Very High Frequencies

VHF-315 (Ministry) Uncle Al has announced the forthcoming Ministry album, Hate To Go - Take Out or Delivery. He insists it’s the final Ministry album although he’s said that repeatedly in the last fifteen or so years. Very High Frequencies is gonna check out the first single, Burned Out. 
From there, it’s a spin through tracks from the mid eighties right up until the last full length album. 
Expect samples from several decades of different U.S. presidents, as well as insightful pontifications from long deceased friends of the band, such as free thinker William S. Burroughs and L.S.D. guru Dr. Timothy Leary. Several recurring lyrical themes emerge; primarily a suggestion to “connect the dots “. Trying to find some sort of order to what may seem unconnected random events that engulf us all. 
The role of the media, from  news networks resembling  propagandists to pharmaceutical advertising causing mental overdoses gets examined repeatedly. Television and the internet, it seems, have become something of a double edged sword that may not be motivated to be trustworthy and prone to financial and political manipulation. The military industrial complex and the nation’s propensity to engage in so called forever wars is another motif that’s examined. Violence for profit just might be making somebody’s stock portfolio soar. War economies are a boon for big business and Uncle Al is following the money. He wants to declare peace but he needs your help! 

VHF-314 (Echo & the Bunnymen) On this episode of Very High Frequencies Not Dead Yet Mike takes a spin through every E&TB album that Ian McCulloch has sung on. We check out tracks from 1980’s debut album, Crocodiles, right up to the brand new single, “Brussels  Is Haunted” off the forthcoming album, Apples For Issac.
For the group’s first five albums the band members remained consistent, featuring guitarist Will Sergeant, bassist Les Pattinson, drummer Pete de Freitas, and singer and rhythm guitarist Ian “Mac” McCulloch. 
We examine a bit off of 1980’s Crocodiles, 1981’s Heaven Up Here, 1983’s Porcupine, 1984’s Ocean Rain and 1987’s self titled album.
Mac quit the band in 1988 and put out a couple solo albums that weren’t particularly successful. Even more bizarre, the other three band members formed a new version of Echo & the Bunnymen with a different singer and released an album in 1990 that failed to attract previous fans. The record label dropped them and they broke up.
After that less than successful period, perhaps surprisingly, Mac and Will started a new band called Electrafixion in 1994 that was heavier than Echo and inspired by the Grunge rock that was popular at the time. They released one album, Burned, in 1995. While the music was fairly strong the album didn’t sell as well as the record label wanted. 
By 1997, with Les back on bass, Echo was officially reformed , putting out comeback album, Evergreen, to wide acclaim. Sadly Les bailed after the tour for the album.
Since then Will and Mac have recorded another half dozen studio albums. What Are You Going To Do With Your Life? (1999), Flowers (2001), Siberia (2005), The Fountain (2009), Meteorites (2014), and soon to be released, Apples For Issac (2026). 
We are sampling something off each of those albums as well as a couple non-album tracks too. This week it’s Liverpool’s second biggest band, Echo & the Bunnymen on VHF-314 (Echo & the Bunnymen).

VHF-312 (Rozz Williams - Half Alive) cherry picks through about a baker’s dozen of the iconic deathrocker’s various musical projects, including his groundbreaking band, Christian Death. With their debut album, 1982’s Only Theatre Of Pain, featuring former Adolescents guitarist, Rikk Agnew, the template was established for countless goth rock bands. Not Dead Yet Mike has chosen a few tracks from that legendary album as well as some live versions of songs from the album. 
We will be hearing something from each of the other Rozz Williams fronted Christian Death albums, either studio versions or live. 
We check out Rozz’s band with Eva O., Shadow Project. Tracks from the first two studio albums and some live songs, as well as a couple demos, demonstrates that Rozz was not a one trick pony. 
Always reinventing himself, Rozz released a studio album with former Christian Death bandmate, Gitane Demone, called Dream Home Heartache in 1993. We will hear from that interesting collaboration as well as some remarkable live performances from their tours in ‘93 - ‘94. 
Rozz also covered a lot of other artists material. On this Very High Frequencies we blast some covers of Iggy & The Stooges, Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground, Roxy Music and an entire set of David Bowie songs.
Rozz released music sporadically between 1981 to his suicide on April Fools Day, 1998. A unique talent that was often far too much for the mainstream, we invite you to marvel at just some of the art he and his many collaborators created. Like Jimi Hendrix before him, there has been a fair amount of posthumous Rozz Williams releases, primarily from live shows, still being released twenty eight years after his death. That proves how appreciated and well remembered he was. It’s all on VHF-312 (Rozz Williams - Half Alive).

