Episodes

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 Mist on Youtube Listen to The Greatest Thing You've Never Heard and find us on social media via https://greatestthingopodcast.com Listen to Thousan...

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 and lyrics which are more upbeat than those for which the genre is typically known. Members of Life Beyond have gone on to play in Iron Man, Spiral Grav...

Ben and John return to Cloud Catcher's 2015 debut album, Enlightened Beyond Existence, interviewing band guitarist/vocalist Rory Rummings. Rummings discusses the band's roots and formation along with his influences, the recording process for Enlightened Beyond Existence, and touring with the legendary Earthless. Keep an eye out for Cloud Catcher's third album later this year! Season 2, Episode 11, Album 33 Listen to and purchase Enlightened Beyond Existence on Bandcamp Listen to The Greatest T...

Ben and John discuss Cloud Catcher's 2015 self-released debut album, Enlightened Beyond Existence. Sitting at an exciting crossroads between the more progressive side of Maryland doom and the heavier end of post-Kyuss psychedelia, the Colorado band brims with power-trio energy. Season 2, Episode 10, Album 33 Listen to and purchase Enlightened Beyond Existence on Bandcamp Listen to The Greatest Thing You've Never Heard and find us on social media via https://greatestthingpodcast.com Find Cloud ...

Ben and John return to Kalas's lone, self-titled album with guitarist Paul Kott (High Tone Son of a Bitch, Cruevo) and producer/engineer Willie Samuels (Green Day) in tow. Kott and Samuels go in depth on the album's sound and the recording process, including the use of backwards effects and playing. They also discuss working with Matt Pike (Sleep, High on Fire) on the first album of his career where he would not (with the exception of one impromptu solo) play guitar and the time he was almost re...

Ben and John return to Stubb's 2014 heavy rock platter, Cry of the Ocean, for a discussion with guitarist/vocalist Jack Dickinson and drummer Tom Fyfe. Dickinson and Fyfe expound on the recording experience at Britain's world renowned Skyhammer Studios, touring mishaps, and what's coming next for the band. Season 2, Episode 8, Album 32 Listen to Cry of the Ocean on Bandcamp Listen the The Greatest Thing You've Never Heard and find us on social media via https://greatestthingpodcast.com Find St...

John and Ben discuss Stubb's 2014 sophomore album, Cry of the Ocean. Released on Ripple Music, Cry of the Ocean mixes blues, psychedelia, and classic rock influences to come up with a sound that is closer in feel to the current San Diego heavy rock scene than what one might expect from the band's native England, thanks in no small part to their powerhouse, power trio lineup. Season 2, Episode 7, Album 32 Listen to Cry of the Ocean on Bandcamp Listen to The Greatest Thing You've Never Heard and...

On this episode of The Greatest Thing You've Never Heard, John and Ben discuss the lone album from Bay Area supergroup Kalas. Released in 2006, Kalas' self-titled album sits comfortably in a pocket somewhere between stoner rock, doom metal, NWOBHM, classic heavy metal, and hardcore while never losing sight of its songwriting and sense of dynamics. Featuring members of Sleep, High on Fire, Cruevo, High Tone Son of a Bitch, Econochrist, and Grimple, Kalas proves to be far more than the sum of its ...

Ben and John discuss Warning's 2006 traditional doom metal opus, Watching from a Distance. Steeped in doom sonics and emotionally raw courtesy of frontman Patrick Walker (also 40 Watt Sun)'s stunning vocals, the album will appeal to fans of intimate songwriting as much as it will to metalheads. Season 2, Episode 5, Album 30 Listen to Watching from a Distance on Bandcamp Find The Greatest Thing You've Never Heard on the Web Https://greatestthingpodcast.com Facebook, Instagram, Youtube Our terr...

On this episode of The Greatest Thing You've Never Heard, John and Ben continue their discussion of Offenders' seminal 1985 hardcore classic, Endless Struggle, by talking to drummer Pat Doyle (Ignitor), the last surviving member of the band. Doyle discusses the early 80s Texas hardcore scene and Offenders' experiences playing with bands such as The Dicks, MDC, DRI and Scratch Acid. Also on the docket is an in depth discussion of the songs and the recording process with legendary SST producer, Sp...

John and Ben discuss Offenders' 1985 album, Endless Struggle and its place in the 1980s Texas hardcore scene. Deviating from punk and hardcore norms, the album showcased increasingly mature songwriting that would mark the band as an early crossover favorite. Season 2, Episode 3, Album 29 Listen to the album on Bandcamp Find us on social media: Facebook Instagram Youtube Offenders on Social Media: Facebook If you enjoyed the show, please remember to rate, review, and subscribe!

John and Ben kick off 2021 by going back to 1999 and discussing Wellwater Conspiracy's sophomore album, Brotherhood of Electric: Operational Directives. Steeped in 1960s psych and trading off between hooky garage tracks and instrumental interludes, Brotherhood of Electric displays a breadth of songwriting and layered accompaniment which rewards repeat listens. Something of a supergroup, the band consists of the two man lineup of John McBain (ex-Monster Magnet) and Matt Cameron (Soundgarden, Pear...

