The Unquiet Grave is my heavy metal radio show that airs first and third Sundays on WRIR LP 97.3 FM from 9-11pm. You can listen to archived episodes right here after they air, and you can listen to the show live at this link.
I consider The Unquiet Grave a public service! I make no money off of it. If you would like to help defray the small cost I incur to host these episodes on this website and on Soundcloud, you can see ways to donate here.
Episode 86: Caress of Steel (Valentine's Day Special)
It's the very first Unquiet Grave Valentine Special, and I'm spinning songs about love and the heart—subjects covered in so many different ways in heavy metal (romantic, violent, erotic, gruesome, gay, stereotypical, and even surgical). Join me for some Heavy Metal Love! See the playlist for this episode here.
Episode 83: Somewhere Beyond Seas (Hellenic Black Metal)
This episode takes a look at the "humid" (as opposed to frost-bitten) sound of Hellenic Black Metal, or Greek black metal in its most distinctive, warm, melodic, drum machine-reliant style, embodied by the big three of the genre (Rotting Christ, Varathron, Necromantia) and obscure, demos-only bands alike. We'll also zoom out to check out Greek Black Metal in general, including bands who bucked the national sound to embrace other styles, and modern Greek acts doing their own, often non-traditional thing. Ελευθερία ή θάνατος!!! You can see the playlist for this episode here.
Episode 82: Grind Madness At The BBC! (The Heavy Metal Peel Sessions)
Tonight the Unquiet Grave returns with a new episode: a look at the heavy metal Peel Sessions. From grind and crust bands operating out of medieval market towns to all-American rural sludge: the BBC had it—across five decades. Featuring a little bit of radio history and a lot of industrial crust. See the playlist for this episode here: http://spinitron.com/WRIR/pl/17570148/The-Unquiet-Grave
Episode 81: A Year in Heavy Metal (1989)
It's 1989. The Berlin Wall is falling, the Exxon Valdez is hemorrhaging oil, Bush has assumed office, and my god, there is a lot of thrash metal coming out. This episode is a long look at what heavy music looked like that year, including briefs on death, doom, and hair, three big industrial classics, a dip into the burgeoning Seattle Sound, an Earache overview, and a world tour of killer thrash. Get into it.
Episode 80: Nobody's Fool (April Fools' Day Hair Metal Special)
This is an April Fools' special, and I have a very SPECIAL guest for it: my sister Heather, who knows a lot about hair metal because she LIVED hair metal, as an early-to- mid-80s teenager, attendee of a zillion concerts, and true blue fan of Ratt. In this episode, we go through her Hair Metal Top 20, specially curated for this episode. We also chat about everything from Cinderella's Polka Dot Twins (I didn't know, either), the Mr. Gatti's pizza buffet in Maryville, TN, and that time Vince Neill told us to keep it down. (And after editing this episode, I can say: you'll hear my accent in unusually full force here). Turn Up the Radio, 'cause it turns out (You Can Still) Rock In America! You can see the playlist for this episode here.
Episode 79: Kill or Be Killed (Florida Death Metal)
TONIGHT: Travel with me to a world of mind-bending technicality, blasphemy, innovation, and gore: that's right—we're going to Tampa, Florida! This is a re-do of the "lost" Florida Death Metal episode, now with an upgraded playlist and at least 6% more riffs. We'll hear from the big four of Florida DM, of course, and also the second string, but we'll take in some proto-DM, sub-subgenres like prog/death, and very deep cuts as well (ever heard Matricide's "Mother's Day"??). You can see the playlist for this episode here: spinitron.com/WRIR/pl/17133585/The-Unquiet-Grave
Here is a link to the Acheron interview mentioned in this episode!
Episode 78: Nailed (Industrial Crust)
Tonight we're exploring the sub-sub-SUBgenre of Industrial Crust, starting with some scene-setting via early crust's flirtations with sampling and electronic influences, John Peel and the labels Earache and Peaceville exposing crust, industrial, and metal bands to the world and each other; moving on to East Anglia and the whole Deviated Instinct family; taking in a portion of one of the most underrated concept albums of all time; closing out with a couple of bands that somehow aren't even from England. You can see a playlist for this episode here: spinitron.com/WRIR/pl/17080560/The-Unquiet-Grave
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Here are links to two excellent articles that each cover some of the music played in this episode: https://burningambulance.com/2019/07/09/tapping-the-vein-industrial-crust/
https://hatemeditations.com/2017/11/16/lets-ruminate-on-punks-coming-of-age-killing-joke-and-amebix/
Episode 77: The Cold Earth Slept Below (USBM)
This episode looks at USBM, black metal of the United States, starting with the very first black metal releases in America, and traveling through the development of USBM chronologically from 1990 through the early 2000s before dipping into a few specific sub-scenes of USBM. You can see a playlist for this episode here: spinitron.com/WRIR/pl/16995472/The-Unquiet-Grave.
