Continuing our journey through 1986, Chris and Aaron jump right into their spandex pants and get things rolling. Chris gets the shredding started with his first pick, Vinnie Vincent Invasion's "Do You Wanna Make Love?" Not just one former Kiss guitarist was busy in 1986. The same year Vinnie Vincent invaded, Mark St. John also released new music with White Tiger. The self titled debut album also featured Mike Norton (Mark's brother) on bass and David Donato on lead vocals. Aaron's pick from the album is "Runaway". Keeping in line with the Kiss Guitar Tri-fecta, next up is a band produced by Gene Simmons and featuring future Kiss guitarist Tommy Thayer. Black n Blue release Nasty Nasty and the title track is chosen as the third pick of the show. Always room for Motorhead "Built for Speed" from 86's Orgasmatron album is Aaron's next pick. Although with such a heavy, awesome album it was tough to choose just one. Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet album released in 1986 would go on to be the best selling album of 1987. The hits from this album are still played every hour on mainstream radio so Chris chooses to spin "Social Disease" one of the few songs from this album not normally heard on the radio. Aaron's pick, "Face the Day" comes from Great White's second album Shot In The Dark. This album was an independent release and was the catalyst to them signing with Capital Records. The mighty Iron Maiden released Somewhere In Time in 1986 and Chris chooses "Sea of Madness". Up the Irons!! Aaron's up next with "Slip of the Lip" from Sunset strip rockers Ratt. Ratt's Dancing Undercover album was their third release and although it didn't fare as well in sales as their previous release it did reach #26 on the US charts. 1986 was a banner year for thrash metal and of course Aaron chooses to assault our ears with some Slayer. Reign in Blood, some say the prototypical thrash metal album and Aaron spins "Raining Blood" After the onslaught of pure evil, Chris gets melodic and a little spiritually uplifting with Styper.  "Calling On You" from the To Hell With The Devil album is about as far from Slayer as you can possibly get but goes to show how diverse metal can be. Right back into the thrash scene, Megadeth released Peace Sells But Who's Buying in 1986 as  Dave Mustaine continued his personal war with Metallica. "Wake Up Dead" is Chris's choice from this metal masterpiece. Blackie and the boys in WASP release Inside The Electric Circus. The last album to feature Steve Riley on drums as he would leave to join LA Guns. Aaron chooses "The Rock Rolls On" for your dining and dancing pleasure. One of Canada's greatest exports the Killer Dwarfs are busy in 1986 releasing Stand Tall and going on the road with Iron Maiden. "Believe In Me" is Chris's next choice as we start to wind down this incredible year of music. One band that definitely embraced past influences and created a sound that would help mold the alternative movement of the 90's was Bad Brains. In 1986 they released I Against I, their 3rd studio album. Chris' choice of Secret 77 is a marriage between early 80's punk-meets-reggae and what would become the genre of grunge a few short years later. Aaron's last pick of the night is Tesla's "EZ Come, EZ Go" from 1986's Mechanical Resonance album. A dirty, gritty no-nonsense rock band, Tesla seemed far removed from much of the spandex and hairspray of the day. And with that, 1986 is in the Decibel Geek books! Vinnie Vincent Invasion White Tiger Black n Blue Motorhead Bon Jovi Great White Iron Maiden Ratt Slayer Stryper Megadeth WASP Killer Dwarfs Tesla Bad Brains Contact Us! Rate, Review, and Subscribe in iTunes Join the Fan Page Follow on Twitter E-mail Us Comment Below

Jerry Gaskill, longtime drummer for King's X, was in Nashville this week to resume his work with friend/producer/collaborator D.a. Karkos of Underdog Studios; work that had started in January of 2012 but was delayed for a few reasons. Jerry and D.a. were both kind enough to sit down with Decibel Geek Podcast host Chris Czynszak to discuss it all. On February 26th Gaskill suffered a massive heart attack and briefly died before being saved via emergency surgery. In this conversation, Jerry shares what he went through during this time as well as how the presence of his then-fiancee Julie most certainly is the reason he is still alive today.  After news broke of the heart attack, fans of Jerry from all over the globe pitched in in the form of donations and benefit shows to help out the legendary drummer during his road to recovery.  With his body healed, Jerry and Julie tied the knot in Las Vegas just before King's X went back on a brief tour with Kansas in September. Things were looking up.....until October.  Jerry, Chris, D.a. In late October, Superstorm Sandy made landfall along the East Coast and devastated many along the New Jersey shore; the Gaskill's rented home and its contents among them. Once again, fans of the drummer marched into action to raise more funds to help the couple recover from the tragedy. In this discussion, Jerry shows an amazing sense of grace and perseverance. He shares what steps he's taken to continue to move forward with his life and his music. This long-form discussion also has Gaskill sharing his memories of childhood; becoming influenced while watching the Beatles first appearance on the Ed Sullivan show as it happened live and going on to play his show at the age of seven. Gaskill first crossed paths with future King's X bassist/vocalist Dug Pinnick in 1979. Shortly thereafter, Ty Tabor entered the picture and King's X was born. During this talk, Gaskill describes the early days of the band, the Christian ideals and labels that were attrributed to them, and how he feels about that description today. King's X was widely considered one of the highlights of the 1994 Woodstock festival; with the band gaining new exposure in front of the 300,000 audience members as well as the millions that watched at home. In this conversation, Gaskill recalls the feeling of playing to such a large crowd, how it compared to the original festival, and the night of excess a few days before that threatened to affect King's X perfromance at the show.  As stated before, Gaskill was in Nashville this week to continue working with Karkos as well as legendary producer Michael Wagener at his Wireworld Studio to get more drum sounds for the upcoming solo album. Jerry and D.a. are playing it close to the vest when it comes to describing what fans can expect but they do give a quick glimpse behind the curtain with a story about the unorthodox utilization of a trash can in the studio.  With expectations of a 2013 release, Gaskill seems optimistic about the future of his music as well as his life. His positive attitude and motivation to press forward regardless of his obstacles are a testament to him and the love he receives from his fans. We hope this conversation gives you a fuller perspective on Jerry Gaskill. Contact Info: Jerry Gaskill Underdog Studios Buy Music! Jerry Gaskill King's X D.a. Karkos Contact Us!   Rate, Review, and Subscribe in iTunes Join the Fan Page Follow on Twitter E-mail Us Comment Below

