It’s the Danzig debut album Charlie Brown! This week we’re celebrating the Halloween season with a dark, blues-inspired heavy metal masterpiece.
We’ll discuss how the Misfits and Samhain laid the foundation for Glenn Danzig’s solo work, the introduction of longtime collaborator and producer Rick Rubin, co-writing tracks for Hollywood and Roy Orbison, and the chaotic recruiting of jazz guitar scholar John Christ and veteran hardcore punk drummer Chuck Biscuits.
Recommendations:
The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror (I-X)
Son of Sam - Songs from the Earth
Limp Bizkit - Three Dollar Bill, Y'all
Amenra, Cave In, Marissa Nadler - Songs of Townes Van Zandt Vol III
Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
Follow Riff Worship
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riffworshippod/
Twitter: https://x.com/RiffWorshipPod
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RiffWorshipPod
Check out our Official Playlists:
Riffs on Repeat (Spotify)
Riffs on Repeat (YouTube Music)
Hits from the Crypt (Apple)
Everything has to start somewhere. Before the sonic evolution to space-rock on Jupiter and their eventual move to a major label, Cave In was just a group of teenagers trying to find their voice in the East Coast hardcore scene. Born in Methuen, Massachusetts, the band experienced a tumultuous and transitional series of events that helped create their debut album, Until Your Heart Stops.
This week we’re joined by special guest Dan Thomson (lowheaven) for a closer look at perhaps the most raw and atypical record in Cave In's discography. We’ll discuss the last minute addition of longtime bassist Caleb Scofield, how Stephen Brodsky suddenly inherited lead vocal duties, the collaborative recording sessions at 30 Blaine (God City) with Kurt Ballou, and the “skronky” Slayer meets Converge-inspired riffs scattered throughout the album’s runtime!
Check out Ritual Decay - OUT NOW via MNRK Heavy: https://mnrkheavy.com/collections/lowheaven
Recommendations:
Sanguisugabogg - Hideous Aftermath
AFI - Silver Bleeds the Black Sun...
Follow lowheaven
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lowheavenband
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lowheavenband/
Twitter: https://x.com/lowheavenband?lang=en
Follow Riff Worship
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riffworshippod/
Twitter: https://x.com/RiffWorshipPod
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RiffWorshipPod
Check out our Official Playlists:
Riffs on Repeat (Spotify)
Riffs on Repeat (YouTube Music)
Hits from the Crypt (Apple)
A decade ago, Salt Lake City’s Cult Leader unleashed their emotionally devastating debut album, Lightless Walk. Quickly making ripples throughout the extreme music scene, the album perfectly balances grinding, visceral bursts of aggression with morose moments of catharsis.
This week we’re joined by guitarist Michael Mason and bassist Sam Richards to discuss the band’s necessity-driven, DIY beginnings, their early tours with groups like Oathbreaker and Yautja, and the sessions at Kurt Ballou’s (Converge) God City Studio that captured this modern classic.
Follow Cult Leader
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CultLeaderMusic/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cultleadermusic/?hl=en
Twitter: https://x.com/CultLeaderMusic
Website: https://www.cultleadermusic.com/
Recommendations:
Author & Punisher - Nocturnal Birding
Follow Riff Worship
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riffworshippod/
Twitter: https://x.com/RiffWorshipPod
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RiffWorshipPod
Check out our Official Playlists:
Riffs on Repeat (Spotify)
This week, Riff Worship celebrates 25 years of Electric Wizard’s nihilistic masterpiece, Dopethrone! We’re joined by special guests John Hoffman (STOMACH, Weekend Nachos) and David Stepanavicius (Atræ Bilis, Fulci Rots) to explore the band’s rural Dorset roots as well as the tumultuous events and hazy recording sessions that forged tracks like “Barbarian” and “Funeralopolis.” Please join us as we discuss the album that redefined doom metal for the 21st century!
Recommendations:
Eyehategod - Take as Needed for Pain
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)
Usipian - Dead Corner of the Eye
Ramesses - We Will Lead You To Glorious Times
Follow STOMACH
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stomachdoom/
Follow Weekend Nachos
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weekendxnachos
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weekendnachos2004/
Follow Atræ Bilis
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atraebilis
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atraebilis/
Follow Fulci Rots
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fulcirots/
Follow Riff Worship
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riffworshippod/
Twitter: https://x.com/RiffWorshipPod
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RiffWorshipPod
Check out our Official Playlists:
Riffs on Repeat (Spotify)
Between the Buried and Me was born from a desire for unrestricted, musical expression. Guitarist Paul Waggoner and vocalist Tommy Giles started the band to escape the creative constraints of their respective projects and explore new sonic territory.
