Heavy Metal 101
35 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 days ago - ★★★★★ - 17 ratingsYour favorite podcast, wherein Eric, an expert, and John, a novice, explore, discuss, and argue about the history of heavy metal music. New episodes are available on the 3rd Monday of each month!
Visit us at: https://anchor.fm/heavymetal101podcast
Contact us at: [email protected]
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/HeavyMetal101Podcast https://twitter.com/heavy_101 https://www.instagram.com/heavymetal101podcast/
Theme Music: Valhalla by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
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Episodes
Ronnie. James. Dio.
April 15, 2024 04:00 - 1 hour - 77.6 MBWherein Eric and John explore the magnificent oeuvre of perhaps the most metal man who ever lived, the late, great Ronnie James Dio, from his career as an early rock and roll crooner through his iconic stints with Rainbow, Black Sabbath, and Dio. Click on the links below for all the music listening breaks in this episode: Music listening break #1: Dio- "We Rock" from The Last in Line (1984) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8OapNNAuBI Music listening break #2: Ronnie Dio and the Red Caps - "A...
The 2nd Wave of American Glam Metal (Or, The One Where We Talk About Gn’F’nR!)
March 18, 2024 04:00 - 1 hour - 81.5 MBWherein Eric and John return to some of Eric's most favorite historical stomping grounds, the epic history of that most maligned of heavy metal subgenres, glam metal, by delving into just what a vast assortment of bands, including Poison, Cinderella, the mighty Guns N' Roses, and many, many more, were up to in the late 1980s. Click on the links below for all the music listening breaks in this episode! Music listening break #1: Poison - "Look What the Cat Dragged In" from Look What the Cat D...
We Need To Talk About Prog Metal
February 19, 2024 05:00 - 1 hour - 69 MBWherein Eric and John go to some truly dark places, exploring one of Eric's least favorite metal subgenres, progressive metal, but come out the other side stronger, wiser, and having talked about an assortment of amazing artists including the "big three": Fates Warning, Dream Theater, and Queensrÿche, as well as Eric's pick for THE SINGLE GREATEST HEAVY METAL ALBUM OF THE 1980s! opening poem: Music by Walter De La Mare Click on the links below for all the music listening breaks in this epi...
Special Topics in Metalology: You Wanted the Best, You Got the 1980s Kisscography…
January 15, 2024 05:00 - 1 hour - 83.8 MBWherein Eric torments John relentlessly, deep diving into the life and work of Kiss, the single most favorite band of Eric's misspent youth, in the 1980s. Throughout these "Special Topics in Metalology" episodes, we'll feature extended timeframes, more music, and even more verbal sparring, as we engage in deep dive explorations and analyses of challenging and esoteric subjects drawn from a wide swath of heavy metal history. Click on the links below for all the music listening breaks in this e...
A 20th Century Curmudgeon’s Guide to 21st Century Heavy Metal: AOTY 2023, Baby!
December 19, 2023 19:26 - 43 minutes - 50.9 MBWherein Eric, flying solo, takes a bit of a chronological detour, examining the heavy metal of the 21st century. On this edition, Eric surveys the very best albums of 2023, along with a pedagogical discussion of some of the many, many sub genres that comprise the metal of the 21st century, culminating in the official pick for HM101 Heavy Metal Album of the Year for 2023! Visit us at: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/heavymetal101podcast (you can leave us a voicemail if you're so...
Heroes of the Metal Underground: 1980s American Independent Metal Bands with author Alexandros Anesiadis
December 19, 2023 19:25 - 43 minutes - 39.4 MBWherein Eric rings in the holiday season in the best way possible: By exploring the esoteric underworld of 1980s American independent heavy metal bands with author Alexandros Anesiadis. Alex is the author of the fantastic new book Heroes of the Metal Underground: The Definitive Guide to 1980s American Independent Metal Bands. Purchase copies for yourself and 10 of your closest friends at: https://www.amazon.com/Heroes-Metal-Underground-Definitive-Independent/dp/1627311408 Assigned Listenin...
Women Who Rock Pt. 2: The Heavy Metal Ladies of the 1980s!
