Metal Nerdery Podcast

1976. The year of the American Bicentennial. The year that brought us “The Tale of Two Steves” (Jobs & Wozniak) who created the Apple Computer Company, Evel Knievel who successfully jumped 7 Greyhound Buses at the Kingdome in Seattle, and Bruce Jenner who took home the gold in the men’s decathlon at the Summer Olympics in Montreal. 

 

1976 was all about being “on the train to Bangkok” and getting “super Asian” (so to speak) in your buddy’s Trans Am before catching The Song Remains The Same at the Midnight Movies. It was the year that brought us Kansas’ progressive “pre-metal” breakthrough masterpiece, Leftoverture, the year of not one but two (count ‘em, TWO!)  KISS releases in the same year, and also the year that brought us perhaps the strangest and most misunderstood Black Sabbath album of the 1970’s. 

 

Fast forward fifty years to 2026. America is now a quarter of a millennium old, and since 1976, we’ve gone from albums to 8-tracks…to cassettes…to compact discs…to streaming…and now BACK to albums, cassettes, and CD’s again, with music consumers and die-hard music fans enjoying a bit of a renaissance as they rediscover the joy of purchasing physical media and reading the lyric sheet & taking in the vibe of the album art all while listening to the music and being simultaneously transported to a completely different time and dimension…specifically, 1976.

 

Get ready for the weirdest question EVER from the world’s biggest KISS fan, understand why front AND back album art is so important, find out who James Hetfield’s long lost uncle probably might be, discover the endless joy of finding a “project band” (regardless if you’re from “Lebanon…Libya…or Lisbon”), and prepare for the most gloriously orchestrated “palette cleanser” you’ve ever experienced when you JOIN US as we go back to the 70’s and revisit the hard rock and pre-metal glory days of the CLASS OF 1976.

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Show Notes & Time Stamps

(00:01): “And we’re back…the biggest bailout in all of Metal Nerdery history…”/ 

“So, we just found out a neat little bit of history here…”

The mystery regarding the back album cover of AC/DC’s Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap

(Basically, the people are redacted on the back album cover but the eyeball redaction black bars from the front album cover are still in the same place as the people were on the front.)

NOTE: Technical Ecstasy is the 7th Black Sabbath album, NOT their 6th album…their sixth album is Sabotage.

***WARNING: #listenerdiscretionisadvised ***

“Everything is different than everything…”

***WELCOME BACK TO THE METAL NERDERY PODCAST LOCATED IN THE BUNKERPOON CENTER FOR METAL EXCELLENCE!!!***

***PATREON US at patreon.com/metalnerderypodcast 

“Who’s Lee?”

 

(08:02): METAL NERDERY PODCAST PRESENTS:  1976 – YEAR IN METAL

“It’s ½ a century of metal…and rock (pre-metal) …metal wasn’t really a thing in 1976…not like it was in the 80’s…” / 

“During the year of America’s bicentennial…now we’re a quarter of a millennium years old…”

“It’s kind of a rewind episode…” / “I’m googling I’m not looking at porn on my phone…”

“If you put your ’76 hat on, what’s the top Billboard (song)…the Billboard Top 100?” #Billboard

“Wait…did you say Eric Cartman?”/ #allbymyself / “You’ve gotta admit, Slow Ride is a bad ass song!”/ “That’s kinda pretty close to what I said…”

(14:25): “What about Wheeler’s song?” 

#ACDC SQUEALER (Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap – 1976)

“This sounds like stripper music to me...”

“Sorry, I had to swallow…I love this part…”

“She said she’d never been…never been balled before…and I don’t think…she’ll ever ball no more…fixed her good…”

“You can’t listen to that and be sad…”

(18:42): “That’s probably one of THE heaviest Aerosmith songs I think…”

“Testament would have KILLED Back In The Saddle…”

#Aerosmith BACK IN THE SADDLE (Rocks – 1976)

“That just sounds kind of ominous…this might be one of my favorite Aerosmith songs…”

“Listen to that bass, dude…that’s gnarly!” / “Suki…”

“It’s the chorus and that bass for me, that’s what gets it…”

“This is Guns ‘N’ Roses before Guns ‘N’ Roses…”

“Southern metal is the next iteration of your Molly Hatchets and your Lynyrd Skynyrd…it’s just heavier…”

(23:05): “Hot take:  off of Presence, what’s your fave tune?”  / “Achilles Last Stand is the most metal thing on there…”

#LedZeppelin ACHILLES LAST STAND (Presence – 1976)

“What a way to open…ALL the cokelines, too…”/ 

“That is such a wild little fill…that riff is kinda crazy…”

“That climb is really cool, too…it’s very prog rock.”/

“The Runaways (debut album) came out in ’76…” #LitaFord / “She was not from Lebanon…or Libya…or Lisbon, Portugal…”

(27:15): “How about a little Rainbow?” 

#Rainbow A LIGHT IN THE BLACK (Rising – 1976)

“Oh, that’s metal as hell…”

“That man’s voice…is gold…” / #RJD

“That’s metal before metal was metal…70’s style…that’s definitely more metal than rock, for sure…”

 

(29:30): “How about a little punk? How about some Ramones first album?”

“14 songs…29 minutes long…”

#Ramones BEAT ON THE BRAT (Ramones – 1976)

“It’s almost like Devo…kinda…it’s like punk Devo…”

 

(31:30): “How about Billy engages with a little MC Tentacle…?”

