Last week we gave you the history. This week we give you the music. Specifically, our own unsung black metal albums. We run the gaumt from OG trve kvlt Black Circle made Norwegian Black Metal, to the more recent third wave hipster fare. Along the way we touch on other stuff from different periods too. It’s quite a journey. Look, we can’t pretend the albums we picked aren’t problematic. There are of course many musicians involved in black metal and it’s myriad of subgenres who are not problematic...
Mar 01, 2019•1 hr 28 min
Praise be to The Dark Lord himself, for this week we take on the most unholiest of unholy music, and we do it in the only way we know how - with our now patented combination of cynicism, amazement and mild disdain. We’ve promised this for a while and a few people have been asking us for it, so here it is. It’s dark. Super dark. But it’s also fun. Maybe? This is going to offend people. Not because we say anything offensive, but mostly because black metal music is aurally and sometimes (but not al...
Feb 22, 2019•1 hr 43 min
After doing something new and splitting dear Tori Amos into two parts, we decided that we’d do another new thing. It just so happens that this new thing coincides with the 20th anniversary of …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead’s second album ‘Madonna’. So to celebrate this occasion Chris decided that we should do a head to head between ‘Madonna’ and ‘Source Tags & Codes’. Weaver dutifully agreed, initially vowing to take the corner of ‘Madonna’ whilst Christ decided to fight the case...
Feb 16, 2019•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 60
And so here we are, episode 59. Part two of our two part Tori Amos sorta kinda semi special. We never intended for this episode to expand into a two parter but as fans of the pod know, when Chris does his research he does his research so when it comes to an artist with a vast catalogue well…you get what you pay for. If what you pay for is a thorough discussion on the fourth Tori Amos album. Yes, this is what we promised from the start - an in depth dissection of ‘From the Choirgirl Hotel’. We ar...
Feb 08, 2019•1 hr•Ep. 59
Every time we sit down to talk about an artist with a rather extensive back catalogue things end up escalating into a mammoth career retrospective. Yet, despite being fully aware of this we decided to try to talk about Tori Amos’ career in a brief, but thorough way, only to find that, by the time we had finished recording, the whole bloody thing ended up being a rather unwieldy 2 hours long. So, to spare both your sanity and ours, we decided to split this episode into two parts and put them out ...
Feb 01, 2019•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 58
It’s hard to believe it’s taken us this long to get to a post-metal record, but here we are. Alongside Traindodge this is one of the more “obscure” records we’ve covered. *shels are a Trans-Atlantic project that comes from the minds of singer and guitarist Mehdi Safa and drummer Tom Harriman. If you’re even remotely familiar with the post-hardcore scene in the south of England you’ll know that this band come from impressive stock. Safa and Harriman formed *shels after the demise of Mahumodo, and...
Jan 25, 2019•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 57
The mystery at the end of last week’s episode is a mystery no more. And Weaver didn’t even pick it, it was Mark in the end. We lied to you. We lied and we’re sorry. Instead of trying to reckon with some hot button sociopolitical issues like we did last week, this week we’re actually talking about The Bronx. A lot. We cover their entire discography (note: we did NOT cover Mariachi El Bronx, but they are mentioned) and try to figure out what they did to get signed to a major label so goddamn quick...
Jan 18, 2019•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 56
If you expected the mystery record, our first of 2019, to be a neo-soul album then kudos, you clearly read our minds. And if you did actually read our minds, good God was that a mistake. This week we’re a man down as David attends to some family business, but that’s ok! Not only do Chris and Mark talk about D’Angelo’s inventive third album ‘Black Messiah’, but they cover all the topics you love: race, religion, abortion, consent, Veganism, sex, money, drugs and alcohol. It’s a real rollercoaster...
Jan 11, 2019•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 63
Happy new year folks! If you’re still with us after last week’s debacle then welcome back! This episode is a much more upbeat affair. It’s also 50% drunker. If you didn’t listen to part one, we highly recommend that you do. Nevertheless, the format is as follows: we answer questions you guys put to us and have a jolly good time disappearing up own arses. This week we’re talking about albums we can’t nominate for the discography due to how big they are; discussing which of the albums we’ve review...
Jan 04, 2019•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 54
In the immortal words of Noddy Holder - it’s Christmas. As it’s the end of our first year we thought it was time to start a new tradition, using the final two weeks of the year to reflect on the last 52 weeks and answer a few fan questions in the process. That’s right, it's part one of the Unsung 2018 Xmas Xtravaganza. On this week’s episode we get a little drunk, a little lary and very self-aggrandizing as we talk about our favourite finds of the year. We also give out a few Christmas presents ...
