Radical Research Podcast

By Jeff Wagner & Hunter GinnMusic Music Commentary

Radical Research Podcast episodes

October 29 Episode 152 – Todtgelichter’s ‘Angst’: The Fear of Being Forgotten
On their 2010 album, 'Angst,' German band Todtgelichter presented a song called "Oblivion," including the lyric "Dead night comes near, this is the fear of being forgotten." Here, on our 152nd episode, we try our best to let them know that they are hardly forgotten: the 'Angst' album is one we both hold in extremely high regard. Join us as we plow through highlights of that album, and also look at where they came from and where they went after this most singular work of metal art.
Note I:
Very soon we will finally be offering the second batch of Radical Research t-shirts! After several years of drought, we answer the demand and have added two new designs. Show your love for the greatest musick on earth and support our podcast at the same time. These designs will only be available here, radicalresearch.org, so please keep checking, as they will indeed be posted for sale very soon. Choose from: KEEP METAL WEIRD; KEEP PROG WEIRD; PAN.THY.MONIUM FIRST, FAMILY SECOND; and SORRY MARTY
Note II:
Jeff’s Voivod book, ‘Always Moving: The Strange Multiverse of Voivod,’ is now available. You can purchase a copy of the 540-page, 3-pound behemoth HERE: radicalresearch.org/voivod
Note III:
The Radical Research Patreon page is now set up and ready for your patronage. We are offering tiered subscription levels for those who want a set-it-and-forget-it donation option. As ever, if you choose to support us, we are humbled and grateful! patreon.com/RadicalResearchPodcast
Music cited in order of appearance:
“Von Hass Und Trauer” (Was Bleibt…, 2005)
“Aschentraum” (Schemen, 2007)
“Café of Lost Dreams” (Angst, 2010)
“Bestie” (Angst, 2010)
“Oblivion” (Angst, 2010)
“Phobos & Deimos” (Angst, 2010)
“Neon” [two moments] (Angst, 2010)
“Subway” (Angst, 2010)
“Moloch” (Angst, 2010)
“Allmählich” (Angst, 2010)
“Expectations” (Apnoe, 2013)
“Ghost” (Rooms, 2016)
Radical Research is a conversation about the inner- and outer-reaches of rock and metal music. This podcast is conceived and conducted by Jeff Wagner and Hunter Ginn. Though we consume music in a variety of ways, we give particular privilege to the immersive, full-album listening experience. Likewise, we believe that tangible music formats help provide the richest, most rewarding immersions and that music, artwork, and song titles cooperate to produce a singular effect on the listener. Great music is worth more than we ever pay for it.
1 hr 13 min
October 12 Episode 151.5 – Permeable Lines, Part 3: Voivod & Dodheimsgard
Our third in the Permeable Lines series takes a query from a Radical Research listener regarding Voivod's "Rise" and Dodheimsgard's "The Snuff Dreams Are Made Of." We're game...and we invite you to send in your bids for comparison in this ongoing Point 5 series.
Music cited in order of appearance:
Voivod, "Rise" (Phobos, 1997)
Dodheimsgard, "The Snuff Dreams Are Made Of" (Supervillain Outcast, 2007)
Stay tuned for episode 152, on Todtgelichter's 2010 opus, 'Angst,' with discussion on the worthiness (or lack thereof) of the albums that bookend it.
10 min
October 05 Episode 151 – From the Lawless Firm of Mendonça & Gray: AKERCOCKE 2005-2017
Much like their hometown of London, England, Akercocke at once embody urbanity and the bucolic, depravity and erudition -- constantly blurring the lines between seemingly opposite poles. In Akercocke’s world, nothing is quite as it seems. Herein, we dissect the most recent half of their discography, which is some of the most adventurous, beguiling metal we have EVER heard.
