evolve. I didn't I didn't check out any of their other material. I'm not even saying it's necessarily a bad record. I ju it didn't I couldn't get into it. I tried.
SPEAKER_01Oh, I can see that.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I tried. Um I suspect that it just is I just wasn't in the headspace for it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's a huge mood record. I mean if you're if say you were in the mood for like with hate or something, you know, you you can't listen to that.
SPEAKER_02I I I listened to it immediately after cryptopsy. So that might have been the problem. Hmm.
SPEAKER_01So Yeah, because your your brain just got fried and then it got fried. It's like trying to do like I don't know, yeah, some ridiculous drug before some other insane you know, trip or something. It's like good luck.
SPEAKER_02I don't even uh when I was listening to Cryptopsy, I don't even remember my ride home. I I could tell you you were speeding though. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01It's crazy. That's awesome. Um fried brain. Totally. I mean but that that record hits you with complete like just utter chaos and blast beats. Yeah. And then you're hit with it sounds crazy to say, but more of like a it's not a more of a lax record, but it kind of is in a way, because cryptopsy is like you know, going at 15 out of 10 speed in your face the whole time. And that Byzantine's very, it's not super heavy, no, but it's just kind of more it's atmospheric. Right, there's a lot going on, and you gotta you gotta really pay attention. Yeah. So yeah.
SPEAKER_02They're like the pink Floyd of metal.
SPEAKER_01I think I mean that's that's a pretty good description, I suppose, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I don't know. To my ears, it's just not something I would normally pick, which is what I super appreciate. Because you know you that's how you get exposed to new stuff. Just give it a shot. Yeah. Or you just give it a shot and go, Nope. Yeah, it's not for me.
SPEAKER_01Still not for me. Yeah, it's cool. Which is fine. Alright, what do you got? All right, what do you got next? The next one uh you had me check out was Caustic Wound. And uh I mean this could have easily been on my list. When I was listening to it, I was like, oh, this is my jam right here. You know, I I just put really enjoyed the death grind because it's like yep.
SPEAKER_02Death grind, yeah. Totally awesome. It's a great record. I still listen to that a lot. I'm like, I'm not feeling so you know, so mellowed today. What can what can I what can I listen to?
SPEAKER_01Wow, it was so good. So good. Yep, I'm like, I want to see them live, definitely. Oh, but where are they from again? Do you remember? I I don't remember. They seem like they'd be like a Rhode Island band or something.
SPEAKER_02They do. I don't think they're not from New England, though. It has that vibe. I want to say the Pacific Northwest, but I could I could be wrong about that.
SPEAKER_01It just reminds me of like CN bands at like the the Net Cafe or something. A band like that. Totally.
SPEAKER_02It's like, oh yeah, they were great. Yeah. Are great. I don't want to say they were. Oh yeah. Still awesome. Yeah. There are still a band. What's next? Um I have Despised Icon. Um, this was a good record. It very death core. Um if you dig if you dig death core, you'll you'll dig this. I think this is like top tier. Yeah, death core. They're the kings to me. Yeah. Top tier. The different vocal styles that just the nasty changes, you know what I mean? The drumming is just like super tight. Insane. Yeah, it's really good. It's not something I would listen to all the time, you know. Again, mood.
SPEAKER_01Yep.
SPEAKER_02But um, you know, I I have seen them live with you actually. We saw them live. Um, they they were pretty nasty. That was a long time, like 15, 20 years ago, maybe 15 years ago.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that was like the waterfront tablet or something down in uh Western Mass or something. Springfield area. Yeah, Holyoke. Holyoke. Um yeah, that was cool. Yeah, to me, like they're the perfect blend of uh uh you get like cryptopsy in there a little bit with the speed and everything, and then just disgusting mosh rifts. Yeah, like crazy breakdowns. So it's like the perfect mix for me. I love it.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, cryptopsy is like 220 BPM straight through the record. You know, this one it hits some you know, it's fast, but it it there's some shifts to it, and there's some breaks, and you know, it's not although it's fast and hard and heavy. Definitely. I I just love it, the vocals. My speakers were rattling after I listened to that. Seriously, yeah. Um, it's cool. Yep.
