Your favorite podcast, wherein Dr. Eric, an expert, and Dr. John, a novice, explore, discuss, and argue about the history of heavy metal music. New episodes are available on the 3rd Monday of each month!
Visit us at: https://anchor.fm/heavymetal101podcast
Contact us at: heavymetal101podcast@gmail
Wherein Eric and special guest co-host Dr. Ross explore the terrifyingly extraordinary latter day careers of King Diamond and Mercyful Fate, beginning in 1990 and working their way all the way up to 2026. Click on the links below for all the music listening/video breaks in this episode: Listening break #1 : King Diamond "Eye of the Witch" from The Eye (1990) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_rmDu01KJg Listening break #2 : Mercyful Fate- "Burn in Hell" from 9 (1999) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CwJPAemW9M Listening break #3 : King Diamond- "Voodoo" from Voodoo (1998)…
Wherein Eric and John explore the reemergence of heavy metal as a force in popular music/culture at the dawn of the 21st century, including such bands as Limp Bizkit, Korn, Linkin Park, Slipknot, System of a Down, Tool, Evanescence, Metallica, and many more, and John, amazingly, smiles just a couple of times in nostalgic reverie. Click on the links below for all the music listening/video breaks in this episode: Video break #1 : Slipknot- "Duality" from Vol. 3 (The Subliminal Verses) (2004) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fVE8kSM43I Listening break #1 : Nightwish- "Nemo" from Once…
Wherein Eric and John return to the fray for season #6(66!) of the Heavy Metal 101 podcast, kicking things off in style with explorations of hardcore, crossover, and early metalcore, and culminating in a discussion of the band Converge and their seminal masterpiece Jane Doe. Click on the links below for all the music listening/video breaks in this episode: Suggested Listening: Bad Brains- "Pay to Cum" (1980) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTRfvq7q1O8 Video Break #1: Suicidal Tendencies- "Institutionalized" from Suicidal Tendencies (1983) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoF_a0-7xVQ …
Wherein Eric, John, and special guest Quinn, of the And Vol. 4 All podcast, chit-chat delightfully about many of the most important heavy metal albums of the 1990s. Like Heavy Metal 101 , And Vol. 4 All can be found EVERYWHERE you listen to podcasts. Do check out Quinn's wonderful show! You can also reach Quinn at: https://x.com/AV4APod For a written version of Eric and Quinn's lists, as well as links to John's selected "Most Hated Metal Songs" from the episode click here. Official Listening Break: Megadeth - "Holy Wars...The Punishment Due" from Rust in Peace (1990) …
Wherein Eric and John, following a vanishingly brief look at the early history and development of doom metal, investigate the fragmentation of doom into various sub-sub genres in the 1990s, including death doom (Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride, Anathema), gothic metal (Type O Negative), stoner metal (Sleep, Electric Wizard), and more. Click on the links below for all the music listening/video breaks in this episode: Listening Break #1: Pentagram- "The Ghoul" from Pentagram/Relentless (1985/93) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRIkfMSnED4 Listening break #2 : Paradise Lost- "Paradise Lost"…
Wherein Eric and John explore three significant, influential branches of Swedish death metal, the Stockholm scene, the Gothenburg scene, and progressive Swedish death metal, discussing bands including Entombed, Dismember, At the Gates, In Flames, Edge of Sanity, Opeth, and MANY more. Click on the links below for all the music listening/video breaks in this episode: Listening Break #1: Entombed- "Left Hand Path" from Left Hand Path (1990) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weyYzWU-FNI Listening break #2 : At the Gates- "Slaughter of the Soul" from Slaughter of the Soul (1995)…
Wherein Eric briefly introduces the listener to the storied career of Bay Area thrash legends Testament before sitting down to chat with Testament frontman Chuck Billy about their fantastic 2025 album, Para Bellum, and their 2026 US tour, Thrash of the Titans, with Overkill and Destruction. For more information about Testament visit: https://www.testamentlegions.com/site/ Suggested Testament songs: "Over the Wall" from The Legacy (1987) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZkYB81FeDc "The Ballad" from Practice What You Preach (1989) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJ9-xPIuGs0 "Down for Life"…
