Ben and John bring an end to the podcast after 2+ years, 115 episodes, and over 150 hours of content. In this final episode, Ben and John give their final reflections on the show and detail a new podcast, Five Perfect Songs, which they will launch in the coming months. Keep an eye on the show's social media for more info. Thank you to all who have …

Ben and John continue their discussion of Mondo Drag's third album, 2016's The Occultation of Light. Blending psych, prog, and heavy rock to create a timeless sound, The Occultation of Light serves as a landmark of 2010s underground heavy music. Our prior discussion of the album's context and the key moments from its first track is available in our…

Ben and John return from hiatus to discuss Mondo Drag's third studio album: 2016's The Occultation of Light. Blending prog, Kraut rock, psych and proto metal into a synth and slide guitar heavy sound all its own, Occultation cemented Mondo Drag's place as a leader in the world of underground heavy rock. In Part 1 of their discussion, Ben and John a…

Ben and John complete their discussion of Blind Dog's debut album, The Last Adventures of Captain Dog, and their interview with all three members of the band: Thomas Elenvik, Joakim Thell, and Tobias Nilsson. Part one of the interview, available here, focused on the history of the band, the recording of Last Adventures, and key moments of the first…

John and Ben sit down with all three members of the pioneering Swedish stoner rock band, Blind Dog, to discuss their 1999 debut album, The Last Adventures of Captain Dog. Comprised of guitarist Joakim Thell, drummer Thomas Elenvik, and bassist/vocalist Tobias Nilsson, Blind Dog began making riff-heavy underground rock well before bands like Kyuss, …

John and Ben continue their discussion of Blind Dog's debut stoner classic, The Last Adventures of Captain Dog. An underappreciated gem from the late 90s and early aughts foundational generation of heavy rock, the band pulls incluences from the desert and the swamps of New Orleans while staying clear of the genre's cliches by putting focus on songw…

Ben and John begin their discussion of Blind Dog's debut album, The Last Adventures of Captain Dog. Originally self-released in 1999, the album would see a number of pressings in subsequent years on the Meteor City and People Like You labels amongst others. Though the band hailed from Sweden, they played a version of stoner rock not out of place al…

Ben and John wrap up their interview of L'ira Del Baccano's Alessandro Santori and their coverage of the band's 2014 psych/stoner/prog opus, Terra 42. In this section of the interview, Santori reacts to the album's key moments providing insight on the band's writing and recording process as well as their sonic signatures. The first half of the inte…

Ben and John contrinue their discussion of L'ira Del Baccano's 2014 heavy, progressive masterpiece, Terra 42, by sitting down with the band's guitarist and riff-master, Alessandro "Drughito" Santori. In this first part of the interview, Santori discusses the band's history, dating back to the mid-90s, recording the Loosin 'O' Frequencies EP with th…

John and Ben continue their discussion of L'ira Del Baccano's 2014 debut studio full length, Terra 42. Picking up where they left off at the end of Part 1 (available here or on your favorite podcast platform), they continue their discussion of the album's key moments, analyzing audio clips from the album's heavy, progressive spacerock and drawing a…

Ben and John kick off February by starting their discussion of L'ira Del Baccano's 2014 debut studio album, Terra 42. Heavy, progressive, psychedelic, and immersive, Terra 42 takes the listener on an intense journey through three instrumental songs over the course of an hour. It's an ambitious first effort from the Italian band whose roots trace ba…

Ben and John continue their interview with all three original members of the pioneering slowcore band Codeine, Chris Brokaw, Stephen Immerwahr, and John Engle. Part 2 of the interview is an in depth discussion of the songs on Codeine's debut album, Frigid Stars. Part 1 of Ben and John's interview with Codeine, released on January 18, 2022, can be h…

Ben and John continue their coverage of Codeine's 1990 album, Frigid Stars by interviewing original band members Chris Brokaw (Drums, Guitar), John Engle (Guitar), and Stephen Immerwahr (Bass, Vocals). In this first part of the interview, the trio discuss their early days in New York City, the influence of Bitch Magnet's Sooyoung Park on their form…

