The Rock and Metal Profs

Everybody Wants Some!  Has there ever been a more impactful and transformative band than Van Halen?  When Eddie, Alex, Michael and DLR hit the Los Angeles scene in the late-1970s, it was a seismic shift in music.  A young Eddie Van Halen showed that whatever people might have thought was possible (or impossible) on the guitar, they were wrong.  The most complete rock guitar player of all time, within months of the band's debut release, there were hundreds of young guitar players trying to figure out what he was playing, copying his techniques, and doing their best Eddie impersonations.  This week the Profs give Eddie and the boys in VH the full treatment.

System of a Down are a band that tackled serious issues.  Their outspoken criticism of Turkey's government and the Armenian Genocide is well-documented.  But what some casual listeners may not know is that they are also an incredibly talented quartet -- gifted songwriters and musicians.  When they hit the music scene in the late-1990s, their crushing rhythms, frenetic energy, and Armenian-inspired melodies pulverized listeners.  The thinking man's band, love them or hate them, no one can deny their brilliance and their influence. 

The Profs examine the tumultuous 1990s and how Judas Priest reinvented when Halford left the band.  Like most metal acts in the 90s, JP struggled to maintain legitimacy and their fanbase.  Record companies moved on, but the band forged ahead.  With Halford returning to the band in the early 2000s, the band produced a string of incredible albums and proved their staying power, resiliency and determination.  Their artistic talents were as strong as ever.  Fans returned, and once again Priest  sold out arenas and headlined the biggest music festivals in the world.  Some 50 years on, their legacy is unparalleled in rock and metal.  Episode 3 of 3.

When 1982's "Screaming for Vengeance" hit the U.S. and England, it was a smash.  Up until that point, the Birmingham metal outfit had modest success, particular in the U.S. when they opened for KISS in 1979.  However, "Screaming..." placed JP alongside the greatest rock and metal acts of the decade.  With fame came infamy however, and Priest was not immune to the "Satanic Panic" and the religious alarmism of the 80s.  It all came to a head when tragically, two Judas Priest fans attempted to take their lives while listening to JP songs.  A lawsuit followed, and Heavy Metal went on trial in the U.S.  The Profs unpack it all on this 2nd episode in a 3 episode series of the metal giants, Judas Priest!

The Profs mine the data to present the history and philosophy of heavy metal progenitors Judas Priest.  Like their fellow Birmingham mates in Black Sabbath, Judas Priest deserve to be placed alongside Sabbath as the founding fathers of heavy metal.  From the start, Priest blazed their own path, creating a sound and style that has been often emulated but never mastered.  With Rob Halford's haunting and emotional vocals and 3-octave range, Glenn Tipton and KK Downing's twin guitar attack and founding member Ian Hill holding it all down on bass, Priest have produced some of the greatest music in any genre.  This week, the 1970s.  

More interviews from Rock N Pod August 2022.  Matt and Court interview legendary drummer Vinnie Appice of Black Sabbath and DIO, Producer Toby Wright (Alice In Chains, Metallica) and Memphis rockers Tora Tora.  

Court and Matt interview members of the rock outfit "Resist and Bite" (featuring Tommy Skeoch of Tesla) and legendary rock muse and groupie Pamela Des Barres.  

Vinnie Vincent has the distinction of being one of the most beloved, reviled and criticized rock artists of the last 40 years.  When he hit the Los Angeles scene he had modest success writing and performing musical scores for TV shows.  Hired by KISS to replace founding guitarist Ace Frehley in the early-80s, fans were ecstatic with the new musical direction and more complex guitar arrangements.  Much to the chagrin of KISS fans, Vincent's time in KISS came to an abrupt end as quickly as it started.  Subsequently, VV became an enigma and quite reclusive until he resurfaced in the 2020s.  The Profs investigate what happened and why, as well as Vinnie's legacy in the band.  

The Profs examine the incomparable Kansas.  Were they classic rock?  Were they early prog rock?  Were they a pop band?  Kansas was challenging to define, then and now.  Whatever the categorization, music fans agree that they made some of the best music of the 70s and 80s, and with very little radio airplay nor popular acclaim.  Count and Matt look at the band's past, legacy, and philosophy that so defined the great bands of the 70s. 

The Profs take a 2nd look at the monumental British metal band Iron Maiden.  Often considered one of the greatest of the "New Wave of British Heavy Metal" bands in the early 80s, Maiden's place in the pantheon of metal is secure.  And perhaps no band is better at covering historical topics and telling meaningful stories than Steve, Bruce, Dave, Adrian, Janick and Nicko.  This one took some time and research!  Let's go!