Everything Went Black Podcast

I’m back from being on the road for a few days. I actually got to meet some of you, which was really cool. It’s been a while since we put one of these out, so here we go. Intro: “All the Dark Things” – Composed and recorded by Mike Hill Outro: “The Last Thing” – Lebanon Hanover

It’s another Heavy Metal Massacre coming at you this week. Me and J Bennet, long time friend / musician / rock scribe, joins us to talk about the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and some of our favorite bands that we tagged with this moniker. Intro: “Everything Went Black” – Composed and recorded by Mike Hill Outro: “Alley Cat Blues” – Star Fighters

John Lamacchia joins us this week to talk about “Thunderheads” his brand new record set to release on May 20 on Aqualamb Records. For decades, John led Brooklyn-based progressive metallic hardcore band Candiria, been active with other projects such as Spylacopa as well as DJ’ing at various NYC night spots. Thunderheads is a deeply personal record, produced during the pandemic that dealt with, as Lamacchia puts it, “ the isolation and the feeling that the world was falling apart,” however the record has a markedly uplifting quality. Intro: “Everything Went Black” – Composed and recorded by Mike Hill Outro: “Bled Out” - LaMacchia

Ralph and I are back to talk about X, the seminal LA punk band. Intro: "River of Night" - composed and recorded by Mike Hill Outro: "White Girl" - X

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of “The Lost Highway” Ralph and I take a look back at the illustrious career or a True American Treasure, the genius filmmaker / artist / musician David Lynch. Intro: “Everything Went Black” – Composed and recorded by Mike Hill Outro: “This Magic Moment” – Composed by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman, originally perfomed by The Drifters and covered by Lou Reed

J Bennet returns for round 2 of Heavy Metal Massacre. J and I talk about our favorite singers, and run down our playlist. Intro: “Everything Went Black” – composed and recorded by Mike Hill Outro: “Iron Maiden” – Iron Maiden

This week is a solo episode. I’m sure everyone is sick of hearing about Joe Rogan and his issues with censorship and Spotify; as a matter of fact, I thought about forgoing any commentary on this subject at all, but enough people asked me about it, so I decided to do a short episode on it. For those of you who are sick of this, I apologize and for those of you who still want to hear my thoughts on this subject, please proceed. Intro: “All Roads Lead to Ruin” – composed and recorded by Mike Hill Outro: “Outlaw Scumfuc” – GG Allin

Eugene S. Robinson returns! I always look forward to conversations with Eugene; razor sharp wit, funny and verbally engaging, it’s always a good time. I first was introduced to his work back in the late 90’s, when I discovered Oxbow, a hard-to-classify band that combined razor sharp musical execution, unique vocals, controlled aggression, subtlety and a very cool narrative lyric style. Additionally Eugene is a journalist, author and podcaster whose work has appeared in Vice, Decibel, GQ, Grappling Magazine and a host of others. He has two published books, “A Long Slow Screw” and “Fight” one of my favorite works about punching people in the face. If you dig MMA and combat sports tune into his weekly podcast The Show Stomper. Much to my chagrin, I learned recently that Eugene is also a member of Bunuel, a band that I have been sleeping on for the past few years. I fancy myself to be someone who is in the know when it comes to music, but I admit to be a Johnny-come-lately with respect to Bunuel Bunuel, has a brand new record called “Killers Like Us” available now on Profound Lore. Intro: “River of Night” – composed and recorded by Mike Hill Outro: “For the Cops” - Bunuel

This is a cool episode idea that came directly from a Patreon suggestion (Thanks Alex!). Ralph and I discuss what got us interested in playing guitar and the long list of influences and inspirations from over the years. Enjoy Intro: “River of Night” – composed and recorded by Mike Hill Outro: “You Can’t Put Your Arms Around a Memory” – Johnny Thunders

The late Rowland S Howard left a rich musical legacy when he departed this mortal coil over a decade ago. Most notably, Howard was the creative force behind The Birthday Party, the legendary “Post-Punk” band that also gave us Nick Cave. Ralph and I give a retrospective on Howard’s legacy, complete with all of the anecdotes and tangents that you can expect from a typical EWB episode. Intro: “All Roads Lead to Ruin” – composed and recorded by Mike Hill Outro: “Shut Me Down” – Rowland S. Howard

