Shows / Radical Research Podcast
Radical Research Podcast
Join hosts Jeff Wagner and Hunter Ginn in a bi-weekly conversation about the inner- and outer-reaches of left-field rock and metal music.
Episodes
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 152 – Todtgelichter’s ‘Angst’: The Fear of Being Forgotten
On their 2010 album, 'Angst,' German band Todtgelichter presented a song called "Oblivion," including the lyric "Dead night comes near, this is the fear of…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 151.5 – Permeable Lines, Part 3: Voivod & Dodheimsgard
Our third in the Permeable Lines series takes a query from a Radical Research listener regarding Voivod's "Rise" and Dodheimsgard's "The Snuff Dreams Are Made…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 151 – From the Lawless Firm of Mendonça & Gray: AKERCOCKE 2005-2017
Much like their hometown of London, England, Akercocke at once embody urbanity and the bucolic, depravity and erudition -- constantly blurring the lines…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 150, pt. 2 – Anathema 2001-2017: Your Dream World is a Very Scary Place
We conclude our 2-part, 4-hour deep dive into one of our favorite bands in the universe, the mighty Anathema. This second part looks at their 2001-2017 phase…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 150, pt. 1 – Anathema 1990-1999: Splitting Mountains Wide
Liverpool, England’s Anathema are one of the bedrocks of the Radical Research musical adventure. It’s why we’ve chosen to commemorate our 150th episode with a…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 149 – Those Nasty Talkers: A Collaboration with Hair Metal Memories Podcast on TNT’s ‘Tell No Tales’
It's back to Norway for Radical Research, although this time, it's not about weirdness, unless you consider us covering an album like this a little weird. But…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 148 – CATHEDRAL 1990-1994: Lord, Release the Dragons…
What exactly constitutes "Radical Research material?" We're gonna test that question with this and the next episode. With episode 148, we answer with more…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 147 – Crack the Code: Kevin Moore’s Genius
The scope of Kevin Moore’s genius begins with Dream Theater’s “Space-Dye Vest” and concludes with OSI’s Fire Make Thunder. We try to use the g-word sparingly…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 146 – Radical Metallurgy Challenge: The Chameleons’ Script of the Bridge
Our friends Marty and Alan at the Heavy Metallurgy podcast challenged us to a duel, and we fire back. The idea was simple: Offer five different albums, any…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 145 – Pan-Thy-Monium First, Family Second
Herein, you will find our tribute to Pan-Thy-Monium. Briefly covered in episode 2, we finally give this very special entity its due. We dive deep into the…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 144 – King Crimson, Five Larks’ Tongues, Aspic, and a Thrush Deceived
As noted early in this episode: we’ve always wanted to do an episode focusing on King Crimson, but couldn’t figure out the right approach. Until this idea…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 143 – Comecon 1992-1995: Frogs, Worms, Anacondas
No other band with roots in Swedish death metal did it like Comecon. Not even close. We find a few similarities to Carbonized, but generally, this band is…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 142 – US Prog Rock in the 1970s: Five of a Perfect Quartet
We all know the big names of prog rock -- they're mentioned numerous time in this episode -- and we all know the music of many other names from all over the…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 141 – Watchtower Discography in 10 Tasty Snips
This band is a major cog in the engine that powers us. We’ve said that about Voivod, King Crimson, and Arcturus, and will add Watchtower as a major ingredient…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 140 – Wormholes! ARCTURUS 1991-2015
It has taken light years of travel, but we’ve finally reached Arcturus. For our 140th episode, Radical Research dives into the catalog of one of Norway’s…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 139 – Realm? The Milwaukee Realm? Yes, THAT Realm (1985-1992)
When we first announced this episode several weeks back, we received several queries from listeners all around the globe who phrased their questions similarly…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 138.5 – Hunter Gets 12 Minutes to State His Case for Chum
This short episode is one that Jeff has been promising Hunter we’d get to eventually…and we finally did. Herein, Hunter is granted 12 minutes to make a case…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 138 – Monumentum’s ‘In Absentia Christi’: A Radical Research Christmas (Sworn Enemy of the Virgin)
“And she became a completely different woman…” With that line, Italy’s Monumentum sums up the Radical Research Christmas spirit circa 2025. Supernatural hokum…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 137 – Brand X, 1976-1980: Inhuman Fusion Conclusions
Led by the estimable Percy Jones on bass and supported by a cast of elite co-conspirators, England's Brand X released a covey of essential fusion albums in the…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 136 – Dark Millennium 1992/93: The Freaks Have Spoken, We Have Listened!
