Mandatory Music

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.

Mandatory Music is a music podcast hosted by Michael Heide and Sebastian Kwapich, with 101 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Michael Heide and Sebastian Kwapich hosts Mandatory Music, a music show with 101 episodes published.

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  Episode #100

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

  Sep 30, 202656 min

  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 at the VMAs. Thanks for listening to 100 episodes — here's to the next hundred. Got a hot take? Email us: mandatorymusicshow@gmail.com TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Cold Open: Unofficial Episode 100 1:13 Soccer Life & Playing Forever 2:30 Metallica / Elton John's "Nothing Else Matters" Story 4:15 VMAs Recap: Snoop Dogg & Taylor Swift's New Award Category 6:08 Taylor Swift's Showgirl Deluxe: Has She Lost Her Edge? 10:00 Madonna at the VMAs & Aging Gracefully in Music vs. Sports 13:40 George Michael Tribute & Feeling Out of Touch with Pop 14:25 Music Discovery: Spotify, Apple Stations & Crimson Blood 15:39 Genre Snobbery: No Metal Category & the Grammys 19:06 Music News: Clutch Announce Wasted Lands 21:42 Metallica/Foo Fighters Ticket Presale War Stories 26:12 A Perfect Circle's New Single & 2026 Tour 27:18 Judas Priest's Ian Hill Misses First Show in 57 Years 28:05 Slipknot's Stadium Tour Announcement 28:38 Bands Worth Seeing Live for the Spectacle 30:23 Roger Waters' "Legacy" Pink Floyd Tribute Show 33:35 Nirvana's VMA Video Vanguard Award 34:38 MAIN TOPIC: Overrated Bands — Pearl Jam 38:36 Coldplay 39:45 Led Zeppelin 43:19 Nickelback 44:24 U2: Is The Edge Actually a Great Guitarist? 52:00 Slipknot Revisited 53:17 Where to Find the Show 55:33 Teaser: Greta Van Fleet's "Saw You Stand" 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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  Episode #99

  Episode 99: Foo Fighters Live show review

  Sep 23, 202643 min

  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-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. Topics Concert Review: Foo Fighters & Queens of the Stone Age Venue & 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 Design Concept: 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 & Updates Pepper 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 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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  Mandatory Music

  Album Battle II

  May 14, 202655 min

  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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  Mandatory Music

  From Metal to Maul: A Rabbit Hole Episode

  May 1, 20261h 3m

  We would love to hear from you!! Send us a text This week, Mike and Sebastian go down the rabbit hole. It starts with Megadeth tackling Metallica’s Ride the Lightning Live , but quickly spirals into a bigger conversation about aging metal bands, artists ditching their biggest hits, and why metal still gets misunderstood. Along the way, they connect metal to classical music, debate creative choices from major artists, and somehow end up talking Star Wars, new releases, and Hollywood’s reboot obsession. It’s messy, it’s fun, and it’s exactly what you’d expect. 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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  Mandatory Music

  RRHOF 2026

  Apr 17, 202649 min

  We would love to hear from you!! Send us a text This week on Mandatory Music , Sebastian and Mike dive headfirst into the latest Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees. It’s a lively, no-holds-barred discussion as they break down every name on the list—celebrating the legends who were long overdue while also questioning a few picks that didn’t quite hit the mark. Who made the cut? Who sparked debate? And which inductee had one of them shaking their head? Tune in and find out. 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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