Radical Research Podcast

We love to draw lines and conclusions. We hear links and threads where there may be none, or, on a good day, where we might just be onto something. And we love Norway, especially its music. Especially the weird metal stuff. And we have always found that the short life of Ved Buens Ende and the spirit of their sole album, Written in Waters (1995), lived on within the nutty realm of Virus’s Carheart debut (2003). We compare/contrast these two landmark Norweird albums and find that Carl-Michael Eide has a lot of really great things to answer for. Don’t take this one too seriously…even if we do. Note I: It truly all went weird on the back end. Hunter had to call in on his phone, a first...there was an issue with his laptop and microphone. As a result, Hunter sounds like he has either a lisp, a few missing teeth, or been shot full of novocaine. He makes his usual salient points with the expected degree of articulation you’ve come to expect. Thanks for suffering through it. Note II: Please consider donating if yo

A journey through a wilderness of Nembutals and Luciforms, The Mars Volta’s fifth album offers up a radical departure from the itinerant mania of The Bedlam in Goliath, to explore the inscrutable, dream-like vistas of the interior mind. Though songs like “Teflon” and “Cotopaxi” puncture the reverie with their rhythmic brawn, Octahedron is governed by an acquiescence to the spacious, liminal dimensions of the dream-state. Festooned with the surrealist art of Jeff Jordan, Octahedron travels the paths of psychic borders and the distorted geographies of the human mind put under the pressures of the absurd. We invite you to descend with us into this quiet miasma. Note I: Hunter mentions in this episode De Facto, the dub/Latin band featuring Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, Cedric Bixler-Zavala, Ikey Owens, and Jeremy Ward, who operated from 1998 to 2003. Incidentally, Ward provided the muse for the first Mars Volta full-length, De-Loused in the Comatorium, following his untimely death. Note II: John Frusciante, lynchpin

Continuing our appreciation for the unloved misfits of Metalopolis, we always considered 1992’s Thresholds, by Florida’s Nocturnus, an honorary 1993 album. Until we found out it was recorded in December 1991. Whatever the case, these eight chunky, blocky, cosmic, technical songs find Nocturnus at its densest and strangest. While every ingredient adds to the peculiar flavor, it’s all about the wild tandem ripping of guitarists Mike Davis and Sean McNenney when you get right down to it. And we get right down to it! Thanks for joining us, and sorry for Jeff’s weak presence…technical issues, of course. Note I: If you don’t want to hear us talking about dreams about Prong, Def Leppard album covers, our break in the once-mutual “favorite Queensryche album” topic, or Christmas at Jim Durkin’s house, skip to 18:08 to enter our discussion of Nocturnus’s Thresholds.Note II: But if you skipped ahead, you might have missed us discovering the quite fascinating fact that both Thomas Dolby and Yes’s Tony Kaye are un-credi

Storming the gates with a new wave cover tune, borrowing from Baudelaire and sampling from NASA Apollo transmissions over primitive machine pulses, Swiss pioneers Celtic Frost exploited terrain no metal band had before with their third full-length album. Created under constant stress and duress in the early months of 1987, the self-produced album was a bold, controversial piece of art that continues to divide the Frost fan base decades later. Irrational yet focused, phantasmagoric yet genuine, and depicting a Heavenly sort of Hell, Into the Pandemonium knots together opposing forces and plunges us into the abode of all demons. Playful, mischievous, path-finding demons… Note I: “Babylon Fell,” “Caress Into Oblivion” and “I Won’t Dance” are subtitled on some version of Into the Pandemonium thusly, parenthetically, and respectively: “Jade Serpent,” “Jade Serpent II” and “The Elders’ Orient.” Note II: Jeff misspoke slightly. The correct title of the Hieronymous Bosch painting that the band used for the album c

Many bands have professed to play death metal, but few have summoned the power of death itself, have forced the very bowels of earth to erupt. Nuclear Death, the lords of their own putrid hell-scape, emerged from the sun-scorched wastes of Phoenix, Arizona to ply some of the most personal, most unsettling metal ever to heave itself out of its own rotting grave. On our 49th episode, we survey the pastures of torture, incest, and psychedelic terror that define the band's art. From the septic, Expressionist death of Bride of Insect, to the phantasmagoric slumbers of The Planet Cachexial and the disquieting, mutant sounds of Harmony Drinks of Me, we urge all who are strong of stomach and loin to join us as we descend into the aching hell that is the world of Nuclear Death. Note I: Thanks to Ted Tringo at Dark Symphonies/The Crypt for the demo era mp3s. Ted offers a ton of amazing items for the serious collector. Click here for a great deal on two mandatory recordings by Nuclear Death: http://darksymphonies.com

