Talkin' Rock With Meltdown Podcast

Lots going on with this episode of Talkin' Rock. 

Teemu Mäntysaari starts us out by talking about his year in Megadeth, how he became a member, how his life has changed, hockey, and more. 

Chris Jericho's Rock N' Wrestling Rager At Sea Cruise will be in early 2025. Chris talks about the cruise's success and how it started. We also discussed the Jane's Addiction brawl, the new Vince MacMahon documentary, and a little hockey talk. 

P.J. and Steve from Trixter are up next. They're out on tour and stops at the Token Lounge on September 22nd. We talk about early tours, their 40-year career, touring pranks, and much more. 

The Rival Sons are out on tour with Clutch so Scott Holiday was cool enough to hop on with me. Mr. Fuzzlord told me about the tour, meeting Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, what he learned from Black Sabbath's Toni Iommi, and lots more. 

We wrap up this episode with Detroit's own Vinnie Dombrowski from Sponge. Their album 1994 comes out on October 11th and features nothing but cover songs from that year, the year they started. He tells me why they did that, what songs are included, and what's in their future. 

Thanks for listening!!

It's always a great conversation when Barry and myself get together. This week we discussed....

Their series of Hot Sauces.

The band working on new music.

A drummer who changed the way he played, thus, saving his career.

Questions from their head of security about Krampus and a Hell Fest show years ago. 

...and more. 

Enjoy!

I am wrapping up the week with a new episode of Talkin' Rock with Ian Hill from the Priest and Stephen Richards of Taproot. 

First, Ian Hill talks about all things Judas Priest. Does he like touring or recording more? Has he read Rob Halford's book? We talk about the careers of Judas Priest and Black Sabbath and their overlap. Plus, he talks about how they brought "Ripper" into the band, and questions from bass players Frank Bello and David Ellefson. 

Stephen Richards from Taproot called in this week. We discuss the band, what they have planned for the near future, and a new song he lends his voice to with an artist named Wes Anderson. It's called "Goodbye" and drops today (August 30th)

Enjoy!

It's another big week on the Talkin' Rock with Meltdown podcast. 

John 5 is up first. We discuss his latest signature guitar, being part of Motley Crue's legacy, and a paranormal experience he had. That's for starters with 5. 

Steel Panther's Michael Starr is next, as they kick off their tour this week. He tells me about Corey Taylor playing on past Panther songs, burying the hatchet (or not) with rockers who aren't SP fans, and more. The dude is always hysterical!

This week, we wrap up the episode with Ray West of Spread Eagle. They're playing the Token Lounge on August 25th. Ray talks about the new music the band is working on, his short stint in Lynch Mob, touring Europe, and lots more. 

Thanks for listening!

Three guests from different rock genres are on this episode of Talkin' Rock with Meltdown. 

First up, it's Brandon Boyd from Incubus. We discuss their upcoming tour, and why it's in arenas instead of outdoor sheds. We talk about how he approaches writing lyrics, traveling the world, horror movies, and more. 

Jason Hook from Flat Black is next. He tells me about his Canadian upbringing, about the band and how he put it together, and working with Corey Taylor. That's just for starters. 

Finally, it's Lee Jennings from The Funeral Portrait. We start out talking about the screams we heard last week while ghost-hunting at a local Detroit insane asylum. Yes, I included the audio for you to hear. He tells me about Suffocate City, their new album dropping on September 13th, and the guests on it. There are plenty. Great getting to know Lee over the past couple of weeks. 

Thanks for listening!

Thirty Seconds To Mars is playing Pine Knob on Tuesday as their Season World Tour makes a stop in Michigan. Jared Leto was nice enough to take a few minutes to speak with me about the band, his vast movie career, and much more. 

