DISGRACELAND – Bonus Episode: Are Rockstars Part of the UFO Disclosure Theory? Plus Psychopedia’s Brooke Slater on Slayer and Ed Gein

Release Date: December 4, 2025
Host: Jake Brennan
Guest: Brooke Slater (Psychopedia)

Episode Overview

This bonus "After Party" episode of DISGRACELAND dives into the overlap between rockstars and UFO disclosure theories, explores the grisly true crime saga of Ed Gein through the lens of Slayer, and features fan interactions and deep cuts into the darker side of music history. Host Jake Brennan reflects on Merle Haggard’s UFO obsession, previews upcoming episodes on Phil Spector and John Lennon, discusses the mainstreaming of UFO (UAP) discourse, and hosts a gruesomely fascinating conversation with criminal investigator and Psychopedia host Brooke Slater about Ed Gein and his influence on music and pop culture.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Musicians and UFOs: Cultural Disclosure? (03:11–11:28)

• Recap of Merle Haggard’s UFO obsession: The episode revisits Merle’s claims of UFO sightings and his near-collaboration with David Bowie, tying into the week’s mini-episode and reinforcing the motif of musicians as alien-seers.
• Rockstars with UFO claims: Not just Merle—David Bowie, John Lennon, Tom DeLonge (Blink-182), Sammy Hagar, Cat Stevens, Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, and Elvis Presley have all reported UFO encounters.
  • Quote: "For these artists, claiming to see the unexplainable... it’s totally on brand. David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix, hell, even Elvis and John Lennon. But Cat Stevens, Sammy Hagar, Merle Haggard, now that’s discrediting—at least it used to be." – Jake Brennan (05:22)
• Mainstreaming of the UFO/UAP Narrative: The documentary Age of Disclosure (Amazon) brings high-level government and political figures on record about UAPs, suggesting a societal shift toward ‘controlled disclosure’ of extraterrestrial reality.
  • Quote: "Everyone interviewed in the film claims direct knowledge of UAP... what they discuss is truly revelatory. And the reason for their disclosure is... truly chilling. They’re afraid." – Jake Brennan (08:17)
• Are Rockstars Part of Disclosure? Jake speculates that—and perhaps unknowingly—musicians have been vehicles for prepping the public on alien contact.
  • Quote: "It seems... some of our favorite rock stars have been part of this disclosure. And hell, maybe you and I are part of this disclosure as well, and we just don’t even know it." (10:27)

2. Listener Interactions: Concert Films, Country Singers & More (13:12–26:05)

• Best concert films: Callers praise I Am Trying to Break Your Heart (Wilco), Shut Up and Play the Hits (LCD Soundsystem), and Let’s Get Lost (Chet Baker), among others.
  • Notable Fan Quote: "It’s not really a concert movie, but there is a lot of concert footage. Probably the best movie about a band ever." – Ken (14:17)
• Best country singers recommendations: Chris Stapleton, Colter Wall, Marty Robbins, Reba McEntire.
• Jazz documentary highlight: Let’s Get Lost features Chet Baker’s haunting vocals.
  • Host Reflection: "No one ever sang like Chet Baker... he was on the edge of tonality, felt like he was about to fall out of tune, just compelling..." – Jake Brennan (18:04)
• Listener Email: Newer evidence on Kurt Cobain’s death: A listener submits details about a multidisciplinary forensic report challenging the accepted narrative on Cobain’s suicide. Jake responds with open-minded skepticism.
  • Quote: "The people who don’t believe Kurt Cobain offed himself are legion. You guys will not give up." – Jake Brennan (21:41)

3. Interview Segment: Slayer, Ed Gein, True Crime and Music (27:42–56:40)

Background:

Jake shares how Slayer's "Dead Skin Mask" first introduced him to the infamous story of Ed Gein, tracing the roots of his true crime fascination.

Brooke Slater on True Crime Origins & Ed Gein (32:49)

• Brooke’s Path: Early exposure to true crime via her grandmother’s bedtime stories fostered her lifelong interest and her studies in criminal justice.
  • Quote: "Grandma used to read me true crime stories... she and I would be tucked in together... she [my sister] would be hiding, and I would be foaming at the mouth, like, please, Grandma, more." – Brooke Slater (31:01)
• On Ed Gein’s Family: Domineering mother, isolated rural existence; Gein’s mother exerted a psychological chokehold on the family.