Ben and John continue their discussion of Codeine's 1990 debut album, Frigid Stars, by discussing the album's Key Moments and broad influence on indie rock and slowcore. This episode is a continuatuon of the discussion started in our January 4, 2022 episode, Codeine - Frigid Stars (Part 1) which can be found here or on your favorite podcast platfor…

Ben and John kick off 2022 by beginning their discussion of Codeine's 1990 debut album, Frigid Stars. Originally released on Glitterhouse Records in 1990, the album would come to be regarded as a landmark in the slowcore genre. This episode discusses the album's history and impact and begins our in depth discussion of the record's Key Moments. Stay…

Ben and John return from hiatus to celebrate The Greatest Thing You've Never Heard's 100th episode and they've brought along a bevy of special guests and contributors. The 100th episode consists of three sections woven together through the course of the episode (don't worry there's a table of contents below). Ben and John recount their Top 20 album…

Ben and John close out the year with the show's 99th episode by talking to Atavismo drummer Sandri Pow (also Hibrido, Mondo Infiel, ex-Mind!, etc.) about the band's 2017 sophomore album Inerte and its place in the Spain's burgeoning heavy psychedelic scene. Pow also discusses feeling the pain that music brings, the influence of flamenco, and the im…

In this episode, Ben and John delve deep into Spain's fertile psychedelic scene by exploring Andalusian band Atavismo and their sophomore outing, 2017's Inerte. Featuring members of Viaje a 800 and Mind!, Atavismo incorporate traditional Spanish and North African elements into heavy psych and prog to create a unique and diverse sound. The Greatest …

Ben and John interview west coast stoner rock band Snail about their 2009 sophomore and comeback album, Blood, and the 15+ years between the album and its self-titled predecessor. Along the way, the band recount the stories and experiences, including playing with Sleep and befriending Fu Manchu, that influenced their sound and style. The Greatest T…

Ben and John sit down with Solace founder and guitarist, Tommy Southard, to discuss the band's 2003 sophomore outing, the (literally and figuratively) doomed 13 (previously featured on the show, here). With over four decades in heavy rock, Southard's played in genre defining bands in both hardcore and doom metal in addition to touring with the like…

On this episode of The Greatest Thing You've Never Heard, Ben and John sit down with JJ Koczan of theobelisk.net for the third installment of the show's Guest Lecturer series wherein friends of the show will bring in albums with which neither host is familiar. The Obelisk is an absolute trove of album reviews, music news, and interviews covering ev…

John and Ben sit down with Mike Scalzi (guitar/vocals) and Adrian Maestas (bass) of long running true metal stalwarts, Slough Feg, for a wide ranging interview focusing on the band's 2009 album, Ape Uprising, but also touching on the band's formation and early years, playing on The Grateful Dead's Equipment and the proliferation of ape-accompanied …

John and Ben discuss the show's 50th(!!!!) record, Solace's 2003 doom/stoner/hardcore freight train of righteous heaviness, 13. Originally released on Meteor City, 13 breaks away from the monolithic nature of the band's debut album, Further, and presents a more eclectic and arguably more effective showcase for Solace's unique and powerful brand of …

On this episode of The Greatest Thing You've Never Heard, John and Ben tackle the show's 49th album: Slough Feg's 2009 shred-heavy opus, Ape Uprising! Released on Cruz Del Sur with vinyl from Iron Kodex, Ape Uprising! basks in traditional metal glory while never taking itself so seriously that forgets to entertain. By grounding itself with a mindse…

On this episode of The Greatest Thing You'd Never Heard, Ben and John return to Beastmilk's 2013 album, Climax, interviewing vocalist Mat McNerney (aka Kvohst) and bassist Valtteri Arino about the band's formation and their experience recording with Converge's Kurt Ballou at GodCity Studios. The pair recount the unorthodox recording techniques used…