We hope you are strapped and and have checked your tire pressure because this week we put the pedal to the metal (and rock) with volume 1 of Camaro's Cut Out Bin.  What is Camaro's Cut Out Bin? Decibel Geek co-host Aaron Camaro is like a bloodhound when it comes to tracking down good tunes at a low cost. He's amassed an enormous collection of music from garage sales, yard sales, thrift stores, and used book/record shops and this week you'll hear some of the results.  To go in depth about every artist played this week would take forever. In truth, most of these groups, you've never even heard of. So, with that said, here's a list of what is played in this episode: Krokus - Round 13 (1999) – Phonag RecordsSong Clip – “Blood Comes Easy” The Panic Channel – One (2006) - Capitol RecordsSong Clip – “Left to Lose” Drama Queen Die – Self Titled Debut (2003) – Independent ReleaseSong Clip – “One Thing or Another” Nerf Herder – Self-Titled Debut (1996) – My RecordsSong Clip – “Van Halen” King Missile – Happy Hour (1992) – AtlanticSong Clip – “Detachable Penis” Bobaflex – “Apologize for Nothing” (2005) – TVT RecordsSong Clip – “Bullseye” HardRoad – Miles (2010)Song Clip – “Headed Home” Buckra – So Many Weapons (2003) – Detonation LabsSong Clips – “Shake Your Baby Fat”   Asphalt Ballet – Pigs (1993) – Virgin RecordsSong Clip – “Weeds” Voodoo Pharmacology – EP (2009) – Jam House Productions Song Clip – “Minnesota” Flipsyde – We The People (2005) – Interscope RecordsSong Clip – “Revolutionary Beat” Loudmouth – Self Titled Debut (1999) – Hollywood RecordsSong Clip – “Not Free” It’s Revenge – Rock N Roll Retribution (2005) – Man Made Monster MusicSong Clip – “Nothing to Lose” One of these albums was good enough to be the winner of volume 1 of Camaro's Cut Out Bin. Which one was it? You'll have to listen to find out! If you dig it.... Buy Music! Krokus The Panic Channel Drama Queen Die Nerf Herder King Missile Bobaflex HardRoad Buckra Asphalt Ballet Voodoo Pharmacology Flipsyde Loudmouth It's Revenge

We know, we know; a Best of year-end episode is not very original and many of our podcasting brothers-in-arms have done or are doing the same but you've gotta admit, 2012 was a great year for rock/metal music! LA Guns returned to form in 2012 withe solid release of Hollywood Forever. Produced by the legendary Andy Johns, the album is, in essence, a love letter to the Sunset Strip scene that launched the band over 25 years ago. Aaron's choice of a track from this solid release is a natural choice. While we start the show with a band with a serious amount of work in its canon; Chris' choice of a track from Sweden's Eclipse comes from just their sophomore album. We can thank YOU the listener for this as this band was suggested to us throughout the year and has gone on to become one of our favorites. Great, melodic hard rock with a metal tinge. We follow Eclipse up with a pair of tracks from some hard rock and metal legends respecively. First, Aaron spins a track from the fantastic new album by Overkill, The Electric Age. Following that is a track from, if you believe lead singer Don Dokken, Dokken's Broken Bones album that features some great fretwork from John Levin; filling in for the departed George Lynch. If there's one band that doesn't know the meaning of subtlety it is Jackyl. The band hailing from Kennesaw, GA has a long history of saying exactly what it feels and Aaron's choice of a track from their new Best in Show album is no exception. It will have you rethinking your dining habits, for sure. Chris' next pick of a track from In This Moment's Blood album is all due to the power of podcasting; becoming a favorite of his after hearing it on two other great rock/metal podcasts. Aaron Camaro recently enjoyed a night out on the town, checking out Local H's recent stop in Nashville. His choice of a track off of their 2012 release Hallelujah! I'm a Bum is a tongue in cheek barnburner that takes it's inspiration from a classic Beatles tune; sorta. As any good Decibel Geek is more than aware, KISS released Monster in 2012; taking things up a notch from 2009's strong showing on Sonic Boom. Was this Chris or Aaron's favorite album of 2012? You'll have to listen to find out but we think Chris' choice of track from this album will definitely have you shouting to the heavens. Pantera released new music in 2012.......really. While the idea of new music from Pantera seems pretty far-fetched since it's missing a very key ingredient, they did release a shelved track from the Vulgar Display of Power sessions in celebration of the 20th anniversary of its release. We give you some relief from the long wait with this awesome tune. Closing things out is a track from the long-awaited return-to-Roth version of Van Halen. A Different Kind of Truth was released early in 2012 and it still resonates as loudly at the end of the year as it did in the beginning. The combination of Roth's lyrical gymnastics and Eddie's amazing guitar tone and shredding leads makes this not only a great release of 2012; it's a great release...period. We close out the show with a reminder to keep your cool in the new year. The Decibel Geek podcast, writers, and contributors want to wish you all a Happy New Year in 2013 and we look forward to providing more entertaining shows, articles, interviews, and commentaries to help you rock out all year long. You deserve it! Buy Music!   LA Guns Eclipse Overkill Dokken Jackyl In This Moment Local H KISS Pantera Van Halen Ugly Kid Joe Contact Us! Rate, Review, and Subscribe in iTunes Join the Fan Page Follow on Twitter E-mail Us Comment Below