For the second time in a matter of months, your intrepid hosts find themselves in the frosty arms of Trondheim, Norway, this time to investigate the world of the frustratingly private Albino Slug. Known to few but adored by those who do, Albino Slug’s legacy hinges on two, confounding slices of avant-rock and metal. From Melvins-doom to musique concrete, Albino Slug operates, as you will hear, in a universe of its own making. Denied its 15 minutes, even in the prime of its career, Radical Research is looking to set things straight, shining a spotlight on this band’s intensely personal relationship with heavy music. Defy the bigotry of those who’ve come before you and embrace the fascinating weirdness of Norway’s most unsung sons. Note 1: Shout out to Lasse Marhaug, a celebrated experimental artist in his own right, for his invaluable insight and intel. Were it not for him, this episode would have been far more speculative. Thank you also to Veiko Rebane and Tom Clark!Note II: We didn’t even reveal most of the

After firing up a band called No Man Is An Island (later shortened to No-Man), a young Steven Wilson corralled a couple friends and some wild ideas to sculpt homespun cassette recordings under the strange name Porcupine Tree. These then-obscure tapes, Tarquin’s Seaweed Farm (1989) and The Nostalgia Factory (1991), were edited and re-sequenced as an oddball album, On the Sunday of Life, in 1992. Debuting on the newly-formed Delerium label, it was all an entirely English enterprise, right down to its freewheeling Gong-ish whimsy and hallucinogenic Lewis Carroll-esque playfulness. Begun as a not-very-serious project, the darkness of direction taken later by Porcupine Tree shows up here only in fits and starts, but what a start…we find this album a fascinating view into the mind of a young genius and a curious portent of the colorful vistas Wilson would later visit with the band once he started actually taking it seriously. Note I: We apologize for the poor quality of the audio on this episode. Just when we t

Bust out the Purell and take a healthy dose of penicillin because the whores are back in town. On this special -- and occasionally-recurring -- episode of Radical Research, we stroll alongside a pornographic buffet of sumptuous synthesizer vibrations. For this globetrotting, sweaty-browed sojourn, we’ll travel from Wuppertal to Richmond to Reykjavik to Los Angeles and all points in between, in search of the scintillating, salacious, and sometimes surprisingly-subtle sounds of the synthesizer. Go ahead, turn out the lights, strap on the headphones, and live a little. Note I: Jeff brainfarted and called Wobbler’s 2017 album “From Somewhere to Silence.” It is, of course, called From Silence to Somewhere. And it is, indeed, one of the best progressive rock albums in decades.Note II: Please consider donating if you listen to Radical Research often: https://www.paypal.me/rrpodcast Music cited, in order of appearance: Hoelderlin, “Deathwatchbeetle” (Hoelderlin, 1975) Ethos, “The Players (of the Game)” (Open Up,

For the 45th episode of Radical Research, we continue our trek north, this time landing in Trondheim, Norway, where we take a close look at the vast and fascinating discography of Manes. Well-respected in black metal circles for their personal and visionary approach to the genre, Manes has spent the last 16 years working through a difficult-to-pigeonhole brew of dark, atmospheric rock and electronic music. Our conversation addresses the band's sprawling body of work, from 1993's ghostly Maanens Natt demo to 2018's stunning Slow Motion Death Sequence. Manes says that "Nobody Wants the Truth," but you're going to get it regardless. Can you handle the truth? Be there or be cool.  Note I: As noted in the episode, Manes has a fascination with the end, an ever-present promise of the final nothing. To that end, we unveil the evidence: “Endetidstegn” (English translation: “End Time Signs”; song on Slow Motion Death Sequence) Be All End All (2014 album) How the World Came to An End (2007 album) these

When Uranus falls, once and for all, in the cosmic background will be heard the humming, buzzing sound of a tragically-overlooked group of travelers. Formed in 1988 in Turku, Finland, Xysma waged a decade-long war against expectation and small-mindedness. With phantasm-like stealth, the band moved from scatalogical grind to groovy Sab-death to vendetta rock, as well as all points in between and beyond. On this episode of Radical Research, our 44th, we plumb the depths of Xysma’s bewildering catalog, turning over the stones that pockmark the band’s vast forest of sound. Whether you skew “Pyosisfied” or Pet Sounds, you will find refuge in the wild imagination of Xysma. If this is your first listen to this podcast, we hope it will be magical. For the veterans, go big and win the lotto. Yeah! Note I: We had some frustrating technical issues while recording this episode. We tried to clean it up as much as possible. Our apologies for some rough moments. Note II: Please visit http://radicalresearch.org/qa-with