Note I:
Jeff’s Voivod book, ‘Always Moving: The Strange Multiverse of Voivod,’ is now available. You can purchase a copy of the 540-page, 3-pound behemoth HERE: radicalresearch.org/voivod
Note II:
The Radical Research Patreon page is now set up and ready for your patronage. We are offering tiered subscription levels for those who want a set-it-and-forget-it donation option. As ever, if you choose to support us, we are humbled and grateful! patreon.com/RadicalResearchPodcast
Music cited in order of appearance:
“Verdelet” (Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds That Go Undone, 2005)
“Shelter from the Sand” (Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds That Go Undone, 2005)
“Eyes of the Dawn” (Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds That Go Undone, 2005)
“Words That Go Unspoken” (Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds That Go Undone, 2005)
“Axiom” (Antichrist, 2007)
“My Apterous Angel” (Antichrist, 2007)
“Man Without Faith or Trust” (Antichrist, 2007)
“The Dark Inside” (Antichrist, 2007)
“Familiar Ghosts” (Renaissance in Extremis, 2017)
“A Final Glance Back Before Departing” (Renaissance in Extremis, 2017)
“One Chapter Closing for Another to Begin” (Renaissance in Extremis, 2017)
“A Particularly Cold September” (Renaissance in Extremis, 2017)
Radical Research is a conversation about the inner- and outer-reaches of rock and metal music. This podcast is conceived and conducted by Jeff Wagner and Hunter Ginn. Though we consume music in a variety of ways, we give particular privilege to the immersive, full-album listening experience. Likewise, we believe that tangible music formats help provide the richest, most rewarding immersions and that music, artwork, and song titles cooperate to produce a singular effect on the listener. Great music is worth more than we ever pay for it.
1 hr 33 min
September 17 Episode 150, pt. 2 – Anathema 2001-2017: Your Dream World is a Very Scary Place
We conclude our 2-part, 4-hour deep dive into one of our favorite bands in the universe, the mighty Anathema. This second part looks at their 2001-2017 phase, surveying the six albums they released in that 18-year span. They are no longer active, but they’re very much alive in our hearts and sound systems, an eternal source of inspiration for the hosts of this podcast and their legion of fans across the globe. This is a love letter.
Note I:
As we were perusing the list of inspiring songs listed on Judgement, in the early part of this episode, we concluded that “Albatross” had to be the Corrosion of Conformity song. While that would certainly track, we’ve come to think it was maybe this Fleetwood Mac song Anathema were referring to instead: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QooCN5JbOkU
Note II:
We mention Antimatter, where we saw bassist Duncan Patterson go after leaving Anathema. It should be noted that while Duncan was a huge part of that band’s early years, Antimatter has been driven since inception by co-founder and longtime leader of the band, Mick Moss.
Note III:
At the 1:01:55 mark, Hunter makes a slight error in the title of the Sieges Even album he’s referring to. It’s ‘The Art of Navigating by the Stars’ (2005). No biggie, but as sticklers for detail, we had to correct that.
Note IV:
Jeff’s Voivod book, ‘Always Moving: The Strange Multiverse of Voivod,’ is now available. You can purchase a copy of the 540-page, 3-pound behemoth HERE: radicalresearch.org/voivod
Note V:
The Radical Research Patreon page is now set up and ready for your patronage. We are offering tiered subscription levels for those who want a set-it-and-forget-it donation option. As ever, if you choose to support us, we are humbled and grateful! patreon.com/RadicalResearchPodcast
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Music cited in order of appearance:
“Looking Outside Inside” (A Fine Day to Exit, 2001)
“Leave No Trace” (A Fine Day to Exit, 2001)
“A Fine Day to Exit” (A Fine Day to Exit, 2001)
“Closer” (A Natural Disaster, 2003)
“Flying” (A Natural Disaster, 2003)
“Violence” (A Natural Disaster, 2003)
“A Simple Mistake” (We’re Here Because We’re Here, 2010)
“Universal” (We’re Here Because We’re Here, 2010)
“Untouchable Part 1” (Weather Systems, 2012)
“The Storm Before the Calm” (Weather Systems, 2012)
“The Lost Song Part 1” (Distant Satellites, 2014)
“Anathema” (Distant Satellites, 2014)
“Springfield” (The Optimist, 2017)
“Can’t Let Go” (The Optimist, 2017)
outro: “Restless Oblivion” (The Silent Enigma, 1995)
Radical Research is a conversation about the inner- and outer-reaches of rock and metal music. This podcast is conceived and conducted by Jeff Wagner and Hunter Ginn. Though we consume music in a variety of ways, we give particular privilege to the immersive, full-album listening experience. Likewise, we believe that tangible music formats help provide the richest, most rewarding immersions and that music, artwork, and song titles cooperate to produce a singular effect on the listener. Great music is worth more than we ever pay for it.