Since the world didn't come to an end last week (check out our Songs for the Apocalypse episode), we are thrilled that we can celebrate Christmas with you all! Since the very beginning of the Decibel Geek Podcast, we've received an increasing number of requests for a Motley Crue special. So, with this being the season of giving, this week we decided to have A Very Motley X-mas. In this episode, Chris & Aaron randomly select albums from the Crue's 30+ studio discography and spin one song they'd like to share with the listeners from each. You'll hear songs from the 1981 debut, Too Fast for Love, all the way through 2008's Saints of Los Angeles. Also included in this episode are a couple of our famous Deep Thoughts With....segments; this week including one from Nikki Sixx and one from Tommy Lee. Thought provoking stuff, indeed. With Motley Crue, controversy is never far away and their press headlines tend to overshadow a lot of great hard rock music. With that in mind, we made a conscious effort to stay away from all of the off-stage drama and focus squarely on the music as this is a celebration, not an expose. We solicited some listener picks through our Decibel Geek Fan Page as well as from the die-hard Crue heads over at the Motley Shout boards. Did some of their suggestions make our list? You'll have to listen and find out. We hope all of you Motley Crue fans enjoy this audio look back on their career.  As for the future, Nikki Sixx revealed in a Facebook response that there definitely will be a new Motley Crue record and it will be "the best one yet." Former Motley Crue front man John Corabi has recently released an all-acoustic album entitled John Corabi Unplugged on Rat Pak Records.  The album features renditions of songs from his days with Motley as well as  his pre-Crue band The Scream and post-Crue band Union. It also includes 5 new songs and an interview. Go to www.johncorabi.com to check it out and buy it. And if this episode inspires you to want to beef up your Motley Crue collection.....go Buy It Here! Contact Us!   Rate, Review, and Subscribe in iTunes Join the Fan Page Follow on Twitter E-mail Us Comment Below

When we did our Library of Loud episode in September, our special guest that week was Tales from the Stage author Michael Toney. During that conversation, Michael mentioned that he had recently started managing guitarist Jeff Duncan. Immediately, gears started turning in our heads to get the Odin/Armored Saint/DC4 guitarist on the show. Thanks to the generosity of Mr. Toney, we're able to bring you our conversation with Mr. Duncan this week. Jeff Duncan started playing guitar at the young age of 10 after being inspired by his professional musician-father. In this discussion, Jeff shares how he was exposed to a variety of music through his father; from 1950's do-wop to 60's-era singer/songwriter styles such as Cat Stevens. But, it was Jeff's discovery of Black Sabbath that put him the path to hard rock and heavy metal that he would embark upon.  With the formation of Odin in the early 1980's, Jeff Duncan quickly became a staple of the burgeoning Sunset Strip rock music scene. After a number of years of paying dues in small clubs, Odin had gathered enough of a following to attract the interest of Hollywood mainstay and "godfather" of rock and roll, club owner Bill Gazzarri. Gazzarri gave Odin prime exposure on the main stage of the venue bearing his name; exposure that culminated in the band's appearance in the Penelope Spheeris-directed documentary The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years. Jeff Duncan shares his memories of the band's rise on the Sunset Strip and describes the experience of being in the film. Odin Also in this discussion are Jeff's recollections of a difficult period of transition; one in which he witnessed the breakup of Odin, was involved in the short-lived Lostboys, and his recruitment into metal legends Armored Saint. All of this change took place in the brief period of 2 years.  Jeff Duncan's blistering guitar work on Armored Saint's 1991 release Symbol of Salvation was a strong addition to a band in the midst of tragedy, with original guitarist Dave Pritchard passing away of leukemia just before recording. In this conversation, Jeff explains the emotions that he, and the rest of Armored Saint, were going through as well as reflecting on his friendship with Pritchard. Armored Saint Anyone with even a cursory knowledge of Armored Saint knows about lead singer John Bush's departure in 1992 to take over vocal duties in Anthrax. This departure led to the disbanding of Armored Saint until 1999 when the band reunited to record the 2000 Revelation release. Jeff Duncan shares with us what it was like disbanding Armored Saint on the heels of such a successful album and the status of his friendship with Bush through all of this transition.  During the hiatus from Armored Saint, Duncan started DC4 with brothers Matt & Shawn and guitarist Rowan Robertson. Releasing albums Mood Swings and Volume 1 in 1995 & 1998 respectively; DC4 has methodically built a rabid fan base and has since released 2009's Explode and 2011's Electric Ministry. Featuring a gritty hard rock and metal sound; DC4's brotherly chemistry shines through and in this conversation Duncan shares what it's like working in a band with family and how his new turn as a lead vocalist took shape. We close out the show with a track off of the aforementioned Electric Ministry album from DC4. To check out more DC4 and keep up with Jeff, go to www.dc4rocks.com Buy Music! DC4 Odin Armored Saint Lostboys Contact Us!   Rate, Review, and Subscribe in iTunes Join the Fan Page Follow on Twitter E-mail Us Comment Below

