The Hook Rocks!

From learning to write songs to the success of Enuff Z Nuff to the depths of Donnie Vie's challenges over the past several years, music has always provided the purpose in his rock n roll journey. Donnie's rebirth began with his latest album Beautiful Things and continues with his latest single "All My Favorite Things". I had the pleasure to speak with Donnie about all that and more during our conv...

If you are a grunge rock fan and enjoyed bands like Soundgarden & Alice In Chains this is a band you should check out. Hailing from Grand Forks, BC in Canada members of BADGUYSWIN decided to start a journey outside of their other band Slagduster. The result is a passionate alternate heavy rock project designed to blow you away sonically. Check out my interview where I find out about the history an...

The second three months of 2020 are in the books and once again several great rock albums have been released. I welcome back Chris Corradetti and we break down our favorites of the year so far for the months of April through June. Debut releases and music from our favorites are once again spotlighted. Which ones have you listened to? Which ones will make our lists! Please enjoy the episode. Learn...

The band H.E.A.T. is building its international audience with incredible music and spectacular live shows. Their latest release H.E.A.T ll is one of my favorites for 2020. The drummer Don Crash stops by for a chat about the impact covid19 has had on their momentum and how it will affect the immediate future. Don also discusses his recent appearance in the all-star Winger video for the song "Better...

One of the great new bands to hit the scene over the past few years is The Amazons from Reading, England. The album "Future Dust" was one of the top rock records of 2019. Vocalist Matt Thomson joins me on The New Music Spotlight and reflects on his influences and how the band draws from their influences to develop new music. Even though the band is young they are always looking to evolve their sou...

One of my favorite musicians in rock 'n' roll makes his second appearance on The Hook Rocks and talks about the new music that is on the way. With the band focused on the new tunes and what the future will be, we discuss what it means to persevere through tough times and challenges. With the country facing an unparalleled set of challenges, Chris has had quite the journey and his perspective is so...

From the moment Metallica took the stage in the early '80s people took notice. Their debut album Kill'em All grabbed young kids across the country and set them on a journey into the underground phenomenon known as Thrash. Fast forward a few decades later Metallica has evolved both musically and is regarded as a world-wide stadium act. Clint Wells from the 'Metal Up Your Ass' podcast joins me to di...

The U.K. continues to produce great new rock bands showcasing a modern sound with elements of classic rock influences from the '70s through the '90s. No band better exhibits this than Gorilla Riot. Their sound merges so many influences from rock and blues to country giving them the most unique sound compared to their contemporaries. I chat with the bass player Deggy and discuss the bands history,...

With a new album released in 2020 and a European tour ready to go the Supersuckers were expecting the same cycle they've experienced over the past few decades. Release an album, tour Europe, tour the US....play here, there, and everywhere and write some music while doing it. All was good until Covid19 hit. Lead singer and bass player Eddie Spaghetti joins us to talk about the Supersuckers new albu...

On the 3rd anniversary of Chris Cornell's death, Ari Karnezis joins me once again to celebrate his music, his legacy, and discuss the unfortunate litigation between his former band Soundgarden and his widowed wife Vicky. It's still hard to imagine my musical journey without Chris Cornell and his music however, the greatest part about his legacy is his music continues to be celebrated. Please enjoy...

Continuing with our Classic Album Rewind series we focus on the heavy-hitting thrash masterpiece Master of Puppets. I was 11 years old when the album was released and the impact it had on my taste in music was forever changed. This album was a game-changer. Not long after it's release Metallica was struck by tragedy with the death of Cliff Burton while on a promotional tour in Europe. The band eve...

We know Covid19 is having an impact on communities across the world. How much of an everlasting impact it will have is still unknown but one thing is for certain, the normal we knew will be gone for a long time. When it comes to live music, the impact is already devastating. Bands can't tour, small clubs and mid-level theatres are trying to survive, and fans are wondering if it will ever be safe t...

