Heavy Metal 101

Wherein Eric and John return to the fray for season #2, and explore the rise and debut album of one of the greatest heavy metal bands of all time, the mighty Iron Maiden!

Assigned Listening #1: "Prowler" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnCHrQqmN0Q

Assigned Listening #2: "Running Free" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbK9vqF8EOc

Assigned Listening #3: "Iron Maiden" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXuD3cZUpm8

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Wherein Eric and John take a look at what the mighty Black Sabbath (Heaven and Hell) and the newly musically single Ozzy Osbourne (Blizzard of Ozz) were up to as a new decade dawned.

Assigned Listening #1: Black Sabbath- "Heaven and Hell" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FRA7UXlGu8 

Assigned Listening #2: Ozzy Osbourne- "Mr. Crowley" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0RE230PlX4 

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Wherein Eric braves both the end of the world and John's horrifying, disembodied groans and shrieks in order to bring you the haunting tale of three of the foundational bands of extreme metal: Hellhammer, Bathory, and Mantas (with just a touch of Venom thrown in for good measure)! Assigned listening #1: Venom- Welcome to Hell https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e0VvHZMaTs Assigned listening #2: Hellhammer- Triumph of Death https://www.youtube...

Wherein Eric and John take a look at what some of the classic metal bands discussed in season #1 were up to in the year 1980. Part 2 focuses on Judas Priest (British Steel) and Motorhead (Ace of Spades), as well as a look in on what all the other season #1 bands discussed were up to in and around the year of our lord 1980.  

Assigned Listening #1: option A Judas Priest- "Breaking the Law" https://www.youtube...

Wherein Eric and John explore the foundational moments of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal in 1980, featuring early works by Saxon, Def Leppard, Diamond Head, and Angel Witch.  Assigned Listening #1: Saxon- "To Hell and Back Again" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bM2wXFgO9g Assigned Listening #2: Def Leppard- "Wasted" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQzw1wJO8bY Assigned Listening #3: Diamond Head- "Am I Evil?" https://www.youtube...

Wherein Eric and John take a look at some of the earliest evidence of the genre fragmentation that would eventually define metal in the later 1980s and beyond via the NWOBHM of 1981, discussing the roots of pop metal, traditional metal, and extreme metal. Assigned Listening #1: Def Leppard- "High 'n' Dry (Saturday Night)" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkfJOrdc1AU Assigned Listening #2: Venom- "Witching Hour" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KopwsTJ7sLs Visit us at: https://anchor...

Wherein Eric, flying solo, takes a bit of a chronological detour, examining the heavy metal of the 21st century in smaller, bite-sized chunks. On the inaugural journey of this new bonus series of HM101 mini-episodes, Eric takes a look at some of the finest music of a brand new century, way back in 2000-2001...

Wherein Eric and John explore the formative years and the 1980's output of possibly the most important band of all the bands, the glorious Mercyful Fate! Long live the King indeed.

Throughout these "Special Topics in Metalology" episodes, we'll feature extended timeframes, more music, and even more verbal sparring, as we engage in deep dive explorations and analyses of challenging and esoteric subjects drawn from a wide swath of heavy metal history...

Wherein Eric and John reflect upon the ascendency of heavy metal as an increasingly significant force in popular culture by looking at four massive albums released in 1983 and 1984, Def Leppard's Pyromania, Quiet Riot's Metal Health, Twisted Sister's Stay Hungry, and Van Halen's 1984. 

Assigned Listening: Def Leppard option #1: video-"Photograph" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4dHr8evt6k Def Leppard option #2: audio-"Stagefright" https://www.youtube...

Wherein Eric and John excavate the most significant of heavy metal's musical roots, the blues, exploring the origins and histories of the genre as well as its more direct connections to the history of heavy metal...