Classic Metal Show

Alex Van Halen has a new book coming — and the price tag becomes the real story.

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Neeley and Chris Akin dig into the book’s expensive signed edition, the unreleased 1974 demo included with it, the option to make monthly payments, and the surprising numbers being discussed when it comes to Van Halen’s alleged net worth.

Then the conversation takes a turn into the economics of rock stardom, with comparisons involving Eddie Van Halen, David Lee Roth, Don Henley, Darius Rucker, Steven Tyler and Gene Simmons.

And if you thought the $20 meal-ticket story was ridiculous, wait until you hear the towel story.

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All comments are merely the opinions of the people speaking them, are for comical performance, and are in no way stated as factual.

Motley Crue is back with another reissue, and the reaction here is anything but enthusiastic.

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Neeley and Chris Akin go deep on why they believe Motley Crue has become the king of recycling its own catalog, whether there’s actually anything worthwhile about the latest package, and why the band’s history of anniversary editions has become so frustrating.

They also revisit Too Fast for Love, Shout at the Devil, Dr. Feelgood, the influence of Bob Rock, Metallica’s Black Album, and the absurd prices attached to some of the Motley Crue collectibles being sold to fans.

And yes, the question comes up: are fans simply willing to keep paying for it?

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All comments are merely the opinions of the people speaking them, are for comical performance, and are in no way stated as factual.

What if one of the biggest musical revolutions in history started because a DJ was pissed off that the best part of a record was always over too damn fast?

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That’s where this conversation gets really interesting.

Grandmaster Flash goes deep into the experimentation, science and sheer ingenuity behind the techniques that helped build hip-hop—from extending drum breaks and creating a musical bed for MCs to throwing park parties with makeshift sound systems long before the record industry understood what was happening.

He also explains how hip-hop escaped New York, why it took so long for the mainstream to recognize what had been created, and why so many of the people who helped build the culture still aren’t remembered the way they should be.

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And then there’s the really crazy part: techniques invented in the 1970s are now embedded in rock, metal, pop and electronic music all over the planet.

It’s a hell of a story—and Birth of a Culture finally puts much of it on paper.

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All comments are merely the opinions of the people speaking them, are for comical performance, and are in no way stated as factual.

Walking into Asia as the new vocalist means stepping directly into the crosshairs of fans who know every note, every lyric and every inflection.

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Harry Whitley doesn’t shy away from that pressure. He talks about the John Wetton comparison, the challenge of performing the classic songs, and what changed when he finally got the chance to help create brand-new Asia music with Geoff Downes.

Then there’s Indigo — the album that puts his own stamp on the band and forces the obvious question: can a new era of Asia actually satisfy fans who grew up with the classics?

Harry also gets into working with some seriously intimidating musicians, the band’s chemistry behind the scenes, touring plans, fan reaction and why buying the music still matters in the streaming era.

There’s a lot more going on here than just another new album interview.

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All comments are merely the opinions of the people speaking them, are for comical performance, and are in no way stated as factual.

Slayer is back, but the bigger question is whether a band that supposedly retired can still justify the hype every time it steps onstage.

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Neeley and Chris Akin go deep on why Slayer’s limited appearances may actually make the band more valuable, why the live show remains an absolute assault on the senses, whether six shows a year can make more sense than recording and touring, and why Kerry King’s solo project simply doesn’t have the same pull as Slayer itself.

They also revisit the insanity of old-school Slayer shows, the Clash of the Titans era, Seasons in the Abyss, the difference between nostalgia and actually delivering onstage, and the bizarre contrast between Tom Araya’s stage persona and the person they describe away from the microphone.

Then the conversation turns to Megadeth, Dokken, lineup changes, and whether some classic metal bands have become little more than the name attached to whoever happens to be in the current lineup.

And when they actually watch recent Slayer footage, the reaction is pretty much what you’d expect.

Four guys.

A ridiculous amount of noise.

