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!

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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!

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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

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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. 

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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

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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!

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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!

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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!

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It's a triple bill of singers on this episode of Talkin' Rock. 

Scott Stapp starts us off as he talks about Creed hitting the big stages again. He spoke about how it was for him personally and professionally. His latest solo album is stellar, and he just released a new single called 'Deadman's Trigger'. He says something cool is coming from the single in the future. We also talked about their trip to the Indy 500, being a grandpa, and more. 

Next, it's Eric Vanlerberghe from I Prevail. What's it like to be thrust into the spotlight after Brian Burkheiser left the band? He answers that....talks about the latest single 'Into Hell', the writing process for the upcoming album, playing shows at their hometown venue of Pine Knob, and more. 

Finally, singer Josh Katz of Badflower. Their new album No Place Like Home is out now. As with their other records, this is another personal album for the guys. One song in particular speaks to losing a pet. Josh said it was an emotional day of interviews. for him. 

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It's always great to catch up with Johannes from Avatar. I think this is my third or fourth time interviewing him. Full disclosure: I'm an Avatar fan!

Their new single “Captain Goat” is a wild ride—both musically and visually. The video dives deep into Greek and Norse mythology, Scandinavian folklore, and includes a very sexy siren (his words).

“When a song is really, really good, it gives you these strong visual hallucinations,” he explained. “This was one of those. It’s a spiritual journey through the dark, complete with water, goats, and mythological creatures. Hendrik plays the siren, Jonas is tied to cliffs like Loki, and Tim is a Nixie, this water spirit thing.”

Oh, and they filmed underwater in a rehab swimming pool. “Toward the end of the shoot, I couldn’t really open my eyes anymore—but the face paint covers the pain.”

“We’re All Gonna Die… Let’s Disco.”

When I brought up how Avatar mixes darkness with this weird sense of fun, Johannes nailed it:

“We’re a heavy metal band that wants to be a good time. But we also dig deep into the dark rooms of the soul. That duality—that’s where Avatar lives. We’re all gonna die… let’s disco.”

About the New Album… Kind Of

A new album is coming. Johannes knows the release date, but can’t share it yet.

“They won’t let me say the date, but it’s an excellent date,” he teased. “The album’s finished. It sounds amazing. Visually and sonically, we’re almost there.”

I pressed him for the album title, but no luck. “It’s a beautiful title that lures you into forbidden places… a meadow between the trees.”

Yeah, he’s not giving it up—but it sounds like classic Avatar mind-bending stuff.

Metallica, Maiden, and Full Circle Moments

In the span of 12 months, Avatar will have opened for both Iron Maiden and Metallica.

“Honestly, there wouldn’t be an Avatar without Metallica,” Johannes said. “John broke his leg skiing when he was 12. His mom bought him Metallica CDs. He became obsessed, started drumming, met Jonas—and boom, Avatar.”

He’s pumped for the Metallica shows, but also honest about the pressure.

“When you’re on that big round Metallica stage, it’s theirs. But for those 45 minutes, I have to own it. I’ve got to walk out there and go, ‘This is mine now.’ It’s a challenge… but a fun one.”

Cooking Battles in a Castle

They recorded the new album in a castle. Yes, an actual castle.

“We had this massive industrial kitchen with a frying pan bigger than your face,” he laughed. “Our chef got sick, so I stepped in and made pasta bolognese. I think I won.”

Apparently, cooking has become “a pissing contest between bandmates,” and yes, it’s a very Swedish man thing.

Enjoy!

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