SPEAKER_01Alright, what's next? Uh the next one was Conjurer. And I wrote down mean, sludgy, do them riffs. That's it. Yeah. I was like, it which isn't my style, typically. I think I had to like uh pull myself through the finish line through the first song. Be like, uh, okay, whatever. And the second song it was kind of like boring me, and then this like monster riff came out of nowhere. I was like, what is that? Like I like that, yeah, and it was just like so mean. I was like, oh, that is awesome. Sounds so good. Um, yeah, some of that super heavy parts. I mean, they're heavy, obviously, continuously, but um, I think longer songs, which isn't usually my thing either, unless it's like Injustice for All. But um man, they just pull off their sound, and I'm sure live later a wall of sound. Yeah, probably massive.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, I think so too. I it's funny that you mentioned pulling yourself to the finish line because I I started and stopped that this record, this conjurer record. Um because when I first listened to it, I really wasn't prepared for it. You know, it was because you know, some of the songs are they build up. So they're they're going somewhere, but it takes a while to get there in some of the songs. And some of the songs are short, some of them are long. But when I finally sat down with it, and um, yeah, I really liked it. And they do surprise you.
SPEAKER_01Some of those big riffs come out of nowhere, um, which I dug. Yeah, definitely. It was almost like I was gnawing off to sleep, and then someone yells at you. What? You know, I was like, oh, cool. They're giving you like an ice cream cone. Yeah, great. That's pretty accurate.
SPEAKER_02It was cool. That's that's pretty accurate. That's great. Uh, next one on the list is Age of Apocalypse. Um, I don't know what else to say about this band. We both love this band. Um I've seen them live a couple of times. They always kill it. Yep, they just sound great live, I think.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yep.
SPEAKER_01Um I I think actually, I think you were the one that got us all into it.
unknownCool.
SPEAKER_01I think you're the first person that said you gotta listen to this band. Yeah, cool. And we were like, this is awesome. Yeah, you know.
SPEAKER_02Well, it was during COVID, man. I had a lot of time on my hands to like because I wasn't going anywhere, so I spent a lot of time on the internet just um digging and checking stuff out. And it's one of those things where you you're you you're checking out a band, and then it's like for fans of, and you're like, oh, what is this? What is this Age of Apocalypse thing? Right. Oh, they're from the Hudson Valley area, that's cool. Uh uh, and then I'm like, whoa.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Yeah. It actually funny too. I was listening to Blood Has Been Shed recently, and one of their songs is Age of Apocalypse, and I'm like, I wonder if they're so good. I'd love to have to ask those guys that good connection. Yeah. So all right. So you just did Age of Apocalypse, right? Yeah. Um, the next one was End It. I had actually heard this record already, um, and I I liked it, so I went back to it to give it another solid uh listen. And it is it's definitely good. Can't wait to see him live with Terra. That's gonna be fun. But one thing I did notice after a while, which drove me nuts, was the vocals he sings in the same pattern all the time. It drives me berserk. Interesting.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_01It took about five-ish songs, and I was like, I can't hear this. And it was just like, oh no, like, drove me crazy. I get it. Because it was like it was up and down. I'm like, no.
SPEAKER_02Dude, I'm gonna listen to that record now and I'm gonna hear it.
SPEAKER_01I just really guys, it's all about being honest, and that's what happened. My brain kind of like it it does that with noises and stuff too. So I when it hears a pattern, it just catches up and latches onto it. And I was like, oh no, that's not good. So, but the music's killer for sure. Yeah, I do like his voice, it's different. Um, I do feel like a few bands now are incorporating that kind of vocals, but um, it's cool, but I just wish it was in a different pattern sometimes, like vocal pattern.
SPEAKER_02I get it. I like this record. Um, it's actually not my favorite of their material, but I think it's a really solid record. That's why I gave it more of a um Yeah, I think it was like a shout out. Past the 10, yeah, past the past the 10 for me, I think. I'm pretty sure, yeah, because um Yeah, we had had some similar, like because we had some bands that were the same. Right. I added it because you know because I can't follow the rules.
unknownNope.
SPEAKER_02So it's all good. And then your your last band um was Soul Blind. Oh yeah. Red Sky Morning, which we both agree on. Is it just a a killer record? I for me that's also um a record I consider a palette cleanser. It's like it's heavy, but it's not the punishing type of heavy. It's not extreme. No. It's just good, it's good songwriting, a lot of melody. Um yeah, it's something you could play with your family in the car, and it's not gonna be offensive to people. Like, oh my god. Dying feeders.
SPEAKER_01Exactly. Anyway. Well, it's funny because uh I think it was like song five or six or something. Like you play that too, and it it does. It reminds us Allison Chains and whoever else, but all of a sudden out of nowhere comes this like monster heavy breakdown. You're like, wait, what? Yeah, it's so awesome, it's so heavy. I'm like, yeah, sweet. This album's already good, but then it has that in it. I'm like, that is so cool.