Dec 28, 2018•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 53
Well folks, we did it. We made it through 52 consecutive weeks without killing each other. Also, we didn’t miss an episode. Please send us high fives. We left last week’s episode on a bit of a cliffhanger as Chris hadn’t quite decided which Helmet record he was going to do, but when it came down to it there was only one choice - ‘Meantime’. The band’s second record, their major label debut and the record we got our name from. So I guess you now know who also came up with the name of the podcast....
Dec 21, 2018•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 52
This week on the Unsung Podcast - three lads go off the rails. Weaver decides to pick Carly Rae Jepsen’s third album ‘Emotion’, then throws a curveball by saying the mini album of B sides she released after it is much better. So on this episode we talk about both. Chris is pissed off, throwing derision around the shop like it’s going out of style. Weaver remains staunch in his defense of the record, and Mark briefly loses his shit in the middle before deciding that this album is beige wallpaper....
Dec 14, 2018•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 51
A lovely return to hip hop this week, as Mark nominates El-P’s fourth solo album ‘Cancer 4 Cure’ for inclusion in our discography. David and Mark go deep on El-P’s back catalouge, taking detours through the discographies of some Def Jux artists and giving some time Killer Mike’s ‘R.A.P Music’, which was produced by El-P and came out within weeks of this album. And what conversation about El-P and Killer Mike can be complete without mentioning Run the Jewels and the staggering success they’ve had...
Dec 07, 2018•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 50
Back to more conventional territory this week. Sort of. Mike Patton, in fact not just Mike Patton but every member of Tomahawk, has been involved in a vast number of musical projects over the years. With most of the Tomahawk releases, one could convincingly argue that the band are the fulcrum for some of their most “conventional” work. Whilst all have been involved in some of the most important records ever made, they’ve never quite produced anything like Tomahawk. Conventional wisdom amongst fa...
Nov 30, 2018•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 49
Nothing like a curve ball, eh? This week Weaver dives deep into his catalogue of dance album and produces the spell binding ‘Glass Swords’ by Glasgow’s very own Rustie. This is our first time we’ve ever covered a dance album and the results are…mixed. ‘Glass Swords’ is often cited as being one of the most important and influential electronic records of the decade. Dave leans heavily on this fact, whilst citing how it’s both bizarre and wonderful that artists like Rustie and Hudson Mohawke have h...
Nov 23, 2018•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 48
Due to some personal issues David couldn’t join us this week, which means that Rustie’s ‘Glass Swords’ has again been pushed back until next week. We didn’t think it’d be right to cover a record he chose without him. So Chris and Mark decided to try something a bit different. Threatin is ostensibly the solo project of LA based musician Jared Threatin. In November 2018 he and four sessions musicians embarked upon a European tour in support of the band’s debut album ‘Breaking the World’. Once they...
Nov 18, 2018•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 47
Here’s a story. When you start a podcast you kinda want people to listen. I mean, we wouldn’t be making the bloody thing if we didn’t think we could offer something interesting and/or entertaining. You never really expect people to do it though, and so when you start to ask the people you didn’t expect to listen to give you money for the whole damn endeavour it feels a bit like daylight robbery. Yet, people listen. Not a lot, but enough. And then people donate. Not much, but a little. Then someh...
Nov 09, 2018•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 54
After the eclectic weirdness of Butthole Surfers things are taking quite a dark turn with Chelsea Wolfe’s fourth (or fifth depending on who you ask) album ‘Abyss’. It’s a heavy album. Musically, it’s heavy and muscular in an almost doomy way, and in terms of content it could give Robert Smith a run for this money. Chelsea plays with a lot of different influences on this record; the aforementioned heaviness of doom; unsettling industrial soundscapes; the bleak sparseness of neofolk; the chime of ...
Nov 02, 2018•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 45
There are screeds and screeds dedicated to the Butthole Surfers. For most of their career they were a law unto themselves musically, and for a large part of their early career they were also a law unto themselves physically. Their 80s gigs are the stuff of legend, such was the level of disregard for human decency and safety. Yet most stories are bookended with just how good they were live. Not because of their on-stage antics - although we can imagine slight/massive fear for one’s health or life...
Oct 27, 2018•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 44
Whether you know them as purveyors of 80s synth pop goodness or pre-post rock (yes, we understand that pre-post rock is a strange way to put it) pioneers, Talk Talk have left an indelible mark on music. Bands from all genres cite their influence. From the likes of No Doubt to Interpol, Sigur Ros to AFI, Talk Talk’s influential status is resolute. Well, it’s resolute to most people. On this episode David gives us a stirring defence of this most obtuse of albums; a jazzy, experimental rock album w...