1 hr 47 min
August 26 Episode 150, pt. 1 – Anathema 1990-1999: Splitting Mountains Wide
Liverpool, England’s Anathema are one of the bedrocks of the Radical Research musical adventure. It’s why we’ve chosen to commemorate our 150th episode with a two-part dive into their entire catalog, from the harrowing wretchedness of their early demo work to the graceful final statement of 2017’s The Optimist. We rejoice and weep, praise and cry, as we explore all of their 1990s output in episode 1 of this 2-part indulgence.
Note I:
As explained in this episode, we aren’t giving short shrift (whatever shrift is!) to the Eternity album. It’s just that we covered it in great detail on episode 125, which you can find right here: https://www.radicalresearch.org/episode-125-do-you-think-were-forever-anathemas-eternity/
Note II:
We’ve been doing this for years now, and after 150 episodes, Jeff still can’t get it right: the lack of fidelity on his voice in the first half of this episode is because he had the microphone backwards. He finally corrects this around minute 59. C’mon, Wagner, get with the program already!
Note III:
Jeff’s Voivod book, ‘Always Moving: The Strange Multiverse of Voivod,’ is now available. You can purchase a copy of the 540-page, 3-pound behemoth HERE: radicalresearch.org/voivod
Note IV:
The Radical Research Patreon page is now set up and ready for your patronage. We are offering tiered subscription levels for those who want a set-it-and-forget-it donation option. As ever, if you choose to support us, we are humbled and grateful! patreon.com/RadicalResearchPodcast
Music cited in order of appearance:
“The Lord of Mortal Pestilence” (An Iliad of Woes demo, 1990)
“At One With the Earth” (All Faith is Lost demo, 1991)
“…And I Lust” (The Crestfallen EP, 1992)
“Crestfallen” (The Crestfallen EP, 1992)
“Sweet Tears” (Serenades, 1993)
“Sleepless” (Serenades, 1993)
“We, the Gods” (Pentecost III, 1994)
“Memento Mori” (Pentecost III, 1994)
“Shroud of Frost” (The Silent Enigma, 1995)
“Cerulean Twilight” (The Silent Enigma, 1995)
“The Beloved” (Eternity, 1996)
“Re-Connect” (Alternative 4, 1998)
“Inner Silence” (Alternative 4, 1998)
“Pitiless” (Judgement, 1999)
“Judgement” (Judgement, 1999)
“Wings of God” (Judgement, 1999)
Radical Research is a conversation about the inner- and outer-reaches of rock and metal music. This podcast is conceived and conducted by Jeff Wagner and Hunter Ginn. Though we consume music in a variety of ways, we give particular privilege to the immersive, full-album listening experience. Likewise, we believe that tangible music formats help provide the richest, most rewarding immersions and that music, artwork, and song titles cooperate to produce a singular effect on the listener. Great music is worth more than we ever pay for it.