Episode 76: 1991 (A Year In Heavy Metal)
This episode is a dive into a single year in metal history: 1991. Obviously a hell of a year for death metal in particular, '91 also saw the very beginnings of second wave black metal, the origins of funeral doom and gothic metal, the advent of grunge, killer thrash from all the major thrash scenes, classic grindcore releases, d-beat, industrial, and more. Lots of Earache in this ep! You can see a playlist for this episode here: spinitron.com/WRIR/pl/16939193/The-Unquiet-Grave
Episode 75: Intro Necromancy (Heavy Metal Intro Tracks)
Tonight, we're looking at intro tracks from heavy metal albums of all (or most) subgenres, with a special emphasis on black metal records. I love intro tracks—the drama! And I love that so many of them are such big stylistic departures from the albums they introduce. You can see the playlist for this episode here: spinitron.com/WRIR/pl/16914597/The-Unquiet-Grave
Episode 74: Am I Evil? (NWOBHM)
Q: Am I Evil? A: Yes I Am. It’s the NWOBHM episode! Songs about blood, steel, hating rich kids, and breaking through. This is re-do of an attempt to have a NWOBHM episode in Fall of 2021 that aired improperly, and I’m glad to have it out there now the way it was always meant to be. See the playlist for this episode here.
Episode 73: Best Metal of 2022 (New Year Episode)
Tonight, let's look at all the great heavy stuff that was released over the past year, from noise rock to classic death metal and beyond, and talk a little bit about what's to come for The Unquiet Grave in 2023. Here's a link to a bonus ~3 hour playlist of heavy stuff I liked in '22. Here also is a link to the playlist for this episode.
Episode 72: Christmas In Hell!!! (Annual Yule Episode)
This Christmas, find out for whom the jingle bell tolls. It's two hours of holiday heavy metal, including not one, not two, but THREE separate tracks entitled "Black Christmas," two songs about the nativity (caveat: not necessarily in praise of it), and lots of snow, ice, and frostbitten stuff. All these things and more here on the Unquiet Grave! God jul, god ferie, & godt nytt år!
Episode 71: Hidden in a Fog (Second Wave Black Metal Outside of Norway)
Talk of black metal's second wave tends to overwhelmingly focus on Norway's scene (and the interpersonal and extracurricular pursuits of the bands therein). On this episode, we explore what was happening in black metal globally outside of Norway from 1992-1997—and there's no shortage of ripping stuff to listen to and talk about, from the Hellenic black metal scene, to Les Legions Noires in rural France; from the Austrian Black Metal syndicate to the thriving Japanese and Brazilian scenes, and lots more. You can see the playlist for this episode here: spinitron.com/WRIR/pl/16780252/The-Unquiet-Grave
Episode 70: Serenade in Lead (Dutch Death Metal)
Tonight we’re delving into the wide world of Dutch Death Metal. Not mentioned as often as Florida, Sweden, or even New York, the Nethlerlands scene was broad, varied, and (at least somewhat) nationally subsidized. The playlist focuses mainly on the extremely geminal period from the late 80s to mid 90s, but we’ll also listen to some new stuff towards the end.
You can listen to archived episodes of The Unquiet Grave, including this one, here. The music while I’m talking in this episode is “Prospettive e Retrospettive” by Ralph van Raat and Louis Andriesson. Check out the playlist for this episode here: spinitron.com/WRIR/pl/16754561/The-Unquiet-Grave
Episode 69: The Cult Is Alive (All Darkthrone Episode)
It's a two hour celebration of everyone's favorite genre-defining, hiking metal punk lifers: Darkthrone. We'll check out some 1987 demos by proto-Darkthrone band Black Death, through the band's entire genre-bending catalog, arriving finally at 2022’s Astral Fortress. Check out the playlist for this episode here: spinitron.com/WRIR/pl/16726827/The-Unquiet-Grave
Episode 68: Cold World (Industrial)
Tonight on The Unquiet Grave: a broad overview of Industrial, from avant/tape music-adjacent origins, through formative years overlapping with crust, new wave, and other genres, and into the mainstream. Check out the playlist for this episode here: spinitron.com/WRIR/pl/16652859/The-Unquiet-Grave. The music while I’m talking in this episode is from Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Music.