“Not a black horse, a dark horse…” / #ohyeah 

 “If you look at Ted Nugent back then, tell me he does not look like (James) Hetfield…circa 1991ish…”

#TedNugent WRITING ON THE WALL (feat. Meatloaf) – (Free For All – 1976)

“Cat Scratch Free For All?/ “Stranglehold…all day long…”

 

(34:06): “How about some RUSH?”/ “We’re all about relaxers down here…”

#RUSH A PASSAGE TO BANGKOK (2112 – 1976)

“It’s ALL about drugs, man…” / “That makes me wanna smoke opium…I’ve never smoked opium…”

“They’re one of my project bands…all I listened to was RUSH…” / #projectband

“For a long time it was #DOWN … I could not listen to anything but DOWN…”

“I just call that ‘Project Band’…normally if I get into a mood to listen to one band and one band only, it’ll be Led Zeppelin…” / #TheSongRemainsTheSame

“I have memories of being super Asian at Billiam’s house watching that movie…”

 

(39:11): “Speaking of California…”

“Is there something better (else) on that album than THAT song?”

“This will be the song that gets us kicked off the podcast…”

 

(40:09): “How about a little Priest? Some Sad Wings (of Destiny)?”

#JudasPriest THE RIPPER (Sad Wings of Destiny – 1976) / #usethoseheadphones 

“Stranglehold again…/ “They got the vocals right up front…”

“So it IS about Jack the Ripper…”

 

(42:33): “You know what…I’ve gotta tell yall…what did you think about the first Boston record?”

#Boston ROCK AND ROLL BAND (Boston – 1976)

“Add a little more distortion and that’s a Pantera riff…”

“They all had afros…”

 

(45:10): #BlueOysterCult E.T.I. (EXTRA TERRESTRIAL INTELLIGENCE) / (DON’T FEAR) THE REAPER (Agents of Fortune – 1976)

“Guys, I need a little bit of cowbell…” / “It’s 70’s all day…”

#cowbell #WillFerrell #BruceDickinson #ChristopherWalken #SNL

 

(46:55): “Alright, what else…?” 

“We can do a Chronicles Death Match for (bands releasing two albums in) the same year?”

“How about Emerald? Mastodon actually covered (Thin Lizzy) a while back…”

#ThinLizzy EMERALD (Jailbreak – 1976)

“I can see why Mastodon did this…”

“It’s got a Maiden vibe to it…”

“I can definitely hear that Maiden was influenced by them…”

 

(51:03): “Here’s a KISS song, off of Rock and Roll Over…it’s a Gene song obviously because it’s all about sex…”/ “That’s a badass album cover…for 1976…”/ “Are there ANY songs we’ve ever heard of? (which is a really weird question coming from the world’s biggest KISS fan)”

#KISS LOVE ‘EM AND LEAVE ‘EM (Rock And Roll Over – 1976)

“As a kid I loved this song, but this may not translate well to 54-year-old me…”

 

(53:33): “We don’t have to end on that…I fully understand your need to palette cleanse after that…we can’t play 2 KISS songs in a row…alright, palette cleanser…”

#Pantera PALETTE CLEANSER (Reinventing the Vulgar Display of Power Metal Projects, Far Beyond the Southern Steel Trendkill Jungle from Hell)

“The winner…the winner of 1976…”

“Cannot EVER be loud enough…” / #CantBeLoudEnough

“If you want more 1976, go back and listen to the episode BEFORE this one…we did a whole ass 1976 album dive…which we didn’t even mention on this one…”

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US!!!  #untilthenext #outroreel

“Was it as good as The First Six? No…”

 

Released on September 25, 1976 (exactly 4 years to the day after the release of Vol. 4), TECHNICAL ECSTASY, the 7th album by the mighty BLACK SABBATH, is one of the most mysterious, polarizing, and perhaps confusing albums from the legendary Ozzy Osbourne era of the band.

 

First of all, the album cover depicts two robots having a fling and exchanging “lubricants” with each other on an escalator; a pretty massive departure from the darker album art featured on any of The First Six albums.

 

And then there’s the track listing, which is almost as bizarre and mysterious as the album art. Depending on which version of the album you have, Side 2 might actually be Side 1…or it might not be. So, if this feels like a Mandela Effect moment to you, then you’re not wrong.

 

“Does it need to be part of the Sabbath canon? Yes.”

 

Sonically, TECHNICAL ECSTASY is a far more experimental and rock and roll version of Sabbath than any other album in their discography, and yet somehow seems strangely out of sequence relative to The First Six. In fact, the more experimental, progressive sound found on Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (which, in and of itself, is quite a departure from the darker, heavier sound of The First Four) almost seems like a more natural predecessor to TECHNICAL ECSTASY than Sabotage. 

 

Either way, it IS part of Black Sabbath & Ozzy Osbourne history and given the 50th anniversary of its release (and, ironically, the 5th anniversary of the Steven Wilson Remix which was released on October 1, 2021), we felt it necessary to give this album another spin and see if we could figure out what we’ve been missing all these years.

 

“That’s a perfect name for that song…they could have called it “It’s Not Bad” …”

 

Get ready for a spicy “hot take” that we did not see coming, understand what’s about to happen whenever you hear the “kung fu flute” from out of nowhere, remember to “write it down, so it’s in writing”, and just know that “when he says ‘I mean, come on’…you know” it’s time to JOIN US as we revisit BLACK SABBATH’s enigmatic 7th album: TECHNICAL ECSTASY.

 

Visit www.metalnerdery.com/podcast for more on this episode

Help Support Metal Nerdery https://www.patreon.com/metalnerderypodcast

Leave us a Voicemail to be played on a future episode: 980-666-8182

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Show Notes & Time Stamps:

(00:01): “You know what time of year it is, right? It’s my horror movie season…”

#RussellsReflections #moviereview #HouseOf1000Corpses #RobZombie 

(“Doctor Satan?”) / ***WARNING: #listenerdiscretionisadvised ***

“Gotta case of the shaky leg over there?”

“I would love to have Elvis Presley on this podcast…”

***WELCOME BACK TO THE METAL NERDERY PODCAST AND THE BUNKERPOON CENTER FOR METAL EXCELLENCE!!!***

“Fun fact: I saw some crazy story where a guy…coughed up a blood clot from his lungs that was intact…it looked like the innards of his lungs, and he just coughed it up…”/

“There’s a serial killer in Austin…they call him ‘The Riverside’…something…” 

(“The Riverside Grinder…?”) 

