Fathoming Heavy

Writer/Wild Hunt bassist Avinash Mittur and I geek out over Judas Priest and discuss their stellar new record, lineup changes, the awesome Firepower tour set list, the landmine that is Nostradamus, and his recent conversations with K.K. Downing, Les Binks and the Metal God himself. http://www.invisibleoranges.com/stained-class-judas-priest/ http://www.invisibleoranges.com/rob-halford-interview/ http://www.invisibleoranges.com/judas-priest-firepower-review/ http://www.invisibleoranges.com/interview-tom-allom-jack-ruston-judas-priest-producer/ https://www.eleventhvision.com/ fathomingheavy@gmail.com facebook.com/fathomingheavy twitter.com/FathomingHeavy

Sean tells tales of riding the rails, how to get kicked out of church, moving to the Bay Area, and how Badr Vogu works as an outlet for anger and activism. https://badrvogu.bandcamp.com/ http://www.tribunaloftheaxe.com/ closing music: Badr Vogu - Deadweight fathomingheavy@gmail.com facebook.com/fathomingheavy twitter.com/FathomingHeavy

Erik takes us back to his days in the Bay Area thrash scene with Epidemic, through his years with Old Grandad and into his move to Portland and the beginning of Aerial Ruin. He also discusses his contributions to Bell Witch, his DIY ethic and catching Dio with his dad on the Holy Diver tour (Erik's dad, not Dio's dad). http://www.aerialruin.com/ https://aerialruin.bandcamp.com/ closing music: Aerial Ruin-Nameless Sun fathomingheavy@gmail.com facebook.com/fathomingheavy twitter.com/FathomingHeavy

Nathan Verrill of Cardinal Wyrm discusses growing up in the San Francisco music scene, moving from 80s thrash and post punk to experimental explorations in the 90s to his time with Cardinal Wyrm. https://cardinalwyrm.bandcamp.com/ closing music: Mercyful Fate-Desecration of Souls fathomingheavy@gmail.com facebook.com/fathomingheavy twitter.com/FathomingHeavy

Fredrik takes us back to growing up in Stockholm, discovering his dad's record collection, the impact of Alice Cooper, Nirvana and the Misfits, the heaviness of David Eugene Edwards and Nick Cave, learning the guitar and ultimately starting Nest and joining Society's Decline. https://nestsweden.bandcamp.com/releases https://societysdecline.bandcamp.com/ http://www.tribunaloftheaxe.com/ closing music: Nest-Under the Sword fathomingheavy@gmail.com facebook.com/fathomingheavy twitter.com/FathomingHeavy

Laurie takes us through her move from the east to west coasts in the early 90s, playing in San Francisco punk bands, stumbling upon and having her mind blown by black metal, the joys and challenges of Bay Area living, finding a home in Ludicra, growing as a lyricist, the essential release of performing, and what's in store for Ails. https://ailsmetal.bandcamp.com/ closing music: Bethlehem - Kalt' Ritt in leicht faltiger Leere fathomingheavy@gmail.com facebook.com/fathomingheavy twitter.com/FathomingHeavy

Dino recounts experiences in three seminal underground bands as he talks about music as an essential outlet throughout his life. noothgrush.bandcamp.com/ closing music: Thergothon - Yet the Watchers Guard fathomingheavy@gmail.com facebook.com/fathomingheavy twitter.com/FathomingHeavy

Kenny shares stories of unfortunate on-stage incidents, discovering hard rock through MTV, learning to play guitar though his early bands, the evolution and maturation of Fister, striving to become the adult that the 13-year-old Kenny would most respect, and his deep hatred of Aerosmith. closing music - (mostly) Fister - The Failure fister.bandcamp.com/ fathomingheavy@gmail.com facebook.com/fathomingheavy twitter.com/FathomingHeavy

Listen to a post Psycho Vegas conversation about amazing bands, Rebecca's background and introduction to heavy music, how music and literature influenced her as she grew, major life decisions made in the pursuit of creativity, the origins of SubRosa, and wresting with a deep spiritual/moral conflict. closing music: Melvins - Boris https://subrosa.cc/ fathomingheavy@gmail.com facebook.com/fathomingheavy twitter.com/FathomingHeavy

Justin takes us back to his beginnings, discovering Piece of Mind in his dad's cassette collection, moving from Seattle to Southern California as a teenager, discovering and playing slow, heavy music, the trials and tribulations of late-era Morgion, moving to the East Coast, and life in his current bands Onera and Come to Grief. closing music: My Dying Bride-God Is Alone https://onera.bandcamp.com/releases https://cometogrief.bandcamp.com/ fathomingheavy@gmail.com facebook.com/fathomingheavy twitter.com/FathomingHeavy

