Into The Void Into The Void

Where can you go to hear stories about your favorite bands and musicians — stories that you've likely never heard before? Autobiographies (aka memoirs) are the prime source for in-depth stories on the lives and careers of such legendary musicians as Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Sammy Hagar, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Scott Ian and many, many others. On this episode of Into the Void, Dave Manack and JayMan discuss their favorite autobios of all time, and some of the best stories they've read along the way. Plus, don't miss the exclusive interview with veteran journalist and author Jon Wiederhorn, who co-wrote books with Scott Ian and Al Jourgenson. His newest book, "Raising Hell: Backstage Tales from the Lives of Metal Legends" is out now, and Jon discusses this book and some great stories involving the heavy music legends he's worked with over the years.

Was it the worst year in the modern history of mankind? Yes, yes it was. In addition to a global pandemic, we lost arguably the greatest rock guitarist and rock drummer of all time: Eddie Van Halen and Neil Peart. And of course, there were other losses that hit us hard as well. But it wasn't all bad in 2020: We did see some great new releases, and some amazing online concerts, too. The guys were having some fun — and some drinks — so enjoy it with us! 

It may be almost Christmas, but the guys are still reeling a bit from a post-Halloween hangover. The cure? An episode all about masks and makeup! Over the past 40-plus years, a handful of bands have stood out from the rest — everyone from Alice Cooper to KISS to Gwar to Slipknot — by accentuating their personas in ways no one had seen before. In this episode, Dave Manic, Lord Gates, Wild Bill and Jay Man talk about the history and impact of masks and makeup in rock music. One band emerges as the top choice for best mask/makeup ban of all time — can you guess which one? The episode concludes with an insider's perspective on the formation of mask-wearing legends Slipknot from a guy who was there and saw it all happen, drummer and Iowa native Dan Spain of Downthesun and Deadfront. 

Finally ... after several months in existence, the Into the Void music podcast dedicates an entire episode to the godfathers of all that is heavy: Black Sabbath! With the 50th anniversary of "Paranoid" combining with the anniversary of the release of Nativity in Black, the Black Sabbath tribute album released in 1994, it was the perfect time for Dave, Wild Bill, Lord Gates and JayMan to discuss the lasting importance of Ozzy, Tony, Geezer and Bill and the genre they helped to create. The guys list their top 5 Sabbath albums (will a Dio album make the cut?), while the feature interview includes Bob Chiappardi of Concrete Marketing, the man who was responsible for producing "Nativity in Black." And wait until you hear his Ozzy story!

On this episode of Into the Void, the guys are talking about the fateful day of September 24,1991, the day Nirvana's "Nevermind" was released ... and '80s hard rock was pronounced dead. But, was that fair to those talented bands who had released albums toward the end of the '80s and into the early '90s? Bands like Circus of Power, Love/Hate, Lynch Mob, Warrior Soul, Junkyard and many more, bands who were ultimately "expunged by grunge"? We say no — which is why we're taking this episode to extoll their virtues and tell you, our listeners, why their music is still worth checking out even three decades later. We also have a feature interview with Alex Mitchell, lead singer of Circus of Power (and also author of his first book!). 

On this episode of Into the Void, the guys get a bit more personal as they talk about growing up in New England, and how that factored into their lifelong love of heavy music. The fall weather, horror movies, high school football, outdoor keggers and great live venues — all of these things and more set the gents on their path toward the 'dark side.' The guys also list their top 5 all-time New England bands ... and let's just say, Wild Bill and Lord Gates practically vomited at one of Dave's choices. In the feature interview, the guys interview lead singer and rhythm guitarist Marc Gaffney of the New-England-based band Gozu, who opens up about the very personal lyrics on their latest album "Equilibrium."