Riffology

The Making of Temple Of The Dog by Temple Of The Dog

The Making of Temple Of The Dog by Temple Of The Dog

Neil Johnson 7 April 2025

Temple Of The Dog: A Monumental Tribute in Music History In the annals of rock history, few...

Rage Against The Machine: A 90s Revolution

rage_against_the_machine-rage_against_the_machine

Rage Against The Machine: A 90s Revolution

Neil Johnson 24 March 2025

Introduction In 1992, a seismic shift occurred in the musical landscape with the release of Rage Against...

From Rage and Soundgarden to Audioslave: A Defining Rock Album

From Rage and Soundgarden to Audioslave: A Defining Rock Album

Neil Johnson 24 March 2025

Audioslave by Audioslave: The Making of a Modern Rock Classic Sometimes, a single album can alter the...

Blood Dynasty by Arch Enemy – album review

Blood Dynasty by Arch Enemy – album review

Neil Johnson 23 March 2025

Riffology Score: 86/100 Blood Dynasty by Arch Enemy is a fierce journey through the realms of melodic...

Exploring Faith No More’s Angel Dust: A Sonic Revolution

Exploring Faith No More’s Angel Dust: A Sonic Revolution

Neil Johnson 13 March 2025

Introduction In 1992, Faith No More released an album that would challenge musical norms and solidify their...

The Way by Dorothy – album review

The Way by Dorothy – album review

Neil Johnson 13 March 2025

Riffology Score: 80/100 With their latest release, The Way, Dorothy offers a high-octane blend of rock that...

The Complete History of Faith No More

Neil Johnson 9 March 2025

Introduction Few bands have managed to carve out a niche as unique and influential as Faith No...

Looking Back at Swagger: Gun’s Defining Hard Rock Album

Looking Back at Swagger: Gun’s Defining Hard Rock Album

Neil Johnson 7 March 2025

Introduction In the landscape of 1990s rock, Gun’s Swagger stands out as a defining moment for the...

Satanic Rites of the Wildhearts by The Wildhearts – album review

Neil Johnson 7 March 2025

Riffology Score: 90/100 The Wildhearts have returned with their latest album, Satanic Rites of the Wildhearts, and...

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 guitar tone becomes a time machine

Hosts: Neil & Chris
Duration: ~89 minutes
Release: 05 January 2026

Episode Description

Neil and Chris finally tackle The Smashing Pumpkins’ Siamese Dream, an album that hits like a personal memory as much as a rock record. For Chris, it is a private-room, headphones-on relationship, the kind where the opening of “Cherub Rock” can still trigger a lump in the throat. For Neil, it’s a later-life discovery that only gets deeper the more you learn about the chaos behind it.

Pulling in long-form interview clips (with a very open admiration for Rick Beato’s world), they unpack how this record was made under pressure, dysfunction and near-collapse, then somehow emerged as a layered, melodic, analog monster. From Butch Vig’s post-Nevermind gravity to Billy Corgan’s perfectionism, it’s a story about obsession paying off, even when everyone involved is barely holding it together.

What You’ll Hear:

The band’s fragile, combustible state heading into the sessions, including breakups, addiction and Billy’s darkest period
Why Butch Vig mattered here, and the “you stole my guitar sound” Nirvana shadow
The case for “overproduced” as a compliment, and what “overproduced” meant in an analog, tape-based workflow
Billy’s “vision” mindset, including the reality of re-recording band parts to chase the idea
The lore and truth behind the iconic cover photo, and how it became a myth

Featured Tracks & Analysis:

Key songs get spotlighted for both meaning and mechanics, including “Today” (written after deciding not to die), the orchestral punch and pop ambition of “Disarm” (plus its BBC controversy), and the emotional weight of “Spaceboy.” They also dig into “Mayonaise” as a fan-beloved deep cut, and how the album’s guitar layering became so complex it required diagrams just to navigate.

There’s also love for Jimmy Chamberlin’s drumming as a melodic voice, not just timekeeping, the kind of playing that makes the entire band feel alive and unpredictable.

Tangential Gold:

A nostalgic detour into Bo’ Selecta, Craig David and unintended career damage
A quick, pointed detour into AI as a “vision amplifier” versus “slop generator”
A surprise chat on YUNGBLUD’s “Zombie” collaboration with the Pumpkins
Cold-weather suffering, parkrun logistics, and the reality of aging into needing a heated blanket
Next week’s pick, Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here

Why This Matters:

Siamese Dream is more than a 90s classic, it’s a blueprint for making something huge without sounding generic. This episode frames it as a record born from pressure, rivalry, and meticulous craft, then asks the bigger question, what happens when an artist like Billy Corgan has no one left to push back?

Perfect for: Smashing Pumpkins lifers, 90s alt-rock obsessives, producers and guitar nerds, and anyone who loves albums with messy backstories and immaculate sound.