Category: Music

The metallica report logo

Sad but true

August 20, 2023 / / 1 Comment

The Metallica Report review

Rating –

Metallica’s influence on metalheads of a certain age (read my age) is undeniable. My friends and I listened to the albums non stop, learned the songs (apart from the solos), and doodled the logo in our books. I even used to write endorser thanks lists mentioning Tama drums and Zildjian cymbals etc just like Lars. They were absolutely instrumental in turning me into a proper metaller (alongside Anthrax, Testament and Pantera).

At this point I’d like to give a shout out to Imran at GreatPods for putting this series on my radar. It’s always nice to get told about something that would have potentially slipped by unnoticed!

So what’s it about?

This podcast purports to offer all the insider news from the Metallica camp. From news and interviews with band members and fans, to roadcrew and techs letting you in on all the little secrets of what goes into making the concerts run smoothly. This is a one stop shop for any Metallica superfan.

Presented by self-confessed superfans Steffan Chirazi and Renée Richardson. I recognised Steffan’s name immediately from many years dutifully reading Kerrang! Magazine, but he also runs “So What”, Metallica’s fanclub zine. Renée was a radio presenter, but now oversees Metallica’s charity All Within My Hands. Their love of the band is immediately apparent, and somewhat contagious.

Is it any good?

As I mentioned in the previous section, this podcast offers the inside line on all things Metallica related. Except it doesn’t. Not really. When a band gets to the real top tier (like Metallica), it stops being a band and becomes a business. A corporation. So this podcast is in truth nothing more than an advert for “Metallicorp”. The tone is similar to half time gossip in a basketball match with all the adverts from the sponsors. It lacks the cosiness or the inclusive feeling of a fan based show, and just comes across as one massive marketing strategy.

I haven’t checked to see if this is also on YouTube, but if it is, I will bet that each section is accompanied by slick animated cgi elements and video clips of the interviewees superimposed over swirling, dynamic looking backgrounds.

Final thoughts

I was really hoping for more than this podcast delivers. It’s still relatively new (only 3 episodes so far), so maybe it will change. I really, REALLY hope it does. After all, Metallica are on an epic tour, so there is only really talk about that with some fan interviews thrown in.

This is a band who are no strangers to controversy, from not mixing (then bassist) Jason Newstead’s bass into the …And Justice For All album, to recent concern over the pricing of their VIP ticket packages. Lars’ public outcry against Napster and P2P sharing in general, to the St. Anger snare sound, and his ability as a drummer in general. All this just washes over them, and despite what the public may think about their metal credentials nowadays, their DGAF attitude has remained (something I suppose that is easy to do when you are coining it in no matter what you do).

Truth be told, despite having a huge influence on me back in the mid 90s, they haven’t actually made an album that I liked since 91. Hell, they haven’t released 10 songs I’ve liked in that time. So, four entire albums in 7 years (I didn’t really like Kill Em All), to less than 10 SONGS in 32 years is not a great streak. And yes, the thought that 1991 was 32 years ago does make my brain feel weird and old.

Maybe this show isn’t aimed at me then, as there are many many superfans who will lap up any release by their favourite acts no matter how shonky they may be to other, less die hard fans. I guess the opinion of whether this is a good podcast is “all within your hands” (see what I did there?)

You can get The Metallica Report here:

https://pod.link/1698768033

Errr, it’s quite upbeat actually

July 16, 2023 / / 0 Comments

The Downbeat review

Rating –

The Downbeat logo

Another music based podcast this week. Not only music based, but drummer based, so if this makes you roll your eyes and sigh with boredom, then go back through my previous posts and find something else. Being a drummer myself, I can listen to drummers talk all day.

Craig Reynolds is a drummer that recently sprang to my attention after a YouTube post that caused a great deal of controversy. Whilst I recognised the name of his band, I don’t think I’d actually heard them. Most of his YouTube content is very funny, hilarious in fact. There’s a few videos I’ve watched many many times, not only because of his humour, but because the standard of the drummers he’s critiquing is (usually) so high.

So what’s it about?

Whereas the previously reviewed podcast  Drum For The Song sticks solely to drummers, Craig branched out and interviews drummers, guitarists, singers and producers. This is more in line with a show like Chris Garza’s podcast (although I prefer this one), even more so when he inevitably interviews his own band members. 

