The P.O.D. Kast

Episode 81: Creed's "My Own Prison", or Album Title Directly Explains Feelings of Podcasters During Episode

Tue, 05 May 2026 05:25:00 -0000

Is Creed nu-metal? Probably not. But it didn't stop them from putting out what is either a post-grunge album three years too late or a buttrock album about five years too early. Yes, this album somehow came out in 1997 (a fact so improbable Bryan says it came out in the 2000s multiple times during the episode), and it somehow sold six million American copies! That despite being largely devoid of hooks and hits, Scott Stapp doing a poor man's Eddie Vedder for 60 straight minutes, and the production sounding like garbage. But hey, at least Creed were awesome dudes everyone loved! Just kidding. The Spin profile we read in this episode has to be heard to be believed. In the immortal words of Arizona Cardinals' head coach Dennis Green, "they are who we thought they were".

And yes, our bonus content is exactly what you think it is: more unbelievably honest reviews of nu-metal music from your two favorite dudes. For just $4/month, you'll get access to THREE new reviews every month, plus access to our entire back catalogue of bonuses, which totals over 200 episodes. You also get access to our Discord and at certain tiers, you can tell us what to cover for a bonus episode. It's the best deal in podcasting, and it's available now at patreon.com/thepodkast.

Episode 80: Korn's "Issues", or Following Follow the Leader

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 04:15:00 -0000

We've covered four of Korn's "Big Five" album run from 1994-2002, and only one remained, the one that might arguably be their best: "Issues". Jonathan Davis gets sober and decides that Korn should be the new Led Zeppelin, and by that he means release an album every year. That lasted for one album ("Untouchables" would take 3 years and 4 million dollars), and it's this one, where they release "Follow the Leader", tour hardcore for a year, and then immediately his the studio for this one. It results in another slew of insanely good singles, a super tight album we both love, and a press cycle that was almost non-existent, as the press had decided they were done with them. No high profile features, poor album reviews, but one great, great album.

If you want to hear us talk about more great albums (and let's be honest, lots of bad ones), support our Patreon! It's just $4/month and you'll get three new bonus episodes every month including last month, where Graham Wright from Tokyo Police Club joined us to discuss Reveille's debut album, "Laced". John and Graham grew up in the same Toronto suburb and we have a blast discussing that and the very B-Tier Reveille album. For all of that plus immediate access to our entire back catalogue (over 200 episodes!), join today at patreon.com/thepodkast.

Episode 79: Uncle Kracker's "Double Wide", or Kid Rock's Rib

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 06:54:00 -0000

We think the story goes thusly: Kid Rock has some success in circles he did not expect (like Adult Pop radio) with "Only God Knows Why". He also has a lot of success with more nu-metal offerings like "Bawitdaba" and "Cowboy". He knows he cannot release an entire album of "Only God Knows Why"'s. But you know who can? Enter Uncle Kracker, Kid Rock's unassuming and reluctant DJ who has a decent singing voice and can, in fact, release an entire album of country-adjacent and hip-hop-adjacent songs that all hit exactly one note, but that one note leads to "Follow Me", yet another massive crossover hit. Was this album ahead of its time? Did Uncle Kracker even care to make it? We dig into that and much, much more. Also, Bryan got his eyebrow pierced. Twice.

If you want to listen to some more episodes that might make YOU want to get your eyebrow pierced, head on over to our Patreon and support the show! For just $4/month, you'll get immediate access to our back catalogue of over 200 bonus episodes, you'll get access to our Discord, and you'll get THREE brand-new bonus episodes every month. Like last month, as Bryan's wrestling podcast cohost Josh Custodio joined us to dissect the short-lived MTV: Icon series and their episode on Metallica. It's a wild ride, and you won't wanna get off of it. Join today at patreon.com/thepodkast.

Episode 78: Fear Factory's "Obsolete", or Getting the Story Straight

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 05:48:00 -0000

We dive into Fear Factory for the first time ever on the pod, and this is a concept album: just ask the band members. Or maybe only ask one of them, because if you compare all of their answers, no one is *really* sure what this album is about. What we DO know is that Police 2000 are involved. An album that flirts with nu-metal but never quite gets there, we both agree that Fear Factory would've been better off doing a full Nu turn, because that's when they're at their best. "Edgecrusher" is an all-time Nu song and every song has moments where the band sounds amazing. In between that, it's Burton C. Bell singing pretty badly, some pretty boring guitar parts, a whack of 6-minute songs, and a WHOLE lot of lore that imagines a dystopian world not unlike every dystopia you've ever heard of before, one where...get this...machine begins to rule man. I know, crazy, right?

If you wanna get even more crazy, why not donate to the show? For just $4/month you'll get access to THREE brand-new bonus episodes every damn month. Last month, Bryan and John dug into Lil Wayne's rock epic "Rebirth", which is one of the most interesting curios we've ever covered on the show. You also get immediate access to our entire back catalogue of bonuses (over 200 episodes), immediate access to our Discord, and at certain Tiers, you can even tell us what to cover for an episode! It's tons of fun and you won't wanna miss out. Join today at patreon.com/thepodkast.

Episode 77: Spineshank's "Strictly Diesel", or Searching for a Single

Tue, 06 Jan 2026 05:26:00 -0000

After literal years of trying, one of Bryan's most beloved nu-metal albums, "Strictly Diesel", gets the P.O.D. Kast treatment, and it's probably no surprise that he still loves it...but John loves it too. A true testament of the era, it has all the production quality and heaviness of a late-90s nu-metal album from one of the rare bands that wasn't afraid to say they really liked Korn, Deftones, and Fear Factory, and tried to make an album that borrowed from all of them. We do bemoan the lack of a single on the album in a nu-metal era that demanded singles, and felt like that could've been the one piece the band was missing to truly catapult them to stardom. That and maybe that they admit they were drunk almost all of the time and they certainly were not smart, as Jonny Santos gives us one of the funniest quotes in the show's history. But hey, we love them and we love this album.

If you want some more funny stuff, why not head on over to our Patreon? For just $4/month, you'll get 3 new bonus episodes every single month, access to our entire back catalogue of almost 200 episodes, and access to our Discord. It's a great deal! Last month our pal James Hartnett from the Evil Men podcast joined us to discuss a nu-metal soundtrack giant, "End of Days". It was incredible, with exclusive tracks from Korn, Limp Bizkit, Everlast, and uhh, Guns n' Roses for some reason. You won't wanna miss it! Head on over to patreon.com/thepodkast to join.

Episode 76: The Prodigy's "The Fat of the Land", or Light Shoulders, Light Pelvis

Thu, 04 Dec 2025 07:05:00 -0000

Bryan goes all the way back to 1997 and relives a lot of his friends and himself grappling with the fact that this dance music was hitting very hard but at the end of the day, was still dance music. John, on the other hand, only knew The Prodigy as a band with 100% bangers and a premium place on the absolutely iconic Canadian compilation album, "Big Shiny Tunes 2". It's a lot to unpack for what is ultimately one of the biggest albums we've ever covered that sold multiple millions of copies, went to #1 in an absurd number of countries, and sent two songs to the top of the UK Singles Charts. It was a moment in time, and The Prodigy captured it perfectly, and we try to capture that all here. Plus, we dive in on the 2026 Sonic Temple lineup and poster.

If you want to capture more of our content perfectly, why not support the show on Patreon? Head on over to patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you access to THREE brand-new bonus episodes every month. Last month, our good friend Kevin Banner joined us to discuss the very strange album from Swedish proto-Nu band Clawfinger, their 1992 debut "Deaf Dumb Blind". It was WILD, to say the least. Plus, you'll get immediate access to our entire back catalogue, our Discord, and much, much more. Join today!

Episode 75: Hoobastank's "The Reason", or When We Learned Hoobastank Might Be Canadian

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 08:07:00 -0000

Last time we covered a Hoobastank album, we learned of the conspiracy theory that they might be the feds. This time, we're wondering if they're Canadian because they seem like very nice, normal, well-adjusted guys, and the lead singer's name is "Doug Robb", which is possibly the most Canadian name of all-time. Regardless, we find ourselves bowing down to the power that is the song "The Reason", one of the all-time great nu-metal-adjacent ballads, and the rest of the album actually isn't half-bad either. We also do our annual peek at the Sick New World lineup which is expanded to two shows this year, and we pay our respects to the departed Sam Rivers.

If you want to expand your POD Kast consumption, you can do so by supporting the show at patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you access to THREE bonus episodes every single month. Last month, we had our friend Jarrett Campbell on to review the "Underworld: Rise of the Lycans" soundtrack, and it was an absolute blast. You also get immediate access to our entire back catalogue (over 200 episodes!) and access to our Discord. Why wait?

Episode 74: Dope's "Felons and Revolutionaries", or A Band Who Are Neither of Those

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 03:00:00 -0000

Dope has titled this album "Felons and Revolutionaries" because they really want you to be invested in the idea they sold drugs to fund the making of it. And I guess because they think they have revolutionary ideas about politics, most of which boil down to "America is bad" and "society is bad and/or crazy". Whether or not they actually sold drugs is up for debate, but we dig into their debut that borrows a lot from Marilyn Manson and would ride the wave of industrial-tinged nu-metal that bands like Static-X, Powerman 5000 and Fear Factory would also surf on. The album isn't bad but the lyrics certainly are as we try to make sense of where they fit then and where they fit now in the overall history of nu-metal. Plus, John finally sees Korn for the first time as Bryan preps to take his co-host of Guys, Chris, to do the same.

If you want to donate to the show for the first time, it's very easy! Just head on over to patreon.com/thepodkast and for just $4/month, you'll get access to THREE BRAND NEW bonus episodes every month, plus our entire back catalogue, PLUS access to our Discord, PLUS merch discounts. How neat! Last month, Bryan and John rode solo as we covered Bring Me the Horizon for the first time and we both enjoyed it. Don't miss it!

Episode 73: (hed)pe's "(hed)pe", or Are You Sure About That?

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 16:47:00 -0000

It's the debut album that leads us to asking the question "are you sure about that?" perhaps more than any other, as we tackle (hed)pe's first record, where they insist they were influenced by G-funk (you sure about that?), use the N-word in their lyrics (you sure about that?), use rampant misogyny in their lyrics to inflame the public because they didn't grow up in the hood (you sure about that?), and Bryan tells us just how often he was having sex to this album back in the day (you sure about that?). That said, we both enjoy this album that finds its way to a nu-metal sound in a way that others don't: by being heavily influenced by skate punk and Sublime. Sure, the lyrics are highly questionable and yes, the production heavily rips off Korn, but it's a true nu-metal artifact in a way that not a lot of albums we cover on this show are. And it's our longest episode ever as we deal with a crazy news month: Aaron Lewis finally learns what "Born in the USA" is about, we do a mini-review of the new Deftones album "Private Music", and a guy jacks off at a Korn show.

If you wanna jack off to more nu-metal content (weird segue but honestly we can't stop you), head on over to our Patreon and support the show! It's just $4/month at patreon.com/thepodkast and you'll get THREE bonus episodes every single month! Last month, we had our friend Libby Watson on to review a mix of $UICIDEBOY$ songs that left us shaking our heads for many different reasons. You'll also get access to our entire back catalogue of over 200 episodes and access to our Discord, which is a ton of fun. Join today!

Episode 72: 30 Seconds To Mars' "30 Seconds To Mars", or How To Say a Lot Without Saying Anything At All

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 07:26:00 -0000

As we know, nu-metal is not exactly a genre filled with smart guys. But as far as dumb guys in the scene go, Jared Leto might take the cake. A man who sure has a lot of ideas about space, life, and the human struggle, this debut album has potentially the most insane lyrics we've ever heard and the interviews back up all the insanity. We aren't sure if Jared Leto has ever had a cohesive thought in his life, but he sure believes he has, and ultimately, that's what counts. The music surprises us by being not that terrible, but that was probably inevitable given it was produced by Bob Ezrin and given a ton of major label backing. But don't worry, the guys in the band actually started this whole thing with slow and steady growth, and it's the only reason they got popular. Their movie star lead singer had no impact on their first tour being in arenas. Nope, not at all. It's an album tailor-made for the show.

We cover a lot of other albums tailor-made for the show too over on our Patreon at patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you access to THREE bonus episodes every single month. Last month, we had our friend Riviera from the Nu-Metal Agenda on to discuss 12 Stones' debut album "12 Stones", which is a Christian Rock album that absolutely sounds like a Christian Rock album. It's a lot of fun. You also get instant access to our entire back catalogue of over 200 episodes, and access to our Discord. So help support the show and join today!

Episode 71: Slipknot's "Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)", or Stories=Bulls**t

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 21:21:00 -0000

There may not be a band on earth that is more invested in their own myth-making and Slipknot truly slide over the edge on this, their third record, as they clearly try to make something designed to make a little pop turn and capitalize on the success of Stone Sour, and all that comes with it. We've got constant talk of the bands' in-fighting, their inability to get the record done on time, their various battles with substance abuse, and they simultaneously love and hate Rick Rubin at the same time. Plus, Corey Taylor nearly gets arrested for kicking down a window, Clown is once again trying to dominate the entire situation, and we get our usual cavalcade of gross stories that absolutely did not happen. But hey, the music is pretty good and the album houses two of their absolute monster singles, so it is what it is.

