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Blizzard of Ozz: Ozzy’s Solo Revolution ozzy_osbourne-blizzard_of_ozz_(40th_anniversary_expanded_edition)
11 minutes read
  • Album Deep Dive

Blizzard of Ozz: Ozzy’s Solo Revolution

Neil Johnson 15 August 2024 1
Introduction In the realm of heavy metal, few albums have had as profound an impact as Blizzard...
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Brothers In Arms by Dire Straits: Behind the Classic dire_straits-brothers_in_arms_(remastered_1996)
17 minutes read
  • Album Deep Dive

Brothers In Arms by Dire Straits: Behind the Classic

Neil Johnson 14 August 2024 0
Introduction Few albums have left a mark on popular music quite like Brothers In Arms by Dire...
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Exploring the Creation of Def Leppard’s Hysteria def_leppard-hysteria
18 minutes read
  • Album Deep Dive

Exploring the Creation of Def Leppard’s Hysteria

Neil Johnson 14 August 2024 1
Released on 3 August 1987, "Hysteria" by Def Leppard is a landmark rock album that shaped the...
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The Making of Among the Living – Anthrax’s Iconic Album anthrax-among_the_living
16 minutes read
  • Album Deep Dive

The Making of Among the Living – Anthrax’s Iconic Album

Neil Johnson 13 August 2024 0
Released on March 16, 1987, Anthrax's "Among the Living" is a pivotal thrash metal album, cementing their...
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Ace Of Spades: The Album That Redefined Metal motörhead-ace_of_spades
10 minutes read
  • Album Deep Dive

Ace Of Spades: The Album That Redefined Metal

Neil Johnson 12 August 2024 1
Introduction In the annals of heavy metal history, few albums have left as indelible a mark as...
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Iron Maiden’s The Number of the Beast: A Metal Landmark iron_maiden-the_number_of_the_beast_(2015_remaster)
17 minutes read
  • Album Deep Dive

Iron Maiden’s The Number of the Beast: A Metal Landmark

Neil Johnson 11 August 2024 0
Introduction In March 1982, Iron Maiden unleashed an album that would transform the face of heavy metal....
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Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness: Smashing Pumpkins’ Ambitious Masterpiece the_smashing_pumpkins-mellon_collie_and_the_infinite_sadness_(remastered)
18 minutes read
  • Album Deep Dive

Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness: Smashing Pumpkins’ Ambitious Masterpiece

Neil Johnson 11 August 2024 1
Introduction On a chilly October day in 1995, The Smashing Pumpkins released an album that would shape...
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Rust In Peace: Megadeth’s Defining Thrash Legacy megadeth-rust_in_peace
17 minutes read
  • Album Deep Dive

Rust In Peace: Megadeth’s Defining Thrash Legacy

Neil Johnson 11 August 2024 0
Introduction Every so often, an album emerges that reshapes the boundaries of its genre. In 1990, Rust...
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Reign In Blood: Slayer’s Game-Changing Album Explored slayer-reign_in_blood
18 minutes read
  • Album Deep Dive

Reign In Blood: Slayer’s Game-Changing Album Explored

Neil Johnson 11 August 2024 0
Introduction Every so often, an album comes along that doesn’t just push boundaries but rips them apart....
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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 —
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.

RIFF078 – Extreme – Extreme
byRiffology

When a lemon gets a perm and a virtuoso refuses to be “just a guitarist”

Hosts: Neil & Chris
Duration: ~73 minutes
Release: Not scheduled

Episode Description

Neil and Chris head back to 1989 for Extreme’s self-titled debut, an album that arrived right on the fault line between peak hair metal and the coming grunge shift. Sparked by Play With Me popping up in Stranger Things (and, more importantly, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure), this one becomes a love letter to a band that was slightly “too late” to fully ride the glam wave, but talented enough to outlast it.

Along the way, they dig into why Nuno Bettencourt sits in that rare tier of guitarists whose playing feels like pure expression, not just technique, and how Extreme’s debut already hints at the funkier, more confident band they would become on Pornograffitti. Expect context, era chat, and a few classic Rifology detours about age, injuries, and the ongoing mystery of missing snacks.

What You’ll Hear:

  • Why Extreme feel like one of the last great late-80s hard rock breakouts
  • Nuno’s “virtuoso but musical” approach, and why it never feels like guitar-with-backing
  • The Boston connection, Aerosmith influence, and comparisons to Van Halen
  • How the band’s sound and lyrical focus evolved from this debut to Pornograffitti
  • A quick-fire fact run, including label context (A&M) and chart reality
  • Next episode reveal, Three Doors Down, The Better Life

Featured Tracks & Analysis:

The conversation spotlights Play With Me as the gateway track, including its classical flourishes and perfect placement alongside the Bill & Ted Beethoven scene. They also touch on standouts like Little Girls, Kid Ego (and Gary Cherone’s later cringe at the lyrics), plus deeper cuts like Teacher’s Pet and Mother as evidence this record is more than a hair-metal snapshot.

Production gets its due too, with Reinhold Mack’s background (including Queen) and how the album’s peak-80s “wet” guitar tones still leave room for structure, dynamics, and the early signs of Extreme’s weirder, more ambitious writing.

Tangential Gold:

  • The “planning makes it less fun” podcast philosophy
  • Physio therapy, back pain, and the realities of getting older
  • The legend of “Pat Badger,” plus kettles, beavers, and accidental rebranding
  • Why old films feel “slow” now, and what that says about modern pacing
  • A brief rant about “hey guys, welcome back to the channel”

Why This Matters:

This episode reframes Extreme’s debut as a formative blueprint, a moment where a band tried to fit late-80s expectations while quietly building the identity that would later explode. It’s also a reminder that technical brilliance hits hardest when it serves the song, not the ego.

Perfect for: listeners who love late-80s hard rock, guitar craft that stays musical, and scene-history chat with a few well-timed detours.

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]

RIFF078 – Extreme – Extreme
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RIFF078 – Extreme – Extreme
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RIFF077 – Metallica – Master of Puppets
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RIFF076 – Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here
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RIFF075 – The Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream
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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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