Following their initial two releases, the band underwent a crucial transformation. In the months leading up to recording their third album, they finalized the iconic lineup that endured for nearly two decades.
While the integration of three new members (Dan Briggs, Dustie Waring, and Blake Richardson) could have easily led to creative tension, the opposite occurred. The collaboration of these five equally talented musicians unlocked an expansive new dimension for BTBAM, allowing them to fuse progressive elements with extreme metal into a wholly unique sound. This foundational dynamic paved the way for all the landmark releases to follow.
Please join us in celebrating Between the Buried and Me and the album that defined their path, Alaska!
Recommendations:
Chat Pile & Hayden Pedigo - In The Earth Again
Algernon Cadwallader - Trying Not to Have a Thought
Dead and Dripping - Nefarious Scintillations
Corrosion of Conformity - Deliverance
Follow Riff Worship
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riffworshippod/
Twitter: https://x.com/RiffWorshipPod
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RiffWorshipPod
Check out our Official Playlists:
Riffs on Repeat (Spotify)
Blending the ferocity of extreme metal with the complexity of jazz, Germany’s own Defeated Sanity push the boundaries of “Progressive Brutal Death Metal” on their fourth full-length.
This landmark release showcases the band’s technical proficiency on tracks like “Naraka” and “The Purging,” while delivering relentless brutality through more direct assaults like “Verses of Deformity” and “Initiation.”
Join us in celebrating Defeated Sanity and their 2013 classic album, Passages Into Deformity!
Recommendations:
Lamp of Murmuur - The Dreaming Prince in Ecstasy
HORSEBOY - Wild, Passionate, Ugly
Intercourse - How I Fell In Love With The Void
Gas Chamber - Hemorrhaging Light
Follow Riff Worship
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riffworshippod/
Twitter: https://x.com/RiffWorshipPod
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RiffWorshipPod
Check out our Official Playlists:
Riffs on Repeat (Spotify)
In a brief, yet explosive, four-year period, KISS transformed from a struggling New York City club band into a global phenomenon.
Fresh off the success of a People’s Choice Award (“Beth”) and rigorous touring cycles (including a series of record-breaking shows at Budokan), the band’s larger-than-life aesthetic and stadium-shaking sound were fully realized by 1977. The commercial and pop-culture dominance of KISS was further cemented with the release of their platinum-selling 6th album, Love Gun.
Produced by the iconic Eddie Kramer (Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones), Love Gun captures the personas of all four members with riff-heavy jams like “I Stole Your Love” and “Shock Me,” the bonafide hard rock anthems like “Love Gun,” and even ‘60s inspired R&B tracks like “Tomorrow and Tonight” and “Then She Kissed Me.”
Joining us this week is legendary Rwake vocalist and KISS superfan, Christoper Terry, for a deep into the band and their rock ’n’ roll opus!
Follow Rwake
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RwakeBand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwakeband/?hl=en
Follow Riff Worship
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riffworshippod/
Twitter: https://x.com/RiffWorshipPod
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RiffWorshipPod
Check out our Official Playlists:
Riffs on Repeat (Spotify)
Riffs on Repeat (YouTube Music)
This week on Riff Worship, we’re diving into the short-lived but legendary hardcore punk band, Inside Out.
Fronted by a pre-Rage Against the Machine Zach de la Rocha alongside guitarist Vic DiCara, their sole EP, No Spiritual Surrender, became a cornerstone of the ’90s hardcore scene.
From the their formation to their unique blend of influences and connections to other iconic acts like Shelter and 108, we explore how this band left an indelible impact despite its brief existence.
Join us as we celebrate the legacy of Inside Out and their timeless EP, No Spiritual Surrender!
