The Rock and Metal Profs

Epizodes

• Episode 71: 2026 Releases: Joe Holmes, Spread Eagle, Anthrax, Evanescence, UFO, Green Lung, Armored Saint, Geoff Tate; Legacy band or Tribute band? 24.06.2026 1h 14min

  2026 is a BANGER year for new rock and metal music so far.  Matt and Court talk the triumphant return of RUSH with Annika Niles, and celebrate the long-awaited release of Joe Holmes' new record!!! The Profs also discuss new offerings from Armored Saint, Spread Eagle, Evanescence, Geoff Tate/Operation Mindcrime, Elegant Weapons, Green Lung, Anthrax and Blue Medusa!  Then, Matt introduces Court and the listeners to Maphra and her hit cover of "Doomed" (from Bring me the Horizon) that has over 25 million views on Youtube in just 4 months!  This incredible young performer is not to be missed!  Finally, the gents discuss legacy bands that tour without any (or few) original members.  Should these bands still be touring as Foreigner or Kansas when there are no original members in the band?  Fans are paying top prices to see what is essentially a cover band.  In the midst of the discussion, Court goes on a diatribe about how much he hates Lynyrd Skynyrd (clearly some kind of deep-seated trauma growing up in Mississippi where he was fed a steady diet of southern rock).  Matt comes to Skynyrd's defense, making the case that they were an incredibly talented band, and attempting to retain our southern listener base in the U.S.  CRANK UP SOME FREE BIRD!
• Episode 70: The Scorpions Part II 07.03.2026 58min

  The Profs chat recent rock and metal news, and they examine the Scorpions' records from 1984's "Love at First Sting" to 2022's "Rock Believer."  Dr. Lewis takes the lead on this one!  We thank all our listeners for taking the time to download and listen.  We appreciate you!
• Episode 69: The Scorpions, Part 1 31.01.2026 50min

  It's time to ROCK YOU LIKE A HURRICANE!  Undeniably the greatest hard rock/metal band in German history, the Scorpions heralded career spans 60 years!  Few bands have made a greater impact on the history of modern rock/metal music than the Scorps.  The Profs look at the early history of the band as it coalesced in postwar West Germany and how Rudolph Schenker, Klaus Meine, Uli Jon Roth, Michael Schenker, Herman Rarebell, Francis Buchholz and Matthias Jabs sought to reshape the world's perception of Germany and Germans.  Court and Matt examine postwar German history, the band's early albums and touring, and their rise to fame (and controversy) in the 1970s and 80s.  Part one of two episodes.  As always, we are so grateful to our listeners who download, listen and recommend the show to others!  Thank you!  
• Episode 68: 2025 Year in Review and the State of Rock and Metal in 2026 19.01.2026 55min

  Court and Matt are back with their admittedly fragmentary best of 2025 concerts and albums.  The Profs also discuss recent rock and metal news, and the state of the genre in 2026.  Megadeth, Anthrax, Queensryche, Accept, Ratt, Slaughter, L.A. Guns,  Iron Maiden, Ghost, Helloween, Ozzy, Wings of Steel, Alice Cooper, KISS, Phantom Spell, VV and Peter Criss were all topics covered, and more!  Look for new episodes coming soon!
• Episode 67: Favorite Drummers and Percussionists with R. Alan Siler 19.12.2025 1h 8min

  Court and Matt have guested on R. Alan Siler's podcast "Modern Musicology" on multiple occasions, and we thought it was time to turn the tables!  On our final episode of 2025 the Profs interview the busiest man in America -- drummer, librarian, author, performer, music connoisseur, and host of multiple podcasts -- R. Alan Siler.  Alan has performed in many bands, including tribute acts covering KISS, David Bowie, Heart and Kate Bush.  He's performed in orchestras, folk groups, and jazz ensembles. He is the owner and editor of kOZMIC Press, LLC.  He also hosts multiple podcasts, including our personal favorite, Modern Musicology.  We asked Alan to explain the difference between drummers and percussionists, and to give us his personal favorites and most influential drummers.  Spoiler -- We'll be talking about Neil Peart and Eric Carr quite a bit!  Our thanks to all of our listeners and friends who support us each year by downloading and listening to every episode of RAMP.  We do the show for you!  Our heartfelt gratitude for taking the time to listen in!  Happy Holidays!   
• Episode 66: Episode 66: Ghost -- The Profs are Back!!! 25.10.2025 1h 2min

  Well, we decided to bring the show back after a 3-year hiatus.  On the eve of Halloween, what better way to celebrate our return to podcast glory than with the ultimate horror band, GHOST!  Court and Matt, with shows to follow as time permits.  No social media presence this time, but you can email us at Therockprofs@gmail.com. Welcome back, and as always, thanks so much for your listenership and support!  Now, LET THE RITUAL BEGIN!
• Episode 65: The Evolution of Rock and Metal 03.09.2025 1h 11min

