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Mandatory Music

Mandatory Music

Written by: Michael Heide and Sebastian Kwapich
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Welcome to Mandatory Music! A podcast about the craft of music.
Join Mike and Sebastian as they unravel the depths of song writing, musicianship and great artists. Each season centres on one particular band, with a deep dive into specific songs that delve into their creation, sound and complexity. It is within song and harmony, melody and rhythm that our emotional heartbeat echos.
It has been said that "Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything. - Plato
So, come for the ride.

© 2026 Mandatory Music Music
Episodes
  • Episode 99: Foo Fighters Live show review

    Episode 99: Foo Fighters Live show review
    Sep 24 2026
    We would love to hear from you!! Send us a textFoo Fighters Concert Review: A 3-hour, 25-song set at BC Place converted a skeptic into a fan, highlighting Dave Grohl's exceptional showmanship and the band's tight performance.Metallica's "In the Round" Stage: Metallica uses a central, circular stage for stadium tours, a format pioneered by Def Leppard, to sell all seats by providing unobstructed views.New Music & Band Updates:Pepper Keenan (COC/Down): Working on a country-tinged solo album.William Shatner: Releasing a heavy metal album, What the F is Heavy Metal, at age 95.Anthrax: Released Curse some Parsifio, possibly a final album, with a title that translates to "My journey is over."Dave Mustaine's "Big Four" Picks: Mustaine named Testament, Exodus, Overkill, and Trivium as his "Big Four" of modern thrash, a controversial list that includes a non-thrash band.TopicsConcert Review: Foo Fighters & Queens of the Stone AgeVenue & Logistics:Location: BC Place, Vancouver.Timing: An early 4 PM start was likely due to Vancouver's Sunday curfew.Sound: BC Place's sound system has significantly improved.Merch: An outdoor merch tent effectively managed lines.Queens of the Stone Age (QOTSA):Performance: Crushed a 12-song set, reigniting a love for the band.Setlist: Focused on classics like "Songs for the Deaf" and included "666" for the first time in 1.5 years. No new material was played despite a new album releasing in a month.Foo Fighters:Performance: A 3-hour, 25-song set that converted a skeptic into a fan.Showmanship: Dave Grohl's high-energy performance included storytelling and genuine crowd interaction.Band Intros: A highlight where each member played a snippet from their previous bands (e.g., The Wallflowers, Sunny Day Real Estate).New Drummer (Josh Freese): Fully integrated; switched instruments with Grohl for a shredding guitar solo on "The Tap Dancing in a Minefield."Technical Detail: The band tuned down to D, a common tactic for older bands to preserve vocal range.Metallica's "In the Round" Stage DesignConcept: A central, circular stage that allows for 360-degree audience views.Benefit: Maximizes stadium capacity by eliminating blocked-off sections behind a traditional end-zone stage.Origin: Pioneered by Def Leppard on their 1987-88 Hysteria tour, not Metallica.Other Bands: U2 also used a similar "in the round" setup for their 360 Tour.Music News & UpdatesPepper Keenan (Corrosion of Conformity, Down):Working on a first-ever solo record.Style will be country-tinged, similar to the Down song "Stare Too Long."William Shatner:Releasing a heavy metal album, What the F is Heavy Metal, in late 2026 at age 95.Nickelback:New album out in late October.The single "Rattle the Cage" was praised as a strong song, possibly influenced by John 5's guitar work.DragonForce:Frontman Marc Hudson stepped back due to severe tinnitus.New album, DragonForce, features guest vocals from Alyssa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy).Slipknot:Launched a cryptic website teasing a tour announcement for September 28.Dave Mustaine (Megadeth):His memoir, In My Darkest Hour, revealed James Hetfield (Metallica) provided significant emotional support during Mustaine's 2019 throat cancer battle.Anthrax:Released 12th studio album, Curse some Parsifio, after a 10-year gap.The title, Latin for "My journey is over," suggests it may be a final album.Scott Ian called the track "The Edge of Perfection" the band's greatest song.Mandatory Music is proudly hosted and produced by Michael Heide and Sebastian KwapichContact Mandatory Music:email us at mandatorymusicshow@gmail.comfind us on Facebook search mandatory musicInstagram: mandatory_music1Twitter(X) @mandatory_musicThanks for listening and keep on rocking
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    43 mins
  • The Grand Return and One and a Half Dog

