Talk Louder

Klassik ’78 Klassik ’78 sounds so much like vintage KISS even Paul Stanley raised a starry eyebrow. Joe McGinness (aka “Paul Stanley”) joins us to discuss the down-to-the-details album, “Phantoms;” how Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante got involved; and why growing up in the grunge era made him feel 100,000 years apart from his peers. Created and Produced by Jared Tuten

Back in Black When AC/DC vocalist Brian Johnson was sidelined due to hearing loss in 2016, Michael Mroz’s “stupid tribute band” got the phone call of a lifetime. Mroz – who plays the role of Angus Young in the long-running, Dallas-based tribute band, Back in Black – joins us to share what it was like meeting Angus Young while his singer auditioned for AC/DC. He also tells us what it takes to susta...

DJ Will His passion for music was born in the artwork of his mother’s record collection and eventually drove him to jobs at Metal Blade Records, Capitol Records, KNAC.com, That Metal Show, Total Rock and points in between. William Howell, better-known as DJ Will, joins us to share insightful stories about his career-building involvement with the Goo Goo Dolls and Butthole Surfers, missed opportuni...

Billy White As a member of Watchtower (along with our own Jason McMaster), guitarist Billy White helped pave the way for progressive, thrash-metal music. After making his mark on the now-classic 1985 “Energetic Disassembly” album, he left Watchtower and resurfaced as a member of Don Dokken’s solo supergroup in time to record and release the 1990 album, “Up From the Ashes.” He later formed the blue...

Tracii Guns On a hot streak since rebooting in 2017, L.A. Guns is set to release its latest album, “Black Diamonds” on April 14. Guitarist Tracii Guns joins us to discuss his prolific partnership with vocalist Phil Lewis, how Slash turned him onto Randy Rhoads, his appearance in Michael Jackson’s iconic “Beat It” video and memories of Axl Rose singing WASP songs from the shower. Created and Produc...

Mike Tramp He shot to fame in the late-1980s as the voice (and impossibly good-looking face) of White Lion’s hit songs, “Wait,” “Tell Me,” “Little Fighter” and “When the Children Cry.” Today, he’s reimagined and rerecorded the band’s best-known songs for an upcoming (April 14) new album titled “Songs of White Lion.” He joins us to revisit the classic songs, discuss his love of Thin Lizzy, and reca...

Sami Yaffa He called it the “worst-sounding album” of Hanoi Rocks’ career, but after four decades, bassist Sami Yaffa and his legendary band have proudly righted the wrongs. He joins us to discuss the remixing and rerelease of 1982’s “Oriental Beat,” his solo album and autobiography, plus his time in Jetboy and whether or not any Hanoi gigs could be up around the bend. Created and Produced by Jare...

Junkyard Dusted off and back in action since 2017’s well-received “High Water” album, Junkyard is refueled and ready to rumble. Drummer Patrick Muzingo and guitarist Tim Mosher join us to discuss some very special tour dates (featuring original guitarist Chris Gates), the status of new music, the story behind the “Hollywood” video and that time Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Gary Rossington stole their...

Trauma Formed in San Francisco in 1981, Trauma owns a sacred place in the hallowed history of whiplash thrash. Currently promoting new album “Awakening,” drummer Kris Gustofson joins us to discuss the band’s long and winding history, touring with Queensryche, the addition of new singer Brian Allen and what it’s like to carry the legacy of original bassist, Cliff Burton. Created and Produced by Jar...

Todd La Torre Best-known as the powerhouse vocalist for Queensryche, multi-instrumentalist Todd La Torre is a musical force in his own right. He joins us to discuss a special edition of his 2021 solo album, “Rejoice in the Suffering,” his songwriting process inside and outside of Queensryche, and his not-so-secret wish to record a black-metal album. Created and Produced by Jared Tuten Queensryche

John Moyer As the bassist for Disturbed, John Moyer plays in one of the world’s biggest metal bands. He’s also been a member of Geoff Tate’s Queensryche, the Union Underground, SOAK and star-studded supergroups that – for better or worse -- included Scott Weiland, Scott Stapp, Mike Portnoy, A.J. Pero and Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal. He joins us to discuss nu-metal, his Disturbed audition, touring with M...

Ace Von Johnson Fresh off the set of an L.A. Guns video shoot, guitarist Ace Von Johnson brings us up to speed on the band’s forthcoming new album, “Black Diamonds.” We also discuss his time in Faster Pussycat and U.S. Bombs (among others), his lifelong obsessions with punk-rock and horror movies, and how his quick reflexes behind the steering wheel earned him the name “Ace.” Created and Produced...

