Skip to content

Riffology: Iconic Rock Albums

Uncover the details behind the most iconic albums ever recorded.

Primary Menu
  • Home
  • About Riffology
  • LastFM Collage Builder
  • Riffology Podcast
  • MP3 Converter

Featured

Anthrax Sound of White Noise Album Cover
15 min read
  • Album Deep Dive
  • Feature
  • Podcasts

Anthraxโ€™s Sound of White Noise: The 1993 Pivot That Rewired Heavy Music

Neil Johnson 8 September 2025
The Painful Truth - Skunk Anansie
4 min read
  • Feature
  • Review

The Painful Truth by Skunk Anansie – album review

Neil Johnson 23 May 2025
album_cover
5 min read
  • Feature
  • Review

UNATร˜NED by Machine Head – album review

Neil Johnson 2 May 2025
Faith No More
13 min read
  • Album Deep Dive
  • Feature

The Complete History of Faith No More

Neil Johnson 9 March 2025
Tsunami Sea by Spirit Box Album Cover
3 min read
  • Feature
  • Review

Tsunami Sea by Spiritbox – album review

Neil Johnson 6 March 2025

Latest

Para Bellum by Testament – album review tmpcn7rfxas 1

Para Bellum by Testament – album review

13 October 2025
Undertow: Tool’s Breakthrough Album Unveiled Undertow album cover by Tool 2

Undertow: Tool’s Breakthrough Album Unveiled

5 October 2025
Troubled Paradise by Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts – album review Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts - Troubled Paradise - Artwork 3

Troubled Paradise by Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts – album review

30 September 2025
A Deep Dive into A Perfect Circleโ€™s Mer de Noms Mer De Noms - A Perfect Circle Album Art 4

A Deep Dive into A Perfect Circleโ€™s Mer de Noms

29 September 2025
White Pony by Deftones: why it still matters Deftones - White Pony - Original Album Cover 5

White Pony by Deftones: why it still matters

14 September 2025
  • Podcasts
  • Popular
  • Update
  • Undertow: Tool’s Breakthrough Album Unveiled Undertow album cover by Tool

    Undertow: Tool’s Breakthrough Album Unveiled

    5 October 2025
  • A Deep Dive into A Perfect Circleโ€™s Mer de Noms Mer De Noms - A Perfect Circle Album Art

    A Deep Dive into A Perfect Circleโ€™s Mer de Noms

    29 September 2025
  • White Pony by Deftones: why it still matters Deftones - White Pony - Original Album Cover

    White Pony by Deftones: why it still matters

    14 September 2025
  • Anthraxโ€™s Sound of White Noise: The 1993 Pivot That Rewired Heavy Music Anthrax Sound of White Noise Album Cover

    Anthraxโ€™s Sound of White Noise: The 1993 Pivot That Rewired Heavy Music

    8 September 2025
  • Unveiling The Dark Side Of The Moon: Pink Floyd’s Timeless Classic pink_floyd-the_dark_side_of_the_moon

    Unveiling The Dark Side Of The Moon: Pink Floyd’s Timeless Classic

    6 August 2024
  • Unveiling Metallica: The Iconic Black Album’s Legacy Metallica (Remastered 2021)

    Unveiling Metallica: The Iconic Black Album’s Legacy

    19 May 2024
  • Appetite For Destruction: Guns N’ Roses’ Timeless Debut guns_n'_roses-appetite_for_destruction

    Appetite For Destruction: Guns N’ Roses’ Timeless Debut

    21 July 2024
  • Unraveling Sabotage: Black Sabbath’s Iconic Album black_sabbath-sabotage_(2014_remaster)

    Unraveling Sabotage: Black Sabbath’s Iconic Album

    28 July 2024
  • Para Bellum by Testament – album review tmpcn7rfxas

    Para Bellum by Testament – album review

    13 October 2025
  • Undertow: Tool’s Breakthrough Album Unveiled Undertow album cover by Tool

    Undertow: Tool’s Breakthrough Album Unveiled

    5 October 2025
  • Troubled Paradise by Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts – album review Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts - Troubled Paradise - Artwork

