March Metal Madness: Deep Purple & System of a Down

Don and Dude kick off March Metal Madness at the molten core of metal history, where early 70s riff worship collides with turn‑of‑the‑century whiplash politics and drop‑tuned chaos. Quiet is not invited as roaring Hammond organ runs, arena‑sized choruses, jagged time shifts, and Armenian folk‑tinged melodies slam together in a bracket‑busting showdown between a founding father of heavy and a band that made nu metal feel like something stranger, smarter, and way more volatile.

The Albums

Deep Purple – Machine Head (1972) Deep Purple bottle their live attack into a lean set of riff‑driven hard rock and early metal, powered by screaming organ, precision guitar runs, and road‑forged songs about speed, smoke, and space.

System of a Down – Toxicity (2001) System of a Down fuse drop‑C chugs, political fury, Armenian melodies, and lurching song structures into a sharp, funny, and uncomfortably intense metal statement that made nu metal look small by comparison.

Diggin’ Albums

The Black Crowes – A Pound of Feathers (2026) Blues‑drenched rock lifers push their Southern swagger into heavier, more instinctive territory, chasing loose, live‑band energy and gritty riffs over quick‑cut Nashville sessions.

Def Leppard – On Through the Night (1980) Early Def Leppard catches the band in raw NWOBHM mode, all scrappy dual‑guitar attack and hungry choruses before the big‑budget 80s gloss took over.

Ora Cogan – Hard Hearted Woman (2026) Smoky, slow‑burn songs drift between haunted folk, shadowy psych, and dusty country, wrapping breakup scars and political unease in echo‑laden guitar and moody band arrangements.

The Notwist – News from Planet Zombie (2026) Long‑running German shapeshifters stitch guitars, electronics, brass, and mallet percussion into anxious, off‑kilter indie pop that stares down a chaotic world with small, stubborn flashes of hope.

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“It wasn't called ‘heavy metal’ when we invented it.” – Dave Davies