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.”
Canada’s The Metal Voice recently interviews Heloween singer Michael Kiske. In the chat Michael Kiske spoke about the bands upcoming tour as well as Helloween working on new music and his first strange encounter with Whitesnake’s singer David Coverdale.
Michael Kiske was asked about if Helloween was working on new music he replied, “Actually, 10 days ago, or maybe a week ago, Kai (Hansen) has sent me a demo of a song that he was (working on) that I was very happy about, because it’s not what you would expect; the song was a bit outside of the box, which I am always grateful for. I always thought that was exciting about Helloween.” Kiske continued,”I know that Andi has songs, and I know that Kai has a whole bunch of songs. He was a bit lazy last time; he only had that one great song, ‘Skyfall’, which was maybe good for three songs and that’s why it’s justified but I would have wished for even more from him. And I think this time he will be presenting a whole bunch of songs more. At least that’s my impression, the feeling that I have, there might be more coming from him this time. Andi is always in the game. Andi has this gift; he can just sit down and write 10 songs. He can just do it. I don’t know how he does it.”
Kiske was then asked if he would be contributing to the new music since he did not write on the last record he said,” I don’t know. I’m not so much of a metal songwriter. I was when I was a teenager. But these days I just don’t write metal songs; I just write songs on acoustic guitar somehow. And if I have something where I feel like the band could make a Helloween song out of it, of course I will present it to them, and then if they get a kick out of it, something’s gonna happen. But we have so many songwriters in this band now. And they’re all really capable of writing that sort of material that everybody loves, and that’s mainly Andi (Deris), Sascha (Gerstner), Weiki and Hansen. And I think that’s more than enough. If I have an idea, I sneak it in. But I don’t really push myself.”
Jimmy Kay from Canada’s The Metal Voice spoke to former singer of the Headpins’ Darby Mills. In the chat she spoke about the her time in the Headpins; being excluded from performing today and recalled tour stories of opening for bands such as Kiss, Whitesnake and ZZ Top.
When did you first join the Headpins “I just graduated from high school, I had moved to Calgary, Alberta and spent the better part of a year auditioning and doing the steady Loop of cover bands while I was there. I joined Steelback (Band) and within a year I got a call from Brian ‘Too Loud’ MacLeod (Chilliwack) saying that they were replacing their singer and would I join the band. I was 20 years old when that happened, I’m 63 now.”
How much of the first album ‘Turn it Loud’ was written prior to you joining “The song ‘People’ was already done I don’t think anything else was written. I co-wrote ‘Don’t it make you feel like dancing’ with Brian (MacLeod). We basically wrote ‘Turn it loud’ (Album) in the studio. That all came together really fast because the Headpins was still supposed to be a side project for Brian (MacLeod) and Ab Bryant who were in Chilliwack (at the time) but because Mushroom records (where Heart had recorded ‘Dreamboat Annie’) Shelly Siegel had died one night unexpectedly, the record company in the studio was in turmoil. Everything came to a Hiatus or a stop and that’s why the Headpins started to play bars. They (Brian and Ab) did that for about six or seven months while Chilliwack was getting a new contract through Solid Gold Records. And when they came to get Chilliwack back in the studio and get all that figured out uh Steve Propas and Neil Dixon who were the heads of Solid Gold Records came out one night to see this funny band called The Headpins that Brian had put together in the bar. A week later I was the only one to sign the Solid Gold Records contract for that album ‘Turn it Loud’ because they already had Brian and Ab signed for Chilliwack already, so I was the sole proprietor of Turn It Loud. “
Tell me more about your writing on the first album? “I wrote a little bit but Brian had a publishing deal and he needed to write songs and so he’d throw me a bone every once in a while and let me do some writing. It is something that I learned later on when the band tried to reform after we’d broken up. Four years later we did a reunion tour with Brian and Ab and an American label wanted to jump on and they wanted to sign us again. And by that time I’d been in the business for six or seven maybe eight years and I realized that, then how you made money was being a writer so I um I said I’ll come back I’ll sign up again but I want the ability or at least the opportunity to participate in 50% of whatever goes on the album. Not that I would get 50% but at least the ability to contribute and that was one of the main reasons why I didn’t reform with the Headpins in 1998 because I was told absolutely not.”
Did you own the trademark name to Headpins “No I did not, no it was Brian’s name (trademark Headpins). It was Brian’s band, it was Brian’s idea, it was Brian’s everything at the time. I was 20 years old and along for the ride. Little did I know that I would also be the Fall Guy when it all fell apart and that the debt (500K) would fall on me to be paid back even after being fired.”
