Category: Metal

Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Randy Rhoads, Eddie Van Halen, Yngwic Malmsteen – guitar heroes, all of them. And now Vinnie Moore. Vinnie Moore is only 22, but he’s the fastest-rising guitarist on the music horizon today. His debut album “Mind’s Eye” (Shrapnel Records) has met with both public and critical acclaim. We spoke with Vinnie recently about his success. Q – You literally went from playing the bar circuit in Delaware, to being featured in Mike Varney’s (President and Founder of Shrapnel Records) “Spotlight” column, to being signed by Shrapnel…

Outrageous. Controversial. Outspoken. That best describes Ozzy Osbourne. For eleven years Ozzy was featured as lead singer for Black Sabbath, then last year he left. On his own now with a group called “Blizzard of Ozz” and a debut album on Jet Records, Ozzy made a stopover in Syracuse. His concert performance here was nothing less than sensational. He’s been called the King of Heavy Metal, and rightly so. Here’s our talk with the King – Ozzy Osbourne. Q – How did it feel when you left Black Sabbath? A…

Riding high in the charts with their latest album, “The Number Of The Beast” (Capitol Records), England’s Iron Maiden is taking America by storm! Their new show is the biggest yet, with a specially designed set, a huge P.A. and lighting rigs, and a host of outrageous effects. Lead singer Bruce Dickinson recently chatted with us about Iron Maiden’s success. Q – You had some difficulties with this last album of yours, equipment breakdowns, and your producer being involved in an automobile crash. Do you really believe it had anything…

Canada continues to export some of the best rock around today. Their latest contribution to the world of rock is “Helix.” Signed to Capitol Records, Helix has been touring the world with such acts as “Kiss,” “Heart.” Ronnie James Dio, Motorhead, Quarterflash, and Meatloaf. We caught up with “Helix” recently, at the Palace Theatre in Albany, NY. where they opened for “Black Sabbath.” Lead singer Brian Vollmer did the talking. Q – Brian, why do you think this year’s Grammy Awards did not recognize the contribution of “heavy metal” to…

They claim to be from the Antarctic, but actually Richmond, Virginia is where they call home. GWAR is short for God What A Racket. If we wanted to be mean and sarcastic, we could say that’s a good description of their music. But, we won’t say that. Instead, we’ll just say that GWAR has to be one of the strangest, if not the strangest band around today. GWAR vocalist Oderus Urungus talked (“Babbled On?”) to us about his group. Q – What do they call you for short – Ode?…

Since their debut album in 1984, Anthrax has toured the world, selling millions of records in the process. They’ve toured with Kiss, Black Sabbath, and Ozzy Osbourne. You might remember them from this past summer’s “Clash of the Titans” tour, which also featured Slayer and Megadeth. Oswego, N.Y. native Joey Belladonna is the lead singer for “Anthrax.” Another case of a local boy who’s made a name for himself in the world of rock. We spoke with Joey about his rise from the bar rooms of Central New York to…

This group’s debut album “Facelift,” prompted one magazine to say, “We expect big things from these guys.” And, they haven’t let them down! “Alice in Chains” served as special guests on the very successful “Clash of The Titans” tour this past summer. And before that, they toured with Megadeth in Europe, and Iggy Pop in the U.S. What’s behind the wild success of “Alice in Chains?” Bassist Michael Starr explains. Q – According to one magazine, your album “Facelift” has just gone gold, a year after it’s release. Why has…

“Metal Health” (Pasha/CBS Records) marks the debut album on that label for L.A. rockers “Quiet Riot.” The group having formed in 1975 is enjoying huge success throughout the U.S. “Quiet Riot” was featured at this year’s U.S. Festival in California. One of “Quiet Riot’s” current chart toppers is a remake of the old Slade song “Cum On Feel The Noize.” In town for a recent concert appearance, we spoke with bassist Rudy Sarzo to find out what all the noise for “Quiet Riot” is about. Q – It’s rather strange…

He was the lead singer for Quiet Riot – a band that truly led the way for all of the other ’80’s metal bands to follow. Quiet Riot’s debut album, Metal Health, was the first heavy metal debut album to hit Number One in Billboard! With that album, Quiet Riot remained Number One in the charts for six weeks, knocking Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” album out of that position. “Metal Health” sold something like 5 million copies in the U.S., went triple platinum in Canada, and enjoyed considerable success in Mexico,…

As “Thrash” continues to gain popularity, record companies line-up to sign the talent. Vio-lence, out of San Francisco is the latest group to land a recording deal. Recording for Megaforce, their debut album for the label is titled “Oppressing the masses.” Lead singer Sean Killian talked with us about his group. Q – Sean, before you got your big break with Vio-lence, what were you doing? A – Just working. Being a working guy. Q – In bands? A – No. I never joined a band. I worked a couple…