Letters are important. As children, we learned how letters combined together can form words. As adults, we unlearned all of that “logical absurdity” and broke words back down to individual letters because words are “exhausting and off-putting” and often are offensive and hurtful, whereas letters somehow don’t hurt and are usually “perfectly safe.”  

Unfortunately, that means you can really only have twenty-six words, one for each letter in the alphabet, which represents a tremendous conundrum for acronymphiles everywhere. For the purposes of this episode, we only care about two letters in particular, and as far as we know, these particular letters aren’t currently being used for anything else ATM (“at the moment”).

Those two letters are:  

The Z. 

And The D.

The Z is for JONNY ZAZULA (aka Jonny Z), the “Godfather of Thrash Metal” and co-founder (along with wife Marsha Z, also R.I.P.) of Megaforce Records, THE most important record label in thrash metal history. At the risk of catastrophizing, you might say that without JONNY (and Marsha) Z and Megaforce Records, there would likely be NO thrash metal as we know it today. And without the Zazulas, Megaforce Records, and thrash metal, there would likely be NO Metal Nerdery Podcast* as we know it today either. 

The D is for TENACIOUS D (aka “The D.”  See how things just work out sometimes?), the seminal “unplugged” comedy metal juggernaut team of Jack Black and Kyle Gass (aka: JB and KG, btw) who have helped elevate the entire tri-county metal community’s acceptance of the “acoustic metal” subgenre. “The D” made it okay to include acoustic guitars and recorder solos in metal. “The D” is like jury duty:  you have to experience it at least once to fully appreciate it. **

Time to wake up and prepare your daily regimen of “anti-relaxers”, do a few “pushups”, “un-gape your jaw”, and release that first “stink pickle” of the day as you JOIN US for our brand new “tea-worthy” split-episode of TENACIOUS D:  Inside The Metal, featuring one of “the greatest and best” Metal bands in the world (“The D”) and a brief “Tribute” to the dearly departed, legendary thrash metal visionary that is JONNY ZAZULA (“The Z”).

*We’d probably be a Nickelback podcast or something. I know what you’re thinking: “WTF!? 

**I mean, who knows? You might actually really, really enjoy it. Or you might be like “GFY!”

Visit www.metalnerdery.com/podcast for more on this episode

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Show Notes:

(00:01):  #markthetime #myfacehurtfordays / #clinkytime #deepbreath #trexarms #thankspeter ***WELCOME BACK TO THE METAL NERDERY PODCAST!!!*** It’s time for the #JuryDutyChronicles!!! #notheroin #stereo #popthetop And now it’s time for #thisepisodesbeeroftheepisode #beeroftheepisode #thisone #BurialBeerCompany out of #AshevilleNC  (#BlackMetalBeer)  #BlackMetalAlbumCover #TotalDisbeliefInAllReality #IndiaPaleAle (Killer #albumcover) #PellEll #DeadDeerGulch #seventpointfiveabv #UriahHop #easydrinkin #postbreakfastrefreshments / #GingerBurger and #hyperinflation and a #tangentional #BlackAlbumReference #TheBlackAlbumMeal and things which are #exhausting and #offputting / Getting picked for Jury Duty and that whole experience #notnumbersix / #OpeningArguments are the #SalesPitch of the attorneys / #haterhombus and #lovetrapezoid #goodbyefidelityroad and the things we “couldn’t” talk about (until now) / #notlikeCSI  #alacartelaw #shittyVegas #sensorydeprivation / #keeptheunabomberdudewiththeMetalNerderyPodcastmask  #crazycomedyhair #tentacles #everybodyshoulddoitonce 