After the great response we received from Part 3 of our Vinnie Vincent special with special guest Robert Fleischman, we decided to round things off with Part 4 this week. First up is Chris' conversation with Hirsh Gardner. Hirsh is most well-known as the drummer for late 70's band New England. New England's first album was produced by KISS' Paul Stanley and the band opened for KISS on their 1979 Dynasty tour. What many people may not know is that Hirsh was creatively involved with Vinnie Vincent in projects that predate his involvement with KISS as well as the Vinnie Vincent Invasion. Hirsh Gardner 1980 In this discussion, Hirsh recounts his memories of being introduced to Vinnie through Gene Simmons, demo sessions with Vinnie on some songs that wound up later being used by Invasion as well as KISS, his admiration for Vinnie's underrated vocal ability, and his memory of Vinnie telling him that he was offered the lead guitarist slot in KISS. Hirsh also shares his memories of reconnecting with Vinnie during a KISS tour stop in Boston which sparked another musical collaboration when things went sour between Vincent and Simmons & Stanley. This collaboration came to a sudden halt when Vinnie, according to Hirsh, uprooted the project and jetted back to Los Angeles to form what became known as the Vinnie Vincent Invasion. Hirsh also recounts the legal steps he took in trying to get what he felt he deserved which included having the Invasion's equipment seized before a show in Boston. Hirsh Gardner Today Through all of the drama, Hirsh seems to still have good memories of working Vincent on a creative level and his stories were very interesting to us, as fans. You can keep up with Hirsh at is official website of www.hirshgardner.com. Up next is a brief discussion with Tom Silver. Tom was a National Marketing Representative for Chrysalis Records in the 1980's while Vinnie Vincent Invasion was on its roster. In this conversation, Tom remembers his experiences of working with the members of Invasion, albeit limited. Tom Silver (far right) w/Vinnie Vincent & Dama Strum There have been rumors for decades about conflict between the Invasion and Chrysalis Records during this period and no one from the record company has publicly spoken about it. We ask Tom for his take on the theories that Chrysalis was showing favoritism of Mark Slaughter and attempting to squeeze Vinnie out of the band during the promotion for All Systems Go. Tom Silver Today Tom also shares his memories of working with Slaughter as they formed from the ashes of the Invasion. Tom is now a certified hypnotherapist and has appeared on many major network television shows. More information on Tom Silver can be found at www.tomsilver.com. This will, more than likely, be the final installment of the Vinnie Vincent Special. For a full explanation of this decision, please check out the Humanity Wins Out blog post that is available on the official Decibel Geek website. We hope you've had a shredding good time listening to these specials! Buy Music!  New England  KISS  Vinnie Vincent Slaughter  Contact Us! Rate, Review, and Subscribe in iTunes Join the Fan Page Follow on Twitter E-mail Us Comment Below

