Canada’s The Metal Voice recently spoke to former Scorpions’ drummer James Kottak about his time in the Scorpions and in Kingdom Come.
Watch the interview below.
In the interview he was asked if he had any idea he is going to be replaced and if he knew his replacement was Motorhead drummer Mikkey Dee, Kottak said, “Honestly, no but if you’re going to replace me, get somebody really good. Mikkey is a great drummer. I met him when he was starting with Don Dokken and great guy. I’ve seen him play with King Diamond. Over the years we have been running into each other. I was in Antigua at the thing (Eric Clapton’s Crossroads rehab in 2016) and I talked to the guys about once a week or so but I never had any indication that anything was going to change. And that there was only a handful of shows booked for the whole year, it was only like maybe 10 shows (left). So they got some kid from Greece to fill in and then they kept going, man you’ve got to stay there ( at rehab) stay there all you want, so I’m like oh okay, so I did and anything seemed cool. Then once I came back to L.A. in July and we didn’t talk about splitting ways until November or something, so I was actually really surprised about that. They’re smart guys man they got her business to run. And as they would say they’re in their Twilight years so to speak and they just didn’t want to take any chances on any trouble and I don’t blame them. I was really surprised and taken off guard. I think we were on the phone that day for like two and a half hours going back and forth back and forth and stuff and uh but they were so good to me. “
James Kottak is best known for his work with the German hard rock band Scorpions, which he joined in 1996. He was their all-time longest-serving drummer, surpassing Herman Rarebell, who spent 18 years in the band.
Prior to joining Scorpions, Kottak was a drummer for the Bob Brickley Band, Nut House, Mister Charlie, Buster Brown, Montrose, Kingdom Come, Wild Horses, the McAuley Schenker Group, Warrant, and Ashba.
(Michaela Naydenova, Helena Kotina, Prika Amaral and Hel Pyre)
Canada’s The Metal Voice recently spoke to NERVOSA‘s guitarist Helena Kotina about the bands upcoming tour, their new single ENDLESS AMBITION and their upcoming studio album.
Watch the interview below.
When asked about the new Nervosa studio albums release date “The whole album is complete. We just released the first video single ‘Endless Ambition’. The album is going to be released after summer around Sept -Oct 2023. Most of the songs I h have composed/cowritten together with Prika (Amarel). We have a new line-up, a new song 9single) and we are beginning to tour next week. “
When asked about Prika Amarel taking over the vocal duties “Prika didn’t even know that she was going to take on the vocals but after all these (Line-up) changes happened she said, I’m going to do it because I don’t want to bring in another vocalist that may fit or may not.”
When asked how she would describe the new albums music
“The new album has a lot of melodies and has a lot of classic heavy metal riffs, it’s brutal. It’s a combination of I heavy metal but still thrash and death I cannot say more.(laughs).
With their latest record, Perpetual Chaos (2.8M plays on Spotify), femme thrash metal band NERVOSA not only secured their first charting positions at #18 on the German album charts, #6 on the US Hard Music Albums and #9 on the US Top New Artist Albums charts, but also played some of Europe’s biggest festivals such as Summerbreeze and Wacken Open Air. The new standalone single “Endless Ambition” graces their 35k monthly listeners and 77k followers on Spotify alone with an exciting glimpse of what’s about to come in 2023. Stay tuned for more exciting news coming soon!
Catch NERVOSA live in 2023
05.04.23 SE – Linkoping / Platens 06.04.23 NO – Inferno Metal Fest 07.04.23 SE – Borlänge / Broken Dreams 08.04.23 SE – Sundsvall / Club Deströyer 11.04.23 FI – Tampere / Yo-Talo 12.04.23 FI – Helsinki / On The Rocks
20.05.23 BE – Ostend / Huginns Awakening Fest 22.05.23 UK – London / The Underworld 23.05.23 UK – Bradford / Nightrain 24.05.23 UK – Sheffield / Corporation 25.05.23 UK – Wolverhampton / KKs Steel Mill 26.05.23 UK – Manchester / Satans Hollow 27.05.23 UK – Northampton / Manorfest
Canada’s The Metal Voice spoke to former Scorpions guitarist Uli Jon Roth on March 28, 2023. In the chat Roth talks about his new book entitled ‘In Search of the Aplpha Law’. Watch the interview below.