“I wonder if Grindr got the idea from Judas Priest’s “Grinder” …” / #right #tobefair

 

(06:45): ***PATREON US at patreon.com/metalnerderypodcast ***

“They’re both unisex names…or are they polyamorous names? Or trans names?”

#onmicburp / “There’s gonna be a burp master remix…a club mix…”/

***VOICEMAIL US at 980-666-8182

***EMAIL US at metalnerdery@gmail.com 

***SOCIAL MEDIA US at #metalnerderypodcast on #YouTube #Facebook #Instagram & #TikTok ***

“I remember that from Henry Rollins…”

 

(10:10): “If you want to send us your shit-tah, you can email it to us and WE’LL PLAY YOUR SHIT-TAH!!!” 

#Suspended BEAST WITHIN (Hollowed Minds – 2015) /

“That does NOT match the album we’re gonna talk about today…”

“He likes his snuff porn…”  / #authenticity

 

(13:33): #TheDocket METAL NERDERY PRESENTS: BLACK SABBATH – TECHNICAL ECSTASY

“There’s a LOT of cokelines on this one…almost all the cokelines for almost all the songs…”

“I think it might sound more like Sabbath Bloody Sabbath than we think…SBS has got some elements of this…mixed into some of the songs…”

“Sometimes I just like to be told I’m right…”

“You could never find (Technical Ecstasy) at the record store…” / #tobefair

“Did you do that on purpose?” (re: first Sabbath purchases…in order)

“You’ve seen American Psycho, right? Then don’t talk shit about Huey Lewis…” / 

Released on September 25, 1976 (released 4 years to the day after Vol. 4)

***Remixed version (Technical Ecstasy) by Steven Wilson released on 10/01/2001***

“It’s just a weird album cover…robots having sex with each other…I’m guessing the robot on the right’s gotta be a dude…I think the one on the left has gotta be a lady…” /

“When he says ‘I mean, come on’…you know…”/

“It’s the whole ‘cradling the balls of the algorithm’, right? Everybody’s doing this…so WE should do this!”

“What’s working? Let’s try that…”/ “I wanna hear the #KISS death metal album…” / 

“I have a memory…a Billiam memory (regarding Technical Ecstasy) …that was probably also after we watched ‘The Song Remains The Same’…”

 

(23:28): “I swear, looking at the track listing…I feel like…I swore that Side 2 was Side 1 on the tape that I got…I swore that All Moving Parts (Stand Still) was what opened the tape…I don’t remember Backstreet Kids being the opener…” / #alright /

“We’re not fisting…Russ, would you like to be his proxy?”

“I’ve had that same phenomenon…”/ 

“I swear that the tape that I got starts with Side 2 as Side 1…”

“Here you go, reissue…1999.” / #Lechmere #Richway

 

(27:00): BACK STREET KIDS 

“This has that weird keyboard thing in the middle…”

“Who did the keyboards on this?” (Gerald Woodroffe on keyboards)

“I always thought…if I didn’t know any better…I would say that Sabotage came after Vol. 4, and then Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, and then (Technical Ecstasy) …based on the sound of the records…”

“In terms of what would sound the best: Vol.4, Sabotage, then Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and then this…do you think Never Say Die would still sound right after (Technical Ecstasy) or do you think would it be better after Sabbath Bloody Sabbath? 

I can hear this coming after Sabbath Bloody Sabbath…it makes sense…”

“Back Street Kids is a way better opener than “All Moving Parts…”

 

(31:52): YOU WON’T CHANGE ME

“Now that sounds like MY Sabbath…kinda doomy…”

“I could hear that on Sabbath Bloody Sabbath easily…”

“It almost has a weird Beatles vibe to it somehow…” 

“That’s a pretty iconic keyboard line…”

 

(35:05): IT’S ALRIGHT (featuring Bill Ward on vocals)

“Now THAT sounds like The Beatles…it’s alright…”

“It’s always bean that way…” / “It’s NOT Black Sabbath…whatsoever.”

“That’s a perfect name for that song…they could have called it ‘It’s Not Bad’…”

“You don’t know how quick my hands can move until you hear that song come on…” / 

#BlindedByTheLight  #REM

 

(38:18): GYPSY

“Kung Fu Flute sounds like a cool name for a show…”

“Is this Led Zeppelin?” / #ImmigrantSong

“Is that the first-time drums have opened a Sabbath song?” (NO, it’s Iron Man)

“You’ve gotta have your tits out…” / “It’s more rock and roll Sabbath…”

“That sounds like King Diamond…in a weird way…it’s like a rock opera…” (NOTE: this part sounds very reminiscent of the end of Dream Theater’s Fatal Tragedy)

“See, now THAT sounds like Sabbath…that’s kinda got a Sabotage vibe to it…”

“Taking Sabbath Bloody Sabbath a step beyond…”

NOTE: Tony Iommi produced the album, there were no outside producers

“I’m not a big fan of ‘stroking the shaft and cradling the balls’ of the algorithm…but I also understand ‘we don’t want to starve to death…’”

“They’ve already done all of that…and they’re artists, they want to create new things…”

 

(44:37): “Imagine this being the opener…”

ALL MOVING PARTS (STAND STILL)

“Skynyrd…Skynyrd vibes…Saturday Night Special…” / “Dogs love Black Sabbath…”

“You’re right, Matt…I think we need to write it down, so it’s in writing…”

 

(46:54): ROCK ‘N’ ROLL DOCTOR

“Guys, we need some cowbell…” / “That’s definitely #RockAndRollSabbath …”/

“I’ve got a hot take…” / #hottake / “C’mon, the piano AND the cowbell?”/

“I think…I would probably rather listen to (Technical Ecstasy) than Mob Rules…”

“If you think about it, (Mob Rules) is pre- Holy Diver…”

“You play CDs? Alright…to me it seems kinda laborous…and bulky…” / #physicalmedia

 

(50:25): “Track 7…OR Track 3…depending on your pressing.”

