What happens when your hosts become a little sleep deprived after going to a couple of shows in the days before recording? Episode 81. While Nick and Brian were running on fumes and a little punchy before turing on the mics, they pull it together as best they can so they can share said show experiences, collectively having seen Parkway Drive, Sevendust, Coal Chamber, and more. They also get through four new releases, and share the new Scale the Summit single.
Reviews: Anciients – Heart of Oak (Season of Mist); Ghost BC – Infestissumam (Universal Republic); Pyrithion – The Burden of Sorrow EP (Metal Blade); Stone Sour – The House of Gold and Bones: Part 2 (Roadrunner)
Preview: Scale the Summit – “Odyssey” (Prosthetic)
Anciients – Heart Of Oak
Stone Sour – House Of Gold & Bones: 2
Ghost B.C. – Infestissumam
Pyrithion – The Burden Of Sorrow
Scale The Summit – “Odessey”
The Sideshow Podcast 
Since you asked to hear from someone who likes Ghost, here you go. Their first album, Opus Eponymous, was quite good. The songs are catchy, especially the three songs in a row of Ritual, Elizabeth, and Stand by Him. Opus Eponymous has a unique feel, created by the satanic lyrics but with a mellow tempo and “light” vocals. There are just enough guitars and throwback sound on Opus Eponymous to appeal to old school metal fans who like Mercyful Fate and Black Sabbath and also fans of retro metal bands like In Solitude. In short, I think that Ghost’s popularity is due to a wide appeal and the out of nowhere surprise factor (similar to Kvelertak). Having said all that, everything you guys said about their new album Infestissumam is absolutely true. It is boring, it drags on a bit too long, and the overall feel is too light (meaning it’s not heavy enough). I probably wouldn’t care that the album wasn’t heavy enough if the songs were decent, but none of them are catchy. There are a couple of songs on it that might yet grow on me, but I’m not even sure how much more I want to listen to it to give it a chance. If you still haven’t listened to their first album Opus Eponymous, I’d recommend giving it a chance. But as for Infestissumam, I have a feeling that I will be revisiting it when it comes time to name the most disappointing album of 2013.
So now this year you’ve reviewed Stone Sour, Audrey Horne, Coheed & Cambria, Sevendust, and probably some other hard rock / borderline metal albums that I can’t think of, but no Clutch? Earth Rocker is a pretty good album that is worth your time checking out. It’s not some groundbreaking masterpiece, but it is solid and something that falls into that “almost metal” category that those other aforementioned bands fall into. If you are waiting for Kyle to suggest reviewing Earth Rocker, you might be waiting a while.
Speaking of which, I have a new addition to the drinking game: drink every time some says “I wish Kyle was here to tell us what he thinks of this album.”
I didn’t know that Lacuna Coil didn’t have a bass player. And Nick, are you saying that Andrea Ferro is the worst singer in metal? I mean, he does sing with an Italian accent (the lyric “seconds, minutes, and hours spill over” becomes “secoinds, meenits and hours speel oveh”) but beyond that he’s not that bad.
Only one song this week? It would have been cool to hear some Anciients and one of the Pyrithian songs I haven’t heard, but I know there are reasons why you can or can’t play the music on the podcast. I’ll just have to seek it out myself.
And lastly, when are you going to announce the winner of the Killswitch contest? Didn’t that end 2 weeks ago?