The History of Heavy Podcast

Betty Davis was well ahead of her time. She was a wildly flamboyant funk diva who combined the gritty emotional realism of Tina Turner, the futurist fashion sense of David Bowie, and the trendsetting flair of Miles Davis. Her debut LP was released in 1973 going on to influence dozens of powerful, independent female icons to follow, including  Donna Summer, Patty Smith, Debbie Harry, The Runaways and Stevie Nicks. Her music still sounds fresh, in your face and badass today.    HHP Spotify Playlist  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qkURdYib8hLz8s20D9yTC?si=1526168526854a62   HHP on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@the.history.of.hea?_t=ZP-8z7me40bcbu&_r=1   HHP Instagram https://instagram.com/the_history_of_heavy   @historyofheavy 

After 45 episodes of The History of Heavy, covering everyone from Iron Butterfly to Black Sabbath and "The Payback" might be the most authentically heavy song we've discussed to date. Let us explain...   HHP Spotify Playlist  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qkURdYib8hLz8s20D9yTC?si=1526168526854a62   HHP on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@the.history.of.hea?_t=ZP-8z7me40bcbu&_r=1   HHP Instagram https://instagram.com/the_history_of_heavy   @historyofheavy 

Necromandus were managed by Tony Iommi, signed to Vertigo Records, supported Sabbath on the VOl 4 tour and recorded their debut album in 1973.  So why hadn't we ever heard of them until a few weeks ago?    HHP Spotify Playlist  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qkURdYib8hLz8s20D9yTC?si=1526168526854a62   HHP on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@the.history.of.hea?_t=ZP-8z7me40bcbu&_r=1   HHP Instagram https://instagram.com/the_history_of_heavy   @historyofheavy 

During their hard/shock rocking heyday which spanned four excellent albums beginning with 1971's Love It to Death, Alice Cooper was more than a man, they were a band. And while leader singer Vincent Furnier would adopt his famous stage name and alter-ego early on, the remaining four members of the Alice Cooper Group brought deft songwriting and killer chops to the increasingly chaotic notorious live shows that would give their music lasting credibility decades later. In this episode, we mistakenly identify Killer, the album that includes the track "Halo of Flies" as a 1973 release but recover nicely and use our blunder as an excuse the examine the whole of Mr Cooper (and this band's) discography.       Recommended Listening, Watching & Reading Jello Biafra & The Melvins  https://open.spotify.com/track/071YYZlOxBdhESQYrLDYrn?si=9da65eb193874156     HHP Spotify Playlist  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qkURdYib8hLz8s20D9yTC?si=1526168526854a62   HHP on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@the.history.of.hea?_t=ZP-8z7me40bcbu&_r=1   HHP Instagram https://instagram.com/the_history_of_heavy   @historyofheavy 

Another year in the bag and if we're honest, 2025 largely sucked. It sucked on a global level, it sucked on a national level, it sucked on a local level and honestly it sucked on a personal level, But what didn't suck was the music of 2025. Great new artists emerged, great albums were released and dozens of old bands, records and songs were discovered. We discuss it all. Here's to a better 2026. Happy New Year!!!    Recommended Listening, Watching & Reading    Sanguiaugabogg - Hideous Aftermath  https://open.spotify.com/album/7y5OWsiatwngkMtaPXgyET?si=Scx_LB3QTb6pV82c8YirCg   Greet Death - Die in Love https://open.spotify.com/album/4BMFHGrHTIRSPvSI6S9UKo?si=w5yj8TSHRMSRlPvGYL-gNA   Khruangabin https://open.spotify.com/artist/2mVVjNmdjXZZDvhgQWiakk?si=0ezp2myaQo-4v2Ze_nXj6Q    Glass Beams  https://open.spotify.com/artist/1LTFJvVvRw7ghAyThxYmnF?si=Wet-p2eYRn28SkbfZjnQOw   Boneflower - Reveries  https://open.spotify.com/album/6WwVhoHDfdvaOkRXVzBUVE?si=qR9oOZwYRt6jXuhHhkM5Jw   Early Moods https://open.spotify.com/album/5kxOks7J5KpSTCEv7afrYd?si=wIrWdhADSBeSlkW7EL-ujQ   They Are Gutting A Body of Water - LOTTO https://open.spotify.com/album/5oX9RPR1fBvHzpgtmxVdPI?si=x_YC23yXShSFXXF8x1ZG3Q   Peth - Merchant of Death https://open.spotify.com/album/06Uyd3LZLNMWpQ0QH5KKQn?si=6t6NK0bBQsib6JrVVCpOiw   Mount Salem - Endless  https://open.spotify.com/album/57VCu6Lt5lN95Ty5dP7MNH?si=iUE1xsaGSRCldwx4rwt0jQ   Dead Witches - The Final Exorcism  https://open.spotify.com/album/2DhvzMNZoOycDnPoNR27A4?si=VhLXZBynQ2G8-RLKrLZ1Kg   Swans - Birthing https://open.spotify.com/album/05rmFti1xKL3h09CGx67kc?si=mR0l6sf9TSOIUOoU-YUCzg   Slomosa https://open.spotify.com/artist/0l7GXb53ndWn97ul8Hpfzd?si=_h8LiL5_S4-OFVESqOanhA   HHP Spotify Playlist  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qkURdYib8hLz8s20D9yTC?si=1526168526854a62   HHP on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@the.history.of.hea?_t=ZP-8z7me40bcbu&_r=1   HHP Instagram https://instagram.com/the_history_of_heavy   @historyofheavy 

