The History of Heavy Podcast

Michael Huntsman
  • 5.0 (1)
  • MUSIC HISTORY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

A show that traces the chronology of extreme, loud and extremely loud music song by song. From The Kinks to Kiss, The Beatles to Black Sabbath, Miles Davis to Motörhead we dive deep into the circumstances, influences and popular culture that made each of these tracks seem so intense and groundbreaking when they were released. Your co-hosts Michael Huntsman and "Big Daddy" Dave Lieberman take you on a journey from the late 50's to present day that promises to blow your hair back and piss off your neighbors.

  1. FEB 3

    EP47: Betty Davis "If I'm in Luck I Might Get Picked Up"

    Betty Davis was well ahead of her time. She was a wildly flamboyant funk diva who combined the gritty emotional realism of Tina Turner, the futurist fashion sense of David Bowie, and the trendsetting flair of Miles Davis. Her debut LP was released in 1973 going on to influence dozens of powerful, independent female icons to follow, including  Donna Summer, Patty Smith, Debbie Harry, The Runaways and Stevie Nicks. Her music still sounds fresh, in your face and badass today.    HHP Spotify Playlist  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qkURdYib8hLz8s20D9yTC?si=1526168526854a62   HHP on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@the.history.of.hea?_t=ZP-8z7me40bcbu&_r=1   HHP Instagram https://instagram.com/the_history_of_heavy   @historyofheavy

    40 min

  2. JAN 21

    EP46: James Brown "The Payback"

    After 45 episodes of The History of Heavy, covering everyone from Iron Butterfly to Black Sabbath and "The Payback" might be the most authentically heavy song we've discussed to date. Let us explain...   HHP Spotify Playlist  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qkURdYib8hLz8s20D9yTC?si=1526168526854a62   HHP on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@the.history.of.hea?_t=ZP-8z7me40bcbu&_r=1   HHP Instagram https://instagram.com/the_history_of_heavy   @historyofheavy

    42 min

  3. JAN 15

    EP45: Necromandus "Orexis of Death"

    Necromandus were managed by Tony Iommi, signed to Vertigo Records, supported Sabbath on the VOl 4 tour and recorded their debut album in 1973.  So why hadn't we ever heard of them until a few weeks ago?    HHP Spotify Playlist  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qkURdYib8hLz8s20D9yTC?si=1526168526854a62   HHP on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@the.history.of.hea?_t=ZP-8z7me40bcbu&_r=1   HHP Instagram https://instagram.com/the_history_of_heavy   @historyofheavy

    42 min

  4. JAN 7

    EP44: Alice Cooper "Halo of Flies"

    During their hard/shock rocking heyday which spanned four excellent albums beginning with 1971's Love It to Death, Alice Cooper was more than a man, they were a band. And while leader singer Vincent Furnier would adopt his famous stage name and alter-ego early on, the remaining four members of the Alice Cooper Group brought deft songwriting and killer chops to the increasingly chaotic notorious live shows that would give their music lasting credibility decades later. In this episode, we mistakenly identify Killer, the album that includes the track "Halo of Flies" as a 1973 release but recover nicely and use our blunder as an excuse the examine the whole of Mr Cooper (and this band's) discography.       Recommended Listening, Watching & Reading Jello Biafra & The Melvins  https://open.spotify.com/track/071YYZlOxBdhESQYrLDYrn?si=9da65eb193874156     HHP Spotify Playlist  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qkURdYib8hLz8s20D9yTC?si=1526168526854a62   HHP on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@the.history.of.hea?_t=ZP-8z7me40bcbu&_r=1   HHP Instagram https://instagram.com/the_history_of_heavy   @historyofheavy

    46 min

  5. 12/31/2025

    EP43: 2025 The Heavy Year in review

    Another year in the bag and if we're honest, 2025 largely sucked. It sucked on a global level, it sucked on a national level, it sucked on a local level and honestly it sucked on a personal level, But what didn't suck was the music of 2025. Great new artists emerged, great albums were released and dozens of old bands, records and songs were discovered. We discuss it all. Here's to a better 2026. Happy New Year!!!    Recommended Listening, Watching & Reading    Sanguiaugabogg - Hideous Aftermath  https://open.spotify.com/album/7y5OWsiatwngkMtaPXgyET?si=Scx_LB3QTb6pV82c8YirCg   Greet Death - Die in Love https://open.spotify.com/album/4BMFHGrHTIRSPvSI6S9UKo?si=w5yj8TSHRMSRlPvGYL-gNA   Khruangabin https://open.spotify.com/artist/2mVVjNmdjXZZDvhgQWiakk?si=0ezp2myaQo-4v2Ze_nXj6Q    Glass Beams  https://open.spotify.com/artist/1LTFJvVvRw7ghAyThxYmnF?si=Wet-p2eYRn28SkbfZjnQOw   Boneflower - Reveries  https://open.spotify.com/album/6WwVhoHDfdvaOkRXVzBUVE?si=qR9oOZwYRt6jXuhHhkM5Jw   Early Moods https://open.spotify.com/album/5kxOks7J5KpSTCEv7afrYd?si=wIrWdhADSBeSlkW7EL-ujQ   They Are Gutting A Body of Water - LOTTO https://open.spotify.com/album/5oX9RPR1fBvHzpgtmxVdPI?si=x_YC23yXShSFXXF8x1ZG3Q   Peth - Merchant of Death https://open.spotify.com/album/06Uyd3LZLNMWpQ0QH5KKQn?si=6t6NK0bBQsib6JrVVCpOiw   Mount Salem - Endless  https://open.spotify.com/album/57VCu6Lt5lN95Ty5dP7MNH?si=iUE1xsaGSRCldwx4rwt0jQ   Dead Witches - The Final Exorcism  https://open.spotify.com/album/2DhvzMNZoOycDnPoNR27A4?si=VhLXZBynQ2G8-RLKrLZ1Kg   Swans - Birthing https://open.spotify.com/album/05rmFti1xKL3h09CGx67kc?si=mR0l6sf9TSOIUOoU-YUCzg   Slomosa https://open.spotify.com/artist/0l7GXb53ndWn97ul8Hpfzd?si=_h8LiL5_S4-OFVESqOanhA   HHP Spotify Playlist  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qkURdYib8hLz8s20D9yTC?si=1526168526854a62   HHP on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@the.history.of.hea?_t=ZP-8z7me40bcbu&_r=1   HHP Instagram https://instagram.com/the_history_of_heavy   @historyofheavy