We were all set to release a very big interview-based episode this week with producer/engineer extraordinaire Toby Wright until we discovered that the week of Thanksgiving (here in the U.S.) is not particularly kind to podcasts as many listeners are on holiday and podcasts, by nature, are consumed by a large number of listeners while on the job. With that in mind, we wanted to make sure our conversation gets the exposure it deserves so we are pushing it back by a week. In the meantime, this week we give you a music-based taste of the massively impressive Toby Wright discography. Episode 60 - The Wright to Rock gives you a heaping helping of Rock & Metal to tide you through until next week. We open the show with a kicking track from Corrosion of Conformity's 1994 Deliverance album before seguing into System of a Down recording a blinding Black Sabbath cover for 2000's Nativity in Black II album. One of the most interesting stories that will be revealed in next week's conversation with Toby Wright will be that of the controversy surrounding Jason Newsted's bass sound (or lack thereof) on 1987's ...And Justice for All. With a good primer for that discussion, we give you a track that is truly to die for from this landmark album. We follow that up with a rare track from a rare band, Cats in Boots, that was an American/Japanese hybrid. Toby Wright was an assistant engineer on this 1989 release. Coming back from the break we relax things a bit with a great tune from Alice in Chains from their massively successful EP, Jar of Flies before cranking things into overdrive with a Slayer cover of a Steppenwolf tune from a NASCAR-themed release. How's that for digging deep?! We travel back to 1991 to spin a track from the first album that Toby Wright produced by Canadian-bred band Brighton Rock from their Love Machine album before spinning a track of a much-discussed, controversial KISS album that never got the exposure that it deserved. Korn reached overwhelming mainstream success in 1998 with the release of Follow the Leader. In next week's discussion, you will hear about the circumstances that led to Toby Wright being the producer of this album that showcased a fuller, thicker guitar sound. In the meantime, we give you a deep cut that will certainly get you fired up. It's rare that a tacked on "new" track on a greatest hits compilation can stand up to the hits that it's sandwiched with but we finish off today's Toby Wright-themed episode with a track that is every bit as worthy as its competitors-in-song from Motley Crue's 1991 Decade of Decadence album. We think you're gonna love next week's discussion with Toby Wright and hope this week's music-themed episode helped get you in the mood for it. Happy Thanksgiving! Buy Music! Corrosion of Conformity Black Sabbath Metallica Cats in Boots Alice in Chains Slayer Brighton Rock KISS Korn Motley Crue Contact Us!   Rate, Review, and Subscribe in iTunes Join the Fan Page Follow on Twitter E-mail Us Comment Below

This is not a test! We have "jammed the transmission" and taken over the Decibel Geek Podcast. Consider this the Hostile Hoser Hijack as this week your favorite podcast has been taken hostage by CANADIANS! Consider this episode as a sequel to the previous Radio Sucks - Canadian Edition show but this time broadcast from the pirate studio in the Great White North. Chris and Aaron get to take the week off whether they expected to or not! Your hijacker hosts, Wally Norton and Rich Dillon dig through some of their Canadian Cd's in hope of turning on the Decibel Geek Army to some new sounds from north of the border. Things get rolling with Automan.ca a new Canadian band featuring a familiar name. Front man Darrell "Dwarf" Millar (Killer Dwarfs) has stepped out from behind the drums and exercises his vocals with "Back in the Sun" Wally dedicates his first pick to Aaron Camaro who mentioned Slik Toxic on the last Canadian episode. From the "Doin the Nasty" album comes "Cheap Nicotine". Slik Toxic's vocalist can be now heard fronting his new band Famous Underground with a new album just released not long ago. Slash Puppet is up next, with "When the Whip Comes Down" probably one of the greatest Canadian bands to never get signed back in the day. Up here though, they burned bright with some great tunes and kick ass live  shows. Up next, something almost unheard of on the Decibel Geek show is a ballad. In what Wally describes as the greatest rock ballad ever written, we have Gypsy Rose and "Don't Turn Your Back On Me Now" from the Gene Simmons produced Prey album. "One Way Ticket" is a tune from a great young band out of the Hamilton area, 40 Sons. This tune proves that there is hope for the future as these kids are writing some really melodic, kick ass rock tunes. Fraze Gang, featuring Greg Fraser and Stevie Skreebs of Brighton Rock have just released Fraze Gang 2 and "Saint or Sinner" the lead off track is Wally's pick to kick things into overdrive. With a real Judas Priest feel, the guitar work on this track is truly smoking! Some Decibel Geeks might know of the television police drama Flashpoint. What you may not know is that Hugh Dillon who plays Officer Ed Lane on the show is also the front man for Canadian Punk rockers The Headstones. Rich spins the high octane "Reno" off the Smile and Wave CD. The Decibel Geeks have already been introduced to Carl Dixon and Coney Hatch. This time we turn to Coney's bass player Andy Curran and his solo band Soho 69 with the track "Scatterbrain". Next up Rich chooses the song "Pine Valley" from the obscure Canadian band Mushroom Trail. A bluesy little rocker from a band so obscure that he even stumped his co-host. Closing out this Canadian metal feast, after all the back-bacon and beer. We have a real treat, West Memphis Suicide rocking out a crunchy version of Kiss's "War Machine". This track can be found on the new Kissin' Time - Canada's Tribute to Kiss CD. This Cd was just released on Halloween 2012 with all proceeds going to Sick Kids Hospital here in Toronto. If you dig any of the songs played this week.... Buy Music! Back In The Sun - Automan.ca Cheap Nicotine - Slik Toxic When The Whip Comes Down - Slash Puppet Don't Turn Your Back On Me Now - Gypsy Rose One Way Ticket - 40 Sons Saint Or Sinner - Fraze Gang 2 Reno - The Headstones Scatterbrain - Soho 69 Pine Valley - Mushroom Trail War Machine - West Memphis Suicide Contact Us! Rate, Review, and Subscribe in iTunes Join the Fan Page Follow on Twitter E-mail Us Comment Below