In a nutshell, this is a series by musicians, for musicians. There’s discussions on drum gear, problems with touring, problems with venues, problems with bands and problems with technique. Lots of problems and how to get past them. Don’t let this summary put you off though. The podcast itself is very light-hearted and the guests are just as entertaining as Craig.

Is it any good?

If you are even remotely interested in the workings of the music industry, then this is a must listen. Also this is essential if you are in a band and looking to progress. The industry insights and cautionary tales are invaluable, at least they have been to me. 

Craig is like the drum world’s Stewart Lee. His tone of voice is strikingly similar, especially when he starts talking about people who complain. Just by way of a little digression, I think that Stewart Lee is someone who casts a very long shadow. I hear his turns of phrase all over the place nowadays. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I’d rather hear someone copying Stew than Mrs. Browns Boys.

This is easily one of the best and most entertaining music podcasts I’ve ever heard. While it’s different in style from his YouTube channel, it’s a lot less confrontational. Probably because he’s talking to people he actually likes rather than anonymous commenters on his videos. Having said that it’s still a great listen, and very bingeworthy.

Final thoughts

Now, I’m well aware that almost 100% of my limited reach on the internet will have absolutely no use for this show whatsoever. I like to think of this as something of a time capsule. One day, some young drummer will stumble across this post, go back and unearth the podcast and it will rock his world. 

If I’m honest here, I’d prefer this show if it was exclusively drum related. I know I’m probably being selfish for thinking that, but I can’t help it. That’s not to take anything away from the show. It’s brilliant, and I won’t be marking it down because of that. I’m not that petty. Sorry Craig, I know you can’t please all the people all the time, and you’ll probably be reading that first sentence in your whiney complaint voice. 

You can get The Downbeat here:

https://pod.link/1431698171

Drymru Am Byth!

June 11, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Drum For The Song podcast review

Rating –

drum for the song logo

If ever there was a podcast made for me, surely this would be it. Welsh? check. Metal Bands? check. About Drums? check. Despite being a Welsh metal drummer myself, I will do my best to cast an objective eye, and be as neutral as possible.

I only heard about this podcast in the last week or so (depending on when this gets published). The newest episode cropped up on my YouTube playlist for some reason. Thankfully it’s also available in audio only, so I downloaded a few episodes and pressed play. Of course, as is usually the case, this jumped immediately to the top of my “to review” list leaving other, more established podcasts wondering what it was that just flew past leaving a big cloud of dust.

So what’s it about?

I think I may have pretty much covered the content of the podcast in the paragraphs above, but that would be a bit of a cop out to end there wouldn’t it? So let me elaborate.

Dane Campbell is a Welsh drummer, and son of Mötörhead’s guitarist Phil Campbell. He is also the drummer Straight Lines, and in his dad’s band Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons. Each episode Dane interviews a different rock drummer, ranging from Slim Jim Phantom of The Stray Cats, to Charlie Benante of thrash legends Anthrax and Chris Fehn who was in Slipknot.

This series started during lockdown, and therefore a lot of the conversations discuss the difficulty of playing live, and what the future will hold for musicians. Having come out the other side of the pandemic now, it’s strange to listen back to hear people discuss what we were all thinking at the time. I think it’s also why there were loads of episodes early on. That output has slowed somewhat now that gigs and festivals are back on and as a consequence, Dane’s band is now playing again.

Is it any good?

The way I’ve described this podcast so far might well have you already deciding not to give this a go. I mean, why would someone who isn’t a rock drummer want to listen to a show consisting exclusively of interviews with drummers? The show is more than that though. While there is obviously some gear nerd type stuff (any musician loves talking about their gear), there are also some really interesting stories.

For the most part, the sound quality is really good. There was only one interview that I had to turn off because it was so bad (it was Dirk Verbeuren from Megadeth if you’re interested). It sounded like he was on speakerphone from across the other side of a bathroom. It may well have been easier to understand if I was watching on YouTube, but the audio only version was unfortunately unlistenable.

Dane comes across as a really humble guy, and he has a really laid back interview style. Even though I could listen to drum talk all day, I really like the fact that he’s trying to appeal to a wider market. While cymbal and stick manufacturers are only of interest to drummers, the opinions on how to deal with auditions, or working with professional musicians and producers will surely be of value to anyone trying to start in the industry.

