Holy hell where has the year gone? It’s August already and we’re staring down both barrels of the holiday season. (Trust me – it’ll be here before you know it.) Luckily, we have some great tunes and some great discussion to distract you from the thought of impending family get-togethers that may make you consider relocating into the mountainous forest of the upper-midwest. (Or wherever works for your in the country that you call home.)
In this episode we’ll discuss current events, Nate’s got a tune to share; we’ll enjoy some independent music from Quiescent Mantis and Narwhale, then we’ll wrap the show sharing our personal top 5 Pantera songs and sharing Phil Anselmo’s top 5 as well!
——————————————————- What’s Nate been listening to? ——————————————————- Artist: Testament Album: The Gathering Song: Eyes Of Wrath ——————————————————-
——————————————————- INDEPENDENT INTERMISSION ——————————————————- SONG 2 Artist: Narwhale Location: Spain from the Album: El Espacio Interior the Song is: Los Anillos de Saturno Link: https://narwhale.bandcamp.com/ ——————————————————- If you’re in a band and you’d like to be considered to be played on the Disciples of the Watch podcast, please email us atmusic@dotwpod.com ——————————————————-
——————————————————- STAY TUNED ——————————————————- Stay tuned to this feed or subscribe as we’ve got 2 more Independent Music Special episodes cued up for July releases and there’s even more great music for your listening pleasure! Plus, Nate and I (and possibly some special guests) will be ranking Alice In Chains’ discography from Worst-to-Best, so stay tuned for that.
** Other Access ** Apple, Audible, Google, Stitcher, Podchaser and more: visit http://www.dotwpod.com for the links. Check the right-hand side of the main page.
In this episode we’ll discuss some current events, well check in to see what music Nate’s been listening to lately, we’ll enjoy some independent music from Semtex and Nocturnalia, and we’ll wrap the show discussing the “The Most Underrated Albums by 20 Major Metal Bands”
SONG 1 Artist: Semtex Location: Twin Cities, MN – USA from the Album: Concentrated Execution the Song is: Face Your Enemy Link: https://www.facebook.com/thesemtexband
Disciples!! Well, we couldn’t do a Megadeth ‘Worst to Best’ without doing a SLAYER!! ‘Worst to Best’ episode, right?!
Well, here you go! We took a long, hard look at the Slayer studio works and then took the task of ranking them in our preferred order and then compared them to Metalhammer’s list to see how they compare.
So turn it up, and feel free to carve a little nod to Slayer in your arm while you’re at it!
In this episode we’ll discuss current events, what’s Nate been listening to, independent music from Enoid and Van Halst, we’ll discuss some tidbits from the music-related podcast community in the Podcast Roundup, and we’ll wrap the show comparing our list to TeamRock’s rankings of Slayer’s albums from worst to best.
Adam Carolla Show:
Steve Lukather from Toto and a plethora of other bands was on Adam’s show. Great guitar player, great interview. Mentions that the song ‘Africa’ was not a song that they wanted to release but did – turned out to be a huge hit for the band.
One on One with Mitch La Fon:
Graham Bonnet from Rainbow fame, Rickey Medlocke from Lynyrd Skynyrd, Keith Howland from Chicago, and Jim Crean from the Appice Brothers band.
Metalsucks Podcast:
Monte Pittman from Prong and Madonna’s band, Vicky Psarakis of the Agonist, and Jordan Mancino from Wovenwar.
Ritual Madness Podcast:
Portraits of War, Hate Beast discussing their new release, and a band that we’ve featured on the podcast – Prypiat! Their losing their singer/bass player Chris so that really sucks.
Talk is Jericho Podcast:
Jimi Hendrix’s brother Leon Hendrix was on discussing Jimi’s life in and before music and the future, and Vivian Campbell and Phil Sousan with the band ‘Last in Line’ band discussing Jimmy Bain, Dio and the future of the band.
Talking Metal:
Members from Alice Coopers band make an appearance, the band Kyng and a member of Zakk Sabbath, Jesse James Dupree, Punky Meadows, Trixter and John DeServio from Black Label Society.
The Eddie Trunk Podcast:
Jeff Pilson from Dokken discussing their reunion tour amongst other things, Jesse James Dupree, Michael Sweet and a big interview with Lars Ulrich from a little band called Metallica.