SPEAKER_02Um it's like they, you know, they gotta throw it in there just for just for like some street cred or something. Yeah, we're heavy, I told you.
SPEAKER_01Um it's not that they're not heavy, they're just yeah, you know, they're not they have a nice full stunt for for what they are. Like agreed. I would still call them I would still call them metal, kind of, but they're still rock and rollish as well.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I mean, they could call them metal or heavy rock. I don't know. You know, we're back to our conversation about like trying to like label everything. Trying to label like it it it's sometimes necessary to help describe it to people, but it's right. Sometimes limiting. Like, I have a hard time with it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Well, and that's the thing, like you could you could be into this band and still like Alice and Chains, or you could like slayer, I suppose. I mean, it's not like I don't know.
SPEAKER_02I I could see this band crossing boundaries.
SPEAKER_01Yes, you know, like like some bands we were talking about before we started recording today. Yeah. It's like they could shift into some different scenes and still be enjoyable for other for a bunch of people.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. So a different person with a lot of personality types and and musical taste could dig this band.
SPEAKER_01I I think it's cool. Um they're actually playing tomorrow night too. Wait, what? They're playing in Brighton Music Hall tomorrow night. Oh, dang. I know I was like, oh, it's no way I have the energy for that after this crazy weekend we just had. It's like I'm like if it was a matinee show, maybe like if they were playing at like five, I'd be like, alright, cool. Oh they're headlining too, so yeah, I I can't do Brighton and it's it's a it's a full tour, so I checked out the other bands too. Some bands are pretty good. They're more in the same vein as that.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_01So that's pretty cool. But actually, I think I yeah, I I did know about that because I I think I might have texted you a while a while ago. You texted me about that one. Yeah. It's on my calendar, like my physical calendar because I'm old at home. And it's like I keep looking at it going, oh, it's Sunday night though. Just no way. I do that too.
SPEAKER_02This one I I I probably blocked it out because I knew I've been I just can't go. I just can't go to a mall. Doesn't exist. Yeah. You know, I did go see um Scattered Remnants last night. That was that was pretty cool. Um small small venue, newer venue in in Fitchburg, uh Fitchburg, Massachusetts. Dirty Burg. Dirty Burg shout out show. Um it was cool, you know, a pretty small crowd, but everybody was you know pretty chill.
SPEAKER_01I think it looked like there was more scattered remnants, uh, merchandise items than people there last night.
SPEAKER_02Yes.
SPEAKER_01Ron? Yeah, okay. I think it was about a 12 to 1 ratio. Oh man, this chair's really gonna show up in the recording. Sorry, people that's okay, but anyway, um I just want to say to those guys, they kill it with the merch, man. Awesome merch setup.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so I love it. Yeah. Great merch setup. Um they actually sounded pretty good last night. The the the room, um it's just it's you know, they don't have a fancy PA there or anything, so it it's it was pretty DIY, but it, you know, it's uh still sounded cool. They get a good response. Some of the other bands, I missed uh Tar was on the there was a couple other bands, and I'm sorry. Um I'm not getting the name right now. Um very metal show and band that was more uh hardcore interesting sounding. Um they were very metal oriented hardcore. Nice, nice. Um and then uh the death death metal band called Matrophage or something. I'm I know I'm saying it wrong. Pardon me, gentlemen uh for mangling your band's name. But you guys were pretty good. Um, pretty good. No, I th I actually thought they were good. Um I had never heard them before. A lot of times before a show, I'll check out the yeah. Um I I did not I wasn't able to do that in this case. Um, but I I enjoyed them. I thought they were good.
SPEAKER_01What what's the uh capacity of the place, you think?
SPEAKER_02Uh 200 maybe. Okay, cool. That's awesome. Depends. Um you know, it wasn't that crowded last night, but it everybody seemed that it looked like the energy was good, you know. That's awesome. Everybody was having a good time, a lot of a lot of kids just dancing hard. That's awesome.
SPEAKER_01Um yeah, I'm sure.
SPEAKER_02So people were going pretty sick for it, and that was cool. I saw a um a young goth looking woman um spin kick someone to the face. That was pretty that was exciting. Um she had furry boots on and just out of nowhere. That was interesting. Um, so that was a highlight. Um anyway, it was a good show. It was good to see see some people I hadn't seen in a while. Um, scattered remnants are always hard and nasty. Absolutely. So yeah, check out check them out.