As I write this, he’s 50 episodes down, and while I haven’t listened to every episode yet, I have listened to a lot of them. My only real complaint so far was that the Chris Fehn interview was only 40 mins long. Seeing as it was his first interview since he left Slipknot, it would have been good to have had a regular length episode. Maybe that’s just me being greedy though.

Final thoughts

I’m really growing to like this show, and it’ll be interesting to see who’s upcoming on the podcast. I have a list of people I’d like to hear, but I won’t bore you with those, it would probably fill his schedule for the next three years!

If you’re a drummer, then this is a must listen. If you’re a musician of any type, you may well like it too. Particularly Russell Gilbrook’s interview. There’s some invaluable info for anyone wanting to get session work.

And for those of you who think I typed the title of this post by rolling a tennis ball across my keyboard, I suggest you look up the phrase “Cymru Am Byth”, and then you’ll get the rather tenuous pun.

You can get Drum For The Song here:

https://www.drumforthesong.com/

Or wherever you get your podcasts.

A revisit, and an apology of sorts

January 29, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Disgraceland re-review

Rating –

Disgraceland logo

Back in September I reviewed Disgraceland, a music podcast by Jake Brennan about the seedier side of celebrity. At the time I gave it a three brain rating, owing to the fact that most of the episodes were Amazon exclusives. Since the calendar ticket over into 2023 though, Jake has started releasing the entire archive on ANY podcatcher you can think of. What a noble chap eh?

Because of this, I have decided to re-write (in parts) the old review and repost it. Not bcause I am lazy, and I havent got another review already written. Well, ok, that’s partly the reason, but this is such a brilliant podcast, I really want to revisit this and give it the rating it deserves. So read on, and ignore any feelings of deja-vu you may experience.

So what’s it about?

Disgraceland is a podcast covering the various scandals and misdemeanors of music’s great and good (and bad). Each episode covers a different story and they run the whole gamut of decades and genres. There are some wild tales to be found here, and also some heartbreaking ones too, but each is told with the amount of respect deserved. Just because someone is famous, doesn’t make them an exhibit to be held up for public amusement does it? Or maybe you think it does. Maybe you like to read the paparazzi infested gossip magazines. Whatever, I’m not your dad. I can’t tell you what to do.

The show is narrated by Jake Brennan. He also writes, produces and composes the music, so the credits list is rather short. I first heard Jake on his other podcast Dead And Gone, about people who disappeared following The Grateful Dead around the country. This true crime podcast is on my “to review” list, and will be getting 600 or so words dedicated to it very soon. He also has a very similar show to this one called Badlands, almost twin in fact, but delving into the lives and misdemeanors of everyone other than musicians. This will also be getting reviewed in the near future (and as soon as I can think of a snappy title to use).

Jake has the kind of achingly cool American voice that you would expect someone who narrates rock music podcasts to have. His voice sounds like sunshine, surf wax, petrol and pot (at least to a Welsh nerd anyway). I don’t mean any disrespect here. He’s not just someone who sounds the part. He has a deep knowledge of musical history and he has a real talent for bringing any story to life, regardless of the era. This is purely down to his skill as a writer, and he avoids the usual cut and paste from Wikipedia problems that other shows on music history (by much more well known presenters) have fallen into.

Is it any good?

Yes. Absolutely.

Now, I’m a massive music fan and I’m not really fussy about what I listen to. The playlist on my phone runs from Dixieland Jazz, to Death Metal, Psy-trance to 1970s Japanese Funk with some traditional West African music and Musique Concrete thrown in for good measure. There aren’t many stories told that I’m not familiar with, although there are a few. Because of this, I could rate it low and say “well, there aren’t any new stories here, I’ve heard them all before”. That’s not how I do things though. Just because I know something doesn’t mean that you will.

Want to hear about the time Jerry Lee Lewis wanted to murder Elvis? Or maybe you want to learn about Syd Barrett’s psychological fall from grace. Maybe you’re interested in the sorry story of Britney Spears’ lost childhood and subsequent mistreatment. If so, this is the show for you. Whereas some music podcasts will stick to one genre of music (because it makes the authors job easier) this one really covers everything, and each subject is given the same deep dive and respect it deserves. This can only be done by someone with a love for ALL music.