Few things are more synonymous with Rock and Roll than drinking. Like peanut butter needs jelly or carrots need peas, Rock and Roll tends to go down easier with alcohol. Of course, no one probably ever woke up hungover in a stranger's bed after eating vegetables. But, we digress. This week, Aaron and Chris pick their Top 5 Drinking Songs. With the huge plethora of choices out there, this was a pretty tough list to put together and there are tons of other choices that could have been made but who's to say this subject won't be revisited in the future? Things start off on a humorous note with a track from Buckcherry's Black Butterfly album that describes the frustration that many of us of the male persuasion have endured due to excessive imbibing of substances crossed with an opportunity for companionship.  Next up is a track from Guns N Roses' legendary debut album that speaks from a directive point of view and also predicts a hazy night ahead. That track segues into a tune from Thin Lizzy's 1979 Black Rose album that was clearly coming from the songwriter's realization that you can lean a little too heavily on the good times and wind up drowning your sorrows with the same solution. A cautionary tale for sure. Before we head to the break, we hear from a drinking all-star with a track from Zakk Wylde and Black Label Society that is matter of fact in kicking your ass. We return from the break with one of the all-time classic drinking songs and certainly a no-brainer for the Decibel Geek Podcast. This is the song that fully inducted Chris into the KISS Army and sounds just as fresh today as it did on 1975's Alive! album.  One band that knows a lot about having a good time is Ugly Kid Joe as their song history bears out. This week we decided to include a track that will remind many listeners of high school parties while the parents were away.  Alice Cooper was at the height of his drinking dependence in 1977, releasing the Lace and Whiskey album and assuming the fictional role of a hard-drinking PI; not exactly a stretch for him at the time. The album was a success but his drinking had become too much to bear and was his last material released before entering a sanitarium for treatment. He wouldn't, however, be done with his battle with the bottle for several more years. Our inclusion of the title track from this album is a must for its quirky, yet dark, tone at the time. We return from the break with the second contribution from alcohol-consumption expert Ace Frehley with a track from his 1978 KISS solo album that will leave you as blind as a skunk before spinning a ZZ Top track that is so intoxicating it's been covered by a slew of other great artists. We had to go with the original 1973 track though for authenticity. Closing things out is a track by WASP that celebrates getting hammered in the state where everything is bigger. We think you'll like it. And if you do...... Buy Music! Buckcherry Guns N Roses Thin Lizzy Black Label Society KISS Ugly Kid Joe Alice Cooper ZZ Top WASP Connect to Us Rate, Review, & Subscribe in iTunes Join the Fan Page Follow on Twitter E-mail Us Comment Below

After having a great time discussing the first half of the Year 2000,  we're back this week to finish it off as we cover July through December of Y2K. We lead things off with some stories from 2000 including the AOL (remember them?) merger with Time Warner, the first season of Survivor, and the Elian Gonzalez custody drama that had America on the edge of its seat. Jumping into July, we discuss Rage Against the Machine's free concert outside the Democratic National Convention in protest to the two-party system. If you've paid attention since then, not much has changed but they get an "A" for effort.  We spin a variety of artists in our coverage of July and August of 2000 including clips from newer groups such as Jack Off Jill and Mudvayne as well as tried and true rockers such as UFO and Motley Crue. We also include a track that slipped our mind during part one but was too good not to include. September saw Rage Against the Machine back in the headlines as bassist Tim Commerford is arrested for climbing on the set of the MTV Video Music Awards after losing the award for Best Rock Video to Limp Bizkit. Who could blame him? We spin polar opposite tracks from David Coverdale and Suicidal Tendencies during this segment (how's that for diversity?) In October, the aforementioned Limp Bizkit released the nausea-inducingly titled Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water, selling over a million copies in its first week. My how things have changed since 2000. Covering October, we spin tunes from Fozzy, Hammerfall, Megadeth, Slash's Snakepit, and Over Kill. No Linkin Park being spun on this show. We return from the break to close out the year with a controversial tune released by ever-controversial Marilyn Manson in November. December saw the Backstreet Boys racking up 1.6 million sales in its debut week with Black & Blue. To properly react to that stat, we share a clip from Frankenstein Drag Queens from Planet 13 that sums up our thoughts nicely. Closing out this episode is a great song (one of many other great songs) from the Iommi album that was released in October of 2000. We dug deep once again to give you a nice variety of rock and metal that you may have missed in 2000. If you dig something that you heard on today's show, remember to...... Buy Music! Jack Off Jill UFO Motley Crue Halford (hed) PE Mudvayne Hair of the Dog Suicidal Tendencies David Coverdale Fozzy Hammerfall Megadeth Slash's Snakepit Over Kill Marilyn Manson Frankenstein Drag Queens from Planet 13 Tony Iommi Connect to Us! Rate, Review, and Subscribe in iTunes Join the Fan Page Follow on Twitter E-mail Us Comment Below Direct Download