Recommendations:
Death Goals - Survival Is An Act Of Defiance
Follow Riff Worship
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riffworshippod/
Twitter: https://x.com/RiffWorshipPod
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RiffWorshipPod
Check out our Official Playlists:
Riffs on Repeat (Spotify)
Riffs on Repeat (YouTube Music)
Hits from the Crypt (Apple)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
00:00:00 - Intro
00:01:09 - Inside Out
00:05:14 - A Brief History of Inside Out
00:14:15 - No Spiritual Surrender
00:20:28 - Album Review
00:29:30 - Quicksand, Shelter, Inside Out - Summer Tour 1990
00:34:53 - Aftermath / Breakup / 1993 Reunion
00:40:05 - Final Thoughts
00:44:32 - Recommendations
00:44:41 - Death Goals - Survival Is An Act Of Defiance
00:45:59 - Primitive Man - Observance
00:47:39 - An Albatross - Blessphemy
Inspired by the Dante Alighieri epic poem “The Divine Comedy,” Sepultura’s Dante XXI is a modern soundtrack for a descent into hell.
Tracks like "Convicted in Life," "Fighting On," and "Ostia" demonstrate the band's ability to blend their hybrid of thrash, death metal, and hardcore with beautiful orchestral arrangements. Much like Virgil, Derrick Green’s commanding vocals cut through the chaos to guide listeners through the darkness.
Join us as we celebrate the legacy of Sepultura and their 2006 masterpiece, Dante XXI!
Recommendations:
Chat Pile & Hayden Pedigo - In The Earth Again
One of Nine - Dawn of the Iron Shadow
Follow Riff Worship
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riffworshippod/
Twitter: https://x.com/RiffWorshipPod
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RiffWorshipPod
Check out our Official Playlists:
Riffs on Repeat (Spotify)
Formed by members of several New Jersey DIY heavyweights like Black Army Jacket, Endeavor, and Human Remains, Burnt by the Sun set out to create music they longed to hear themselves. The band’s effortless ability to blend different textures of extreme metal quickly set them apart from their metalcore contemporaries.
This is especially evident on their Relapse Records debut, Soundtrack to the Personal Revolution. In collaboration with producer Matt Bayles (Botch, ISIS, Mastodon), Burnt by the Sun delivers 10 blistering tracks packed with intricate, progressive arrangements.
The album serves as both a snapshot of musicians fully tuned-in with one another, and a precursor to the legendary projects that would follow.
Join us this week as we discuss the enduring legacy of Burnt by the Sun and their classic debut album, Soundtrack to the Personal Revolution!
Recommendations:
NO FAITH - Forced Subservience
Marissa Nadler - New Radiations
Follow Riff Worship
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riffworshippod/
Twitter: https://x.com/RiffWorshipPod
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RiffWorshipPod
Check out our Official Playlists:
Riffs on Repeat (Spotify)
Born out of Oakland's DIY hardcore punk scene, Neurosis emerged as a band driven to defy the conventions of what heavy music could be. Before they discovered how to replicate the sounds they envisioned, the band spent years honing their craft and grinding it out on the road.
It wasn't until their third album, Souls at Zero, that Neurosis began to fully experiment. By incorporating new instrumentation like keyboards, samplers, and string arrangements, they tapped into a new, boundless well of creativity.
While this new direction still honored their punk roots, it wasn't immediately welcomed by longtime fans who had been drawn to their raw 924 Gilman Street shows. Thankfully, Neurosis never compromised, continuing to evolve their sound across several landmark albums.
This week on Riff Worship, we're joined by Christopher Zucchero, owner of the Chicago staple (and inspiration for the FX series The Bear) Mr. Beef, to discuss the monumental impact of Neurosis and their sound-defining album, Souls at Zero!
Follow Christopher Zucchero / Mr. Beef on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mr.beefchicago/?hl=en
Recommendations:
Mort Garson - Ataraxia: The Unexplained
Death Goals, feat. Hirs Collective - Tchotchke
Osees - ABOMINATION REVEALED AT LAST
This week we honor the legacy of the one and only Ozzy Osbourne! Join us as we explore his legendary career, from his revolutionary time with Black Sabbath to his iconic solo work. We'll dive into our favorite Ozzy Osbourne albums and songs, and discuss his undeniable and continuous impact on the world of heavy metal.
Ozzy Osbourne Tribute Playlists
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1vglnDS7kEqlwgZwIVCdyF?si=17269a834a2c4af2
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/riff-worship-a-tribute-to-ozzy-osbourne-playlist/pl.u-jV89909TdblWz1
Follow Riff Worship
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riffworshippod/
Twitter: https://x.com/RiffWorshipPod
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RiffWorshipPod
Check out our Official Playlists:
Riffs on Repeat (Spotify)
Off the heels of their successful Metal Blade Records debut, The Oncoming Storm, Boston metalcore shredders Unearth were set to unleash a much-anticipated follow-up.