Jamie Getz and I go way back. We met when his old band Lickgoldensky had just formed I was slugging it out in Anodyne. Our would go on to play numerous shows together across the US and eventually, we would form the short-lived band Versoma. We’ve been friends for a long time, but the rigors or life sometimes allow you to fall out of touch. Frankly, I can’t remember the last time Jamie and I actually spoke, but we picked up the conversation pretty much where we left off all those years ago. Life is funny like thAt sometimes. Intro: “Everything Went Black” – composed and recorded by Mike Hill Outro: “Untitled 5” – Gods and Queens

Ralph and I get together to talk about the sensational Archive 81. I know we said that Long Shadows will be dedicated to literature but Archive 81 hits all of the weird fiction notes so we decided to release an episode on the regular stream for you guys to check out. Intro: “Long Shadows” – composed and recorded by Mike Hill Outro: “All in my Mind” – Love and Rockets

Peter Farris, author / musician, returns to Everything Went Black. A few years ago, Pete came on to promote his first novel, Last Call for the Living, a dark, crime story. His second novel, The Devil Himself is ready to go and Pete returns to tell us of the hardships of the publishing industry and gives us a viewport into his creative process. The Devil Himself is currently available in France, so if you live in Europe, speak French and dig crime fiction pick up a copy. In the US, the book will be available in May. You can preorder a signed, hardcover at Peterfarris.com Intro: “River of Night” – composed and recorded by Mike Hill Outro: “Take the Stairs to Hell” - Cable

Primarily due to my friendship with Jackie Smit and his excellent podcast, Into the Necrosphere, I have learned about a whole host of excellent bands that somehow exist below the radar of most people. This week’s guest, Evan Hopper is one such musician and his band Quell is excellent. Totally independent and dedicated, Quell is the essence of modern black metal. Evan and I went deep on this episode; it was epic so strap in and enjoy. Also, be sure to check out Quell’s new record “The Kvlt is Dead” Intro: “All roads Lead to Ruin” – composed and recorded by Mike Hill Outro: “No Light Shines Here” - Quell

This is a pilot episode that Ralph and I are going to cohost on the patreon. I realize this may not be everybody’s cup of tea, so check it out and if you are interested, you can find more episodes in the coming months on patreon. What is weird fiction? Firstly, I will tell you what it isn’t. you won’t find vampires, werewolves, zombies, serial killers or any of the typical horror tropes. Instead, you will find stories that present a pervading sense of dread and equally inspire fear and awe. You will read stories that will force you to question the nature of reality and where man truly falls in the hierarchy of the universe. Intro / Outro: “Long Shadows” – composed and recorded by Mike Hill

My old friend J Bennet join us again this week. J has been on both Metal Matters and EWB numerous times over the years; most likely you know J from his music journalism and his band Ides of Gemini. We go back a long way. One of the things we’ve bonded over is our love of old school heavy metal and hard rock, so I used this as an excuse to talk on the phone and put together a playlist of jams that we dig. Some of the bands you’ve definitely heard, but, true to EWB fashion, we’ve tried to through in some relatively obscure stuff. Intro: “All Roads Lead to Ruin” – composed and recorded by Mike Hill Outro: “Midnight in Tokyo” – Y&T

Happy New Year everyone. We hope you all had a safe and enjoyable holiday. 2022 looms ahead of us and I think we are all approaching it with a bit of trepidation. Ralph and I got together to lay out our plan for the coming year and, of course, go off on tangents into other subjects. I’d like to personally thank everyone that signed up for the Patreon. We’re dedicated to making it interesting and fun for everyone. Intro: “River of Night” – composed and recorded by Mike Hill Outro: “The Shore Becomes the Enemy” – The Gault

As the year 2021 draws to an end, Ralph and I reflected on a very challenging year. Luckily, there were quite a few excellent records, movies and streaming shows to help us get through the hard times and shine a little light into our dark worlds. This week, we give you guys a rundown of some of our favorites from the past year. We hope you enjoy our lists and we'd like to wish everyone a happy and safe holiday! Intro: “Everything Went Black Theme” – composed and recorded by Mike Hill Outro: “Perfect Prison” – Ropes of Night.