Episode 67: The Only Good Punk (A History of Peaceville Records)
Tonight: A close look at iconic label Peaceville Records, from the earliest cassette demos released from founder Paul "Hammy" Halmshaw's bedroom and most of the first 10 "VILE" catalog numbers to the gothic, death-doom acts that became their enduring core, hitting up several classic compilations released on the label as well as releases from subsidiaries Deaf and Dreamtime—and, of course, Darkthrone—on the way.
You can see the playlist for this episode here: spinitron.com/WRIR/pl/16598220/The-Unquiet-Grave. The music while I'm talking is from "Kathaarian Life Code" by Darkthrone.
Episode 66: The Witching Hour (HALLOWEEN SPECIAL)
Join me tonight for the annual Unquiet Grave Halloween Special! This year it's 2 hours of songs about witches, witchcraft, and witchery—and there's plenty to choose from, from across the whole panoply of metal subgenres. Check out the playlist from this episode here: spinitron.com/WRIR/pl/16591580/The-Unquiet-Grave
Additionally, here’s a 10+ hour long Heavy Metal Halloween Megamix curated by me and categorized by topic (in order: Halloween, witches, vampires, ghosts, werewolves, zombies, demons/devils, skeletons, Frankenstein, graveyards, and miscellaneous monsters): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/58u9y4lwFm9LwA172zpqTD?si=79576e8bc9624463 Enjoy, and Happy Halloween!
Episode 65: Waiting For The Crash (Screamo)
At long last: it’s a screamo episode! Some folks have asked for this for a while, and I’ve wanted to oblige, especially since screamo is so popular here in Richmond—but I myself am screamo ignorant, so I called in my first ever guest host, Jesse, who is extremely knowledgeable about this topic. He put together a great chronological playlist and joined me to chat about the origins of screamo, its stylistic hallmarks, the nuances of the terms emo, screamo, and skramz, and more. I had so much fun putting together this episode, and look forward to more guests in the future! Check out the playlist for this episode here: spinitron.com/WRIR/pl/16525624/The-Unquiet-Grave
My guest host for this episode was Jesse Mowery. His bands are Armagideon Time (armagideontimerva.bandcamp.com) and In Wolves Clothing (inwolvesclothingva.bandcamp.com/), and he lives in Richmond, VA.
Episode 64: Ignorance is Bliss (New York Death Metal)
Tonight on the Unquiet Grave, it’s New York Death Metal. You’se bozos tune in for some brutal and ignorant riffs-n-growling! This episode starts out with the big four of NYDM and goes loosely chronologically, ending with some current bangers from the Empire State. 🗽🗽🗽 Check out the playlist for this episode here: spinitron.com/WRIR/pl/16511034/The-Unquiet-Grave
Episode 63: Entrance of the Devil (Early Metal)
This episode is all about early metal, and features all kinds of heavy stuff from 1967-1977, including Indonesian psych and Swedish avant cacaphony as well as more widely acknowledged progenitors like Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. If you have ideas for future episodes you'd like to hear, email 'em to the unquietgrave@gmail.com! You can see the playlist for this episode here: spinitron.com/WRIR/pl/16486381/The-Unquiet-Grave
Episode 62: Blood Fire Death (All Bathory Episode)
Tonight on The Unquiet Grave (9-11pm): An entire episode devoted to Bathory! We'll check out tracks from every studio album in order, from the early black metal days to viking metal and back again (with a slight thrash detour towards the end). We'll also listen to some rarities and tributes from bands that were influenced by Bathory. Listen live right here or check the archive later at this link. Here is the link for information about Shadow Woods. You can check out the playlist for this episode here.