Tell me about touring the first album “We ended up doing the ‘Lock up your son’s tour’ 82 (Toronto and Headpins ) without Brian and Ab and then we got on the Kiss tour without Brian and Ab and we were just knocking it out of the park. Then Brian and Ab came out to the Memorial Arena in Vancouver and they saw that the crowd was just going wild and it was right after that that they left Chilliwack and reformed or rejoined the Headpins full time. “
Tell me about the making of the iconic video ‘Do it make you feel like dancing’ “Well that was Doug and Doug from Doug in the Slugs he was doing a lot of video work at the time and also managed by the same manager that the Headpins had at the time. He got called up I’m assuming by our manager and said why don’t you do this video for the Headpins and so that was his concept. Doug came up with it. Brian and Ab were still secretly part of the band; they weren’t in the video at that point either. The album (Turn it loud) went double Platinum at the time which was 1982.”
Tell me about the Headpins opening for Kiss on their Creature of the night tour “I think it was six shows in total (with Kiss) and it was incredible. I was seeing Gene and Paul without their makeup on. When I was in high school the guys that I hung with that were in bands were Kiss fanatics. I never quite understood the Kiss thing until I found out I was going to go on tour with them and there I was sitting having dinner every night across the table from Gene Simmons without his makeup on. It was quite an experience and I left enough of an impression on Gene. A year or two later Kiss was on tour in Europe with Helix and Gene went up to Brian Vollmer and said hey you know that chick from the Headpins? Do you know her? What’s she all about? So I tell that story with great passion because you know to leave an impression on somebody like Gene um that’s an accomplishment, uh that’s a feather in my cap.”
Did you interact Eric Carr or with Vinnie Vincent the guitarist for Kiss at the time? “They were not overly social but for Vinnie that was his first tour and he was having a bit of a time. I think we were in either Montreal or Quebec City and we got there for our sound check which would have been directly after Kiss. Gene was on stage with Vinnie and (Gene) he’s like you walk up on stage (To Vinnie) and you stand there (growl) yeah give them a growl walk up there and then turn around and walk back and I’m like wow okay stage presence 101. So that night people who were there might remember it was the tour where they had the big tank, with the risers on the side that looked like the tracks of a tank and then the drum Riser rotated with the big barrel out front. Well he (Vinnie) jumped off one of the tracks and of course he’s wearing platforms and of course he Twitches (falls) and boom into the barrel. And I’m like, oh my God because I’d never seen a pro have an accident like that. I was like that poor guy especially after getting stage presence 101 that afternoon from Gene right but it was like okay you know I guess you can go up and make mistakes we all do it.”
Did you receive royalties from the first album? “The short answer is I still get some money from it yeah I mean am I paying my mortgage with it? No.”
You opened for Whitesnake in Europe? “Yeah we did in Europe, we went over and toured with Whitesnake. We did a month and a half I think with Whitesnake and played the Hammersmith Odeon. Meeting the Whitesnake guys was the thrill of a lifetime even bigger than a Kiss, Cozy Powell, David Coverdale, John Lord, John Sykes and Neil Murray. The shows were sold out every night we were playing the big stadiums.”
Tell me about ZZ Top Tour where the band was throw off for doing an encore “1985 was the Afterburner tour and yeah the crowd was going just freaking wild after we played which we were only doing like a 35 minute set that’s all they would give us and so we were missing tons of the songs that people were used to hearing us play. We’d leave the stage and those lights would go on immediately and the crowd would just go wild and it was better than any encore in my opinion because they were stomping on the ground. I remember thinking we’re stars. So here we are in Calgary, Alberta (arena) where the Headpins went gold alone on ‘Turn it loud’. We do our 35 minute set and as we’re leaving the stage, normally the house lights would go on (and no encore) but they didn’t go on (House lights) so we’re walking down the stairs and we turn our back and look at everybody (audience), they had lighters up, it was lit up. They’re giving us an encore. There was much appreciation for us, so we get up and do our encore. We leave the stage ,crowds going wild, we get into the dressing room and we hear this slam of the dressing room door and it’s like what’s going on? Our road managers there and he’s like we screwed up and it’s like what do you mean? The reason why the house lights didn’t go on is because the intercom went down and they couldn’t get the house guys to bring up the house lights so we’ve put the show over by five minutes. It’s a union gig and now ZZ Top is going to have to pay whatever the price is for having gone over what their allotted time is. Of course they couldn’t take a five minute song out of their set but it was their show so I’ll stop but anyway so uh he said we just lost the American tour.”
How did you get fired from the Headpins soon after? “I’m a pretty strong personality and I will only take abuse so long or I only watch someone else being abused so long before I’ll stand up and say something, granted I was not perfect. I didn’t know everything that everyone else knew but I had an opinion and at certain points I would express it even though nobody wanted to hear it. So I think at that point I had just expressed my opinion enough that Brian (MacLeod) had just decided this is his project he’s not going to take any flack from some woman uh telling him how his project should go. There are some specifics that I won’t go into because you know quite honestly I don’t think it makes Brian look good so I’ll stay there.”