Uli Jon Roth was asked about his upcoming US tour and how he plans on integrating his new book during his 3 hour performance, he said,” The show is different from any tour I’ve done before. The show consists of two very different halves. It’s a three hour show which sounds scary but I been doing three hour shows for a long time we always have an intermission in the middle. I will also integrate like a 15-minute Ted Talk which I’ve never done that before but where I’m just introducing the book because there’s a lot to talk about in the book. The book is 560 Pages plus a thousand photographs. The book is called ‘In search of the alpha law’. It’ not about my life on the road or my life. it is about my philosophy. Ever since the early Scorpion days I was a closet philosopher. I love Deep Thoughts. A lot of that has to do with the inner spirit and architecture of Music the laws of Music which I found are the same laws that govern pretty much everything else that we see and perceive. If not the whole universe. I think these laws are fundamental laws of nature and even beyond that because they also apply to our mind and in our spirit our soul. These laws are very fascinating to look at and try to understand. So the first half of the show has this Ted talk but it has also quite a few new music pieces which don’t really fit into the band format, they’re more orchestral,They are very melodic, where the guitar is leading and I have orchestra backing. Second half of the show after the intermission a full-on band show. because I know most of my core audience wants to hear my earlier musical existence including of course the Scorpions and Electric Sun.”
Canada’s The Metal Voice recently spoke to Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner about his new band and debut album Elegant Weapons ‘Horns For A Halo’. The debut album which includes singer Ronnie Romero — RAINBOW, VANDENBERG, MICHAEL SCHENKER—along with bassist Dave Rimmer from URIAH HEEP and on drums, Christopher Williams from German Metal veterans ACCEPT will be release on April 26, 2023 via Nuclear Blast Records.
Faulkner also gave an update on the new Judas Priest Studio album and spoke about his experience at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame when Judas Priest was inducted in 2022.
When asked to describe the musical direction on Elegant Weapons’ debut album “It’s a record that comes from all of our influences but hopefully has its own flavor as well. I wanted to achieve something that was different, that just stood on its own two legs. We’ve almost finished the third (Judas Priest) so there’s no point in making a band outside of Priest that sounds like Priest.”
When asked why Scott Travis and Rex Brown who played on the album won’t be touring “Obviously Rex is in this band called Pantera and I think they’re gonna do quite well. Scott Travis was unable to do the live dates and I was just again fortunate enough to have him on the record. So when I was looking for the band to tour and play dates, obviously Ronnie (Romero) was on board. Dave Rimmer (Bassist) is a very good friend of mine. I was his best man at his wedding and we’ve known each other for over 20 years. We used to play all the gigs we could in London and England. As for drummer the only choice really was Christopher Williams from Accept. Christopher actually played on the early demos of the Horns for a Halo record when Scott was unavailable and I wanted to get the process moving. So I called up Christopher and I asked him, can you come and play these songs so we can start putting the tracks together and then Scott can come in later and work his magic. So when it came to putting the band together for going on tour and doing these dates Christopher was the only choice really. He knew the songs already, he was already in the family, so to speak he’s a great guy, fantastic drummer. “
When asked for the next album Elegant Weapons if they would they use Scott Travis or Christopher Williams? “We’ve actually already started recording the drums for the next record with Christopher. As the band grows, we’ve done a couple of things, we’ve been doing some video shoots, we’ve got into rehearsals to do the live shows um and it that becomes the band. “
When asked about an update on the new Judas Priest album “We’re almost finished the (Judas Priest) record. We are waiting for Rob (Halford) to put his vocals down and we’re getting there. So I think we’re looking for next year sometime to get that record out and with a record comes a tour cycle normally. So this gap came at the perfect time really, to release a new record, a new statement from me and the band and do some live dates.”
When asked what stage they are in completing the new Judas Priest studio album “Almost complete, the songs have been around for a little while now but we didn’t have the ability to get together and record them because of the covid pandemic. When that lifted we then got out on the road so, then we had to record the stuff around being on the road. So we’d do a tour leg, then I would come back and do the guitars and then we’d do the drums and then go back out on the road. We’ve done things around the touring cycle. Now Rob’s doing the vocals so they’re almost finished. What I can say and I’ve said it before, it’s a little (new album) bit more Progressive a little bit more musically not experimental but it’s got a few more riffs in there.”
When asked about his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame experience “It was surreal. When I got there and you see who’s there yeah and it’s like holy cow that’s Lionel Richie or that’s Pat Benatar, that’s Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart, like wow that that’s pretty amazing stuff . You can’t deny you’re in the presence of some Legends . It was an amazing thing and obviously K.K. (Downing) was there. It was great to meet K.K., I’d never met K.K. before. He was a proper gentleman, it was great to meet him. I know the band has a history with him and I have by default but there’s no problem with me and him. I haven’t got a problem with him, he hasn’t got a problem with me. It was great to see Les (Binks). I’ve got a relationship with Les. We used to play covers and stuff together in England. But it was great to meet K.K. and play with K.K. and be part of and be allowed to be part of their induction, be part of the band, to represent Judas Priest in 2022. I actually offered to get off and not be a part of it and let those guys do it but they were adamant they wanted me up there. Playing with Ken was great if I ever get the chance again, who knows but I got the chance to be part of the triple attacks a team with Judas Priest so it was an honor and a pleasure.”