I had to ask him about scaling the Empire State Building in New York City to announce the tour. "That was quite the experience," I asked him if he thought it was a bad idea. "Definitely. The first night, it was about 4 or 5 a.m., 40 degrees, 40 mph winds, and freezing cold. My hands were so numb I could barely hold on. But, it was beautiful. I've always been fascinated by the Empire State Building. It was an amazing way to launch the world tour—better than just sending out a tweet." You could say that!

We also talked about the dichotomy of playing in his band live, versus filming a movie. "Performing with Thirty Seconds to Mars is special because I get to do it with my brother. The immediate connection with the audience is unique. Acting is collaborative and you often wait to see the final product. Both are rewarding in their own ways, but live music holds a special place in my heart."

I asked him about highlights in his music and acting career. "Winning an Academy Award was a huge highlight, especially being able to thank my family. In music, having a song like "The Kill" that still resonates after all these years is a big win. There are also tough moments, but they fuel the journey."

Since we're in Detroit, I had to ask him about Chad Smith playing "The Kill" without ever hearing it. Jared said he brought it up to him when he saw him at a huge event. "Yes, I saw that! It was awesome. We did a duet on TikTok reacting to it. Chad and I laughed about it when we met at the Super Bowl. It’s cool seeing our music reach new audiences."

The band did a tribute to Chester Bennington and Chris Cornell at the 2017 MTV Awards show. He spoke to me about the two singers we lost. "Yeah, I did. I toured with both of them, actually. And, they were both really kind, really, really gifted, kind people. You know, Chester, was a friend. And, you know, it's interesting, those things can be so surprising sometimes. But, you know, I was always struck by Chester and his joy. He always seemed to be, you know, to have a smile quickly, on his face. And Chris was very, gentle, in my experiences with him, and thoughtful and intelligent, and both of them just highly intelligent, kind, good people. And you know what? A loss to the world as well." That's well said. 

Thirty Seconds To Mars will play Pine Knob on Tuesday, August 6th.

Great to catch up with Pop Evil singer Leigh Kakaty. He said the band has a lot going on, including writing and recording new music. "We're constantly writing, new single, obviously coming here and we're just excited, man." 

We talked about the newest member of the band, drummer Blake Allison, and bass player Joey Walser. "Every new person's different, you know? And, obviously, Haley was great. She was amazing, for us for a long time. But Blake now and obviously his relationship with Joey, who played bass with us, they played together in Egypt Central and Devour the Day. So there's such a chemistry now for our rhythm section that we've not had before, you know, because when you grow up, a bass and a drummer like Joey and Blake have, there's a tightness there that spreads to Nick, Dave and I, the rest of the band."

As far as the new music is concerned, they have a lot done. "A lot of new stuff. We're at that cool stage where we have enough for an album easily, but, we're really trying to be picky, man. And like you said, making albums now is personally is such a blessing. And it's something that, you know, may not be around much longer. So if we're going to do it on the hit, hit, hit, big, big, big, whatever that means to us. Right? And big doesn't have to mean necessarily number one. It has to mean like something that we can really elevate our live show with."

The Heaviest Pop Evil Record

As Leigh described the new material, it sounded like it could be a much heavier direction for the band. I asked him if it was indeed heavier. "Absolutely. The heaviest Pop Evil record, without a doubt, really, hands down. So it'll be interesting for what fans say on that. But you know, the players, they're just different, right? When you put some of the same guys you put in Joey & Blake. It's just a heavier band. I mean, it's just different. You know, I mean, Joey and Blake come from metal and heavier rock and roll backgrounds. I mean, those are those with the guys can play, you know what I mean? That's what we play. So that's kind of where it's at. And I think there's the darkness. It's where we're at in our career. You know, it's like, okay, sure we've had success, but we feel like we got a lot to prove, man."

Dorothy is my latest Talkin' Rock with Meltdown guest. She's such a badass and a great talent.

The talk of streaming came up early. "It should be 50/50," Dorothy said regarding the lack of money artists get from streaming services.