If you want more of our monster singles, you can donate to the show at patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month will get you THREE bonus episodes every damn month. Last month, Bryan and John flew solo to discuss David Draiman's side project "Device", and all the insanity that comes with that, including Draiman breaking down each song in detail in a video series that has to be seen and heard to be believed. Plus, you'll get immediate access to our entire back catalogue of over 170 episodes, access to our Discord, and more. Donate today!

Episode 70: Rage Against the Machine's "The Battle of Los Angeles", or Rage's Last Stand

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 20:00:00 -0000

Whether or not you think Rage Against the Machine is nu-metal, we can all agree on one thing: they definitely did not like each other while making this record, which stands as their last–to date–of original material. Some bands thrive on the conflict though, and this album has bangers upon bangers that stand the test of time and while "Evil Empire" and their self-titled debut may get more of the plaudits, this is a worthy ender to the RATM trilogy. We also get deep into the Zach de la Rocha mythos, how the band managed their conflicts and potentially differing politics at the time, and this record informs why they perhaps haven't gotten back together to make anything new ever since. Plus, Bryan gives us his comprehensive review of the Sonic Temple Music Festival.

If you want more reviews of many more things, you can donate to our Patreon! For just $4/month at patreon.com/thepodkast, you'll get access to THREE bonuses every single month, including last month, where we had our buddy and White Stripes podcaster Ryan Schaap on to discuss Loathe's great "I Let It In and It Took Everything". You also get immediate access to our entire back catalogue, our discord, merch discounts, and you can tell us what to cover for a bonus episode. Join in the fun!

Episode 69: Brian "Head" Welch's "Save Me From Myself", or How Korn Gave Head to Christ lol

Mon, 05 May 2025 15:31:00 -0000

It's a rare album on the P.O.D. Kast that has us eschewing the normal preamble because we know there'll be so much to talk about with the album, but not only is that the case here, it's our longest main episode ever, as we go insanely deep on this insane album that Korn's "Head" was convinced to make after leaving the band and becoming a born-again Christian back in the late 00s. And boy do we dig into everything here, from the insane lyrics to the potentially more insane articles (did Head join a cult? How did he lose all of his money? Why did he bring his 5 year-old daughter on the road with Korn? And more!) to the fact that the music is way better than it has any right to be. It's an album that seems like it shouldn't exist, but we are very glad it does.

Speaking of albums that shouldn't exist, check out our Patreon at patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you access to THREE bonus episodes every month, including last month, where we reviewed Hed(pe)'s covers album "70s Hits From the Pit" with Billboard writer Jason Lipshutz. It's also an insane album and we dig into all of that, plus your donation gets you our entire back catalogue of bonus episodes, access to our Discord, merch discounts, and MORE! So check it out!

Episode 68: Coal Chamber's "Chamber Music", or the Nu-Sophomore Slump

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 02:36:00 -0000

We really, really liked Coal Chamber's self-titled debut. We really, really do not like this. One of nu-metal's most famous cases of a sophomore slump, the band runs away from the silliness and giant riffs that made them popular on their first record in favor of something more serious, more professional, and less nu-metal. It turns out they are not very good at that. Bryan takes us back to hearing this album for the first time in 1999 and hating it instantly, giving us insight into being a Coal Chamber fan in the moment and not just now, in 2025. Unfortunately, it also sucks now, and the articles don't help the band either, as it's a wild collection of quotes about not wanting to be compared to Korn, writing "happy" music, and showcasing a band that was clearly at odds with each other over their sound.

We are happy to announce the first-ever P.O.D. Kontest! We are giving away two sets of 2 General Admission passes for all 4 days of the Sonic Temple Music Festival! Head on over to patreon.com/thepodkast for all the details. While you're there, you can check out all of our bonus content, including last month, where we welcomed the CEO of Nu-Metal himself, HolidayKirk, to break down Serj Tankian's also-misguided attempt at seriousness, "Elect the Dead Symphony". You'll get immediate access to our entire back catalogue of over 150 bonus episodes, access to our Discord, and MORE! Join today!

Episode 67: Deftones' "Adrenaline", or Bryan's Favorite

Thu, 06 Mar 2025 06:39:00 -0000

After a few months in a row of investigating the silly side of nu-metal, we get back to business here with one of the absolute pillars of the genre, it's Deftones' debut "Adrenaline". It's a fascinating conversation because it was one of the first albums that got Bryan into nu-metal, hearing it almost in real-time before Deftones had any other work out, and for John, it was a case of going back and hearing Deftones' fundamental text after getting into them through White Pony and their self-titled. But make no mistake...this thing rips, and Bryan determines after a few re-listens to it for the podcast that it is his favorite album of all-time. It still holds up despite the sketchy vocal production, some primitive riffing, and the band not quite figuring out what their sound was going to be yet. The band also hadn't figured out how they wanted to present themselves in the media yet either, so the articles prove to be a lot more interesting than they would get in the years to come.

If you want more interesting content, head on over to our Patreon and support the show! At patreon.com/thepodkast, just $4/month gets you 3 bonus episodes every month, plus immediate access to our Discord and our entire back catalogue of over 150 episodes. And last month was a special one as we did TWO full-length bonuses, covering a female-fronted nu-metal gem in "5:30 Saturday Morning" by Lennon with our friend Adam Christie, and then we ranked the last FIFTY singles we've covered with our pal Lorin from Roach Koach. Not only that, but if you donate at a higher tier, you can tell us what to cover on a bonus episode. It's magic!

Episode 66: Bloodhound Gang's "One Fierce Beer Coaster", or Once You Jimmy Pop, the Fun Does Stop

Thu, 06 Feb 2025 06:32:00 -0000

Truly one of the most heinous and terrible albums we've ever listened to for an episode, we go wildly deep on this monstrosity that Bryan thought was funny in 1996 and realizes today that it's not funny now and it definitely wasn't funny then, either. A lazy album full of hack rhymes and jokes with even lazier production and musicianship, neither of us enjoy it, but it does lead to a classic "P.O.D. Kast Moment" as we reckon with our 90s selves and how this kind of stuff reflected the straight white guy culture of the time. Plus, we read some interviews with lead singer Jimmy Pop, who is easily in the top 3 most detestable characters we've ever had to learn about. It's a fun one!

We've got plenty more fun ones over on our Patreon, where $4/month gets you access to THREE bonuses every damn month at patreon.com/thepodkast. Last month, our pal Will Weldon joined us to discuss the Black Sabbath tribute album "Nativity in Black II", and it was a lot of fun, as it was surprisingly good and had one of the worst songs we've ever covered on it, so it's perfect for our show. You also get immediate access to our entire back catalogue of over 150 bonus episodes, access to our Discord, and more, so help support the show and enjoy some bonus content now!

Episode 65: Methods of Mayhem's "Methods of Mayhem", or Nu-Metal's Densest Text

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 06:27:00 -0000

For the first time in the show's history, there is no preamble, there is no nu-metal news, there is no lead-up into discussion of the album. No, this 1999 album is nu-metal's richest text, and we needed the full length of the episode to unpack it all. Tommy Lee, feeling unmoored creatively in Motley Crue and after the leak of his sex tape with wife Pamela Anderson, decides there is only one option: make a nu-metal album. And what a bizarre album it is. With songs attempting to capitalize on the newfound fame from the sex tape to songs actively deriding the release of said sex tape, songs about the police, songs about being a father, and two songs that are literally just Crystal Method songs by the guy from Crystal Method (for some reason), this album truly has it all. It's the pinnacle of the genre and maybe of this show.

Speaking of pinnacles of the show, last month, we released a bonus episode with comedian and actor Tegan Verheul reviewing the "Music as a Weapon II" live album that many are saying is our best bonus episode ever. If you've been on the fence about supporting the show, now is the perfect time to jump in at patreon.com/thepodkast. $4/month gets you THREE bonus episodes every damn month, plus access to our entire back catalogue of over 150 episodes, access to our Discord, merch discounts, and more. Don't delay!

Episode 64: Insane Clown Posse's "The Great Milenko", or Finding Meaning in a Storm of Faygo

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 06:36:46 -0000

It's one of the most highly-anticipated episodes in POD Kast history, as Bryan finally gets a chance to delve into his long and complicated history with Insane Clown Posse, as we also review the long and complicated history they've had with themselves. John essentially only knew ICP as wrestlers, and so perhaps for the first time in the show's history, Bryan plays the role of teacher, revealing a lot about this band and what they've meant to his life. And what a backstory it is, filled with Bryan lore, a lot of confusion, and lots and lots of carnival noises. Plus, we discuss the news that Sick New World has been cancelled and do a capsule review of Linkin Park's new album, "From Zero".

If you want a lot more reviews (capsule and otherwise), why not donate to the show at patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you THREE bonus episodes every single month. Last month, our good pal Tony Boswell from Minion Death Cult joined us to discuss the chaotic soundtrack to the video game "ATV Offroad Fury 2", and we had a great time doing it. You also get access to our entire back catalogue of over 150 episodes, AND Patreon now offers gift subscriptions. Why not give a loved one the gift of nu-metal this holiday season?

Episode 63: DMX's "It's Dark and Hell is Hot", or [insert dog noises]

Wed, 06 Nov 2024 21:45:48 -0000

We love covering a nu-metal-adjacent album, and perhaps no rapper was toeing that line more than DMX in 1998, as his debut album came out equal parts vicious and solemn, and we cover it all here. You know that John was scared by DMX (but still liked him) and Bryan was out of his hip-hop phase at the time but we find an awful lot to like here. DMX is both a very arresting character and rapper, and this album is as assured as a debut album gets. It's not often we get the unholy triumvirate of a Rolling Stone, Spin, and Vibe profile on an artist, but it means there's tons to discuss with the articles and it gets a little insane. We also take a look at the recently announced lineups for both the Sonic Temple and Sick New World festivals.

If you want to hear us discuss even more interesting characters, head on over to patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you access to THREE bonus episodes every single month. Last month, our good friend Howell Dawdy joined us to discuss the wildly strange debut Christian hip-hop/nu-metal album from D.C. Talk's TobyMac, an episode which covered some of the strangest lyrics we've ever encountered and it was a blast. With your donation you also get access to our entire bonus back catalogue, access to our Discord, merch discounts, and MORE! Check it out!

Episode 62: Mudvayne's "L.D. 50", or the Mighty Mighty Bass Tone

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 04:55:00 -0000

We finally get around to covering Mudvayne on a main (hey, that rhymes), and it catches Bryan by surprise, as he ends up liking the album a lot more than he figured he would. We both do, as it really hits the sweet spot of nu-metal while claiming to be "math metal" that's really not all that mathy. They also seem like sweet and smart guys, so really the antithesis of a nu-metal band from that perspective. Maybe it's because they always let the drummer talk. And good lord, that bass tone. It's everywhere you want it to be, all the time. We discuss whether or not they should have been bigger and how they really showed other masked and painted bands how to get along with Slipknot.

If you want to hear us discuss a bunch of masked and painted bands, head on over to our Patreon at patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you access to THREE bonus episodes every single month! Last month, our full-length bonus episode was a classic, Family Values Tour 98, and we had our good friend Michael Hale on to discuss it with us. We also have merch discounts, an exclusive Discord, and the POD Kast Lottery upcoming. Plus, if you donate enough to the show, you can tell us what to cover for an episode! Join now!

Episode 61: Korn's "Untouchables", or How To Spend 4 Million Dollars Without Really Trying

Thu, 05 Sep 2024 17:07:40 -0000

One of the most expensive albums in history–#9 to be exact–Korn's fifth album that reportedly cost $4m to make was a sign of the changing times in nu-metal, a sounding of the death rattle for the genre. And given how much money Korn spent on this record, the death rattle actually sounds really, really good. Impeccably produced and with way more good songs on it than we remember, this is one of the rare nu-metal albums that actually improves its standing with a re-listen in 2024, unencumbered by the eminent collapse of nu-metal that turned many fans off back in 2002. And of course, Korn says a lot of stupid stuff around the time of its release, as a full-length Kerrang! piece makes the huge mistake of allowing the 4 non-Jonathan Davis members of Korn equal interview time to Jonathan Davis, and we learn more than we should. It's also time for our annual appraisal of the Miss Rocklahoma pageant and we talk about Andrew W.K. for some reason.

If you want to hear us talk about a lot more stuff for no reason, head on over to our Patreon and donate to help support your fine hosts of the POD Kast. It's our fifth anniversary! No better time to donate. For just $4/month at patreon.com/thepodkast, you'll get access to our entire back catalogue of bonuses (over 140!) plus THREE new bonus episodes every month. Last month, Bryn Nieboer from the great band Stay Inside joined us to discuss Sleep's "Holy Mountain", a stoner-metal classic, and we have lots of other fun stuff like the POD Kast Lotto, an exclusive Discord, and more! You can even tell us what to review for an episode! Check it out.