After recording two mind-bending and defiant albums -- pieced together, ever so precariously, with the bacterial molecules of metal, ska, contemporary music, free jazz, musique concrete, tango, imaginary soundtracks, and the music of the Middle East -- Mr. Bungle returned to the table in 1999 with their fin de siecle masterpiece, California. Breaking from the hysterical invention of the previous albums, California works within a more stable reservoir of sounds, resulting in a luxurious set of songs that presses into service the band’s highly-evolved compositional prowess and nimble musicianship. Over the course of 44 minutes, Mr. Bungle works through the swing-metal of “None of them Knew They Were Robots,” the torch-song noir of “Pink Cigarette,” and the cyborg future-funk of “Golem II: The Bionic Vapor Boy” and addresses such zesty topics as The Hidden God, ritual castration, and the nausea that underpins West Coast “fun in the sun.” One of the last grand analog production feats, we here at Radical Research

Emerging from a web of poststructuralist philosophy and electronic fetishism, France’s Heldon -- whose name is derived from Norman Spinrad novel, The Iron Dream -- functioned from 1974–1979 as a vehicle for Richard Pinhas’ wildest aural fantasies. The group’s first six albums work through an esoteric maze of analog synthesis and post-Fripp guitar histrionics, from the curiously pastoral second album, Allez Téia, to the cryptic violence of 1977’s Interface. This episode, however, trains its gaze on the last album of the band’s original run, 1979’s singular and masterful Stand By. Here, Pinhas, abetted by principal confidantes, Patrick Gauthier and Francois Auger, offers up the most confident set of arrangements of his career. Stand By harnesses the tactile synth textures of previous albums and binds them to songs that anticipate techno, home-listening electronica, doom rock, and other future sounds. Underrated at best, but mostly unheard altogether, Radical Research looks to settle the score and give these Gau

Welcome to the second installment of this occasional episode in the margins...we have fun trying to fool each other by playing an unlabeled, unmarked piece of music. For diehard Radical Research enthusiasts only! Music cited in this episode Sorry, you'll need to listen to find out.

Let’s face it: we live in a world bereft of justice. And so it falls on the shoulders of Radical Research to shine a bit of light into this dim world. On this, our 41st episode, we give a voice to the voiceless and spotlight 5 unsung greats. From the Great Lakes to the land of Ten Thousand Lakes, from Marshalls to Moogs, this episode draws back the curtain to reveal the important but mostly ignored work of five late 80s and early 90s bands working in extreme metal. We will discuss the harrowing thrash of Sindrome, the Atrocity/Demilich smear-tech of Embrionic Death, and much more. So, as a matter of moral obligation, please join us on this journey deep into the underground. Note I: Our title is somewhat of an homage to detestable-yet-lovable celebrity chef, Guy Fieri. We like a lot of his ridiculous phrases, and used that to create our own off-the-hook concoction. The real deal, bro. Note II: Buy links to several bands featured on this episode: Sindrome: https://www.discogs.com/Sindrome-Resurrection-The

Departing from the tractor-beam blasphemy of their seminal first four albums, Bergen, Norway’s Gorgoroth offer a more panoramic approach to (a career in) evil on their daring fifth missive, Incipit Satan. IC absorbs influences from death industrial, morbid rock and roll, and melodic death metal, and transmits them with an elegant cruelty. The album stays true to the band’s revolving-door membership and is the first to feature bassist, King ov Hell, as well as the menacing and mysterious Sjt. Erichsen on drums. Most importantly, Incipit Satan is the first Gorgoroth to feature a full-album performance by vocalist Gaahl, who handles the music with Attila Csihar-like nuance and flexibility. Join us as we dig into this singular album from Norway’s most terrifyingly-depicted agents of destruction. Note I: In listing his favorite black metal bands during the episode, Wagner forgot Emperor. They’re firmly in that top 5:  Bathory, Deathspell Omega, Mayhem, Gorgoroth and Emperor. Hunter offers his 5 favorites a