Sabbath's first three albums invented stoner metal and "Sweet Leaf" from 1971's Master of Reality was the coughing exclamation point on the genre.  Vol 4 would begin the band's three album cocaine cycle. Not only did Snowblind directly address the drugs hold on the band at the time but the entire record's energy, pace and production all somehow benefit from the speedy haze that misers Osbourne, Iommi, Butler & Ward were living in while writing and recording the album's ten songs at the Bel Air mansion of the now infamous John Du Pont.      Recommended Listening, Watching & Reading Scorpions "Sails of Charon" Live 1978 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zs5NOrYYV2s   Screaming Trees "Tomorrow's Dream: https://open.spotify.com/track/2Ol6qir0TWnPoxaW1PBwgp?si=080746da7f6f4bde   1000 Homo DJs' "Supernaut" https://open.spotify.com/track/1LkYAkYzqq7TbJTGfx3ixY?si=7dc03406c3f04514   Charles Bradley "Changes" https://open.spotify.com/track/3HC6U39266ytr7fMW9M2Mz?si=aff70203956e4e22   Sleep "Snowblind" https://open.spotify.com/track/0NIoNL2KL9UdIWbtKq3FNr?si=2fbf482ed1d4453b   HHP Spotify Playlist  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qkURdYib8hLz8s20D9yTC?si=1526168526854a62   HHP on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@the.history.of.hea?_t=ZP-8z7me40bcbu&_r=1   HHP Instagram https://instagram.com/the_history_of_heavy   @historyofheavy 

Edgar Winter is a freak. A multi-instrumental virtuoso who led his chart topping band as singer-songwriter while also serving as a session musician on dozens of chart topping hits by the likes of Meatloaf, Tina Turner and David Lee Roth. His music spans southern rock, the blues, fusion and blue-eyed soul and on The Edgar Winter Group's debut album, its lone instrumental track "Frankenstein" he proves that he can also get heavy with the best of them.       Recommended Listening, Watching & Reading "Guitarin' Safari" Spotify Playlist  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/59p775CaVKb1iYa5cakkpe?si=eaa3da57b8b0423e     HHP Spotify Playlist  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qkURdYib8hLz8s20D9yTC?si=1526168526854a62   HHP on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@the.history.of.hea?_t=ZP-8z7me40bcbu&_r=1   HHP Instagram https://instagram.com/the_history_of_heavy

Formed in 1972 in Lima Peru, Tarkus released their self-titled debut LP that same year and then promptly broke up, lasting for less than 9 months before reforming for a second record in 2007 (Tarkus 2) and then promptly breaking up again, this time for good. They are one of thousands of bands that sprouted up in various pockets of the world making great and interesting heavy music that might have been lost to the sands of time if not for the glory of the internet.      HHP Spotify Playlist  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qkURdYib8hLz8s20D9yTC?si=1526168526854a62   HHP on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@the.history.of.hea?_t=ZP-8z7me40bcbu&_r=1   HHP Instagram https://instagram.com/the_history_of_heavy   @historyofheavy 

Their third studio LP is arguably Black Sabbath's masterpiece. Eight classic songs in less than thrity five minutes that would collectively spark not only the inspiration of hundreds of aspiring musicians but also launch a multitude of hard rock and heavy metal genres to come, including: stoner rock/metal, doom metal, sludge metal, grunge, progressive metal and groove/southern metal. From Tony Iommi's iconic cough that opens "Sweet Leaf" to the dark, heavy salvo of "Into the Void," the boys from Birmingham lay the blueprint for decades of heavy music to come, cementing Master of Reality as one of the most important records of all time.    HHP Spotify Playlist  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qkURdYib8hLz8s20D9yTC?si=1526168526854a62   HHP on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@the.history.of.hea?_t=ZP-8z7me40bcbu&_r=1   HHP Instagram https://instagram.com/the_history_of_heavy   @historyofheavy 