We're back this week with a second helping of our live recording at the recent Nashville Comic & Horror Festival and this time we have some company. Our good friends from the PWA Show dropped by to help us create an all-covers show that is certainly like no other that we've done. We're sure that some of the choices today will either make you want to jump for joy or want to reach through the ipod and strangle us. Either way, we don't think you'll be bored.  The PWA Show is hosted by Dave and Korey and posts new episodes, like us, every week. What do they cover on the PWA Show? Well, just about anything. Their off-the-cuff, stream of consciousness conversations are pretty interesting and give you a fly-on-the-wall feeling when listening. Check them out and give them a listen. We consider them our brothers-in-podcasting.  We kick things off with Chris' pick of a industrialized version of a Zeppelin classic before going to Dave's pick of a KISS classic covered by a group of Alternative pioneers from Minnesota. Korey makes his first selection of a White Stripes cover with a Tennessee connection before Aaron shifts things back heavier with his choice of a controversial frontman covering a Maiden classic. We return from the break with the first country artist to ever be spun on the Decibel Geek Podcast and it's a great cover of a Catman-sung KISS classic from the 1970's. Coming off of that, Dave selects a Marilyn Manson cover that helped the shock rocker break through to the mainstream. Korey's second choice of the song that is arguably the birth tune of rap-rock runs completely counter to Aaron's choice of Tesla covering a killer track by Alice Cooper. Next up is Chris' choice of Pearl Jam jamming out a live version of one of the best arena rock anthems of all-time before Dave chooses a cover performed by another Seattle-formed band performing a David Bowie classic from MTV Unplugged. We finish things off with The Man in Black delivering a painful rendition of a wrenching Nine Inch Nails song from 2002 and end things on a heavy note with Aaron's pick of W.A.S.P. covering a rollicking Who track. Send all hatemail regarding Korey & Dave's picks to thepwashow@gmail.com and......... Buy Music! Trent Reznor The Replacements KISS White Stripes Sebastian Bach Garth Brooks Marilyn Manson Run DMC Tesla Pearl Jam  Nirvana Johnny Cash W.A.S.P. Connect to Us! Rate, Review, and Subscribe in iTunes Join the Fan Page Follow on Twitter E-mail Us Comment Below

On Saturday October 6th, the Decibel Geek podcast ventured out of the bat cave to meet a large contingent of fellow Geeks at the Nashville Comic & Horror Festival. With a ton of amazing folks wearing wild costumes and special guests including Ernie Hudson in full Ghostbusters gear, it was a bit distracting recording on-location but we still want to share the experience with you in this week's episode; Radio Sucks Radio Show volume 8! Our mobile producer Marc Bullard joins us on the mic this week as the three of us select a truly eclectic mix of tunes are you are not likely to hear on your payola-funded corporate radio station. We kick things off with Marc's pick of a track from Skid Row's Slave to the Grind album that will make you go ape followed by a gut-wrenching track from Alice in Chains' Dirt album. Aaron spins a celebratory tune from The Donnas before coming out of our first break with Marc's pick of a newer track from Extreme followed by a more recent tender-loving song from Motley Crue's Saints of Los Angeles album.  Before heading into the break, Chris spins a track from Iron Maiden that ponders the idea of toying with crazy people. We return from break #2 with the strangest grouping of songs you'll never hear anywhere else. We segue from Aaron's choice of a powerful track from Paul Stanley's 1978 KISS solo album into a track that Marc picks in honor of Aaron performed by The Dead Milkmen.  If that wasn't strange enough, Chris serves up a long jammified track from King's X that will surely make you want to never attempt to play guitar again. Closing out today's show is a track from End of the Century by The Ramones that Chris loves in all it's different incarnations. We hope you dig the tunes you hear today. If you do....... Buy Music! Skid Row Alice in Chains The Donnas Extreme Motley Crue Iron Maiden KISS The Dead Milkmen King's X Ramones

While our Year in Review shows tend to have a great response each time out for the wealth of information that we try to squeeze in each time and numerous song clips that we attempt to shoehorn in; we've also plenty of folks tell us that they like when we spin more than 1:00-1:30 length clips of songs and prefer to hear more music. This week's show is our attempt to satisfy that contingent....with a twist! Instead of just a typical show spinning songs from the chosen previous Year in Review, we decided to explore a new option of entertainment with a Decibel Geek episode from 1991! We dug through the archives and dusted off this episode of a very young Chris and Aaron and you'll get to hear where their minds were at (when not "using" the Sears catalog) and their opinions of the bands of the day as well as the changes in the ever-shifting music industry. We hope you will enjoy this rare look back to a simpler time in our lives and some great music that we were digging on in those days. Thanks for joining us on this time warp back into history with Radio Revisited 1991! *Editor's Note* - All content contained in the "flashback" portion of this episode is not, in fact, from 1991 and is meant purely for comedic purposes. Anyone taking offense or feeling misled by this scripted error should contact the offices of Decibel Geek attorney Uneedto Getalife (he's foreign).  Buy Music! Skid Row The Cult Over Kill Fishbone Ugly Kid Joe  Pearl Jam Guns N' Roses Ozzy Osbourne Anthrax  Metallica Connect to Us! Rate, Review, & Subscribe in iTunes Join the Fan Page Follow on Twitter E-mail Us

