Metal twins, John and Joe, from Cerebellion discuss all things The Black Album by Metallica on the 30th anniversary of the album (or close to, anyway). This conversation covers everything from their first experience hearing the Black Album to what it means into the culture of music and heavy metal today. It is laced with subtle banter and jabs that only twins can dish out to one another without one or the other being a little but-hurt, which makes for some hopefully funny moments.
For all things Cerebellion, go to https://cerebellion1.com/
To pre-order Cerebellion's forthcoming EP "Something You Can Say" on digital download, go to https://cerebellion1.com/product/something-you-can-say-digital-download/
To stream the new single "Until I Can Breathe" on Spotify go to: https://open.spotify.com/track/69JFghZhFOi8RuVFJRji2f?si=187fab4d00b04aa0
On episode 20, Jen Taylor Warren (Subsurface Tension vocalist) & I discuss Iron Maiden’s 1982 classic album "The Number of the Beast." We rap about the impact of the debut album from “the air raid siren,” Jen’s favorite singer, Bruce Dickenson and the last for drummer Clive Burr. We also examine the “satanic panic,” discuss Jen’s first time seeing Maiden at Long Beach Arena, the time she met the band, and Maiden’s lasting impact on metal and this generation. This and much more on episode 20...
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Jen’s band: Subsurface Tension http://surfacetensionmetal.com/
WrathMom Radio: https://soundcloud.com/search?q=wrathmom%20radio
Facebook/Instagram: @jentaylorwarren
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Intro music: “Redemption” by Cerebellion (my band) https://cerebellion1.com/
Outro music: “Devil Pin-Up Girl” by Subsurface Tension (Jen’s band) https://www.facebook.com/surfacetensionmetal
On episode 19, Charlie Bodhi (writer) & I discuss Slipknot’s 1999 debut album "Slipknot." We reminisce about the insanity that was Slipknot’s rise to platinum selling success in less than one year of the release of their first album and argue about whether this would be possible today. We also share stories about shows we were at during this first year of touring, supporting the album, that included headlining shows at the Hollywood Palladium and headlining over Slayer on the Tattoo the Earth Tour and we examine why that was the right move for the festival in 2000. Charlie also shares his jaw dropping reaction after listening to the album that he could no longer ignore for the first time. This and much more on episode 19...
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Find Charlie on the web:
https://www.instagram.com/charlie.bodhi/
https://twitter.com/charlie_bodhi
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Intro and Outro music: “No Space for Silence” by Cerebellion (my band) https://cerebellion1.com/
Lucky 17...nah, that's not a thing. On this episode, Matt Bustamante (Black Snak) & I discuss Megadeth's 1990 thrash masterpiece "Rust in Peace." We rap about Matt’s road from KIIS FM to Rust in Peace, warm beers in the parking lot of a Megadeth show at the Forum with Heaven and Hell, and the remaster debate. Matt tells me why he will always go see Megadeth live and how he holds out hope for the next great Megadeth record. We also discuss what RIP would have been like if Dimebag Darrell had been chosen to be Megadeth’s lead guitarist in 1989 (he was up for consideration) and we bow to Marty and Nick for filling out “the classic lineup” and praise the work that was born of insane hours put into live writing and rehearsal and recording the record live in the studio with no click track. This and much more on episode 17...
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Matt’s band, Black Snak’s website:
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Intro music: “No Space for Silence” by Cerebellion (my band) https://cerebellion1.com/
Outro music: “Jai-ya” by Black Snak (Matt’s band) blacksnak.com
Santos Camacho (former singer of Cheva and This Fiend Kills) and I discuss Korn’s game changing 1994 debut album “Korn.” Santos shares stories about when he saw Korn in 1995 with Deftones at a half-packed comedy club in downtown Fullerton CA; taking up for Jonathan Davis by yelling at a bartender in Long Beach to serve him before getting onstage; and how hearing this album for the first time was the first time he heard a metal singer be so vulnerable and reveal so much pain on a record. He also shares what the local Orange County metal scene was like in the mid to late nineties, how this album didn’t catch on for a while after its release, and how you could see Korn on almost any given weekend between the release of this record and their second record, “Life is Peachy” in 1996. This and much more on Episode 16.
