Regarding...Series

Scott and the assembled Order of Mildly Concerned Scholars (Wolfie… and special guest Seb Hunter, emerging from the fog like a man who’s seen what lies beyond the fourth gate of The Elder) convene for what was supposed to be a routine episode and instead becomes something far stranger: an encounter.
Because this week isn’t just about Music from The Elder.
It’s about a man who looked at that album—its ambition, its confusion, its audacity—and decided the real problem wasn’t that it failed…it’s that no one had finished the job.
What follows is less an interview and more a careful excavation of a long-dormant creative experiment. Scott and Wolfie guide the conversation as Seb Hunter recounts, with equal parts clarity and disbelief, how a throwaway idea—“what if someone actually made The Elder into a movie?”—mutated into a full-blown production effort:
A screenplay written in earnest
A trailer shot with real actors and real intention
A grassroots network of collaborators, fans, and the occasional internet wildcard
And a persistent awareness that somewhere, possibly, Gene Simmons could shut the whole thing down with a single phone call
Seb is reflective, candid, and occasionally amused by his past self—the version of him who thought, quite reasonably at the time, that you could just… make a movie. The hosts, for their part, oscillate between fascination and the dawning realization that they are speaking with someone who got closer to solving The Elder than anyone ever should.
There is talk of ambition.
Of creative delusion (the productive kind).
Of the brutal math of filmmaking—where passion is abundant and money is not.
Because if The Elder taught KISS anything, and if this project teaches us anything now, it’s this:
You can build the world.
You can write the script.
You can even gather the fellowship.
But eventually…
someone has to pay for the horses.

Seb's band - The Provincials - check out their video here
The Show
In this season of Regarding…, the panel tackles KISS’s Music From The Elder one song at a time—testing whether its epic ambition holds up under scrutiny. Alongside the analysis, Scott D. Monroe’s original screenplay tries to turn the album’s abstract mythology into an actual story.
Ambition meets accountability.

GO BONELESS
Certified boneless in the state of Ohio by the Boneless Podcasting Network. Go Boneless. Boneless Makes a Better Podcast.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chaz and the assembled Order of Mildly Concerned Scholars (Wolfy, Scott, Corey, and special guest Heath McCoy—clearly summoned from a higher KISS dimension) plunge headlong into “Dark Light”, a song that dares to answer the question: What if Ace Frehley, Lou Reed, and a prog-rock fever dream all walked into the same enchanted tavern?
The result is… well… something.
What unfolds is less a discussion and more a ceremonial unpacking of a deeply confused artifact—part space opera, part Dungeons & Dragons campaign, part “we probably should’ve stopped this earlier.” Heath arrives as both evangelist and realist, boldly claiming there is greatness buried somewhere in this album, though not necessarily in the immediate vicinity of tonight’s track.
Meanwhile, the show’s increasingly ambitious Elder screenplay project barrels forward—this week delivering a full-on siege, complete with undead devils, flaming roses, telepathic shouting, and at least one man being eaten by an owl. (Not a metaphor. Just…effin...eaten.)
There is debate over authorship, bewilderment over Lou Reed’s involvement, sympathy for poor Eric Carr, and a growing sense that everyone involved—band and podcasters alike—may be in slightly over their heads.
And yet… onward they march.
Because if The Elder teaches us anything, it’s that commitment to the bit is absolute, even when the bit begins to stare back at you with softly glowing demon eyes.
Featuring:
A guest who loves KISS enough to tell the truth
A song that may or may not qualify as “pretty good” under USDA & Ohio laboratory conditions
A script that has now fully embraced chaos as a narrative strategy
Repeated reminders not to lean into the mic (but absolutely lean into the madness)
THIS WEEK’S SONG:
“Dark Light” — KISS (with unexpected assistance from Lou Reed… yes, really)
FINAL VERDICT:
Not the worst thing on the album.
Which, in this context, is both praise… and a warning.

Macho Man Heath McCoy is the author of Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling, available on Amazon.ca and at ECW Press. He appears in the award winning documentary Singhs in the Ring on Crave TV and co-hosts School of Hip with Chaz Charles here on the Boneless Podcasting Network.