Robin McAuley On the eve of his latest album, “Alive,” vocalist Robin McAuley joins us to discuss his songwriting process, working with Michael Schenker, his Black Swan supergroup, singing “Eye of the Tiger” with Survivor and his little-known connection to Motorhead’s “Philthy Animal” Taylor. Created and Produced by Jared Tuten

Alan Tecchio He succeeded our own Jason McMaster as the vocalist for Watchtower and also fronted the metal bands Hades, Non-Fiction, Seven Witches and others. More recently, he and co-author Frank White published the coffee table book “Jersey Metal Vol. 1” documenting the New Jersey heavy metal scene circa 1969-1986. Alan Tecchio joins us to discuss all of the above and more. Created and Produced...

Rudy Sarzo From his groundbreaking tenure with Quiet Riot through his arena-conquering stints with Ozzy and Whitesnake, bassist Rudy Sarzo has spent a lifetime bringing metal to the masses. We caught up with the iconic rocker to discuss Quiet Riot’s legacy, the heartfelt new song, “I Can’t Hold On,” his theory about the Randy Rhoads plane crash and why licking his bass was the least of his worries...

Katon W. De Pena Hirax singer Katon W. De Pena was front-and-center for the birth and rise of California’s legendary mid-‘80s thrash-metal scene. Today, at age 59, he’s as metal as ever and joins us to discuss Hirax, his former band Phantasm (featuring original Metallica bassist Ron McGovney), his connection to Celtic Frost frontman Tom G. Warrior, and the times a young Hirax fan named Mike Patton...

Joey Vera Best known as the bass player for Armored Saint, Joey Vera has also played with Mercyful Fate, Lizzy Borden, Fates Warning, Anthrax, Arch/Matheos and Motor Sister, among others. We cover as much as we can of his storied career, including how a car crash with Motley Crue’s Tommy Lee helped finance an early Armored Saint demo, why he turned down interest from Metallica and how Thin Lizzy a...

Joel Grind He’s the mastermind behind thrash-metal band Toxic Holocaust and an accomplished studio technician whose credits include Power Trip’s acclaimed “Nightmare Logic” album. Joel Grind joins us to discuss his early fascination with recording, his DIY work ethic and how he got famed Megadeth artist Ed Repka to create Toxic Holocaust’s “Hell on Earth” album cover. Created and Produced by Jared...

Ed Aborn By the end of the 1980s, drummer Ed Aborn and his Siren band mates hung up their dreams of heavy metal stardom and settled into adult life. Thirty-five years later, a quietly amassing overseas fan base spurred an invitation to reform Siren and play a huge reunion gig at Germany’s world-renowned Keep it True festival. Captured on film in the documentary, “I’m Too Old for This Sh*t,” (produ...

Year in Review As 2022 comes to a close, we look back on memorable albums, concerts and Talk Louder Podcast guests. Created and Produced by Jared Tuten

The Black Halos Back with all the snot and fury that made 2001’s “The Violent Years” an underground, glam-punk classic, the Black Halos hurl their latest sonic Molotov, “How the Darkness Doubled.” Guitarist Rich Jones and singer Billy Hopeless join us to discuss the new album, how guest vocalist Michael Monroe made a mic stand out of a suitcase (we have photographic proof!) and that time Nazareth...

Philip Shouse Before joining German metal legends, Accept, guitarist Philip Shouse rock-n-rolled all night with Gene Simmons and Ace Frehley in their respective solo bands. Join us as he discusses working with our own Jason McMaster in Accept, helping choose the setlist for Gene Simmons and that time he was asked to autograph a Dangerous Toys album. Created and Produced by Jared Tuten

Riki Rachtman As the host of MTV’s “Headbangers Ball” and co-owner of Hollywood’s notorious Cathouse nightclub, Riki Rachtman witnessed 100 lifetimes of rock-n-roll debauchery. On the eve of his “One Foot in the Gutter” tour, Riki joins us to preview the unapologetic and uncensored tell-all tales he experienced firsthand behind the scenes of rock’s most excessive era. Created and Produce...

Special Edition Jason McMaster with Armored Saint Just weeks after returning from a string of dates fronting Accept, vocalist and Talk Louder Podcast co-host Jason McMaster was once again called into service – this time by Armored Saint. In this exclusive edition of the Talk Louder Podcast, Jason shares the hectic pace that took him from Texas to the East Coast where he filled in for his ailing vo...

Shandon Sahm His father is Texas music royalty and his brother is a member of Tejano supergroup, Texas Tornadoes. Drummer Shandon Sahm joins us to share his own musical journey as a solo artist, a member of Pariah, the Meat Puppets and Butthole Surfers singer Gibby Haynes’ band. He also revisits a childhood memory of following Ace Frehley to the stage during KISS’ “Dynasty” tour. Created and Produ...