Ronnie Romero – Vocals Richie Faulkner – Guitars Dave Rimmer – Bass Christopher Williams – Drums
1. Bitter Pill 4:46 2. Blind Leading The Blind 4:38 3. Dead Man Walking 5:39 4. Dirty Pig 5:00 5. Do Or Die 5:21 6. Downfall Rising 5:53 7. Ghost Of You 5:26 8. Horns For A Halo 4:04 9. Lights Out 5:06 10. White Horse 7:02
Canada’s The Metal Voice recently spoke to Steel Panther’s singer Michael Starr. Starr spoke about the bands new album ‘On The Prowl’ Plus Starr also spoke about if the band is getting push back from cancel culture folks.
Sixth Studio Album ‘On The Prowl’ was released February 24, 2023.
From the interview
Michael Starr was asked if there was any push back at their shows from the cancel culture folks he replied,” No, not really. The only push back we got was for a plug-in that Satchel designed called the ‘Pussy Melter’ and it was on the TC electronics website and a girl guitar player saw it and she got extremely offended by it. She wrote the company and (the company) took the plug-in off because one person was upset with it. So Satchel came up with the idea and said why don’t we just make a guitar pedal? So we got into the guitar pedal business. And that thing flew off the shelves so quick, cause people were trying to cancel us. We only made 10,000 of them, just a small order of them, a limited edition. And we sold them all in two weeks. So somebody tried to cancel us, or a subcategory of us and it kind of backfired on them. Anyways my point is people that come to our shows, they know what to expect. No one walks off the street and says ohh that looks like a fun show, I’m going to go in buy a ticket and go, I am so offended by them saying FU#K or whatever. People that come to our shows know what they are coming into. They know they are coming to a show where they are going to laugh and hear some profane, politically incorrect humour. I think everyone’s there for the same party. So we really haven’t experienced any of that cancel culture. Our shows have been selling out on this tour and I would like to attribute it to how great my hair looks but it’s not that it is more like people are sick of not being heard. People are sick of getting bullshitted and they want something they can count on. “
On The Prowl Track Listing: 1) Never Too Late (To Get Some Pu**y Tonight) 2) Friends With Benefits 3) On Your Instagram 4) Put My Money Where Your Mouth Is 5) 1987 6) Teleporter 7) Is My D**k Enough (feat. Dweezil Zappa) 8) Magical Vagina 9) All That And More 10) One Pump Chump 11) Pornstar 12) Ain’t Dead Yet 13) Sleeping On The Rollaway
Iconic Guitarist Frank Marino of Mahogany Rush was interviewed on Canada’s The Metal Voice on March 22, 2023 where he gave a quick health update, talked about his upcoming line of guitar pedals and spoke about the legacy of his music. Watch the video interview below.
When asked about his current health situation and his new line of guitar pedals “I’m hanging in there, just waiting for things to get better. The only thing I stopped was touring. it’s hard to play sometimes, that’s true but I haven’t stopped that. Coming back is a weird word , I was gone from touring and I’m still gone from touring, at this point. But I’m still thinking of music, I’m still who I am it’s just the illness makes it really hard for me to particularly to tour. If (the illness) subsides and it has been subsiding slowly and maybe we can think about doing something (touring). But in the meantime I wanted to stay somewhat connected and I figured the best way was, I thought about my pedals and I thought about how over the years some many people had asked me how do you get that sound and I would tell them I built my own stuff. So I started thinking maybe I should take these designs and rebrand them. rebuilt them and let people have a chance to use them. I’m actually going to put out a line of guitar pedals, my own. Cause I build them. Their each going to have a name. There are three different pedals that I’m using. They will be named after my songs. I am doing them all myself , handcrafted, I did not team up with a company. I have one helper a kid name Ryan. I am putting them together myself and I am going to sign them. They are very boutique. The designs are all my own. Very pro. The thing that I am waiting for trademark on the names, so I can’t actually put them on the web yet, we should ready in the next two or three weeks.”
In June 30 2021, Frank Marino announced his retirement from touring after developing an “unexpected and debilitating” medical condition. he posted
“With sorrow I am forced to announce my immediate retirement from touring, and possibly all things related to continuing my career, due to an unexpected and debilitating medical condition which makes it impossible for me to tour.
“I want to thank all the people who supported me all of the last half-century.
“I know that many were looking forward to seeing us play this fall and I was looking forward to getting out again and doing more shows, but it now appears that in the absence of a miraculous recovery, my Concert DVD (Live at the Agora) will constitute the last show I will ever have played.
“I ask any that are believers to include me in their prayers.”
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