WTF with Marc Maron:
Mark had another interview with another music icon – David Crosby. A lot of music history with that dude. Sounds like he hasn’t been good on managing his money and had to sell his beloved sail boat recently.
If you have a podcast or have a favorite one that you’d like to turn me on to, please email me a link at gene@dotwpod.com!
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What’s Nate been listening to?
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Artist: Obituary
Album: Ten Thousand Ways To Die
Song: Loathe Buy now on Amazon
01/20 Montreal, QC – Club Soda
01/21 Toronto, ON – Phoenix Theater
01/22 Cleveland, OH – Agora Ballroom
01/23 Chicago, IL – Metro
01/24 Milwaukee, WI – Turner Hall Ballroom
01/25 Minneapolis, MN – Mill City Nights
01/27 Denver, CO – Gothic Theater
01/28 Sat Lake City, UT – The Complex
01/30 Calgary, AB – Marquee
01/31 Edmonton, AB – Starlite Room
02/02 Seattle, WA – El Corazon
02/03 Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw
02/04 Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theater
02/06 San Francisco, CA – Social Hall SF
02/07 Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory
02/08 Phoenix, AZ – Club Red
02/10 San Antonio, TX – Alamo Music Hall
02/11 Dallas, TX – Trees
02/13 Atlanta, GA – Masquerade
02/14 Wilmington, NC – Thorne Theater
02/15 Washington, DC – The Howard Theater
02/16 Philadelphia, PA – Theater of the Living Arts
02/17 Poughkeepsie, NY – The Chance Theater
02/18 Boston, MA – Royale
02/19 New York, NY – Gramercy Theater
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INDEPENDENT INTERMISSION #1
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Artist: Enoid
Location: Switzerland
from the Album: Exile on the Edge of Torment (Exilé Aux Confins Des Tourments)
the Song is: Eateth my flesh, take my pain (Mangez ma chair, prenez ma douleur) Link
4. HELLEBORUS have teamed up with Flesh Vessel for the limited edition black and translucent vinyl release of ‘The Carnal Sabbath’.
5. UFORIA are offering fans a FREE download of their track ‘Wake Me’ from their newly released EP ‘Fight or Flight’ produced and co-written with Finger Eleven drummer Steve Molella.
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If you have any news you’d like to share regarding your band please email us at news@dotwpod.com
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INDEPENDENT INTERMISSION #2
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Artist: Van Halst
Location: Toronto, Ontario – Canada
from the Album: Make the World Believe
the Song is: The End Link Buy now on Amazon
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If you’re in a band and you’d like to be considered to be played on the Disciples of the Watch podcast, please email us at music@dotwpod.com
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FINAL DISCUSSION TOPIC or SEGMENT:
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TeamRock’s SLAYER: Worst to Best
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12. Undisputed Attitude (1996)
Slayer chose this album to pay tribute to their punk roots, covering songs by Minor Threat, T.S.O.L. D.R.I. and the Stooges among others. There were also two songs from Pap Smear, guitarist Jeff Hanneman’s mid-80s side-project, and one new Slayer song, Gemini. The original concept had been to do a heavy metal covers album, but that just didn’t work, hence the switch. Their weakest effort.
11. Diabolus In Musica (1998)
Unlike Divine Intervention, where the music was principally written by guitarist Kerry King, this time around it was Hanneman who composed the bulk of the material, giving it a more experimental edge than perhaps anyone had expected. Hanneman claimed that he could find nothing against which to measure Slayer, so just went for his own approach. To some extent this acknowledged the nu metal scene, but typically they adapted this to their own image, not least the lyrics, which reflected their whole ‘Devil In Music’ ethos.
10. Christ Illusion (2006)
After a five-year gap, the longest stretch of time between releases in the band’s career, Slayer hit the mark with their finest album since Seasons In The Abyss. Was it a coincidence that Lombardo returned behind the kit? The sound was modern, yet dynamic. The songs were direct and fearless – they even wrote Jihad about the 9/11 attacks from a terrorist’s perspective, while the Grammy-winning Eyes Of The Insane dealt with a soldier’s post-traumatic stress disorder. Thrash was making waves again, and Slayer had come up with their own tidal wave.
9. God Hates Us All (2001)
Released on September 11 20001 – yes, 9/11 – the album had more realism in the lyrics, mirroring the uncertainty of the times. Musically, though, it was a little confused. Producer Matt Hyde was brought in and was keen to update the Slayer sound, something the band didn’t appreciate. So, the end product didn’t quite realise the potential the songs suggested. However, there’s enough here – especially on the Grammy-nominated Disciple and Bloodline – to ensure the band could still stride into the new millennium as metal gods.