Budgie has aptly been described as the love child of Black Sabbath and Rush. While many of their early 70's peers continued to comfortably play variations of the popular hard rock of the day, Budgie were are early example of a band that was definitively playing a new style of music now known as Heavy Metal.  "Guts,"  the first track off of their 1971 debut album is a prime example.    HHP Spotify Playlist  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qkURdYib8hLz8s20D9yTC?si=1526168526854a62   HHP on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@the.history.of.hea?_t=ZP-8z7me40bcbu&_r=1   HHP Instagram https://instagram.com/the_history_of_heavy   @historyofheavy 

Alice Coltrane was a lot of things; she was a musician, a composer, an activist and a spiritual leader. She was also a genius who almost single handedly introduced the harp to jazz while making some of the most transcendent music of the late sixties and early seventies. Her influence can be felt across many heavy genres including drone, stoner metal, sludge, post rock and experimental metal. We cover it all from Sonic Youth to Sunn O))) and from Rush to Radiohead.     Recommended Listening, Watching & Reading Radiohead "Dollars and Cents" https://open.spotify.com/track/0kSDNLOdJqpGhV2vtVFWmS?si=9482de1f011d4d79   Sunn O))) "Alice" https://open.spotify.com/track/7n6WNQidHGzHm0TQHWV7aH?si=5d47fe9e76cb4fb3   Flying Lotus "Drips/Aunti's Harp" https://open.spotify.com/track/0g4THD0mERaEqP64uSaXlq?si=8fb1fdcb485f4753   HHP Spotify Playlist  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qkURdYib8hLz8s20D9yTC?si=1526168526854a62   HHP on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@the.history.of.hea?_t=ZP-8z7me40bcbu&_r=1   HHP Instagram https://instagram.com/the_history_of_heavy   @historyofheavy 

There is no denying that there was a real heaviness to the 1970's funk of Funkadelic but nothing compares to how heavy they would get when they stripped away George Clinton's vocals, Bootsy's bass, Tikii Fulwood's drums and any ancillary horns to let Eddie Hazel solo for 10 minutes. "Maggot Brain" is pure, jaw dropping, brain melting, emotional heaviness and an important touch stone in our chronology of heavy. .    Recommended Listening, Watching & Reading   Monolithic Undertow by Harry Sword https://www.amazon.com/Monolithic-Undertow-Search-Sonic-Oblivion/dp/1737382938/ref=pd_lpo_d_sccl_1/144-9075642-3604406?pd_rd_w=3u9Ya&content-id=amzn1.sym.4c8c52db-06f8-4e42-8e56-912796f2ea6c&pf_rd_p=4c8c52db-06f8-4e42-8e56-912796f2ea6c&pf_rd_r=PY1STRPTFC7WQJZ83SM3&pd_rd_wg=0AHIQ&pd_rd_r=11b42eb4-f4f4-4430-8d16-368766f7653f&pd_rd_i=1737382938&psc=1   Electric Wizards: A Tapestry of Heavy Music 1968 to the Present  https://www.amazon.com/Electric-Wizards-Tapestry-Heavy-Present/dp/1789144485   HHP Spotify Playlist  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qkURdYib8hLz8s20D9yTC?si=1526168526854a62   HHP on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@the.history.of.hea?_t=ZP-8z7me40bcbu&_r=1   HHP Instagram https://instagram.com/the_history_of_heavy   @historyofheavy 

The Who are one of rock's most restless innovators. From spearheading the Mod youth explosion in Britain in the 60's to turning smashed guitars and drums into an art form, they constantly redefined what a heavy rock band could be. They practically invented the rock opera with Tommy and Quadrophenia, set the gold standard for the live concert experience and wrote some of the greatest songs in rock history. We threw a dart at their superb catalog while down at our local pub to determine what song to talk about and we hit the last track on Who's Next which happens to include one of the most iconic heavy moments in heavy music history.    HHP Spotify Playlist  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qkURdYib8hLz8s20D9yTC?si=1526168526854a62   HHP on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@the.history.of.hea?_t=ZP-8z7me40bcbu&_r=1   Instagram https://instagram.com/the_history_of_heavy   @historyofheavy 