Tell me about almost being the singer of the band Blue Murder with Carmine Appice and John Sykes ” Blue Murder was recording at Little Mountain (Vancouver) and Carmine (Appice) was the drummer and he would come out and see my side projects. I was already out of the Headpins by that time and working on numerous side projects. We would play Club Soda in downtown Vancouver and he (Carmine) came in on more than one occasion. He called up and said you need to come down and you need to sing the Blue Murder stuff. Then the next time I saw him he’s like yeah John Sykes said no way he doesn’t want a woman in the band because they’ll get all the credit and I’m like oh come on, like seriously? Had it been up to Carmine I’d have had the job according to what he was saying but John was saying I was not going to have a female in the band. They had a male singer in there tracking with them they weren’t sure if they were going to hire him and then they ended up with John doing all the vocals for that album.”
Tell me about you being excluded from performing “This could possibly get really really messy in the future, it’s been years now since I was part of the Headpins. I was a possession, I was a property and it was just so frustrating I couldn’t work in that environment anymore. Here I am going out on the road working with an individual who had taken over the identity of the Headpins and every decision that the Headpins were made for and it didn’t coincide with what I saw in the future. They were okay just being what they were. I had the experience, I had the knowledge but I was being told I didn’t know anything. I didn’t have an opinion and I was just tired of it and realized that if I was gonna do original songs, if I was going to collaborate, if I was going to try to be more of an artist than someone writing a coattail from 45 years ago I had to sever ties. I had to do it because my ability to do it within the Headpins was non-existent. So I left and it created a situation that is very unfriendly and I’m not going to name names. Unfortunately I’m butt heading against this individual who in the past 25 years of not only booking the Headpins (current version) but the other acts that he’s brought into his fold. He’s developed a lot of clout and the ability to say to a festival you want my bands or not and unfortunately as you saw it’s even gone to interviews now. You know you can’t interview her. I’ve been fighting the boogeyman my whole career, 45 years. I’m just gonna keep putting one foot in front of the other. I hate the fact that I’m having to say these things publicly that we can’t solve them behind the scenes but it’s right now costing me greatly in acquiring work. “
Are you workings on any projects now? “I’ve got a a new project that’s not officially set or anything it’s called ‘True story’ and it’s going to take a completely different run at the entertainment industry. In other words if I have been crippled from playing the shows that I’ve done for 40 years uh rather than Taking My Ball and go home I’m changing balls. I’ve got this other project that’s in the planning stages right now and have this UK label that’s working with me and this new song that I can’t wait to put out. I got things going on and I’m happy about them and I’m proud of the work that we’re putting out .”
Have you been working on anything else outside of music? “I make jewelry, I started making jewelry, just before my mom passed away as as just something fun and I’m happy to say that I’ve sold over 600 pieces at this point and it got me through Covid. What I realized that one of the reasons why I was so unhappy in the last 10 years with my former band was because I was not being creative. I was stagnated and I started making this jewelry and I gotta say it saved my sanity. If you’re a creative soul and you’re not creating you do stagnate and it can become a form of depression. I put out a line of 10- 15 pieces every three or four months and within 24 hours they’re gone and people are crying I wanted that piece where did it go. So I’m so happy that that came to me when it did I’m loving doing that so that’s also on the website is where it’s sold from.”
Headpins are a Canadian rock group, founded as a side project in the late 1970s. The Headpins began gigging around the Vancouver area throughout 1981.
Headpins released their debut album Turn It Loud in 1982, which quickly went platinum and topped the charts for six weeks, with the hit single “Don’t It Make Ya Feel”. Their second release, Line of Fire, was another multi-platinum success, and included the hits “Just One More Time” and “Feel It (Feel My Body)”, resulting in the band touring Europe with Whitesnake at the beginning of 1984. The group’s sole entry on the US charts, “Just One More Time”, spent nine weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 70 in February 1984.
Jimmy Kay from Canada’s The Metal Voice recently spoke to OverKill Singer Bobby ‘Blitz’ Ellsworth about the bands upcoming 20th studio album ‘Scorched’, which will be released April 14, 2023 via Nuclear Blast.
Bobby Blitz said this about the new album,” We used Colin Richardson (producer) again. This is his fourth project with us. He’s a friend. We trust the guy. He did a record for us from soup to nuts called ‘Killbox 13’ (2003).
He then spoke about the musical direction of “Scorched”, saying: “It’s eclectic. It’s diverse. It’s got different dynamics and characteristics. How do you make that in an OVERKILL record? It’s traditional heavy metal. It’s got mellow sections. It’s got groove. It’s got thrash. It’s got rock and roll. It’s got blues. It’s, like, all over the fucking map. But you have to sew those pieces together and then take the whole thing and try to make it — you know, put your brand on it. And I think that that’s what we succeeded in doing. And what’s directly responsible is the amount of time that we had.”
Blitz then was asked to define the new album in a few words he replied, ‘Scorched is where we’ve been and what we are.”
THE ROCK ALCHEMIST – Italian Rock Band from Turin with a strong sonic identity that blends modern rock with progressive, hard, alternative, and pop elements!
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