John and Ben sit down with Grails guitarist Alex Hall to discuss the Portland band's 2003 album, The Burden of Hope. Hall divulges some of the band's unexpected influences such as Hungarian violinist Felix Lajko and explains Grails' experimental approach to songwriting on its early records. Though the band, and The Burden of Hope in particular, is …

Ben and John return to Serpent Thone's 2013 album, Brother Lucifer, to interview guitarist Don Argott about the album's themes, recording, and inspirations. Argott discusses the history of the band and the intersection of the band's music with his (and fellow guitarist Demian Fenton's) career as a documentary filmmaker as well as the importance of …

Ben and John bring the instrumental summer to a close and return to lyrical records by covering Beastmilk's lone album, 2013's Climax. Steeped in the traditions of post punk with an edge of apocalyptic garage goth, the album proves to be perhaps the catchiest that the show has covered to date. Already sharing personnel with Hexvessel and Code, memb…

Ben and John discuss the sixth and final album of the show's Instrumental Summer: Grails' 2003 debut, The Burden of Hope. Released on Neurot Records, The Burden of Hope showcases the Portland band's layered and experimental approach that would likely please fans of, but is significantly different from, post rock and post metal. The Greatest Thing Y…

Ben and John return from their bye week to continue the show's Instrumental Summer by discussing My Sleeping Karma's 2015 album, Moksha. Filled with Indian and eastern themes, the German group presents their best and most fully realized record to date with complex arrangements, varied instrumentation, and a meditative catchiness that belie's the al…

Ben and John continue the show's instrumental summer by marveling at Serpent Throne's 2013 cinematic masterpiece, Brother Lucifer. Draped in guitar harmonies and loaded with an emotional poignency not often found in instrumental heavy rock, Brother Lucifer elevates the form and delivers the doom rush of happiness. The Greatest Thing You've Never He…

The show's Instrumental Summer continues as Ben and John return to Triptonus' 2015, self-titled album by interviewing four members of the Viennese collective: Fabian (guitar), Clemens (guitar), Max (djembe, didjeridoo), and Vanya (wave drum, samples). The quartet discuss their writing process and diverse influences as they detail the unconventional…

As the show's Instrumental Summer continues, Ben and John return to Monobrow's 2014 album, Big Sky, Black Horse, by interviewing guitarist Paul Slater (ex-Sir Hedgehog) and bassist Sam Beydoun. The pair discuss the evolution of the band's instrumental sound and layered song craft as they bridge old school stoner rock, doom, and classic heavy metal.…

The Greatest Thing You've Never Heard's Instrumental Summer continues as Ben and John delve into Monobrow's 2014 riffsterpiece, Big Sky, Black Horse. Chock full of stonerrock goodness and dexterous playing, the album displays impressive heft as is its expertly crafted songs continually surprise with musical twists and turns. The Greatest Thing You'…

Ben and John continue their Instrumental Summer with the self-titled, 2015 sophomore effort from Viennese psychedelic metallers Triptonus. Reveling in diverse song structures and instrumentation, Triptonus defy classification while developing a style that is unique, engrossing, and thoroughly impressive. The Greatest Thing You've Never Heard is a l…

The Greatest Thing You've Never Heard is a like a book club for your next favorite record. Each episode is an in-depth examination of a single album that's worthy of greater recognition. Our co-hosts, Ben and John, spend a full episode discussing an album and then often use a follow-up episode to interview the band that recorded it. Ben and John ki…

The Greatest Thing You've Never Heard is a like a book club for your next favorite record. Each episode is an in-depth examination of a single album that's worthy of greater recognition. Our co-hosts, Ben and John, spend a full episode discussing an album and then often use a follow-up episode to interview the band that recorded it. On this episode…

The Greatest Thing You've Never Heard is a like a book club for your next favorite record. Each episode is an in-depth examination of a single album that's worthy of greater recognition. Our co-hosts, Ben and John, spend a full episode discussing an album and then often use a follow-up episode to interview the band that recorded it. On this episode…