Episode 60: Staind's "Dysfunction", or Sometimes I Sing, But Mostly I Fish

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 05:46:17 -0000

Aaron Lewis really, really likes fishing. While there's lots of interesting stuff to unpack with Staind's major label debut, from the probably made up story about Fred Durst discovering the band immediately after decrying their apparent Satanism to "Outside" breaking this thing to 2x platinum to the clear blueprint for "Break the Cycle" and what would ultimately become a very successful career, Aaron Lewis mostly really wants you to know that he loves fishing. He doesn't have to fish too hard for compliments from Bryan, who flirts with a Perfecto rating, and John wonders why he never really checked out this album in full despite loving "Mudshovel" at the time. In any case, it's a great album that both hints at Staind's future and makes us wish that they maybe stayed a little bit more in the past.

If you want to revisit more of the past with us, head on over to patreon.com/thepodkast to support the show and get a slew of bonus content. For just $4, you'll get THREE bonus episodes every single month. Last month, Sam Burns joined us to revisit a truly B-tier band in Memento, as we reviewed their album "Beginnings". Your donation also gets you access to our entire back catalogue, which is nearly 150 episodes, plus you can donate to have us listen to songs and albums of your choosing. Don't sleep!

Episode 59: N.E.R.D.'s "In Search Of..." or Finding Meaning in Horniness

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 07:03:52 -0000

An album that was seminal for John and one he had tried to get on the show forever, we take a long look at N.E.R.D.'s debut album "In Search Of...", an album that is as horny as it is confusing. The Neptunes were on an insane run in this time period, and so stepping away from that to make a nu-metal-adjacent rap-rock album with a high school friend who was originally known as just a guy who danced at their shows was certainly a choice. And there's a lot of strange choices here, from choosing a Minneapolis rock/soul band called Spymob as their backing band (who Pharrell found by hearing a demo and immediately declared they were the best band in the world) to an appearance by a guy named "Lee Harvey" who never appears on any recorded thing again ever and no one knows who he is to the deeply, deeply, sleazy horniness of the lyrics, it's a wild ride and an album that couldn't have existed in any other time period. Plus, you know the Pharrell quotes are insane. It's a fun one.

If you want some more fun ones, head on over to our Patreon, where $4/month gets you access to THREE bonus episodes every month. Last month, our pal Jesse Farrar from YKS and GoK joined us to dissect the infamous Korn South Park episode, which came out almost 30 years ago and is also a very wild ride that couldn't have existed in any other time period. We also have an exclusive Discord that's a lot of fun, merch discounts, and you can donate and have us listen to a song or album of your choosing. Check it out!

Episode 58: System of a Down's "System of a Down", or SUGAHHHHHH, Doot Doo, Da Doo Doo, Doot Doot

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 17:43:39 -0000

It took over 4 years, but we are finally reviewing System of a Down again on this program and doing what a lot of people did after hearing "Toxicity": looking backwards at this odd album that follows SOAD's usual formula of a few clear hits and a lot of strange, strange songs. Toxicity having the success it did was strange, but this album going double platinum is even stranger, as it introduced the world to System of a Down with a much more experimental style, blending a lot of world music influences and heavy riffs together with a lot of nonsensical–and some political–lyrics. We dig into all that here, as well as grappling with this album at the time, the dumb stuff Daron was already saying when it came out, and where it stands in System of a Down's (and nu-metal's) history.

If you want more of our podcast's history, a reminder that we have a LOT of content behind a paywall (over 130 episodes!) and you can get it all RIGHT NOW by heading to patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you access to our entire back catalogue PLUS three new bonus episodes every month. Last month, comedian Myles Anderson joined us to listen to his first-ever nu-metal album, Kim Dracula's "A Gradual Decline in Morale" which...is an insane first nu-metal album to listen to. You can also tell us what to review if there's something you're dying for us to cover, so head on over there and check it out!

Episode 57: Trapt's "Trapt", or Feeling Trapt in a Glass Case of Soft Music

Tue, 07 May 2024 20:52:00 -0000

It was always going to come down to this. A band that got absolutely massive off of their early single "Headstrong" and has since begun a long, downward spiral into being a band that plays 100-cap venues in towns you've never heard of and exclusively advertises tours on Truth Social, Trapt is here on the POD Kast for the first time. We go over the music, which seems inspired by Linkin Park's route to success without even a whiff of LP's heaviness or ingenuity and is heard mostly at minor league baseball games. We go over the band, which consists of a bunch of gated-community jocks who never seemed too smart to begin with and now their lead singer has to fend off defamatory accusations and picks fights with Kim Kardashian in Facebook comments. And above it all, John has to reckon with actually quite liking this band when he was a teenager.

If you want to reckon with some more POD Kast content, why not support the show you listen to and love and be rewarded with 3 bonus episodes a month? Head on over to patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you the aforementioned bonuses plus access to our entire back catalogue (over 125 episodes), merch discounts, access to our Discord, and more. Last month, Defector Media's main man David J. Roth joined us for a thorough investigation of "Godzilla: The Album", and it was a ton of fun. Check it out!

Episode 56: Stone Sour's "Stone Sour", or How Corey Taylor Became the Omega Dog

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 19:43:00 -0000

It's one of our longest episodes ever, but we simply had to do it, as there's too much here to process, even with a 2-hour running time. A complicated departure from their work in Slipknot, Corey Taylor and Jim Root set out to have their own thing that doesn't sound all that different from Slipknot and we still aren't quite sure why it happened. But they do try to explain it, from Corey and Clown not talking to each other for seven months to "Bother" launching them into Gold status to what really boils down to Corey's ultimate desire to unmask and be a famous guy. Plus, we get a little "Guys" snapshot as we find 2002 Blabbermouth comments sections that still exist and Chad Kroeger of Nickelback absolutely bodies Corey Taylor. Oh, and the album ends with a slam poem. Like I said...there's a lot to process.

If you want to process even more of our show, head on over to patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you THREE bonus episodes every month, AND you immediately get access to our entire back catalog, which now totals over 130 episodes. Last month, Z from the Nu-Metal Agenda joined us to discuss Godflesh's "Pure", and it was wonderful. We also have an exclusive Discord, merch discounts, and if you want, you can hit a donor tier that allows you to tell us what to do for an episode. It's cool. Check it out.

Episode 55: Soulfly's "Soulfly", or the Plastic "Oh No!" Band

Wed, 06 Mar 2024 19:12:42 -0000

After being in SEVEN Polls, Soulfly finally get their day in the sun, and not a moment too soon as we dig into their weird and wonderful history, with Max desperately trying to duck Yoko Ono allegations about his wife's involvement with Sepultura. It's an album that meant a lot to Bryan and we go over in detail what the split from Sepultura meant in 1998 and what it continues to mean now, as both bands are still active and Max and his brother have reunited. It's a heavy album with a bunch of nu-metal guest spots that borrows a lot from late-era Sepultura, and we speculate just how much Max wanted the band to mirror his old one, from the name to the sound. We also read one of the more thorough interviews with a nu-metal lead singer we've ever read, get the full Sepultura break-up story from Max 20 years later, and read one of the most vicious quotes from a fellow band member we've ever read on the show.

If you want some more vicious quotes from us, you can head on over to patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you access to THREE bonus episodes every single month. Last month, Alex Goldman (Western Kabuki, Reply All) joined us to discuss Element Eighty's self-titled record, and it was a real blast. Plus, YOU can tell us what to cover for an episode. So head on over there and support your beloved boys!

Episode 54: Linkin Park's "Meteora", or How John Learned to Stop Worrying and Skipped School to Buy Linkin Park

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 06:29:15 -0000

It took exactly FIFTY episodes, but Linkin Park is back on the show and we are talking about their legendary, 16 million copy-selling, sophomore album "Meteora". It's an album that is the last effort of Linkin Park's that could be considered nu-metal and finds John and Bryan at two totally different places in their life upon its release: an album so big it's the first that 17 year-old John can remember buying on its release day, and an album by a band that 24 year-old Bryan was so checked out on he didn't even know it came out. John brings that "I skipped school for the only time ever to buy this and blast it in my parents' 2000 Chevy Venture" energy to the show, and for the second time in POD Kast history, tries to get Bryan to love Linkin Park. And once again, it almost works. We also get multiple Rolling Stone profiles, a SPIN cover story, and we learn an awful lot about how this band hated partying. It's probably why John loved them so much. A massive album whose cultural legacy is completely cemented and we get into all of it here.

If you want even more of our show's legacy, head on over to patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you access to THREE bonus episodes every single month. Last month, Bryan and John reviewed Ho99o9's debut album, "United States of Horror", and it was a doozy. You also get access to our entire back catalogue, access to our Discord, and you can also tell us what to cover for a bonus episode! Support the boys and you won't miss out on a single time we're talking Nu!

Episode 53: Saliva's "Every Six Seconds", or How To Make the Perfect Album (For Us)

Fri, 05 Jan 2024 07:21:06 -0000

It's one of the longest episodes of the show ever, and how could it not be when we're discussing an album that so perfectly captures the strange gap period between nu-metal's brief dominance and butt rock's eventual takeover, Saliva's "Every Six Seconds". It's clear this was a band that was unashamedly shooting for the rafters of stadiums, going so far as to write a 90s alt-rock jangle-pop song in the middle of an album that also has "Click Click Boom" on it, a song clearly designed to be on movie soundtracks. A band that got famous by doing everything they could to become famous, we look at some of the more insane lyrics the genre has ever featured, we learn they got their start by coming second in a Grammys-sponsored nationwide battle of the bands (?), and it appears that if they had their way, they actually might've been a Christian band (???). Hey, it's just a secular world, man, and we're all living in it.

If you want to live in our POD Kast world, you can head on over to patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month will get you THREE bonus episodes every single month! Last month, John's Blocked Party partner Stefan Heck returned to the show to discuss "Nightmare Revisited", a remixed version of the "Nightmare Before Christmas" OST that goes on far, far too long and includes far, far too many strange bands. We also have merch discounts, an exclusive Discord, AND you can tell us what to do for a bonus episode! So check it out and support the show today!

Episode 52: Primus' "Frizzle Fry", or The Cult of Virtuosity

Tue, 05 Dec 2023 07:27:07 -0000

Who is a Primus Guy, exactly? We turn to Bryan's expertise on the subject (both Guys and Primus) to dig in on one of the 90s' most confounding top-selling bands, Primus. How is it that a band whose angular-yet-heavy take on rock music, centered on one man's virtuosic playing of the BASS (of all things) led to a multi-platinum-selling band? We try to figure it out by tackling Primus' studio debut album, "Frizzle Fry", which features Primus at their heaviest but maybe not quite weirdest. We also imagine a world where Les Claypool is the bassist in Metallica, we hear from Les' parents in their seminal Rolling Stone profile, and we do our due diligence by uncovering the ways in which this album was Proto-Nu and what nu-metal bands took from this meandering, deeply strange journey of a record.

If you want to head on some more deeply strange journeys, get your ass over to patreon.com/thepodkast to support the fellas and get access to our entire back catalogue (over 120 episodes!). AND you'll also get THREE new bonus episodes every damn month. Last month, Mike York from Pianos Become the Teeth and SUAHN joined us to discuss some remixes that a listener did, and it was one hell of a discussion you won't wanna miss. You can also tell us what to cover for a bonus episode, get access to our Discord, get video bonus episodes, and get merch discounts. What a place!

Episode 51: Chevelle's "Wonder What's Next", or Band of Brothers: Like the Miniseries, but Worse

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 06:18:06 -0000

After a little detour and something a little different on our last episode, we are back to covering a regular album this month, and what a regular album it is, as we take a peek at Chevelle's major label debut "Wonder What's Next", an album with two MASSIVE singles and a whole swath of drama. You see, Chevelle at this point in time consists of 3 brothers, the Loefflers. And they don't exactly like each other. Or more specifically, they hate Joe. We dig into all the contention amongst the bandmates and how this record went on to go double platinum without either of us feeling like it's a true touchstone album in the genre. We also take a long, hard look at the 2024 Sick New World lineup, which sees the festival already sold out despite the lineup not really delivering on the promise of Year 1's lineup, or the promise of a nu-metal festival, really.

If you want a true festival of nu-metal, head on over to patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you THREE bonus episodes every single month. Last month was an iconic one on the Patreon, as Riv from Nu-Metal Agenda joined us to present our Nu-Metal Bang List. That's right, we each created a 5-song nu-metal playlist to have sex to, and the results were varied and probably pretty surprising. We also have merch discounts, an exclusive Discord, and a $7 tier that gets you all the bonus episodes in video format. Plus! You can tell us what to cover for a bonus episode. Check it out!