VHF-313 (Mercyful Fate) is packed with tracks from the highly influential extreme band. The Danish metal band formed in 1981, releasing their first EP in 1982 and first full length album, Melissa, in 1983. Featuring the corpse paint wearing frontman, King Diamond, the vocalist sings in multiple ranges including a high pitched falsetto. Many of the lyrics of Mercyful Fate deal with supernatural themes. Occult motifs predominate with graveyards, vampires, devils, Egyptian pharaohs, witches and the living dead all making appearances. HP Lovecraft and Edgar Allen Poe are influences as well as historical legends.
Another aspect that set Mercyful Fate apart from their contemporaries was the twin lead guitar attack of Hank Sherman and Michael Denner. With Prog rock style complex changing time signatures and fiery guitar solos on top of solos, the template for countless metal artists was established. Combining the speed and energy of Punk rock with the heaviness of bands like Judas Priest and Black Sabbath was radical in the early eighties.
After two albums in the eighties the band went into hiatus as King Diamond created his solo band under his own name.  Dropping the satanic lyrics and creating story lines of a morbid nature was certainly less controversial and easier for record label promotion. 
After a ten year rest and several King Diamond albums and tours Mercyful Fate reformed in 1993 and eventually released another five albums. The final MF studio album was released in 1999. We check out songs from the lion’s share of their releases on this episode of Very High Frequencies.
Despite that lack of new material the band has continued to perform live to great acclaim. King Diamond has said he’s been busy working working on a new Mercyful Fate studio album as well as another King Diamond album. That longevity is a testament to the huge world wide fanbase that Mercyful Fate has been able to attract. 
It’s legendary Danish band Mercyful this week on VHF-313 (Mercyful Fate).

VHF-311 (Black Sabbath) is a tribute to the late English vocalist, Ozzy Osbourne, who passed away just about one year ago, on July 22, 2025. 
Not Dead Yet Mike has selected  two tracks off every Black Sabbath studio album that features Ozzy on vocals. That’s nine albums. 
First off, we’re checking out the reformation album, 13, released in 2013. While the album sadly does not include original Black Sabbath drummer, Bill Ward, it does have Tony Iommi on guitar and Geezer Butler on bass and lyrics. 
Moving backwards in time we check out a track from 1978’s Never Say Die!, 1976’s Technical Ecstasy, 1975’s Sabotage, 1973’s Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, 1972’s Vol. 4, 1971’s Master Of Reality, and two albums released in 1970, Paranoid, and the self titled first album, Black Sabbath. Then we do the whole sequence again, from 2013 to 1970 with an even cooler set of Sabbath songs.
In typical Very High Frequencies fashion we are skipping some of the more overplayed songs like Paranoid and Iron Man  and blasting some deeper cuts instead. Not Dead Yet Mike has also inserted a few quips from the Prince Of Darkness himself, Ozzy, pontificating on his life and legacy. We’re celebrating the Birmingham legend on this week’s episode of Very High Frequencies. Be sure to crank up the volume for VHF-311 (Black Sabbath).

VHF-310 (Type O Negative & The Sisters Of Mercy - Cover Songs) features the popular alternative music bands performing interpretations of a wide variety of artists and groups songs. Not Dead Yet Mike has managed to string together a whole show of the two bands playing other people’s music. 
Type O Negative were quick to apologize for their inability to properly play their favorite cover songs. Peter Steel often said he was sorry for mangling cover songs in the live setting. Of course it was his NYC self depreciation coming through and his sarcastic sense of humor that audiences found appealing. Chants of “You suck!” from the audience were a regular occurrence. The band seemed to enjoy it!
Type O Negative were fairly honored that their musical hero, Neil Young, was quoted as saying that their cover of Cinnamon Girl was the worst he’d ever heard. Regardlessly it was a fairly successful alternative radio hit.
Just some of the other Type O covers are tracks by Deep Purple, Santana, Black Sabbath (twice!), Seals & Croft, Status Quo (with Ozzy), and the Beatles.
While Type O Negative may have been apologetic for their covers we can be fairly certain Andrew Eldritch reckons The Sisters Of Mercy made superior versions than the original artist. The band has performed a lot of cover songs throughout their long history. This episode features SOM covers of songs by Leonard Cohen, The Stooges, The Rolling Stones, Dolly Parton, Hot Chocolate, Bob Dylan, Suicide and Pink Floyd. 
It’s two alternative music legends on this week’s Very High Frequencies. Don’t miss VHF-310 (Type O Negative & The Sisters Of Mercy - Cover Songs).

