As The Story Grows

Chapter 99: "The Anniversary Of A Miracle" ...as read by Chad Neptune, Jason Berggren, Chris Carbonell, Steven Kleisath and Billy Power

Hey, you know what today is? Today is the 20th anniversary to the very first Solid State release "The Advent Of A Miracle" by Strongarm. Join Bryan Patton (appearing on his first episode) and I, strap on a party hat and grab some cake and lets talk ADVENT! This is a very special chapter for me as we are joined by five guests: bassist Chad Neptune, former vocalist Jason Berggren, album vocalist Chris Carbonell, drummer Steven Kleisath and former label AR rep Billy Power. Thanks SO much for listening today. I've been wanting to do this for a while.

Chapter 99 Music: "The Advent Of A Miracle" in its entirety

"These Times That Try Men's Souls"

"Supplication"

"Council Of Perfection"

"More BitterThan Death"

"Advent Of A Miracle"

"Measure Of Consequence"

"Sorrow Is A Sage"

"Increase"

"The Fall Of Babylon"

As The Story Grows links:

This chapter was edited by the abominable Bryan Patton. Thanks Bryan! https://twitter.com/bryanpatton84

Chapter 98: "Loser Lifer" ...as read by Jesse Matthewson of Ken Mode

Jesse Matthewson, lead vocalist and guitarist of the Canadian outfit Ken Mode was good enough to grace us with his chapter. I caught Jesse in a bit of some downtime within Ken Modes schedule so this conversation is about as hangout as you can get. He's not even promoting anything as of yet...but he assures us that a whole new direction is afoot in the Ken Mode camp. We discuss the unique geographical challenges on being a band in the Canadian tundra, vocal challenges that come with downtime, early inception of the band, he (and brother/drummer Shane's) management company and how the rest of the world is viewing good ol' America right now.

All things Ken: http://www.ken-mode.com

Chapter 98 Music:

Ken Mode: "Management Control"

Ken Mode: "The Pioneer"

Ken Mode: "The Irate Jumbuck"

Ken Mode: "Blessed"

Kittens: "Tiger Comet"

Ken Mode: "The Goat"

Ken Mode: "A Wicked Pike"

Ken Mode: "A Catalog Of Small Disappointments"

Ken Mode: "Dead Actors"

As The Story Grows links:

This chapter was edited by the insatiable Bryan Patton. Thanks Bryan! https://twitter.com/bryanpatton84

Chapter 97: "All Over The Map" ...as read by Damon Atkinson of Braid and Hey Mercedes

This chapter is dedicated to Keith Woodson, thanks for the patreon donation Keith!

This podcast has afforded me the opportunity to talk to and get to know some of my favorite musicians. Damon Atkinson is a HUGE influence on me and I'm so happy to present this Damon-marathon to you. We talked for about two hours about his first emergency Braid tour, meeting and working with Jawbox, voluntary sobriety, his tons of jobs that have led him to his involvement in music festivals. This man has done it all...then opens a restaurant. If you enjoy this anywhere near as much as I did then I'm proud to present it to you.

This photo is from after the Hey Mercedes show in Philly last year. Score.

Damon on the AMAZING podcast The Trap Set: http://www.thetrapset.net/076-damon-atkinson-braid-hey-mercedes/

Braid Home Page: http://braidcentral.com

Hey Mercedes FB page: https://www.facebook.com/heymercedesband/

Chapter 97 Music:

Hey Mercedes - Quality Revenge at Last

Braid - Milwaukee Sky Rocket

Hey Mercedes - Knowing When To Stop

Braid - East End Hollows

Braid - Killing A Camera

Hey Mercedes - Let's Go Blue

As The Story Grows links:

This chapter was edited by the amazingly helpful Bryan Patton. Thanks Bryan! https://twitter.com/bryanpatton84

(recorded on Friday March 3rd, 2017)

Chapter 96: "In Droves" ...as read by Mark Engles of Black Map/Dredg

Mark Engles is one of my favorite guitarists. After Dredg kicked multiple dents in my head in the mid-2000s this guy starts another one of my favorite bands called Black Map with Ben Flanagan of The Trophy Fire and Chris Robyn of Far. FAR! Remember them? Mark talks about how he decided to NOT be a drummer as a kid, we touch a little bit about Dredg but this chapters' main focus is Black Map. Black Map has a new album called "In Droves" being released on March 10th. Thank you Bill Meis and EntertainmentOne for the connection. Mark let me play SO much music on here!!!