This week’s episode could have been called “Plague Diaries Revisited” but instead I went with the more descriptive, direct approach. Since we’re still dealing with the Covid-19 Pandemic, I figured I would share my recent experiences with getting infected, recovery and not being able to taste my food on Thanksgiving. Intro: “Unholy Passion Theme” – composed and recorded by Mike Hill Outro: “Angel Domain” - Godflesh

My old friend Keith Bennett joins us week for a deep episode. Keith is a Boston metal / hardcore LEGEND, first coming into prominence as the bassist in Wrecking Crew. Over the years, he has played in a host of bands, one of my favorites being Panzerbastard. Keith takes us on a journey thru the “old days” of Boston, Kenmore Square, The Rat, problems with drugs and alcohol ultimately landing on a new revitalized positive pathway. Intro: “All Roads Lead to Ruin” – written and produced by Mike Hill Outro: “The Last Ten Years” - Panzerbastard

Ralph and I are coming across with a new aspect to Unholy Passion with Love Songs for the Unloved. We dig into our record collections and showcase some cool records that you guys should know about. Intro: “Unholy Passion Theme” – written and produced by Mike Hill Outro: “Revenge” - TSOL

Ralph and I explore the story behind one of the greatest American songwriters, Jeffrey Lee Pierce and the Gun Club. Pierce may not be a household name for some of you, but his reach and influence has been profound in the realm of independent music. If you enjoy X, The Cramps and Nick Cave, then the Gun Club is a band you should check out. But don’t take our word, check out the Spotify playlist Ralph and I put together. Intro: “Unholy Passion Theme” – composed and recorded by Mike Hill Outro: “Moonlight Motel” – Gun Club

My bandmate Drew Murphy joins me to celebrate the Metallica album Load, which was released 25 years ago this year. Intro: “All Roads Lead to Ruin” – composed and recorded by Mike Hill Outro: “Until It Sleeps” – Metallica

A few weeks ago, Deadguy: Killing Music, the documentary on the legendary chaotic hardcore band, Deadguy, premiered at Underground Arts in Philly, the day before this year's Decibel Metal and Beer Festival. I was in attendance and had the opportunity of meeting William Saunders, the filmmaker that produced the documentary. William joins us this week to discuss the making of Killing Music as well as the work he's done with his production company Fourth Media. Intro: "All Road Lead to Ruin" - composed and recorded by Mike Hill Outro: "Apparatus" - Deadguy

Ralph and I go deep with our appreciation of Sylvester “The Italian Stallion” Stallone, one of the hardest working actors in Hollywood. Intro: “Cobra” – Sylvester Lavey Outro: “When the Sun Goes Down, It Goes Down Forever” - Murderbait

This is another one of those special episodes where I got to kick with an old friend. This week drummer extraordinaire Eric Komst joins us for what turned out to be more of a bullshit session between two old friends than a podcast episode. EK has played with a legion of legendary bands including Sick of It All, Warzone, Wrecking Crew and others as well as a prolific session career. Intro: "All Road Lead to Ruin" - recorded and composed by Mike Hill Outro: "Deceive us No More" - Warzone

At least in our opinion, as cool as the early 90's Northwest sound was, the unsung heroes were two bands from Minneapolis that made their bones in the early 80's. Can you guys who? Intro: "Everything Went Black Theme" - composed and recorded by Mike Hill Outro: "Kiss Me on the Bus" - Replacements

Mike McGinnis joins us again to discuss his new band Rid of Me. If you’re an old school listener, you will remember that I had Mike on to talk about his former band Fight Amputation. With Rid of Me, he joins forces with member of Soul Glo and Low Dose creating an angsty brew for fans of PJ Harvey, Wipers, early Replacements and Unwound. Check out their new LP "Traveling" and go see them on the road! Intro: “All Roads Lead to Ruin” – composed and recorded by Mike Hill Outro: “Broke Shit” – Rid of Me

True, all EWB episodes re special, but this one is SPECIAL! Keith Huckins of Deadguy, Kiss it Goodbye, Rorschach joins us to talk about the impending Deadguy reunion at this year’s Decibel Metal and Beer Fest in Philadelphia. Check it out! Intro: “Makeshift Atomsmasher” – Deadguy Outr0: “Apparatus” - Deadguy

Back when I hosted Metal Matters, I featured a series of episodes on Goden on their masterpiece, 2019’s Beyond Darkness. It was one of my top 5 records that year. I’d like to welcome back Stephen Flam, the mastermind behind Goden. For the record Steph was also in the legendary Winter and later Thorn. This is an epic so strap in and enjoy! Intro: “All Roads Lead to Ruin” – written and composed by Mike Hill Outro: “Twilight” - Goden