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Santos’ earbud/earphone company:
Santos’ alcohol aging barrel company
http://oldrepublicbarrelcompany.com/
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Intro music: “Someone’s American Dream” by Cerebellion
Outro music: “Outnumbered” by Cheva
On this episode, Danny Mann (Sorizon guitarist) and I discuss Mutoid Man’s 2017 epic album “War Moans.” I learned about how this album was the soundtrack to Danny’s life during his single days and how a Mutoid Man concert (that we were both at, in Santa Ana ca) was the event in which Danny and his now wife made it known to one another that a true romance was brewing. We also rap about what we think Mutoid’s influences are, Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn - where they hashed out their pre-production work on this album, how we wished we knew more about this process, and Danny’s experience taking a bus to a show there from Boston. This and much more on Episode 15.
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Danny’s metal band - Sorizon:
Danny’s guitar website
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Intro music: “Someone’s American Dream” by Cerebellion
Outro music: “Thanatos Rising” by Sorizon
Kory Anderson (Siva vocalist) and I discuss Gojira’s 2008 classic “The Way of all Flesh!” We rap about the sweet spot Gojira has found as a really heavy band that is catchy but not poppy, proggy but simple, and artsy but focused. We also discuss their songwriting and self-production, seeing them live with Mastodon in 2014 in LA vs. Boise, the other sweet spot they created as a “sort of” activist band who puts their message out in their music but is not “preachy” or oppositional, and the small club of bands Kory puts them in that have a certain vibe of artistry, branding or lack thereof, complex musicianship, evolvers as artists, and ability to reach crossover audiences. This and much more on Episode 14.
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Kory’s carpentry business:
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Intro & Outro music: “Someone’s American Dream” by Cerebellion
Marc Battung (bassist of Cerebellion) and I discuss Sepultura’s 1993 classic album “Chaos AD!” We rap about how this album was very divisive for Sepultura fans as the band had grown into a new tribal and groove influenced sound (whilst still boasting thrash metal roots in moments). This was off-putting to many of its speed/thrash metal fans but ultimately the new generation of “groove metal” loving heavy music fans settled the argument at the record store, turning “Chaos AD” into a Gold album in several countries worldwide. Marc talks about how this record was at the center of his universe during his formative years as a metal fan and how the bass riff in the middle of “Manifest” is what made him decide to play bass. The world is thankful for that. We discuss how Andy Wallace’s production on this album was a game changer for the band and the genre, how there are “sing alongable” drum parts on this album, a Black Sabbath riff in “Slave New World,” and how Marc’s and my band unknowingly stole a “Biotech” riff. We also ran down a short history of “chaos ad” live covers which are testament to the staying power of this record today. This and much, much more on Episode 13…
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Here’s a link to Marc’s band:
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Intro & Outro music: “Someone’s American Dream” by Cerebellion
11. The Sound of White Noise (Anthrax) Episode
Alex Chaves and I discuss 1993’s game-changing “Sound of White Noise” via internet connection (clean as whistle BTW, thanks to Zencastr). This was Anthrax’s first album with singer John Bush after canning Joey Belladonna and Alex and I hail Bush as the better Anthrax singer...by far. We also talked about how this album forged a new sound for the band that was darker, heavier, and more serious. Also, Alex does a hilarious George Bush I impersonation and we discuss seeing Anthrax together at The Big Four show in Indio CA in 2011, how New York influenced their sound, and reminisced about our friend falling asleep at an Armored Saint show (John Bush’s current and former band). This and much much more on Episode 11…
Also, you can check out Alex’s band, Beyond The Cube here...
And here...
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Intro and Outro music: “Now or Never” by Cerebellion
Thank you for your support! See ya on the next one soon!