December 19, 2023 19:25 - 1 hour - 65.5 MBWherein Eric and John conclude their epic diptych exploring the music and stories of women who rock, taking a look at an assortment of amazing female heavy metal artists and their extraordinary music making in the 1980s. Opening clip: Wendy O. Williams Assigned Listening #1: Rock Goddess- "My Angel" https://youtu.be/ezQ6jDaC6Tc?si=DrrizhtdjJXyggxl Assigned Listening #2 : Wendy O. Williams- "It's My Life" https://youtu.be/J3AJq_a8ETc?si=-NEA49-pHqcc9zds Assigned Listening #3 : Warlock- "...
Women Who Rock Pt. 1: A Prehistory of Women in Metal
October 16, 2023 21:40 - 1 hour - 61.3 MBWherein Eric and John embark on an epic diptych exploring the music and stories of women who rock, first by delving into the prehistory of women in heavy metal via a look at of some of the monumental contributions of women to the wider history of rock music from 1938 through the 1970s. Opening clip: Joan Jett Closing clip: Lzzy Hale Assigned Listening #1: Sister Rosetta Tharpe- "Strange Things Happening Every Day" (1944) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4-22b72muY Assigned Listening #2 (sor...
The 3rd Annual Halloween Spooktacular: Long Live the King Pt. 2 (King Diamond in the 1980s)
October 02, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour - 69.9 MBWherein Eric and John take Heavy Metal 101 to the next level, combining elements of classic horror radio plays, telling the narratives of four macabre King Diamond classics, alongside the story of the band and the man in the 1980s in classic HM101 style. Prologue- "The Call" The Story of Fatal Portait Eric and John do their thing, pt. 1 Assigned listening #1: "Halloween" (from Fatal Portrait)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ppu5BsqKck The Story of Abigail Eric and John do their thing...
Metal Gets HUGE (Three Pop Metal Masterpieces from 1986/7)
September 18, 2023 09:00 - 55 minutes - 55.6 MBWherein Eric and John take a scenic tour through the cassette collection of a young Eric, and explore three of the biggest pop metal hit albums of the mid-1980s: Bon Jovi- Slippery When Wet, Whitesnake- Whitesnake (aka 1987), and Def Leppard- Hysteria. Assigned Listening #1: Bon Jovi- "You Give Love a Bad Name" (the video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrZHPOeOxQQ Assigned Listening #2: Whitesnake- "Here I Go Again" (1982 video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSlSaGcc0QM "Here I G...
The Thrash Metal Masterpieces of the "Big 4": 1986/7
August 21, 2023 09:00 - 1 hour - 64.7 MBWherein Eric and John return for season three with a bang, exploring the seminal works of the "Big 4" of American thrash in 1986/7, Metallica's Master of Puppets, Megadeth's Peace Sells...But Who’s Buying?, Slayer's Reign in Blood, and Anthrax's Among the Living. Assigned Listening #1: Metallica- "Battery" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvW4OQFA_UY Megadeth: "Peace Sells" the video- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdEupVsL07E Assigned Listening #2: Slayer- "Angel of Death" - https://www...
Enter Metallica (1981-84) with special guest, author Ben Apatoff
May 15, 2023 09:00 - 1 hour - 51 MBThe season #2 finale, wherein Eric, John, and special guest Ben Apatoff (author of Metallica: The $24.95 Book) discuss the formative history of arguably metal's most culturally significant band, Metallica, from their prehistory and formation through the release of Ride the Lightning. Assigned listening #1: "Hit the Lights" by Mettallica (sic) from the first pressing of the Metal Massacre #1 compilation (1982) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AA-mcfFQBE Assigned listening #2: "Hit the Ligh...
A Brief History of Glam Metal Part 2: The First Wave of Los Angeles Glam Metal (1981-85)
May 01, 2023 09:00 - 1 hour - 68.4 MBWherein Eric and John continue to delve ever more deeply into the gritty, glitzy history of glam metal, focusing this time on the first wave of 1980's Sunset Strip bands including Mötley Crüe, Dokken, W.A.S.P., Great White, Stryper, and Ratt. Assigned Listening #1- Mötley Crüe- "Live Wire" (version 1, Elektra Records) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6AiAKJDWCQ (version 2, Leathür Records original mix) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJjydoG5M9E Assigned Listening #2*: Ratt- "Lack of Comm...
