Talkin' Rock With Meltdown Podcast

The Mac Saturn guys are back and making a racket! It was great to reconnect with Carson, Angelo, Mike, and Ian.The band has had an unusual start. Sidelined by the pandemic, then, a now ex-member sentenced to jail for child porn, the guys are focused on another chance to prove they belong in the big leagues, on the big stages.They sat down with me earlier this week to discuss everything happening with Mac Saturn..."It's Been A Hell Of A Year"With all that's happened in the past, I just asked them: How's the state of the band? Singer, Carson Macc said, "Well, it's been one hell of a year, year and a half, I'd say. We've spent a lot of time together. You know, we've been brought closer as brothers, and we've been doing a lot of writing. We've got a lot of new songs that we're trying out on stage, as well as the songs from Hard to Sell that we still love playing. And we're just trying to push our sound, push ourselves, and push each other to be the best we can be. And we're excited to bring that back to people. But, it's been quite a year." Bassist Ian Lukas piped in on how much they've been inspired. "It's been such a terrific period for really being inspired by our audience. Really plotting, you know, what we want to come back with, what kind of, like, direction we want to go come back with. And we're just super psyched with how it's going so far."The guys have primarily been playing smaller shows to get back in the groove. Something that Carson said is a chance to connect with the fans. "People were playing to, these crowds that are extremely engaged. And we get to engage with every single person. We kind of lost that a little bit in some of the shows when we opened for Dirty Honeyand the Struts, obviously, at that level. You know, there's a few people in the back that you can't really make eye contact with. But on these shows we've been playing, we are connecting with every single person in the club. And it's an exciting thing for us. And it really is informing us a lot on the songs that we've been working."Working With Al Sutton, Herschel Boone, and Marlon YoungThe guys are no strangers to Rust Belt studio, helmed by the legendary Al Sutton. I asked what it's like to work with him. "Well, I will say, you know, Al is a big part of it. But Marlon Young and Herschel Boone. The other two guys. You know, Marlon's definitely in the music world and in the guitar world. And Herschel, me, and Herschel, definitely lock in on the vocals. And he works with the guys on the backgrounds. He gets these guys to sound like a 35-piece choir on the background." Carson went on, "It's crazy. So I would say it's definitely a team effort. But Al is just so passionate. And he is so, he's matured so much since we've even started working with him. And the process that we have with him now, there's so much trust involved. And there's such a free communication that he really lets us bring in ideas and see where they lead to. And, you know, he reaches out to people that he knows and tries to get them involved as well."For those who don't know, Marlon and Herschel have been in Kid Rock's Twisted Brown Trucker band for over two decades.Being A Detroit BandI asked the guys about representing Detroit rock abroad. Guitarist Mike Moody said, "We're so proud of Detroit. And it's such a cool conversation starter, too, because we are repping it as much as we possibly can. So I think a lot of people have really cool experiences with something that they love from Detroit. And we love talking about that."Angelo piped in, "Everyone's got some artists they love from Detroit. He said that even a city like Nashville has many musicians from this area. "Well, I think we wouldn't be who we are without where we are always. You know, we're very in tune with our environment, just all the guys in general. And I think a real, true no frills band has to be affected by where they are, you know? And I'm just so thankful that it's this city because what can be combined in this city, not only music-wise, but style-wise, vibe-wise, energy-wise, hustle-wise, what you can combine here, you can only do here. It's one of one place, and it makes us want to be one of one. And I, you know, as much as I owe everything to the band and the producers and everything, we owe just as much to the city for making us want to be who we are and want to be a Detroit thing," said Carson.Ian chimed in, "It's a privilege to be a part of the music scene in Detroit, and take that on the road."Playing Saint Andrew's Hall On November 15thIt's a big show for the boys, as drummer Angelo Coppala explained, "It's my dad's birthday. There's a lot going on. We got to kill it. We got to do it. So we're excited for that. And we've got our eyes on that target. But it's all, it all feels like the first time. But it's also like the first time with all the knowledge that you have. So we're really excited to take different steps than we did last time when we were kind of at this point."I'm glad the boys are back. They're good dudes, and I hope this time they're around for a long time!