This week on Talkin' Rock, it's Chris Robertson of Black Stone Cherry and the guys from Set It Off. Chris started us off by discussing their upcoming EP, which is set to drop on March 6th. There are six new songs and one cover. More about that in a minute. Celebrate is the name of the EP, and the first single to come from it. Chris said that the song is about everyday small victories. The cover song is with Tyler Connolly of Theory of a Deadman, and they covered the Simple Minds classic Don't You (Forget About Me). Chris said he's always wanted to cover that song and add more punch to it. We discussed Detroit rock legends, their European tour with Alice Cooper, and more. They play District 142 on Saturday, November 22. Set It Off wraps up this episode. The guys dived into going independent a couple of years ago, and it seems to have worked for them. They are loving being in control of their path and say it's opened more doors than they thought it would. They also have a new EP that they dropped a couple of weeks ago. We discussed great wings in Detroit, touring with I Prevail, and how well they treated them, and more. They play Saint Andrew's Hall on Thanksgiving Eve. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Matthew and Gunnar Nelson start us off, as I've never had the chance to talk with them. I asked them about any misconceptions people might have about them, and they told me that people were surprised to find out they're actually pretty nice guys. I can attest to that! Their new book drops in mid-December, called What Happened To Your Hair. Matthew and Gunnar told me the book came about on the urging of Dana Strum from Slaughter. He told them that it might be obvious, but they should write a book. They did! They discuss the grunge scene and its impact on their careers. An awkward appearance on SNL. Growing up in a very famous family. Their overnight success that took many years, and lots more. I loved talking to the brothers. To wrap up this episode, I spoke with author Stephen Rea. He grew up in Northern Ireland and discovered hard rock/metal as a young teen. But unlike many of us, he befriended its biggest star, Ozzy Osbourne. A friendship that would last until we lost the Prince of Darkness last summer. As a 16-year-old, Stephen spoke about taking a month off from school and touring with Ozzy through Europe. No, not on trains, or hitchhiking from concert to concert, but on Ozzy's bus! That's insane! That's just the beginning of the great tales Stephen told me. about. Ozzy And Me is out now. Meltdown See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 Honey and 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 Young The 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 Band I 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 15th It'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....Meltdown See 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. Meltdown See 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. Meltdown See 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.

Typically, when I post the artists I have on the show, I also include the band they're in. For this episode, that's not necessary.  Up first, The Metal God, Rob Halford, joins me to talk all things Judas Priest, and their upcoming tour with Alice Cooper. He talks to me about his relationship with the theatrical legend. The topic of Ozzy's passing came up. Rob said he couldn't believe it. He curled up in a ball and bawled his eyes out for hours. He shared some memories with Ozz and what he'd want everyone to do in his absence.  Rob's a GREAT guy that I've had the privilege to speak with several times. He's one of my favorites for sure.  Bruce Dickinson from Iron Maiden starts his solo tour today (August 22nd), so he came on to speak about fencing, the tour, and his solo career. He says the band he's playing with is solid and great to be around. He talks about playing theaters versus stadiums.  Does he play new solo music for his Maiden bandmates? He answers that question, plus playing Maiden songs on the upcoming tour. He said he's playing a song they've never played live.  Oh, he does answer the question about cowbell on stage....LOL Enjoy! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's another two-for-one on Talkin' Rock! Up first, drumming legend, Mike Portnoy. He and Dream Theater are about to kick off their fall tour, with a stop at the Fox Theater on September 21st.  We discussed his love for the Beatles, his relationship with Neil Peart, and the multiple bands he is a part of. He shared his thoughts on the passing of Ozzy and the only time he ever met the legend. Great to interview Mike for the first time after I'd met him a few times before.  Next, it's Alice Cooper band bassist, Dennis Dunaway. The Revenge of Alice Cooper is out now. He told me they had a lot of material to choose from. So much they could've recorded many more albums. He shared some Detroit stories, a stage prop that didn't work as planned, and much more.  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.

