After metal’s materialist excesses of the ‘80s, a backlash in the form of “folk metal” emerged the following decade. Agalloch’s The Mantle was its apex, epitomizing metal musicians’ retreat to forests and reconnections with nature.
Continue readingAgalloch’s ‘The Mantle’: Two Cent Review
Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags Agalloch on 10/15/2026 by Kurt OrzeckNick Drake’s ‘Five Leaves Left’: Two Cent Review
Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags Nick Drake on 10/15/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
Nick Drake’s debut album Five Leaves Left is as close to a synesthetic experience as music can offer. Each of the 10 gentle songs acts as the soundtrack to a leaf falling off a tree and swaying back and forth as it descends to the ground.
Continue readingTop 6 Best Lithuanian Metal Bands, According to Native Sons Erdve
Posted in Lists, Videos with tags Aortes, Crypts of Despair, Death in Taiga, Erdve, Extravaganza, Luctus, Nooseweight on 10/15/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
Didn’t think you’d ever read a story about bands from Lithuania, did ya? Didn’t realize that Lithuania boasts some killer metal outfits, did ya? Didn’t think there’d be more worth listening to than fingers you have on one hand, did ya?
Well, that’s why The Bad Penny is here. To bring you stories you wouldn’t have guessed existed but that turn out to be both informative and entertaining.
Blackened hardcore phenoms Erdve recently did us the honor of compiling a list of the best metal bands from their country as part of The Bad Penny Passport series, in which we virtually trot around the globe and touch base with musicians to learn about the best heavy musical talent in their homeland.
Continue readingWhat Black Sabbath, The Velvet Underground, Herbie Hancock, Roxy Music and Dr. John Have in Common
Posted in Essays with tags Black Sabbath, Dr. John, Herbie Hancock, Roxy Music, the Velvet Underground on 10/15/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
Music enthusiasts who think very highly of themselves may tell you that they can predict an artist will become a superstar based on their first album alone. With a few stray exceptions over the years, that’s basically hogwash spewed by a charlatan who wants to pump up their own ego so they can elevate their reputation.
Continue readingPhilip Glass Sets ‘Einstein on the Beach’ 50th Anniversary Performances as Part of 90th Birthday
Posted in News with tags Philip Glass on 10/15/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
Philip Glass, widely considered to be the greatest living composer of classical music if not any genre, will deliver a series of 50th anniversary performances of his legendary “Einstein on the Beach” opera in the lead-up to his 90th birthday celebration in January.
Continue readingEx-Unsane Bassist Prioritizes Focus on Genocide in Gaza Versus Drama With Past Bandmates on Baratro’s New LP
Posted in Interview Transcripts, Interviews with tags Baratro, Chris Spencer, Dave Curran, Eugene S. Robinson, Federico Hartridge, gaza, genocide, Luca Antonozzi, Marnero, Unsane on 10/14/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
The 200-year-old sonnet known as “Ozymandias” returned to the public discourse this year when Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly referenced it to Trump – who was, probably for the best, apparently oblivious to the gist of the story. In essence, “Ozymandias” is an allusion to a once-powerful but increasingly irrelevant superpower unaware that it is being overtaken by a younger rival empire with momentum on its side.
For fear of sounding grandiose, “Ozymandias” could perhaps be applied as well to two interrelated bands, one of which achieved significant popularity in its heyday but now appears to be sputtering; and the other a relatively young upstart group that could very well position itself to eclipse its elder relative.
The bands in question are Unsane and Baratro, which are both cut from the same cloth – noise-rock. For lack of a better term, the connective tissue between the groups is one Dave Curran, who played bass in Unsane from 1994 to 2000; and then again when Unsane reactivated, from 2003 to 2018. For those allergic to math, that’s a lot of mileage for a musician to commit to a band – 22 years – even if Curran wasn’t a founding member of his former outfit.
Continue reading10 Nirvana Songs Written by Kurt Cobain That Never Got the Attention They Deserved
Posted in Essays, Lists with tags Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, Kurt Cobain, Nirvana on 10/14/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
We all know Nirvana’s hit songs. “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” “Come as You Are.” “Heart-Shaped Box.” “All Apologies.” “Lithium.” “In Bloom.” Those tunes — which, fun fact, appear to be the last-released songs that are played on classic-rock radio — are imprinted indelibly on the minds of not just rock fans but American culture in general. But, as is always the case with any rock band, their hit songs only tell a small part of the group’s story. Another extremely critical aspect of Nirvana’s legacy is that they created at least a couple dozen high-quality tunes that never got their due.
Continue readingOn Tyranny: Brand-New Norwegian Post-Punks The Ape Are No-Holds-Barred When It Comes to Fighting Fascism
Posted in Features, Interviews, On Tyranny, On Tyranny with tags authoritarianism, fascism, On Tyranny, punk rock, The Ape, trump, tyranny on 10/13/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
Heard of Norway band The Ape? Yeah, we hadn’t either, until we caught wind of them a few months ago. And when those winds blow in your neck of the woods, you’ll hear about the post-punks quickly as well.
The reason we’re starting this article with a focus on the Oslo band’s obscurity is because they’re already getting a big push on the strength of three singles that are not available, even though the full-length that will presumably contain them won’t be out until an undetermined release date next year, courtesy ofLoyal Blood Records.
The Ape consists of vocalist/drummer Johan Fredrik Bolli, guitarists Simen Trippestad and Johannes Amble, and bassist Kristian Leonhardsebn.
Some may interpret The Ape’s newbie status as a sign of weakness, that they haven’t amassed enough life experiences and that they’re too young to know what they’re talking about. Those critics are dead wrong, as proven by The Bad Penny‘s interview with the gang less than a month ago. Not only do they have their heads on straight, they’re astute about the political climate across the world, and thus earned themselves a spot as the last participants in our ongoing On Tyranny series.
Read it for yourself.
Continue readingPet Sounds #95: London Queer Indie-Pop Duo SassyHiya Adore Their Kitty’s Sassy Antics
Posted in Features, Interviews, Pet Sounds with tags Pet Sounds, SassyHiya on 10/13/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
Cooped up in a flat in South London, partners Kathy Wright (vocals, guitar)) and Helen Skinner (vocals, bass) decided too take the big plunge around 2014 and embrace another member of their modest family: a cat adoringly and uniquely named Crayon. While the indie-pop group has made no secret of their biggest fan and booster, they recently reached out to The Bad Penny to rave about their lovely little companion. Trust us, both their remarks and the song SassyHiya pale in comparison to the smoosh-ability of their priceless feline.
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