Greetings from the nativity. This podcast began as an examination of the vast and nebulous frontier of Norwegian post-black metal. In that spirit, episode 39 of Radical Research probes the tentacles of the In the Woods... diaspora and gives an ear to Drawn, Stille Opprör, Naervaer, Transit, and Green Carnation. These artists give light to the polyglot transmissions from the distant North and reveal the flexible expressions of Norway’s most progressive artists. As always, we invite you along on this journey into the deep regions of recorded sound. Note I: There are yet more branches of the ITW tree that we didn’t focus on, including Animal Alpha and Soxpan. Members have also played in more well-known names such as Carpathian Forest, Manes and Atrox. Note II: How do we address the fact of this new In the Woods…, the one that returned around 2015 featuring the Botteri brothers (bass, guitar) and Anders Kobro on drums, and a vocalist that is not Jan Kenneth Transeth, and the one that now only features Kobr

Toby Driver’s path to the present has been circuitous and inscrutable, which is to say, in keeping with music he has written over the last 25 years. His work in Maudlin of the Well, Kayo Dot, and as a solo artist has encompassed metal, chamber music, serialism, aleatoric composition, electronics, folk, sci-fi soundtracks, and beyond. For this episode of Radical Research, we will be taking a detour from our normal practices to investigate an album not yet released (at time of recording), Kayo Dot’s ninth album, the estimable, Blasphemy. A work of remarkable accomplishment, and surely one of the year’s very best albums, Blasphemy distills and refines the characteristics that have shaped the band’s last two albums, Coffins on Io and Plastic House on Base of Sky. Note I: As a supplement to the podcast episode, you’ll find our interview with Kayo Dot leader Toby Driver on the Radical Research blog: http://radicalresearch.org/an-interview-with-kayo-dots-toby-driver/ Note II: The title of this episode comes fr

Writing about Devil Doll is like skating about horticulture. Led by the deeply enigmatic Mr. Doctor, and purposely shrouded in the thickest mystery, Devil Doll’s music disappoints even the keenest taxonomist. Experimenting with metal, classical, and progressive rock, Mr. Doctor and his revolving cast of collaborators created large-scale, spell-binding masterpieces that, really, are without peer. Left with far more questions than answers, we nonetheless go forth stubbornly on a mission into the nocturnal dreamworld of Devil Doll. We make no promises but ask that you gird your loins and join us on this, the 37th episode of Radical Research. Note I: Mr. Doctor, aka Mario Panciera, wrote and published a book on 7” singles from the UK & Ireland circa 1976-1979. It’s called 45 Revolutions, and you can find out more here: http://www.45worlds.com/book/title/45-revolutions-1976-1979 Note II: After this episode went public, listener and noted album cover artist Eliran Kantor helped us solve a mystery discussed

Melvins’ career -- a vast, still-expanding 36-year odyssey across the full spectrum of heavy and experimental sound -- is marked by goalposts, some triumphant, some deviant. On this episode of Radical Research, we train a critical eye on 2002’s bellwether, the curiously-named Hostile Ambient Takeover. The album takes stock of many of the band’s hallmarks: droning, hypnotic trance rock, mathematical hijinks, and Mountain/Cactus-inspired groove. But the band breaks with its tradition of conspicuous mash-up and manages these generic demarcations with remarkable seamlessness. To drop it into proper context, we also take a look at the band’s late '90s wilderness period and their mid-'00s absorption of the hefty Big Business. As always, we invite you to join us as we pick apart but a sliver of one of rock music’s most fascinating, and enduring, institutions.Note I: In the first half of 2003, Melvins and their label, Ipecac, released Hostile Ambient Takeover as a 7-inch series. The album tracks are a-sides, while t

The so-called “Canterbury scene” was an adventurous musical movement of time and place, bonded tightly by shared influences and an incestuous genealogy. This episode, we climb our favorite limbs from the Canterbury tree, including but not limited to Caravan, National Health, Egg and Quiet Sun. Much respect to Dave Stewart! Be praised, Steve Hillage! Arise, Richard Sinclair! We shout hails to thee, out there in the land of grey and pink. Note I: We mention a couple English bands that intersected with or correlated to the Canterbury scene and sound – Gong and Camel – yet we are remiss in forgetting mention of The Netherlands’ Supersister. Of all the non-English bands that showed Canterbury influence (or shared the same influences), Supersister’s quirk-and-stealth has to be acknowledged first and foremost. Seek out Present from Nancy and To the Highest Bidder for evidence. Note II: Please consider donating if you listen to Radical Research often: paypal.me/rrpodcast Music cited, in order of appearance: Carav