And Slayer still sounding like Slayer.

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All comments are merely the opinions of the people speaking them, are for comical performance, and are in no way stated as factual.

70s rock was built on pure degeneracy, but one iconic guitarist allegedly took things to a whole new level of dark, twisted weirdness. From bizarre occult rituals and creepy groupie encounters to accusations of literal black magic, the stories behind Led Zeppelin make regular rock star antics look like Sunday school. Were these guys just completely burnt-out junkies playing mind games, or was there actually something sinister pulling the strings? We dive into the most unhinged allegations from a new tell-all book and break down whether the hype is real or total bullshit.

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All comments are merely the opinions of the people speaking them, are for comical performance, and are in no way stated as factual.

Was Evel Knievel’s infamous Snake River Canyon jump the real deal—or was it one giant piece of television trickery?

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A CMS fan sent in a theory that takes the conspiracy route: maybe Evel was never actually inside the SkyCycle when it launched, maybe the whole thing was camera manipulation, and maybe the “failed” landing was part of the plan.

Neeley and Chris Akin tear into that theory while watching the original footage, looking at what can actually be seen during the launch, the parachute failure, the crash, Evel’s rescue, and his condition immediately afterward.

And then there’s the bigger question: if this was all fake, why would anybody bother staging a failure?

The discussion also gets into the SkyCycle’s intended landing, the later recreation of the jump, Evel’s other crashes, Wembley Stadium, King’s Island, and why comparing Evel’s motorcycle jumps with Robbie Knievel’s is a lot more complicated than simply comparing the numbers.

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All comments are merely the opinions of the people speaking them, are for comical performance, and are in no way stated as factual.

Chris Akin opens up about one of the strangest souvenirs from his time in Korea: buying ridiculously cheap knockoff shoes and eventually sending around 200 pairs home. That leads into stories about fake Rolexes, custom-made tuxedos, a blood-covered white tux jacket, broken hands, and the very questionable lengths he went to in the 1980s to impress girls.

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And yes, somehow Corey Hart, Adam Ant, The Romantics and Katrina and the Waves all become part of the story.

It’s nostalgia, bad decisions, questionable fashion and classic CMS stupidity all rolled into one conversation.

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All comments are merely the opinions of the people speaking them, are for comical performance, and are in no way stated as factual.

Cloven Hoof has been pounding away at heavy metal for decades, but Lee Payne says something very interesting is happening right now: the band may be in the strongest creative period of its entire career.

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In this conversation, Lee gets into the new album Never a Prophet in Your Own Land, why Cloven Hoof keeps pushing itself instead of playing it safe, how Harry Conklin completely changed the band’s songwriting possibilities, and why the new record was far from the end of the road.

There’s also the story behind that album title—and why it connects to Cloven Hoof’s history, the British metal press, and the late Russ North in a way that’s much more personal than you’d expect.

Then we get into songwriting inspiration, cancelled touring plans, the evolution of heavy metal, and why Lee believes the music has survived for nearly 50 years despite everything the industry has thrown at it.

If you’re a fan of Cloven Hoof, the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, classic heavy metal, or just musicians who still have something to say, this one is worth your time.

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All comments are merely the opinions of the people speaking them, are for comical performance, and are in no way stated as factual.

What happens when you’re supposed to interview the guy who wrote a book about Jeff Beck… and you suddenly realize you know almost nothing about Jeff Beck?

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That’s where this conversation goes completely off the rails.

There’s also an update on the upcoming CMS book, plans for the 30th-anniversary commemorative logo and merchandise, a brutally honest argument over Pulp Fiction, and a long detour into celebrity-driven sneaker culture involving Nike, Adidas, Puma, Michael Jordan, Run-DMC and Korn.

In other words, exactly the kind of conversation you’d expect when nobody is trying too hard to behave.

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All comments are merely the opinions of the people speaking them, are for comical performance, and are in no way stated as factual.