SHE’S GONE

“This is actually a beautiful and terribly depressing ballad, but the acoustic sound is perfect…it’s so clean”.

“It’s dark…kinda gives me that Solitude vibe…”

“I wanted you to be my wife…” (“Awww, what a fucking line!”)

“There’s a demo version of this (on Instagram) with clean electric guitar…but it had drums…and different lyrics…”

“If you’re going through it…that song will get the waterworks going and clean you out…then you’ll be ready to go out and bang whores again…which leads us greatly into the closer (or the end of side 1 depending on your pressing) …”

 

(53:13): DIRTY WOMEN

“This kinda sounds more like a classic Sabbath song…”

“Ozzy sounds like modern Ozzy here (on this song) …his voice got higher…”

“That sounds like old school Sabbath…with the dual solos…”

“I don’t think we’ve been fair to this album…it’s good…I mean, it’s not the best, but it’s good…”/ “That might be the heaviest song on the album…”/

“I think maybe we’ve been terribly unfair to this album…”

“I appreciate this album now, more, being almost the same age as the album, than I did as a teenager when I discovered The First Six…”/

“Was it as good as The First Six? No. 

Does it need to be part of the Sabbath canon? Yes, absolutely.”/ #alsohottake #SideTwoVsSideOne

“I wonder, if in a weird way…I think, starting off with side 2…in that order, the whole thing makes way more sense…” / “That sounds like a really good relaxer album…”

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US!!! / “No backsies…” / #untilthenext #outroreel

A lot can happen in a decade…

 

If you go back to 2016 and mention the terms “TikTok” or “AI Slop” in casual conversation, nobody will have any idea what you’re talking about, mainly because TikTok had just launched and the AI Slop that we’ve all come to know and loathe was still a few years away from becoming a nightmarish reality.

 

Released September 18, 2026, CURSUM PERFICIO, the 12th studio album by New York thrash veterans ANTHRAX, represents the band’s first new music since 2016’s For All Kings and a return to the world of metal with easily the most unusual album title and bizarre album artwork of their entire catalog.

 

To be fair, one shan’t judge an album by its name or its artwork alone. CURSUM PERFICIO has a nice variety of old school “ThrashThrax” moments mixed in with darker, heavier tracks that would sound right at home on Persistence of Time or Among The Living. And just to make your brain numb with wonder, there’s one track with such complex time signature changes that it literally sounds as mind boggling as imagining “if math was a color”. 

 

Overall, it’s a grower, and while it does contain elements from their entire back catalog in terms of sound, there is a unique sonic quality present that properly defines ANTHRAX here and now, in the mid 2020’s. The songs have a deceptively streamlined flow to them that are lean on riffs yet potent in their arrangement and delivery. Basically, if you’re an Anthrax fan, you’re going to enjoy this album. And if CURSUM PERFICIO is your very first Anthrax experience, then you have a long, enjoyable journey ahead of you to go back through their entire discography to see how everything fits into the content and context of this album.

 

Hear one of the most appreciated listener appreciation voicemails we’ve ever received, discover our pick for “album of the decade”, find out how “gray haired loads” can instantly transform any casual conversation into something altogether disgusting, discover our new “Patreon After Dark” that’s exclusively available “in the middle of the night”, and just know that Mike Tyson’s pronunciation of this album is the proper way to say it when you JOIN US in the Bunkerpoon Center For Metal Excellence as we give a listen to CURSUM PERFICIO.

Visit www.metalnerdery.com/podcast for more on this episode

Help Support Metal Nerdery https://www.patreon.com/metalnerderypodcast

Leave us a Voicemail to be played on a future episode: 980-666-8182

Metal Nerdery Tees and Hoodies – metalnerdery.com/merch
and kindly leave us a review and/or rating on your favorite Podcast app

Follow us on the Socials:

Facebook - Instagram - TikTok

Email: metalnerdery@gmail.com

Can’t be LOUD Enough Playlist on Spotify

Metal Nerdery Munchies on YouTube @metalnerderypodcast

Show Notes & Time Stamps:

(00:01): “I’ll try one more Elvis…” / 

“Why does my side always look…like I’ve pee’d in formation?” / “It’s like fingerpainting…”/

***WARNING: #listenerdiscretionisadvised ***

This Episode’s Clinky of the Episode, brought to us by Elvis Midnight Snack: peanut, banana, bacon flavored whiskey 

***PATREON US at www.patreon.com/metalnerderypodcast ***

“That’s extra…that’s the Patreon After Dark…that’s $20 a month AND a happy ending…”

“For $20 a month I meet even show my butthole…in the middle of the night…”/

“We’ve gotten so much mileage out of that…”/ “There will be a button next time…”

 

(04:11): ***EMAIL US at metalnerdery@gmail.com ***

***SOCIAL MEDIA US at #metalnerderypodcast on #YouTube #Facebook #Instagram #TikTok ***

***CALL US & VOICEMAIL US at 980-666-8182!!!***

#AppreciationCall #ThankYou #BlessYou #CanadianJason / “To be fair…”/

“This is why the Bunkerpoon Center for Metal Excellence is the place to be…it lifts the spirits…”

“He lives right in the middle of Letterkennyville…are the women THAT hot!? Is that real or is that fabricated?” / #StrangeBrew #SCTV #TakeOff

NOTE: Hoser means “a foolish or uncultivated person”

 

(11:30): METAL NERDERY PODCAST PRESENTS: ANTHRAX – CURSUM PERFICIO

Latin for “I complete the course” or “I finish the journey”

“That’s old timey morn right there…” / “(#MarilynMonroe) was a WOMAN, dude…”/ 

“Isn’t “Persistence of Memory” a Salvador Dali painting?” (NOTE: It is, in fact, a Salvador Dali painting)

“It’s kinda reminiscent of Persistence of Time…”

 

(15:00): PERSISTENCE OF MEMORY / THE LONG GOODBYE

“Very classic metal…I’m getting like an Iron Maiden vibe…”

“That’s a cool opener…somehow (The Long Goodbye) has more Track 2 energy…”

“You think (Mike) spells (his last name) with a ‘TH’?”