Episode 50: Our Favorite Nu-Metal Songs w/ Raina Douris, Dan Ozzi, Ed Zitron, and Andy Anaya

Fri, 06 Oct 2023 05:39:35 -0000

We made it! Who knew that this podcast, birthed out of a random DM from John to Bryan after they effectively hijacked his episode of Blocked Party and made it the de facto first episode of POD Kast, would make it all the way to damn Episode 50! And we thought, what better way to celebrate than by bringing on some of our friends to talk about their favorite nu-metal songs, what makes the genre great (or bad, according to one of our guests), and then at the end of the episode, Bryan and John reveal their all-time favorite nu-metal songs and we go all the way deep with this 2.5-hour classic. So please join us, Raina Douris (NPR), Dan Ozzi (Sellout), Ed Zitron (Where's Your Ed At?) and Andy Anaya (Pool Kids) for what was one of our most fun episodes yet.

And if you want more fun episodes, head on over to patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you THREE bonus episodes every single month. Last month, Luke Owen from WrestleTalk joined us to discuss the Daredevil 2003 soundtrack, and it was a real 20-track, Wind-Up Records-curated doozy. And for $7/month, you get access to every single bonus episode in video format, plus you'll get to vote in this month's exclusive Poll, only available to our donors. Plus, there's merch discounts, access to our Discord, and you'll get every bonus episode we've ever recorded immediately upon donation. Get it!

Episode 49: Limp Bizkit's "Three Dollar Bill, Y'All$", or Some Days It's Wack

Tue, 05 Sep 2023 16:36:03 -0000

When Limp Bizkit gets in the studio, some days it's heavy, some days it's mellow, some days it's good, and some days...well, some days it is wack. Fred is honest with us and we are honest with Fred as we review Limp Bizkit's classic debut album, "Three Dollar Bill, Y'All$". Bryan remembers seeing Limp Bizkit very early on as we reminisce about some of their early gigs and demo tapes, and we once again debate Fred Durst's status as a sex symbol. We also learn a lot of people discovered this album after Significant Other came out, a club that includes John, as he remembers listening to this for the first time well after Limp Bizkit had broken big, and how that affected the way he took it in at the time. We also wonder why more bands could never really replicate Limp Bizkit's style, and how this album in particular stands alone as a singular artifact. And the articles are a fascinating look at how Fred Durst was beginning to create his public persona, forcing us to once again acknowledge his business genius.

If you want to acknowledge more of our genius, you can head on over to patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you access to THREE bonus episodes every single month. Last month, we reviewed Glassjaw's "Coloring Book EP", as well as some singles that included a Christian band and a hyperlocal Texas band, two staples of the nu-metal genre. You'll also get our entire back catalogue (over 100 episodes!), access to our Discord, merch discounts, and for $7/month, you can also see all of our bonus episodes in video format. Check it out!

Episode 48: P.O.D.'s "The Fundamental Elements of Southtown", or P.O.D. and the Works of Darkness

Thu, 03 Aug 2023 06:09:12 -0000

For just the second time in the show's history (and perhaps the last time), we are covering our namesake band, as we dive into the P.O.D. well once again to review their major-label debut, "The Fundamental Elements of Southtown". I'll say this: we like it a heck of a lot more than we did "Satellite". Doesn't stop us from finding lots to chew on here though, as Bryan remembers grappling with liking this album when it first came out with the fact the band was Christian, and we wonder how much that affected the general populace's enjoyment of them as well, as it's hard to like a Christian band in front of your friends. In 2023 without that context, there's quite a few great songs to be had, but it's also pretty front-loaded and limps to the finish line. We also take a look into Sonny's Christian missionary work, learn far too much about the "Miss Rocklahoma" Pageant, and we end the episode by discovering two of the most insane articles we've ever found doing this show, written by a devout Christian who spends roughly 30,000 words wondering just how Christian P.O.D. indeed are.

If you want to become a more devout follower of this show, you can head on over to patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you access to THREE bonus episodes every single month. Last month, Josh Gondelman joined us to discuss the soundtrack to the weird Canadian animated sci-fi movie "Heavy Metal 2000", and for the first time ever, we introduced the $7 tier, which gets you VIDEO of that very same episode. It was a great time. The $7 Tier also comes with a bunch of other cool perks, and at any tier, you get access to our entire back catalogue, which comprises over 100 episodes. Don't miss out!

Episode 47: Metallica's "St. Anger", or My Pod Style Determines My Death Style

Tue, 04 Jul 2023 20:30:02 -0000

It was perhaps an inevitability that we got around to covering one of the most maligned albums in the "nu-metal" genre, when the biggest metal band of all-time dips their toe into the nu-metal waters about 3 years too late. It's Metallica's "St. Anger", the one that wrought the most cursed snare tone of all-time and the documentary "Some Kind of Monster" upon the world of music. We grapple with this album's legacy as we discuss the often bizarre production choices, the lyrics-by-community, the lack of guitar solos, and the absolutely punishing length. And of course, the band weighs in on everything from this time period from James' sobriety and strict working schedule to Lars' emergence as an art collector. It's a wild ride reviewing this time period from a band of this magnitude's perspective, and we get into all of it. We even consider joining their fan club.

If you want to join OUR fan club, you can head on over to patreon.com/thepodkast, where things are a-changin'! We are making our first tier add in 4 years of doing this show, as bonus episodes will now be available IN VIDEO, you'll get to vote in an exclusive, members-only Poll, increased merch discounts, and lots of other goodies for just $7/month. But don't worry: $4/month still gets you the best deal in podcasting: access to THREE bonus episodes every single month! Last month, we were joined by Cran from Nu-Metal Agenda to discuss "Angermeans" by early-90s hardcore band Strife, and you also get two singles episodes for your money. PLUS! As always, you can pay us to review YOUR favorite album or single. It's a fun place to be, so check it out today!

Episode 46: Adema's "Adema", or a Nu-Metal Cinderella Story

Tue, 06 Jun 2023 08:26:33 -0000

After a Poll of bands we thought may never get a chance to win, Adema's "Adema" emerged as the clear victor and how could it not: an album we loved a single from, featuring Jonathan Davis' half-brother and a bunch of listeners telling us it's good. Well, folks...it's good. So good, in fact, that Bryan teases the P-word. Does it reach Perfecto status? You'll have to listen to find out. And of course, the articles are as good as you expect, as everyone in the band seems to hate Jonathan Davis' half-brother Marky--no one more than their current vocalist and former Orgy guitarist Ryan Shuck--and bassist Dave DeRoo declares them a nu-metal "Cinderella Story". You know, that classic tale where a band makes their debut album and labels get into a bidding war over them because the lead singer is one of the most popular band's in the world's singer's half-brother and one of the other guys used to be in that same singer's former band with a guy who is currently in Orgy, whose singer's dad is an industry maven...you get the point. It's a true come-from-behind, rags-to-riches tale and we dig into all of it right here.

If you want to dig into more of this show, head on over to patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you access to THREE bonus episodes every month, merch discounts, access to our Discord, and more. Last month, we covered the vaunted Scorpion King soundtrack with Eric from the Soundtracker podcast, and we also dropped some new merch that you gotta get a discount on and pick up. It's a collab with YOUNG AND SICK and it's insane. You can check that out at thepodkast.cool.

Episode 45: Rage Against the Machine's "Evil Empire", or Answering Nu-Metal's Toughest Question

Fri, 05 May 2023 20:18:34 -0000

It took 45 episodes, but we finally answer the question of whether or not Rage Against the Machine counts as nu-metal. It's a question that has rocked the message boards and Twitter threads since the dawn of time, and finally, two dumb guys from opposite sides of the continent put the debate to bed. We also dive into a deep and honest discussion about being leftist and creating art, as Rage are constantly meant to answer for their politics and Bryan draws a deep parallel with that to his own life and creative career. Plus, the songs are just really, really good. So that helps too. And because this show always contains multitudes, we do also talk about David Draiman finally fulfilling his truest form: being a divorced guy.

If you want to find your truest form, you can do so by donating to the show at patreon.com/thepodkast, where a simple $4/month gets you access to THREE bonus episodes every single month. You'll get a full-length one, like last month when John's wife Becca joined us to discuss "Linkin Park and Jay-Z: Collision Course", and you get two short ones on nu-metal songs. Plus you get merch discounts (we have new merch on the way!!!) and access to our exclusive Discord. It's the best deal in podcasting!

Episode 44: Disturbed's "Believe", or You Can Lead The Guy to Water, But You Can't Make Him Rock

Tue, 04 Apr 2023 07:28:20 -0000

He's baaaaaack! We are covering our favorite nu-metal Capital-G Guy for the third time on this show (including bonuses), as David Draiman and Disturbed make their triumphant return to the podcast in our review of "Believe", the band's second studio album. It turns out that we end up spending a LOT of time talking about THEIR Capital-G Guy, their logo, who is called...well, he's called "The Guy". What started as a smiley face ends up the star of a comic book as "The Vengeful One", a story so insane it prompts Bryan to buy the comic book they based off of this character in the middle of the episode. And boy is this episode everything you expect, as we both start out liking the album and then it takes a back-half turn into a bunch of songs with B-side flavor and we predictably turn on it. We also watch one of our favorite video clips of Draiman discussing songwriting, he tells MTV how this album has him "naked on a platter", and he bemoans his status as a rockstar God, serving as some sort of proto-Drake. It's a great time.

If you want more of a great time, head on over to patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4 a month gets you THREE bonus episodes every single month! Last month, we covered Drowning Pool's "Sinner: 13th Anniversary Edition" with our friend Kevvy, and you also get access to our Discord, merch discounts, and two special singles episodes each month too. Plus, if you got the cash, you can tell us what to cover for an episode! It's a great deal! Check it out now.

Episode 43: Sevendust's "Home", or the Dickpick Papers

Mon, 06 Mar 2023 08:31:44 -0000

An episode nearly 4 years in the making, John finally gets Sevendust to win a Poll and tries to help Bryan realize that they're good, actually. It's an uphill battle after the Kast's first exposure to the band was their hideous "Southside Double Wide" acoustic album on a bonus episode, but John tries his best to convince Bryan that Sevendust are a good band despite his aversion to them for one single reason: the first time he saw them live, singer Lajon Witherspoon could not stop picking at his dick. After some initial pondering whether or not nu-metal can be sexy, we get into the Sevendust album proper, as Bryan squares his teenaged vision of Sevendust with where they're at in 2023. And well...it goes ok. Bryan acknowledges Sevendust has some killer riffs, but the songs mostly fall flat for him, but John still loves the band despite also acknowledging perhaps this album isn't a complete effort. We also fight about "Bender", get into their extremely varied touring history (from Coal Chamber to Creed to Metallica to Nickelback) and we wrap it up with the articles, where Lajon seems like a very nice fella and Bryan considers walking all his criticisms back.

If you want to help support these two nice fellas, head on over to patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you access to THREE bonus episodes every dang month. Last month, we reviewed a really fun one from the young stalwarts in Silly Goose, an Atlanta band that is cutting their teeth by playing OUTSIDE of venues, and with over 100 episodes in the back catalogue (which you get access to the day you start donating), you can't go wrong. Plus, you get merch discounts (new stuff coming!), access to our Discord, and more!

Episode 42: Deftones' "Deftones", or We Are Definitely Not a Ska Band

Tue, 07 Feb 2023 07:00:10 -0000

It's been nearly two years since we've covered Deftones on the podcast, and not a moment too soon, as we go over 2 hours talking about our favorite boys from Sacramento. An album that was great at the time and perhaps has aged even better, we both ponder this being a true turning point in Deftones' career, both from a musical standpoint and considering where we (and a lot of fans) were at in our own lives. It feels like the last album Deftones made in the nu-metal era, and it goes so hard. John waxes poetic about "Minerva", placing it among Deftones' top songs, and Bryan holds a big-time candle for "Battle-Axe". We also discuss how extremely the band was into their own supply at the time, as they declare themselves a better live band than Metallica, discuss turning down a 7-figure deal for the Family Values Tour, and we learned that their work ethic was so loose that Maverick actually fined them for turning this album in late. Oh, and this album also somehow cost $2 million.

If you want something that doesn't cost anywhere near $2 million, you can donate to the show at patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you THREE bonus episodes every single month. You'll get two short bonus episodes about a single nu-metal song, and then one full-length bonus including last month's, where we brought on Josiah Hughes from 155-pod to talk about the ill-fated Sevendust acoustic record, "Southside Double-Wide". We also have a sweet Discord, merch discounts, and almost 100 episodes in the back catalogue, so don't waste any more time and help support your favorite Nu Boyz.

Episode 41: Avril Lavigne's "Let Go", or Take Me Somewhere New, I'm With Nu

Sat, 07 Jan 2023 20:26:10 -0000

We are with you this month, listeners, as we calm things down a bit and review the seminal sorta-pop-punk, sorta-pop, sorta-country, barely-nu-metal "Let Go" by Avril Lavigne, an album that sold an absurd number of copies and turned John into a loyal fan of a pop artist for one of the first times in his young life. We both remember our flirtations with skateboarding as teens, and John recalls having a monster crush on Avril when the "Complicated" video first dropped. We also chat about the album itself, as Bryan finds himself surprised that he doesn't hate it, John likes it even more than he remembers, and while reading the articles, we get a glimpse back into a time period where being a teenage pop star--especially a female one--was an absolute disaster.

