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  • Out Today: Three Absolutely Epic Releases…


    SUPLECS: HYMS UNDER A BLOOD MOON SKY

    It’s been 15 years since the last Suplecs album, and I definitely didn’t expect to hear another one.  Far from being old and washed up, Suplecs have returned with a ferocity.  I preordered this back in December, based on this track they had released.  Suplecs have written some stoner-rock-hall-of-fame caliber songs over the years, and this is as good as any of them.
    I’m just giving the rest of the tracks a first listen, but this one is another early favorite:

    New Orleans’ Suplecs are:

    Danny Nick: Bass, Vocals
    Andrew Preen: Drums
    Durel Yates: Guitar, Vocals






    BELZEBONG: THE END IS HIGH

    Polish stoner metal/doom gods Belzebong are back with another face-melting, brain-dissolving, volume to eleven, must-have album.  Another album I pre-ordered (back in November) due to a pre-released track I thought to be as good as any of my previous favorites.
    Hear for yourself:
    Again, the rest of this was just released today, but here’s the closing track, making a crushing entrance:

    Belzebong are:
    Sheepy Dude: Bass
    Alky Dude: Guitar
    Cheesy Dude: Guitar
    Hexy Dude: Drums






    L’Ira Del Baccano: The Praise Of Folly

    Italy’s L’Ira Del Baccano are such masterful musicians and songwriters that I pre-ordered this one without any pre-released tracks available.  Based on my previous three purchases, I was confident not only that I’d like this album, but that it would be a strong contender for my top ten of the year.  One listen in, I know I was right.  If you’ve checked out my previous posts about this band, you already know, but if not, make sure you’ve got your good speakers and sit back for this:

    L’Ira Del Baccano are:
    Alessandro “Drughito” Santori – guitar
    Roberto Malerba – guitar/synth
    Sandro “fred” Salvi – drums
    Ivan Contini Bacchisio – bass


    There’s a whole lot of great stoner rock looming on the 2026 horizon, so keep checking back; it will be worth your while!

  • From Nipple Tape to OnlyFans: The Long, Complicated History of Women and Nudity in Rock

    From Lee Aaron’s label-orchestrated pinup shoot to Maria Brink reclaiming the word “whore” on her own terms, the history of women baring their bodies in rock is never just about skin. It’s always been about who holds the power — and who gets to keep the image. Read Now

  • Playgirl, Socks, and Protest: The True Stories Behind Rock’s Most Famous Nude Moments

    From Playgirl centerfolds to Lollapalooza stages, hard rock and metal musicians have a long and surprisingly varied history of shedding their clothes in public. But the stories behind those moments are rarely as simple as they look. We dig into eight artists — including Peter Steele, Bret Michaels, Flea, and Rage Against the Machine — examining who chose it, who was pushed into it, who regrets it, and what it all actually meant for their careers. Read Now

  • Leaked, Stolen, and Sold: The Sex Tape Scandal History of Rock’s Biggest Names

    From stolen honeymoon tapes to leaked hard drives, rock history is littered with private footage that became public without consent. This is the story of six rock stars whose most intimate moments were taken from them—and why calling it “rock excess” misses the point entirely. Read Now

  • Chopped Up’s DEBUT delivers a good ole ass kicking!

    Chopped Up – Chopped The Fuck Up

    Chopped Up come out of the gate swinging. If you like horror movie intros/outros, old school death and blood-spattered grindcore, you’ll dig deep into these dudes. Chopped The Fuck Up, is a really fun and gorey ride. I love the pace of the four track EP. It’s never self-indulgent or overly technical. Tracks all come in under 3:00 minutes which makes this one a great relisten. I’m a big fan of the combo pig squeals(used just the right amount) and the gag reflex triggering, gutteral vocals. My favorite track off this EP is Meat The Cleaver, which begins with a spasdic Ratamahatta-Max Cavalera style scat. I really respect the band’s take on the genre. This is one you can throw on and rock out to. No pretense and it doesn’t leave you feeling queasy. 

    ****And before anyone says, “but you didn’t make mention of the band members who are well known Pro Wrestling veterans who’ve toured the world spilling their opponents (and their own) blood on mats around the world“. Yes Shlak(CZW, etc) and Dirty Daddy(ROH/NJPW) are prominent members of this band (and several others over the years). I give this a Dave “what’s his face” FIVE STARS. Happy? Now throw this on and frogsplash ya mother.