 

(19:12): IT’S FOR THE KIDS

“See, THAT should have been the opener, right? It’s got more of an opening vibe to it…”

“On the last (song) and this one, I was getting the Among The Living sound…”

 

(21:18): EVERYBODY’S GOT A PLAN

“That’s almost like Queen (the guitar solo), with the layered guitars back there…”

“So, it’s gonna be THAT the whole episode?” / “We’ll thee…for fuckth thake…”

 

(24:03): THE EDGE OF PERFECTION

“I like how they put some proggy elements into their later stuff…”

“You hear the clean guitars back there?” / #victorymetal / #usethoseheadphones

“I feel like listening to it now with you guys down here…is a much better experience than listening to it solo…”

“You know when you’re already in the mode for something? I knew this was coming out, but I haven’t been listening to Anthrax lately…”

 

(29:04): INFECTIOUS

“Dancing Days…A heavier Dancing Days…Moshing Days…”

“Now it’s a #KISS song…KISS? I didn’t hear no mention of no street hustlers…”

“Did you see Bill’s face light up when you said that?”

“That’s #STP …that sound…maybe that’s why it reminded me of Dancing Days…”

“It doesn’t sound thrashy at all…it’s metal, for sure…” / 

“To be fair, these guys are in their 60’s…they’re still making albums…”

“You know what, dude…they were in their 20’s then…they’re all grandfathers…now they shoot grey haired loads and stuff…”

 

(35:10): NYC 93

“Never forget, btw…that was when they had the bomb in the (WTC) basement…”

“Yeah, that could have been on State of Euphoria…the vibe of it.”

“This almost sounds like it could have been on Among The Living even…”

“It ain’t worth doing unless you do it to death…” /

“That’s my motto when it comes to…poon…I’ll do it…til I shoot gray haired loads…”

 

(38:07): CURSUM PERFICIO

“That just sounds like a very slowed down Anthrax song…like from the 80’s…”

“That (chorus riff) sounds like the John Bush stuff right there…”

“I know what it is…with the solo stuff…” #hottake

“For some weird reason, the (guitar) solo stuff sounds like it would work better in King Diamond…” / “He’s been with them since ’14, so he was on the last album, wasn’t he?”

NOTE: Yes, Jonathan Donais was on For All Kings

“It’s definitely a heavier Anthrax…it’s a heavier, more progressive, and more melodic Anthrax…the songs are pretty streamlined…”

“In fairness, that was 10 years ago…that was a whole other era…decade…genre…”

 

(43:34): T.O.M.B.

“The burp was silent…it’s silent when it’s pronunced…it was spelled silently…”/

“There you go…some meaty bass…it’s the best kind of bass.”

“Okay, I already like it better on 2nd listen…”

“The melody does kill Bill, in fairness…that’s Kill Bill 3 from Quentin Tarantino: The Melody Chronicles…”

“Some stuff just connects and some doesn’t…it’s the connection factor.”/

(A brief discussion of singers and/or albums that just don’t connect with some of us…)

“When (Anthrax) came out, they were the only thrash band with a real singer…”

“You know, the whole singer thing…that affects people across the board…”

“The funny thing about melody…to me, melodic singers just sound like a melodic singer…you connect with some better than others…it’s the (same) way it is with people.”/ 

“The next one…as soon as I saw that title…I immediately thought of the Pantera 3: Watch It Go home video…” (3 Vulgar Videos From Hell)

(52:44): WATCH IT GO

“Count this…that’s in 9 I think… (the verse riff)” / “(the chorus riff is in…)7!”

Two different Pantera references… (Primal Concrete Sledge & Goddamn Electric) / 

“When I popped that on last night…all I was seeing was shapes and letters turning into colors and math…I don’t know how math works, but I think if you add a shape plus a letter and divide it by some squiggly line, you get a color that nobody’s ever seen before…”

#markthetime / “It’s literally ‘shape + letter = color’…”

 

(57:11): MY VICTORY

“It definitely does have a Persistence of Time heaviness to it…”

“I do like it better upon the 2nd listen…” / “I still dug the synth pop ZZ Top…”

“I gotta tell you guys real quick…at one point I got on a ZZ Top thing…” / #Deguello / 

“Dude, ZZ STOP!” / “Man, it’s not getting any funnier the more you talk about it…” / 

“Check out the new ThrashThrax…” / “What’s your final verdict?”

“Is it better than the new #Exodus or the newest #Coroner?”

“I don’t think anything is gonna be better than the newest Coroner…I’m sorry, I think Coroner gets Album of the Decade…”

NOTE: New Coroner EP: Ex Nucleo - The Remastered Extraction

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US!!!

#untilthenext #outroreel

It’s DEATH MATCH season again, and it’s time to take two of the very best PANTERA albums and make them battle it out in the Bunkerpoon Octagon, featuring 1992’s multi-platinum VULGAR DISPLAY OF POWER against the 1994 Billboard Number 1 follow-up, FAR BEYOND DRIVEN.

 

VULGAR was under construction throughout the band’s relentless tour for Cowboys From Hell in the states and following their legendary performance at the Monsters of Rock show in Moscow at Tushino airfield in 1991 in front of more than a million people after the fall of the Soviet Union. Possessing a far heavier, angrier, and potent sound than its predecessor, VULGAR had just raised the bar for metal and perfected the power groove metal sound that began on Cowboys.

 

DRIVEN, much like VULGAR, progressed forward in the same fashion, with a much more aggressive production quality and a sound that is effectively the hairier, darker, and uglier follow up to Vulgar with just as much of a beautifully brutal assault on the senses, not to mention an exponentially more intense album cover (NO, not THAT one!  The OTHER one…but also…definitely THAT one, for sure!)

