168 episodes
- This week on Riff Worship, we dive into Rush’s 1978 conceptual titan, Hemispheres!
Following the grueling tour cycle for A Farewell to Kings, Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart headed to Rockfield Studios in Wales with producer Terry Brown to test their limits and record one of the most complex and ambitious albums of their career.
We break down Rush’s origins in Willowdale, Ontario, the transition from early hard rock to high-concept progressive rock, and the grueling, round-the-clock recording sessions that pushed the band to the edge.
We’ll examine Side A’s 18-minute epic, “Cygnus X-1 (Book II: Hemispheres),” analyzing its psychological battle between Apollo and Dionysus, alongside Side B standouts “Circumstances,” “The Trees,” and the legendary 12-part instrumental “La Villa Strangiato (An Exercise in Self-Indulgence).”
Join us as we discuss why Hemispheres marked both the peak and the end of Rush’s pure, side-long prog era!
Recommendations:
Aliya Ultan - Looks Far Woman
Spazz / Romantic Gorilla - Split
Emma Ruth Rundle - These Killing Times
Cro-Mags - Best Wishes
Psycroptic - The Pulse of Annihilation
Follow Riff Worship
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riffworshippod/
Twitter: https://x.com/RiffWorshipPod
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RiffWorshipPod
Check out our Official Playlists:
Riffs on Repeat (Spotify)
Riffs on Repeat (YouTube Music)
Hits from the Crypt (Apple) - This week on Riff Worship, we’re joined by prolific multi-instrumentalist Garry Brents (Sallow Moth) and guitarist Joe Gordon (Mortal Decay) for a deep dive into Mortal Decay’s landmark 2002 sophomore album, Forensic!
Together, we trace Mortal Decay’s evolution—from their early 1990s origins as Necropolis and Macabre to underground demo staples like Grisly Aftermath (1993) and Brutalizing Creations (1995). We break down the making of their classic debut, Sickening Erotic Fanaticism (1997), and analyze why their 2002 Unique Leader Records release, Forensic, remains a high-water mark for progressive brutal death metal.
Plus, Garry Brents gives us an inside look at the upcoming Sallow Moth record, Hydrophilous Brood (out July 24th via Willowtip Records). We discuss collaborating with new drummer Allen Gingerich, unpack the gear behind the Sallow Moth tone, and explore how Mortal Decay’s brutal death metal legacy directly influenced his songwriting!
Sallow Moth - Hydrophilous Brood drops 7/24 via Willowtip Records: https://www.willowtip.com/bands/details/sallow-moth.aspx
Mortal Decay - Sickening Erotic Fanaticism LP Repress is OUT NOW via Hells Headbangers Records: https://shop-hellsheadbangers.com/item-group.asp?PgpID=41321
Recommendations:
Mastodon - Marrow Deep
Scasm - Punished by Disembowelment
Cathedral - In Memoriam
Noctule - Extinguish Thy Flame
Reinfection - They Die For Nothing
Reeking Aura - On the Promise of the Moon
ANCIIENTS - Beyond the Reach of the Sun
Inveracity - Circle of Perversion
Follow Riff Worship
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riffworshippod/
Twitter: https://x.com/RiffWorshipPod
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RiffWorshipPod
Check out our Official Playlists:
Riffs on Repeat (Spotify)
Riffs on Repeat (YouTube Music)
Hits from the Crypt (Apple) - This week on Riff Worship, we dive headfirst into one of the 21st century's most visceral extreme music masterpieces: Trap Them’s 2008 sophomore album, Seizures in Barren Praise. Joining us to dissect the record's enduring legacy is Clint Gee, vocalist of Seattle grindcore outfit Smearing!
We’ll take a look into the blueprint of the record, exploring how the band seamlessly fused hardcore punk velocity with the legendary Swedish Boss HM-2 buzzsaw guitar tone. From its non-linear track listing to the cryptic lore of the fictional town of Barren Praise, we establish exactly why this album remains a high-water mark in aggressive music.
In this episode, we’ll discuss:
An in-depth look at the album's creation at GodCity Studios with producer Kurt Ballou, highlighting the evolution from their debut full-length Sleepwell Deconstructor.
Unpacking vocalist Ryan McKenney’s unique, paragraph-style lyrical concept—treating the written word as a separate art medium from the music—and how the stark cinematic style of director Dario Argento influenced his approach.
Analyzing the specific gear behind the record's devastating riffs, including the Ampeg V4 amp head and the finely tuned HM-2 pedal setup.
Discussing the dark, iconic cover art crafted by Deathwish Inc. co-founder and Converge frontman Jacob Bannon.
