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Riffology: Iconic Rock Albums

Uncover the details behind the most iconic albums ever recorded.

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Unraveling Sabotage: Black Sabbath’s Iconic Album black_sabbath-sabotage_(2014_remaster)
12 minutes read
  • Album Deep Dive

Unraveling Sabotage: Black Sabbath’s Iconic Album

Neil Johnson 28 July 2024 2
Introduction Black Sabbath stands as a towering figure, their music both groundbreaking and influential. Released on 28...
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Ride The Lightning: Metallica’s Thrash Metal Revolution metallica-ride_the_lightning_(deluxe_remaster)
17 minutes read
  • Album Deep Dive

Ride The Lightning: Metallica’s Thrash Metal Revolution

Neil Johnson 27 July 2024 0
Introduction Some albums do more than capture a momentโ€”they change the course of music. Metallicaโ€™s Ride The...
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All We Know is Falling: Paramore’s Iconic Debut paramore-all_we_know_is_falling
17 minutes read
  • Album Deep Dive

All We Know is Falling: Paramore’s Iconic Debut

Neil Johnson 26 July 2024 0
Introduction Some albums change everything, even if you do not see it at first. “All We Know...
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Back In Black: AC/DC’s Resurrection ac_dc-back_in_black
18 minutes read
  • Album Deep Dive

Back In Black: AC/DC’s Resurrection

Neil Johnson 25 July 2024 1
Introduction Few albums in rock history have changed the course of music like Back in Black by...
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Alice Cooper’s ‘Trash’: A Glam Metal Revolution alice_cooper-trash
18 minutes read
  • Album Deep Dive

Alice Cooper’s ‘Trash’: A Glam Metal Revolution

Neil Johnson 25 July 2024 0
Alice Cooper's album "Trash," released on July 25, 1989, marked a pivotal comeback in his career, blending...
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Unleashing Metallica’s ‘Kill ‘Em All’: A Thrash Revolution metallica-kill_'em_all
17 minutes read
  • Album Deep Dive

Unleashing Metallica’s ‘Kill ‘Em All’: A Thrash Revolution

Neil Johnson 24 July 2024 0
Released on July 25, 1983, Metallica's Kill 'Em All revolutionized the music scene, defining the thrash metal...
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Master Of Reality: Black Sabbath’s Game-Changing Album black_sabbath-master_of_reality
17 minutes read
  • Album Deep Dive

Master Of Reality: Black Sabbath’s Game-Changing Album

Neil Johnson 21 July 2024 1
Introduction Some albums donโ€™t just reflect their time; they change the sound of music for generations. Black...
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Appetite For Destruction: Guns N’ Roses’ Timeless Debut guns_n'_roses-appetite_for_destruction
17 minutes read
  • Album Deep Dive

Appetite For Destruction: Guns N’ Roses’ Timeless Debut

Neil Johnson 21 July 2024 2
Introduction Some albums change everything. Appetite For Destruction by Guns Nโ€™ Roses didnโ€™t just shake up the...
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Cowboys From Hell: Pantera’s Metal Revolution pantera-cowboys_from_hell
17 minutes read
  • Album Deep Dive

Cowboys From Hell: Pantera’s Metal Revolution

Neil Johnson 20 July 2024 0
Introduction When Cowboys From Hell crashed onto the scene in July 1990, the metal world changed forever....
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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.

RIFF073 – Prong – Cleansing
byRiffology

When the Sound Guy Becomes the Sound

Hosts: Neil & Chris
Duration: ~98 minutes
Release: 15 December 2025

Episode Description

Before Tommy Victor was crafting some of the heaviest riffs in industrial metal, he was the guy behind the mixing desk at CBGB’s, watching the entire New York hardcore scene unfold in front of him. That perspective, that immersion in raw, uncompromising music, would eventually birth Prong and their 1994 masterpiece, Cleansing.

Neil brings one of his all-time favourite albums to the table, an record he owns on every format imaginable. What emerges is a fascinating exploration of a band that bridged thrash, hardcore, and industrial before those crossovers became commonplace. Critically acclaimed yet commercially underappreciated, Cleansing represented Prong at their creative peak, with Tommy Victor deliberately crafting “heavy metal music you could dance to.”

What You’ll Hear:

  • Tommy Victor’s journey from CBGB’s sound engineer to industrial metal pioneer
  • How Killing Joke members Paul Raven and John Bechdel transformed Prong’s sound
  • The battle with Epic Records over producer Terry Date (Pantera, Soundgarden)
  • Why recording in Seattle and mixing at Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Lady Studios mattered
  • The Beavis and Butthead seal of approval and what it meant for the band
  • How Rude Awakening’s failure derailed what could have been metal superstardom

Featured Tracks & Analysis:

The hosts dig into the bone-dry guitar tone that became Prong’s signature, those deceptively simple “caveman riffs” that prove surprisingly difficult to play. Special attention goes to the breakthrough single “Snap Your Fingers Snap Your Neck,” the track that put Prong on MTV and in every rock pub in the land. The combination of programmed and live drums, the weighty yet direct production, and Tommy’s New Order influences all come under scrutiny.

Tangential Gold:

  • Neil’s elaborate car cleaning rituals and dreams of an ASMR snow foam YouTube channel
  • The Silverstone Lap of Lights Christmas experience
  • A deep dive into how tattoo removal actually works (spoiler: violent lasers)
  • The great debate about sitting down for a wee
  • Chinese “violent fans” and AliExpress shopping during recording

Why This Matters:

Cleansing arrived in 1994, years before industrial metal became a commercial force. Prong were doing the heavy-electronic crossover before Korn, before Static X, before the nu-metal explosion made it profitable. This episode reveals how timing, label politics, and one underwhelming follow-up album separated Prong from the stratospheric success their innovation deserved.

Perfect for: Industrial metal enthusiasts, anyone who loves the New York hardcore scene’s history, and listeners who appreciate bands that were ahead of their time.

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]

RIFF073 – Prong – Cleansing
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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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RIFF064 – Anthrax – Sound of White Noise
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