    Troubled Paradise by Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts – album review

    30 September 2025
  • A Deep Dive into A Perfect Circleโ€™s Mer de Noms Mer De Noms - A Perfect Circle Album Art

    A Deep Dive into A Perfect Circleโ€™s Mer de Noms

    29 September 2025

Albums

Para Bellum by Testament – album review tmpcn7rfxas
  • Album Deep Dive

Para Bellum by Testament – album review

13 October 2025
Undertow: Tool’s Breakthrough Album Unveiled Undertow album cover by Tool
  • Album Deep Dive
  • Podcasts

Undertow: Tool’s Breakthrough Album Unveiled

5 October 2025
Troubled Paradise by Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts – album review Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts - Troubled Paradise - Artwork
  • Album Deep Dive
  • Review

Troubled Paradise by Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts – album review

30 September 2025
A Deep Dive into A Perfect Circleโ€™s Mer de Noms Mer De Noms - A Perfect Circle Album Art
  • Album Deep Dive
  • Podcasts

A Deep Dive into A Perfect Circleโ€™s Mer de Noms

29 September 2025

Tech

Soundtoys: Pioneering Creative Audio Effects Soundtoys Logo
  • Tech

Soundtoys: Pioneering Creative Audio Effects

17 January 2025
Alesis: Revolutionising Music Production Alesis logo
  • Tech

Alesis: Revolutionising Music Production

17 January 2025
FabFilter: Redefining Audio Tools with Precision and Elegance Fabfilter Logo
  • Tech

FabFilter: Redefining Audio Tools with Precision and Elegance

17 January 2025
Akai Professional: Pioneers of Music Production Technology pexels-photo-18197120.jpeg
  • Tech

Akai Professional: Pioneers of Music Production Technology

17 January 2025

Review

Troubled Paradise by Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts – album review Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts - Troubled Paradise - Artwork
  • Album Deep Dive
  • Review

Troubled Paradise by Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts – album review

30 September 2025
The Painful Truth by Skunk Anansie – album review The Painful Truth - Skunk Anansie
  • Feature
  • Review

The Painful Truth by Skunk Anansie – album review

23 May 2025
Roar Like Thunder by Buckcherry – album review Buckcherry - Roar Like Thunder
  • Review

Roar Like Thunder by Buckcherry – album review

22 May 2025
Skeletรก by Ghost – album review album_cover
  • Album Deep Dive
  • Review

Skeletรก by Ghost – album review

9 May 2025
Para Bellum by Testament – album review tmpcn7rfxas
5 min read
  • Album Deep Dive

Para Bellum by Testament – album review

Neil Johnson 13 October 2025
Testamentโ€™s fourteenth album, Para Bellum, is a wild, urgent and fearless blast of thrash metal that proves,...
Read More Read more about Para Bellum by Testament – album review
Undertow: Tool’s Breakthrough Album Unveiled Undertow album cover by Tool
21 min read
  • Album Deep Dive
  • Podcasts

Undertow: Tool’s Breakthrough Album Unveiled

Neil Johnson 5 October 2025
Released on April 6, 1993, Tool's debut album, Undertow, epitomizes alternative metal's evolution. With themes of struggle...
Read More Read more about Undertow: Tool’s Breakthrough Album Unveiled
Troubled Paradise by Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts – album review Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts - Troubled Paradise - Artwork
4 min read
  • Album Deep Dive
  • Review

Troubled Paradise by Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts – album review

Neil Johnson 30 September 2025
Monster Shop Score: 90/100 Thereโ€™s a certain thrill when an record grabs you by the collar and...
Read More Read more about Troubled Paradise by Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts – album review
A Deep Dive into A Perfect Circleโ€™s Mer de Noms Mer De Noms - A Perfect Circle Album Art
25 min read
  • Album Deep Dive
  • Podcasts