The Show
In this season of Regarding…, the panel tackles KISS’s Music From The Elder one song at a time—testing whether its epic ambition holds up under scrutiny. Alongside the analysis, Scott D. Monroe’s original screenplay tries to turn the album’s abstract mythology into an actual story.
Ambition meets accountability.

GO BONELESS
Certified boneless in the state of Ohio by the Boneless Podcasting Network. Go Boneless. Boneless Makes a Better Podcast.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this installment of Regarding… Music From The Elder, the panel gathers once more in the echoing halls of prophecy to determine what, exactly, just happened. And table read.
Chaz Charles, Greg “Wolfie” Wolf, Scott D. Monroe, Corey Morrissette, and guests Laura Morrissette and Michael and Debbie Pastore conclude their latest descent into KISS mythology by addressing the expanding cinematic ambitions of The Elder — including Scott’s taking up a quest to locate filmmaker Seb Hunter, who once attempted to turn the album into an actual motion picture.
Was it crushed by fate?
Was it too ambitious?
Did Bob Ezrin sneeze and blow several grand worth of Bolivian marching powder on the master and call it good?
No one knows. But we intend to find out.
The conversation drifts — as all noble quests do — into references to other towering rock epics, complete with knowing nods and the faint suspicion that everyone involved may have been borrowing from everyone else since 1969. There are priests, temples, and “great computers” briefly invoked, because of course there are.
From there, the tone shifts into something both reflective and mildly self-aware. The panel considers the peculiar joy of lovingly dissecting ambitious artistic misfires, acknowledging that ridicule and admiration can, in fact, coexist peacefully in the same medieval council chamber.
Scott’s screenplay project continues to loom large — a fully formed narrative attempting to give The Elder the structure it always seemed to promise. Whether this represents restoration or revisionism remains an open question. But it does involve sea monsters, councils, and an alarming amount of sincerity.
Guest Michael Pastore shares reflections on fandom, his book The Mighty Van Halen: One Fan’s Journey, and the enduring power of rock mythology — culminating in a wedding anecdote featuring Rock and Roll All Nite, because destiny occasionally wears platform boots.
By episode’s end, one truth remains:
The Elder may not have become a film.
But it has become a quest.
And we are apparently committed to seeing it through.
And Wolfie is committed to the musical...fully...completely. And you can hear it here.
The Regarding…Series — we listen so you don’t have to.
The Show
In this season of Regarding…, the panel tackles KISS’s Music From The Elder one song at a time—testing whether its epic ambition holds up under scrutiny. Alongside the analysis, Scott D. Monroe’s original screenplay tries to turn the album’s abstract mythology into an actual story.
Ambition meets accountability.