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Here's your Friday, non-award-winning episode of Talkin' Rock!Tye Trujillo is up first. The son of the Metallica bass player, how wild is it that he's also in Suicidal Tendencies, a band his dad was also in? We discuss his band OTTTo's latest single and video, Sweaty Pool. He speaks to the guest singer on it. We also talk about growing up in a musical household, and more. Maiah Wynne is up next. She's the singer in the band Envy Of None, featuring Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson. She tells me how she got the call-up, writing material for the band, her upbringing, and hopes to see the Canadian rock giants on tour in 2026. Wrapping up this episode is Joshua Toomey. You may know him from his Talk Toomey podcast, but before that, he was in a band called Primer 55. Well, they've put the band back together and have hit the road. He's also started a second podcast with fellow bassist, David Ellefson. We discuss all of this and lots more. Enjoy!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

David Ellefson and his Kings of Thrash are making three stops in Michigan. October 23rd at the Venue Events Center in Cadillac, MI., followed by a stop at the Machine Shop in Flint the next day, then The Token Lounge on the 25th.We obviously had to discuss the passing of Ace Frehley. As many know, David is a huge KISS fan. He spoke about some memories he had with the Spaceman over the years. Ironically enough, he has never been to Cadillac, which just celebrated the 50th anniversary of the visit from KISS in 1975."Ace Frehley's passing was on the level of Eddie Van Halen's passing. I mean, different players, but they made us want to be musicians." David said. "Not only musicians, but rockstars!" Isn't that the truth?He said he didn't know Ace that well, but well enough. "You know, so Ace and I became friends, not close friends. I mean, we have each other's cell phone. I'd usually text him every year for his birthday. And me and Frank Bello would text him because he played a solo on our Altitudes and Attitude record."David speaks to the tour, the numerous gigs he has coming up, including the Monsters of Rock Cruise, where he'll play with Jeff Scott Soto, and tons more!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

THREE great guests, one podcast!I've spoken to and met Jeff Keith a bunch of times. Great guy! I've never talked with or met Miljenko Matijevic from Steelheart, so this was cool that I got to speak with him as well. You might be asking why I talked to them together? Well, they just released a cover of the classic "I Just Want To Make Love To You!. They told me how the ball got rolling to cover the song and the approach they took.We also talked about Tesla's upcoming residency in Vegas, if the guys from Foghat heard the song, cover songs Tesla has done, and if Miljenko heard the version of their monster hit "I'll Never Let You Go" done by Moriah of the band Plush.John 5 is next on this episode. His new album, The Ghost, is out now. Yes, 5 has had a paranormal experience. We talk about the recent Motley residency in Vegas. John said he was very happy to see Vince Neil, not only on stage again, but killing it!We also talked about the final Ozzy show. He had some great things to say about the fallen legend, and also revealed that he was contacted to play the Back to the Beginning show.Enjoy!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Another two-for-one on Talkin' Rock. First up is guitar virtuoso Joel Hoekstra. The TSO machine is about to fire up for the holiday season, and Joel answers my questions about rehearsals (which is super interesting), the accusations of using backing tracks, his solo material, and lots more. Then, it's Sammy and Josh from Citizen Zero. Sammy had an eventful summer touring with the Goo Goo Dolls. He talks about how that came about. Plus, the guys talk about putting CZ back together, some shows coming up, and big things in 2026. Thanks for listening!