SPEAKER_01Bummed I missed it. Yeah. Um I slept two more of your albums, actually.
SPEAKER_02Sorry. That's all right. We can well, I'll just cut, I'll cut that part out. Oh no, it's I mean I'll I'll leave the part in about the merch because I think just trying to like tease Ron a little bit.
SPEAKER_01No, it's killer though. We're just killer, seriously. We've known Ron for a long time. So yeah. Plus, we'll also find out if he's listening or not. Because if he doesn't say anything about it, I'm like, oh, you didn't listen to the episode, huh? He says he's listening, but we're about to find out. Yeah, here's a test. Um another band you had me check out was Bad Beat. And uh all I put was vocals ruined it for me.
SPEAKER_02Oh, interesting. See, that's one of the parts I like about it. Yeah. Because it's different than a lot of that. I feel like that style hardcore they play, if you put a different style vocal on it, it'll be too same. Um, so it was the combination of you know the the music and the vocals that did it for me. Yeah, it's interesting that it was the deal breaker for you.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's all I put. I don't even know if I like the music or not because I didn't think about it.
SPEAKER_02Vocals, nope, nope. Dude, I get you know, I get stuff like that too, where I'm like, I can't.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, like fucking knocked loose, dude. They're like probably the number one that everyone talks about with vocals. I I can't.
SPEAKER_02I tried, I really, and I want to like them because they're they seem like good dudes, and you know, the music is just sick, you know. As a metal fan and a hardcore fan, it checks a lot of boxes for me. But I can't.
SPEAKER_01The guitar player though, like whoever does the second vocals, like the really like deeper voice, his voice is brutal. Yeah. Like that guy should be singing for a band. And maybe that's what it is. I'm expecting that sort of vocals. But then it goes to the same point what you just said. What I just said about Bad B is their vocals are different, that's what sets them apart.
SPEAKER_02Yes.
SPEAKER_01And a lot of people complain about the vocals, but they're they're pretty huge. Totally. So people are digging it, and I actually like I like his vocals, which is weird. I mean, I can see that is a ban I can see if someone's like, I don't like it, I'm like, yeah, I can see that. Totally. It's like it's pretty pretty out there, you know.
SPEAKER_02They don't care about like, dude, my my opinion's not gonna make or break their career. You know what I mean? Like the people like him, and that's cool, dude. You know what I mean? Like, I like Badbeat. You just said you you you you don't. Right. Again, Andy, Andy has questionable taste.
SPEAKER_01That that really wasn't uh news flash, but no one's like, what?
SPEAKER_02No way. It's all good, but that's why we do this stuff exactly makes it fun. Yeah, I think it's interesting that um you know, two people can listen to the same thing and get very, very different results, yeah.
SPEAKER_01All right. Well, the last one I listened to was Dead Guy.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And all I put was picked it right up where they left off. Great production. Yes. I thought the production was killer. Yeah. That's man. I was like, this band has not skipped a beat. And it's been since the well, since the debut, I think it's literally been 30 years. It looked like it was exactly 30. And I was like, that's so good. I love his vocals. I do too. They're so harsh, but they're so there's something about them. They're in your face, they're brutal, they're raw, but they to me when someone says it sounds like they're screaming, I'm like, he actually is yelling. He is yelling, he's punishing the microphone. It's awesome. I love it.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, we talk about different vocal styles, and I think he his is very unique. You know, you you you recognize it immediately as together. So um I I like it. I I think it's perfect, it all goes to together perfectly. You're right. It is it that's what I thought too when I first listened to it. As soon as I put it on, I was like, it's it they picked up right where they left off.
SPEAKER_01Oh, it's it's dead guy.
SPEAKER_02It's it's I think it's tighter. I think it's you know, they're they're playing, they they're older, so they're more experienced. They're playing better, tighter, um, lyrically. It's great stuff. Um, and I've mentioned before he has a he has a sideband. Um I said it last time that it was a sideband. It's actually his main band called Bitter Branches. Not metalcore, but it's still enjoyable. If you like his vocal style, I think you'll like it. Um it's more, it's it leans, it's more post- I would say what someone would call post-hardcore.
SPEAKER_00Okay.
SPEAKER_02Um I love it. I keep going back to it. Actually, the record that came out this year. So check it out. Oh, this year. Yeah. Might be on the list then. Yeah, check it out. It might be exactly. It might be on. And I don't I don't think I had any more on your list. I think that was it, yeah. Dude, I'm really upset with ours. Because when we were talking about records, our favorite releases, we forgot, we had talked about a record, but then when on on Mike, we had forgot to mention it. The milltown record.