One could debate whether or not Pink Floyd belongs in the conversation about "heavy" music but their influence on such denizen's of heavy as Black Sabbath, Sleep, My Bloody Valentine, Neurosis and Blood Incantation is undeniable. It is also hard to debate  the sonic heaviness of some of their louder songs including this, the lead track from 1971's Meddle.    Recommended Listening, Watching & Reading Movie: Squaring the Circle: The Story of Hipgnosis  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10850264/   HHP Spotify Playlist  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qkURdYib8hLz8s20D9yTC?si=1526168526854a62   HHP on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@the.history.of.hea?_t=ZP-8z7me40bcbu&_r=1   Instagram https://instagram.com/the_history_of_heavy   @historyofheavy 

We know why Black Sabbath and Deep Purple and the MC5 are heavy but how does Janis Joplin fit into our chronology? Dave explains during our latest conversation.    Recommended Listening, Watching & Reading   HHP Spotify Playlist  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qkURdYib8hLz8s20D9yTC?si=1526168526854a62   HHP on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@the.history.of.hea?_t=ZP-8z7me40bcbu&_r=1   Instagram https://instagram.com/the_history_of_heavy   @historyofheavy 

Coming mere months after the release of their debut LP, Black Sabbath changed the future of music for the second time in less than a year with the release of their sophomore release, Paranoid in September of 1970. Our conversation covers all of its greatness and somehow we also somehow touch  on Hip Hop, Billy Joel, and The Grateful Dead.  #BlackSabbath #Paranoid   Recommended Listening, Watching & Reading The Dickies "Paranoid" https://open.spotify.com/track/0ttUuij1GDXSmyKV6PVLDz?si=0426224fc7e0451d   Inspiral Carpets "Paranoid" https://open.spotify.com/track/65d1QLKQE1RZ14PFT4WeER?si=61963b3c6e2c4639   The Cardigans "Iron Man" https://open.spotify.com/track/2cpJAVteVpeXFCiOgjcx7m?si=0227ad2371ff4d3f   HHP Spotify Playlist  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qkURdYib8hLz8s20D9yTC?si=1526168526854a62   HHP on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@the.history.of.hea?_t=ZP-8z7me40bcbu&_r=1   Instagram https://instagram.com/the_history_of_heavy   @historyofheavy 

The album that started it all.  #metal #doom #sabbath #ozzy #iommi #geezer #billward #historyofheavy   Recommended Listening, Watching & Reading Live in Paris 1970 https://www.invisibleoranges.com/black-sabbath-live-in-paris-1970-dvd/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPJXuTK8j5k   HHP Spotify Playlist  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qkURdYib8hLz8s20D9yTC?si=1526168526854a62   HHP on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@the.history.of.hea?_t=ZP-8z7me40bcbu&_r=1   Instagram https://instagram.com/the_history_of_heavy   @historyofheavy 

One third of the British Unholy Trinity of hard rock that also includes Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, Deep Purple started establishing themselves as a heavy force to be reckoned with in 1970 with the release of their fourth album, In Rock. The album introduced Ian Gillan as the band's singer and his value to their sound is immediately obvious on this banger of a track 2, an under appreciated song that is among the bands most badass.        HHP Spotify Playlist  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qkURdYib8hLz8s20D9yTC?si=1526168526854a62   Instagram https://instagram.com/the_history_of_heavy   @historyofheavy 

In April 1979 Ozzy Osbourne was fired from Black Sabbath for behavior so disruptive to the group that even his notoriously hard partying bandmates could no longer deal with him. Upon his dismissal, the rock world had assumed that they had heard the last of the then 32 year old singer but less than a year a half later he would release his soon to be classic debut solo LP that featured a young musical prodigy named Randy Rhodes on guitar. A second solo record would follow a year later and his legacy as a solo artist and heavy metal icon would be cemented, arguably eclipsing even what he had accomplished with the mighty Sabbath.    HHP Spotify Playlist  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qkURdYib8hLz8s20D9yTC?si=1526168526854a62   Instagram https://instagram.com/the_history_of_heavy   @historyofheavy 

Mike and Dave reminisce about the impact that Ozzy had on their lives and pay respect to his one of a kind greatness. Rest in Peace John Michael Osbourne.   Recommended Listening, Watching & Reading   The Best of Black Sabbath Playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5ryh2ySiuiaCm5KuLlcuxL?si=00f9d9c618644c91   Sabbath Covers Playlist  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4SUoDnhqhG9QtE815aAxCk?si=da863e05ebf74b2f   Spotify Playlist  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qkURdYib8hLz8s20D9yTC?si=1526168526854a62   Instagram https://instagram.com/the_history_of_heavy   @historyofheavy