For years (yes, we've been doing this a while now), various Radical Research listeners around the globe have asked us, "When is the Dark Millennium episode…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 135 – Course Corrections…
Listener and friend Paul Stolp prompted this conversation/episode, mentioning how he thought a “course correction” episode would be fun. What is a course…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 100 [RELAUNCH] – VOIVOD is the Engine That Powers Us
2023 marks the 40th anniversary of Voivod, a band that are at the very heart of everything we do at Radical Research and everything we listen to as…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 134 – We Stand With Ukraine: Drudkh’s Microcosmos & Handful of Stars
Although Ukraine’s Drudkh may be best known for its trance-inducing, minimalist black metal, Radical Research makes a case for the band’s divisive 2009 and…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 133.5 – Gorguts, “Nostalgia”…and Pearl Jam?
Jeff got this text from Hunter a couple months ago: "Gorguts 'Nostalgia' is a fascinating piece of music. A slice of late '90s avant-death that refers to Pearl…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 133 — Depth of Memories: The 3rd and the Mortal 1994-2002
If this conversation seems easy, it's because we are back in the cold waters of our favorite nation. Herein, we dig into the good deeds of Norway's often…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 132 — And Now, You Die! Type O Negative’s ‘Slow, Deep and Hard’
If Radical Research exists to dissect the most esoteric and weird and unique recordings in the spheres of rock and metal, then we are sorely overdue to feature…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 131 – A Eulogy for Tom Hailey
This was an unplanned conversation about an unplanned, unexpected, shocking event in our lives. It’s just Hunter and I talking about a dear friend that…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 130 – Obscure Mindways: Obliveon 1989-1993
When God decides to record his first metal album, he will be disappointed to remember that Obliveon already recorded its masterpiece, Nemesis, in the Year of…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 129.5 – Drilling Down on Gaahls Wyrd’s “Flowing Starlight”
Norwegian vocalist Gaahl is a man who we deeply admire...his work with Gorgoroth and Trelldom, in particular, has a special place in the blackest ventricles of…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 129 – Mat Kvohst McNerney (Dodheimsgard, Hexvessel, Beastmilk, Grave Pleasures, Code)
Restless creative spirit Mat Kvohst McNerney has been roaming esoteric realms since the mid '90s, giving voice to a wide variety of bands, be it the…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 128 – What Doesn’t Kill GRINDCRUSHER Makes GRINDCRUSHER Stronger.
Inspired by Jeff's soot-damaged, waterlogged, promo-punched copy of his treasured US CD version of this 24-song behemoth, we take an hour and 40 minutes to…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 127 – Genesis ‘And Then There Were Three’ is Total Prog!!
We're incorrigible Genesis fans. We hail every bit of output from 1970 to 1978. We even go further than that. But here, for episode 127, we stop and lovingly…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 126 – None More North! Thule 1985-2005 (with Agalloch’s John Haughm)
For our 126th episode, Radical Research travels to the farthest reaches of our favorite country and we do so with a rare companion, Agalloch lynchpin, John…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 125 – Do You Think We’re Forever? Anathema’s ‘Eternity’
Radical Research has risen! For our first episode following the tragic event of Jeff's house fire and the loss of members of his beautiful feline family, we…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 124 – FLOPTAGON: Bathory’s ‘Octagon’
What started as a joke ("send us a $10,000 donation and we'll do an episode on Bathory's disasterpiece flop, 'Octagon'!") Well, we wondered what that kind of…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 123.5 – Autopsy’s ‘Fiend for Blood’: An EP in the Process of Dying
As Hunter so aptly calls it early in this short episode: “Fiend for Blood is an EP that is in the process of dying.” After the classic Mental Funeral of 1991…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 123 – Vauxdvihl 1994-2001: Exhumation Party
Australia’s Vauxdvihl (or, for a short time, Vaudeville) came quickly, evolved swiftly, and left behind a beautiful corpus of 19 documented songs. We have…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 122.5 — A Challenge from S. Craig Zahler to Hunter Ginn, re: Sarcofago “Nightmare”
Jeff: “Was talking with my friend S. Craig Zahler a few days ago, and we were discussing Sarcofago’s 1987 debut, I.N.R.I. Zahler noted that there are some…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 122 — Intrigue CD 4: The Fourth Time We Opened the Capsule
This episode brings to a close our periodic investigations of the Steven Wilson-curated 'Intrigue' compilation. Covering progressive sounds in UK…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 121.5 – Previous Episode Updates (Hail Spirit Noir, Hammers of Misfortune, Manes, Diskord, Xysma, Kayo Dot)
In this .5 episode (the longest point-5 we’ve done to date), we offer up 6 subjects of previous Radical Research episodes and take a look at their activities…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 121 – The CORONER Episode!!!