Jake’s style of writing is like a (much) better version of the journalist Mick Wall. He puts himself in the situations that occur, and that really makes for an exciting story. For my money, Jake is a way better writer than Mr. Wall anyway. I’d love to read a full length biography written by him, or even better an audiobook narrated by him.

Final thoughts

So there you have it. I’m man enough to admit I was wrong. Well, not wrong exactly I had originally said that I loved the show, and only marked it down because of the lack of episodes. Now though, I can set the record straight and give it the rating it truly deserved. You should also check out Jake’s other shows as soon as possible too. You’ll probably be watiting ages for me to review them!

You can get Disgraceland here:

https://www.disgracelandpod.com/

or wherever you get your podcasts

No more heroes anymore

September 4, 2022 / / 2 Comments

Disgraceland review

Rating –

Disgraceland logo

I am becoming aware that recently I’ve been giving every podcast the maximum 5 brain rating. I’m worried that if I just keep saying “yes, this is great ” then there’s no benchmark. Not everything can be perfect all the time can it? So in the interest of balance and not giving everything top marks, here is one that is something of a problem child. I hope you’ll understand my reasons here and give it a go anyway. Well as much as you can. Read on and I’ll explain this rather cryptic introduction.

So what’s it about?

Disgraceland is a podcast covering the various scandals and misdemeanors of music’s great and good (and bad). Each episode covers a different story and they run the whole gamut of decades and genres. There are some wild tales to be found here, and also some heartbreaking ones too, but each is told with the amount of respect deserved. Just because someone is famous, doesn’t make them an exhibit to be held up for public amusement does it? Or maybe you think it does. Maybe you like to read the paparazzi infested gossip magazines. Whatever, I’m not your dad. I can’t tell you what to do.

The show is narrated by Jake Brennan. He also writes, produces and composes the music, so the credits list is rather short. I first heard Jake on his other podcast Dead And Gone, about people who disappeared following The Grateful Dead around the country. This true crime podcast is on my “to review” list, and will be getting 600 or so words dedicated to it very soon.

Jake has the kind of achingly cool American voice that you would expect someone who narrates rock music podcasts to have. His voice sounds like sunshine, surf wax, petrol and pot (at least to a Welsh nerd anyway). I don’t mean any disrespect here. He’s not just someone who sounds the part. He has a deep knowledge of musical history and he has a real talent for bringing any story to life, regardless of the era. This is purely down to his skill as a writer, and he avoids the usual cut and paste from Wikipedia problems that other shows on music history (by much more well known presenters) have fallen into.

Is it any good?

Yes and no. 

Now, I’m a massive music fan and I’m not really fussy about what I listen to. The playlist on my phone runs from Dixieland Jazz, to Death Metal, Psy-trance to 1970s Japanese Funk with some traditional West African music and Musique Concrete thrown in for good measure. There aren’t many stories told that I’m not familiar with, although there are a few. Because of this, I could rate it low and say “well, there aren’t any new stories here, I’ve heard them all before”. That’s not how I do things though. Just because I know something doesn’t mean that you will, so I keep powder dry and save my penalties for other things.

Want to hear about the time Jerry Lee Lewis wanted to murder Elvis? Or maybe you want to learn about Syd Barrett’s psychological fall from grace. Maybe you’re interested in the sorry story of Britney Spears’ lost childhood and subsequent mistreatment. If so, this is the show for you. Unfortunately, this is about all you’ll learn because this podcast seems to be subscription only. Or rather, you can listen for “free” on subscription based platforms. You can get the full thing on Amazon, or Apple podcasts, but I dont use them. There are very few episodes that are truly freely available, and the ones that are are brilliant. This makes the situation all the more annoying because I really want to rate this show higher.

Jake’s style of writing is like a (much) better version of the journalist Mick Wall. He puts himself in the situations that occur, and that really makes for an exciting story. For my money, Jake is a way better writer than Mr. Wall anyway. I’d love to read a full length biography written by him, or even better an audiobook narrated by him.

Final thoughts

As you know, and are probably bored of me telling you now, I only like to review podcasts that are freely available to everyone. This is certainly a good show, and very interesting, but I feel I can’t rate it higher purely because of the lack of available episodes. Even some that show up in my podcatcher won’t actually play.

The more cynical of you may well think that I’m picking on this podcast just to give it a poor rating, but I’m really not. I love this series and it’s a real shame when a new episode shows up in my list and it won’t play. Jake has his reasons and I’m not going to be all millennial (apart from the fact I’m too old) and expect everything for free all the time. It’s just disappointing that I get teased with such good content, and not get the whole shebang.