A Brief History of Glam Metal Part 1: Foundations of Glam and the Sunset Strip in the 1970s
April 17, 2023 09:00 - 48 minutes - 49.7 MBWherein Eric and John delve into the seedier side of the heavy metal multiverse, exploring the history of glam metal via both an examination of the earliest days of British glam rock and a look at the proto-glam metal scene found on the 1970's Sunset Strip. Assigned Listening #1: Montrose- "Rock Candy" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z25xrCoTdZI Assigned Listening #2: The Runaways- "Hollywood" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-B3XhbwemuQ Visit us at: https://anchor.fm/heavymetal101podcast ...
The Roots of Heavy Metal #2: The Blues
March 20, 2023 09:00 - 57 minutes - 59.3 MBWherein Eric and John excavate the most significant of heavy metal's musical roots, the blues, exploring the origins and histories of the genre as well as its more direct connections to the history of heavy metal. Throughout these "Roots of Heavy Metal" episodes, we'll dig deep into the many influences that made heavy metal music what it is, with longer episodes, more musical examples, and even more delightful verbal sparring as we uncover the wide array of musical styles that contribute to...
When Metal Ruled the World: MTV and the First Pop Metal Explosion
February 20, 2023 10:00 - 55 minutes - 56.7 MBWherein Eric and John reflect upon the ascendency of heavy metal as an increasingly significant force in popular culture by looking at four massive albums released in 1983 and 1984, Def Leppard's Pyromania, Quiet Riot's Metal Health, Twisted Sister's Stay Hungry, and Van Halen's 1984. Assigned Listening: Def Leppard option #1: video-"Photograph" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4dHr8evt6k Def Leppard option #2: audio-"Stagefright" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5DyQBu5yoU Quiet Riot op...
Special Topics in Metalology #2: Long Live the King Pt. 1- Mercyful Fate in the 1980s
January 16, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 65.3 MBWherein Eric and John explore the formative years and the 1980's output of possibly the most important band of all the bands, the glorious Mercyful Fate! Long live the King indeed. Throughout these "Special Topics in Metalology" episodes, we'll feature extended timeframes, more music, and even more verbal sparring, as we engage in deep dive explorations and analyses of challenging and esoteric subjects drawn from a wide swath of heavy metal history. Click on the links below for all the mus...
A 20th Century Curmudgeon’s Guide to 21st Century Heavy Metal, Part 1: 2000-2001
January 02, 2023 10:00 - 19 minutes - 18.8 MBWherein Eric, flying solo, takes a bit of a chronological detour, examining the heavy metal of the 21st century in smaller, bite-sized chunks. On the inaugural journey of this new bonus series of HM101 mini-episodes, Eric takes a look at some of the finest music of a brand new century, way back in 2000-2001. These 20th Century Curmudgeon's Guide to 21st Century Heavy Metal bonus episodes will be periodic short, sweet, and particularly goofy discussions of more recent bands, trends, albums, a...
Subgenres Arise!: The NWOBHM in 1981
December 19, 2022 10:00 - 54 minutes - 54.1 MBWherein Eric and John take a look at some of the earliest evidence of the genre fragmentation that would eventually define metal in the later 1980s and beyond via the NWOBHM of 1981, discussing the roots of pop metal, traditional metal, and extreme metal. Assigned Listening #1: Def Leppard- "High 'n' Dry (Saturday Night)" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkfJOrdc1AU Assigned Listening #2: Venom- "Witching Hour" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KopwsTJ7sLs Visit us at: https://anchor.fm/heavymet...
That NWOBHM Episode...
November 21, 2022 10:00 - 48 minutes - 49.1 MBWherein Eric and John explore the foundational moments of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal in 1980, featuring early works by Saxon, Def Leppard, Diamond Head, and Angel Witch. Assigned Listening #1: Saxon- "To Hell and Back Again" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bM2wXFgO9g Assigned Listening #2: Def Leppard- "Wasted" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQzw1wJO8bY Assigned Listening #3: Diamond Head- "Am I Evil?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukeQeOwuEsU Assigned Listening #4: Angel Witch...
Everything Old is New Again Part 2: Judas Priest, Motorhead, and more in 1980!
