Episodes
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Slaughter of the Soul Cemented At the Gates' Legacy
GO! On this episode, Chris Hemmah joins Matt and Brian to discuss influential Swedish death metal band At the Gates and their powerhouse album Slaughter of the Soul. Chris talks ATG concert memories while the guys explore the band’s lofty goals for this album, their influence on 2000s metal, and...
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Why We Love October Rust to Death
Heavy. Dark. Sexy?!? Type O Negative blended lots of sounds and themes throughout their influential career. Brian and Matt discuss The Drab Four's twists and turns - from thrash metal to Playgirl cover shoots - and why 1996's October Rust cemented their goth metal legacy. Featured Tracks:...
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Why Slipknot's Iowa Defied the Odds
With its volatile recording process, brutal sound, vile lyrics, and terrible timing, Slipknot's second album seemed doomed from the start. Yet, Iowa became a mainstream success and, 25 years later, stands as a landmark in heavy music. Matt and Brian discuss how an album created in pure chaos not...
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Sepultura's Thrash Classic Arise with Suffering's David Garza
David Garza from Houston, Texas doom metal band Suffering joins The Noise Report to talk about Arise from Sepultura. We agree Sepultura should always be mentioned alongside other thrash giants like Metallica and Slayer, and we explain why in this episode. Just like Max and Iggor Cavalera, David...
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DOWN & Dirty: Southern Metal Classic NOLA with JD from Direlands
Doom metal frontman JD Dureell from Houston heavy hitters Direlands joins the show to discuss NOLA, the instant classic debut from Down. We get into the backstory of this Southern metal supergroup featuring members of Pantera, Crowbar, Eyehategod, and Corrosion of Conformity. Plus, we talk about...
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Deftones' Brilliant, Soaring Epic: Koi No Yokan
Deftones' lengthy career spans numerous excellent albums, including Adrenaline, White Pony, and Around the Fur. This week, Matt and Brian delve into 2012's Koi No Yokan and explain why this less obvious pick is Deftones' finest work. If you dig Koi No Yokan, the end of the episode provides plenty...
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The Feel Good Hits of Queens of the Stone Age
Are Queens of the Stone Age metal? Maybe, maybe not. But screw it ... We love this band and want to share our love witchu! From the ashes of Kyuss rose this hard-to-pin-down band that's had mainstream success while staying kinda weird. Brian and Matt were immediately captivated by "If Only" in…
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Tongan Death Grip on Hardcore Music and Pro Wrestling
Step into the barbed-wire steel cage with us! We talk with Calvin Mathis, aka Ultimo, singer/guitarist for the wrestling-themed hardcore band Tongan Death Grip, about heavy music's many connections to professional wrestling. We discuss early wrestling memories, what makes a great entrance theme,...
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In Rust We Trust: Megadeth's Genre-Defining Thrash Metal Classic
Megadeth's Rust in Peace is a thrash metal landmark that tackled greed, power, and corruption in a way that feels as relevant today as it did in 1990. Matt and Brian dissect this album's greatness, highlight other Megadeth catalog standouts, and offer recommendations for further listening. They...
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Beyond Sleep: High on Fire’s Doom Metal Assault
From the ashes of Sleep rose High On Fire, one of the most influential doom metal bands of the 21st century. This episode reflects on the band's sound, lyrical themes, and lasting influence. Matt and Brian cover topics ranging from Matt Pike’s guitar artistry to conspiracy theories to whether you...
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Soundgarden’s Badmotorfinger Hijacked Mainstream Metal
Nirvana released Nevermind, and rock music changed overnight, right? Well, that’s only part of the story. They didn’t alter the mainstream landscape alone. They had help from many punk-minded outfits, including Soundgarden. Released just weeks after Nevermind, Badmotorfinger gave metal fans a…
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Are The Acacia Strain Metal's Biggest Misanthropes?
The Acacia Strain is one of the heaviest and most unrelenting forces in extreme music. Blending elements of hardcore, doom, and deathcore, their music is a brutal soundtrack for anger, frustration, and existential misanthropy. In this episode, Matt and Brian dive deep into this Massachusetts…
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Groove Metal Greatness: Lamb of God's Sacrament
It was damn near impossible to choose just one Lamb of God album for this episode. We went with Sacrament, but we cover plenty of overarching factors that make them one of this century’s best metal acts. From deep lyrics to a perfect groove-to-heaviness ratio to Randy Blythe’s stoic wisdom…
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KoRn's Debut Was Like NOTHING Before It
ARRRRE YOOOOU READYYYY?!? From new sounds to the rawest of emotions, Korn introduced the music world to a whole new style. On this Noise Report, Matt and Brian break down what Korn's 1994 debut meant to them as middle schoolers and how this groundbreaking album resonates today. Plus, they deliver...
