Machine Head Archives - Riffology: Iconic Rock Albums

UNATØNED by Machine Head – album review

Neil Johnson 2 May 2025

Monster Shop Score: 75/100 Machine Head’s eleventh album, UNATØNED, is a lean, urgent blast of modern metal...

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 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.