Talkin' Rock With Meltdown Podcast

Great to catch up with Mark Kendall from Great White! They're playing Smugglers Run in Wyandotte on May 5th. We talked about some of his guitar and rock heroes. He told me some great advice he got from Scorpions Rudolph Schenker after a sub-par show "Mark, you have to play hard out there...kick ass!" Words to live by in anything you do! He spoke of meeting Ted Nugent and a story of a show they played with him. Again, he told me about the great mid-west rock fans. Great White has a new singer in 26 year old Brett Carlisle. As far as the first shows he played with the band "He blew us away!" He talked about working on new material with the band. "It's killer!" He said the kid is very mature for his age and has fit in with the band perfectly. He told me about new music and the demos they're working on. As far as newer bands are concerned, he mentioned Michigan's own, Greta Van Fleet. He liked the rawness of their sound and the casual nature of the guys. We talked about bands using tracks, and also trying to be prefect in the studio. That's just for starters....enjoy! -Meltdown- https://wrif.com/podcasts/talkin-rock-with-meltdown/  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What an honor to have Richie Faulkner on Talkin' Rock. This is the first time I've had a chance to talk to the metal guitarist. His new project is called Elegant Weapons and their debut album drops on May 26th. The band features him, Ronnie Romero on vocals, Rex Brown (Pantera) on bass, and Scott Travis (Judas Priest) on drums. The band also features different players including Christopher Williams on drums and Dave Rimmer on bass. He told me about putting the band together, why the timing was right, and getting each player. As far as getting Rex, Scott and Ronnie on the album, Richie said "I'm super fortunate to have these guys on the record." He told me about asking these legends to record with him. Speaking of Rex Brown, I asked Richie if he ever talked about joining Pantera. "To me there was only one guy who could do that, that's Zakk." He told me about never seeing the Cowboys From Hell live. That brought on an unbelievable Ouija board story. LOL He talked about the writing process in both Elegant Weapons and Judas Priest. "Rob has to connect with it" in respect to the lyrics. He gives an update on new Priest "As far as recoding it's almost done. I can't wait for you guys to hear it." Now, working on his third album with the band, he tells me about his comfort level in the band. He also talks about Andy Sneap and his ability to pull the best out of the guys. We talk about the Flying V guitar he uses. He gives me a health update after his emergency heart surgery a couple years ago. "The guitar, and touring and these records have gotten me through." "The Reaper was on stage that night." I'm glad Richie won that battle. He also fills us in on how Glenn Tipton is doing. He also told the me song that not only turned him into a music fan, but made him fall in love with guitar....and more! -Meltdown- https://wrif.com/podcasts/talkin-rock-with-meltdown/  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Always great to have a Rock N' Roll legend on Talkin' Rock! Joe Talks about his new album and all the guests on it, plus working on it with his sons. He's doing a run of shows and one of them is in Pontiac, Michigan at the Crowfoot. That lead him to talk about how Detroit was one of the first cities to really prop up Aerosmith.  I asked him about Aerosmith,  how Steven Tyler and Joey Kramer are doing. He gave me updates on them. He also answered the question to whether they would ever put out new music.  Enjoy! -Meltdown-  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Great to get the chance to talk with Linkin Park's Dave "Phoenix" Farrell. We talked about the start of the band, and why he wasn't in it for the first album. He told me he stepped out to play with another band, then came back into the fold just before the debut album dropped. He tells me about the "latest" song "Lost". It was recorded for the Meteora album, but didn't make it. Phoenix explained why. "It sat too close to a couple other songs that were on the record". He said they set it aside and found it on a hard drive and brought it back. As far as the fans, he said "People seem to be really enjoying it...it's a huge win for us". We talked about the late Chester Bennington. He recalled loving hearing his voice again on the songs after 20 years. For those that never had a chance to meet Chester, he said "Chester was a very 3, if not 4 dimensional person". He talked about how good he was with his kids, and what a warm caring guy he was. Of course, I couldn't not talk about Golf with Phoenix. He a big fan of the sport.   Harem Scarem is a Canadian band that formed in the late 80s. Today, singer Harry Hess joins me to talk about the band, Canadian music, the vinyl version of their second album Mood Swings and lots more. He told me about starting the band as teenagers in Toronto in the 80s. He said the sound of the band changed with the advent of the grunge era. He told me how much he liked some of the bands that came out of the Seattle scene.  "We could do whatever we want, because no one had any expectations". He said the biggest representation of the sound of the band is the second album, Mood Swings. He also told me about their success outside of North America. "To this day they're our biggest territory" - talking about the Philippines. He talked about crisscrossing Canada in the early years and what a slog some of those trips were, as opposed to Europe where the towns are much closer. "Canada is about the toughest place to tour, getting from town to town." As far as why some bands break the invisible wall and find success in America? He spoke to the fact that Harem Scarem really didn't have a deal which allowed them to be released in the U.S. for several years into their existence. Speaking of Canadian rock, we talked about that, too. The hair band era sprouted a lot of metal bands from the Toronto area especially. He brought back some memories of some acts I haven't thought of in years. He also told me about a legendary musician who has a studio not far from his. Great conversation with Harry! -Meltdown- https://wrif.com/shows/meltdown-on-wrif/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Up first, it's Jared Weeks from Saving Abel. We stared off the conversation by talking about playing for the troops overseas.  He talked about leaving and rejoining the band. Jared's always been very candid about his struggles. Leaving the band was self-preservation. ""I just didn't have the tools to live in reality at the volume of 11." He had to get himself together, through therapy and more, to straighten up his life.  He tells me what the other guys in the band have going on. New music? Yes, it's coming. He talked about the cover song that he did with the band No Resolve. As far as Saving Abel, the single called "Baptize Me" drops on April 14th. "We've focused more on hard riff, double bass, more rock and roll type music." He said the music has more of a mission and purpose. He became very emotional when I brought up the passing of Wayne Swinny from Saliva. Wayne was a great friend to many in the music business, Saving Abel no exception. Jared told a story of joining the Wayne on stage last year.  That's just for starters with Jared...... Brad Arnold from 3 Doors Down and Kevin Martin from Candlebox joined me to talk about their summer tour, which stops here on June 21st at the Michigan Lottery Amphitheater. Kevin confirmed this will be the last proper tour for his band. "I've been threatening this for a long time." He said the pandemic really pushed him towards his decision. He went into more on that and how touring forced him to miss out on much of his family life. Brad gave me his thoughts on his last tour. "I've thought about it before, but I got to where it's fun again." He talked about being on tour before he got sober "It got to be not fun!" Even though Kevin is retiring from touring, that doesn't mean that things will stop for him. He still plans on doing charity shows and new music, with a documentary on the horizon. "It's time for me to say goodbye to this (touring) lifestyle." They tell me which they prefer - an outdoor shed vs. and indoor show. Kevin talked about touring with RUSH and what he learned from that tour that he still does today, thirty years later. He also talked about being joined by at least one original member through some of the final shows. Brad talked about being the last original member from the inception of the band. "By the grace of God. Man, we've had some bad stuff happen. Either one of those situations that happened to those other guys, could've happened to me." -Meltdown- https://wrif.com/shows/meltdown-on-wrif/ https://wrif.com/podcasts/talkin-rock-with-meltdown/  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I love talking to Johannes and do every chance I get. Their new album is out called Dance Devil Dance and it crushes, like you'd expect.  We talked about his live show." We like cardio onstage" he laughed. About playing live he said "It's the end goal of what we do" He said their music is made for the live experience. "We're very passionate about it." We talked about the last albums and how Dance Devil Dance is a bit different. We talked about his vocal prowess. "I like to try things." He says he pushes himself further on every album. "Metal should make you sweat a bit." I couldn't agree more.  We talked about having left over riffs that he may or may not use on albums. He said lyrics were harder to recycle. "Whatever we do with Avatar reflects where we are at, at any given time." Yes, there was Satan talk.....or Devil talk. I don't know, you need to hear that part for yourself.  We discussed why they continue to use producer Jay Ruston. This guys works on all sorts of rock records. "Because, for whatever reason, even bigger selling genre people don't realize how great he is. So we get to keep him to ourselves." That is an awesome stamp of approval of why Jay is so tied into the rock world. Johannes expanded on that as well. He also explained why the album was recorded in the middle of nowhere.  We talked a little wrestling...even some Swedish hockey players.  Enjoy! -Meltdown- https://avatarmetal.com/ https://wrif.com/podcasts/talkin-rock-with-meltdown/    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Slaughter comes to Smugglers Run in Wyandotte, Michigan this coming Saturday, but first, Mark Slaughter talked to me. It's been a while since Mark's been on Talkin' Rock, so it was great to get him on to talk about everything they have going on.  He told me about the band, along with Dana Strum and Jeff "Blando" they're bringing drummer, Jordon Cannata. He's the young gun in he band as Mark explained. "What a great player! Young kid, he was born....on the day that our first record was put out." He talked about the many times Slaughter has played the Detroit area, including his first time through the Motor City with the Vinnie Vincent Invasion. "We did two nights with Alice Cooper, this is in 1986, where we opened up and played Hell Night and Halloween, opening for Alice Cooper." Those shows were at the legendary Cobo Hall.  