Episode 61: Crypt of the Wizard (Dungeon Synth)
This episode is all about dungeon synth: what is it, where did it come from, who invented it (spoiler: it wasn't a nazi)? We'll take in influences (some you might not expect), side projects from notable second wave black metallers, and pure high-grade late 90s/early 2000s Tolkien worship. You can find the playlist for this episode here: spinitron.com/WRIR/pl/16373855/The-Unquiet-Grave
Episode 60: Grindcrusher (A History of Earache Records)
On this episode, we're delving into the history of pioneering metal label Earache Records. We look at the indispensable Grind Crusher compilation, check out stuff from a couple of subsidiaries, dig into the label's brave fighting in the techno wars ('93-'96), and of course listen to some undisputed death metal and grindcore classics. I also say "classic" a lot in this episode. You can see the playlist from this episode here: spinitron.com/WRIR/pl/16305734/The-Unquiet-Grave
Episode 59: Tierra Y Libertad (Indigenous Heavy Metal)
This episode features indigenous heavy metal, mostly of the Americas and largely of the last 5 years. We check out Pre-Hispanic black metal, hear music from the self-described "most isolated heavy metal band in the world," and listen to the first indigenous language heavy metal album ever. You can see the playlist for this episode here.
Episode 58: Where Mountains Pierce the Sky(Heavy Metal of Kentucky)
On this episode, I spin heavy metal from the state of Kentucky, past and present and from a variety of subgenres, and also talk about the historic flooding and devastation in Eastern Kentucky, including ways to plug in and help. You can see the playlist for this episode here.
Links referenced in this episode:
Donate to Eastern Kentucky Mutual Aid (via Jessica Shelton)
Follow Eastern Kentucky Mutual Aid
Appalshop Flood Relief Page
Donate to Rebuild Isom IGA
Katie Myers on Twitter
Episode 57: Cry of the Banshee (Speed Metal)
On this episode we're listening to the fuzzy-bordered subgenre of speed metal—overwhelmingly from the sweet spot between 1983 and 1986, but leading in with some foundational influences on the subgenre and closing out with some recent releases from bands carrying the speed metal torch today. You can see the playlist for this episode here.
Episode 56: A Year in Heavy Metal (1987)
On episode 56, we check out heavy metal released in 1987—including death, doom, grindcore, black metal, even hair metal (!!), and massive amounts of thrash from all across the globe. You can see the playlist for this episode here.
Episode 55: Into The Macabre (Early Black Metal)
Get in, loser, we’re exploring EARLY BLACK METAL—meaning, we’re diving into the first wave, starting in 1982 with Venom’s Black Metal and moving along chronologically, ending just before A Blaze In The Northern Sky and the kickoff of the 2nd wave ten years later. I really love the way genres blur together around the creation of a new subgenre, and proto-black metal is no exception to that: a lot of thrashy, deathy, and just plain weird stuff to get into here. Check out the playlist for this episode here.
Episode 54: Alive and Rotting (Goregrind)
Tonight’s episode of The Unquiet Grave was all about goregrind. We explored this world of unseriousness, highly medicalized language, and low, liquidy vocals over the course of about 45 individual tracks. Body horror feels appropriate in our current hellscape of a society. The music in the background while I talk in this episode is from Matmos – A Chance To Cut Is A Chance To Cure. Check out the playlist for this episode here.
Episode 53: Burning Heaven (Heavy Metal of the Middle East)
Tonight’s episode of The Unquiet Grave featured all types of heavy metal bands from the Middle East, and mostly music released in the last ten years. We took in a lot, from black metal from Iran and Egypt, Saudi Arabian grindcore, and the first DSBM band in Lebanon! You can see the playlist for this episode here. Thanks for being patient while I recovered from COVID and it threw my broadcasting schedule (as well as everything else) for a loop!
Episode 52: Touch Me I'm Sick (Grunge)
Tonight we delved into the music of early 90s/late 80s Seattle that wasn’t quite punk or metal, but constituted a new “third sound”: something widely called “grunge.” If you think grunge is outside of the purview of this show: get over it, man! #LiveLaughLayne! Thanks for listening. Next week will be a repeat (because I’m recovering from frigging COVID) and then on June 12th I'll be back with an episode all about heavy metal of the Middle East.
Episode 51: Maryland Deathfest '22 Anticipation
Tonight: a look at what's to come this week at Maryland Deathfest XVIII in beautiful Baltimore, MD! We looked at the most anticipated sets and listened to blocks of death, thrash, grind, and even AMBIENT (!!) that will be featured over the 4-day fest. If you see me at Deathfest—say hi (and buy me drink)!! You can see the playlist for this episode here. Thanks for listening and see you next week for a Grunge episode!