Stepping out of their comfort zone, they recruited legendary producer Terry Date to forge what became the band's most aggressive and vitriolic album to date: 2006's cutting III: In The Eyes Of Fire.
With scathing tracks like "Giles," "This Time Was Mine," and "Imposter Kingdom," the band truly set themselves apart from the pack.
Joining us this week is special guest Owen Morawitz (The Pitch of Discontent) to discuss Unearth's legacy and their mastery of "the breakdown."
Follow The Pitch of Discontent
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT94iQy4Opeeq1-r0yQxZcg
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Kb5sztDISleZsxfEjyHV4
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-pitch-of-discontent/id1756206561
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepitchofdiscontent
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/pitchdiscontent.bsky.social
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePitchofDiscontent
Recommendations:
Upon Stone - End Time Lightning
Weeping Sores - The Convalescence Agonies
PSYCHO-FRAME - SALVATION LAUGHS IN THE FACE OF A GRIEVING MOTHER
The Armed - THE FUTURE IS HERE AND EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE DESTROYED
Terminal Sleep - They Circle Below
Blood On My Hands - Death Through Devotion
Follow Riff Worship
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riffworshippod/
Twitter: https://x.com/RiffWorshipPod
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RiffWorshipPod
Check out our Official Playlists:
Riffs on Repeat (Spotify)
Following the global acclaim of 2003’s Through the Ashes of Empires, Robb Flynn and Machine Head set out to create a follow-up that would cement their place at the forefront of modern metal.
The album took many shapes before the band ultimately shed all external expectations and wrote purely for themselves.
This resulted in politically-charged epics like “Clenching the Fist of Dissent” and “A Farewell to Arms,” along with deeply personal explorations of mental health and grief in “Beautiful Mourning” and “Aesthetics of Hate.”
Machine Head also showcase some of the most intricate arrangements and technical performances of their career, especially on standout tracks like “Wolves” and the now-iconic “Halo.”
Please join us this week as we celebrate Machine Head’s 2007 masterpiece, The Blackening
Recommendations:
Innumerable Forms - Pain Effulgence
Mizmor - Mnemonic: Ambient Mosaic
Deadguy - Near-Death Travel Services
Deliquesce - Saviour / Enslaver
Sanguisugabogg - Hideous Aftermath
Follow Riff Worship
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riffworshippod/
Twitter: https://x.com/RiffWorshipPod
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RiffWorshipPod
Check out our Official Playlists:
Riffs on Repeat (Spotify)
After years toiling in Austin’s DIY hardcore and punk scene, Mammoth Grinder truly came into their own on their third album, Underworlds.
Now a four-piece (recruiting members of fellow-Austin heavyweights, Iron Age), the band channels their extreme music predecessors in Discharge, Master, and Repulsion into 10 pummeling tracks that laid the groundwork for future releases.
Join us as we discuss the origins of Mammoth Grinder and the making of this underground classic!
Recommendations:
Innumerable Forms - Pain Effulgence
Matt Jencik & Midwife - Never Die
Follow Riff Worship
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riffworshippod/
Twitter: https://x.com/RiffWorshipPod
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RiffWorshipPod
Check out our Official Playlists:
Riffs on Repeat (Spotify)
This week on Riff Worship, we're thrilled to present an exclusive interview with guitarist Trevor de Brauw of the legendary Chicago quartet Pelican! We’ll explore the band’s remarkable 25-year evolution, culminating in their critically acclaimed 7th album, Flickering Resonance.
Join us as we discuss Pelican's roots in the eclectic Chicago DIY punk and hardcore scene, including early bands like Yellow Road Priest and pivotal shows at the Fireside Bowl, and how these experiences shaped them into the instrumental powerhouse they are today!
Pelican - Flickering Resonance is OUT NOW via Run for Cover Records: https://runforcoverrecords.com/collections/pelican-products
Recommendations:
Hayden Pedigo - I'll Be Waving As You Drive Away
Arcadea - The Exodus of Gravity
Ready for Death - Pay With Your Face
Black Sabbath - The First Six Records
Follow Riff Worship
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riffworshippod/
Twitter: https://x.com/RiffWorshipPod
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RiffWorshipPod
Check out our Official Playlists:
Riffs on Repeat (Spotify)
This week on Riff Worship, we explore the unrelenting, drum-machine driven sounds of Birmingham's Godflesh!