For any of you that also listen to Necromaniacs, our horror podcast, you’re probably familiar with Brandon. He hosts the excellent Horror Wolf 666 podcast and blog, so if you’re into all things macabre, definitely check out his stuff. We had a great time. Intro: “All Road Lead to Ruin” – composed and recorded by Mike Hill Outro: “”Dead Letters” – Tripping the Mechanism

Ralph and I have been talking about doing an episode dedicated to Fields of the Nephilim. I believe the discussions started back when I was hosting Metal Matters, but the 60 minute format would prove to be too restrictive for a band that has such significance to us. It's not so much a note-by-note accounting of the band's career, but more in line with two fans discussing their experiences with the band's music and the impact they have made on our own creative endeavors. Intro: "Unholy Passion Theme" - composed and recorded by Mike Hill Outro: "Love Under Will" - Fields of the Nephilim

Terence Hannum and Erica Burgner-Hannum join us this week. They actually RETURN for another episode. Terence does plays synth and vocals in Locrian and they both are the creative force behind the Holy Circle. This time around I wanted to talk about their new collaboration, Mother of Sighs. There is an interesting story behind it so check it out! Intro: “Everything Went Black Theme” – composed and recorded by Mike Hill Outro: “Anxia Corda” – Mother of Sighs

Malcolm Tent returns! It’s an epic chat covering GG Allin stories, his (somewhat) new band Bloody Apostles, stories from the Trash American Style days and some other random tangents. For those of you who are new to the show, go back in the vault and check out his earlier episodes. Malcom owned and operated Trash American Style, one of the greatest record stores on the East Coast. Randy and I both agree that our experiences at Trash helped form us and led us down this ragged path. Through landlord treachery, the brick and motor version of the store no longer exists but you can check out his wares online. Intro: “Road to Ruin Theme” – composed and recorded by Mike Hill Outro: “This Room” – GG Allin

It took decades, but I have finally embraced my love for the Deftones despite my general disdain for Nu Metal one of the all-time low points in heavy metal history. Ralph and I look back and investigate our experiences with the band and how they have made an impact on several sub-genres of metal and alternative music. Intro: “Unholy Passion Theme” – composed and recorded by Mike Hill Outro: “Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)” – Deftones

I discovered Trivax from listening to the excellent podcast Into the Necrosphere hosted by my brother Jackie Smit; ITN is THE best extreme music that you will ever hope to find, I’ve discovered so many great bands as a result. Trivax is one such band. Though they have been in existence for over a decade, I am a new fan. Jackie was kind enough to put me in touch with Shayan, the founder and driving force behind Trivax. We had a deep conversation, so check it out! Intro: Everything Went Black Theme Song – composed and recorded by Mike Hill Outro: “Into the Void” - Trivax

This week, Jade Willow, adult entertainer, visual artist, podcaster and appreciator of all things macabre, joins us. I was recently a guest on her podcast, Shedding the Skin, and we had such an interesting conversation that I thought it would be cool to have her on Everything Went Black. Intro: “Everything Went Black Theme” – Composed and recorded by Mike Hill Outro: “Cruel Lover” – The Devil’s Blood

It was destined to happen. It was only a matter of time before Ralph and I spent an entire episode talking about comic books. Fortunately, now is probably the best time to do such an episode with all of the various Marvel and DC film and TV projects in the works. Unholy Passion Theme composed and recorded by Mike Hill Outro: “Weathered Statues” - TSOL

Love him or hate him, it’s undeniable that Andrew “Dice” Clay has, along with Eddie Murphy, has made an impact on comedy, film and popular culture. In light of the current climate of sensitivity and the overall thin-skinned nature of our society today, Randy and I decided it was time to do an episode of Road to Ruin on Dice’s milestone album “The Day the Laughter Died,” one of the most uncomfortable nearly two hours of comedy ever produced. Intro: “Problem Child” – AC/DC Outro: “Antisocial” - Anthrax

I’m working on the second decade of my friendship with Dre Black, road warrior supreme. I met her back in the early part of the millennium out on the road. At the time she was tour managing, driving and doing pretty much whatever needed to be done to keep a band on the road. Over the years, She’s played guitar in a multitude of bands including Howl, Storm of Light and more recently Race Traitor. It was great to catch up with Dre as the world begins to re awaken and if all goes well, we’ll both be out on the road again. Intro: “Eighteen is Over the Hill” – The West Coast Pop Art Experiment Outro: “A B Side” – Manfred Mann