If you want something that's not a disaster at all, you can support the show and become a donor over at patreon.com/thepodkast. For $4/month, you'll get THREE bonus episodes every single month, as well as access to our Discord, merch discounts, a monthly listening list, links to the articles we read on the show, and more! It's the best deal in podcasting, so don't miss out!

Episode 40: Sepultura's "Roots", or Podcast Bloody Podcast

Tue, 06 Dec 2022 17:57:01 -0000

It took 7 polls and 40 episodes but Bryan's dream finally comes to life as we review one of his favourite nu-metal albums, Sepultura's "Roots". Heading into the episode, Bryan assumed that John would hate it, but it's a surprise for John too, as he finds a lot to like on this seminal classic. We dig into it all, from the crossover with the Xavante tribe to the Brazilian musical elements to its influence on the genre of a nu-metal as a whole. Plus, we ponder whether or not Jonathan Davis is right when he said this record was a blatant rip-off of Korn, we try to determine how much producers should be allowed to make the same sounds on subsequent records, and we get into the departure of Max Cavalera from the band and wonder whether or not your wife should ever be your band's manager. Also...come on Max. This album is nu-metal.

If you are also nu-metal, you should consider donating to support the show at patreon.com/thepodkast. We post three bonus episodes every single month for just $4, including last month, where we reviewed The Punisher 2004 Soundtrack with Robin Hatch. This month, we've also got a special appearance from HolidayKirk as we rank all 50 singles we've covered on bonus episodes in an episode that should be a doozy. Plus we've got merch discounts, access to our Discord, and more fun stuff over there (you can tell us what to do for an episode!) so please check it out!

Episode 39: American Head Charge's "The War of Art", or The Seventy Percent

Fri, 11 Nov 2022 18:30:26 -0000

American Head Charge's reputation in the online nu-metal community is very strong, with some critics putting this album amongst the very best in nu-metal history. But does it come across that way for us? With neither John nor Bryan having extensive history with this album, we dig into all of its lore 20 years later, from the flag burning and shotgun blasts to the literal nonsense lyrics, as every interview with every band member has them broadcasting their complete nonchalance with the whole thing. We marvel at how good the production is, a pinnacle of Rick Rubin's career, how good the musicianship is, and how we just kinda wish the singing wasn't so...well, so dour. We also attempt to grapple with exactly where it stands in nu-metal history and if it deserves all the flowers it gets. Plus! We have actual nu-metal news to discuss, as the Sick New World festival got announced and we have some thoughts about how it's all shaping up.

If you want to hear more of our sick thoughts, you can head on over to patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you THREE bonus episodes every damn month. Last month, comedian Ryan Williams joined us to dissect the Judgment Night soundtrack, as we finally cover the seminal classic album that some say helped to launch nu-metal as a concept and a genre. Plus you'll get access to our Discord and merch discounts (we have shirts!) over at merch.blockedparty.com. Get into it!

Episode 38: Incubus' "Make Yourself", or Libertarians on Psychedelics

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 17:40:38 -0000

In what will likely be the last Incubus record that could be considered nu-metal enough for the show, John and Bryan dig in to Incubus' third album, "Make Yourself", one that's highlighted Brandon Boyd's "introspective" phase that spits out some of the weirdest lyrics ever committed to paper but backed, as usual, by some incredible music. The two of us debate whether or not Incubus is responsible for a second "Bryan's Perfecto", a tag he's only ever given out once on the show to the other Incubus album we covered, "S.C.I.E.N.C.E." and we both reminisce about how this album made us feel a lot of feelings. While talking about how he listened to this album while living in a mobile home with 3 other people, Bryan realizes that this could've been the record that helped 21 year-old, partying Bryan become friends with 15 year-old, weirdo nerd John. It's truly an album that unites generations of nu-metal fans, and we get into all of it right here.

If you want to unite with other nu-metal fans, you can donate to the show at patreon.com/thepodkast and join our Discord. And that's not all you'll get for $4/month, you also get THREE bonus episodes every month, two short singles episodes and one full-length review. Last month's full-length episode was a special one as Nolan Sykes from Donut Media joined us to discuss nu-metal's history with cars and Limp Bizkit's "Rollin'" from just about every angle. It was a really fun one that you don't wanna miss! We also have merch! The first-ever P.O.D. Kast shirt is now available at merch.blockedparty.com. Check it out!

Episode 37: Korn's "Life is Peachy", or To Infinity and Beyond

Tue, 06 Sep 2022 20:32:52 -0000

You can be a nu-metal fan but not be constantly engaging with the classics, particularly a band's--by their own admission--rushed second album. We know about the legacy of the self-titled. We know about how many copies Follow the Leader sold. But where does "Life is Peachy" fit into Korn's legacy as a band, and the legacy of nu-metal as a whole in 2022? Well, it turns out that both Bryan and John were very pleasantly surprised by how much they liked it still. It completely whips, and we have fun getting into all of it. We discuss Ross Robinson's "improved" production, why exactly Jonathan Davis is so mad at Mr. Rogers, what a song consisting of the most vile words the English language has is doing on the album, and why there's two covers over the span of 3 songs. It's a testament both to Korn's excess at the time, but also the limited scope and budget with which they had to operate that excess. It's an album that has some of Korn's absolutely best songs, and some of their most baffling decisions, but ultimately stands the true test of time. And of course, we dig into the interviews and get more of these dumb guys saying very dumb things. It's Korn, what do you expect?

What you can expect over on our Patreon is THREE bonus episodes every single month for the low price of $4. Head on over to patreon.com/thepodkast and you'll get one full-length bonus, like last month's review of Edgewater's "South of Sideways" with Producer Dan, and two mini singles reviews every month. Plus, you can tell us what to review for a bonus episode and we've got a very cool and fun Discord. It's all there, check it out and support this show!

Episode 36: Alien Ant Farm's "ANThology", or Lessons in How Not to Be La-Hoo

Fri, 05 Aug 2022 00:29:53 -0000

It's an episode that begins with us talking quite frankly about our balls (and our strength), and you might need a lot of strength to get through almost two hours on an album that just doesn't quite get to where it thinks it's going, as the risks hardly ever pay off and at the end of the day, its biggest song is still a cover. But WHAT A COVER IT IS. We discuss what it means to have a cover hit huge, how we perceived it then and now, and whether or not "Movies" can hold a candle to "Smooth Criminal" as the album's first (and third!) single. We also learn that Alien Ant Farm really wants you to know they're good musicians, actually, and it took us 36 episodes but we also figure out that every band categorized as "nu-metal" in the early 2000s could actually be divided into one of two groups: Ozzfest or Warped Tour. And finally, we wax poetic about skaters and "skateboard bands" and Dryden Mitchell's "write the words, worry about what they mean later" strategy of songwriting.

If you want to learn a lot more about songwriting strategy and support the show at the same time, you can head on over to patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you access to THREE bonus episodes a month. We do two short reviews of nu-metal songs and one full-length episode much like this one, as last month we had Bryn Nieboer from Stay Inside on the show to discuss The Mad Capsule Markets' classic, "OSC-DIS". There's nearly 80 episodes in the back catalogue to choose from and you get access to our Discord too. What a deal!

Episode 35: Coal Chamber's "Coal Chamber", or the Silliness of Nu-Metal Realized

Fri, 08 Jul 2022 09:01:01 -0000

BIG TRUCK! BIG TRUCK! After literal years of trying to get this album to win a Poll, Bryan's dream finally comes true and the boys cover Coal Chamber's debut, self-titled album and it does not disappoint. Perhaps the first nu-metal band to recognize the inherent silliness of the genre, from the lyrics to the interviews, we also recognize that this record absolutely kicks ass. It's clearly inspired by Korn's first record in all the right ways, with gritty production, chunky riffs, and a great rhythm section holding it all down. Bryan talks about loving this album as a kid and John loves it now, and it's got one of the genre's best album covers too. Just a real "great job, gang!" situation all around.

If you want to be part of a great gang, you can head on over to our Patreon at patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you access to THREE bonus episodes every month. Last month, we covered The Crow soundtracks with Lorin from Roach Koach, and we've also got a fun Discord and lots of other cool stuff, so head on over there to check it out. It's the best deal in podcasting!

Episode 34: Slipknot's "Iowa", or The Episode Where We Start To Get Serious

Thu, 02 Jun 2022 07:27:08 -0000

It's a truly wild episode of the POD Kast this month, as Bryan talks about the first time he did acid...at the age of 12. It sets the tone for the entire episode, as we discuss Neighborhood Jesus, Mick Thomson's "sense of humor" and just how it became that a very heavy metal band made a very heavy sophomore album and still managed to capture the hearts and minds of people everywhere. Of course, this was also right around the time Slipknot began to take themselves VERY seriously, and John wonders if borrowing some of Corey Taylor's recording techniques, like smelling animal remains and puking and pissing everywhere while recording might make the podcast better (it won't). Slipknot also loves to tell you how much they hated making this album and we get into one of the most egregious examples of a band giving Rolling Stone exactly the type of coverage they would want from them, and Rolling Stone eating it all up with a giant, masked spoon.

If you want to be spoonfed more content from us, you can head on over to patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you access to THREE bonus episodes every single month. Last month, we covered Linkin Park's "Reanimation" with our good friend Chris James in an episode a lot of people are calling an "all-timer", and on a singles episode, we recoil as we cover the Metallica/Ja Rule monstrosity that might be the single worst song we've ever covered. Plus, you get bonus posts from us, access to our Discord, and more. So check it out!

Episode 33: Hollywood Undead's "Notes From the Underground", or 10 Years Too Late

Tue, 10 May 2022 17:57:46 -0000

It's time for one of the most puzzling albums we've ever covered on this show, a pure nu-metal album that came out in the complete dead zone of 2013 from a bunch of guys who don't seem interested in anything other than trying to be famous. From a "club banger about football" to a myriad of ballads to songs about drugs and killing everyone, this album literally has it all. And it's all bad. So of course, Bryan loves it! We dive into some of the more questionable lyrics on the album, why they love lions so much, and how you can possibly write songs when everyone in the band is a singer and they don't seem to have worked out any sort of writing process. Oh, and their old lead singer definitely made up a story about them jumping him after a show, they're all Scientologists, and they've worn more masks than any other band in history. It's a wild ride.

If you want to be taken on more wild rides, check out our Patreon and support the show over at patreon.com/thepodkast, where we review two nu-metal singles and one album every month for just $4. Last month, we covered the Matrix Reloaded soundtrack with our pal Randee Neumeyer, and we have more awesome stuff on the way. Plus you get access to our Discord, you get a monthly listening list so you can prepare for the episodes, and MORE!

Episode 32: Mushroomhead's "XIII", or A Collection of Anthems

Tue, 05 Apr 2022 17:49:00 -0000

We finally get to talking about the band responsible for the best artist biography in the business, Mushroomhead. Covering their most popular album, "XIII", we take a read of the infamous bio as well as the "News" portion of their site, which we find is just as fluffily written as the biography is and purports their albums to be "a collection of anthems". The album is...ok. We discuss the songs and how they try to find nu-metal's middle, as we find out that turntablist Stitch is a haunted house aficionado, and gives the longest interview answer of all-time. Plus, John becomes a Crocs guy, the band just can't help continuing to compare themselves to Slipknot even though they insist there's no bad blood, and Bryan comes up with his latest hot take just one day before the Machine Gun Kelly debacle: there is no such thing as a bad cover.

If you want to hear us talk on a lot of covers (and other fun stuff), you can head on over to patreon.com/thepodkast and support the show. In exchange for your donation, you'll get THREE bonus episodes every single month, where we review nu-metal singles and albums suggested by you, the listener. You can donate to decide on what you want us to cover on those episodes over on the Patreon, and you can also hear last month's main bonus show, where we watched Anime Music Videos with OK Fox of the Art and Labor podcast. It was a good time! We also have a Discord, you get a listening list every month before we record the episodes, and more goodies. So check it out.

Episode 31: Faith No More's "Angel Dust", or A Decade Under the Influence

Fri, 04 Mar 2022 00:33:53 -0000

It's the first time that Bryan & John have been forced to tackle a band that isn't a nu-metal band, but greatly influenced a vast majority of the bands we've covered on this show. Named the Most Influential Album of All-Time by Kerrang! in 2003 (a list we investigate...it has some holes), it's easy to see how many bands of the nu-metal era were inspired by this record, even if they really didn't want to be seen as the progenitors of the genre. We get into the weirdness of Mike Patton, some of the more bizarre musical elements, and Bryan is blown away by the covers on the record. And just to ease a lot of listeners' concerns...we didn't hate it.

If you want some more stuff you won't hate, donate to the show at patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you THREE bonuses every month. You'll get two mini-reviews of nu-metal singles and one full-length bonus episode, including last month's bonus episode where HolidayKirk joined us to discuss French nu-metal stalwarts Pleymo. And of course you can't get access to our famous Zoom live shows without being a patron, and our next one is coming up March 21st, as we are gonna review a series of anime music videos with the Art & Labor podcast. So don't delay!