2 hr 17 min
August 03 Episode 149 – Those Nasty Talkers: A Collaboration with Hair Metal Memories Podcast on TNT’s ‘Tell No Tales’
It's back to Norway for Radical Research, although this time, it's not about weirdness, unless you consider us covering an album like this a little weird. But we adore this band, especially this 30-minute masterpiece. And for years, we’d talked of spotlighting Tell No Tales with none other than Bryon Dudley and Aaron Alcott of the excellent Hair Metal Memories podcast. We finally got down to business and in this episode, we dissect all the beauty, joy, audacity and high, higher, highest of this great band’s greatest album. This collaboration felt really natural, and we might do another one with these guys, dudes who aren’t quite at opposite poles as much as one might assume. As Aaron says here, Tell No Tales is “something that should be known beyond the borders of its genre.”
Note I:
Led by two gentlemen well-versed in a wide variety of music genres, we encourage our listeners to check out Hair Metal Memories, which explores the genre with nerdy passion and a fresh, informed perspective it rarely receives.
Find them here: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/hair-metal-memories/
Note II:
Jeff’s Voivod book, ‘Always Moving: The Strange Multiverse of Voivod,’ is now available. You can purchase a copy of the 540-page, 3-pound behemoth HERE: radicalresearch.org/voivod
Note III:
The Radical Research Patreon page is now set up and ready for your patronage. We are offering tiered subscription levels for those who want a set-it-and-forget-it donation option. As ever, if you choose to support us, we are humbled and grateful! patreon.com/RadicalResearchPodcast
Music cited in order of appearance:
[all snippets from TNT, Tell No Tales (1987)]
“Everyone’s a Star”
“10,000 Lovers (in One)”
“As Far As the Eye Can See”
“Sapphire”
“Child’s Play”
“Listen to Your Heart”
“Desperate Night”
“Northern Lights”
“Tell No Tales”
Radical Research is a conversation about the inner- and outer-reaches of rock and metal music. This podcast is conceived and conducted by Jeff Wagner and Hunter Ginn. Though we consume music in a variety of ways, we give particular privilege to the immersive, full-album listening experience. Likewise, we believe that tangible music formats help provide the richest, most rewarding immersions and that music, artwork, and song titles cooperate to produce a singular effect on the listener. Great music is worth more than we ever pay for it.
1 hr 18 min
July 13 Episode 148 – CATHEDRAL 1990-1994: Lord, Release the Dragons…
What exactly constitutes "Radical Research material?" We're gonna test that question with this and the next episode. With episode 148, we answer with more questions: "Is it weird?" "Is it heavy?" "Is it something we enjoy?" "Would most of the music-listening world hate it?" Yes, yes, yes and yes! And lord, do we love us some Cathedral. Especially the early era, which is the 5-year chunk of time investigated here. Herein, we hail Dorrian, Gaz, Griffiths, Lehan and the three drummers that comprise this most potent, powerful era of the UK's legendary lords of doom.
Note I:
Something we knew about but failed to mention on this episode: even though the roots of Cathedral are partly based on the fateful meeting of doom-heads Lee Dorrian and Mark Griffiths, it is also rooted in a project that guitarist Gary “Gaz” Griffiths did after leaving Acid Reign. The following is from the mighty Metal Archives, to help fill in the gap here: “Morbid Doom recorded a demo entitled ‘Sorrow's Epitaph’ in late 1989 or early '90, which contained about 9 songs. Two of the tracks on it would later become Cathedral songs: ‘Sorrows End’ became ‘Jaded Entity", and ‘Suffocation of Mankind’ became ‘Phantasmagoria.’ The reworked/re-recorded versions of both ended up on 1993's The Ethereal Mirror album.”