Oct 19, 2018•59 min•Ep. 43
It’s punk-o-rama this week. Well, it’s not actually the punk-o-rama compilation or anything, but it is the first punk record we’ve covered a little while. Mark’s choice is ‘Black Sails in the Sunset’ by AFI, a band whose career has shifted in unexpected ways since their inception in 1991. From snotty skate punk to eyeliner soaked, Misfits aping goth-punk, straight through the mid 00s emo trend right up to their reinvention as a rock band with heavy synth-pop elements, AFI are an outfit who have ...
Oct 12, 2018•55 min•Ep. 42
We all love this record. Let’s just get that out of the way right now. It stands out in Devin Townsend’s oeuvre as being perhaps the single most focused and heaviest thing he’s ever done. It’s tight, almost organic feeling, and not a single not feels wasted. Townsend’s back catalogue is massive, so in this episode we wrestle with it as best we can, all whilst returning to the drive of the man himself. His discography goes in just about every direction you can imagine, but each new path he treads...
Oct 05, 2018•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 41
One could say that W h o k i l l is, objectively speaking, a musically fascinating record. Whether or not these compositions and style resonate with you is a different matter. On this episode Chris picks this record and says it’s his “purest” musical choice yet. The reasons why are fairly clear - great hooks, weird song structures and composition that don’t feel overbearing, a multitude of different layers and textures, wonderful attention to detail and stunning production. However, on the other...
Sep 29, 2018•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 40
Yourcodenameis:milo are one of the most fondly remembered bands which were part of the post hardcore influenced Britrock that made up the popular end of the British alternative music scene at the start of the century. And rightly so, they packed a ton of ideas into their music and were years ahead of most of their contemporaries when it came to the more technical aspects of the craft. This week we talk this album and the band’s history. Questions are asked about how they seemed to spring out of ...
Sep 21, 2018•56 min•Ep. 39
Sometimes we talk about popular records on this podcast. By popular we mean “has sold a boatload of copies” and La Roux certainly falls into the category of having sold a boatload of copies. Indeed, the Mercury Award nominated, Grammy Award winning, platinum selling artist could also be comfortably described as popular in just about any capacity you care to think of. Chris, whilst not disagreeing with this (and to be fair we’ve touched on other albums which have sold as many if not more than tha...
Sep 14, 2018•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 38
If you like hardcore/metalcore/mathcore/heavy music you know of Botch. You know how good this record is. You don't need us to convince you otherwise. If you haven't heard it, then you should rectify that immediately. Botch set the blueprint for modern metallic hardcore as we know it. Most bands since have taken a lot from this record. Listening to it now, especially if you haven't heard it before like Mark, sort of feels like walking into an old, pristine home and immediately feeling comfortable...
Sep 07, 2018•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 37
More hip hop is good for the soul. Or something. This week we take on our third hip hop album in the form of Sage Francis' 'A Healthy Distrust'. This album, his second, was his first release on Epitaph records, marking the label's first foray into hip hop. Showcasing a darker sonic palette than his previous release, 'Personal Journalist', this record finds Sage doubling down on the political and personal content, whilst creating a dense, paranoid soundscape that captures the sound of a post 9/11...
Aug 31, 2018•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 36
To borrow a quote from the episode? "Why the fuck are we talking about Iron Maiden?" "Because they're fucking Iron Maiden!" It's a fair point. Can a band as big as Iron Maiden ever be Unsung? Weaver pulls out all the stops as he puts forward the case as to why the first Iron Maiden album is not only their unsung classic, but their best album without question. We really get into it with this episode. Chris hates Maiden and everything they stand for, whilst Mark, an unabashed Maiden fan, revels in...
Aug 24, 2018•52 min•Ep. 35
Warren Ellis and co. have contributed quite a lot to the Australian musical landscape. Indeed, many would say that it is Ellis' penchant for Celtic rhythms and Eastern European grooves that gives Dirty Three an identity that stands apart from the weird, seemingly generic landscape or Australian music. His work with Nick Cave on both the Bad Seeds' music and film scores cements him as a kind of of neo-Western figure, a man whose singular drive and vision has expanded beyond the realms of rock mus...
Aug 17, 2018•52 min•Ep. 34
Usually we like to wait a few days before dropping another part of an episode, but this one is proving so hot that we decided to drop it earlier. On this episode we chat with Breagha Cuinn from the band Bratakus, as she gives us a slightly different take on riot grrl compared to Anna. Then we talk about our individual choices for the discography. Chris chooses 'Fontanelle' by Babes in Toyland; David goes for 'Bricks are Heavy' by L7 and Mark decides on 'Dig me Out' by Sleater-Kinney. We also hav...
Aug 12, 2018•1 hr 6 min