Episode 50: 1993 (A Year In Heavy Metal)
For tonight’s episode I was excited to focus on one of the richest years in heavy metal history: 1993. A lot was going on at this time: from the first major label deal for a death metal band (resulting in Morbid Angel's Covenant) to Norwegian black metal popping off; from Sepultura's seminal Chaos A.D to dirgey classics Earth 2 and Sleep's Holy Mountain, we explored it all. Check out the playlist for this episode here.
Episode 49: Scattered, Smothered, and Covered (Noise Rock)
This week’s episode explored Noise Rock—think Unsane, not Sonic Youth (heavy stuff!). We listened to foundational classics as well as youngbloods carrying the torch today, with a special emphasis on the terrific French record label Solar Flare and their stable of incredible noise rock notables. You can see a playlist here. Thanks for listening and tune in next week for a look at the year 1993 in heavy metal!
Episode 48: America Is Behind (Heavy Metal of the Soviet Union, Pt. II)
Very excited to bring another two hours of Soviet heavy metal to the airwaves tonight, and the program is pretty diverse, including music from a lot of places we didn’t get to last time (Latvia, Lithuania, Georgia, Ukraine, and Azerbaijan). There’s also a big chunk of late-80s Moscow thrash, and a few more surprises. You can see the playlist here. Happy birthday, Lenin!
Episode 47: Rise of the Black Moon (Extreme Metal of Finland)
Prepare to enter the wild and wonderful world of Finnish extreme metal. Something I love about Finnish metal is how unconventional it all tends to be, a fact that’s especially remarkable considering the country has more metal bands than any other (and about double what Sweden and Norway, who are in second and third place, have each!). Tonight’s episode includes black metal, death metal, doom, and some truly weird shit that defies category. You can see the playlist here. Tune in next week for Part II of America is Behind: Heavy Metal of the Soviet Union!
Episode 46: Industry Standard (Heavy Metal of Richmond, Virginia)
On tonight’s episode of The Unquiet Grave, we listened to all Richmond, VA heavy metal. I named this episode after an Organ Donor song—it seemed appropriate, as Richmond has absolutely been setting the standard for decades of what a diverse and badass heavy metal scene can be like. Heavy metal is a large part of what brought me to Richmond in the first place, so it was inevitable that I eventually make a little tribute to the heavy music of our beolved Fist City. You can see the playlist for this episode here.
Episode 45: Amplifier Worship (Japanese Doom)
This week the songs are lengthy as heck, so the blocks of music are long and the talking spells few and far between. We listened to Japanese doom, covering everything from "funeral sludge" to proto-doom from the late 80's, and hitting stoner- and death-doom in between. Thanks for tuning in, and as always, you can follow me on Twitter at @emsuerob to keep up with future episodes or make requests. Check out the playlist for this episode here. Tune in next week for an episode of all Richmond, VA metal!
Episode 44: Goddess of Death (No Men Episode)
For Women’s History Month (and a belated celebration of International Working Women’s Day), it’s an episode with absolutely ZERO MEN. Every band played tonight is completely composed of women. There are a couple special blocks in this show, including sections featuring one-woman BM, foundational 80s acts, and more. You can see a playlist for this episode here.
Episode 43: Black Soot and Red Blood (Heavy Metal of Appalachia)
This episode features extreme metal from Appalachia, in no fixed order by date, genre, or geography. We have doom metal from Eastern Kentucky, ambient black metal from the Pennsylvania coalfields, bestial black metal from the Smoky Mountains, and a lot more. I always enjoy doing regional/geographically-based shows, and this one was especially fun because Appalachia is the region I personally hail from, and I got to feature a lot of bands I know, love, and have crossed paths repeatedly with over the years. You can see the playlist for this episode here.
Episode 42.0: Forest Clouds (Stoner Metal)
On this episode, we explore stoner metal in a way that is by no definition ordered or organized—stoner metal of all places and times, starting here in Richmond, VA in the recent past. Stoner metal isn’t really my thing, but it’s not NOT my thing—I enjoy it, but am not super into it or knowledgeable about it, so this is a pretty shallow dive. Youn can see the playlist for this episode here.
Episode 41: Best New Metal (2022 So Far)
On this episode we take a trip through all the best new stuff released so far in 2022. We check out everything from French avant-jazz metal to teenaged thrash from Sweden. It's a largely black metal show, but there's a little death, thrash, noise, and even dungeon synth in the mix, too.