8. Repentless (2015)
From the rampaging shock ‘n’ awe of its title track to the seething belligerence of Pride In Prejudice, Repentless made it plain that the tragic death of Jeff Hanneman was not going to dent Slayer’s sonic armour. The late guitarist’s Piano Wire aside, this was Kerry King’s album: a scowling reaffirmation of musical values, given extra impetus by the need to honour a fallen comrade. Songs like Chasing Death and Implode are as heavy and hostile as anything in the Slayer catalogue, but it was the gruesome, slow-motion squall of When The Stillness Comes that packed the biggest emotional punch. Still Slayer. Still killer.
7. Divine Intervention (1994)
Paul Bostaph came in to replace Lombardo. A fine drummer, but not quite in the same class, or with the same impact, as his predecessor. Further problems emerged because the band used several studios and two producers – Toby Wright and Rick Rubin – which gave the album a disjointed feel. Also, the guitars seemed to be mixed too low and not, as is Slayer’s way, pushed right up in your face.
6. Show No Mercy (1983)
Recorded with virtually no budget, Show No Mercy was so vicious and downright evil that it knocked most people’s perceptions of metal on its head. This was extreme, even by the standard Metallica had set at the time. Some misunderstood the band’s high speed, unrelenting approach as proving they had little of musical value to offer. Wrong! To be as convincing as this, the fearless foursome had to be more than competent. A true invocation of dark forces that can still unnerve the unwary.
5. Hell Awaits (1985)
Anyone who believes Slayer just make the same album over and over really should listen to Show No Mercy, and then this one. The progression was clear. The band were tighter, sharper and, yes, faster than before. And still as driven and angry. With a comparatively more sophisticated production, the band were carving their own niche, as witnessed on the title track, At Dawn They Sleep and Hardening Of The Arteries. This record also made its mark as one of the inspirations for the grind genre.
4. World Painted Blood (2009)
In contrast to the mixed response received by 2006’s Christ Illusion, Slayer’s 11th studio album was widely acclaimed, not least because it noisily revisited the raw, vicious vibe of the band’s early works. The likes of Kerry King’s Hate Worldwide and Jeff Hanneman’s Psychopathy Red got the balance between cutting edge oomph and underground filth just right, with then drummer Dave Lombardo powering everything along at a breathless pace. New lyrical horrors unfurled during the self-explanatorily grim Snuff, while the slithering, sinister Beauty Through Order mirrored the unsettling miasma of its bloody, controversial video. Hanneman’s last full hurrah was a gnarly triumph.
3. South Of Heaven (1988)
How do you follow Reign In Blood? It’s an almost impossible quandary, but the band elected to get even heavier by slowing down – mind you, when anyone suggests Slayer ‘slowed down’, it has to be born in mind that they were still playing riffs at hyper speed, just not going consistently into warp overdrive. They even included Judas Priest’s Dissident Aggressor as a nod to their own metal heroes. But the title track and Mandatory Suicide were the real gems.
2. Seasons In The Abyss (1990)
The last studio album for drummer Dave Lombardo, until 2006, and while it offered no discernible change in direction from what had gone before, the band’s strength of vision was clear on Dead SkinMask and War Ensemble. Many believed that Seasons In The Abysswas the sound of Slayer stuck in a rut. However, this was actually a band in a groove, knowing precisely what they should be doing, and how to deliver it. At a time when some were saying thrash was dead, Slayer were still brimming with ideas.
1. Reign In Blood (1986)
Citing this as ‘the greatest thrash album of all time’ might sound like a convenient soundbite… until you hear it. With Rick Rubin producing, everything was taken to a height nobody would ever scale again. The playing was world class, the songs were stunning, the production balanced technology with the brute force of their live performance and, best of all, it came in at under 30 minutes, which meant that it never outstayed its welcome. From the moment opening track Angel Of Death kicks in to the last chords of closer Raining Blood, this is peerless.
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FINAL SONG
Artist: Slayer
Album: Reign In Blood
Song: Postmortem/Raining Blood Buy now on Amazon
A show about Hard Rock and Heavy Metal music and news, both Independent and the 'Big Time' bands!
Disciples of the Watch Podcast 