Putting the H in Heavy Metal
Talking Bollocks review
Rating – 
Another music podcast review this week, and another metal themed show. And a return to the regular Sunday spot as promised.
This June saw my band reach the South Wales final in the Metal2TheMasses competition. Headlining the show was legendary British thrash band Acid Reign. They were outstanding, and frontman Howard “H” Smith was incredible (and incredibly funny). It turns out that not only is he a standup comedian, but he also has a podcast, which in case you haven’t guessed yet, is the subject of this week’s review.
So what’s it about?
It’s a mixed bag of interviews, news and reviews (which rhymes quite nicely I think) set firmly in the realm of the many subgenres of Heavy Metal.
The show dates back 11 years (according to my podcatcher), although with shows that old, there’s a good chance there are earlier episodes lost to the mists of time. That though, is neither here nor there. All you need concern yourself with is that this is essentially Kerrang! magazine back when it was good. Apart from Pandora Peroxide (which will no doubt date my readership) the witty comments, the in-depth knowledge and general feeling of community is there.
Is it any good?
There is no denying that H is a great host. He is engaging and witty, and you can tell that he has been a standup comedian longer than he’s been a front man.
The show itself is a low/no budget affair, but that only adds to the charm. As you’ll know from previous reviews of mine, I will overlook shortcomings in production value if the content is there. And it is. My goodness it is. Yes, it does get a bit annoying that the early interviews seem to be recorded on a phone, and there are bands soundchecking in the background, but that adds to the authenticity of the show. You feel like you’re there, chilling out backstage before a show. Now, I admit I am basing this on the very old episodes here, and there may well be improvements in the more recent ones.
I suspect that H’s witty and self deprecating style could get a great interview out of anyone. He seems to treat people as though he’s known them for years. Yes, I get that regarding a lot of the interviews here, he really has known them for years, after seeing him in Swansea in June though, I think he’s just like that anyway. A good frontman needs to engage the audience, as does a good comedian, and these skill make for a truly great show.
Final thoughts
I’m always a bit wary of giving shows high scores when I have had even some tenuous interaction with the people outside of “this” part of my life. As I said at the beggining of the review, my band was lucky enough to share a stage with Acid Reign back in June, and that was my first experience of the force of nature that is H. It was also when I found out about his podcast.
A part of me wants to skip forward a few years to see how the show develops, but when it comes to podcasts I am a completionist that definitely suffers with FOMO. I will make it through them all, I will, I promise.
You can get Talking Bollocks here:
For more great reviews, I recommend GreatPods