Wherein Eric and John unleash their inner chaotic neutral bard and lawful evil cleric and explore the D&D-laced fantasy world of power metal through bands including: Manowar, Helloween, Hammerfall, Stratovarius, Rhapsody, Nightwish, and more! Click on the links below for all the music listening/video breaks in this episode: Listening Break #1: Manowar- "Hail and Kill" from Kings of Metal (1988) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6zOT3IZ90U Listening break #2 : A Helloween choose your own adventure! A) "Twilight of the Gods" from Keeper of the Seven Keys Pt. 1 (1987)- …
Wherein Eric and John rekindle their friendship whilst exploring the radiant majest of the holiest of holies that was Slayer from 1988-2001. Click on the links below for all the music listening/video breaks in this episode: Listening Break #1: South of Heaven (1988) Choose Your Own Adventure! A) "South of Heaven" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74nTzbgDGWM B) "Behind the Crooked Cross- https://youtu.be/uuIAPU6Gpaw?si=LYjyulyZRllYiSYa Video Break #1: "War Ensemble" from Seasons in the Abyss (1990)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqnC54vbUbU Listening break #2 : "Stain of Mind" from…
Wherein Eric celebrates the holiday season by presenting an informal fireside chat discussing some of the best books ever written about heavy metal in a variety of different categories! This episode is being offered on the main podcast feed as a "Patreon Sneak Peek" for non-members. Please consider signing up to the Heavy Metal 101 Patreon page for just $3/month. Members get access to exclusive content (like this!), as well as the satisfaction of supporting our scrappy little podcast. patreon.com/HeavyMetal101 (note: a list of all discussed books is available on our Patreon page!)
Wherein Eric battles John, at his very most Johnniest, in a doomed effort to convince him that nü metal can actually be pretty damn cool in the hands of practitioners including Korn, Limp Bizkit, Sevendust, System of a Down, Slipknot, and Deftones. Click on the links below for all the music listening/video breaks in this episode: Video Break #1: Comparing and contrasting nü metal with groove metal through two iterations of Machinehead- A) Nü: "From this Day" from The Burning Red (1999)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJzeJiHHQOY B) Groove: "Locust" from Unto the Locust (2011)-…
Wherein Eric and John pay tribute to our beloved, dearly departed Prince of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne. Click on the links below for all the music listening/video breaks in this episode: Listening Break #1: Earth "Blue Suede Shoes" (by Carl Perkins) early demo (1969)- https://youtu.be/IYxkYHqOjLY?si=YNkxQ-5fIrOehY31&t=576 Listening Break #2: "You Said It All (Live)" from Ozzy Osbourne Live EP (1980)- https://youtu.be/49GY60BkQB4?si=oW3JQvte6cyopvpF Listening break #3 : "Crazy Train (Live 1981)" from Tribute (1987)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq4x9Ek66es Video break #1 : "Bark at the…
Wherein the Heavy Metal 101 podcast dresses up for Halloween as a true crime podcast, and Eric and guest host author Josh Putnam explore the fascinating history of Jack the Ripper, his horrifying crimes, and the heavy metal music they would eventually inspire. Josh Putnam's wonderful book A Heavy Metal History Lesson is available for purchase here: https://a.co/d/hOqyAT9 Click here for the very special HM101 Jack the Ripper themed heavy metal playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1Yjamda29lWD7WTn7Wg4Uv?si=ebee73ffa2fc4941 Click on the links below for all the music listening/video…
Wherein Eric struggles mightily in his efforts to convince John of the many virtues found in the music of early groove metal masters including Pantera, Machine Head, Fear Factory, Sepultura, and more. Click on the links below for all the music listening/video breaks in this episode: Listening Break #1: Bad Brains "Voyage Into Infinity" from Quickness (1989)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfYAifi_9-s Listening Break #2: Pantera "Cowboys from Hell" from Cowboy from Hell (1990)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYfljBCpmE4 Listening break #3 : Pantera "Walk" from Vulgar Display of Power…
Wherein Eric and John put on their big boy panties and finally discuss arguably the most important proto-metal band of all time: Led Zeppelin! Click on the links below for all the music listening/video breaks in this episode: (Optional) Listening Break #1: "Communication Breakdown" from Led Zeppelin I (1969)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2atkj_KWLl0 or "Heartbreaker" from Led Zeppelin II (1969)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5O4073zCKA Listening Break #2: "Immigrant Song" from Led Zeppelin III (1970)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3Y8OWkiUts Listening break #3 : "In the Evening"…