Note II:
Jeff’s Voivod book, ‘Always Moving: The Strange Multiverse of Voivod,’ is now available. You can purchase a copy of the 540-page, 3-pound behemoth HERE: radicalresearch.org/voivod
Note III:
The Radical Research Patreon page is now set up and ready for your patronage. We are offering tiered subscription levels for those who want a set-it-and-forget-it donation option. As ever, if you choose to support us, we are humbled and grateful! patreon.com/RadicalResearchPodcast
Music cited in order of appearance:
“Mourning of a New Day” (In Memorium demo, 1990)
“Commiserating the Celebration” (Forest of Equilibrium, 1991)
“Equilibrium” (Forest of Equilibrium, 1991)
“Reaching Happiness, Touching Pain” (Forest of Equilibrium, 1991)
“Soul Sacrifice” (Soul Sacrifice, 1992)
“Autumn Twilight” (Soul Sacrifice, 1992)
“Enter the Worms” (The Ethereal Mirror, 1993)
“Fountain of Innocence” (The Ethereal Mirror, 1993)
“Phantasmagoria” ” (The Ethereal Mirror, 1993)
“Hypnos 164” (Statik Majik, 1994)
“Cosmic Funeral” (Statik Majik, 1994)
“Voyage of the Homeless Sapien” (Statik Majik, 1994)
Radical Research is a conversation about the inner- and outer-reaches of rock and metal music. This podcast is conceived and conducted by Jeff Wagner and Hunter Ginn. Though we consume music in a variety of ways, we give particular privilege to the immersive, full-album listening experience. Likewise, we believe that tangible music formats help provide the richest, most rewarding immersions and that music, artwork, and song titles cooperate to produce a singular effect on the listener. Great music is worth more than we ever pay for it.
1 hr 36 min
June 20 Episode 147 – Crack the Code: Kevin Moore’s Genius
The scope of Kevin Moore’s genius begins with Dream Theater’s “Space-Dye Vest” and concludes with OSI’s Fire Make Thunder. We try to use the g-word sparingly around here, but truly, Moore’s singular artistic vision is something we attempt to hail and dissect here, for our 147th episode. Join us in celebrating this specific, singular talent.
Note I:
Hunter mentions “library music” in response to Chroma Key’s music on the Graveyard Mountain Home album. You can learn more about library music here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Production_music
Note II:
The story we relate from Chris Warunki, at this end of this episode, about his very lucrative sale of Kevin Moore’s pre-Chroma Key release, This is a Recording: Demos 1994-97, is given evidence here:
https://www.discogs.com/release/4238872-Kevin-Moore-This-Is-A-Recording-Demos-1994-97
Note III:
Jeff’s Voivod book, ‘Always Moving: The Strange Multiverse of Voivod,’ is now available. You can purchase a copy of the 540-page, 3-pound behemoth HERE: radicalresearch.org/voivod
Note IV:
The Radical Research Patreon page is now set up and ready for your patronage. We are offering tiered subscription levels for those who want a set-it-and-forget-it donation option. As ever, if you choose to support us, we are humbled and grateful! patreon.com/RadicalResearchPodcast
Music cited in order of appearance:
Dream Theater, “Ytse Jam” (When Dream and Day Unite, 1989)
Dream Theater, “Wait for Sleep” (Images and Words, 1992)
Dream Theater, “Space-Dye Vest” (Awake, 1994)
Kevin Moore, “Space-Dye Vest” (demo, 1994)
Fates Warning, “A Pleasant Shade of Gray, Part VIII” (A Pleasant Shade of Gray, 1997)
Chroma Key, “Colorblind” (Dead Air for Radios, 1998)
Chroma Key, “On the Page” (Dead Air for Radios, 1998)
Chroma Key, “Astronaut Down” (You Go Now, 2000)
Chroma Key, “Come In, Over” (Graveyard Mountain Home, 2004)
OSI, “Hello, Helicopter” (Office of Strategic Influence, 2003)
OSI, “Go” (Free, 2006)
OSI, “Terminal” (Blood, 2009)
OSI, “Radiologue” (Blood, 2009)
Radical Research is a conversation about the inner- and outer-reaches of rock and metal music. This podcast is conceived and conducted by Jeff Wagner and Hunter Ginn. Though we consume music in a variety of ways, we give particular privilege to the immersive, full-album listening experience. Likewise, we believe that tangible music formats help provide the richest, most rewarding immersions and that music, artwork, and song titles cooperate to produce a singular effect on the listener. Great music is worth more than we ever pay for it.