  The Profs discuss the origins and evolution of rock and metal!
• Episode 64: The Sunset Strip in the 1980s 03.09.2025 1h 1min

  Oh the excess and bombast of the Sunset Strip in the late-70s and 1980s!  The Profs discuss the epicenter of rock and metal in the 70s-80s as the Sunset Strip in L.A. became ground-zero for some of the greatest rock and metal acts in American history. 
• Episode 63: KISS in the early-80s 03.09.2025 1h 5min

  Yes, we know we talk about KISS too often.  However, in our defense, those early-80s KISS albums were SPECTACULAR.  Court and Matt discuss the iconic albums "Creatures of the Night", "Music from the Elder", "Lick it Up" and "Animalize."  
• Episode 62: Rock and Metal Music Festivals 03.09.2025 1h 7min

  Oh the glory of the all-day music festival.  US Fest, Ozzfest, Louder than Life, Wacken and Hellfest.  So many festivals and so many bands!   The Profs discuss the pros and cons of rock and metal music festivals, and cover some of the best and worst ones they've attended.  
• Episode 61: Podcast Producer Tim Williamson Takes over RAMP 03.09.2025 1h 14min

  In this special episode of RAMP, our podcast producer and colleague Tim Williamson takes over the show.  We talk about whatever he wants to talk about!
• Episode 60: Metallica in the 90s and Beyond 03.09.2025 52min

  Yeah, we've heard it all before.  After "...And Justice for All", Metallica became a different band, "sold out", and went mainstream.   Early Metallica fans in particular love to condemn Metallica in the 1990s as the band who let them down.  The Profs dispel the myths and do their level best to objectively assess Metallica's catalog in the 1990s and beyond.  
• Episode 59: KISS in the 1980s and beyond 03.09.2025 1h 6min

  KISS fans are a devoted bunch, and much of their love for the band is contingent upon when they started listening to them.  For Matt, KISS in the 1970s were at their zenith.  However, for slightly younger fans like Court, those 80s albums hold a special place.  Dr. Lewis shines in this one, talking about the non-make-up years, the brief tenure of guitarists Mark St. John and Vinnie Vincent, the percussive mastery of Eric Carr, the guitar wizardry of Bruce Kulick, and the new direction KISS took in the 80s to attain a level of success that few could have imagined just a few years prior.  
• Episode 58: Guns & Roses: Use Your Illusion, AKA "Court's Delusion" 03.09.2025 1h 2min

  This week the Profs discuss one of the more controversial album releases in American music history, "Use Your Illusion I and II."  Many rock fans may not remember that Guns & Roses did something no band had ever done in 1991 -- They released two double studio albums on the same day!  Heralded by some rock fans as the answer to glam metal and the emerging grunge scene, some GNR fans were not impressed, Dr. Lewis among them.  Matt and Court discuss the albums, the tracks, and attempt to unpack Dr. Lewis's thinly-veiled contempt for these records.  Does he love these albums or does he hate them?  Even he isn't sure!
• Episode 57: The best albums of 2022 03.09.2025 41min

  The Profs discuss some of the best rock and metal music offerings of 2022.
• Episode 56: Listener Questions, part 2 03.09.2025 47min

  Dr. Lewis and Matt take questions from the RAMP audience and discuss.  Part 2 of 2 episodes.
• Episode 55: Listener Questions, part 1 03.09.2025 34min

  Dr. Lewis and Matt take questions from the RAMP audience and discuss.  Part 1 of 2 episodes.
• Episode 54: The Meaning of Metallica with author William Irwin 03.09.2025 55min

  The Rock and Metal Profs interview Professor of Philosophy, literary critic and heavy metal scholar William Irwin from King's College in Pennsylvania.  His new book "The Meaning of Metallica: Ride the Lyrics" is a detailed breakdown examining the history and philosophy of the most influential metal band in American history, Metallica.  
• Episode 53: Album Review: DIO -- Holy Diver Deluxe 03.09.2025 36min

  The profs discuss the release of the newly remixed and remastered Holy Diver album by Ronnie James Dio.
• Episode 52: RIOT: The Band that should have been massive in the U.S. and abroad 02.09.2025 1h 2min

  New York-based band RIOT enjoyed modest success in the late-1970s and early-80s.  They grew a die-hard following, even as they evolved into one of the few American Power Metal bands of the 1980s.  However, line-up changes, tragedy, and a few ill-fated marketing decisions limited the band's appeal and commercial success.  Undaunted, RIOT continued to produce quality music, and despite the odds they simply would not be denied their place in the American rock and metal pantheon.