SPEAKER_01Oh my god, that's right.
SPEAKER_02So I had heard some like B-roll where we were talking about the but then when we were doing our top ten, it didn't make it. And I I I I I got really uh, you know. Yeah, yeah. I was I was a little upset because technically it's not a 2026 release. It was I mean it is because it was released in 2025, I meant not 2026, 2025, but it was actually made in the 90s.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Yeah, it's been on the shelf that long. It's crazy.
SPEAKER_02But I thought it was such a good record. Um just classic Jonah vocals.
SPEAKER_01Talk about a I'm getting that chills just thinking about it, honestly, because I remember putting it on it and it's just there's such an emotional record. Yes. I think it it just hits you. It's like these lyrics are no joke. Like they that's no joke from the heart, personal, deep lyrics. It's like wow.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, there's some there's a song on there about his dad. Yeah. That you know, hit a little close to home. Um, just it is a very emotional record, very introspective, very emotional. It's like he just kind of lays it all out there. Yeah, um, considering it was written probably 30 years ago, right? Is amazing to me. It is.
SPEAKER_01It's not right, because it's sorry, it sounds like an album that he would write today, like Bare Your Soul Today. Yeah. Not 30 years ago.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_01Incredible. So shout out to Jonah for that.
SPEAKER_02Shout out to Jonah. Big time. Yeah, well done, Jonah, and the rest of the band too. And that's where I was going with that is that you know, even though it it was written in the nineties and then shelved is the way I understand it, they wrote it and then the label, you know, put in a box on a shelf somewhere. And it didn't see the light of day until last year, and the production is amazing. Sounds so good. And I think it is just as relevant now as it was then, and maybe more so.
SPEAKER_01I'm selfishly glad it came out last year and not 30 years ago because I wouldn't have painted any of mine 30 years ago.
SPEAKER_02I don't think it would have hit the same.
SPEAKER_01Not even close. Because back then that style mostly, I was like, it's not really for me and not heavy enough, which is obviously dumb. But uh now I'm like, this is so good. I literally can remember myself last year listening to it as I'm cooking breakfast outside of the grill in the morning. I'm like, this is so bad, this is so good. So good. And like I'm like like hooking, you know, like doing like home fries and eggs and stuff, like keeping it together. I'm like, these lyrics are killing me, and I'm like, wow, so it's so good, you know? Right. But I need a hug. Literally. Anybody? No. Anybody? No. Oh no, never mind.
SPEAKER_00My neighbors are looking at me like, bro. Like for one thing, put a shirt on. Yeah, right. And two, put some pants on.
SPEAKER_01I will not hold up the spatula.
SPEAKER_00No. I am king of my domain. At least start eating better. Okay, that's fair. All right.
SPEAKER_02I'll meet you halfway. Yeah, I uh I know we're joking, but seriously. It was a it's a it's a fantastic record. It is. I I really encourage people to check it out.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. And I think they released vinyl for it, if not mistaken. That was the vinyl looked amazing.
SPEAKER_02Yes, they did. Um, it's actually on my list um do get. I've had to curb back my vinyl purchases. I made a commitment to someone that I would take it easy. Again, during COVID, things get a little Yeah, a lot of control.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, a lot of control.
SPEAKER_02Um maybe it was an out of control.
SPEAKER_01Anyway. Yeah, so what'd you guys think of our lists? Uh I guess our swapping lists and our judgments.
SPEAKER_02Uh what do you think? Um were our assessments spot on? Do you think you know we're way off base? Let us know. Call, let us know, send us an email, direct message, give us a call, text, whatever, let us know that Andy's wrong, that he just doesn't know what he's talking about.
SPEAKER_01I mean, we don't have to go that far, but get in touch with us and give us your opinions if you want. Right through the podcast. Yeah. So it's nice and easy. You're listening right now, just scroll down and hit that. I think it's below our the main picture of the podcast. Let us know. Yeah. You love us, you hate us. I mean, you can ask for our well set up a peel box. You can send us like food and stuff. I don't know. Yeah. It'd be cool. Yeah. We like food. Yeah. A lot.
SPEAKER_00Anyway, thank you very much for joining us. Yeah, thanks for tuning into this episode. Um just catch you on the next one.
SPEAKER_01Hope you had fun. Yeah. See ya. Later.
SPEAKER_03No.