1 hr 38 min
June 05 Episode 146 – Radical Metallurgy Challenge: The Chameleons’ Script of the Bridge
Our friends Marty and Alan at the Heavy Metallurgy podcast challenged us to a duel, and we fire back. The idea was simple: Offer five different albums, any genre, to cover on an episode. Of their five, we chose the only non-metal album, the stunning, beloved 1983 debut Script of the Bridge by English band, The Chameleons. How did Heavy Metallurgy handle our challenge? Find out here: https://www.youtube.com/live/BnrwkIqJ7OU?si=GHex4X8mqILUSQXn
Note I:
Jeff’s Voivod book, ‘Always Moving: The Strange Multiverse of Voivod,’ is now available. You can purchase a copy of the 540-page, 3-pound behemoth HERE: radicalresearch.org/voivod
Note II:
The Radical Research Patreon page is now set up and ready for your patronage. We are offering tiered subscription levels for those who want a set-it-and-forget-it donation option. As ever, if you choose to support us, we are humbled and grateful! patreon.com/RadicalResearchPodcast
Music cited in order of appearance:
all snippets from The Chameleons, Script of the Bridge (1983)
“Don’t Fall”
“Here Today”
“Monkeyland”
“Second Skin”
“Up the Down Escalator”
“Less Than Human”
“Thursday’s Child”
“A Person Isn’t Safe Anywhere These Days”
“Paper Tigers”
“View From a Hill”
Radical Research is a conversation about the inner- and outer-reaches of rock and metal music. This podcast is conceived and conducted by Jeff Wagner and Hunter Ginn. Though we consume music in a variety of ways, we give particular privilege to the immersive, full-album listening experience. Likewise, we believe that tangible music formats help provide the richest, most rewarding immersions and that music, artwork, and song titles cooperate to produce a singular effect on the listener. Great music is worth more than we ever pay for it.
1 hr 15 min
May 18 Episode 145 – Pan-Thy-Monium First, Family Second
Herein, you will find our tribute to Pan-Thy-Monium. Briefly covered in episode 2, we finally give this very special entity its due. We dive deep into the deeps of Raagoonshinnaah’s dwelling and emerge as awed and dumbfounded as ever.
Note I:
At the 28:55 mark, Jeff forgets to name the band who released the Death Has Made Its Call album in 1998. The band was called Ashes, which featured PTM guitarist Mourning aka Robert Ivarsson.
Note II:
Jeff’s Voivod book, ‘Always Moving: The Strange Multiverse of Voivod,’ is now available. You can purchase a copy of the 540-page, 3-pound behemoth HERE: radicalresearch.org/voivod
Note III:
The Radical Research Patreon page is now set up and ready for your patronage. We are offering tiered subscription levels for those who want a set-it-and-forget-it donation option. As ever, if you choose to support us, we are humbled and grateful! patreon.com/RadicalResearchPodcast
Music cited in order of appearance:
“Zenotaffph” (1990, Dawn demo)
“II” (1991, Dream II EP)
“Raagoonshinnaah” (Dawn of Dreams, 1992) (three moments)
“Eepitaffph” (Dawn of Dreams, 1992)
“Amaraah” (Dawn of Dreams, 1992)
“Jag & Vem” (Khaooohs, 1993)
“Khaooohs I” (Khaooohs, 1993)
“Utsikt” (Khaooohs, 1993)
“IV” (Dream II, CD reissue)
“The Battle of Geeheeb” (Khaooohs and Kon-Fus-Ion, 1996) (two moments)
“Thee-Pherenth” (Khaooohs and Kon-Fus-Ion, 1996) (two moments)
Radical Research is a conversation about the inner- and outer-reaches of rock and metal music. This podcast is conceived and conducted by Jeff Wagner and Hunter Ginn. Though we consume music in a variety of ways, we give particular privilege to the immersive, full-album listening experience. Likewise, we believe that tangible music formats help provide the richest, most rewarding immersions and that music, artwork, and song titles cooperate to produce a singular effect on the listener. Great music is worth more than we ever pay for it.
1 hr 47 min