Mandatory Music | Podcast Guru

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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.

Recent Episodes

Ep. 102: Greta Van Fleet’s “Saw You Stand”

We would love to hear from you!! Send us a text Mike and Sebastian finally dig into Greta Van Fleet on Mandatory Music, Episode 102, with a deep dive into “Saw You Stand” from the new album Palace for the People (out October 9). Sebastian argues it’s the best Greta Van Fleet song to date, and Mike, who’s never been a big fan, admits he’s coming around. They talk about why the singer’s usual “look at me, I can sing” performance gives way here to a vocal that feels lived in, how the melody and ...

22 MIN

Metallica at the Sphere: Set Lists, Deep Cuts & Visuals - Ep. 101

We would love to hear from you!! Send us a text Mike and Sebastian break down Metallica's first two nights at the Sphere in Las Vegas on Mandatory Music, Episode 101. They go through both set lists, including Battery as an opener for the first time since 2014, Shortest Straw, ...And Justice for All, Blackened opening Night 2, and Devil's Dance returning for the first time since 2008. They also debate Fixer and James's range, why 72 Seasons should be rotated out for Room of Mirrors or Chasing ...

30 MIN

Are Pearl Jam, U2 & Coldplay Overrated? | Ep. 100

We would love to hear from you!! Send us a text Episode 100! 🎉 We made it — and to celebrate, we're diving into one of our favorite arguments: which legendary bands are actually overrated? Pearl Jam, Coldplay, Led Zeppelin, U2, Nickelback, and Slipknot all get put on trial. Plus: VMAs recap (Taylor Swift's new deluxe album, Madonna's questionable dance moves, Snoop Dogg's... joke), music news (Clutch's new record, A Perfect Circle's 2026 tour, Slipknot's stadium tour), and the Nirvana reunion...

55 MIN

Episode 99: Foo Fighters Live show review

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

42 MIN

The Grand Return and One and a Half Dog

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 s...

31 MIN