  • Heavy Metal Textbooks 2026-02-19 04:27:00

      



     STUFF I MISSED FROM 2025
    (Part 3)

    Here’s another album from 2025 that should have been high in my rankings:

    OTU: YOU’LL GET THROUGH THIS

    Now here’s one that I didn’t really miss;  I bought it back in May, but didn’t really recognize how great it is until the new year.  I liked it, but for whatever reason didn’t play it much.  Recently I decided to revisit it, and realized what an absolute guitar legend Otu is on this album.  All twelve tunes have their own distinct feel, but each of them is sneakily completely bad-ass.  Here are two that might help get your attention, but all of them are worth your while if you like your music heavy.

    Otu is a musical phenom, singlehandedly writing, playing and producing everything he puts out.  Perhaps you’ve seen some of his “If _________ Wrote ________” tunes on YouTube;  they are phenomenal.  To say that he nails every artist he attempts to sound like is an understatement, and now I am just starting to appreciate his own original songwriting.


    Check out Otu on YouTube and on Bandcamp




  • Heavy Metal Textbooks 2026-02-17 03:59:00

     



     STUFF I MISSED FROM 2025
    (Part 2)

    Here’s another album from 2025 that probably deserved top ten status:

    SEEDY JEEZUS:  DAMNED TO THE DEPTHS

    This is another one I learned about by perusing The Obelisk’s top albums lists.  I’ve become such a Tony Reed fan and was a bit embarrassed that I had not heard of this project, but so grateful to have found it now.  This is an Australian band which had worked with Tony before, and he has now become an official member of the band. I frequently think of Pink Floyd when listening to this album, and I think it’s because of the clarity of the sound and the quality of the songwriting.  Here are two of my favorites; see what you think:


    The whole album is great, and rates a ten out of ten in my book.

    Seedy Jeezus are:

    Mark Sibson: Drums, Percussion
    Paul Crick: Bass, Mellotron, Synth
    Lex Waterreus: Guitar, Vocals, Synth
    Tony Reed: Guitar, Synth, Mixing, Production




  • A Way out (Unifaun, 2008)

    Same old question: should we like bands like Unifaun that explicitly revive classic prog bands’ style? Well, the answer is simple to me: yes, if they know how to write good songs and to play them. This is the case with Swedish duo Unifaun, whose only album to date include some very good and very Genesis oriented songs. This Swedish duo includes singer and multi-instrumentalist Nad Sylvan of Steve Hackett live band fame and keyboardist Christian Thordin, AKA Bonamici. 


    Above: the dark original 2008 cover art. Below: the Genesis-oriented 2023 reissue painting.

    Their self-titled album features many musical solutions related to the ex Charterhouse pupils, but with a distinctive nordic and slightly folk taste I appreciate. The track I choose here is a prog ballad full of dreamy passages and based on really good melodies. The overall effect is mostly similar to Genesis’ “Selling England by The Pound” era. Is this a good reason to despise such a song? I don’t think so, but let me know your opinions.

  • In Concert: Glenn Hughes with Sophie Lloyd

    by Emma Jenkins– Guest Journalist — Rock City in Nottingham, England – October 24, 2025 Sophie Lloyd opened her set with the unmistakable “Top Gun” theme, setting the tone for an evening driven by high‑octane […]

  • Finding Strength in Sound: A Year of Discovery and Recovery

    I started 2025 with several rounds of radiation therapy. I was still going through my colorectal cancer treatment, and the current phase was radiation. Every day, I had a long commute to get to the facility – and equipment – that my medical team oversaw. These appointments came right on the heels of chemotherapy I’d finished earlier, so my body was quite exhausted already. It was becoming harder to find the will to get out of the house and make it to the hospital. Naturally, I started relying on what usually helps me: music.

    Around this time, news of John Sykes’ passing hit the headlines. He’d passed away earlier, but the public was only just hearing about it. I’d heard his name many times before, but I had to admit, I didn’t really know much about him. There’s only so much music one person can discover! But I decided to right that wrong and start somewhere. I chose to begin with Thin Lizzy’s Thunder and Lightning.

    This album then became the soundtrack to those radiation appointments. I listened to it every day for weeks, and I truly loved the music. I realized then that I didn’t even know Phil Lynott and Thin Lizzy all that well. I knew the “hits,” so to speak, but I wasn’t familiar with their full albums. It took me by surprise how much I loved this record; it had a heavy, gritty sound that I really dug.

    I recognized the song Cold Sweat since Megadeth had already covered it on Super Collider, but I was hearing the original for the first time. It’s definitely the highlight of the album! But This is the One, Heart Attack, and the title track are also incredible songs. Overall, this is a killer record, and it shaped the early part of this year for me.