Wherein Eric and John surprise the world with a midsummer bonus episode dedicated to the life and times of one of the most important metal artists of all time, Quorthon, and his legendary black metal/Viking metal band Bathory. This bonus episode would not have been possible without the support of beloved Heavy Metal 101 Patreon members like Quorthon100, who requested this specific topic. Please do consider joining us on our Patreon page for just $3/month. Not only will you have the opportunity to request a bonus episode topic all your own and gain access to exclusive content, but you'll also…
Wherein Eric and John celebrate the 4th season finale by looking in on some of the most monumental heavy metal ever made, including ...And Justice for All and The Black Album ( Metallica ). Click on the links below for all the music listening/video breaks in this episode: Video Break #1: "One" from ...And Justice for All (1988)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM8bTdBs-cw Listening Break #1 : Choose your own adventure! a) “Sad But True" from The Black Album (1991)- https://youtu.be/TpohVYomw2o?si=1GSJIoaKZusJQMnh b) "So What" b side, originally by Anti-Nowhere League (1993)-…
Wherein Eric and John gird their loins, say their prayers, and set forth on an exploration of two of the most frightening, awe-inspiring, and odd monuments in the history of rock music: Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II , while also peaking in on some of the bad behavior that was so deeply interwoven into the legend of Guns N' Roses. Click on the links below for all the music listening/video breaks in this episode: Video break #1 : “You Could Be Mine” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXx9S2nDouY Special thanks to beloved friend of the show Jon Barbas for helping to sponsor this…
Wherein Eric and special guest co-host Ross explore the decline and fall of the most beloved musical genre of their shared misspent youth, glam metal, looking in on the life, times, and repertoire of bands including Slaughter, Poison, Ratt, Warrant, Skid Row, Kiss, Mötley Crüe and many, many more as the 90's death-marched all of them slowly but surely towards (a temporary!) cultural irrelevance. Opening poem excerpted from "A Dream Within a Dream" by Edgar Allan Poe (1849) Click on the links below for all the music listening/video breaks in this episode: Listening break #1 : “Apple PIe” by…
Wherein Eric explores a collection of the coolest new metal releases from February of 2025. Heavy Metal 101 is, at last, (almost!) up to date! This minisode is being offered on the main podcast feed as a "Patreon Sneak Peek" for non-members. Please consider signing up to the Heavy Metal 101 Patreon page for just $3/month. Members get access to exclusive content (like this!), as well as the satisfaction of supporting our scrappy little podcast. patreon.com/HeavyMetal101 Bands/albums discussed herein (click band name for that band's Bandcamp page [except Bleeding Through, who don't appear to…
Wherein Eric takes John on a scenic tour through some of the darkest and lowest circles of Hell via an exploration of the tragic tale of Mayhem and the music of many of Norwegian black metal’s founding fathers, including Darkthrone, Burzum, Immortal, and Emperor. Click on the links below for all the music listening breaks in this episode: Listening break #1 : “Black Metal” by Venom from Black Metal (1982) https://youtu.be/rYg5c_LrsRk?si=o25A4BV2QvRBAm1c Listening break #2 : “Chainsaw Gutsfuck” by Mayhem from Deathcrush (1987) https://youtu.be/OuZhNN9KRV8?si=BYXSD0tzrlGbm1_Y Listening break…
Wherein Eric transcends the very fabric of reality as we know it and takes full advantage of the extraordinary opportunity to interview one of his great musical heroes, Kory Clarke of Warrior Soul, discussing the earliest portion of his music career, Warrior Soul's iconic 90s albums, and what he and the band are up to these days. For more information about Kory Clarke and Warrior Soul visit: https://www.facebook.com/warriorsoulofficial/ https://warriorsoulofficial.store/ http://www.warriorsoulofficial.com/ Please do consider joining Heavy Metal 101 at our shiny, new Patreon page for just…
Wherein Eric and John once again examine some of the gnarled roots underneath the heavy metal family tree, exploring the development and formative influence of golden age 1950s rock 'n roll, and, just maybe, find the very first heavy metal song ever all the way back in 1956! Click on the links below for all the music listening breaks in this episode: Listening break #1- "Rocket 88" by Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats (1951) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=260hXID0Yo0 Unofficial listening break- "Roll 'Em Pete" by Big Joe Turner and Pete Johnson (1938)…