Episode 30: Drowning Pool's "Sinner", or a Life Lost Too Soon

Fri, 04 Feb 2022 07:51:31 -0000

30 episodes and 4 poll nominations later, Drowning's Pool magnum opus "Sinner" finally gets a review and it turns out it's not a moment too soon, as this one is a banger. Amidst talk of Bryan undergoing a personal rebrand, the boys do a rebrand of their own as they talk about originally disliking "Bodies" and realize during the work for this episode that no, it's actually one of the best nu-metal songs ever. And the rest of the album follows suit, as we thoroughly enjoy it all and it makes us realize Dave Williams was a true talent lost too soon. He seemed like a hell of a cool guy, too. That said, at least we have this record still and it packs a wallop and we dissect it all.

If you want some more of us two cool guys, you can head on over to patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you access to THREE bonus episodes every month. Last month, Steve Sladkowski from PUP joined us to talk about one of the truly bizarre contributions to the nu-metal canon, Fieldy's solo instrumental album "Bassically". Yeah, that's the real title. It was a ton of fun and we also have a great Discord and two short singles episodes every month, so check it out!

Episode 29: Hoobastank's "Hoobastank", or When We Learned Hoobastank Might be the Feds

Tue, 11 Jan 2022 18:18:51 -0000

It's another episode Bryan absolutely did not want to do, as his attempt to juice the poll in favour of Far went sideways and we are forced to cover Hoobastank's major-label debut album. And what a debut album it is, as it sounds an awful lot like Incubus and we try to figure out what the drummer means when he says they were destined to sound the same because they grew up 5 minutes from each other. We also get into Doug Robb's attempts to be a "funny guy" in interviews, how good the singles are (very good), and Bryan reveals that he actually likes "The Reason" a great deal. PLUS! It's huge nu-metal news as Disturbed frontman David Draiman is back on Twitter and we find out live on the show that he blocked us.

If you want to show your moral support for the block, you can head on over to patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you access to THREE bonus episodes, one of which is a full-length album review and the other are two mini song reviews. And you can even donate at a certain level to tell us what to cover! It's a wonderful thing. Last month, we reviewed Darke Complex's 2016 nu-metal debut "Point Oblivion", and had their lead singer, Vincente Void, on to discuss it with us. He was very candid and it was an awesome episode, so be sure to check it out. Plus we also have a Discord and other fun perks so donate today!

Episode 28: Papa Roach's "Infest", or a Total Turnaround

Wed, 08 Dec 2021 04:39:01 -0000

It's therapy time for Bryan as John and Bryan get personal on this one, as talking about our dads leads into Bryan's history with drug use and ends with some extreme talk about...pole vaulting. Bryan's insistence that he could very quickly learn how to pole vault turns contentious, and we swear we find some time to talk about this album eventually. And what an album it is, exploring Papa Roach's mammoth smash "Infest", as Bryan learns that he actually quite enjoys this album after nearly two decades of just assuming he hated it. We discuss Papa Roach's general corniness as dudes as John fills Bryan in on the Wye Oak incident and we read some interviews where Jacoby Shaddix comes across as a little cloying. Luckily the album is anything but, as we both love it and fawn over the 4 indisputably great singles, the bizarre yet confessional lyrics, and how it was a perfect album for the time.

If you want some more great singles, you can head on over to patreon.com/thepodkast, where for $4/month, you can hear us review TWO singles and ONE full-length piece of content, every single month. I say "piece of content" because last month, we watched the Disturbed rockumentary "M.O.L." with the guys from blink-155 and it was...something. We've got over 50 episodes in the back catalogue and they're all at your fingertips with a donation, so get into it! Rock on!

Episode 27: 311's "311", or The One Where Bryan Threw Up

Tue, 09 Nov 2021 21:40:19 -0000

We don't think it's because of the album we were covering, but Bryan made it down to the Street Fight Studios just in time to vomit and then immediately record this episode. Bryan said that while he powered through, he doesn't remember most of the recording, but the takes are good and hot as we go deep on the album that broke 311, a melange of influences that is mostly pleasant to listen to but whose lyrics leave a lot to be desired. We get into their infamous Rolling Stone interview that's all about how much weed they smoke, Bryan once again takes aim at the Billboard Heatseekers Chart, we learn who guns are for (pussies), and we find out what exactly a "brodel" is. Plus, we include a mini-review of the new Limp Bizkit album "Still Sucks", and introduce a very special poll just in time for Christmas.

If you want to give yourself an early Christmas gift, you can head on over to patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you access to THREE bonus episodes every single month. Last month, we went back to our rockumentary roots as we watched Fear Factory's "Digital Connectivity" with Ryan Williams, and it was a doozy. Plus, you get two additional singles reviews each month AND access to our Discord. It's the best deal in podcasting, so check it out!

Episode 26: Rob Zombie's "Hellbilly Deluxe", or Halloween Music for Adults

Fri, 08 Oct 2021 03:40:44 -0000

This album might not be exactly nu-metal, but it's the perfect fit for October as we discuss Rob Zombie's unique ability to invent his own genre that combines rockabilly, nu-metal, and good old-fashioned rock into something almost wholly unique (if you sort of ignore what he did before that with White Zombie). But does that make it any good? We break it all down from the three supercharged singles to the disappointing back half of the album, as we get into Rob Zombie's inability to name things well, as well as his seeming inability to get along with most people. Plus, we dive into the new Limp Bizkit single "Dad Vibes" and create our own Rob Zombie-style characters for ourselves.

If you want more of us being characters, you can head on over to patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you THREE bonus episodes every single month. Last month for our full-length episode we did another live show with our pal Jesse Farrar as we took a look at Mudvayne's music video history and the VOD is up now, which you won't wanna miss. Plus you get two singles reviews thrown in for good measure, so support the show today!

Episode 25: Powerman 5000's "Tonight the Stars Revolt!", or An Alien Concept

Wed, 08 Sep 2021 20:10:28 -0000

It's an album that contains multitudes this month, as the storylines are aplenty around PM5K's breakthrough album. The lead singer is Rob Zombie's brother. He's obsessed with science fiction (or so he says). The album contains almost no emotion whatsoever in a genre known for its ability to capture the feelings of youth. It's supposedly a loose concept album, but there doesn't seem to be a concept other than vague lyrics about space and martians. Simply put, there's a lot going on and we tackle it all, from their breakthrough on the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater soundtrack and an early Ozzfest album, to Spider-One's perplexing interviews that paint a picture of a guy who might not be all that into science fiction after all, especially for a guy who never stops talking about it. This is also our two-year anniversary show, and we reflect a little bit on what has changed in the nu-metal landscape since we started in 2019 and how the podcast has meant a lot to the both of us.

If you want even more of that very same podcast, you can head on over to patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you THREE bonus episodes every month. You'll get one full-length bonus, and two mini bonuses where we review individual nu-metal songs. Last month, we covered a playlist of nu-metal covers with our friend Libby Watson, and as you might expect, it ran the gamut from great to terrible and everything in between. We also have another special live show coming up this month and it's all gonna be great, so hop on over now and support the show!

Episode 24: Korn's "Follow the Leader", or 3 Gimmicks and a Classic

Thu, 05 Aug 2021 19:00:16 -0000

It's been almost two years since we covered a Korn album, and so the boys get down to business on what is likely the most important album in nu-metal history. It might have aged a bit weirder than you remember though, with some clear gimmick tracks mixed in with the bonafide hits and wonderful deep cuts you love. And we do too. This album absolutely rules. We discuss it all, from the funniest song on this album somehow NOT being one of the gimmick ones to the absolutely maximalist production to even more evidence that the guys in Korn just simply aren't all that bright. Bryan also shares the song on this album that he thinks is the greatest nu-metal song of all-time (and it's not what you think) and the guys give each other sweet gifts in the Challenge. Plus, we include a mini-review of the new Woodstock '99 documentary.

If you want some more mini-reviews, you can head on over to patreon.com/thepodkast, where we do 2 mini-reviews and one full-length review every single month. Last month, we were solo for a bonus episode as we reviewed Spike 1000's "Waste of Skin", a nu-metal album that seemed prime for stardom but never quite got there, and this month, we've got a review of some nu-metal covers with a very special guest you won't wanna miss. It's only $4 for 3 bonus episodes a month and YOU can pay US to listen to a single or an album of your choosing over there too. So check it out!

Episode 23: Evanescence's "Fallen", or a Secular Podcast About a Definitely Secular Band

Thu, 08 Jul 2021 17:42:55 -0000

It's the best-selling album we've ever covered on the show and it might hold that record for a very long time, as we review Evanescence's Fallen, a record that sold an absolutely staggering 17 million copies worldwide, won two Grammys, and set numerous Billboard records. But is it any good? Bryan's convinced he's going to hate it, but on the strength of some very good singles and some very good backstory, Bryan finds himself enjoying it more than he thought he might. We learn all about the very messy break-up of the two founding members of the band and we also learn about two of the greatest letters in nu-metal history: the open letter written by Ben Moody 7 years after he left the band, and the one sent by Wind-Up Records to Christian bookstores telling them to stop selling "Fallen". This episode packs a lot in and we love it all.

Speaking of things you might love, you should head on over to patreon.com/thepodkast for all of our bonus content. For just $4/month, you get access to THREE bonus episodes every month: one full-length episode about a nu-metal album and two shorter episodes focused on nu-metal singles. Last month's big bonus episode was a doozy as we were joined by Max Collins from Eve 6 to discuss "Take a Bite Outta Rhyme", a compilation where nu-metal artists tackled hip-hop songs, and we got more great stuff on the way, so join now!

Episode 22: Kid Rock's "Devil Without a Cause", or the Life of Bryan

Thu, 03 Jun 2021 15:34:44 -0000

It's our longest episode to date, as we tackle an album that Bryan feels was the first to ever accurately describe his life, Kid Rock's "Devil Without a Cause". We take a look at how Kid Rock's early career shaped himself for success with this album, his fourth, and how the key to all of it was him apparently believing that making a Korn song was "easy". Of course, we delve all into Kid Rock's wild persona, from his current political leanings to his raising a son in the midst of the peak of his fame. Bryan also talks about seeing Kid Rock live before he hit it big and we both ponder the legacy of the song, "Black Chick White Guy".

If you want to experience more of the POD Kast's legacy, you can donate to the show at patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you access to THREE bonus episodes every month. Last month, we sat down with Tony Boswell to review the Freddy v. Jason soundtrack, and this month, we have a super special guest planned that you won't wanna miss!

Episode 21: Flyleaf's "Flyleaf", or Searching for Jesus in a World of Broken Bands

Tue, 04 May 2021 21:15:32 -0000

It's the first time we've ever chosen an album because of our bonus singles episodes, as we put up 4 bands in our monthly poll whose singles we loved and much to Bryan's chagrin, Flyleaf won out. A band that seemed to take their nu-metal cues from Linkin Park more than Korn, this 2005 release comes right at the very tail end of nu-metal, bridging the gap between that genre and screamo in a way that John likes but Bryan decidedly does not. The disagreement aside, we talk about our first concerts, the song Bryan lost his virginity to, the production choices on the album, and we learn an awful lot about how much this band loved Jesus.

If you want to do some worship of a different kind, you can donate to our Patreon at patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you THREE bonus episodes every month. Last month, we covered a truly bizarre MTV documentary about the making of a Korn video, and this month, we have an interview with the Korn fan who won the contest to direct that video AND we review the Freddy v. Jason soundtrack. Plus we review singles and we take donations from you to tell us what to listen to! It's all there, so check it out.

Episode 20: Godsmack's "Godsmack", or What's the Wayshun?

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 15:19:14 -0000

A band that certainly hoped to be all things to everyone, we're reviewing Godsmack's debut album that's a little bit Metallica, a little bit Creed, and a lot angry. Featuring songs with varying themes such as, "leave me alone", "I would like to be left alone", "stay away from me", and "I am a practicing witch", this is Sully Erna's album and it shows. We cover all of the bases here, from the aforementioned Wiccan affiliation of the band's lead singer to the Boston Music Awards to the lasting legacy of a band that's still doing this same thing over two decades later.

If you want more of this same thing we're doing, you can head on over to patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you access to THREE bonus episodes every month. You'll get a full-length episode and two mini singles episodes, AND, if you donate enough, you can tell us what to cover for an episode. It's very fun. This month, we have our second-ever live show coming up, where we review MTV's "The Making of...Alone I Break", as we get a glimpse into the truly unhinged making of Korn's "Alone I Break" video. It's on April 20th and you won't wanna miss it!

Episode 19: Sugar Ray's "Floored", or The Sugar Way

Tue, 09 Mar 2021 17:06:59 -0000

One of the more surprising entries in the nu-metal canon if you knew nothing about the band other than what you heard on the radio, the album that features "Fly" is indeed a nu-metal album. We learn that Mark McGrath basically wanted to mimic Korn with this record, but it turns out they were ready to mimic any band they thought might make them popular, as this album is a weird pastiche of songs that wear their influences so proudly they could almost be considered covers. We also hear one of the worst songs we've ever listened to on this show in the form of "Stand and Deliver", and we ponder just how popular this band would be if Mark McGrath wasn't so damn hot.