Deconstructing Slayer’s “Dead Skin Mask” Lyrics and the Gein Case

• Song Lyrics as Narrative: Jake and Brooke walk through the lyrics, connecting each to key details of Gein’s crimes: grave robbing, skinning corpses, constructing macabre artifacts, psychological breakdown after his mother’s death.
  • Example:
    • Lyric: "How I’ve waited for you to come... I’ll keep you forever."
    • Brooke: "He had the idea to literally recreate her using the flesh of dead women who resembled her... he would unearth their corpses, dig them up, take them back to his home and make items to hold onto forever." (37:55)
  • Lyric: "A pleasant fragrance in the light of the moon."
    • Brooke: "Ed Gein did not enjoy the scent of decomposing flesh... he didn’t eat it, and he didn’t have sex with it." (43:18)
  • Lyric: "Dance with the dead in my dreams..."
    • Brooke: "He struggled with hallucinations—felt he could hear his mother’s voice, saw faces in leaves... had auditory and visual hallucinations." (46:23)
• On Monsters vs. Humans: Brooke’s philosophy is to demythologize criminals by understanding their background and psychology to help prevent future crimes.
  • Quote: "If you label them monsters... you’re never going to learn about them, and you can’t protect the future." – Brooke Slater (45:12)
• Psychosis Debate: Discussion of whether Gein was criminally insane or aware of his actions; modern perspectives question the former verdict. Signs of premeditation in his nocturnal grave robbing and initial defensive response to police.

Music & Crime: The Cultural Feedback Loop

• Exploration of Ed Gein’s influence: Inspiration for Psycho’s Norman Bates, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Silence of The Lambs’ Buffalo Bill, and even heavy metal anthems.
• Reflections on how the real horror behind these musical meditations sometimes far surpasses lyrical allusions.
  • Jake: "Reality here is far more extreme than what they put in the song." (41:52)

Closing the Interview

• Jake and Brooke discuss their mutual fascination with true crime, normalization of grotesque events through pop culture, and cross-promotion for Psychopedia.
  • Brooke: "I’ve lost all ability to... I’ve not lost my empathy... but I can’t get past my fascination with this stuff enough to feel the gruesomeness of it." (53:25)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On UFO Disclosure’s Stakes:
  "They’re afraid that whatever is out there… is going to be harnessed by our foreign adversaries and used against us if we do not wake up and admit that there’s something else out there." – Jake Brennan (09:10)

• On Cultural Shifts:
  "It seems to me that we, as a species, are going to slowly learn more and more about this topic until it’s completely mainstreamed… willingly or unknowingly, some of our favorite rockstars have been part of this disclosure." – Jake Brennan (10:18)

• On Gein’s Psychological Collapse:
  "When his mother died, he closed off her bedroom… made this macabre museum… needing his mother in a very literal sense… unearthed corpses, made items to hold onto forever." – Brooke Slater (38:09)

• On Song Reality vs. Lyrics:
  "It’s strange to me… here we are in 2025, and it’s mainstreamed not only in a podcast or Netflix series but huge... the reality is far more extreme than what they put in the song." – Jake Brennan (41:52)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Segment Description | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:11 | Merle Haggard’s UFO experiences and UFOs in rock music | | 08:17 | Overview of Age of Disclosure documentary and cultural ‘controlled disclosure’| | 13:12 | Listener calls: best concert films and country singers | | 18:04 | Listener email on new forensic report about Kurt Cobain’s death | | 27:42 | Interview: Brooke Slater, origins of true crime interest, Netflix’s Monster | | 34:36 | Deconstructing Slayer’s "Dead Skin Mask" and Ed Gein’s crimes | | 43:18 | Smell of death, necrophilia, public fascin­ation with true crime | | 46:23 | Hallucinations, psychosis, legal insanity debate with Gein | | 54:32 | Where to find Psychopedia & upcoming episodes |

Episode Takeaways

• Music and True Crime: This episode highlights how the crossover between true crime and music continually produces new cultural mythologies, with artists becoming both documentarians and unwitting participants in broader cultural shifts.
• UFOs Moving Mainstream: As both politicians and pop stars increasingly speak openly about UFO and UAP phenomena, society’s attitudes continue to shift from ridicule to curiosity—and perhaps complicity in a slow disclosure process.
• Understanding ‘Monsters’: The importance of deconstructing criminal pathology, as opposed to monster-izing, can yield potential for preventative insights rather than sensationalized fear.

For Further Exploration

• Listen to DISGRACELAND episodes on Chet Baker, Jimi Hendrix, and Blink 182 referenced throughout the show
• Stream Age of Disclosure (Amazon)
• Find Brooke Slater’s Psychopedia wherever you get podcasts

Stay Dangerous, Discos!
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