(12:03):  #letsdrinkbeerandbullshit / #HAIL and #RIP and #Farewell to #JonnyZazula (and a brief #Tribute to #MegaforceRecords and #JonnyZ and also #MarshaZ) / #superfanbone and the legendary greatness that later became the mighty Megaforce Records (***btw, go check out our Megaforce episode!!!***) #episodethirtytwo #EastCoastSlagel #RestInPower #JonnyZ / #WalkingByFaith and #HavingAVision / And now #thefirstsongtheyeverwroteintheirlife (definitely NOT Whiplash!!!)… #pleaseungapeyourjaw #Metallica HIT THE LIGHTS (#demo / #MetalMassacre version) #highvocals #firstpress #preballs and that #oldschool #NWOBHM sound. #multipleepisodesASMR #gumpirate ***BUY OUR SHIT AT metalnerdery.com/merch and also go BUY THEIR SHIT AT megaforcerecords.com !!!*** / #TheVoiceMailSegment and #crickets and GIVE US A CALL AT 980-666-8182 and a loving message from #OurManInTheStreet #PissingPost #UntilTheNext #Hail and a dedication to #reverserelaxers (very #unrelaxered & #adderalled)

(21:53):  The evolution of #Metal to include #acousticguitars and “a little D” …TENACIOUS D!!!  #shotglassoffury / The sheer joy and beauty that is #TenaciousD and a brief discussion recounting when we first heard of “The D” (#beautifulpoetry courtesy of #JackBlack) and a brief recollection of going to see #TheDiceMan (that’s #AndrewDiceClay btw) #markthetime / The first Tenacious D album is definitely a #desertislanddisc for sure / Dave Grohl and his #rohl in Tenacious D and also, as a separate note, produced by #theDustBrothers (and YES to the #FightClub reference!) / #barbequeboutique #DaveGrohlIsMetal #inbetweenies

(28:12):  #TheGreatestSongInTheWorld TRIBUTE (it’s time for the BEST part!) #wearebutmen / #vocalsolo and #TheGreatestMetalPodcastInTheWorld #dontblameBobby #numbereight #itsfine #nodeetabeetit DIO (and #wildebeasts and #danger) and COCK PUSHUPS #notatfirst #oneisallyouneed / #numberfour WONDERBOY and #themuckymuck (definitely an extremely 70’s sounding #progrock style) and a moment of #tangentionalality with #RJD and the intro to the PUSH #musicvideo (which you should totally go watch, because it’s #HeavenAndHell but #different!!!) ***Go check out our #Dio episode as well!!!***

(38:50):  The back story about JB and KG early on and their #creativechemistry (see also #MrShow), which ties in nicely to the plotline of #ThePickOfDestiny / The D won a #Grammy for their cover of Dio’s LAST IN LINE (from “Dio:  This is Your Life”)  #acousticmetal (courtesy of #DickWoodensteele) #rebarrivet/ KICKAPOO (go watch that video as well!) and a mini tribute to the mighty #Meatloaf #RIP #slicedcockles #shootaloadASMR #whatsachoad? / ***How do you ever match the magic on your #debutalbum? *** #theresalwaysexceptions “Tenacious D and The Pick of Destiny” #soundtrack (go check it out!!!)  #TheStrawberryRiver / #TrackSix #PersonalMantra THE GOVERNMENT TOTALLY SUCKS #BringBackTheUSA / #killercloser THE METAL #cantbeloudenough 

(52:31):  The #albumcover for “Rize of the Fenix” THE ROADIE (***check out the music video!!!***) / “Post Apocolypto” (and perhaps an upcoming Tenacious D tour) #theplague #thegreatestwordintheworld #fromtoptobottom POST APOCOLYPTO / #TrackFifteen and the tale of the #stinkpickle #preludetoastinkpickle TURD WHISTLE

(1:00:54): “Jazz” (***don’t use spoons…sporks are way more effective***) SIMPLY JAZZ #shitonapiano #teaworthy #recordersolo / There’s a LOT of D out there! Really get out there and ENJOY more D in your life! Go buy some D, enjoy some #VitaminD #untilthenext ***THANK YOU FOR JOINING US!!!*** #objectionyourhonor #speculation #cuttingroomfloor #tentacleouttakes #alloftheD #ifuckingloveyou #cricketcore