Ben and John send off 2020 with a countdown of Ben's Top 50 Albums of the Year in this this episode culled from a three part livestream taped December 30th. Season2, Episode 1, Album NA Find us on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Youtube Ben's Top 50 Albums of the Year: 50. Steve Von Till - No Wilderness Deep Enough 49. Witchcraft - Black Metal 48. Switchblade Jesus - Death Hymns 47. King Gorm - King Gorm 46. Jason Molina - Live at La Chapelle 45. Traveler - Termination Shock 44. Cir...

On 2020's last episode of The Greatest Thing You've Never Heard, Ben and John talk to guest lecturer Cary Gordon, aka Cary the Metal Geek, of MSRCast, Metal Geeks, and the Houston Indie Podcast Society, about Ludichrist's pioneering 1986 hardcore/thrash crossover album, Immaculate Deception. The trio discuss Ludichrist's impact on a variety of heavy music scenes and their chameleon-like ability to pull from multiple styles, even within a single 90 second song. Season 1, Episode 54, Album 27 Fi...

John and Ben continue their discussion of Suplecs' 2005 opus, Powtin' on the Outside Pawty on the Inside; this time bringing in bassist/vocalist/founding member Danny Nick for an in-depth interview about the recording of the album with COC's Pepper Keenan, the record's temporal proximity to Hurricane Katrina, and touring with the likes of Clutch, High on Fire, and Dixie Witch. Season 1, Episode 53, Album 26 Find us on social media: Facebook Instagram Check out songs from the record: Youtube...

Ben and John discuss Suplecs' 2005 barnburner of an album, Powtin' on the Outside Party on the Inside. Produced by COC's Pepper Keenan and full of all the punk, sludge, and stoner riff wizardry that one could ask for, Powtin never loses sight of its New Orleans roots and showcases the groove and swing for which the city is known. Season 1, Ep. 52, Album 26. Find us on social media: https://www.facebook.com/The-Greatest-Thing-Youve-Never-Heard-107841097532407 https://www.instagram.com/greatest...

Ben and John return to the show's 22nd album, 2005's Searching Low and High from Japan's Eternal Elysium. On this segment they talk with with guitarist/vocalist/founder Yukito Okazaki and bassist/vocalist Tana Haugo about the record's layered textures, and heavy, stoner metal grooves.

Our 50th episode! Ben and John conclude their discussion of Song's Ohia's 2000 album, Ghost Tropic, by speaking with guitarist Alasdair Roberts and percussionist Shane Aspegren. In an interview that spans 3 continents, 14 hours worth of time zones, and 2 hours of discussion, the musicians review the improvisational nature of the recording process, their memories of Jason Molina, and source of the record's infamous birdsong.

Ben and John discuss the show's 25th album, Songs: Ohia's Ghost Tropic. A dark and often haunting record, Ghost Tropic is an outlier amongst songwriter Jason Molina's storied and extensive work. The episode reviews the record's musical composition, improvisational nature, and lyrical themes of isolation while also serving as primer on Molina's life and career.

For this episode, Ben and John return to fifteenth album discussed by the show, Demon Fuzz's epic and influential Afro Rock (as coined by Eddie Grant) masterpiece, Afreaka! This time, the pair interview Demon Fuzz's Paddy Corea who played flute, congas, and saxophone for the band while acting as their primary arranger. With a lifetime in the music industry under his belt, Corea reflects on much more than just the recording of Afreaka!, or the album's recent 50th anniversary, delving into stories...

In Part 2 of their discussion of Oversoul's lone album, the mournful and melodic Seven Days in November, Ben and John interview Oversoul guitarist/vocalist Dennis Cornelius. Having also played in Revelation, Place of Skulls, Under the Sun, and Dwell Within, alongside his current project, Memory Driven, Cornelius reflects on a lifetime of music and doom metal while delving into Seven Days' recording process in great detail.

John and Ben dive deep into Oversoul's first and only album, the heavy and cathartic Seven Days in November. Doom metal through and through, the album combines Maryland-influenced melodic doom riffing with emotive and personal lyrics that explore the depths of the human condition, Deep stuff to put it mildly.

Ben and John continue their discussion of Gore's 1987 sophomore album, Mean Man's Dream, with the band's longtime bassist, Rob Frey. Frey discusses the recording of the album, being a touring, heavy musician in the 80s, the band's legacy, and their reunion record, Revanche. Essential listening for all fans of underground heavy music.

On this episode, Ben and John dive into Gore's influential 1987 album, Mean Man's Dream. Instrumental, monolithic, and loud as hell, the album would prove to be a launch pad for many of heavy music's genres and subgeneres that emerged over the following decade including sludge, industrial, noise, death metal, thrash metal, math rock, and post rock. Give it a listen.