Nathan takes us through his years in Arizona, the birth and death and rebirth of Graves at Sea, relocating to California, his stint with Laudanum, struggles with addiction, the loss of a beloved companion and his new life in Berlin. closing music: Grief-Depression https://www.facebook.com/GravesAtSea/ https://gravesatsea.bandcamp.com/ fathomingheavy@gmail.com facebook.com/fathomingheavy twitter.com/FathomingHeavy

Fathoming Heavy Episode 17: Pranjal Tiwari of Cardinal Wyrm Pranjal and I discuss the fire that destroyed his home earlier this year, what it was like to be a metal kid growing up in Hong Kong, the impact of horror films and literature on him, playing drums by default, creating a mythos around art (and the pitfalls of that), and prevailing themes that run though his music and lyrics. https://cardinalwyrm.bandcamp.com/ intermission music: Sepultura - Slaves of Pain closing music: Joy Division - Exercise One fathomingheavy@gmail.com facebook.com/fathomingheavy twitter.com/FathomingHeavy

Leila takes us back to her teenage years playing with punk bands at CBGB through her migration to the SF Bay Area in the early 2000s, finding a home in the metal and experimental communities, and the inner workings of her current projects, including Vastum, Ionophore and her solo work. https://leilaabdulrauf.bandcamp.com/ https://ionophore.bandcamp.com/ https://vastum.bandcamp.com/ https://cardinalwyrm.bandcamp.com/ closing music: The Great Kat - The Flight of the Bumblebee fathomingheavy@gmail.com facebook.com/fathomingheavy twitter.com/FathomingHeavy

Albert and I chat about his journey through heavy music, leading to his book Choosing Death and the launch of Decibel magazine, about the rough 1990s, becoming older metal fans, and why Kreator still matters. http://decibelmagazine.com/ closing music: Kreator - Storming with Menace fathomingheavy@gmail.com facebook.com/fathomingheavy twitter.com/FathomingHeavy

Chris discusses growing up in the Boston metal and hardcore scene, searching for like-minded doom musicians, finding community in the Bay Area, Fórn's upcoming European tour (their first, including a stop at Roadburn) and progress on the band's new record. closing music: Graves at Sea: The Ashes Make Her Beautiful https://forn.bandcamp.com/ fathomingheavy@gmail.com facebook.com/fathomingheavy twitter.com/FathomingHeavy

James discusses his tumultuous childhood, his entry into religion, the emotional release he found through heavy metal, his love of nu metal in the 90s, making countless recordings with his friends, getting serious with Swamp Witch and Caffa, filming bands, his cassette-only label, the impact of heavy luminaries, and his hatred of Bob Dylan. closing music: Flower Travellin' Band-Satori Part 1 https://transylvaniantapes.bandcamp.com/ http://www.tribunaloftheaxe.com/shop/swamp-with-the-slithering-bog https://swampwitch.bandcamp.com/ https://caffa.bandcamp.com/ fathomingheavy@gmail.com facebook.com/fathomingheavy twitter.com/FathomingHeavy

Mike and I delve into the ways metal has impacted his life and how it ties much of his world together. He talks about growing up in rural Oregon, how a random philosophy book changed his life, his depression, and how music has helped him navigate it all. fathomingheavy@gmail.com facebook.com/fathomingheavy twitter.com/FathomingHeavy

Avinash and I discuss growing up in the South Bay, the trip to Big Al’s Record Barn that started both his record collection and his interest in audio engineering, how his writing career began as a way to get into shows for free, his Invisible Oranges piece on Lucifer’s Hammer, the longevity of the Bay Area metal scene, the pros and cons of commercial heavy metal, the pros and cons of Rick Rubin, how we listen to music, technological advances in audio technology, how to navigate the vast quantity of music available today, and why the Bay Area music scene is worth celebrating. http://www.invisibleoranges.com/the-story-of-lucifers-hammer-part-1/ fathomingheavy@gmail.com facebook.com/fathomingheavy twitter.com/FathomingHeavy

In this episode David Isberg talks about growing up in the Swedish death metal scene, his friendship with Dead from Mayhem, seeing Cliff Burton's final show, forming numerous bands, including Opeth, his current project bloodofjupiter, and the catharsis of writing a trilogy of books. https://bloodofjupiter.bandcamp.com/releases Closing music: Opeth-Requiem of Lost Souls, live in 1991 fathomingheavy@gmail.com facebook.com/fathomingheavy twitter.com/FathomingHeavy

A conversation with Matt Harvey about discovering metal, being in a band for most of his life, why today's kids are alright, and of course the mighty Metallica. Sorry for the mic bumps!! fathomingheavy@gmail.com facebook.com/fathomingheavy twitter.com/FathomingHeavy