Clint Gee shares his own history in the DIY Nashville and Seattle music scenes, and how Trap Them's legendary live intensity shaped his own musical path!
Recommendations:
Orphan Donor - Ailments
Demeanor - The Slugs Throne
Vulgar Mephitis - From Dust
FAKE DUST - Decrepitizing Din Of The Cerebral Psyopticon
PISSCORPSE - PRECIPICE OF DEATH
Total Power Exchange - Fractured Godhead Terrene Mask
Infernal Coil - Within A World Forgotten
Napalm Death
Thou
Follow Riff Worship
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riffworshippod/
Twitter: https://x.com/RiffWorshipPod
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RiffWorshipPod
Check out our Official Playlists:
Riffs on Repeat (Spotify)
Riffs on Repeat (YouTube Music)
Hits from the Crypt (Apple) - This week on Riff Worship, we descend into the slowest, darkest, and heaviest corner of extreme music history to explore the birth of Funeral Doom through Thergothon’s 1994 cult classic, Stream from the Heavens!
Before disbanding in 1993 and leaving the metal world behind, a group of Finnish teenagers completely rewrote the rulebook on heavy music. Fed up with the oversaturated early-'90s death metal scene, the Kaarina-based trio stripped away all speed and aggression to craft something entirely immersive, bleak, and atmospheric.
Heavily influenced by the cosmic horror of H.P. Lovecraft and a mixture of non-metal sounds—ranging from Dead Can Dance and Joy Division to dark ambient and goth rock—Thergothon channeled their angst into a frozen, monolithic vacuum of pure negative emotion.
Join us as we dissect the band's brief but legendary three-year history, trace the origins of Obscure Plasma Records and Avantgarde Music, and discover how a single, 40-minute album paved the way for bands like Skepticism, Evoken, and Mournful Congregation!
Recommendations:
CADY - Limitations of the Human Form
This Empty Flow - Magenta Skycode
Skepticism - Stormcrowfleet
MonumentuM - In Absentia Christi
Ahab - The Boats of The Glen Carrig
Kakothanasy - Metagonism
Follow Riff Worship
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riffworshippod/
Twitter: https://x.com/RiffWorshipPod
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RiffWorshipPod
Check out our Official Playlists:
Riffs on Repeat (Spotify)
Riffs on Repeat (YouTube Music)
Hits from the Crypt (Apple) - Discover the chaotic history of metalcore pioneers Deadguy! In this episode of Riff Worship, we chart the band’s volatile journey from their 1993 formation in New Brunswick, NJ, to the creation of their 1995 landmark album, Fixation on a Coworker.
This week we’ll explore:
How members of Rorschach, No Escape, and Lifetime collided to create an abrasive, influential sound that paved the way for bands like Converge, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Botch, and many more!
Deadguy’s long-standing relationship with producer Steve Evetts, rented Mesa Boogie amps, shared bass gear, and Tim Singer’s faint-inducing vocal performance.
The disastrous, underfunded 1995 tour that tore the band apart just three months before their debut album hit shelves.
Deadguy's 2021 reunion, the Killing Music documentary, and their evolution into the 2025 full-length album Near-Death Travel Services.
Recommendations:
Bitter Branches - Let's Give The Land Back To The Animals
CADY - Limitations of the Human Form
Russian Circles - Nine
Kiss It Goodbye - She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not
Witch Bolt
This Is Hell - Born Suspicious
Follow Riff Worship
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riffworshippod/
Twitter: https://x.com/RiffWorshipPod
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RiffWorshipPod
Check out our Official Playlists:
Riffs on Repeat (Spotify)
Riffs on Repeat (YouTube Music)
Hits from the Crypt (Apple)
More Music podcasts
Trending Music podcasts
About Riff Worship
The riff is the foundation of heavy music, evolving over several decades and styles. Many of our favorite songs started with a single idea and guitar in hand. Anyone can write a riff, but what makes a good riff? Each week, riff disciples Austin Paulson, Dylan Adams, & Justin Swindle attempt to answer this question by discussing their favorite riffs, how they came to be, and why we still worship them today.
Podcast websiteListen to Riff Worship, DISGRACELAND and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app

Get the free radio.net app
- Stations and podcasts to bookmark
- Stream via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth
- Supports Carplay & Android Auto
- Many other app features
Get the free radio.net app
- Stations and podcasts to bookmark
- Stream via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth
- Supports Carplay & Android Auto
- Many other app features


Riff Worship
Scan code,
download the app,
start listening.
download the app,
start listening.


