Episode 40: Death Rides Out (War Metal)
On this episode we listen to war metal from all around the globe. War metal is a subgenre with contested boundaries, but suffice to say it's raw, chaotic, and bestial, and often tinged with death and thrash. A minimum of three bands with the word "bestial" in their name will be in the playlist tonight—that's the Unquiet Grave promise—but feel free to yell at me on Twitter if you think a band I play tonight is not sufficiently warlike. You can check out the playlist for this episode here.
Episode 39: Separate the Sky from the Earth (Heavy Metal of North Africa)
Tonight it's heavy metal of North Africa! This episode explores the extreme metal of Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco, and Algeria. A few highlights: the incredible split by Pain Emotion and Kharab (both from Morocco) and the strange Algiers black metal scene featuring Barbaros, Azar, and The Kult ov Satanåchiîa. You can see the playlist for this episode here.
Episode 38: Fatal If Swallowed (East coast thrash)
Tonight, to complete our thrash tetrad (with previous episodes including East Bay, Brazilian, and Teutonic thrash), we're doing the East Coast! Everything from dusty New Jersey demos from the mid-80s found under somebody's bed to heavy-hitters like Anthrax will be covered in this episode. We'll even have a short crossover thrash block and listen to some mid-2000s thrash revival tunes. You can see the playlist for this episode here.
Episode 37: You Suffer, But Why? (Grindcore)
No talking, just grind! Tonight it’s short and fast ones for two hours and a total of 55 tracks. This episode has grind of lots of different types and eras and from a ton of different places and scenes—it's a grind grab bag. You can see a playlist for this episode here.
Episode 36: America Is Behind (Heavy Metal of the Soviet Union) ☭
On tonight's ep of The Unquiet Grave, we explored heavy metal of the U.S.S.R., mostly from the mid-to-late-eighties. This was a very fun episode to make, and also the hardest I've worked on researching an episode, so I hope you enjoyed it! I want to give a special shoutout to my absolute favorite Soviet metal album cover—the cover of the Минздрав СССР/Реаниматор single by Samaran thrashers Режим (Rezim) featuring Lenin joyfully sweeping imperialists off the globe.
Here is a link to the Heavy Metal of Eastern Bloc YouTube channel I mentioned on the episode: www.youtube.com/channel/UCZD-C7qsE0phHoN8K2c_B4w. The background music while I talked in this episode was a recording of the Soviet National Anthem that played at the end of the television broadcast day in the 1980s. You can see a playlist for this episode here. ☭☭☭☭☭☭☭☭☭☭
Episode 35: Blizzard Beasts (All Immortal Episode)
Meet me in Blashyrkh for a wintry mix of all eras of Norwegian black metal icons Immortal, including demos and the first EP, all the LPs, and pre-Immortal (Old Funeral; Amputation) as well as post-Immortal (I, Demonaz, Abbath) projects. We'll even listen to some of Demonaz's music composed for video games! Its comprehensive Immortal worship—brave the cold and tune in. You can see a playlist for this episode here.
Join me and reminisce on the year we all just survived and the best heavy metal created under its auspices! We'll check out everything from the weirdest black metal to the silliest grind, and lots in between. I'll also give my New Years resolutions for this show. You can see a playlist for this episode here.
Episode 33: BOXING DAY IN HELL (Yule Special 2021)
It's the last Unquiet Grave episode of the year 2021, and it's the Yule episode. Join your host, Emily, for everything from Gehenna's "Sathana Claus" to Satyricon's "My Skin Is Cold" in celebration of this, the most festive season. Consider it cold therapy for your Christmas hangover. You can see a playlist for this episode here.
Episode 32: Oden Ride Over Nordland (Viking Metal)
Tonight's episode is about Viking Metal, a subgenre I admittedly know little about and, tbh, am not that into personally! It's been fun putting this episode together and learning more about it, and I also appreciate that it's very seasonally appropriate. Tune in the next two weeks for more wintry mixes! You can see a playlist for this episode here.
Episode 31: Pleasure To Kill (Teutonic Thrash)
Join me tonight for Destruction, Kreator, Sodom, Tankard, Exumer, Living Death, and a ton more German thrash metal (not all Teutonic thrash bands are German...but everything on this episode is). Thanks for listening and see you next week! You can see a playlist for this episode here.
Episode 30: Special Low Frequency Version (Drone)
Join me tonight for two hours of content.......but only nine tracks! It's an all-drone episode featuring Earth, Sunn o))), and all your glacially slow and interminable faves (well....nine of them, at least). You can see a playlist for this episode here.