A Deep Dive into A Perfect Circleโ€™s Mer de Noms

Neil Johnson 29 September 2025
A Perfect Circleโ€™s debut album, Mer de Noms, arrived in May 2000 as a poised, meticulously arranged...
Read More Read more about A Deep Dive into A Perfect Circleโ€™s Mer de Noms
White Pony by Deftones: why it still matters Deftones - White Pony - Original Album Cover
21 min read
  • Album Deep Dive
  • Podcasts

White Pony by Deftones: why it still matters

Neil Johnson 14 September 2025
Released on 20 June 2000 by Maverick Records, Deftonesโ€™ third album White Pony arrived at the height...
Read More Read more about White Pony by Deftones: why it still matters
Anthraxโ€™s Sound of White Noise: The 1993 Pivot That Rewired Heavy Music Anthrax Sound of White Noise Album Cover
15 min read
  • Album Deep Dive
  • Feature
  • Podcasts

Anthraxโ€™s Sound of White Noise: The 1993 Pivot That Rewired Heavy Music

Neil Johnson 8 September 2025
A pivotal turn: Anthrax, 1993, and Sound of White Noise Anthrax released Sound of White Noise on...
Read More Read more about Anthraxโ€™s Sound of White Noise: The 1993 Pivot That Rewired Heavy Music
Soulfly โ€“ Soulfly (1998): A complete guide Soulfly album cover
21 min read
  • Album Deep Dive

Soulfly โ€“ Soulfly (1998): A complete guide

Neil Johnson 24 August 2025
Setting the Scene: Why Soulflyโ€™s Selfโ€‘Titled Debut Mattered in 1998 By early 1998 the commercial centre of...
Read More Read more about Soulfly โ€“ Soulfly (1998): A complete guide
The Making of Foo Fighters by Foo Fighters Foo Fighters
12 min read
  • Album Deep Dive
  • Podcasts

The Making of Foo Fighters by Foo Fighters

Neil Johnson 1 August 2025
Foo Fighters by Foo Fighters: The Birth of a Modern Rock Giant Few albums mark a true...
Read More Read more about The Making of Foo Fighters by Foo Fighters
The Making of Performance and Cocktails by Stereophonics Performance And Cocktails
13 min read
  • Album Deep Dive

The Making of Performance and Cocktails by Stereophonics

Neil Johnson 26 July 2025
Performance and Cocktails by Stereophonics: The Making of a Modern Classic Sometimes, an album arrives at just...
Read More Read more about The Making of Performance and Cocktails by Stereophonics

Posts pagination

1 2 3 4 … 31 Next

Podcast Episodes

Riffology: Iconic Rock Albums Podcast
Riffology: Iconic Rock Albums Podcast

Welcome to Riffology, where a GenX and a Millennial talk about the albums from their youth. Itโ€™s more fun than it soundsโ€ฆ

RIFF067 – Tool – Undertow
byRiffology

Two nerds, a laminator, and an extremely long โ€œwarm wormโ€ somehow lead to a deep dive into one of the darkest, driest, and most hypnotic debut albums of the โ€˜90s. Undertow wasnโ€™t just Toolโ€™s arrival โ€” it was a statement: no gloss, no funk, no flannel. Just tight, menacing precision and the kind of sonic control that made everything else in โ€™93 sound like it was recorded in a gym hall.

Neil and Chris get into Sylvia Massyโ€™s production magic, the infamous piano-and-shotgun session that birthed โ€œDisgustipated,โ€ and why Undertow still feels so unsettlingly alive today. They unpack the censored artwork, the Lollapalooza breakthrough, and what makes this record sound dangerous even three decades later.

If you like your riffs dry, your rhythm sections ritualistic, and your frontmen just a little terrifying โ€” this oneโ€™s for you.