Wherein Eric and John celebrate the holiday season first via a nostalgic deep dive into the 90s catalog of arguably the greatest heavy metal "should have beens" of that entire decade, Warrior Soul, and then explore the ever-growing catalog of seasonal themed metal releases. Click on the links below for all the music listening breaks in this episode: Music listening break #1- Warrior Soul "The Losers" from Last Decade Dead Century (1990) https://youtu.be/GaDsh0IZ020?si=GfMWrOtmL4DOOwQQ Music listening break #2- Warrior Soul "The Wasteland" from Drugs, God, and the New Republic (1991)…
Wherein Eric and John rhapsodize over three of the greatest heavy metal albums ever made, Judas Priest's Painkiller , Megadeth's Rust in Peace , and Black Sabbath's Dehumanizer , in an episode so great that even John doesn't hate it. Click on the links below for all the music listening breaks in this episode: Music listening break #1- Judas Priest "Painkiller" from Painkiller (1990) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hadGUw2tpk Music listening break #2- Black Sabbath "TV Crimes" from Dehumanizer (1992) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUFREEJiGeQ Not a listening break, but, of course, if you…
Wherein Eric and John deep dive into the moldering early history of American death metal and British grindcore, exploring the fetid formative tales of an assortment of bands including Death Possessed, Morbid Angel, Obituary, Deicide, Napalm Death, and Carcass. Click on the links below for all the music listening breaks in this episode: Music listening break #1 - Possessed "Death Metal" from Seven Churches (1985) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hadGUw2tpk Music listening break #2 - Morbid Angel "Chapel of Ghouls" from Altars of Madness (1989) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUFREEJiGeQ Music…
Wherein Eric and very special guest Patrick, of the Rewind of the Living Dead Podcast, celebrate the spooky season by exploring the intersection of heavy metal and horror movies and take a deep dive into the delightful 2016 heavy metal horror comedy Deathgasm and its accompanying metal soundtrack. Boo! Here is a link to a YouTube playlist featuring the discussed bands/songs from the (truly excellent!) Deathgasm soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0_Sa0DpoV0wDrqbX1zmXDi4jOs2I910R To learn more about Rewind of the Living Dead: https://www.rewindofthelivingdead.com/ Twitter:…
Wherein Eric and John sip hot, black coffee and burn nag champa incense while exploring the diverse and wonderous "alt" branch of the metal family tree, discussing an assortment of bands including: Faith No More, Rage Against the Machine, Nine Inch Nails, White Zombie, Melvins, Alice in Chains, Tool, and many more! Click on the link below for the episode video break: Video break: Tool- "Sober" from Undertow (1993) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nspxAG12Cpc Please do consider joining us at our shiny, new Patreon page! Not only will you gain access to exclusive content, but you'll also get…
Wherein Eric and John return to the fray, exploring the extraordinary music making of Iron Maiden in their first Bruce Dickinson fronted period, 1981-93. Click on the links below for all the music listening breaks in this episode: Music listening break #1 - "The Trooper" from Piece of Mind (1983) https://youtu.be/4VZbjrDwQ28?si=7rIZSnnsjQYHPH_Z Video break #1: "Can I Play With Madness" (1988) https://youtu.be/Kvqr366Op3k?si=D5sXFYScBJNBAeMs Video break #2: "Fear of the Dark" live from Rock in Rio (2001) https://youtu.be/epYKVcHrVr0?si=gznoMXr2u1UPyJwz Please do consider joining us at our…
Wherein Eric and John create the most complex, elaborate, and delightful list possible of the most essential, awesome metal albums released during the genre's golden decade, the 1980s. Although we here at HM101 are more about the journey than the destination, if you want to skip to the "short list", it can be found starting at approximately 1:14:50. Click on the links below for all the music listening breaks in this episode: Music listening break #1- Choose your own adventure! Listen to either Choice A: Iron Maiden- "Aces High" from Powerslave (1984)…
About Heavy Metal 101
Your favorite podcast, wherein Dr. Eric, an expert, and Dr. John, a novice, explore, discuss, and argue about the history of heavy metal music. New episodes are available on the 3rd Monday of each month!
Visit us at: https://anchor.fm/heavymetal101podcast
Contact us at: heavymetal101podcast@gmail
Heavy Metal 101 is a English music podcast from Eric Schwartz. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.
The Melo app keeps playing with the screen off, works in the car and on your watch, wakes you to your station, and browses the whole catalogue offline. Free, no ads, no account.
