100 Words Or Less: The Podcast

Scott Mellinger has spent decades shaping heavy music from the inside out. Best known as the guitarist and primary songwriter for Zao, his path runs through some of the most forward-thinking corners of underground metal and hardcore that span the chaotic experimentation of Creation Is Crucifixion to the long, evolving arc of Zao’s discography.
In this conversation, Scott reflects on what it meant to join Zao at a turning point and help push the band into darker, more atmospheric territory often chasing sounds inspired by bands like Neurosis, even if it started as what he jokingly calls “trying to rip them off.” That instinct to stretch beyond genre expectations became a defining trait of his writing, blending heaviness with tension, space, and mood.
We also get into the role of politics in heavy music in how it shows up, when it feels necessary, and when it can miss the mark. Scott speaks candidly about personal belief systems, including the band’s complicated history with Christianity and his own perspective now, and how those shifts shaped both the music and the identity of Zao over time.
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This week we sit down with Piper Ferrari from Roman Candle for a conversation that drifts between isolation, creativity, and the strange ways identity takes shape.
Piper talks about growing up in the kind of desert environment where time moves differently and where boredom, space, and silence end up shaping how you see the world. That sense of distance bleeds into everything, from songwriting to how you connect (or don’t) with people.
We also get into how graphic design became part of her life almost by accident literally falling into it through necessity, curiosity, and the endless feedback loop of the internet. What starts as function slowly turns into another creative outlet, blurring the line between visual identity and music.
A big thread through the conversation is the tension between online life and real life where the push and pull of building something in public while trying to stay grounded in something real. Piper opens up about how that balance affects her work, her perspective, and the way she navigates being a creative person right now.
It’s a thoughtful, honest conversation about finding your voice in strange places and figuring out what actually matters once you do.
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In this episode, we talk with Travis Shettel of Piebald about the band’s unique mix of humor and sincerity, and how their songs have aged into something more universal than anyone expected. Travis reflects on the early days, including working with Kurt Ballou, and how that era shaped both their sound and perspective.
We get into longevity, cult status, and why Piebald feels more like a living band than a nostalgia act. At the core of it all: keeping things fun, staying connected, and embracing the idea of never breaking up again.

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Rockabilia sells you officially licensed Merch from ALL your favorite bands (and your Dad's favorite band, your siblings etc...). Use the promo code 100WORDSORLESS for 10% off your order.
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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ryan George is on the podcast this week and we discuss the Central Coast beginnings pre-Carry On, to A Life Less Plagued, to where things sit now with the Carry On reunion shows. We talk about that early 2000s moment when hardcore was shifting, how Carry On fit between youth crew and the darker wave that followed, and what it’s like playing those songs again in front of a new generation. We also get into The Adored era, finding a different lane outside of hardcore, and how all of that fed directly into Youth Code. Past, present, and everything in between.
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Rockabilia sells you officially licensed Merch from ALL your favorite bands (and your Dad's favorite band, your siblings etc...). Use the promo code 100WORDSORLESS for 10% off your order.
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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we sit down with Jeff Hydro of Turmoil to trace the arc of a band that helped define late ’90s metallic hardcore scene.
Jeff takes us back to Turmoil’s early days in the Lehigh Valley hardcore scene, unpacking how that tight-knit Pennsylvania community forged their identity, intensity, and work ethic. From there, we get into life on the road in Europe specifically what it was like linking up with Madball during a time when U.S. hardcore was exploding overseas, and how those tours cemented Turmoil’s global reputation.
We also dig into the complicated legacy of a band that didn’t just reunite once but twice. Jeff reflects on what pulled Turmoil back together at different points in time, how each reunion felt creatively and personally, and what it means to revisit something that never really left people’s lives in the first place.
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Rockabilia sells you officially licensed Merch from ALL your favorite bands (and your Dad's favorite band, your siblings etc...). Use the promo code 100WORDSORLESS for 10% off your order.
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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.