Timestamps

00:00 โ€” Warm-up chaos: โ€œwarm worm,โ€ laminator drama, and remembering to actually start the show.
00:04 โ€” Why Undertow and not Lateralus (yet). Toolโ€™s shift from soundscapes to surgical precision.
00:07 โ€” Setting the scene: 1993โ€™s heavy landscape and why Tool went against the grain.
00:10 โ€” Comparing Undertowโ€™s live-band energy to A Perfect Circleโ€™s layered polish.
00:14 โ€” The dry, claustrophobic mix and why it works.
00:15โ€“00:19 โ€” Who is Sylvia Massy and why her production mattered.
00:19โ€“00:22 โ€” The piano + shotgun recording session and how it became โ€œDisgustipated.โ€
01:05 โ€” CD quirks, hidden tracks, and Floodโ€™s strange indexing.
01:08 โ€” โ€œTurn it upโ€: why the album rewards volume.
01:11 โ€” The censored cover art and mail-in reveal.
01:14 โ€” Lollapalooza โ€™93: the moment Tool broke through.

Listen & follow
โ€ข Blog & show notes: https://riffology.co/2025/10/05/the-making-of-undertow-by-tool/
โ€ข Main site: https://riffology.co/podcast
โ€ข Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/riffology-iconic-rock-albums-podcast/id1691556696
โ€ข Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1LIU9mein7QMw346q20nyy
โ€ข Email: [email protected]
โ€ข X: https://x.com/RiffologyPod
โ€ข Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/riffology.co
โ€ข Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/riffology

RIFF067 – Tool – Undertow
Episode play icon
RIFF067 – Tool – Undertow
Episode Description
Episode play icon
RIFF066 – A Perfect Circle – Mer De Noms
Episode Description
Episode play icon
RIFF065 – Deftones – White Pony
Episode Description
Episode play icon
RIFF064 – Anthrax – Sound of White Noise
Episode Description
Episode play icon
RIFF063 – Anthrax – Persistence of Time
Episode Description
Episode play icon
RIFF062 – Soulfly – Soulfly
Episode Description
Episode play icon
RIFF061 – Sepultura – Beneath the Remains
Episode Description
Episode play icon
RIFF060 – Foo Fighters – Foo Fighters
Episode Description
Episode play icon
RIFF059 – Stereophonics – Performance and Cocktails
Episode Description
Episode play icon
RIFF058 – Carcass – Heartwork
Episode Description
Search Results placeholder

Mailing List

  • The Making of Rumours by Fleetwood Mac - Monday 27th January 2025

1975 1979 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2003 2007 2024 2025 Alice in Chains Anthrax Entombed Green Day Iron Maiden Korn Led Zeppelin Linkin Park Megadeth Metallica Ozzy Osbourne Pantera Pearl Jam Pink Floyd Podcast Queensrรฟche Radiohead Sepultura Slayer The Smashing Pumpkins Tool

Archives

  • October 2025
  • September 2025
  • August 2025
  • July 2025
  • June 2025
  • May 2025
  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024

Categories

  • Album Deep Dive
  • Feature
  • News
  • Podcasts
  • Review
  • Tech

You may have missed

tmpcn7rfxas
5 min read
  • Album Deep Dive

Para Bellum by Testament – album review

Neil Johnson 13 October 2025
Undertow album cover by Tool
21 min read
  • Album Deep Dive
  • Podcasts

Undertow: Tool’s Breakthrough Album Unveiled

Neil Johnson 5 October 2025
Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts - Troubled Paradise - Artwork
4 min read
  • Album Deep Dive
  • Review

Troubled Paradise by Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts – album review

Neil Johnson 30 September 2025
Mer De Noms - A Perfect Circle Album Art
25 min read
  • Album Deep Dive
  • Podcasts

A Deep Dive into A Perfect Circleโ€™s Mer de Noms

Neil Johnson 29 September 2025
  • X
  • Blue Sky
  • Facebook
  • IG
  • Discord
  • Apple
  • Spotify
Copyright © All rights reserved. | MoreNews by AF themes.