We're jumping into the new year with a podcast previewing forthcoming releases we expect to come in 2025 from a slew of our favourite artists: Encephalon, Spark!, Devours, and more. We're also talking about the passing of Chemlab's Dylan Thomas More, news regarding Ghost Twin and Kindest Cuts, and this year's iteration of Cold Waves.

Our still recently minted annual tradition of the off-topic commentary is back! After records by Little Boots and GZA in previous years, we're once again wandering away from Our Thing for our final We Have A Commentary of the year. As voted on by our patrons, we're discussing an Iron Maiden record, 1986's Somewhere In Time in particular! From the band's emerging structural experimentation to its classic galloping metal to the increasingly adventurous themes and topics they were taking on, we have a blast discussing one of our mutual favourite metal bands of all time.

As an addendum to our main roster Year End coverage, we're poking out of our Tofurkey comas to each pick five tracks from the past year which stuck with us. Separate from our records of the year and honorable mentions, these are club-joints, one-offs, or just damn catchy ditties we wanted to throw some roses at before the the ghost of Dick Clark does the countdown. We're also discussing the lineup of next year's Verboden festival.

Wrapping up our week of Year End coverage we have an episode of the podcast discussing some common trends and notable factors in our Top 25 records of the year, some statistical number crunching looking back at previous years' lists, and each of the Senior Staff choosing five honourable mention records from the year which didn't quite make the list. Thanks so much for checking the podcast out, whether you're jumping in to get a crash course in the year's best music or you've stuck with us all year.

Just ahead of next week's year end coverage, we're playing catch-up on this week's podcast. Four records from Black Nail Cabaret, Orange Sector, Vision Video, and Kite released over the past year which we did not formally write up or discuss but wanted to be on record about before releasing our Top 25 records of the year are taken up here.

The criteria and membership of a (entirely hypothetical) industrial hall of fame is the subject of this week's podcast. What sort of criteria would be used to evaluate a band's legacy? Who's a shoo-in? Which artists' candidacies might inspire screaming matches and bare-knuckle brawls? How might we ensure that the rivethead equivalent of Harold Baines would not end up enshrined within these (again, entirely hypothetical) hallowed halls? We're talking about all that plus the Sick New World cancellation.

It's a down the pipe two albums episode of the podcast this week, as we discuss the cinematic body disco of Molasar and the late period dark electro/electro-industrial hybrid of Novakill's first record. We're also discussing the Cleopatra Records AI music controversy, plus announcing the Vancouver spot on the Lana Del Rabies/God Is War tour which we're co-presenting.

The debut LP of Wax Trax sleaze peddlers extraordinaire, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, is the subject of this month's commentary podcast. Between the duo of Buzz McCoy and Groovie Mann getting in on the 'darkened 60s psychedelia' angle years before it went mainstream, to their placement within Wax Trax and industrial music overall in the late 80s, to the more restrained (and dare we say tasteful?) sounds which crop up in the band's early work, there's plenty to discuss.

In an episode dedicated to splitting the finest of hairs and analyzing the specific dance steps of angels on pinheads, we're each picking five micro-genres for discussion. Do they exist? Are they distinct from neighbouring styles? What can be learn or take from them? We're also discussing Metropolis Records' recently announced charity initiative and corresponding compilation series

It's a pretty diverse two albums formatted episode this week; we're talking about the freeform, hip-hop and rock tinged EBM chaos of Scapa Flow's final LP Heads Off To Freedom and Marhseaux's big and direct 2013 electro-pop LP Inhale.