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Two great guests...one mediocre podcast!On this episode of Talkin' Rock, Pär Sundström of Sabaton joins me first to talk about their upcoming album, Legends. They'll be touring the States and beyond in 2026. We also talk about their new record deal, breaking in America, history, and more.Next up, it's Johnny Franck. His "band" Bilmuri is pumping out new music, with a comic tilt. His latest album is American Motor Sports. Is he a NASCAR fan? I asked him. He's currently working on a ton of new music, as he prepares to go on tour with Bad Omens.Enjoy....MeltdownSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Over the weekend, WRIF hosted our annual Riff Fest at Pine Knob. I interviewed the three main stage bands before the show that night. Up first, it's Ben Burnley from Breaking Benjamin. Ben's fun to talk with. We discussed his influences, yacht rock, new BB music, his home studio, and more. Matt and Adam from Three Days Grace are next. It's the first time I've had the chance to speak with both singers. We talked about the new album, hockey, and that's just for starters. Finally, it's the band Return To Dust. If you're a fan of the grunge music of the 90s, this band is for you. Their set killed! The guys told me how the band started, with two of the guys hailing from Texas and two from Southern California. Keep an eye on these guys in the future. MeltdownSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's Friday, and another episode of Talkin' Rock. Chris Daughtry is up first. Part 2 of Shock To The Stem dropped last week. We talk about that, including the latest single "The Bottom". We discuss playing in front of his peers, singing Journey with Joey Belladonna of Anthrax, and more. Tommy Buoy from Yachtley Crew is next to wrap up the episode. I'll admit, it's a little bit out of the realm of what I do, but I'll also admit that I'm a sucker for a good Yacht Rock classic. This interview was fun, as you'd expect. We talked about their new album “Seas the Night”, which includes yacht rock staples and a new track. What does Motley Crue think of the thier name? Tommy tells me...that's for starters with Tommy Buoy on Talkin' Rock. MeltdownSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week's episode, I talk with Billy Sheehan and Mike Krompass from The Fell, along with Jake Diab and Joe Coccimiglio from Autumn Kings.The Fell is a band that Mike founded 10 years ago. They've dropped two singles, Killswitch and Face Out - the title track. They have an EP coming out in October, with the full-length album coming out in 2026. How does one go about getting Billy Sheehan in the band? What legendary artist's album did Billy just play on? Billy just played a giant show in Indonesia with Bumblefoot and Steve Vai, among others. I asked him about the last time he played with Steve, who he played with in the David Lee Roth band. That's just for starters with this conversation. Up next, it's Jake and Joe from Autumn Kings. The boys recently played a string of shows in Europe. We talk about that and some special guests who came to see them on tour. Is there new music coming from AK? Yes. When? Well, they couldn't say exactly, but they gave us a hint. They're playing Riff Fest on September 20th at Pine Knob.Enjoy and thanks for listening!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's great to reconnect with the guys from The Funeral Portrait. All the boys came by: singer Lee Jennings, guitarists Cody Weissinger and Caleb Freihaut, with bassist Robert Weston, and drummer Homer Umbanhower. Their album Greetings From Suffacate City is about to turn one on September 13th, and it's been a whirlwind year for the boys. From a tour with Five Finger Death Punch and Marilyn Manson, to this summer's tour with Ice Nine Kills. Before their show locally, they swung by the station to speak with me about everything TFP. You can watch the conversation in the link above. I met the guys for the first time last year as we visited Eloise Insane Asylum. You can hear the audio that was captured here. New Music From The Funeral Portrait "A little baby bit...we have less than a handful of stuff" was how Caleb described the progress on new music from the band. He said that they've been pounding the road so hard they haven't had a chance to start on anything new. "We have a small amount, but what we have is exciting." He went on to say it has to be bigger than "Greetings". Lee chimed in, "It has to be next-level because of the tours we've done." He said they're playing to so many new people each night that new fans are discovering the album. Working With Ivan Moody on "Holy Water The song 'Holy Water' was released as a single pre-COVID. When they went to re-release the song earlier this year, Ivan Moody from Five Finger Death Punch told the guys he wanted to be on the track. "It just so happens that Ivan liked the song. And he wanted to be on it. It was kind of a magical, weird moment of him being "I want to help this band out. I like them. They're cool, they're different, they're young." Kind of like a torch passing moment, and it just worked." The guys were nice enough to bring their guitars, so they busted out two songs for us. Their next single is "Dark Thoughts" and "Holy Water".  They also talked about how welcoming the INK band and their fans have been to them. And get this, they're heading off on a European tour this fall. I want them to take me with them!! The boys have had an amazing year, and I wish them nothing but the best moving forward! I'm a fan!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.