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Riffology: Iconic Rock Albums

Uncover the details behind the most iconic albums ever recorded.

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Review: Architects Deliver Emotion & Power in The Sky, the Earth & All Between Architects - The Sky, the Earth & All Between
3 min read
  • Feature
  • Review

Review: Architects Deliver Emotion & Power in The Sky, the Earth & All Between

Neil Johnson 3 March 2025
Monster Shop Score: 84/100 Architects’ latest album, The Sky, the Earth & All Between, is a whirlwind...
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Operation: Mindcrime II โ€“ The Controversial Sequel That Divided Fans Queensrchye: Operation Mindcrime II
7 min read
  • Album Deep Dive

Operation: Mindcrime II โ€“ The Controversial Sequel That Divided Fans

Neil Johnson 28 February 2025
Introduction In 2006, Queensrรฟche released Operation: Mindcrime II, a sequel to their 1988 concept album Operation: Mindcrime....
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Black Sabbath: Celebrating Their Legendary Journey image
13 min read
  • Album Deep Dive

Black Sabbath: Celebrating Their Legendary Journey

Neil Johnson 27 February 2025
Inception and Early Days Black Sabbath, a name synonymous with the genesis of heavy metal, traces its...
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Soundgardenโ€™s Badmotorfinger: Grunge Meets Alternative Metal 3361_album_art
7 min read
  • Album Deep Dive
  • Feature

Soundgardenโ€™s Badmotorfinger: Grunge Meets Alternative Metal

Neil Johnson 26 February 2025
Introduction Released on 8 October 1991, “Badmotorfinger” marked a pivotal moment in the grunge era. This third...
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Far Beyond Driven at 30: Why Panteraโ€™s Heaviest Album Still Matters 607_album_art
7 min read
  • Album Deep Dive

Far Beyond Driven at 30: Why Panteraโ€™s Heaviest Album Still Matters

Neil Johnson 25 February 2025
Introduction Released on 22 March 1994, Far Beyond Driven by Pantera is a cornerstone of heavy metal...
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Exploring Countdown to Extinction: Megadeth’s Defining Album Countdown To Extinction (1992 Mix Remaster)
11 min read
  • Album Deep Dive
  • Podcasts

Exploring Countdown to Extinction: Megadeth’s Defining Album

Neil Johnson 24 February 2025
"Countdown to Extinction," released on July 14, 1992, by Megadeth, marked a significant evolution in thrash metal....
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Metallicaโ€™s Garage Inc.: The Story Behind the Covers Album 5055_album_art
9 min read
  • Album Deep Dive

Metallicaโ€™s Garage Inc.: The Story Behind the Covers Album

Neil Johnson 24 February 2025
Introduction In the landscape of heavy metal, few bands have left as indelible a mark as Metallica....
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The Story Behind Who’s Next by The Who 8744_album_art
8 min read
  • Album Deep Dive

The Story Behind Who’s Next by The Who

Neil Johnson 24 February 2025
Introduction In 1971, The Who released “Who’s Next,” an album that would solidify their place in rock...
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The Making of ‘Somewhere in Time’ – Iron Maiden’s Bold Leap 4765_album_art
9 min read
  • Album Deep Dive

The Making of ‘Somewhere in Time’ – Iron Maiden’s Bold Leap

Neil Johnson 24 February 2025
Introduction Iron Maiden’s “Somewhere in Time” stands as a landmark in the band’s illustrious discography. Released on...
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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.

  • 00:00 โ€” Warm-up chaos: โ€œwarm worm,โ€ laminator drama.
  • 00:04 โ€” Why Undertow and not Lateralus (yet).
  • 00:07 โ€” Setting the scene: 1993โ€™s heavy landscape.
  • 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.
  • 00:15 โ€” Who is Sylvia Massy and why her production mattered.
  • 00:19 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.

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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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