 

It’s time to throw down the gauntlet and unleash hell in the Bunkerpoon Octagon, because the time has come to pass judgment and “there can be only one” to reign victorious. 

 

So “take your shoes off if you need to” and “get your Book of Sevens out” before you JOIN US to find out THE WINNER of this PANTERA HEAD-TO-HEAD DEATH MATCH, featuring two of the finest back-to-back Terry Date produced albums in metal history: VULGAR DISPLAY OF POWER & FAR BEYOND DRIVEN.

 

Visit www.metalnerdery.com/podcast for more on this episode

Help Support Metal Nerdery https://www.patreon.com/metalnerderypodcast

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Show Notes & Time Stamps:

(00:01): “That’s the noise I make…” / “Have y’all seen the Chick-Fil-A Chicken & Waffle thing?” / “I love The Lord’s chicken…but their biscuits aren’t good… / #ChickFilA

“As long as we’re talking shit about fast food…”/ #BK #chickennuggets

“Cats, Rats, & Bats Value Menu…” / ***WARNING: #listenerdiscretionisadvised *** 

“That was Bill…about 35 years ago…”

***WELCOME BACK TO THE BUNKERPOON CENTER FOR METAL EXCELLENCE AND THE METAL NERDERY PODCAST!!!*** / “I did get the spicy (sandwich)…that’s the move…”

 

(05:20): ***PATREON US at www.patreon.com/metalnerderypodcast ***

“This episode is gonna feature some SHITTAH sent to us by the band…this band is called Maidenhead…” #EPK #bandcamp

“I saw that name and immediately thought of an Iron Maiden cover band…”

“Matthew promised he’d be totally respectful…maybe not ‘totally’ respectful…”

#Maidenhead KILL OR BE KILLED - feat. Chris Poland (Maximum Clonage – 2026) 

“It’s gotta be after the breakdown…solos kinda go after a breakdown…”

“(Chris Poland’s) sound is very distinct…”/

“All of our followers in Bangladesh are gonna love this…it’s like our 2nd biggest market…”

“Australia likes eccentric stuff…eccentric is a fancier way of saying stupid and sophomoric…”

(13:40): ***SOCIAL MEDIA US at #metalnerderypodcast on #YouTube #Facebook #Instagram #TikTok 

***EMAIL US at metalnerdery@gmail.com 

***GIVE US A CALL AND VOICEMAIL US AT 980-666-8182!!!***

“Dude, that’s fistworthy…let’s do it.” / “Sorry, 4th wall, dude…”

NOTE: Big Hairy Elephant (aka Mastodon) actually played a surprise “secret show” at The Earl in Atlanta, Georgia on 09/11/2026

 

(17:43): “Take your get ready pills…NOW…He’s ready…he’s primed.” 

METAL NERDERY PODCAST PRESENTS THE PANTERA HEAD-TO-HEAD DEATH MATCH – Vulgar VS Driven

#PanterA #VulgarDisplayOfPower #FarBeyondDriven #DeathMatch

“Let’s start with the (album) covers…”

“Who is getting punched in the face there?” (“It looks like Geoff Tate from Queensryche…”)

“Here’s my vocal addendum about Far Beyond Driven…the original cover is WAY more graphic…look at THAT! That’s like Metal Up Your Ass times a thousand!”

“It’s still the pooper…are they holding the cheeks apart?”

What’s YOUR vote for the best cover? / Both albums produced by Terry Date /

Vulgar – released in 1992, Driven – released in 1994 / 

“So…before we start: which album do you like better?” / #markthetime

“(Vulgar) sounds classic…to us.” / “As we say this…just thinking about it…I have a feeling…”

 

(27:15): MOUTH FOR WAR

“(The guitar) sounds like a fucking saw…it’s always sounded like a saw, to me…that slide…”

“Talk about a killer opener…I think Bill might have been right before…”

“Far Beyond has the one Pantera song that I don’t like that I’ll skip every time…we’ve already talked about it…”/

STRENGTH BEYOND STRENGTH

“I’m bone, brain, and cock…deep down, stronger than all!”

The Verdict 

 

(31:36): A NEW LEVEL / “Such an iconic riff…there’s up-picking in that part…”

“This album (Vulgar) really created groove metal…this album mastered it.”/

BECOMING

“That’s actually an ugly solo…”

The Decision

“Here’s the problem: the next two are the two Pantera songs I get tired of…both of them.”

“(Walk) is an anthem…it’s Enter Sandman for Pantera…”

(37:54): WALK 

“To me, (the main riff from Walk) that’s always ‘heavy’ Roadhouse Blues…I always think of Roadhouse Blues by The Doors…”/ “Basically the same song on the next album…”

FIVE MINUTES ALONE

“We’ve had this discussion multiple times about the production differences between each Pantera album…you can REALLY hear the difference in production between Vulgar and (Driven)…”

Judgments

(43:15): FUCKING HOSTILE

“That’s one of the raddest fucking solos ever!”

“I’m already gonna tell ya…on I’m Broken, that outro part…one of the best moments in the Pantera catalog…you can just put that on a loop for 18 hours…”

(“And now…Doro with The Weather…”)

I’M BROKEN

“Hostile is thrash mayhem and Broken is groove mayhem…”

 

(48:02): “And we’re back…” / #tornadowarning (NOTE: the Bunkerpoon is the safest place to be during a tornado warning) / Decisions, decisions… (regarding Track 4) / 

THIS LOVE / “Alright, go halfway up…”/ “No. More. Head. Trips.” / 

“You have to have something quiet before it gets loud…it’s called light and shade…”/

“Okay, NOW it’s time for Bill’s favorite song on Far Beyond Driven…”

GOOD FRIENDS AND A BOTTLE OF PILLS

“Sounds like he’s nutting off on somebody there…”

“Jury, have you reached a verdict?”

 

(53:44): “I think that might be one of my favorite tracks on Vulgar…whatever track 6 is…”

RISE / “That is thrash goodness right there…that’s thrash metal…old school.”

