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Uncover the details behind the most iconic albums ever recorded.

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PowerNerd by Devin Townsend – album review album_cover
3 min read
  • Review

PowerNerd by Devin Townsend – album review

Neil Johnson 25 October 2024
Devin Townsend's upcoming album, PowerNerd, scores 87/100 and merges melodic metal with emotional depth. Created in a...
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The Genesis of Megadeth’s ‘Killing Is My Business’ Killing Is My Business...And Business Is Good!
9 min read
  • Album Deep Dive

The Genesis of Megadeth’s ‘Killing Is My Business’

Neil Johnson 25 October 2024
Megadeth's debut album, Killing Is My Business...And Business Is Good!, released on June 12, 1985, marked a...
Read More Read more about The Genesis of Megadeth’s ‘Killing Is My Business’
The System Has Failed: Megadeth’s Triumphant Return The System Has Failed
8 min read
  • Album Deep Dive

The System Has Failed: Megadeth’s Triumphant Return

Neil Johnson 25 October 2024
In 2004, Megadeth's "The System Has Failed" marked a significant return to their thrash roots, following frontman...
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The Making of Show No Mercy: Slayer’s Thrash Metal Revolution Show No Mercy
9 min read
  • Album Deep Dive

The Making of Show No Mercy: Slayer’s Thrash Metal Revolution

Neil Johnson 25 October 2024
Slayer's debut album, Show No Mercy, released on December 3, 1983, is pivotal in thrash metal history,...
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Christ Illusion: Slayer’s Bold Comeback Christ Illusion
8 min read
  • Album Deep Dive

Christ Illusion: Slayer’s Bold Comeback

Neil Johnson 25 October 2024
Slayer's "Christ Illusion," released on August 8, 2006, marks their return with original members, particularly drummer Dave...
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Highly Irresponsible by Better Lovers – album review album_cover
3 min read
  • Review

Highly Irresponsible by Better Lovers – album review

Neil Johnson 25 October 2024
Better Lovers' debut album, Highly Irresponsible, scored 80/100 and merges hardcore punk, metalcore, and mathcore. Released on...
Read More Read more about Highly Irresponsible by Better Lovers – album review
The Process of Human Extermination: Fit For An Autopsy’s Defining Debut The Process of Human Extermination
7 min read
  • Album Deep Dive

The Process of Human Extermination: Fit For An Autopsy’s Defining Debut

Neil Johnson 25 October 2024
"The Process of Human Extermination," released on June 21, 2011, by Fit For An Autopsy, marked the...
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Official Live: 101 Proof – Pantera’s Raw Power Unleashed Official Live 101 Proof
7 min read
  • Album Deep Dive

Official Live: 101 Proof – Pantera’s Raw Power Unleashed

Neil Johnson 24 October 2024
Pantera's Official Live: 101 Proof, released on July 29, 1997, is celebrated for capturing the band's intense...
Read More Read more about Official Live: 101 Proof – Pantera’s Raw Power Unleashed
The Making of Cryptic Writings – Megadeth’s 1997 Evolution Cryptic Writings (Expanded Edition - Remastered)
9 min read
  • Album Deep Dive

The Making of Cryptic Writings – Megadeth’s 1997 Evolution

Neil Johnson 24 October 2024
Megadeth's 1997 album, Cryptic Writings, showcases their adaptation within the evolving heavy metal landscape, blending melodic elements...
Read More Read more about The Making of Cryptic Writings – Megadeth’s 1997 Evolution

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