Speaking of hot, we've got a ton of hot content over at patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4 a month gets you access to THREE bonus episodes every single month. Last month, we reviewed a bizarre compilation called "Loud Rocks" with Bryn Nieboer of Stay Inside, where nu-metal bands covered rap songs to varying degrees of success. We also cover two singles every month, and we have tiers where you can donate and tell us what to cover for an episode! It's all there and it's the best deal in podcasting, so check it out.

Episode 18: Limp Bizkit's "Gold Cobra", or a Greatest Hits Album With New Songs

Thu, 04 Feb 2021 20:02:48 -0000

An episode that was almost entirely influenced by the listeners saying how good this album is, Bryan and John go back and revisit Limp Bizkit's last album, their 2011 effort "Gold Cobra", and find that Limp Bizkit were still pretty good ten years past their prime. We take a look at how Limp Bizkit's earlier hits definitely influenced some of the songs we find here, and come to the realization that even when Fred is trying really hard, he still just isn't all that good at writing lyrics. We also dig into a very interesting interview with Wes defending Fred and further discuss how he's most certainly the best guitarist in nu-metal history. And finally, we take Fred to task for his assertion that 90% of the people at Limp Bizkit shows are women.

If you want to get in on something that's 100% good, you can donate to the show at https://patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you access to THREE bonus episodes every single month. Last month, we reviewed the putrid hip-hop album from Korn's bassist Fieldy with Luke O'Neil, and we have more great nu-metal/hip-hop crossover content coming your way this month. Plus we do two singles reviews each month, which have been a ton of fun and highlighting some bands we've never heard of. You can donate to get us to review an album or song you love! We've also just created a Discord server where we chat nu-metal and it's all over on our Patreon, so check it out!

Episode 17: Deftones' "White Pony", or the Day Nu-Metal Stood Still

Tue, 12 Jan 2021 18:44:08 -0000

It's the episode that many of you have been waiting for, as we finally cover what is considered to be nu-metal's magnum opus, "White Pony". Coming out in the year 2000, it's easy to see how this album was the end of the first wave of nu-metal and ushered in the second wave, no matter how short-lived it was. We examine how Deftones approached making this album, from Chino being very concerned about changing the band's direction, to the in-fighting, to how Tony Hawk's Pro Skater almost derailed the recording entirely. We also find time to talk about seeing Deftones live, this album's lasting legacy, Stef Carpenter's recent pivot to being a conspiracy theory guy, and include a mini-review of their 20th anniversary remix album, "Black Stallion".

One thing that's no conspiracy is the bonus content we're releasing every month over at https://patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you access to THREE bonus episodes every month, one full-length album review and two mini singles reviews. We just posted our first-ever video episode where we take a look at the videos of Marilyn Manson with Lydia Burrell, and this month, we finally tackle Fieldy's unwieldy hip-hop album, "Rock 'n Roll Gangster". Plus, we just launched the POD Kast Discord, where you can finally get the chance to chat nu-metal with people who still love it, like us. Sign up now!

Episode 16: Crazy Town's "The Gift of Game", or Mr. Shifty Goes To Platinum

Tue, 08 Dec 2020 17:58:21 -0000

In Bryan's words, it was time that we get to a truly bad album on the podcast. Never mind the fact we've reviewed Puddle of Mudd and a slew of bad albums for the bonus episodes, but we really dig in for one of the weirdest and most puzzling albums in nu-metal history, Crazy Town's "The Gift of Game". Buoyed by the #1 hit single, "Butterfly", this album sounds like a band capitalizing on a genre to make money and doing the entire genre a disservice in the process. On the episode, Bryan and John get into their saga of trying to buy the domain crazytown.com, Bryan posits his theory that Crazy Town and Limp Bizkit are pretty close to being the same band, and John basically loses his mind the whole time. We also take a look at some of the worst and most baffling lyrics the genre has ever seen and we find a beautiful Rolling Stone profile that outs Crazy Town as yet another nu-metal that seems impossible to hang out with.

You know who is great to hang out with? Us. And you can do more of it over at our Patreon. Donate to the show at https://patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you THREE bonus episodes every month. We do one full-length bonus episode where we review an album and two short song reviews every month. It's the best deal in podcasting! And this month, we have a special surprise: a live show! Join us on December 28th, as we review 5 of Marilyn Manson's music videos, LIVE on Zoom and ONLY for our donors. You won't wanna miss it!

Episode 15: Staind's "Break the Cycle", or Rolexes and Golf

Tue, 10 Nov 2020 20:59:00 -0000

It's been awhile since we last saw you, and we're thrilled you're back again for another episode of the P.O.D. Kast! This month, it's all about one of nu-metal's most divisive bands, Staind. A band that Bryan hated and John liked, the division in age between Bryan and John becomes clear as Bryan was fully moving away from nu-metal in 2001 when this album came out, and John was fully entrenched. Wherever you stand on the age line might determine how much you liked it, but one thing is certain: in 2020, it isn't great.

We dive into more of nu-metal's weird history with this band, from Fred Durst nearly kicking Staind off of his tour due to an objectionable album cover to eventually signing them and becoming their "dad", to Aaron Lewis' redneck beginnings (and endings--guy is a Trump country artist now). This album contains multitudes, an $800,000 production budget with songs directly aimed at topping the charts mixed in with paint-by-numbers nu-metal and some songs that still hit pretty hard if they get you at the right moment. Staind was the sound for 2001, a bridge between the nu-metal monsters they toured with and the butt rock juggernauts that were soon to follow, and we get into their entire complicated history right here.

If you want some more complicated history, you can head on over to https://patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you access to a great bonus episode every month AND our entire back catalogue of bonuses. Last month, we had our great friends Stefan Heck and Brett Payne on to discuss Korn: Unplugged, and this month, it's a nu-metal superpod (that's what you call the supergroup of podcasts), as we get together with our friends in Roach Koach to discuss a truly awful Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2003 soundtrack. We also introduced a new tier this month, where a $20 donation gets you a personalized review of any nu-metal song, and of course for $50, you can tell us what album to do for a bonus episode. It's all there, we hope you join us!

Episode 14: Orgy's "Candyass", or Murder Bryan's Opus

Tue, 06 Oct 2020 21:48:00 -0000

It's an album that Bryan has wanted to do since Day 1 of the show, and the day has finally come, as Jordan Uhl donated enough money to make it so! It's a classic POD Kast episode in that we talk a lot about the music, but we are just as fascinated with the band, as Orgy were another insane nu-metal story, from their inception to their eventual, extremely messy demise.

For an album that was released right in nu-metal's peak and was the first release on Jonathan Davis' album Elementree, it is really an outlier in the genre, one that managed to take the sad-mope 80s new wave and combine it with nu-metal into one sleek package. The music itself is pretty good, John decides (obviously Bryan loves it), but doing some research into the band reveals conflicting feelings for the Boys. We learn all about the band's take on why they wore makeup, why Jay Gordon gave up football to become a singer, why they broke up, and how Jay Gordon made money off of fellow band Lit. We also discuss Bryan's detailed history with this record, from loving it when it was originally released to the role that the song "Revival" played in his marriage. And for a little bit of bonus content, we do a mini-review of Deftones' new record, Ohms.

If you want more bonus content, you can head on over to https://patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you access to a bonus episode every month. We tend to review compilations and rarities over there, and this past month was no exception, as we reviewed the Mission:Impossible 2 soundtrack with Jesse Farrar of Your Kickstarter Sucks. It was a wild look into music in the year 2000, with the album straddling the line between the impending death of nu-metal and the beginning of the butt-rock revival. We've got another huge bonus episode planned this month and Bryan and John's podcast co-hosts Brett and Stefan are gonna join them for Korn: Unplugged. You won't wanna miss it!

Episode 13: Limp Bizkit's "Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water", or Poor Wes

Wed, 02 Sep 2020 22:55:00 -0000

We finally made it to one year here on the POD Kast, and our two hosts celebrate the occasion the only way they know how: by listening to a little bit of Limp Bizkit. It was 12 months ago when we first launched this podcast with Significant Other, and it makes sense to return to our roots, as we lean heavily into Fred Durst's self-indulgent phase with this one.

Released just over a year after Significant Other, Limp Bizkit were legitimately one of the hottest bands in the world, and this album was no exception, though the cracks really begin to show. The boys delve into how this might be LB's best album musically but worst lyrically, Fred's celebrity phase, dating Christina Aguilera, Wes Borland's guitar playing, and how an album with such an absurd title and general message could become as popular as it did. We also see the other side of Wes, as he leaves the band shortly after this album and we speculate about what went wrong. Plus, Bryan explains how this album was the beginning of the end of his love for the nu-metal genre, and John learns that loving Limp Bizkit became really tough once this album dropped. Keep on rollin', baby.

If you wanna keep rollin' on to some sweet bonus content, you can donate to the show at https://patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4 a month gets you access to a bonus episode every month as well. It's for when one episode of nu-metal content just isn't enough. We always bring on a special guest to discuss a compilation album with us, and this month, we reviewed the Queen of the Damned OST with Jaya Sundaresh, our first soundtrack and one with a backstory that's so early 00s and SO nu-metal it hurts. Get on it!

Episode 12: Static-X's "Wisconsin Death Trip", or The Masked Singer

Tue, 04 Aug 2020 17:52:00 -0000

One of the most iconic figures in nu-metal, Wayne Static, is almost more of the focus of this episode than the band is, as we look into Static-X's start as a band, Wayne's eventual death, and the band's decision to dress Edsel Dope up in a Wayne mask and go on a 20th Anniversary Tour of this album. It's the first album we've reviewed from the side of nu-metal that also held a pretty large industrial influence, and both Bryan and John explain that it was one that largely passed them by at the time but one they are excited to revisit.

In a continuing series where Bryan Quinby (Street Fight Radio) and John Cullen (Blocked Party) review one classic nu-metal album per month, Static-X comes in from a listener donation, and for John at least, it feels like the only way this would've ever gotten a review from the P.O.D. boys. But Bryan and John are game for it, as the album shows some flashes of what Static-X could have been, were they not so focused on "evil disco" and building tracks strictly from the drums and programming up. And the weird legacy of the band proves almost more interesting, as the in-fighting over the name, Wayne Static's drug problems, and the introduction of Xer0 make them a more fascinating tale than most. Plus, we find some time to talk about Korn's cover of "Devil Went Down to Georgia" going viral and Corey Taylor's new solo project.

If you want a fun solo project, you can take some alone time and use it to donate to the show at https://patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you a bonus episode every single month. Last month, we had the wonderful Jordan Uhl on to discuss Strait Up, the tribute album to the deceased lead singer of the band Snot which features nearly all of nu-metal's greatest singers, and we've got another great episode coming this month as we tackle the Queen of the Damned soundtrack. Plus you get access to all of our back catalogue of bonus episodes and there's new stuff coming every month. Donate now!

Episode 11: Disturbed's "The Sickness", or Nu Metal's Triple Major

Thu, 09 Jul 2020 08:28:00 -0000

An album that Bryan describes as "elevator music, but nu-metal", Disturbed kicks off a bafflingly successful career with this, their debut album, "The Sickness". An album that brought the world "ooh-wah-ah-ah-ah" and launched a thousand nu-metal jokes, Disturbed created the blueprint for how a band that originally came up in nu-metal could be successful well past the genre's expiration date. All the foundations of Disturbed are here, from David Draiman's weird rap-sing style to the chugga-chugga of every single song, as one bleeds into the next and we go deep into all of it.

In a continuing series where Bryan Quinby (Street Fight Radio) and John Cullen (Blocked Party) review one classic nu-metal album per month, this is an album that pitches straight down the middle. You know what you're going to get from the outset, with weird, very specific lyrics that turn out to be mostly made up, to the cover of an 80s new wave song designed to move copies. And move copies this album did, as it's gone five times platinum since its release and continues to be one of the pillars of the genre. Plus, we learn who David Draiman is as a guy, and guess what? He's not great. Shocker, we know. From describing how smart he is in nearly every interview (a triple major, baby!) to our most fun Challenge ever, we dissect just who this guy is, and how he came to front one of the most popular metal bands ever.

If you want to feel smart and popular, you can donate to the show at https://patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4 a month gets you access to a shiny bonus episode every single month, and access to our entire back catalogue as well. We're fresh off reviewing WWF's Forceable Entry with Stop Podcasting Yourself's Graham Clark, and past guests include Molly Lambert, Nick Wiger, and Felix Biederman. This month, we've got the review of Strait Up, the Snot-led tribute to their deceased lead singer Lynn Strait, which features the band fronted by a bunch of nu-metal singers and it's extremely underrated. It's gonna be a great one and you don't wanna miss out on all the times Bryan and John get together to talk nu. Donate today!

Episode 10: Kittie's "Spit" w/ Fallon Bowman of Kittie

Thu, 04 Jun 2020 06:30:00 -0000

We are extremely pleased to be joined by Fallon Bowman, one of the founding members of Kittie, to discuss their debut album, "Spit". We said we would never have a guest on the main episodes of the program, but this is Fallon Bowman! We have no choice. She rules.