Switzerland’s deadliest export, Coroner, which sliced and sawed its way through the metal landscape of the ‘80s and early ‘90s, has finally found its way under…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 120.5 – Jeff Scott Soto and Queen’s “The Prophet’s Song”
A quick look at Queen’s “The Prophet’s Song,” its a cappella middle section, and the treatment it was given by one Jeff Scott Soto in various live…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 120 – DBC’s ‘Universe’: Black Hole Spelunking
Is there an album more representative of this podcast's main focus? Not outside of Norway, there isn’t. Montréal’s DBC (Dead Brain Cells) released ‘Universe’…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 119.5 – Death, DiGiorgio, and the Bass on ‘Human’
This is a “careful for what you wish for” kind of thing. For years and years, we hoped that we could hear the mighty Steve DiGiorgio’s bass work with more…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 119 – The Fu*king Champs 1994-2007: Hot-Ass Majesty
Operating outside of the metal infrastructure, but heralding its glory and complexity more so than most “true” metal bands, The Fucking Champs, in their…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 118.5 – Better Slit Than Never: Cryptopsy’s ‘None So Vile’ 28 Years Later
Sometimes it takes a while to come around to an album. In our case, it took 28 years with Cryptopsy’s second album, None So Vile. Better late than never. We…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 118 – There’s Only One Good Song On These Albums! One-Song Metal Albums
The one-long-song album is a rare event in the metal genre, and a tough assignment to tackle and get right. We hold up these five albums as the finest examples…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 117.5 – Ginn Loves Gadd
Our man Ginn loves him some Gadd! In this brief episode, we extract three of Hunter’s favorite moments by his favorite drummer on the planet, Steve Gadd. It…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 117 – Steven Wilson’s Intrigue Compilation, Dissection Part 3
Pull up a chair and get your ears out! We get giddy when we’re together in the same space, which we were for this episode. You’ll hopefully forgive our…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 116.5 – King Crimson’s Schizoid Man and the Metal in the Hot Middle
In this brief episode, we spotlight the two metal bands brave enough to tackle the middle part of King Crimson's innovative and highly influential 1969…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 116 — What is Psychedelic Music? The Radical Research Answer to a Vexing Question
When it comes to a difficult-to-define concept like psychedelia in music, it's subjective. It’s not all hippies with sitars and lava lamps and bongs…but that’s…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 115.5 – Permeable Lines, Part 2
Our second in the Permeable Lines series, and our first point-5 episode since 83.5 nearly two years ago! That enough numbers for you? Join us for a brief…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 115 – Hexx Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself
We celebrate musicians and bands that rapidly evolve and challenge their audience with newness each endeavor. But the abrupt left-turn San Francisco metal band…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 114 – Mourning Sign 1992-1996: Triangulation
Radical Research can’t stay away from Scandinavia for more than a brief spell. To that end, your hosts find themselves in Sweden, digging through the short but…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 113 – Thief’s ‘Bleed, Memory’: What Was Your Original Face Before You Were Born?
For our 113th episode, we dispense with the usual exhalations of the past in favor of the thrills of the tense present-future. Thief, the Los Angeles-based…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 112 – We Mean You Harm: Hail Spirit Noir 2012-2021
For its 112th episode, Radical Research travels to balmy Greece to investigate the cryptic evildoing of Hail Spirit Noir, whose hellbroth of black metal, prog…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 111 – Immortal’s Blizzard Beasts: Convoking Nebular Dimensions
For episode 111, Radical Research returns to its spiritual homeland of Norway. But on this trip, RR steers clear of the usual avant suspects and instead climbs…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 110 – Steven Wilson’s Intrigue Compilation, Dissection Part 2
We continue our wander through the 4CD Intrigue compilation. This installment features 15 UK bands, several which we’d never heard of before (Art Nouveau, New…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 109 – Sigh’s Weirdest! Let the Strangeness Do the Talking
Sigh is unquestionably one of the weirdest bands in the metal realm. And since Radical Research skews weird, and since we are both fans of Sigh since the mid…
Radical Research PodcastEpisode 108 – Non-Classic-Logo-Era Napalm Death, 1994-1998
The body of critical study - and fan adoration - around the music of Napalm Death has concerned itself principally with the band's pioneering grindcore and its…