This month, Say What You Will travels back 40 years to July 1986—a pivotal moment in hard rock history.

First up, we examine David Lee Roth’s debut solo LP, Eat ’Em and Smile. Backed by a phenomenal virtuoso band featuring Steve Vai, Billy Sheehan, and Gregg Bissonette, Roth set out to prove his artistic identity outside of Van Halen. Four decades later, we re-evaluate the musicianship, songwriting, and dynamic energy of this record to see how it stands the test of time.

Next, we dive into Loudness and their landmark sixth studio album, Lightning Strikes. As Japanese heavy metal pioneers breaking through to international acclaim, Akira Takasaki and company delivered precise guitar work and powerful arrangements. We discuss the album's impact, production, and place in the mid-80s hard rock canon.

Plus:

• July 1986 Music News & Context: A deep dive into the major headlines, release schedules, and industry shifts happening forty years ago this month.

• Original or Cover? Trivia: We put Mark and Dennis to the test in a end-of-episode challenge to see if they can distinguish famous 80s tracks from their original roots.

Albums Covered:

• David Lee Roth – Eat ’Em and Smile (Released July 1986)

• Loudness – Lightning Strikes (Released July 1986)

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This month, we are diving deep into 1986—a legendary year for heavy rock and metal. We breakdown three massive, yet completely distinct albums that shaped the landscape: Triumph’s anthemic Sport of Kings, Cinderella’s gritty glam debut Night Songs, and Queensrÿche’s futuristic, progressive masterpiece Rage for Order. Whether you’re a fan of high-octane stadium rock, bluesy hair metal, or cerebral, dark sci-fi metal, this episode has something for you.

Which album holds up the best, and which one belongs in a time capsule?

• Triumph – Sport of Kings: Can the Canadian power trio balance commercial '80s pop-rock production with their classic hard rock roots? We break down the hits like "Somebody's Out There" and the hidden gems.
• Cinderella – Night Songs: Is this the ultimate 1986 debut? We discuss Tom Keifer’s unforgettable raspy vocals, the blues-infused riffs of "Shake Me" and "Nobody's Fool," and why this album stands out from the standard glam metal crowd.
• Queensrÿche – Rage for Order: A massive leap forward into progressive, gothic, and high-tech metal. We talk about the chilly synths, Geoff Tate’s operatic range, and tracks like "Screaming in Digital" and "Walk in the Shadows."

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#HardRock #80sMetal #HairMetal #ProgressiveMetal #VinylCommunity #Queensryche #CinderellaBand #TriumphBand #ClassicRockPodcast #RockMusic

Welcome back! This month, we're changing the game. We're doing our classic 40-year rewind back to May 1986 to see if Europe's The Final Countdown and Poison's Look What the Cat Dragged In still have that magic, dow they hold up?

But we couldn't ignore the roots. We’re bending the rules and tracking back 50 years to May 1976 to look at the god-tier influence of Rainbow’s Rising—the album that practically built the foundation for the entire scene. Three monumental albums, one big question: Do they hold up today?

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#rainbow #poison #europe

Like we do on every podcast, we are heading back 40 years to a pivotal moment in metal history. It feels like 1986 was the year hard rock was heavily influence of MTV and the sounds of Synthesizers. We dive into three albums that dropped in this era and their shift toward the commercial—and the bands that fought against it.

• Judas Priest – Turbo

• Keel – The Final Frontier

• Accept – Russian Roulette

Does the mid-80s "poppy" shift still resonate, or are these records better left in the recycled bin? We discuss the riffs, the production fails, and the tracks that still make us crank the volume in 2026.

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#JudasPriest #AcceptBand #Keel

Grab your phones and dial in your tone. In this episode, lets go back to March 1986. A year where the heavy metal landscape shifted forever...MASTER!, MASTER! We break down the absolute peak of thrash with Metallica’s Master of Puppets, debate the seismic shift of the "Van Hagar" era on 5150, and revisit the soft and polished Fastway’s Waiting for the Roar.

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Welcome to the Say What You Will Podcast. Do these 80's Rock albums still hold up today?

Great White | Shot in the Dark Are blues-rockers from L.A. are finally finding their stride? We’re breaking down the transition from their heavy metal roots to that soulful, gritty sound that’s starting to define them.

Fastway | Trick or Treat (Soundtrack) Is Fast Eddie Clarke is back, providing the sonic backbone for the ultimate heavy metal horror flick? It’s raw, it’s crunchy, and it’s unapologetically loud.

Bon Jovi | Slippery When Wet Have the Jersey boys officially arrived? This album is currently detonating across the airwaves, shifting the landscape of rock from the club to the stadium.

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Is it a "Classic" or just "Classic Rock"? This month, we’re hopping in the IROC and heading back exactly 40 years to January 1986.

The synths were creeping in and the legends were at a crossroads. We’re deep-diving into three major releases that defined the era:

• Ozzy Osbourne – The Ultimate Sin: Does Shot in the Dark still hit as hard without Daisley?

• Black Sabbath – Seventh Star: Was it a Sabbath album or a Tony Iommi solo project, or something else entirely?

• Quiet Riot – QR III: Can the kings of the Sunset Strip keep the momentum going?

We’re asking the tough question: Do these records still hold their weight in the modern era, or are they better left on the shelf? Join us as we settle the debate on whether these 1986 staples actually hold up today.

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Gather ‘round the Yule log, grab a stiff eggnog (you’ll need it), and join us for our final broadcast of the year! We’re unwrapping the sonic gift that was 1985—though, much like that itchy sweater from your aunt, some of these albums should have come with a gift receipt.

In this holiday special, we dive deep into the year of big hair, bigger synths, and some truly questionable career choices.

• The "Naughty or Nice" List (Top 5 Albums): We reveal our top picks from 1985. Since we both ended up with almost the exact same list, we had a sobering realization: either we’re soulmates, or 1985 was a barren wasteland of "meh" that made us cling to the few good records like a life raft.

• The 1985 Bracket Challenge: We put the heavy hitters head-to-head in a single-elimination tournament. It’s like March Madness, but with more spandex and higher vocal registers.

• The 1985 Ultimate Band Draft: Forget the 12 Days of Christmas; we’re talking about the Ultimate Free Agency Draft. We built the greatest supergroups 1985 could possibly assemble. Who’s the frontman? Who’s on the skins? Who gets coal in their stocking?

• Rock Jeopardy: We test our festive wits in a round of 1985 trivia. Spoiler alert: our brains are about as fried as a Christmas ham.

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