In a continuing series where Bryan Quinby (Street Fight Radio) and John Cullen (Blocked Party) review one classic nu-metal album per month, we revisit one of the formative nu-metal albums from John's childhood, Spit. Kittie, one of the best all-female groups of all-time is also Canadian, so John heard them a ton growing up, and Bryan gets his first exposure to a band that he calls "a perfect nu-metal sound". We discuss how John was super afraid of Kittie as a young teen, why "Brackish" would be the song Bryan would choose if someone asked him what nu-metal is, and just what made this small group of 4 Canadian women so special. And then to top it off, we are joined by Fallon Bowman to talk about how Kittie wrote the majority of this record as 14 year-olds, what it was like to tour with Ozzfest and be firmly entrenched in this genre as young women, and ultimately, why Fallon left the band before their second record was even written. Plus, we share a lot of laughs, as the interview goes double the time it was supposed to. It starts at 48:22.

If you want to go double the time with us, you can donate to the show at https://patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4 a month gets you access to another helping of P.O.D. Kast goodness. One regular episode not enough? We got you covered. We do one bonus episode per month, and each bonus episode is a review of a compilation album or a nu-metal-adjacent album. In May, we had Felix Biederman from Chapo Trap House on to discuss Everlast's long-winded "Whitey Ford Sings the Blues". This month, for the first time ever, we plan to let YOU decide which nu-metal compilation we review, and we'll have another great guest along for the ride. $4 and you get those episodes, plus our whole back catalogue of nu-metal goodness. Get into it.

Episode 9: Puddle of Mudd's "Come Clean", or the Tao of Wes Scantlin

Wed, 06 May 2020 22:46:00 -0000

We've finally arrived at a pivotal moment in the show's history: an album both hosts absolutely despise. After Bryan rigged the show poll to get a convincing win for Puddle of Mudd after Kittie was hours away from victory, he reaps what he sows as he ends up misremembering the album as good and discovers that in the year of our lord 2020, the band Puddle of Mudd is very, very bad.

In a continuing series where Bryan Quinby (Street Fight Radio) and John Cullen (Blocked Party) review one classic nu-metal album per month, the target this month is fairly big, as Come Clean is baffling from many angles: the lyrics, the songwriting, what genre it really belongs to, what era it was recorded in, and just how someone like Wes Scantlin managed to front a successful band. The fellas look at how this album managed to get popular despite all of these shortcomings, including Wes' own hometown of Kansas City essentially disowning him, him publicly insulting Fred Durst despite Fred being the one to break them, and a lead single where the song trails out with Wes Scantlin singing how he loves the way his girl smacks his ass. Plus, this month's Challenge gets personal as Bryan and John rewrite "She Hates Me" to include verses about their significant others.

If you want to be loved in the same way as our significant others, you can donate to the show at https://patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you access to a shiny new bonus bauble every month! We've done four bonus episodes so far with some fantastic guests like Nick Wiger of Doughboys, Molly Lambert of Nightcall, and Keith Buckley of Every Time I Die, and this month, we have Felix Biederman from Chapo Trap House joining us to discuss Everlast's Whitey Ford Sings the Blues. It's gonna be a good one, folks. Hop on board!

Episode 8: Incubus' "S.C.I.E.N.C.E.", or Californians Gone Wild

Tue, 07 Apr 2020 23:44:00 -0000

Incubus is what happens when you take 5 guys from California, give them a bunch of mushrooms and a major-label deal before they're 22 years old, and ask them to make a debut album for the masses. Given where the band ended up, it's a bit wild to listen to their major label debut, S.C.I.E.N.C.E., a record that has more in common with Primus and Red Hot Chili Peppers than it does Korn or Limp Bizkit.

Join Street Fight Radio's Bryan Quinby and Blocked Party's John Cullen for this month's classic nu-metal album review, an album that some might not agree is nu-metal but that saw them tour with a ton of your favourite nu-metal bands and get categorized as such early on (for the record, we think it is, but it's their only one). We deal with all this album has to offer, from the bizarre cover art to the insane lyrics of lead singer Brandon Boyd, who had his shirt off more than he had it on and managed to date a string of supermodels despite singing songs about living in space and aliens probing his butthole. The boys also engage in another initials version of The Challenge, and get surprised at how much they enjoyed revisiting this album, which has held up almost as well as anything else in the nu-metal oeuvre.

Do you know what oeuvre means? Us neither. But if you want to learn more about a subject we do know lots about, you can subscribe to our bonus content at https://patreon.com/thepodkast, where just a meagre $4 gets you access to a bonus episode every month! Last month, we had the fantastic Nick Wiger from The Doughboys join us to dissect Korn's first "documentary", "Who Then Now?" from back in 1997. It was uhh, not good, but we had a ton of fun talking about it with Nick, who told us after the recording that he was drunk but we couldn't tell! It was great. This month, we have another HUGE guest for you, as we continue to find people who loved nu-metal and are itching to talk about it. Get on board!

Episode 7: P.O.D.'s "Satellite", or Not Christian Rock, but Rock from Guys Who Love Jesus

Tue, 17 Mar 2020 22:34:00 -0000

It took us 7 episodes, but we finally get down to the band who gave us our name: Payable on Death, or as you know them, P.O.D. Another album that bafflingly sold 6 million copies, overcoming its release on September 11th, 2001 and its reputation, being Christian Rock in a time where that wasn't cool, to become one of the best-selling nu-metal albums of all-time.

Street Fight Radio's Bryan Quinby and Blocked Party's John Cullen sit down once again to review a classic nu-metal album as part of their monthly series about the genre. The boys take a long look at their own history with religion, their history with this album, and dissect some of the worst songs of the nu-metal era, from the shameless pandering of "Youth of the Nation" to the weird reggae crossovers to one of the worst utilizations of a guest feature ever as H.R. from Bad Brains gets subjected to whatever the hell that song is. It's an album that could've only existed in 2001, and despite it being our namesake...we don't really like it.

Something we do like is doing one bonus episode every month on our Patreon. You can contribute at https://patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4 a month gets you access to that bonus episode. Last month, we had Keith Buckley, lead singer of Every Time I Die, join us to discuss the Ozzfest 2001 live album, and this month, we have another very special bonus episode with a very special guest. Join us on this journey back into the nu-metal abyss.

Episode 6: Slipknot's "Slipknot", or 9 Guys, 1 Paycheck

Tue, 11 Feb 2020 19:41:00 -0000

What do you get when you take 9 guys from Iowa, throw them in masks and boiler suits, and tell them to record an album? This monstrosity, an album that is kind of good but also 60 minutes long. Street Fight Radio's Bryan Quinby and Blocked Party's John Cullen are back for another month of reviewing nu-metal classics, and this month, they take on Slipknot's only album that qualifies as nu-metal, their self-titled debut.

There's no fighting on the episode this time, as both Bryan and John love the first half and think it falls off a precipitous cliff after that. They get into their own history with the band, from John being legitimately scared of them as a teenager to Bryan thinking the whole mask thing was pretty lame. What were the masks for, anyway? The boys talk about the decision to wear them, the fact there's nine guys in the band, and why they have one band member whose sole purpose is to hit beer kegs with a baseball bat. It's another Ross Robinson production, which means John goes off on the poor production values, and in this month's Challenge, Bryan creates a Slipknot mask for the ages.

If you want to take off the mask and show us your true self, you can donate to the show at https://patreon.com/thepodkast, where $4/month gets you access to one bonus episode every month. Last month, we reviewed the Woodstock '99 compilation album, complete with stories from Bryan about being there, and this month, we will be joined by a VERY special guest (revealed on the episode) to talk about Ozzfest 2001. So get on over there and donate today!

Episode 5: System of a Down's "Toxicity", or How I Learned They're Trying to Build a Prison

Tue, 07 Jan 2020 17:53:00 -0000

The bad boys of podcasting are back, and this month, it's political. Street Fight Radio's Bryan Quinby and Blocked Party's John Cullen take on the 2001 nu-metal classic, "Toxicity", by System of a Down, where the boys are once again conflicted over how to feel about a record, 18 years later.

From the bizarre in-fighting to the even weirder lyrics, Bryan and John attempt to unpack just how this album became one of the most popular of the decade and has stood the test of time, despite the inherent insanity of the whole thing and complete lack of mainstream appeal. While both had awful experiences seeing SOAD live, and are pretty sure the guys in the band are pretty dislikable dudes, they arrive at different conclusions about this record in 2019, and what it means today. And once again, the episode ends with singing (yelling?), as they try to break their 2-2 tie in the Challenge Round.

PLUS, The P.O.D. Kast just launched their Patreon this month. We're gonna be doing one bonus episode every month and will be releasing some really fun content. Check it out at https://www.patreon.com/thepodkast, where the bonus content will start flowing VERY soon.

Episode 4: Linkin Park's "Hybrid Theory", or How Bryan Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Linkin Park

Tue, 03 Dec 2019 07:31:00 -0000

"SHUT UP WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU" is not something you'll hear on this month's episode of your favorite nu-metal podcast with Street Fight Radio's Bryan Quinby and Blocked Party's John Cullen, because once again, they talk for a very long time. This month, they review Linkin Park's debut album "Hybrid Theory", a band Bryan only seriously started listening to in preparation for this month's episode, and a band that John has liked from the very beginning.

There's a lot to unpack in this episode of the show, as the boys talk extensively about Linkin Park's wild backstory, reading insane news quotes from that time period and much later from Chester Bennington and other members of the band. Bryan also changes his opinion of Linkin Park, from believing it to be "children's music" to something a little closer to respect, by the end. It's fun when the boys disagree, and they've come to this album from very different places: John discusses the one time he skipped class in high school, which was to buy Linkin Park's second album, Meteora, and Bryan talks about clowning on people he knew that loved the band. They also discuss the album's insane popularity in the face of its horrible album cover and the fact the album peaked at #2 behind Creed yields a long discussion about bands with singers who sound like Eddie Vedder. As always, we learn a lot, and we both sing at the end, so what more could you want from a nu-metal podcast, really?

Episode 3: Deftones' "Around the Fur", or Learning How to Love Other Music

Wed, 13 Nov 2019 06:12:00 -0000

It's episode 3 of your favorite monthly nu-metal podcast (it's a niche genre) from Street Fight Radio's Bryan Quinby and Blocked Party's John Cullen, and this month is a doozy. Deftones are known to many as the band that crosses over a lot of fans: they're the one nu-metal band that people who hate nu-metal like, and they're the one nu-metal band that can get fervent nu-metal fans to listen to other, better music.

After starting the episode with a lot of Korn talk spurred on by Bryan getting rejected for a Jonathan Davis interview, the POD Boys settle into the Deftones and a cross-section of topics, mostly stemming from the fact that they're aggressively uninteresting as people but insanely interesting as a musical unit. The boys talk about their very different paths to discovering Deftones, whether or not Deftones qualify as nu-metal, and Bryan unearths a clip of Chino drunk onstage at a festival in Holland that ranks up there with one of the best drunken lead singer performances of all-time. It's a long episode, but it's worth it until the end, as Bryan also makes a shocking reveal about the Deftones' song "Root" that must be heard to be believed.

Episode 2: Korn's "Korn", or the Dumbest Guys in Rock n' Roll

Tue, 01 Oct 2019 17:45:00 -0000

In this brand-new monthly podcast from Street Fight Radio's Bryan Quinby and Blocked Party's John Cullen, the two men sit down and wax poetic about their favorite genre of music: nu-metal. Each episode will be focused on one nu-metal album, and this month, they tackle Korn's "Korn".

Widely regarded to be the album that started nu-metal, John and Bryan come to this album from two different places: John backtracking through Korn's catalogue after falling in love with "Follow the Leader", and Bryan being there from the beginning, from early shows with no one there to buying the album because he saw a poster of the band and it looked cool. Throughout the episode, we look at how Fieldy might be the dumbest person ever to make it big, the creepy album art, the band's style, how this record made us hate our parents, and we imagine what the conversation in the studio must've been like before they recorded "Shoots and Ladders".

And in this month's challenge, Bryan and John both learn that scatting into a microphone is absurdly embarrassing.

Episode 1: Limp Bizkit's "Significant Other", or the Psychology of Fred Durst

Sat, 07 Sep 2019 02:12:00 -0000

In this brand new monthly podcast from Street Fight Radio's Bryan Quinby and Blocked Party's John Cullen, the two men sit down and wax poetic about their favourite genre of music: nu-metal. The hosts intend to dissect one nu-metal album per episode, and first on the docket is Limp Bizkit's Significant Other.

Seen by both men as the pinnacle of the genre, the two talk about their history with nu-metal and with this album specifically, before diving into a chat about Fred Durst's lyrical ability (but possible status as a genius), how much Wes Borland hated the band, the psychology behind some of the decisions made, Terry Date's production, and how Re-Arranged is possibly the greatest song ever written.

And in this month's Challenge, John and Bryan square off to see who can do the better Matt Pinfield rant.