Drew Murphy, bassist for Tombs and Hammer Fight (among others) joins us this week to talk about his comic book work on Fuzzy Stick: Master Assassin, his printing company Colossal Customs and how difficult I am to work with. Drew and I spent the entire day in the hot sun at Monster Mania in Phoenixville, PA. Just a heads up: I recorded this episode in a hotel room, so we had some audio challenges like air conditioning and various dudes comin in and out of the room. Nonetheless, we had a blast hanging out. This was my first expedition out into the larger world after getting vaccinated, it was a little intense being around this many people at one time. Intro: "Target Acquired" - Hammer Fight Outro: "Gods of Rock 'n' Roll" - Hammer Fight

This week, Ralph and I give our reflections on the 1991 remake of Cape Fear. Directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert De Niro, the film demonstrated a shift in Scorsese’s career who was coming off of the success of the Mafia epic Goodfellas from the year before. The move features an all star cast including Jessica Lange, Nick Nolte, Juliette Lewis, Joe Don “Walking Tall” Baker, Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck who were in the 1962 original. Scorsese’s version gave us the Southern boogie man, Max Cady, one of the most terrifying characters of the era. Intro: “Unholy Passion” – Samhain Outro: “Sore” - Buzzoven

If we can take anything away from the last 15 plus months is that friendship and family are probably the most important aspects of being human. We’ve all dealt with loneliness, despair, anxiety and fear and having a good base of people is crucial. I mention this because Champ Morgan, this week’s guests is an old friend, a good friend that I have often times leaned on in times like this. I’ve known Morgan for a long time (more years than I care to recount) and I’ve had the opportunity to observe the long list of bands that he has been part starting with the might Kill the Client to Derelict Satellite, BLK OPS, and most recently his blistering grind band Triage, who just recently deployed their debut album. Check out it out. Intro: “Armageddon Worship” - Triage Outro: “Methlehem” – BLK OPS

I’m really stoked about this episode. Randy and I got together with our brother Jeff Caxide for the first time in years, face to face, not Zoom, no WhatsApp. We had a great time hanging out. Jeff reminisces about his years playing in the legendary, genre-defining band Isis. Intro: “Wavering Radiant” Outro: “Hand of the Host”

I’ve known Ryan Patterson for close to a quarter century; time surely flies doesn’t it? Over the course of our quarter century friendship, I’ve witnessed his creative evolution over the trajectory of several bands from National Acrobat, Coliseum and his current efforts with Fotocrime, so it’s timely that he comes back on the podcast for an update. We had an EPIC conversation covering a myriad of topics outside of music as well as the creation of Fotocrime’s most recent recording endeavors. Intro: "South of Heaven" Outro: "Always Hell"

Ralph Schmidt and I are back for another episode of Unholy Passion. Continuing our expedition back to the 90’s, we discuss Soundgarden’s “Badmotorfinger” the record that pretty much established them as a major hard rock band that helped define an era. Intro: “Unholy Passion” – Samhain Outro: “Room A Thousand Years Wide” - Soundgarden

This week we’re joined by my old friend David Castillo a man who wears many hats: promoter, one of the main men at Saint Vitus, vocalist in several bands including Primitive Weapons, White Widows Pact and now his one-man electronic tour de force Confines. Check it out! Intro: “Slur” – Coil Outro: “A Root Casket” – Circle of Ouroborus

Closure on the Plague Diary series. In the wake of my second vaccination, I wanted to drop this episode. Intro: "Artichristo" - Dalek Outro: "Fuck the Universe" - Craft

Honestly, I’m not sure why we decided to do this episode; apparently, it was my idea. Randy and I did something different this week. We’re expanding our scope to include film discussion, so instead of talking about a film that resonates with the typical person, we selected Werner Herzog’s wild “re-imagining” of Abel Ferrara’s gritty classic Bad Lieutenant. Intro: “Friends of Rock ‘n’ Roll” – Easy Action Outro: “Jack Ass in the Will of God” - Eyehategad

This week, Reid Bateh of Bambara joins us. Reid is the front man of Bambara, a relative new discovery for me. Their last two records, 2018’s “Shadow on Everything” and last year’s “Stay” have been on constant rotation here at my Garden State Fortress of Solitude. If Birthday Party, Gun Club, Swans or Crime and the City Solution is your thing, definitely check out Bambara; dark, haunting, with lyrics heavy with narrative about drifters, down-and-out loners and heartbroken reprobates in a Southern Gothic style. Intro: “Dark Circles” Outro: “Stay Cruel”