J, Chip, and Tim dig into the heavy rock and metal that defined two decades—from Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin’s pioneering riffs to Mötley Crüe’s sonic excess, the unsung heroes, and the stories behind it all. One album at a time. Let’s relive the magic.
www.digmeoutpodcast.com (https://www.digmeoutpodcast.com/s/dig-me-out-80s-metal?utm_medium=podcast)
Publisher
Beyond the hits—exploring the albums, bands, and moments that shaped the heavy 70s & 80s metal
A Top 40 single, a Capitol Records deal, KISS-world connections, and Jack Douglas in the producer’s chair. So why is Starz’s Violation still a record most rock fans have never heard?
Jay, Tim, and Chip dig into the 1977 album that turned Starz into a musicians’ favorite without making them stars. We get into Bill Aucoin, Richie Ranno’s connection to Gene Simmons and Ozzy Osbourne auditions, “Cherry Baby” reaching No. 33, and the strange mix of power pop, hard rock, theatrical vocals, and sharp melodic turns that makes Violation both rewarding and frustrating.
If you love KISS (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiss_(band)), Cheap Trick (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheap_Trick), Angel (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel_(American_band)), or late-1970s melodic hard rock, this episode is for you.
Episode highlights:
00:44: The poll that sent Starz to the table
07:23: Bill Aucoin, Capitol, and Jack Douglas
16:44: “Sing It, Shout It” and “S.T.E.A.D.Y.”
30:07: “Subway Terror” and the album’s harder edge
32:41: “Is That a Street Light or the Moon?”
38:40: Why Starz never broke through
56:22: Worthy album or better EP?
Subscribe to Dig Me Out at digmeoutpodcast.com (http://digmeoutpodcast.com) | Join the community at dmounion.com (http://dmounion.com)Have a lost or forgotten album that deserves the spotlight? Suggest it here. (https://airtable.com/app356TrsQzwKOddY/pagITslz557viDn90/form)
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.digmeoutpodcast.com/subscribe (https://www.digmeoutpodcast.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)
15 Sept 2026
Holland’s Little Monsters: The Chicago Metal Album That Got Lost Between Scenes
What if one of 1985’s most overlooked metal albums was not from the Sunset Strip at all?
This week, Jay, Tim, and Chip dig into Holland (https://www.discogs.com/artist/1038693-Holland)’s 1985 Atlantic Records debut, Little Monsters (https://www.discogs.com/master/348533-Holland-Little-Monsters). The album won an 80 percent community runoff, and it became a first listen for all three of us. Featuring powerhouse vocalist Tom Holland and future guitar virtuoso Michael Angelo Batio, it is a tight 34-minute hard-rock record with equal parts melodic songwriting, technical guitar, Chicago identity, and mid-’80s major-label ambition.
We get into the power-pop instincts beneath the riffs, Batio’s surprisingly disciplined shred work, “Wake Up the Neighborhood” appearing in Girls Just Want to Have Fun, the album’s strongest songs, and why Holland may have needed one more record to find its real commercial lane.
If you love Cheap Trick, Vinnie Vincent Invasion, Enuff Z’Nuff, early Def Leppard, or overlooked ’80s hard rock, this episode is for you.
00:44: The poll result and Holland’s underdog victory
01:40: Holland’s short history and Chicago roots
02:22: Michael Angelo Batio before Nitro
02:37: “Wake Up the Neighborhood” and its movie connection
03:09: The album’s best riffs, hooks, and influences
04:04: What keeps Little Monsters from being a complete statement
04:50: Final verdict
Subscribe to Dig Me Out at digmeoutpodcast.com (http://digmeoutpodcast.com) | Join the community at dmounion.com (http://dmounion.com)Have a lost or forgotten album that deserves the spotlight? Suggest it here. (https://airtable.com/app356TrsQzwKOddY/pagITslz557viDn90/form)
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.digmeoutpodcast.com/subscribe (https://www.digmeoutpodcast.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)
1 Sept 2026
Hawkwind Made Proto-Stoner Rock Before Anyone Had a Name for It
A Swedish band nobody outside Scandinavia ever heard live sounds like it was mixed by people who actually understood 80s post-punk instead of just imitating it. This episode, guest Darren Leach brings his first pick from the 2000s: Cut City's 2007 debut Exit Decades, a nine-song, 34-minute record that channels Joy Division, The Sound, and early Interpol while arriving a few years after the post-punk revival's commercial peak. We dig into the mechanical-versus-expressive tension in the arrangements, the mix that lets every instrument breathe, and why the album might be missing the one quirky vocal hook that made its peers famous. If you love Interpol, Editors, Bloc Party, or 2000s post-punk revival, this episode is for you.
Highlights:
01:49: Darren introduces Cut City and the album
08:51: The mechanical/expressive dynamic breakdown
19:05: The mix and bass discussion
26:49: What doesn't fully land on the record
33:09: The post-punk revival timeline
37:41: Ratings revealed
Subscribe to Dig Me Out at digmeoutpodcast.com (http://digmeoutpodcast.com) | Join the community at dmounion.com (http://dmounion.com) Have a lost or forgotten album that deserves the spotlight? Suggest it here. (https://airtable.com/app356TrsQzwKOddY/pagITslz557viDn90/form)
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.digmeoutpodcast.com/subscribe (https://www.digmeoutpodcast.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
68,628
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
12 ratings
Spotify
4.9 / 5
16 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 71 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
83
Social presence
0
YouTube
76
Engagement
71
Contact Dig Me Out: 80s Metal
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