“(It’s) Helmet…Unsung…” (the verse riff on Rise) / 

HARD LINES AND SUNKEN CHEEKS

“This was a skippy…I like it…I don’t ‘not’ like it…I just don’t know if I like it as much as Rise…” / “That’s a creepy riff…” / “That kinda reminds me of 10’s in a way…the vibe of it…”

Decision Time

“We’re literally just zigging and zagging…zagging and zigging, zigging and zagging…”

“I almost feel like Side 2 of Driven might be better than Side 2 of Vulgar…”

 

(58:59): SLAUGHTERED / “Here comes the sawblade tone again…”/ “We’ve gotta hear the middle part of this, too…”/ “Completely ridicurlous…”/

NO GOOD (ATTACK THE RADICAL) / “This one’s got a bunch of ‘Awwwwww Mannnnnn’…” / “What!? That’s NOT what he said!” / “That’s a tough one…”

Decisions, decisions…

“Some of these songs with the Far Beyond mix would be different…that song…I think it would be heavier…” / “For the workout mix, Slaughtered gets it for sure…”/ 

“Y’all can do a half a point…to be fair…if you wanna split, if you wanna draw…”

“That’s my new name by the way…Dick Wildcard.”

 

(1:06:06): LIVE IN A HOLE

“This may have always been my skipper on Vulgar…”

“That just sounds like a drunk riff, doesn’t it? Sounds like Dimebag after a few Black Tooth Grins…”/ “Ugly blues, that’s it.”/

NOTE: It’s actually called a Talk Box. The Voice Box is more commonly called the larynx.

“(Peter Frampton) is the master. He did it first…in his mouth. That’s how you do it, dude…”

“No, it’s bigger than a straw…you ARE David Lee Roth if you’re snorting cocaine with that straw…”/

25 YEARS / “The riff is just a pick scratch and a bend…it’s ugly.”

“The formula on both albums is the same…” / “It’s like 2 different songs basically…”

The Verdict

 

(1:13:13): “So, let’s go back to Vulgar…”

REGULAR PEOPLE (CONCEIT)

“Great riff…very technical…like ZZ Top on steroids…”

“I’m trying to remember how the middle part went…oh yeah…the weird, siren guitar solo…”

#usethoseheadphones / “To me, that’s where he started with all the weird noises…”/

SHEDDING SKIN

“That clean part kinda reminds me of ‘The Sleep’ (from CFH) …”/ #markthetime 

“That’s a meaty fucking bass tone…”

Decisions, decisions…

 

(1:20:37): BY DEMONS BE DRIVEN

“I still love it…that riff is so ugly…”/ “Breakin’ the law…” / #JudasPriest / 

#BeavisAndButtheadASMR / “It’s the same exact cadence and everything…”/

USE MY THIRD ARM

“It’s almost like death metal, this next part…that’s fucking death metal!”

“That one is on the workout mix, for sure…”

Hmmmmmmm…which one?

 

(1:25:45): HOLLOW

“You don’t even have to play the first part, just get to the meat…”

“It’s the perfect evolution of Cemetary Gates…”

“That solo before the breakdown? Oh my God…chef’s kiss.”

“Ovah they-uh, I declay-uh…I say, I say, boy…” /

THROES OF REJECTION

“Let’s jump to that end part…”

“Reminds me a little bit…of the end of Bury Me In Smoke…”

“(Driven) is an uglier album…it’s got more hair on it…”/ “Wanna split a point? ½ point?”

Last call…what’ll it be?

 

(1:34:13): “We’re not gonna include Planet Caravan in the tally…”

“Take your shoes off if you need to…maybe you should get your Book of Sevens out…”

AND THE WINNER OF THIS PANTERA HEAD-TO-HEAD DEATH MATCH IS…

“We have the answer…that’s pretty close.”

“I need some either wings or fried chicken…”/ “I’ve got a wings question…”

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US!!! / #untilthenext #DeathMatch #outroreel

Very few bands in the history of recorded music have managed to maintain the same lineup for as long as Atlanta, Georgia’s own progressive metal titans, MASTODON. After Brent Hinds’ departure from the band in 2025 and the tragic permanence of his untimely demise which followed just a few months later, it seemed that after 25 years the band which Brann Dailor, Bill Kelliher, and Troy Sanders had launched with Hinds was finished.

 

Thankfully, the remaining three were able to transmute their tragedy into a new era for the band by introducing two new members (Nick Johnston on guitar & João Nogueira on keyboards) and crafting one of the most powerful comeback albums of all time with MARROW DEEP, the band’s 9th studio album and perhaps one of their most well rounded and progressive albums to date.

 

There are so many layers to this album that it’s nigh impossible to digest it all in one single listen. With familiar sonic textures, elements, and themes that span all the way through the band’s catalog (from Remission to Hushed and Grim) combined with the contributions of Nick Johnston and João Nogueira, MARROW DEEP possesses an almost darker, 70’s flavored progressive quality, making the album a mountaintop moment for “Mastodon 2.0” and resulting in one of the finest and most sophisticated albums of the band’s career. 

 

Buckle up and get ready to find out which disgusting sounding form of hydration is actually “closer to broth”, always remember that releasing an album on 9/11 will ensure that you “never forget”, and prepare for a reading from “The Book of Sevens” when you JOIN US as we dive into what may very well be a contender for Album of the Year with MARROW DEEP from MASTODON.