Are we having a conversation? The latest album from Butch Walker "American Love Story" challenges the audience like no other album in his discography does. With the music offering a contrast to the lyrical content of each song, Butch forces you outside your comfort zone while giving you a unique perspective during these unprecedented times. Chris Riccardo and I break it down and offer our own thou...

From Liverpool, England The Mysterines are ready to take on the world. With a definitive punk and grunge vibe combined with the mixed influences of The Pretenders, Sonic Youth, Hole, Blondie, & The Kills they are a band everyone needs to prepare for. I chatted with singer/guitarist Lia Metcalfe about her influences and what inspires her songwriting as well as evolving from a trio to a 4 piece band...

Exposing my son to music at an early age was always a goal. Allowing him to find a connection and start a musical journey was an important step in unlocking his imagination and him having a passion. The bond we developed over music has included visits to the record store, talking about favorite albums, and the live concert event. We've been to so many great shows together we finally get a chance t...

With the ability to put different multiple songs on a cassette or CD the mixtape/CD became the preferred way to communicate a theme through music lyrics or song titles. Whether you were missing a friend, longing for love, or trying to convey a feeling to someone you were never without the capability of helping your cause, through the sequencing of music. The invention of the playlist years later g...

There is no other album in my collection that continues to evolve as I do as a person than Physical Graffiti by Led Zeppelin. The album is a journey filled with songs that take you to another place. From the days of youth through the years of life it's lyrical content continues to resonate. Led Zeppelin continued its evolution as a band with experimental tones and texture with songs like "Kashmir"...

The new album Youth of Dissent shows once again why 1000mods is building an audience across the globe. Insightful lyrics and a sound that keeps evolving the band was ready for another step in their musical journey. However, the circumstances surrounding Covid19 have put things on pause while giving 1000mods a different perspective. I spoke with drummer Labros G about the past, the now, and the fut...

It's been three months since the epic masterpiece album 50 For 50 was released by Richie Kotzen. There is so much music to digest even a few months later I am still discovering nuances inside several tracks. As we talk about in the episode it's like contantly having three new albums to listen to. Crash Crafton and I rank our top 10 songs as best we can! Please enjoy the episode! Learn more about y...

Guitar legend Joe Satriani has just released another masterpiece of an album called Shapeshifting and it's full of diverse energetic instrumentals. I chatted with Joe about how the recording process for this album differed from the previous ones and how he is constantly looking for ways to be inspired. I'm sure you will find the conversation interesting as Joe also talks about his influences, his...

The music world changed on February 10th, 1978 and it never was the same. The loud and ferocious tone of Eddie Van Halen influenced generations of new guitar players while also inspiring veteran players to change their sound. I heard this album 5 years later as an 8-year-old sneaking into my brothers' room as my mother cleaned the house. When I heard the first song "Runnin With The Devil" my soul...

We always have the benefit of hindsight whenever we reflect on the past. Things we may have missed and not appreciated are now looked upon much differently. The '80s hard rock and heavy metal era was such a great time. So many greats bands with so many great songs filled the airwaves and had a presence on MTV. However, none of those bands had the catalog that Iron Maiden put out with seven outstan...

The new album from the band Massive Wagons "House of Noise" is on its way this July and their first single "In It Together" has dropped. The high energy band is ready to take the stage but will have to wait like many others due to the coronavirus impacting the globe. I had the opportunity to sit down with their lead singer Barry "Baz" Mills and discuss everything from the new album to the current...

With a dirty south sound mixed with classic rock influences, Black Heart Saints are a band on the rise. The Misery EP released this past fall, which is a follow up to their full-length album Alive shines a light on their addictive riffs and sleazy grooves. Lead guitarist Mark Sean joins me to discuss the history, influences of the band, and where they are headed once life gets back to the new norm...

Big Wreck released their 6th album "...but for the sun" last year to glowing reviews. For me personally, it was one of my favorite albums of the year and the music continues to be in my everyday music rotation. I got the chance to chat with Ian Thornley about the album and how the death of guitarist Brian Doherty affected both him and the rest of the band. Ian also shares his thoughts on writing m...