In episode 10, I sat down with shredder Paul Wilcox and discussed Rush’s “2112” and the greatness of Neil Peart. We attempted to put 2112 in its place among great Rush records. Paul tried to convince me to listen to the last 14 minutes of the song “2112” and broke down how the ancillary assistance of certain herbal remedies might help in this endeavor. We compared Neil Peart to Kobe Bryant in their commitment to excellence in their respective crafts and mourned both losses. Paul tells me the story about how a female coworker at the mall turned him onto Rush back in the day and details his respect for Neil Peart as a songwriter, lyric writer, and book author. We also document how Rush did actually enjoy themselves a little bit on the road. This and much much more on episode 10…
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In episode 9, I sat down with my twin brother and bandmate John Arnold, the guitarist of Cerebellion and Society1, and discussed “Holy Hell” by Architects. We talked about the separation of twin brothers/bandmates Tom and Dan Searle due to the untimely death of Tom to cancer at the age of 28 in 2016. His death was the inspiration for “Holy Hell.” We also discussed the “new New Wave of British Heavy Metal,” the state of metal in general, how recent UK metal compares to recent US metal, the Architects live show at The House of Blues Anaheim in 2019 (which John and I attended), what separates this album from other extreme metal albums, and how John and I didn’t fight once during this conversation. This and much more on Episode 9…
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In episode 8, I sat down with Jimmy Schultz, the drummer of Cerebellion (which is also my band), and discussed “Home” by Sevendust. We laughed about hilarious frosted tips and button-up flame shirts sported by the band at the end of the 20th century. We also talked about what was great about nu-metal, Sevendust’s ability and willingness to consistently push the envelope with their sound, elbow cymbal catches, and how Jimmy and I met but didn’t actually meet the year “Home” came out at a show we both played (in different bands). This and much more on Episode 8…
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In this episode I sit down with Your Favorite Color/Black Snak drummer, Johnny Arnold, to discuss “Master of Reality” by Black Sabbath! We talk about which substances were consumed before the iconic cough that leads off the album and takes us into the classic “Sweet Leaf;” the album’s influence on today’s stoner rock, and doom and sludge metal bands; how Sabbath was one of the only bands from the 70s to tune down their guitars and how this gave them such a unique sound; how Johnny used to check out Sabbath albums from the Huntington Beach Library for a dollar a week; the reignition of Sabbath’s career in the late nineties and aughts (2000-2010) due to Ozzfest and the Nativity in Black covers albums; and the current budding of an explosive edgy rock scene in Orange County CA among Johnny’s generation of bands and where that might lead! This and much more on Episode 7…
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In this episode, I sat down with my friend and musician, Paul Wilcox, to nerd out about Iron Maiden’s Somewhere In Time. We discussed the band’s first lengthy break after making albums and touring for over 5 straight years and how there was a disagreement between Bruce Dickinsen and the rest of the band on the direction of the album; recording in the Bahamas; the sound engineering feat Somewhere in Time was; and we compared how albums were recorded in the 1980s with how albums are recorded today. I also learned about how Paul discovered Iron Maiden from a school friend in Huntington Beach in the 1990s and how he tried to emulate guitarist Dave Murray in his own guitar playing. This and much more on Episode 6...
On this episode, Joe sits down with The Even Order's Justin Schulze and his deadly right hand and discusses Slayer's epic album "South of Heaven." The two nerd out on Dave Lombardo's drumming, dirty guitar tones, how we think this album influenced bands of today, the raw production style of Rick Rubin, and whether or not Slayer will be back after their farewell tour. This and much more on Episode 4...
On this episode, Joe sits down with Matt Bustamante from Black Snak and discusses, as he puts, “the best”...Mastodon’s Crack the Skye. Joe learns from Matt that the songwriting on this album was largely prompted by an unfortunate fight between Brent and Shavo from System of a Down. Matt also explains that he has now seen Mastodon 18 times and owns 5 different copies/re-packagings of Crack the Skye...and they rename Mastodon Mastodozz after jokingly comparing all 3 singers of Mastodon to Ozzy for slightly different reasons.
In this episode Joe sits down with former radio DJ, Buzz Steve, to discuss 1992's Vulgar Display of Power by Pantera! We talk about how Phil gave up his voice for the sake of heavy metal; the incredible songwriting and virtuosic skill of brothers Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul; how Steve and Joe discovered Pantera; and the ability of KNAC, a Long Beach-based metal FM radio station, to break bands during the Vulgar era. We also ponder an alternate universe in which Pantera stayed together and still were around today and whether or not they'd be as big as Iron Maiden?