Shaped by their industrial upbringings and DIY ethos, discover how Justin Broadrick and G.C. Green changed the trajectory of extreme music forever.
Join us alongside special guest and Godflesh superfan, Zach Reini (Ukko’s Hammer), as we discuss the band’s origins and dissect their highly influential debut album, Streetcleaner!
Ukko's Hammer - S/T LP is OUT NOW: https://ukkoshammer.bandcamp.com/album/s-t-lp
Recommendations:
Castrator - Coronation of the Grotesque
Polyurethane - Dethrone / Defile
Follow Riff Worship
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riffworshippod/
Twitter: https://x.com/RiffWorshipPod
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RiffWorshipPod
Check out our Official Playlists:
Riffs on Repeat (Spotify)
Guitarist Scott Hull made the most his time recording and playing in bands, honing his skills and adopting a format that would lay the groundwork for his next project: Pig Destroyer.
Joining forces with former Enemy Soil members J.R. Hayes and Brian Harvey, the band initially channeled their politically-charged hardcore influences before finding their stride on brutal standouts like Prowler in the Yard and, of course, Terrifyer!
Much like its predecessors, Terrifyer was deliberately abstruse. Pig Destroyer crafted jagged, unpredictable songs, often cutting riffs short before they could settle in. The album itself was written very spontaneously and rehearsed just long enough to capture its chaos in the studio.
Please join three purposely difficult weirdos as they discuss Pig Destroyer’s purposely difficult, grindcore classic… Teriffyer!
Recommendations:
SCALP - NOT WORTHY OF HUMAN COMPASSION
Revocation - New Gods, New Masters
Follow Riff Worship
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riffworshippod/
Twitter: https://x.com/RiffWorshipPod
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RiffWorshipPod
Check out our Official Playlists:
Riffs on Repeat (Spotify)
After the critical success of their 2003 sophomore album Waking the Fallen, Orange County’s Avenged Sevenfold underwent a period of significant transformation. A new deal with a major label, vocal surgeries, and a bold shift in musical direction all marked a turning point for the band.
Never content to repeat themselves, they forged ahead to create the album they had always envisioned—an ambitious, multi-layered, arena-ready release that propelled them to new heights and solidified their place in modern heavy metal.
Please join us as we discuss Avenged Sevenfold's breakthrough album, City of Evil!
Recommendations:
Kontusion - Insatiable Lust For Death
Emma Goldman - all you are is we
The World is a Beautiful Place & I am No Longer Afraid to Die - Beware the Centrist
La Dispute - No One Was Driving The Car
Follow Riff Worship
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riffworshippod/
Twitter: https://x.com/RiffWorshipPod
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RiffWorshipPod
Check out our Official Playlists:
Riffs on Repeat (Spotify)
Today on Riff Worship we are joined by Philadelphia-based multi-instrumentalist, audio engineer, producer, and composer Richie DeVon (Lástima, Half/Cross, Suuduer).
We take an in-depth look at the making of Lástima’s debut album, A Pain Bloomed From My Lungs - a deeply personal exploration of grief and identity told through the lens of black metal, screamo, and post-hardcore.
From its beautiful string arrangements to its anguished screams, this record stands as one of the most distinctive and affecting underground releases of the year!
A Pain Bloomed From My Lungs is OUT NOW via Liminal Dread Production + Tomb Tree: https://lastimamusic.bandcamp.com/album/a-pain-bloomed-from-my-lungs
Recommendations:
Natalia Lafourcade - Cancionera
Julie Christmas - Ridiculous And Full Of Blood
Morbid Angel - Gateways to Annihilation
Follow Lástima
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lastimamusic#
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lastimamusic/?hl=en
Twitter: https://x.com/lastimamusic
Follow Richie DeVon
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richiedevon_/?hl=en
Website: https://richiedevonmusic.com/
Follow Riff Worship
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riffworshippod/
Twitter: https://x.com/RiffWorshipPod
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RiffWorshipPod
Check out our Official Playlists:
Riffs on Repeat (Spotify)