Michael Borden
9 pieces on Mythic Heavy
- FeatureOctober 14, 2026
Two Perfect Bands: Bon Scott’s AC/DC and Roth’s Van Halen
Between the Bon Scott years and the David Lee Roth years, two bands made nothing but great albums — the pure distillation of rock and roll, approached from opposite directions.
- FeatureOctober 14, 2026
The Seattle Big Four: A Retrospective and an Unpopular Opinion
Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and Nirvana defined a generation. All four are great. But one has been elevated above the others — and it's time to say so.
By Ryan Montgomery, Joshua Fine and Michael Borden
- FeatureOctober 14, 2026
Two Perfect Bands
Between the Bon Scott years and the David Lee Roth years, two bands made nothing but great albums — the pure distillation of rock and roll, approached from opposite directions.
- Beyond the RiffOctober 13, 2026
Roots, Rhythms, and Recontextualization: Sepultura's Unacknowledged Role
How Sepultura's Roots (1996) introduced Brazilian rhythmic vocabularies to a large American audience.
- Off the Heavy TrackOctober 13, 2026
In Defense of Van Hagar
The Sammy Hagar years have been dismissed for decades. It’s time to judge them on their own terms.
- Concert ReviewOctober 11, 2026
Rush in Seattle: The Power of Friendship, the Weight of Loss, and the Joy of Playing On
Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Annika Nilles brought the 50th anniversary tour to Climate Pledge Arena. Three writers were there.
By Ryan Montgomery, Michael Borden & Joshua Fine
- FeatureOctober 6, 2026
Eldritch Riffs: The Heavy Metal Roots of Cosmic Horror
From Black Sabbath’s occult dread to the tentacled riffs of Portal and Ulcerate, heavy metal has always been the natural home of Lovecraftian terror.
- FeatureOctober 2026
Underground Gems: The Hidden Cathedrals of Doom
Fifteen albums from the slow, crushing, Sabbath-worshipping world of doom metal — a genre that has always lived underground — plus one modern band carrying the torch.
- FeatureOctober 2026
Swamp Heavy: The New Orleans Metal Scene
New Orleans gave the world jazz, second lines and brass bands. In the 1980s and ’90s, it also gave the world some of the heaviest, slowest, nastiest music ever made.