Can I Pod With Madness - Kerrang in the 1980s

Patreon Bonus Pod Preview: Brilliant But Also Terrible: KISS SPECIAL

Here's a preview of our first Patreon exclusive Pod. 
An attempt to cover Metal Hammer's KISS Fan Mag stays mostly off track as we lurch into an AMAZING Bret Michaels Based Quiz, literally sing the praises of Poison, take an uncomfortably deep dive into the work of Michael Bolton, and offer our hot new recommendation - or, if you will, Rockommendation for 2025: Vixen. Also, for some reason, a review of Andor.
Full Episode includes:
Andor Review
What’s Bret MicHEOWLING?
Poison Tribute.
Michael Bolton: Deep Dive
Rock of Love Retrospective
Rockommendation: Vixen
KISS FAN MAG
KISS KWISZ
The Golden Girls: Slight Return
KISS STATZ
Bolton: The Deepest Dive
Sounds pretty good right? Not just a bog standard episode behind a paywall! To listen to the whole unexpurgated mess, just sign up to our Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/c/PodWithMadness
In addition to the bonus pods, you also get access to the PWM digital archive where you can read along with us, early episode access and we'll even send you our old, used Kerrangs!
Recorded: 26th Sept 2025
 

A Very Sexual Material - Kerrang 258, Sept 30 1989 pt2 PWM54

We’re back to finish off Kerrang 258, even though we did all the good bits last time. The old reliable maniacs in the letters page and personal ads come through for us, once again so don’t worry about that! There’s MORE Jim Steinman discourse, because that dude can’t be limited to one podcast. We do a DEEP KUTZ that we’ve already done, review some horror movies, and bring back TV KRYMEZ!
 
Video Fears! Endless Friends chat! The best superhero music revealed! And the 347th mention of The Decline of Western Civilization Part 2: The Metal Years on this podcast. We *really* need to watch that movie.
 
This episode is not sponsored by Candy Kittens but it fucking might as well be - however, please note this is now an EG Daily fan podcast.
 
Recorded 14 Sept 2025

A Human Flesh Woman - Kerrang 258, Sept 30 1989 - PWM53

It's September so we're talking Christmas TV ads OBVIOUSLY. Meanwhile, in 1989 it's also September and Kerrang have an interview with Jim Steinman. Have a guess whether you think he's a fan of Dire Straits or the Police Academy franchise. There's a certain amount of shade thrown at Mitch Pileggi but that's down to our antipathy for Skinner from the X-Files,  and not his appearance in the extremely metal horror movie Shocker. Bruce Dickinson’s solo career and stage trousers are discussed. We reminisce about the worst Christmas Eve ever and look back at the best live performers from the early 2000s Pop Idol era. And we ascertain the exact moment in history when Alice Cooper was at his sexiest.
Also we launch our Patreon. Come on, it had to happen. 
Shoutout to @Kerrang_Classic_Magazine for posting stuff from the issue.
This week’s secret theme: Ken Russell.
 
Recorded 7th September 2025

Jive Bunny is like Prog - Metal Hammer July 18th 1988 - PWM52

We're back with our heads in Metal Hammer this week- it's 1988 - Ozzy is on tour, King Diamond is robbing graves and Van Halen is utterly indecipherable. 
When we're not reading about a respectable heavy metal mum (37 - so she'd be 74 now, hello if you're listening ma'am), we spiral into the rabbit hole of all rabbit holes, Rotherham's very own Jive Bunny. If that wasn't enough of an irrelevant tangent for you we also dig into a nefarious conspiracy around Fruit of the Loom. 
Also ANOTHER Kompetition update, Nizlopi memories and stuff about Christmas. Please note this episode features the first mention of Ed Sheeran on this podcast. And very probably the last. Plus a DEEP KUTZ DUET.
 
Recorded 15th August 2025

Venom Ain’t Got No Knobs - Kerrang 50 Sept 1983 - PWM51

Caught Up In The Rapture of Me!
We’re jumping forward two years to find Kerrang well and truly established, hitting its 50th issue and smushing a cake onto Ian Gillan’s head. The celebrated Child In Time screamer currently finds himself NOT in the ranks of the mighty Purps, but somehow inexplicably in the doom laden court of another seminal 70s metal combo. Who could that be?
Stonehenge based shenanigans aside, we have a feature on Venom, who are NOT HAPPY. Also disgruntled are Fastway, and most of the Korrespondents on the letters page. Crikey! Nazareth's Dan McCafferty appears in a photo I will never post on Instagram, and I regret to note that we're definitely losing the Quo fans with this episode. Luckily Ozzy shows up on the back cover and all is well again.
We've got some DEEP KUTZ, an argument about DEEP KUTZ, and a Kompetition Update! 
 
Recorded 6th August 2025

Did You Read The Music Papers? Kerrang issue 1, June 1981 - PWM50

Join us as we look back on fifty glorious years of podcasting, in our ass-blasting, spectacular Anniversary Blowout!! We're teleporting all the way back to June ‘81 to check out a little magazine called Kerrang, The Sounds Heavy Metal Special (and The Empire Strikes Back Monthly issue 146). We look at some of the lesser known NWOBHMers (hello Handsome Beasts!), and check out the OFFICIAL 100 Greatest Heavy Metal songs. What’s at number 1? The answer may shock you. Or, y’know it may not.
 
Saxon get a big article that's mostly about tea. And there’s a lot of pics IN COLOUR! Works brilliantly on a podcast, that does.
 
We unveil a new feature, SUPERFICIAL SKRATCHEZ, PWM Ghostwatch continues, we chronicle our day trip to Whitby, bid a fond farewell to Ozzy and even manage to inadvertently shoutout to some of our listeners. And there's some fun end of term games too!
 
Etc!
 
Recorded 30th July, 2025

Slayerfest 98 - Kerrang 706, July 1998 - PWM49

Ch-ch-ch, Ha-ha-ha. Here's the second part of our DEEP dive into the rock scene of the late 90s. Kerrang is counting down the 100 Coolest Rock Stars and we attempt to guess who's made the list. Is Saffron from Republica here? You'll have to listen to find out.
 
Also, amid tales of hanging around in graveyards (goth af), we're reminiscing about stoner rock pub gigs, examining ghost physics, and continuing to bang on about Buffy. What’s workplace team building like in Sunnydale? Who's the 90s equivalent of Lisa Dominique? Who remembers Live Aid? What’s a Alice Cooper slasher crossover? Can we name the members of Reef? 
 
Plus: Korntroversy! 
 
Recorded July 13, 2025
This week's ad is for @musicnoteswithjess

It's The Nineties - Kerrang 706 July 1998 - PWM48

Gettin' it straight in '98 y'all! We're just back from a Star Wars "convention", and tearing ourselves away from playing (Kessel) Sabacc long enough to record a podcast, we're tackling a Kerrang from the modern era (27 years ago).
The deeply ungoogleable pop punk band A are recalled, as is the unloved meteor based sci fi blockbuster Armageddon. We examine how Disney *really* banked on the popularity of that movie well past its use by date, and also the curious marketing decision of forcing people who want to go to Honey I Shrunk The Audience to watch a seemingly endless advert for Kodak.
The Prodigy and The Beastie Boys are all over this issue, and Dream Theater predictably get a right kicking in the live reviews. The Presidents of the USA are no more (for the moment, at least). One of us saw them live. The other was clearly too busy watching Julia Valet on Superock.
David Lee Roth might be ignoring the 90s but we sure as hell aren't!
 
This week's ad is for @PolyphonicPress
Recorded 31st May 2025