Visit www.metalnerdery.com/podcast for more on this episode

Help Support Metal Nerdery https://www.patreon.com/metalnerderypodcast

Leave us a Voicemail to be played on a future episode: 980-666-8182

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Email: metalnerdery@gmail.com

Can’t be LOUD Enough Playlist on Spotify

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Show Notes & Time Stamps:

(00:01): “Which do you think is grosser? Boiled egg water…OR…hot dog water?”/ 

“It’s closer to broth…” / #inthemiddleofthenight / 

***WARNING: #listenerdiscretionisadvised ***

“I have a new problem…gunt sweat…”/

***WELCOME BACK TO THE METAL NERDERY PODCAST IN THE BUNKERPOON CENTER FOR METAL EXCELLENCE!!!***

 

(05:04): “Can I speak upon the Zombie shirt?” #RussellsReflections #RobZombie /

“I’m gonna give you guys a quick review…” #RobZombie #MarilynManson #Orgy / 

“He sounded good…his voice was great…I mean it was never good, but…you know what I mean?” #FreaksOnParade 

 

(14:14): ***PATREON US at patreon.com/metalnerderypodcast ***

***SOCIAL MEDIA US at #metalnerderypodcast on #YouTube #Facebook #Instagram & #TikTok (“Where everything is going vaginal…”) *** 

***EMAIL US at metalnerdery@gmail.com or GIVE US A CALL AND VOICEMAIL US AT 980-666-8182!!!*** / #inthemiddleofthenight with #AmericanDave

 

(17:22): ***WE’LL PLAY YOUR SHIT-TAH!!!***

#TheFierceAndTheDead (Regional Theater – September 11, 2026) / #NeverForget / 

SHAKE HANDS AND EXIT / “That’s a great time to release an album, too, because people NEVER forget when they get something on September the 11th…”

 

(21:20): ***METAL NERDERY PRESENTS: MASTODON – MARROW DEEP***

#Mastodon #MarrowDeep / “It doesn’t suck, you just grew out of it, it’s not your thing, or they moved on without you…” / 

“It still sounds like Mastodon, but it’s got some 70’s/retro vibes…”/

“If you like Mastodon, you’ll like this. This is Mastodon 2.0…”/

New members: Nick Johnston (guitar) João Noguiera (keyboards)

Some special guests: Neil Fallon, Josh Homme, Geezer Butler, Joe Duplantier

Produced by Kurt Ballou (Converge) and Patrik Berger

 

(24:42): BARBARIANS BLOOD

“The lyrics…(are) a lot about loss…and tragedy…”

 

(28:16): “The next one opens with a clip from The River’s Edge…”/

POISONOUS WEAPONS

“And I felt so FUCKING ALIVE!!!”/ “It’s progressive but it has a 70’s vibe to it…”/ 

“All hail the weakest link!”/ “I love the midrange guitars…without the scoop…”/ #inyourface 

(31:11): “What’s with The Book of Sevens?”/ #Wheelerglyphics / 

***If you’re wondering where the 7’s reference comes from, go check out our Instrumentals episode…*** / #imgonnasendyouafile

“This was the first single…” / YOUR GHOST AGAIN / 

“Constantly reminded how good I’m not…how do they come up with that?”/ 

“They’re riff shamans…”/ “(Mastodon) have been the same lineup for 20 plus years…”

 

(34:10): “How about some SNAKES FOR DINNER? This one has some (Mr.) Josh Homme at the end…”/ “‘About’ 3:51…” / “Talk about haunting…that’s haunting…”

 

(37:40): OUT LIKE A LAMB / 

“This kinda has Blood Mountain & Emperor of Sand vibes to it…” / 

“The songcraft is really, really good…”

 

(39:40): “This is about Troy’s family losing everything in Hurricane Helene…”/

IN THE RUINS

“It sounds like space…like a planetarium…” / “There’s a lot of texture on this album…”/ “What I like about it is it’s very emotive…a lot of emotion involved.”

“This has got all the good elements: the heavy stuff, the grooving stuff, the melodious stuff…”

 

(44:26): THEY’RE COMING FOR YOU / “Track number 7 in The Book of 7’s…”/ 

“I was gonna say: it’s a lot like Dream Theater, but more listenable…”/ 

“That sounds like Deep Purple (see also Child in Time… specifically around 5:43)”/ 

“My ears are happy…I’m just hearing cool shit.”/ “The thing that makes me laugh…”/ #riffgravy

 

(47:48): “See if you can count this next one…”/ GOLDEN SPIRES / 

“This one’s pretty heavy…I think it’s in 4/4…”

“I like the atmosphere that the keyboards give…and the fuzz on the bass.”

 

(50:11): “The next one I really like…it’s a change of pace…”/ 

“If YOU don’t know what The Book of 7’s says, then we’re all fucked.”/ 

MOTH AND BONE / (“Insert relaxers here…”) / “It’s kind of a departure…”/ “It’s guitar on one side and keyboards on the other…”

 

(54:23): A VAMPIRE’S DEMEANOR / 

“A lot of nice use of light and shade…soft and hard…dark and light…”/ 

“On the last two (tracks) we’ve got guestesses…on The Vanishing we’ve got Geezer Butler…

“Terrible tragedy turns into beautiful art…”

 

(57:22): THE VANISHING (Ladies & gentlemen, Mr. Geezer Butler) / 

“This has kind of a weird Kyuss vibe…like a mellower Kyuss…I’ve heard some people say ‘Elder’…”/ “It’s like night driving music…”/ “It’s like stoner metal Mastodon…kinda.”/

“The more we love, we suffer in it…”

 

(1:01:14): “Let me consult The Book of 7’s…” / THE THREE FATES (featuring Mr. Neil Fallon)

“Definitely a relaxer album, for sure…”/ “1:37 is when Neil Fallon comes in…”/ “What’d you guys think?” / “I think the keyboards bring some things out…but I think more and more metal bands are starting to embrace keyboards…that 70’s vibe is kinda coming back…”

 

(1:10:06): ASK THE METAL HEAD… / #AskTheMetalhead / 

“Debut album covers…which is better?”

“For an ’84 record…which is better?”

“For an ’85 record…which is better?”

“Tacos or burritos?”

“Food – Japanese or Chinese? Pizza or wings? Pizza, wings, or fried chicken?” / 

“Fried chicken and ice cream!?” / THANK YOU FOR JOINING US!!! / #untilthenext #outroreel