All things Black Map: https://blackmapmusic.com

Mark on the Ink And Echo Podcast: http://www.inkandecho.com/archive/2017/1/17/ie024-mark-engles-of-dredg-black-map-the-band-who-provides-ies-theme-music

Listen to me blather about Dredg "El Cielo" on Respectably Loud:

https://soundcloud.com/user-630663489/respectably-loud-episode-15-travis-turner

Chapter 96 Music:

As The Story Grows links:

Chapter 95: "Death By A Thousand Cuts" ...as read by Andrew Elstner

(Recorded on Saturday Feb 4th, 2017)

We finally get a little bit serious with triple-timer Andrew Elstner. We have some serious topics to discuss. Andrew has since been dismissed from his role as the guitarist in Torche. Elstner tells for the first time what happened, sort of. We also talk about the passing of his amazing TILTS drummer and long time friend Ken McCray. Cancer sucks. Andrew connects some dots with TILTS members with some local St Louis bands and gives us a little insight to some great bands we don't know about (Prepare the google.)

Not really anything to link for this one, but check out TILTS!!! https://tilts.bandcamp.com/music

Chapter 95 is dedicated in the memory of Ken McCray. Thanks for the music, sir.

Chapter 95 Music:

Day Old Man: "Ancestral Demise"

Torche: "Reverse Inverted"

TILTS: "The Sleepover"

Hell Night: "Perpetual Motion Machine"

James Brown: "Get Up Offa That Thing"

As The Story Grows links:

(Recorded on Sunday, February 12th, 2017)

...and the beat goes on. Speaking to Daryl Rabidoux of The Cancer Conspiracy led me to Dana Filloon, drummer of the almighty Junius. Dana jots down his chapter as he tells about his early bands, playing with Kathy of Circle Takes The Square, abandoning tour vehicles in the desert and what goes into making that huge Junius sound. Dana gets pretty deep into how to manufacture a live sound as it is constantly evolving and getting ready for tour to support their new album "Eternal Rituals for the Accretion of Light" which is being released on March 3rd on Prosthetic Records.

Thanks Daryl, thank you Dana, thank you Prosthetic...thanks Joe for a killer album.

Check out all things Junius on their gorgeous website: http://www.juniusmusic.com

Chapter 94 Music:

A Mass For Metaphysicians

Hiding Knives

Beyond The Pale Society

The Queen's Constellation

Clean The Beast

As The Story Grows links:

(Recorded on Friday February 17th , 2017)

Hopefully this will be the last time we hear from Jason Wisdom for a while, AMIRITE? Totally kidding. One of my loveliest friends comes back for a third time to do a track by track of his new Death Therapy album "The Storm Before The Calm"...out on Solid State on Feb 24th, 2017. Pre-order here: http://flyt.it/DeathTherapy

Jason and I discuss everything from a man's walk with God, a lil' bit o' sports (sorry, Jeremy!) to video games. Stick around to the end because I have a special message from Seth Werkheiser.

Death Therapy: https://www.facebook.com/deaththerapy/

Death Therapy Merch: https://deaththerapymetal.bandcamp.com/merch

Seth's run for Women's Resources of Monroe County: https://www.gofundme.com/trail-run-for-womens-resources

Chapter 93 Music:

THANK YOU JASON AND SOLID STATE RECORDS! Thanks to them, you get to hear a little bit of the entire album.

Until Then

Self. Mind. Dead.