VHF-309 (PIG) is packed with tracks by English musician Raymond Watts and his long running project, PIG. Since the late Eighties PIG has been putting out albums and EP’s that push the envelope of what is acceptable alternative music. Buzz saw guitar? Sometimes. Crunchy keyboards? Sure enough. Tweaked vocals that are indecipherable? Oh certainly. There’s a surprising amount of variety in the music that makes it fresh and interesting.
Not Dead Yet Mike has excavated tracks from a dozen different PIG albums and EP’s. We’re especially excited to be highlighting the brand new PIG album, Hurt People Hurt. It’s catchy but heavy, classic PIG music. 
Raymond has announced a North American tour in support of the album, so be sure to check out PIG live if you are able. It’s VHF-309 (PIG) on this week’s episode of Very High Frequencies.

VHF-308 (Black Flag) We are featuring the first four vocalists of the legendary American hardcore punk band, with tracks that were released between 1978 and 1986. 
The lion’s share of songs are from the Henry Rollins era, 1981 to 1986.
Due to record label issues Black Flag had some time to compose music after the first full length album, Damaged, was released in 1981 with 20 year old Henry Rollins on vocals.
1982 and 1983 were spent in legal limbo with the band unable to put out new music until their issues with the record label were resolved.
Because of this three albums came out in 1984 alone! My War, Slip It In and spoken word/instrumental album Family Man. We check out the first two of them.
1985 featured two full length albums, Loose Nut, and In My Head. We are checking out a bunch of those songs as well as some of the early Black Flag songs from the first four years, prior to Henry Rollins joining the band.
We blast some prime punk with original Black Flag vocalist Keith Morris. Tracks like Nervous Breakdown and Wasted are short and catchy. Punk as hell. Quite a bit different than the long Henry Rollins songs found on My War and Slip It In. 
Very High Frequencies also checks out a few cool songs with vocals by the bands second singer, Ron Reyes and their third vocalist, Dez Cadena. They both only released a few E.P.’s worth of songs before passing on the mic to Henry Rollins but their songs are pretty amazing and deserve to be heard. 
Not Dead Yet Mike has recently picked up the Black Flag album Slip It In so we’ll be hearing from that, and a whole bunch of other Black Flag classics. You know them, you love them, it’s Black Flag on this week’s Very High Frequencies. VHF-308 (Black Flag).

VHF-307 (Robyn Hitchcock) is a flashback through time and space, exploring tracks from nearly twenty different Robyn Hitchcock albums. 
The prolific English singer, guitarist and songwriter has been creating music since his late Seventies retro psychedelic outfit The Soft Boys. More Syd Barrett than Sid Vicious, Robyn has a knack for writing eccentric lyrics often involving bones, devils, fiends, ghosts and (thankfully) beautiful women. 
His long running Eighties band, Robyn Hitchcock and The Egyptians could be heard across college dorms in the USA as well as in merry old England. 
As a solo performer Robyn often performs acoustically. He’s also collaborated with a lot of other artists including Andy Partridge of XTC. 
Robyn also has released a bunch of cover songs over his long career. Jimi Hendrix, The Byrds, Bob Dylan, and Syd Barrett to name just a few. 
Very High Frequencies also features a brand new single from the upcoming Robyn Hitchcock album, The Confessor. I Am This Thing is classic Robyn, strange but fun and sure to be stuck in your head. 
Robyn has been touring North America with a full band. Be sure to check him out if you can because he puts on a great live show. Audience participation is expected. 
This week we are having a Flashback with Robyn Hitchcock on VHF-307. Let’s get really mellow together!

VHF-306 (Dawn Crosby) takes another spin through the late American singer’s catalogue. 
Dawn fronted early Eighties thrash outfit Detente, which released the highly regarded album Recognize No Authority in July of ‘86. There were very few women in lead singer roles in extreme bands at that time. Fellow member of the band Ross Robinson would eventually become a highly regarded record producer. The album was quite successful but the group broke up shortly after the release due to band friction. 
Dawn eventually formed a new band towards the end of the Eighties called Fear Of God. They released their first album in 1991, Within The Veil. It had a gothic metal sound, more melodic and less thrash. Once again, shortly after its release the band imploded. 
By 1994’s Toxic Vodoo, Dawn had a completely new lineup of FOG for a heavier sound featuring double bass drums and a more raw vocal delivery. 
In 1995 Fear Of God released a three track cassette, Killing  The Pain, which demonstrated a more speed metal and industrial metal sound. 
Sadly Dawn Crosby passed away in 1996 at the age of 33 from liver failure after years of alcohol and drug abuse. 
Very High Frequencies has pulled together tracks from all of the music that Dawn Crosby released. An innovator in a genre of music that didn’t have a lot of women in it, it’s been nearly 40 years now since the first Detente album and it still sounds amazing today. Dawn had a lot of personal issues no doubt but her contribution to alternative music is something to be appreciated. Nobody roared quite like her and nobody else will. It’s a heavy episode this week on VHF-306 (Dawn Crosby).