    One interesting thing I noticed is that some hardcore Thin Lizzy fans are divided on this record. Apparently, some feel that John Sykes made their sound too heavy and that the band lost its bluesy edge. I can’t speak to that since I haven’t checked out their entire discography yet. I may also be dealing with some recency bias. Nevertheless, I think Thunder and Lightning is incredible. There’s no way Sykes made their sound “worse.” His only songwriting credit is on “Cold Sweat” anyway, but he undeniably brought a new approach to the guitar work. He was young, full of energy, and bursting with creativity, and he gave all of that to Thin Lizzy. Combine that with Phil Lynott’s genius and you get an excellent album.

    It’s a shame that it ended up being the band’s final statement. Given what we know about how Sykes was treated in Whitesnake, I can’t help but imagine an alternate universe where he and Lynott kept collaborating throughout the ‘80s. Alas, that was not to be. I hope that wherever these two talented individuals are now, they are jamming and coming up with new tunes together.

    Right around the time my radiation treatment was ending, Dream Theater released their highly anticipated album, Parasomnia. The hype was off the charts because it was their first studio album with Mike Portnoy in 16 years! Unlike Thin Lizzy, I know Dream Theater inside and out; I’ve been a fan for a long time. Of course I was going to check this album out! I listened to it a lot during commutes to the hospital for follow-ups, as well as at home when I needed to rest and recover.

    Parasomnia is another solid album from the band. In my opinion, there isn’t anything too groundbreaking here as they played it quite safe, but if you already love their sound and missed Portnoy’s drumming and songwriting, you’ll find plenty to like. My overall feeling is that the band was so excited to be back together and writing again that they weren’t really concerned with reinventing the wheel.

    It’s a concept album that deals with sleep disorders and the various ailments that go along with them. From what I can tell, it’s more of a thematic collection than a linear narrative like Scenes From A Memory. While each song follows the parasomnia theme, they function as standalone tales that don’t necessarily connect into one singular story.

    My favorite track is Bend the Clock. If you want an introduction to the current Dream Theater sound, I would start there. The band promoted Midnight Messiah and Night Terror as singles, so you can dive into those next. While this album didn’t necessarily amaze me, I can understand why. When musicians who know each other this well reunite, muscle memory is bound to kick in. For the next record, however, I have a feeling they will want to head into uncharted territory once again. I can’t wait for that!

    Dream Theater

    Later in the year, I was quite shocked by Ozzy Osbourne’s passing. Everybody knew he had been having health problems, and he had recently organized a farewell event, but no one expected to lose him so soon after that show. My knowledge of Ozzy’s material was mostly from his Black Sabbath days. I knew, of course, some of the biggest hits from his solo career, but I’d be lying if I said I knew the deep cuts. Just like with John Sykes, I was determined to right the wrong and dedicate some time to Ozzy’s career to pay my respects to a legend.

    I started with Bark at the Moon, and this album defined a big chunk of August and September for me. Everything on this record sounded so good that I just kept coming back to it. I still can’t believe how underrated Jake E. Lee is. Together with Bob Daisley, he contributed to the fruitful songwriting of some of Ozzy’s best material, even though he wasn’t officially credited on this album! The title track already has legendary status, deservedly so, but seriously, pick any song.

    I read online that some fans didn’t like the keyboards on this record but I have no idea what the problem is. Yes, it’s featured quite prominently on some tracks, but keyboards in rock music are nothing new. If it fits the song, which on this album it does, it can be a great instrument to add some depth.

    Even though I love every track here, I will say Bark at the Moon, Now You See It, Rock ‘n’ Roll Rebel, and Waiting for Darkness are the highlights. Waiting for Darkness, in particular, is so good I don’t understand how it’s not a staple on every Ozzy playlist.

    After discovering the entire record, I jumped into The Ultimate Sin, another record featuring Jake E. Lee. I love this one too! Jake brought a certain magic to the band; I really wish he could have stayed longer. These days, I’m doing my due diligence and spending time with Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman. I’ve always known of Ozzy and his work with Sabbath, but now I’m finally enjoying the deep cuts of his solo career.

    He certainly was an interesting person who lived through massive triumphs as well as deep struggles. Yet, he somehow stuck around and stayed relevant. What a legend! People are complicated, I know, but I want to end this on a positive note: Ozzy did so much for heavy metal over the decades. That, alone, is worthy of respect and I’ll miss him.

    Ozzy on stage with Jake E. Lee (Image credit: Richard E. Aaron/Redferns)

    Looking back, 2025 was a year defined by endurance—both in my health and in the music that carried me through it. From the radiation facility commutes with Thin Lizzy to the recovery days spent with Dream Theater and Ozzy, these albums provided more than just a distraction; they gave me a sense of discovery when I needed it most. Whether it’s the “muscle memory” of an old favorite or the “righting a wrong” of a missed classic, I’m just grateful to still be here, still listening, and still digging for those deep cuts.

    The post Finding Strength in Sound: A Year of Discovery and Recovery appeared first on Mega-Depth.