The Lie

Wake Me When I'm Dead

Prodigal

Slow Dance With Death

Possessed

Everything Burns

Belmont Family Curse Part One (Night)

Belmont Family Curse Part Two (Day)

As The Story Grows links:

(Recorded on Monday January 23, 2017)

Carley Coma, lead vocalist of Candiria has done a lot of podcasts lately. We tried something a little different. Candirias' new album "While They Were Sleeping" is an outrageous concept album that had been birthed from Carleys' perspective of 9/11, people on their phones at the train station, Ferguson, a vision of the Empire State Building and inspiration from Brooklyns' largest library. I wanted to go track for track and have him walk me through it. So here it is, the podcast companion to the new Candiria album straight from the man who dreamed it up. Thank you Carley for dragging your weary behind to task and having this conversation. This podcast makes me want to do more of these. Enjoy...and BUY THIS AMAZING ALBUM!

Candiria lives at Metal Blade: http://www.metalblade.com/candiria/

Talk Toomey with Carley and Chuck Billy of Testament:

Using your eyes, watch Candiria here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXLFVpLcolGtR7o88zzMO1Q

Chapter 92 Music:

Every track, in order, from "While They Were Sleeping":

As The Story Grows links:

This chapter was edited by the amazingly helpful Bryan Patton. Thanks Bryan! https://twitter.com/bryanpatton84

(Recorded Tuesday January 24, 2017)

This just keeps getting better. I am joined by now-legendary drummer Gene Hoglan for this next chapter. If you're into metal then I'm willing to bet that not only have you heard Gene play drums before but probably own a few albums that he is on. Gene has played with Dark Angel, Devin Townsend, Strapping Young Lad, Death, Fear Factory, Dethklok , now currently working with Testament and he was even a guest vocalist on Slayer's "Show No Mercy". He has appeared live with Opeth, Anthrax and Unearth under what can be considered "emergency circumstances." Nothing rattles this guy.

Gene and I discuss his trip to NAMM, his earliest induction into the scene through his older sister, pulling off the interstate to pick up music so he could learn it on the way to the gig, his tremendous effort committed to weight loss, health and avoiding diabetes, Death and Chuck Schuldiner and air drumming on his bed to become an open-handed hi-hat leftie because of where he had his record player as a kid. Most importantly, Gene has his new SELF-FUNDED drumming dvd "The Atomic Clock Strikes Two" coming out on Feb 3rd. Please don't steal it. Instead go to his website and order it!

Genes' website: http://hoglanindustries.com

If you need more Gene check out my buddy Josh Toomey's conversation on the Talk Toomey podcast: http://www.talktoomeypod.com

Chapter 91 Music:

Death: "Zero Tolerance"

Dark Angel: "Death Is Certain; Life Is Not"

Death: "Spirit Crusher" (Richard Christy on drums)

Testament: "Brotherhood Of The Snake"

Death: "The Philosopher"

As The Story Grows links:

We love you. Take care. Subscribe.

(Recorded on January 6th, 2017)

Let's see...where were we? Here is part two of my discussion with Daryl Rabidoux. You should really listen to the first one before this one, but whatever. Good times are to be had either way. We discuss the "lost" Cancer Conspiracy Omega, the theft that kinda began the ending for Cancer Conspiracy, working with Will Benoit at Radar Studio http://theradarstudio.com , gear nerdy and building equipment, speed doctoring? That's a thing?, Club 242 and being started by none other than Bernie Sanders, getting a note from his parents to get out of school to tour, the almighty Rocketsled and how the vinyl bug bit at a very young age. Enjoy.

Ok this was a beast to edit. If you wanna watch us have the ENTIRE discussion with close to an hour of extra discussion, hustle that bustle over to my youtubicles:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03BKIK0VOyc

Chapter 90 Music:

Cancer Conspiracy: "II"

Daughters: "Providence By Gaslight"

Cancer Conspiracy: "Summer Of Andy"

Constants: "Genetics Like Chess Pieces"

Rocketsled: "Main Man"

Nels Cline: "The Gamine"

Conan: "Revengeance"

Cancer Conspiracy: "III"

As The Story Grows links:

We love you. Take care. Subscribe.