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Let's Chug Some Pork Soda! | The Mad Genius of Primus and Les Claypool
Brian and Matt cover the weird genius of Primus, focusing on Pork Soda, the one with "My Name Is Mud." Les Claypool's distinct vocals and bass virtuosity come together to create music that's unique and eccentric but still heavy and somewhat accessible. Is Primus metal? We're not sure. But we do...
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Ozzy, Dio & Our Favorite Black Sabbath Albums
Matt, Brian, and friend / fellow metalhead Linda reflect on the monumental Back to the Beginning concert, where the metal world said goodbye to Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne. Then, we discuss our favorite Sabbath albums. This episode is packed with Sabbath fun facts, doomy band recommendations,...
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How Entombed’s Morning Star Pushed Death Metal Boundaries
Brian and Matt's death metal deep dive continues with Entombed's Morning Star. This Big Four of Swedish Death Metal member and death 'n' roll pioneer has a far-reaching influence worth exploring. The Noise Report covers the deep meanings of Morning Star's lyrics, Entombed's parallels to…
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BEST Metal of 2026 ... So Far
Brian and Matt list their favorite metal albums at the halfway point of 2026. From old favorites like Acacia Strain and Corrosion of Conformity to new discoveries like Volcandra and Frozen Soul, hear their recommendations so you can catch up on what you might have missed. Featured Track: Decent...
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Dave TREE on Hardcore, Breaking Radio Rules, and Saying "Bye Bye Boston Goodbye”
TREE has been a staple in the hardcore scene for over three decades. As they gear up to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their iconic album "Downsizing the American Dream," vocalist Dave Tree joins The Noise Report to talk about Boston hardcore from the early days to today and the stories behind...
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Doom & Death! Stone Nomads' Jude Sisk Talks Death's Human
Matt and Brian talk doom and death with Jude Sisk, bassist from Stone Nomads, about why Death's Human stands as a metal milestone. We explore the band’s groundbreaking rhythm section, lyrical depth, and influence on modern metal—plus, Jude shares his personal journey from punk roots to doom metal...
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Lionheart: Misunderstood or "Knucklehead" Hardcore?
Sometimes you’ve gotta mix your metal with hardcore! Brian explains how Lionheart’s Love Don’t Live Here gets him amped while Matt struggles to look past the “level-one” lyrics. Can they come to a consensus? From Hatebreed to Knocked Loose, the guys discuss hardcore bands they love to scream…
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Why Isn't Sevendust Bigger?
Brian and Matt attempt to uncover why heavy metal workhorses Sevendust aren't as huge as they should be. And, is that even a bad thing? Listen for a discussion on Sevendust's 30+ year career with a focus on their 2001 album Animosity. Plus, that song we've been using as our theme? You deserve to...
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Hell Is Here: Slayer's South of Heaven feat. The Bunn
This episode, we get Slaytanic! Brian and Matt explore Slayer's South of Heaven with special guest, sludge metal musician Scott Sokoloski, aka The Bunn. We cover scary album art, the depth of Slayer’s philosophy, and tons more. If you’re a musician or other type of creator, we discuss the...
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The Wordless Power of Pelican's City of Echoes
From shrieks to growls, vocals are part of what makes metal music great. But are they mandatory? Hell no! Brian and Matt argue that metal can be just as powerful without words and offer Pelican's City of Echoes as Exhibit A. They discuss metal's classical roots, instrumental music's timelessness,...
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From Punks to Metal Legends: Deliverance by Corrosion of Conformity
On the first episode of The Noise Report, Matt and Brian discuss Corrosion of Conformity's 1994 album Deliverance, featuring classic tracks like "Albatross" and "Clean My Wounds." They dive into more of CoC's history and discography, recall seeing them perform for about 12 people, and recommend...
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Noise Report Trailer
Stop relying on the algorithm for heavy metal recommendations. It can’t give you the personal stories, the passionate debates, or the raw connection of friends sharing a lifelong obsession. It doesn’t have blood — or metal — in its veins. We do. On the Noise Report, three lifelong metalheads...
About this show
Longtime metalheads deliver classic album breakdowns and recommend lesser known bands for your headbanging needs.
Hosted by
Brian Harvey, Matt Reno
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