October 17, 2022 09:00 - 47 minutes - 48 MBWherein Eric and John take a look at what some of the classic metal bands discussed in season #1 were up to in the year 1980. Part 2 focuses on Judas Priest (British Steel) and Motorhead (Ace of Spades), as well as a look in on what all the other season #1 bands discussed were up to in and around the year of our lord 1980. Assigned Listening #1: option A Judas Priest- "Breaking the Law" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vr3hflUHuog option B Judas Priest- "Rapid Fire" https://www.youtube.com...
Our 2nd Annual Halloween Spooktacular Bonus Episode: The Extreme Metal Project
October 01, 2022 04:00 - 27 minutes - 30.2 MBWherein Eric braves both the end of the world and John's horrifying, disembodied groans and shrieks in order to bring you the haunting tale of three of the foundational bands of extreme metal: Hellhammer, Bathory, and Mantas (with just a touch of Venom thrown in for good measure)! Assigned listening #1: Venom- Welcome to Hell https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e0VvHZMaTs Assigned listening #2: Hellhammer- Triumph of Death https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_ETxRA4RjU Assigned listening #3: Bathor...
Everything Old is New Again Part 1: Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne in 1980!
September 19, 2022 09:00 - 52 minutes - 53.6 MBWherein Eric and John take a look at what the mighty Black Sabbath (Heaven and Hell) and the newly musically single Ozzy Osbourne (Blizzard of Ozz) were up to as a new decade dawned. Assigned Listening #1: Black Sabbath- "Heaven and Hell" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FRA7UXlGu8 Assigned Listening #2: Ozzy Osbourne- "Mr. Crowley" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0RE230PlX4 Visit us at: https://anchor.fm/heavymetal101podcast (you can leave us a voicemail if you're so inclined!) Cont...
Iron Maiden’s Gonna Get You!
August 15, 2022 09:00 - 54 minutes - 54.8 MBWherein Eric and John return to the fray for season #2, and explore the rise and debut album of one of the greatest heavy metal bands of all time, the mighty Iron Maiden! Assigned Listening #1: "Prowler" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnCHrQqmN0Q Assigned Listening #2: "Running Free" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbK9vqF8EOc Assigned Listening #3: "Iron Maiden" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXuD3cZUpm8 Visit us at: https://anchor.fm/heavymetal101podcast (you can leave us a voicemail...
A Seventies Sabbath Season Finale Spectacular!
April 22, 2022 14:59 - 1 hour - 53.3 MBWherein Eric, John, and very special guest author and Sabbath scholar Nolan Stolz pick up right where we left off on episode #1, exploring 1970's Black Sabbath from the release of the seminal Paranoid through Never Say Die! and Ozzy's departure at the end of the decade. Music listening break #1: "Children of the Grave" from Master of Reality https://youtu.be/X01Envh1kSA Music listening break #2: "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" from Sabbath Bloody Sabbath https://youtu.be/yuVmjv22Nqc Music lis...
A Very Heavy Metal 101 Listener's Guide to the Heavy Metal of the 1970s
March 09, 2022 17:10 - 42 minutes - 43.3 MBWherein Eric and John get down to the business of creating a concrete list of essential heavy metal bands and albums from the 1970s for a listener's "starter pack" of music from metal's first decade. We're more about the journey than the destination, but a short form of the list is available from 39:31-40:54. Visit us at: https://anchor.fm/heavymetal101podcast (you can leave us a voicemail if you're so inclined!) Contact us at: [email protected] Social media: https://www.face...
The Roots of Heavy Metal #1: 18th and 19th Century Virtuosi/Composers (The Classical Roots of Metal)
February 08, 2022 04:49 - 53 minutes - 53.6 MBWherein Eric and John explore the surprising amount of interconnectivity and influence between arguably the least and most prestigious of musical genres, heavy metal and classical music, via comparisons of Deep Purple with Antonio Vivaldi and Eddie Van Halen with Niccolò Paganini. Throughout these "Roots of Heavy Metal" episodes, we'll dig deep into the many influences that made heavy metal music what it is, with longer episodes, more musical examples, and even more delightful verbal sparri...