GO BONELESS
Certified boneless in the state of Ohio by the Boneless Podcasting Network. Go Boneless. Boneless Makes a Better Podcast.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of Regarding… Music From The Elder takes on “Only You,” Gene Simmons’ brooding, myth-heavy centerpiece that quietly shifts the album’s focus from spectacle to internal reckoning.
Chaz Charles, Greg “Wolfie” Wolf, Scott D. Monroe, Corey Morissette, and guests Sean McGinity and Michael Pastore approach the track after an ambitious table read of Scott’s unfolding Elder screenplay—where singing sea monsters, telepathic entities, blood moons, and a girl in a sundress named Mara blur the line between fantasy epic and fever dream. Where is Sigmond?
The panel quickly zeroes in on the song’s structure and perspective. Is this Morpheus addressing the boy? Is it the Council of Elders demanding answers? Or is it a call-and-response between mentor and initiate?
The episode unpacks:
How the lyrics function as a psychological checkpoint in the hero’s journey
Why the bridge provides the emotional vulnerability the rest of the album often avoids
How the song’s theatrical tone suggests stage musical DNA
Whether the chorus represents mentorship, manipulation, or both
The tension between destiny being declared and destiny being doubted
There’s also deep musical discussion. The group notes Gene’s rhythmic bass presence, the riff’s metallic edge, and the possibility of Anton Fig vs. Eric Carr on drums. The performance itself gets more respect than some of the surrounding album mythology — this is one of the first moments where the panel agrees the music stands confidently on its own.
Context matters too. The song’s origins stretch back to 1970 under the working title “Eskimo Son,” later reshaped for The Elder. That long gestation fuels discussion about retrofitting older material into a high-concept fantasy framework — does it enrich the project, or expose its seams?
Meanwhile, Scott’s screenplay interpretation pushes the mythology further: the boy (Cornelius), the Council, Morpheus, the singing Aboleth, and the haunting image of Mara in her sundress — a vision blending memory, trauma, and prophecy. That imagery colors how the group hears “Only You”: less as exposition, more as psychic fallout.
The core tension of the episode becomes clear:
Is “Only You” reassurance?
Or is it pressure?
Is Morpheus empowering the boy?
Or cornering him into accepting a role he may not fully understand?
The panel doesn’t force a verdict. Instead, they embrace the ambiguity — because for once, the uncertainty feels intentional rather than accidental.
The episode closes looking ahead: the next table read promises to bring the boy before the Council of Elders, where the song’s call-and-response dynamic may become literal confrontation.
This isn’t about bombast.
It’s about responsibility.
And fear.
The Regarding…Series — we listen so you don’t have to.
The Show
In this season of Regarding…, the panel tackles KISS’s Music From The Elder one song at a time—testing whether its epic ambition holds up under scrutiny. Alongside the analysis, Scott D. Monroe’s original screenplay tries to turn the album’s abstract mythology into an actual story.
Ambition meets accountability.

GO BONELESS
Certified boneless in the state of Ohio by the Boneless Podcasting Network. Go Boneless. Boneless Makes a Better Podcast.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of Regarding… Music From The Elder takes on Odyssey, the Paul Stanley–sung epic where KISS decides that the best way to build mythology is to state it very solemnly and hope the listener fills in the blanks.
Chaz Charles, Greg “Wolfie” Wolf, Scott D. Monroe, and Corey Morissette break down a song that has lyrics, has a singer, and has enormous confidence — yet still leaves everyone asking the same question:
Who is Paul Stanley supposed to be right now?
Is he the voice of the Elders?
A historian?
A prophet?
A tour guide pointing vaguely at a fantasy world just off-camera?
That confusion comes into sharp focus around one of the song’s most baffling images: the child in a sundress. The panel spends time trying to figure out who this child is supposed to be, why we’re meant to care, and how such a specific image can feel emotionally loaded while remaining completely untethered to any character, story, or stakes. Is it innocence? A symbol? A memory? Or just another gesture toward meaning without the work of defining it?
The episode digs deep into the song’s core tension: Odyssey wants to function as narration without committing to a narrator. Paul sings declarative, myth-heavy lines with total conviction, but the lyrics never establish perspective, stakes, or character — creating a song that sounds profound while remaining stubbornly abstract.
The panel unpacks:
How Paul’s performance sells seriousness even when the lyrics wobble
Why repetition is doing most of the storytelling heavy lifting
How the song insists that a grand journey is underway without showing us any of it
And why this kind of myth-making teeters dangerously close to self-parody
Comparisons are made to 2112, classic fantasy tropes, and Monty Python’s mock-epic moments, where absolute sincerity collides with material that can’t quite support it. The group debates whether “Odyssey” is misunderstood ambition, overreach, or simply a band confusing importance with clarity.
The episode closes — after post-production reordering — with a table read from Scott D. Monroe’s original screenplay, now placed at the end of the show, finally giving “Odyssey” the narrative framework it always seemed to demand… and quietly highlighting how much the song itself leaves unsaid.
This isn’t about vocals.
It’s about authority without definition.
The Regarding…Series — we listen so you don’t have to.
The Show
In this season of Regarding…, the panel tackles KISS’s Music From The Elder one song at a time—testing whether its epic ambition holds up under scrutiny. Alongside the analysis, Scott D. Monroe’s original screenplay tries to turn the album’s abstract mythology into an actual story.
Ambition meets accountability.

GO BONELESS
Certified boneless in the state of Ohio by the Boneless Podcasting Network. Go Boneless. Boneless Makes a Better Podcast.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.