He mentioned some possible new music coming down the pike. "It doesn't take us long to write the songs, it's just about getting us in the same room." We talked about drummer Blas Elias "Blas is and always will be a big part of the band." We talked about a possible upcoming bio-pic and what he's discovered that will be a part of that.  He talks about his life in Tennessee and why he's there. He told a crazy story about a trip to Lima, Peru earlier this year. That story is nuts! Oh, and bodyguards ripping seats out of rental cars...yeah, you read that right.  See you guys at the show this Saturday! -Meltdown https://www.slaughterusa.com/ https://wrif.com/podcasts/talkin-rock-with-meltdown/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The new Pop Evil album drops on March 17th called Skeletons. Leigh tells me why they named it that, and why there's a + and - on the cover art work. He talks about the writing process and what influenced the music and lyrics.  The band has developed a sizable catalog, as Leigh talks about the history of the band, why they stayed in west Michigan as opposed to coming to Detroit. Speaking of which, he talks about some of the talented artists that have come from the "D", including a few we hung with last weekend.  That's just for starters with Leigh.  Up next, it Willian DuVall from Alice In Chains.  He's on The Hu's latest single "This Is Mongol (Warriors Soul)". He tells me about working with that very unique band on that song. "They're definitely working with instruments and vocal techniques and textures that are largely unfamiliar and exotic to western sensibilities. But, ya know, I take that on as kind of a welcomed challenge." He said they fused what he does, and what they do to make the final product. He also told me that he'd never seen the band live. "I have yet to actually see them live in concert....it also would be cool to join them on stage" He gave me an Alice in Chains update. He said that right now "Not Much" is going on with them. Well, that was anticlimactic. LOL "We're enjoying our downtime." He answers the question of how joining AIC changed his life. He also answers correctly what Jerry Cantrell's best riff. is. We got into some vinyl talk, and then I brought up KISS. That's when William really lit up. "That was concurrent into my wanting to play music." He told me how Ace Frehley influenced the way he plays guitar. He told me about a time he sort of met his guitar hero, and what his best riff was as well....which he also got right! ;) -Meltdown- https://wrif.com/podcasts/talkin-rock-with-meltdown/  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I'd never met any of the three original members of Skid Row before I did an interview with Rachel Bolan last year, and since we've become friends. Great guys, killer band to this day! Rachel and "Snake" Sabo joined me as we talked about the past year, which found the guys adding a new singer, recording an awesome album, and hitting the road non-stop. To say it's been a whirlwind of a year would be an understatement. We talk about seeing KISS for the first time and how that concert changed Snake's life. Since I did this interview on 3/13, which is Detroit's main area code, I asked the guys what the city has meant to them. "The Motown thing had such a huge influence on my growing up" Snake told me. Are they working on new music? Yes. Rachel said they've never started writing this early after releasing new material just last fall. They talk about singer, Erik Gronwall, and his upbringing and love for classic music. I asked them about the '18 and Life' contest. They explain that, that classic song and more. If you're in the southeast Michigan area, they're playing the Motor City Casino Soundboard with Buckcherry on Wednesday, March 15th. I'll see you there! Kow Wetzel is next. Is he a country guy dipping his toes into the rock world, or the other way around? We talk about, as well as partying at Kid Rock's house in Nashville, his outlaw influences, why his music sounds like it does and lots more.  He's playing a sold-out show at the Masonic Temple in Detroit on March 25th.  -Meltdown- https://wrif.com/podcasts/talkin-rock-with-meltdown/  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Taproot machine cranked up this week. They pegged down a date for the new album, announced some shows and pretty much hopped back onto the scene. Singer, Steve Richards, was cool enough to swing by the station for an interview about everything the band has going on. He told me about the entire making of the album, which he did all by himself. It's over a decade or recording, writing and finetuning each note. It's called SC/SSRS (Scissors) and drops on September 29th. The band is going to celebrate its release with a couple shows at the Machine Shop in Flint, Mi. that weekend, the first of which sold right out right away, plus some other shows including the Blue Ridge Rock Fest with some of the biggest names in rock. He tells me about some of the songs, one that's as close to a love song as he's ever gotten. He tells me about some special guests than join him on the record, as well as if he's going to send Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst a copy. LOL That's just for starters on this wide ranging conversation. Enjoy! -Meltdown- https://wrif.com/2023/03/03/taproots-steve-richards-gives-details-about-the-upcoming-album-special-guests-concerts-and-more/ https://www.volatilemerchandise.com/taproot/ https://wrif.com/podcasts/track-x-track/  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.