    The Grand Return and One and a Half Dog
    Sep 17 2026

    We would love to hear from you!! Send us a text

    After what was supposed to be a one month break turned into 4 months but that's ok. We are back to our normally scheduled programming putting shows out weekly again.

    So for our first show back we spend some time catching up a bit talking about Seb's amazing World Cup experience, one check mark off of his bucket list. We talk a little music news and cover a few different topics and for the main course we had the privilege of playing some brand new music that will not be released until September 25!! One and a half dog, a band from Norway reached out to us to have a listen to their new single "The Letter" and it was so amazing we had to play it for everyone to hear.

    Here is a link to their Apple Music profile so you can listen to the other great songs they have released https://music.apple.com/ca/artist/one-and-a-half-dog/1481249509.



    Mandatory Music is proudly hosted and produced by Michael Heide and Sebastian Kwapich

    Contact Mandatory Music:
    email us at mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com
    find us on Facebook search mandatory music
    Instagram: mandatory_music1
    Twitter(X) @mandatory_music

    Thanks for listening and keep on rocking

    Show More Show Less
    31 mins
  • Album Battle II

    Album Battle II
    May 14 2026

    We would love to hear from you!! Send us a text



    This week we dive into our second album battle between familiar foes Metallica an Megadeth. We had a blast burning this down so tune in and check it out!


    Track-by-Track Comparison:

    72 Seasons vs. Tipping Point:

    • Winner: Split decision.
    • Rationale: Tipping Point is a punchier opener, but 72 Seasons was praised for its dynamic structure.
    • Screaming Suicide vs. I Don't Care:
      • Winner: Screaming Suicide.
      • Rationale: The main riff and solo are strong, and the song is better live.
    • Sleepwalk My Life Away vs. Hey, God:
      • Winner: Hey, God.
      • Rationale: Sleepwalk's intro is great, but the song loses momentum. Hey, God is a solid, mid-90s Megadeth-style track.
    • You Must Burn! vs. Let There Be Shred:
      • Winner: You Must Burn!.
      • Rationale: A sludgy, chuggy gem with a great middle section. Let There Be Shred would have been better as an instrumental.
    • Lux Æterna vs. Puppet Parade:
      • Winner: Puppet Parade.
      • Rationale: A tough matchup. Puppet Parade is a classic 90s Megadeth track with more body.
    • Crown of Barbed Wire vs. Another Bad Day:
      • Winner: Crown of Barbed Wire.
      • Rationale: A unique, sonically different song for Metallica, praised as a "sleeper song."
    • If Darkness Had a Son vs. Made in Hell:
      • Winner: If Darkness Had a Son.
      • Rationale: The intro is a 10/10, despite the song losing steam vocally. Made in Hell's drum intro was criticized as random.
    • Too Far Gone! vs. Obey the Call:
      • Winner: Split decision.
      • Rationale: One host chose Too Far Gone! for its strong second half. The other chose Obey the Call for its menacing guitar tone.
    • Room of Mirrors vs. I Am War:
      • Winner: Room of Mirrors.
      • Rationale: A complete, sonically distinct song with excellent harmony guitars.
    • Inamorata vs. The Last Note:
      • Winner: Inamorata.
      • Rationale: An epic, doom-metal-influenced song considered one of Metallica's best of the century.




    Mandatory Music is proudly hosted and produced by Michael Heide and Sebastian Kwapich

    Contact Mandatory Music:
    email us at mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com
    find us on Facebook search mandatory music
    Instagram: mandatory_music1
    Twitter(X) @mandatory_music

    Thanks for listening and keep on rocking

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    55 mins
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