Alive, or Just Blethering

The last of our weekly, and first of our monthly episodes; Lav brings a classic metal album that has been making the rounds on social media, thanks to 'Stranger Things', Metallica's third studio album from 1986, the unmistakable 'Master of Puppets'. Their last album before the tragic death of bassist Cliff Burton, this album defined 80's thrash metal and continues to influence and inspire metalheads today as it did from the day it was released.

This band has come up numerous times over the last few months, and it was only a matter of time before we had to cover an album of theirs... and this week, Keith takes us into 'Come Clarity', the eighth studio album by Swedish metal pioneers 'In Flames', released in 2006 via Ferret and Nuclear Blast records. There's a lot of love for this band and their contribution to the genre over the decades, but 15 years later, how does Come Clarity hold up amongst their huge 13 album discography (and album #14 coming soon!).DISCLAIMER: Due to a cock up, Lavs audio has not recorded to our usual standards, sorry.

Time to get a little messy at AOJB, this time with Dayton, Ohio's 'The Devil Wears Prada', and their debut album Dear Love: A Beautiful Discord. There's no escaping this album is a far cry from the band they grew into over their 15 years of performing together, but it's very interesting to look back and see where it all began. Released in 2006, it was also an early record for producer Joey Sturgis, setting the tone for entire wave of Metalcore that carried many listeners into 2010's and beyond.

Oh boy. Here we go. Dream Theatre are a world renowned progressive metal band, with over 3 decades of albums and material at their disposal, surely there's something for everybody? So, why was Lav hesitant at the end of last weeks episode, when Keith wanted to bring the 2003 album "Train of Thought" to the pod? And do you think it's enough to bring a 30-something who has dodged this band for years, into the DT fold? Listen in to find out!

Part 2 of our Slipknot special with Alan Swan is available now! It's our biggest episode to date and one we've been excited to talk about for a long time.Join us along with our special guest Alan Swan (Photographer, Videographer) as we go through the entire Slipknot catalogue, discussing how we discovered them, to how each album has impacted us along the way. Listen now and discover our personal journeys, and don't for get to check out part 1!Do you remember when and where you were when you first heard Slipknot? And can you remember what impact the nine left on you?

Here it is, our biggest episode to date! So big, we had to break it up into two parts! Join us along with our special guest Alan Swan (Photographer, Videographer) as we go through the entire Slipknot catalogue, discussing how we discovered them, to how each album has impacted us along the way. Listen now and discover our personal journeys, and don't miss part 2, coming next week!Do you remember when and where you were when you first heard Slipknot? And can you remember what impact the nine left on you?

We got heavy throughout 2006, now we get melodic, with the second studio album 'Mirrors' by Wisconsins 'Misery Signals'. Released following the departure of Jesse Zaraska, it's the first album to feature Karl Schubach and the first one that Lav heard just as it was released. So what will Keith make of this album? Is it something a little more thoughtful and progressive for his tastes? Listen now to find out.

Another album on 'Alive, Or Just Blethering' that we thought not enough people talk about it, so we made a podcast, and therefore we are very thankful for it's existence. Death Pop Romance is the third studio album by Danish metal act 'Raunchy', released in February 2006, on Lifeforce Records. Throughout this episode, Keith is going to explain why he thinks this band are still extraordinary, while Lav will draw comparisons to other acts of the time that he measured them against. Listen in to find out more!

This week Lav picks an album that was the second studio release for Douglasville's Norma Jean, and their first with their new vocalist, Cory Brandon, to talk about the impact this album made on our listening experience. Through the episode we will discuss the many 'faces' of Norma Jean as they went through multiple transitions through their decades of existence. So, with 8 studio albums at the time of recording, which is our favorite in 2022?