Episodes

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 take on post-stoner psychedelia. The result is a landmark album for both the genre and the scene. Season 2, Episode 22, Album 40 Listen to Sacri Monti...

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 guitarist Rutger Smeets only months after the album's release, Cigale's sole album stands alone as a testament to the band's substantial potential and prow...

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 reveals the story behind the album's iconic and divisive Hans Arnold cover art. Season 2, Episode 20, Album 38 We proudly endorse Revo Guitar Strap...

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 would become hallmarks of the band's work throughout its 20+ year career. Season 2, Episode 19, Album 38 We proudly endorse Revo Guitar Straps! Go...

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.com and enter code POD20 for 20% off. Find Vore on Facebook Listen to The Greatest Thing You'd Never Heard and find us on social media via https://...

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 We proudly endorse Revo Guitar Straps! Go to https://revoguitarstraps.com and enter code POD20 for 20% off. Find Vore on Facebook Listen to The Grea...

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 memorable records of rock's most fertile era. Season 2, Episode 16, Album 36 Listen to Fuzzy Duck on Youtube We proudly endorse Revo Guitar Straps! G...

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 Band Sucks, on Amazon Watch for the debut album from John Fine and Orestes Morfin's new band, We Contain Multitudes, coming later this year! We proudly...

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, Album 35 Listen to Ben Hur on Bandcamp Purchase Jon Fine's book, Your Band Sucks, on Amazon Listen to The Greatest Thing You've Never Heard and fin...

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 Thousand...

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 G...

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 C...

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 ...

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 Stu...

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 it...

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, ...

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, Pe...

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. Cirith Ungo...