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Facelift: Alice In Chains’ Grunge Breakthrough Facelift
11 minutes read
  • Album Deep Dive

Facelift: Alice In Chains’ Grunge Breakthrough

Neil Johnson 25 September 2024 0
Introduction In the late summer of 1990, the music world was introduced to a sound that would...
Read More Read more about Facelift: Alice In Chains’ Grunge Breakthrough
Exploring Slayer’s ‘Hell Awaits’: A Thrash Metal Legend Hell Awaits
9 minutes read
  • Album Deep Dive

Exploring Slayer’s ‘Hell Awaits’: A Thrash Metal Legend

Neil Johnson 25 September 2024 0
Introduction In the world of thrash metal, few albums resonate with the same enduring intensity as Slayer’s...
Read More Read more about Exploring Slayer’s ‘Hell Awaits’: A Thrash Metal Legend
The Making of Innuendo: Queen’s Lasting Legacy Innuendo (Deluxe Edition 2011 Remaster)
11 minutes read
  • Album Deep Dive

The Making of Innuendo: Queen’s Lasting Legacy

Neil Johnson 23 September 2024 0
Introduction Released on 4 February 1991, Queen’s Innuendo stands as a monumental testament to the band’s enduring...
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Unveiling Slayer’s South of Heaven: A Thrash Revolution South Of Heaven
10 minutes read
  • Album Deep Dive

Unveiling Slayer’s South of Heaven: A Thrash Revolution

Neil Johnson 18 September 2024 0
Introduction In the summer of 1988, Slayer unleashed their fourth studio album, South of Heaven, upon an...
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The Making of Post Orgasmic Chill – Skunk Anansie’s Bold Move Post Orgasmic Chill
10 minutes read
  • Album Deep Dive

The Making of Post Orgasmic Chill – Skunk Anansie’s Bold Move

Neil Johnson 18 September 2024 1
Introduction Released in the vibrant musical landscape of 1999, Skunk Anansie’s Post Orgasmic Chill marked a pivotal...
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A Night at the Opera: Queen’s Iconic Album Unveiled A Night At The Opera (2011 Remaster)
10 minutes read
  • Album Deep Dive

A Night at the Opera: Queen’s Iconic Album Unveiled

Neil Johnson 18 September 2024 0
Introduction In the rich tapestry of rock history, few albums have achieved the legendary status of Queen’s...
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Chaos A.D. – Sepultura’s Genre-Defining Album Chaos A.D.
11 minutes read
  • Album Deep Dive

Chaos A.D. – Sepultura’s Genre-Defining Album

Neil Johnson 18 September 2024 0
Introduction In the world of heavy metal, few albums have made as significant an impact as Sepultura’s...
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Unveiling Anthrax’s State of Euphoria: A Thrash Metal Classic State Of Euphoria
10 minutes read
  • Album Deep Dive

Unveiling Anthrax’s State of Euphoria: A Thrash Metal Classic

Neil Johnson 17 September 2024 0
State of Euphoria, released by Anthrax on September 19, 1988, is their fourth studio album, showcasing their...
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Whitesnake: The Album That Defined Glam Metal Whitesnake (30th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition)
12 minutes read
  • Album Deep Dive

Whitesnake: The Album That Defined Glam Metal

Neil Johnson 17 September 2024 0
Introduction In the world of rock music, few albums have achieved the iconic status that Whitesnake by...
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Podcast Episodes

Riffology: Iconic Rock Albums Podcast
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 โ€”
Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Motley Crue, Def Leppard,
Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Pink Floyd, Radiohead,
Skunk Anansie, Gojira, Soulfly and the rest.
If itโ€™s 25+ years old, loud and iconic, weโ€™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 โ€œhow did this get approved?โ€ moments.

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

RIFF074 – Static-X – Wisconsin Death Trip
byRiffology

When Evil Disco Becomes a Genre

Hosts: Neil & Chris
Duration: ~96 minutes
Release: 3 January 2025

Episode Description

Static-X’s 1999 debut Wisconsin Death Trip marked a pivotal moment in industrial metal, blending crushing riffs with techno grooves to create what Wayne Static called “evil disco.” Neil dives deep into his personal connection with this record, recounting a hilarious tale of getting a server rack wedged in a bank lift while this album blasted in the background during his IT days.

The album emerged from a band still finding their sound, influenced by Prong and Fear Factory but carving out something distinctly their own. Warner Brothers’ gamble on signing a heavy band in 1999 paid off, with Wisconsin Death Trip eventually going platinum despite the music industry’s struggles with piracy and the Napster era.

What You’ll Hear:

  • How Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins helped form Static-X and nearly joined the band
  • The innovative DIY piezoelectric drum trigger system Koichi Fukuda built for recording
  • Why the band wanted “Wisconsin Death Trip” as their name but the label said it was too long
  • The album’s origins from a creepy 1973 book about 1890s rural Wisconsin deaths
  • How producer Ulrich Wilde stepped in when they couldn’t afford Terry Date
  • The recent reimagined vinyl release featuring never-before-seen studio footage of Wayne

Featured Tracks & Analysis:

Push It dominated rock clubs of the era, while Love Dump showcases the band’s signature ability to shift from staccato Prong-style riffs into hypnotic rhythmic grooves. The closing track December, written during Wayne’s time in Deep Blue Dream with Billy Corgan, feels distinctly different from the rest of the album. The hosts discuss how the album is full of hidden movie samples, from Planet of the Apes to the 1989 film Begotten.

Tangential Gold:

  • Neil’s catastrophic server rack incident involving a bank lift, hung-over IT workers, and Paradise Lost on repeat
  • A spirited debate about AI creating rocket engines versus writing ballads
  • The Justin Hawkins vs Youngblood feud and why they should just do a song together
  • Chris’s decorating playlist and why Static-X is perfect for mindful painting
  • The wild west days of 90s IT before change management forms existed

Why This Matters:

Wisconsin Death Trip arrived at a creative peak for rock music, when bands were genuinely innovating rather than being derivative. The hosts explore how this album, recorded in just four weeks, influenced an entire generation and soundtracked countless video games from Duke Nukem to Brutal Legend. It’s a reminder of what happens when musicians experiment without boundaries.

Perfect for: Industrial metal fans, anyone nostalgic for late-90s rock clubs, IT workers with war stories, and listeners who appreciate albums that still sound fresh 25 years later.

You can find us here:

  • Blog: https://riffology.co
  • All Episodes: https://podkit.riffology.co/podcast
  • iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1323-riffology-iconic-rock-alb-176865775
  • Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/riffology-iconic-rock-albums-podcast/id1691556696
  • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1LIU9mein7QMw346q20nyy
  • X: https://x.com/RiffologyPod
  • Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/riffology.co
  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/riffology
  • Email: [email protected]

RIFF074 – Static-X – Wisconsin Death Trip
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RIFF074 – Static-X – Wisconsin Death Trip
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RIFF073 – Prong – Cleansing
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RIFF072 – Suicidal Tendencies – Lights, Camera, Revolution!
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RIFF071 – L7 – Bricks Are Heavy
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RIFF070 – Bush – Sixteen Stone
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RIFF069 – Pixies – Doolittle
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RIFF068 – Hole – Live Through This
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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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