Heavy metal’s first musical genius: The story of Van Halen 1
January 11, 2022 17:28 - 45 minutes - 45.8 MBWherein Eric and John wax rhapsodic about the majestic debut album of Van Halen, arguably the single most important heavy metal release of the 1970s by a band not named Black Sabbath. Here is a link to a recording of this episode's discussed track, "I'm the One" from the self-titled Van Halen debut: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzkXGIRaxcI Visit us at: https://anchor.fm/heavymetal101podcast (you can leave us a voicemail if you're so inclined!) Contact us at: heavymetal101podcast@gmail....
That's Not Heavy Metal!
December 11, 2021 15:12 - 33 minutes - 47 MBWherein Eric and John establish a foolproof, highly scientific (ish) taxonomy of early heavy metal, tour the porous and contentious borderlands separating "heavy metal" from "hard rock", and delve into the metal side of Boston's most favorite musical sons, Aerosmith, and their masterpiece "Toys in the Attic". Here is a handy link to a recording of this episode's discussed track, "Round and Round" from the album Toys in the Attic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEXoSyNRRhM Visit us at: htt...
A Shock Rock Double Dose: The Image and Dark Theatricality of Heavy Metal
November 10, 2021 16:11 - 51 minutes - 49.8 MBWherein Eric and John explore the aesthetic look of heavy metal fans and artists, delve into the genre's darkly theatrical onstage sensibilities, and take a peak at the work of two of the most influential shock rock acts of the 1970s: Alice Cooper and Kiss. Here is a link to the excellent live montage video of "Deuce" from Alive! that Eric and John watched: https://youtu.be/YDr8gys2SnU?t=43 These are links to the short Alice Cooper and Kiss videos we watch during this episode: Alice Co...
Special Topics in Metalology #1: The Evolution of Death!
November 03, 2021 13:18 - 56 minutes - 52 MBWherein Eric and John temporarily shed the strictures implied by the "101" course designation, and drink deep from the cup of Death, arguably the greatest single metal band of all time. Throughout these "Special Topics in Metalology" episodes, we'll feature extended timeframes, more music, and even more verbal sparring, as we engage in deep dive explorations and analyses of challenging and esoteric subjects drawn from a wide swath of heavy metal history. Click on the links below for all th...
When punk and metal collided (aka Lemmy is god!)
November 02, 2021 12:47 - 32 minutes - 30.5 MBWherein Eric and John discuss the arrival of punk rock on the scene, its near-destruction of heavy metal, and how metal would soon rise like a phoenix from the ashes via the high velocity proto-thrash of the late, great Motorhead. Here is a handy link to a recording of this episode's discussed track, "Overkill" from the album of the same name: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VNUyjRRjxM Visit us at: https://anchor.fm/heavymetal101podcast (you can leave us a voicemail if you're so inclined!...
What the hell is heavy metal?
November 01, 2021 15:02 - 37 minutes - 34.6 MBWherein Eric and John attempt to answer the age old question, "What the hell is heavy metal?", and also worship at the altar of the one, true metal god Rob Halford while discussing the formative Judas Priest classic, "Sad Wings of Destiny". Here is a handy link to a recording of this episode's discussed track, "The Ripper" from the album Sad Wings of Destiny: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCdWJHOROb4 Visit us at: https://anchor.fm/heavymetal101podcast (you can leave us a voicemail if yo...
February 13, 1970
October 25, 2021 22:44 - 29 minutes - 27.2 MBEpisode #1, wherein Eric and John discuss Black Sabbath, the song, from Black Sabbath, the album, by Black Sabbath, the band. Happy birthday heavy metal! Here is a handy link to a recording of this episode's discussed track, "Black Sabbath" from the album Black Sabbath: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISXnYu-Or4w Visit us at: https://anchor.fm/heavymetal101podcast (you can leave us a voicemail if you're so inclined!) Contact us at: [email protected] Social media: https://www...
Heavy Metal 101: The trailer!
October 03, 2021 16:31 - 1 minute - 1.52 MBWelcome to heavy metal 101, the podcast wherein Eric, an expert, and John, a novice, explore the history and repertoire of some of the coolest, scariest music in all the land, heavy f'n metal! Visit us at: https://anchor.fm/heavymetal101podcast (you can leave us a voicemail if you're so inclined!) Contact us at: [email protected] Social media: https://www.facebook.com/HeavyMetal101Podcast https://twitter.com/heavy_101 https://www.instagram.com/heavymetal101podcast/ See ya ag...