The Greatest Thing You've Never Heard is a like a book club for your next favorite record. Each episode is an in depth examination of a single album that's worthy of greater recognition. Our co-hosts, Ben and John, spend a full episode discussing an album and then often use a follow-up episode to interview the band that recorded it. On this episode…

Ben and John take their first dip into the warm, placid waters of the San Diego psych scene with the 2015 self-titled debut album from Sacri Monti. Featuring members of Radio Moscow, Joy, Monarch, and countless others from southern California's incestuous hotbed of sunbaked sounds, Sacri Monti bring jam and subtle southern rock elements to their ta…

On this episode of The Greatest Thing You've Never Heard, John and Ben discuss Cigale's 2015 self-titled debut album. Standing at the intersection of post-stoner psychedelia, shoegaze, and indie rock, the female-fronted Cigale blends emotionally resonant vocals with arpeggiated guitar and placidly-paced songwriting. With the tragic death of guitari…

John and Ben continue their dive into Wolf's self-titled debut album by interviewing guitarist/vocalist Nik Stalvind. In a wide-ranging discussion, Stalvind discusses the band's early days, the decision to play a style of metal that was considered extremely uncool in the mid-nineties, and their place in traditional metal's resurgence. Stalvind also…

John and Ben discuss the self-titled debut album by Swedish trad-metal stalwarts, Wolf. Released in 1999 when real metal was at its nadir, the album is a landmark in the return to the genre's glory days and the eventual rise of the NWOTHM scene. Boasting classic (if divisive) artwork, the album showcased the attention to songwriting and detail that…

Ben and John return to Vore's 2011 album, Gravehammer, by interviewing guitarist/vocalist Page Townsley. Townsley talks about his musical and lyrical influences and secret to building the band's massive guitar tones. Season 2, Episode 18, Album 37 Listen to Gravehammer on YouTube We proudly endorse Revo Guitar Straps! Go to https://revoguitarstraps…

On this episode of The Greatest Thing You've Never Heard, Ben and John dive into death metal, discussing Vore's 2011 album, Gravehammer. Eschewing trends and adulteration, Gravehammer delivers the goods with more depth and dynamic than one might traditionally associate with the genre. Season 2, Episode 17, Album 37 Listen to Gravehammer on Youtube …

Ben and John go all the way back to 1971 to discuss the lone album from British prog rock band Fuzzy Duck. Comprised of members of Andromeda, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, and the Bill Wyman endorsed Tucky Buzzard, Fuzzy Duck blended inventive musicianship, a powerhouse rhythm section, and an irreverent sense of humor to create one of the more m…

John and Ben return to Bitch Magnet's influential 1990 album, Ben Hur, by interviewing guitarist Jon Fine and drummer Orestes Morfin. Fine and Morfin recount the band's early years at Oberlin, the Ben Hur recording sessions, and the band's lasting impact. Season 2, Episode 15, Album 35 Listen to Ben Hur on Bandcamp Purchase Jon Fine's book, Your Ba…

John and Ben discuss Bitch Magnet's influential second (and final) full length album, Ben Hur. Originally released in 1990, the album foreshadows much of the sonic ground that independent rock would cover over the ensuing decade as the roots of math rock, shoegaze, post-punk and more are all present in Ben Hur's sonic tapestry. Season 2, Episode 14…

Ben and John return to Life Beyond's 2003 album, Thousand Vision Mist by interviewing guitarist/vocalist Danny Kenyon, and bassist Louis Strachan. The pair talk about their infamous tour to SHOD III with Place of Skulls and go in depth on the meanings and influences of the songs on the album. Season 2, Episode 13, Album 34 Listen to Thousand Vision…

In this episode of The Greatest Thing You've Never Heard, Ben and John discuss Life Beyond's 2003 sole full-length, Thousand Vision Mist. Hailing from the iconic Maryland doom scene, Life Beyond's work compares favorably to the area's more progressive bands such as The Obsessed and Unorthodox. The power trio blends heavy riffs with searing leads an…