Riffology - Where music still means something

3 Doors Down – The Better Life: Small Town, Massive Record The Better Life by 3 Doors Down Album Cover

3 Doors Down – The Better Life: Small Town, Massive Record

Neil Johnson 14 February 2026

1. INTRODUCTION It’s February 2000. *NSYNC’s No Strings Attached is about to obliterate first-week sales records. Britney...

Extreme’s Debut Album: The Story of Extreme (1989) Extreme - Extreme Album cover

Extreme’s Debut Album: The Story of Extreme (1989)

Neil Johnson 25 January 2026

Introduction In the late 1980s, the hard rock scene was dominated by big hair, flashy guitar solos,...

Megadeth by Megadeth – album review Megadeth - Megadeth - Album Cover

Megadeth by Megadeth – album review

Neil Johnson 22 January 2026

Monster Shop Score: 71/100 After forty years of raising hell and rewriting the rules of thrash metal,...

Master of Puppets: Unraveling the greatest metal album ever recorded… metallica-master_of_puppets_(remastered)

Master of Puppets: Unraveling the greatest metal album ever recorded…

Neil Johnson 18 January 2026

Released on March 3, 1986, Metallica's Master of Puppets is a seminal thrash metal album recognized for...

Wish You Were Here: Analyzing Pink Floyd’s Iconic Album Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here - Album Cover

Wish You Were Here: Analyzing Pink Floyd’s Iconic Album

Neil Johnson 11 January 2026

Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here is often hailed as one of the greatest albums in rock...

Krushers Of The World by Kreator – album review Kreator-Krushers-Of-The-World-Artwork

Krushers Of The World by Kreator – album review

Neil Johnson 9 January 2026

Monster Shop Score: 82/100 Kreator’s sixteenth album, Krushers Of The World, isn’t just a celebration of four...

Alter Bridge by Alter Bridge – album review Alter Bridge - Alter Bridge - Artwork

Alter Bridge by Alter Bridge – album review

Neil Johnson 9 January 2026

Monster Shop Score: 87/100 Alter Bridge’s self-titled eighth album is a thunderous celebration of everything that makes...

Siamese Dream: Unveiling The Smashing Pumpkins’ Vision The Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream - Original Album Art

Siamese Dream: Unveiling The Smashing Pumpkins’ Vision

Neil Johnson 3 January 2026

The Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dream, released in 1993, is a pivotal alternative rock album blending grunge's rawness...

Wisconsin Death Trip: Static-X’s Iconic Debut Static-X Wisconsin Death Trip Album Cover

Wisconsin Death Trip: Static-X’s Iconic Debut

Neil Johnson 27 December 2025

Introduction In 1999, Static-X burst onto the late-’90s metal scene with their debut album Wisconsin Death Trip,...

Podcast Episodes

Riffology: Iconic Rock Albums Podcast

Remember when payday meant choosing which CD or vinyl you were blowing it on? Standing in HMV doing the mental maths, convincing yourself two albums was basically essential. Riffology is Neil and Chris chasing that feeling again, one classic record at a time.

This is a show about the albums that raised us —
Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Motley Crue, Def Leppard,
Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Pink Floyd, Radiohead,
Skunk Anansie, Gojira, Soulfly and the rest.
If it’s 25+ years old, loud and iconic, we’re in.

Each episode is two Gen X mates diving into studio sessions, producer chaos and band drama plus the joy of taped-over cassettes, dodgy car stereos and sitting on the floor with a record sleeve.

We nerd out when we should: Albini vs Vig, room-miked vs close-miked,
Neve consoles, dynamic-range disasters and those “how did this get approved?” moments.

If you grew up when albums were events, this is your place. Some weeks it’s an old favourite; other weeks it’s something you abandoned in ’94. Either way, Riffology’s here to talk rubbish, tell stories and remind you why these records mattered.

When a 22-Year-Old Guitar Wizard Caught Lightning Before Grunge

Hosts: Neil & Chris
Duration: ~72 minutes
Release: 9 February 2026

Episode Description

Neil and Chris dive into Extreme’s 1989 self-titled debut, a record that arrived at the worst possible moment for hair metal, yet showcased one of rock’s most exceptional guitarists right before the scene imploded. Nuno Bettencourt was just 22 when he recorded this album, and the hosts make a compelling case that he belongs in the same rarified air as Eddie Van Halen, Jeff Beck, and Guthrie Govan as guitarists who make their instruments “speak.”

This isn’t the Extreme most people know from “More Than Words.” This is the prototype, the band finding its voice while trying to fit into the late-80s hard rock mold. The hosts trace how Extreme evolved from this somewhat conventional debut into the funky, conceptual rock opera approach of Pornograffiti, with this album serving as the fascinating blueprint where you can hear Nuno wearing his Van Halen influences on his sleeve before developing his own unmistakable style.

What You’ll Hear:

Why Nuno Bettencourt is criminally underrated compared to the usual guitar hero pantheon
How producer Reinhold Mack’s Queen experience influenced the album’s layered approach
The origin story involving a pub fight that allegedly formed the band
Gary Cherone’s embarrassment about “Kid Ego” and the album’s attempts at social commentary
Why “Play With Me” works in both Bill & Ted and Stranger Things
The band’s trajectory from Boston unknowns to supporting Aerosmith’s massive Pump tour

Featured Tracks & Analysis:

The episode breaks down “Little Girls” and its bonkers opening guitar work, the oddball curveball of “Mutha (Don’t Wanna Go to School Today),” and the genuinely weird “Rock a Bye Bye” which hints at the rock opera ambitions that would define later albums. Special attention goes to “Play With Me” and its classical music integration, particularly Mozart’s “Ronda Alla Turca,” showcasing how the band was already experimenting beyond typical hair metal formulas.

Tangential Gold:

The ongoing saga of someone stealing their Bongo Coke supply
Neil’s shoulder injury from catching his sleeve on the staircase (and his terrible physiotherapist)
The “water otter/beaver/badger” kettle naming confusion that lasted five years
Why Ghostbusters is “too slow” for modern kids and what that says about attention spans
David Coverdale’s complete disregard for political correctness and why he gets away with it

Why This Matters:

This album represents the last gasp of earnest 80s hard rock before grunge swept it away. The hosts convincingly argue that had this arrived three years earlier, Extreme would have been massive. Instead, they had to reinvent themselves with Pornograffiti. The episode captures a band with immense talent trying to navigate commercial expectations while hints of their true identity peek through the cracks.

Perfect for: Guitar enthusiasts, fans of late-80s rock history, anyone interested in how bands evolve between debut and breakthrough, and listeners who enjoy hosts who turn equipment naming conventions into five-year office jokes.