Dorothy recalls a fight she got into at a Steel Panther show many years ago. That's a crazy story, but she would top that story later in the interview.

Dorothy 'The Way'

Her new album 'The Way' drops in the fall. We talked a lot about the album and the process of making it. The first single is a song called 'Mud'. She said that the song is about digging deep. "You just have to tell the voices in your head of doubt and I can't do it, or I'm not good enough to shut up and do it anyway. To feel the fear. It's part of life. You got to dig deep and tap into it. That's what that song's about" She hopes the song inspires others to dig deeper.

What does the record sound like? Dorothy responded this way, "We really tapped into the southern rock, swampy, I would call it southern tinged. It's got heavy, hard rock songs, it's got a beautiful balled, it's got some surprising wildcard" songs too. "There's actually heavier stuff on this record than on any of my previous albums."

Are there any collaborations on the new Dorothy album?

Yes! "Yes, there is, but I'm not going to tell you who it is...not yet I've got to save something." She did say there's one feature but said there might be more in the future.

As far as the album title is concerned, she said it was divine intervention. She said she read it in the Bible and the title jumped off the page.

She also talked about an incident that changed her life dramatically. A crew person had OD'd on her bus years ago, and she prayed to let him live. Miraculously, he came back to life. She said her life changed a complete 180. "I think that night I had a real encounter with the Holy Spirit."

Dorothy And The Paranormal

This was something I didn't have on my Dorothy BINGO card, but after talking about the crewman who came back to life, I had to ask her if she'd ever experienced anything paranormal besides that night. "Oh, yeah, actually many." She spoke to seeing people she knew speaking in ways they wouldn't. "I have seen some weird paranormal stuff." She told me about her best friend, who performs exorcisms. That's wild!

As always, it's a fun conversation with Dorothy. I'm such a fan and wish her nothing but the best!

The ladies from PLUSH are bringing their show to the Token Lounge on Saturday, August 3rd. I was lucky enough to catch up with the band, for the first time since their appearance at last year's RIFF Fest.

We discussed a lot of topics with Moriah, Bella, Ashley, and Faith, including Moriah's addiction to fishing. "It's really peaceful and relaxing to me," she said. It's the opposite of the 'band life'.

We talked about the tour they did earlier this year with Disturbed. Moriah spoke up first "That was absolutely incredible." Bella chimed in "Everyone in the Disturbed camp was incredible" Moriah also got to sing the song 'Don't Tell Me' each night with the band, in place of Anne Wilson who sang it on the album. She described it as a super surreal moment.

Speaking of Heart, the ladies covered the classic 'Barracuda' from them, but haven't heard from the legendary rockers yet. "They have not, but that would be super cool if they did!"

What do they think of the term "all-female rock band'? Moriah said, "I think at the end of the day, we are just a rock band out there doing our thing." Bella added, "We've seen such a drastic change, seeing so many women dominating the rock scene." She said they're proud to be part of the female movement in rock. By the way, Bella spoke about the crazy way she joined the band after seeing a Facebook post. Faith spoke to her about joining the band too.

Moriah is such a great singer! So good, she's been touring with TSO for the last couple of winters. "It's just amazing. It's a way different experience, and I'm just proud to be a part of it."

Thanks for listening!

Lots to talk about with Josh and Alex of Badflower, although Josh does most of the talking. LOL 

They have a new single out called "Teacher Has A Gun" off their upcoming album, but they also told me about a song called "Detroit". The song isn't about the Motor City but was written here. They told me about that and how some Detroit voices will end up on the song. 

We talk about Josh's fear of preforming live, his farmhouse outside of Nashville, a possible name for the upcoming record, and lots more. 

Up next, it's P-Nut from 311. They also have a new album dropping later this year. He spoke to that and the process of making it. We talked about the 311 cruises, their recent Red Rocks gig that was simulcast, and tons more. 

Their tour stops in the Detroit area at the Michigan Lottery Amphitheater on July 27th.