    1h 2m

  6. 12/16/2025

    EP42: Black Sabbath - Vol 4

    Sabbath's first three albums invented stoner metal and "Sweet Leaf" from 1971's Master of Reality was the coughing exclamation point on the genre.  Vol 4 would begin the band's three album cocaine cycle. Not only did Snowblind directly address the drugs hold on the band at the time but the entire record's energy, pace and production all somehow benefit from the speedy haze that misers Osbourne, Iommi, Butler & Ward were living in while writing and recording the album's ten songs at the Bel Air mansion of the now infamous John Du Pont.      Recommended Listening, Watching & Reading Scorpions "Sails of Charon" Live 1978 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zs5NOrYYV2s   Screaming Trees "Tomorrow's Dream: https://open.spotify.com/track/2Ol6qir0TWnPoxaW1PBwgp?si=080746da7f6f4bde   1000 Homo DJs' "Supernaut" https://open.spotify.com/track/1LkYAkYzqq7TbJTGfx3ixY?si=7dc03406c3f04514   Charles Bradley "Changes" https://open.spotify.com/track/3HC6U39266ytr7fMW9M2Mz?si=aff70203956e4e22   Sleep "Snowblind" https://open.spotify.com/track/0NIoNL2KL9UdIWbtKq3FNr?si=2fbf482ed1d4453b   HHP Spotify Playlist  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qkURdYib8hLz8s20D9yTC?si=1526168526854a62   HHP on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@the.history.of.hea?_t=ZP-8z7me40bcbu&_r=1   HHP Instagram https://instagram.com/the_history_of_heavy   @historyofheavy

    50 min

  7. 12/09/2025

    EP41: The Edgar Winter Group "Frankenstein"

    Edgar Winter is a freak. A multi-instrumental virtuoso who led his chart topping band as singer-songwriter while also serving as a session musician on dozens of chart topping hits by the likes of Meatloaf, Tina Turner and David Lee Roth. His music spans southern rock, the blues, fusion and blue-eyed soul and on The Edgar Winter Group's debut album, its lone instrumental track "Frankenstein" he proves that he can also get heavy with the best of them.       Recommended Listening, Watching & Reading "Guitarin' Safari" Spotify Playlist  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/59p775CaVKb1iYa5cakkpe?si=eaa3da57b8b0423e     HHP Spotify Playlist  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qkURdYib8hLz8s20D9yTC?si=1526168526854a62   HHP on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@the.history.of.hea?_t=ZP-8z7me40bcbu&_r=1   HHP Instagram https://instagram.com/the_history_of_heavy

    44 min

  8. 11/25/2025

    EP40: Tarkus "El Pirata"

    Formed in 1972 in Lima Peru, Tarkus released their self-titled debut LP that same year and then promptly broke up, lasting for less than 9 months before reforming for a second record in 2007 (Tarkus 2) and then promptly breaking up again, this time for good. They are one of thousands of bands that sprouted up in various pockets of the world making great and interesting heavy music that might have been lost to the sands of time if not for the glory of the internet.      HHP Spotify Playlist  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qkURdYib8hLz8s20D9yTC?si=1526168526854a62   HHP on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@the.history.of.hea?_t=ZP-8z7me40bcbu&_r=1   HHP Instagram https://instagram.com/the_history_of_heavy   @historyofheavy

    31 min
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About

A show that traces the chronology of extreme, loud and extremely loud music song by song. From The Kinks to Kiss, The Beatles to Black Sabbath, Miles Davis to Motörhead we dive deep into the circumstances, influences and popular culture that made each of these tracks seem so intense and groundbreaking when they were released. Your co-hosts Michael Huntsman and "Big Daddy" Dave Lieberman take you on a journey from the late 50's to present day that promises to blow your hair back and piss off your neighbors.

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