Episode 29: Bonded By Blood (Bay Area Thrash)
Tonight on the Unquiet Grave, it's 100% Bay Area thrash — from heavy hitters like Testament, Exodus, and Metallica, to lesser-known acts, origins, and current torch-bearers, we'll listen to it all. Put on a 100% denim outfit, crack open 50 cold ones, and tune in! You can see a playlist for this episode here.
Episode 28: The Noise of Depression (Funeral Doom)
It's time to get mind-numbingly slow, atmospheric, and pipe organ-y. Tonight, the Unquiet Grave is serving all funeral doom, starting with some noteworthy precursors, stopping by some important locales in the development of the subgenre, and then listening to some more current examples of the style. Tune in for two hours of some of the longest songs ever played on this show! You can see a playlist for this episode here.
Episode 27: HALLOWEEN SPECIAL 2021
The first annual Unquiet Grave Halloween Special features classic heavy metal songs about witches, vampires, and ghosts, topped off with a bunch of songs about Halloween itself. As a Halloween treat for you all, I’ve also put together a 5+ hour all heavy metal Halloween playlist for you that you can find at this link: open.spotify.com/playlist/58u9y4l…c4c887ed1c4943a2 You can see the playlist for this episode here.
Episode 26: Bestial Devastation!! (Brazilian Thrash episode)
This episode is wall-to-wall Brazilian thrash. We’re listening to some precursors to the scene and then diving deep on three late 80s/early 90s thrash epicenters: Belo Horizonte (home of Sepultura and many, many more), São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro, before getting into some more current stuff. You can see a playlist for this episode here.
Episode 23: Into the Mighty Forest (Norwegian Black Metal)
On this episode, we’re listening to all Norwegian Black Metal, trve and perhaps also a little bit of un-trve. So much is written and said about this richly-storied genre, so tonight I’m taking it easy on the talking so we can just listen to the tunes. You can see a playlist for this episode here.
Episode 22: Leather Boyz With Electric Toyz (Hair Metal)
For this episode, we take a walk on the Wild Side and enjoy some trashy, glammy Hollywood Boulevard-esque metal (and things adjacent). This is a type of metal that a lot of folks consider a “guilty pleasure” — I say take pride in what brings you joy, even if it’s something as corny as Warrant’s “Down Boys.” Bang your head, shout at the devil, and see you next week! You can see the playlist for this episode here.
Episode 21: Protest and Survive (Crust)
This episode of The Unquiet Grave is serving you all crust, no fillings. Enjoy, and see you next week. You can see a playlist for this episode here.
Episode 19: Woodland Cathedral (Cascadian Black Metal)
Do you like lengthy songs about dirt and sticks? Well, this episode is all Cascadian Black Metal -- a term that, honestly, mostly music journalists use, and that loosely denotes atmospheric black metal bands from the Pacific Northwest who talk about nature. We start off with CBM kings Wolves in the Throne Room and Agalloch, and getting a little more obscure as we go. You can see the playlist for this episode here.
Episode 17: Hail Wind and Hewn Oak (Shadow Woods Metal Fest 2021)
This episode features the lineup of Shadow Woods Metal Fest 2021, including Panopticon, Voarm, Falls of Rauros, Feminazgul, Darsombra, and more. To find out more about the festival, see the Shadow Woods website. See you in the trees! You can see the playlist for this episode here.
Episode 16: I Died From A Vampyric Grief (Les Legions Noires)\
This episode is all about Les Légions Noires — a small, extremely insular circle of black metal musicians in France, mostly around the city of Brest, in the early- to mid-90s. Their scene was unique in many ways. They seemed to talk about their internal worlds — sadness, grief, melancholy — more than other black metal bands of the period; for every “Black Wind of War” there’s an “I Died From a Vampyric Grief” (relatable). Sonically, the music of Les Légions Noires is sometimes so strange that it veers off the path of what can honestly be called metal entirely.
Here is a link to an archive of photos, interviews, zines, and scans of Black Legions output: drive.google.com/drive/folders/1x…VXrj?usp=sharing. You can see the playlist for this episode here.
Episode 13: Into The Grave (Swedish Death Metal)
This episode is comprised of 100% Swedish death metal, guaranteed. Though this show was programmed by an admitted Grave supremacist, the playlist was varied and covers a lot of ground both stylistically and temporally. You can see a playlist for this episode here.