This is unfortunately a fatal flaw in an otherwise brilliant series. 

You can get disgraceland here:

https://www.disgracelandpod.com/

Or a few episodes from your usual podcatcher.

Well y’know, thats just, like, your opinion man.

February 13, 2022 / / 1 Comment

Your Favorite Band Sucks review

Rating –

your favorite band sucks logo

I first heard about Your Favourite Band Sucks from the “recommendos” on The Lovecraft Tapes (another favorite series of mine, and one I’ll be reviewing soon). Being quite the contrarian it appealed to me immensely. However, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. So without further ado, here is my review of the Your Favorite Band Sucks podcast. Prepare to have your mind changed, or have an aneurism, it’s up to you.

What’s it about?

Your Favourite Band Sucks does exactly what it says on the tin. Every episode the presenters Mark and Tyler dismantle a famous band with extreme prejudice and great humour. For example, the very first episode was about The Beatles, so they really came out swinging.

The guys pull no punches in describing why the bands you grew up with, or your parents grew up with, or are constantly praised as musical colossi are not only undeserving of your respect, but are completely unworthy of any praise whatsoever. Their comments about Slipknot (who I like) and BTS (who I don’t) are equally true, and really I think if you are a true music fan you need to stop being so precious about it. Incidentally, I’d be interested to know if they really did get death threats from the BTS army after “that” show.

I could relate to the BTS episode in particular. Being the father of a BTS fan (although she listens to goth and metal now. Teenagers eh?) I knew exactly what they were talking about. Although the whole “battery farm” method of producing talent was a revelation, and a rather upsetting one at that.

It’s a constant source of amusement to me that people say bands are good because of album sales, but as pointed out here, Nickelback, Coldplay and Taylor Swift have all outsold the venerable old guard of classic rock, so supposedly they should get as much respect. Not only that, but they write better songs too. Now I know that that statement is deliberately provocative, but that doesn’t make it untrue does it?

A show like this could easily drift into the realms of cliché if they just went for the low hanging fruit of modern pop or rap music, but nobody is safe from their scorn. They will just as happily tear down the likes of Aerosmith or Pink Floyd, as they will Johnny Cash, Madonna, Daft Punk or Blink 182.

Is it any good though?

The early shows had a weird problem with the way the audio was recorded and edited. You could frequently hear talking in the background. There were also times when they seemed to splice different takes of the conversation together, but bleed from the other mics was still audible. Also, i think they edited all the gaps out between sentences. Combinethat with their almost hyperactive delivery it was like some ADHD info dump by Beavis And Butthead. Thankfully they’ve calmed down a bit and improved the production of the show no end.

It’s all too easy to make a podcast that deliberately pours scorn on a popular topic, and from what I gather there are a surfeit of shows that do just that. Mark and Tyler have both worked in the music business for years. What they say may be provocative, but it comes from a knowledge of how the system works. This is something that will no doubt cause a bit of cognitive dissonance with the more devout music fans out there, which is of course why they do it. It also sets it apart from some guy in his basement bitching about things he doesn’t like, with nothing but vitriol to back his statements up.

Final thoughts

I’m a massive music fan. I’ve played in numerous bands, released many albums and even run a netlabel for a few years. My tastes are varied and I have lots of favourite bands. I’ve never really been such a fanboy to get annoyed if someone doesn’t like a band that I do. I do have friends that would foam at the mouth listening to their opinions of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin or even Black Flag (you know who you are!). Thankfully I am just as likely to laugh at their comments on Metallica as I am about Destiny’s Child. In fact I think the episodes I enjoy most are when they destroy a band that I do like. As I said, I’m a contrarian! As you scroll through the episode list, you’ll realise that nothing is sacred here, and some of the choices have been a real surprise (albeit a welcome one).

The only reason that this isn’t a 5 brain podcast is for the aforementioned audio weirdness early on. Its a highly recomended podcast, and one I think you’ll love if you like music. Even if you don’t like music, it’ll give you plenty of ammo to annoy the music fan in your life. Here’s to Mark and Tyler having many more years pissing people off.

You can hear Your Favourite Band Sucks here:

https://www.yfbspod.com/

Or wherever you get your podcasts.

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