An honor to have two of my faves on this week's episode of Talkin' Rock. Tom Keifer and Brad Gillis' music has been with me practically my whole life. Tom Keifer is up first. We discuss what's on tap for his band, with a date at the Royal Oak Music Theater on September 4th. What about new music? Tom answers that question, too. He also told me stories of the 1989 Moscow Music Festival, as he did press sitting next to Ozzy Osbourne himself. We also got into the writing process he uses, and it's different than most.  Brad Gillis is up next. I had the pleasure of meeting with Brad a few weeks ago here in Detroit. He let me hold and pose with his famous 1962 Strat that he's had since the 70s. His "work horse," as he calls it. He's played that on every Night Ranger album and Ozzy's Speak of the Devil record. He told me about getting the gig with Ozzy, how he scored a killer Harley-Davidson, and tons more.  Great to catch up with these two rock legends....on one non-award winning podcast!  Meltdown See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's a jammed-packed episode of the non-award-winning Talkin' Rock podcast.  The legendary Steve Jones is up first to discuss his upcoming tour. He told me how much he loves touring with this band. We talked about the passing of Ozzy Osbourne, are there any "rock stars" left, and lots more. Really cool to talk with him for the first time.  Mr. Big's Eric Martin is next. Yes, he has an Ozzy story also from decades ago. We discussed his vocal idols, the final Mr. Big tour, and more. I love talking to Eric. He's so easy going.  Eric has two Michigan shows coming up in Paw Paw on August 7th, and Ludington on August 8th.  Mark Kendall from Great White wraps up this episode. He told me about getting stranded here in Michigan last week—a true Spinal Tap moment. Yes, we also discussed the upcoming part 2 of that classic movie. Mark also told me about the passing of Jack Russell. He said he and Jack had never gotten in an argument. He went into depth about what he thought was under Jack's addiction., It was truly a touching, heartfelt moment as Mark talked about addiction.  Mark and the band are playing the Motor City Casino Soundboard on August 7th with Slaughter.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This conversation began as a discussion about the Back To The Beginning concert. David and I recorded it on Monday afternoon, while he was doing some stuff in London. With the passing of Ozzy on Tuesday, I shelved it until now. David was kind enough to call in and talk about the Prince of Darkness on my show Tuesday, so I incorporated it into today's conversation.  David talks about the big concert, comparing it to Live Aid, as far as feel and vibe. He told me about the best parts for him and his chance to play on the big stage. We also talked about Megadeth, and where he thinks the band peaked out and was hitting on all cylinders.  It's been a crazy week, I hope you enjoy this chat! 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 catch up with drummer Tommy Clufetos, and this time was no different. He played in Ozzy's band for the Back to the Beginning concert, so I had to ask him about that. I mean, the chance to play Ozzy's last concert is an unreal assignment.  Tommy talked about being there with fellow Detroiter Chad Smith, who also played during the day. He said he and Chad watched Black Sabbath from the side of the stage.  We also talked about his new music, which smokes! Straight-aheads no BS rock! It'll be on full display when he does shows with Ted Nugent throughout Michigan in August.  Oh, and don't forget about his other band, The Dead Daisies, which he'll play shows with in August as well. The guy is a machine! Enjoy! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Two great artists, one mediocre host - it's Talkin' Rock with Meltdown. I just realized I opened by saying this is "the final" episode of Talkin' Rock. That's because I'm on vacation next week. There will be more! Sometimes my brain doesn't work right when I'm staring down the barrel of 10 days off! Ok, here we go.... Up first, it's drumming legend, Vinny Appice. You can catch him live at Uncle Sam Jam on July 11th with his band, Sabbath Knights, which we discussed.  We talk about his time in Black Sabbath and how it changed his life. I didn't know that he did a small tour with the original members, including Ozzy Osbourne. He told me why he's not involved in the Back To The Beginning concert taking place this weekend, as well as his thoughts on Ronnie James Dio not being in the Rock Hall.  We also discussed the passing of Rick Deringer, Joel Hoakstra's project he plays on, the anniversary of the album Last In Line, and much more.  Then, it's my first time talking with Jesse from Killswitch Engage, and we covered a lot of topics. From his birthday plans, the famous 80s rocker with whom he shares a birthday, to his love for 80s rock, and his musical influences.  Jesse told me how his wife thought their latest single, "I Believe" was bound to be a hit. It carries a certain message, which all of their music does. We spoke about his voice-over work, an upcoming documentary he's in, and the summer tour - Summer of Loud.  We wrapped up our conversation with some talk about the influence Ozzy and Black Sabbath played on him and music, as the last show takes place this Saturday, as well as his experience on tour with Iron Maiden.  Enjoy! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wolfgang Van Halen returns to Talkin' Rock. We discuss is latest song and video, The End. It's horror-themed, so we had to talk about horror movies a little bit. He told me why he isn't going to the final Black Sabbath show, how he works on his music in the studio, and more.  To close out the episode, it's John Jackson from the Bon Scott estate. It was interesting talking to John about how he got his job, working with the legendary AC/DC, seeing some recent shows, and a special concert coming up to celebrate Bon's 79th birthday. Yes, there will be some very cool guests who will be in attendance to honor the late singer.  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.