After a great week of getting Ugly with Whitfield Crane, we return to fill your head with loud, auditory goodness. Radio Sucks Radio Show vol 7 is here! This weeks Geek of the Week is Dan Miles! Dan is the host of the Friends of Dan Music Podcast and we're thrilled to call him a friend as his podcast features some great in-depth conversations with some real insiders of the music industry. He recently talked to Simpsons music composer Alf Clausen about his 40+ years in the industry and we highly recommend his Jim Morrison episode that features the Lizard King expressing himself between takes while in the recording studio. Dan is a great supporter of the Decibel Geek podcast and we thank him this week by bestowing this great honor on him ;-) We've got a ton of diversity for you this week for the 7th edition of the Radio Sucks Radio Show. We start things off with a great track from the Sabbath w/Dio era album Mob Rules before launching into a track from Warrant that could easily be described as everything that Cherry Pie is not; and we're thankful for that. Chris has been trying to dive headlong into the Cheap Trick catalog after much cajoling from fellow KISS fans about the many treasures inside and he unearths a power pop masterpiece from 1977's self-titled debut album that will please anyone with a rock and roll sweet tooth. We come back from the first break with an ode to the demise of a serial killer from a Wisconsin-born band that you'd never expect to hear on our show. Our Fresh Blood pick for this episode is The Treatment from the UK. Currently opening for KISS and Motley Crue on The Tour, this group of fresh-faced Brits sports a serious classic rock influence and solid, raw sound that we think you will most certainly dig. If you are attending The Tour, this act definitely seems to be worthy of showing up early. Aaron gets super-obscure with his pick of a Faith No More song from the Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey soundtrack that is woefully under-appreciated before launching into a choice cut from Baltimore's own Clutch. Queensryche has been in the news lately for all the wrong reasons as the band has recently split from singer Geoff Tate and lawyers are busy running up hourly fees while firing lawsuits back and forth. We discuss the current wranglings before Chris' pick of a track from Operation: Mindcrime that is aptly titled in regards to the current situation. Shotgun Messiah was a band that largely got swallowed up in the early 90's scene-changeover that affected so many bands but bassist Tim Skold would go on to success in a number of other projects; notably his work with Marilyn Manson. Aaron picks a powerful track off their 1992 sophomore album Second Coming. We return from the break with the king of shock rock with Chris' pick of a great anthem from the 1975 Welcome to My Nightmare album that never gets old and feels as fresh today as it did back then (except maybe for the Donny Osmond reference). Closing out volume 7 of our Radio Sucks Radio show is a wickedly evil pick of a Monster Magnet tune from their Powertrip album. We've got tons of big stuff planned for the near future and hope that you enjoy these tunes as we ramp things up for a very busy Fall season. Rock on! Buy Music! Black Sabbath Warrant Cheap Trick Violent Femmes The Treatment Faith No More Clutch Queensryche Shotgun Messiah Alice Cooper Monster Magnet Connect to Us! Join the Fan Page Follow on Twitter E-mail Us

It's no secret to fans of the Decibel Geek Podcast that we, especially Aaron Camaro, have a great affinity for Ugly Kid Joe. Born out of suburbia (ie. Isla Vista, CA) in 1990, Ugly Kid Joe showed up in the middle of a power shift in the rock world with a sound that didn't fit into the glam rock style that was on its way out nor with the dirge-like sound emanating from the grunge underbelly of Seattle that would soon take over the world.  Named on the spot as a spoof of California hair-farmers Pretty Boy Floyd, Whitfield Crane and best friend Klaus Eichstadt formed the initial lineup of the band and released the breakthrough EP, 'As Ugly As They Wanna Be.' The album broke through to mass audiences with the success of the track 'Everything About You' and would go on to become the first EP to be certified multi-platinum by the RIAA. In this long-form discussion, Whit Crane shares the stories of how the band was formed, what the musical climate was like at the time, and his opinion of Pretty Boy Floyd. Ugly Kid Joe would climb the rock ladder in 1992 with the follow-up album 'America's Least Wanted' which featured the considered-by-WalMart-offensive cover depicting Lady Liberty giving the finger. Featuring a guest vocal from Judas Priest's Rob Halford on the track 'God Damn Devil,' the album solidified Ugly Kid Joe in the public consciousness with the release of their cover of Harry Chapin's 'Cat's in the Cradle' and, to a lesser degree, the opening track 'Neighbor.' A long period of touring the globe would ensue throughout the following years including opening slots for Ozzy Osbourne and Def Leppard as well as headliner status of their own. Along with lots of touring, Ugly Kid Joe was on a non-stop treadmill of appearances, interviews, award shows, and other assorted promotional activities (also LOTS of partying with such legends as Eddie Van Halen and Lemmy). Crane reflects on how crazy the lifestyle was and what memories remain with him to this day. 1995 saw the release of 'Menace to Sobriety' which featured the lineup of Crane, Eichstadt, guitarist Dave Fortner, bassist Cordell Crockett, and drummer Shannon Larkin. Featuring a tighter, heavier sound, the album received rave reviews. After disappointing sales for the 1996 release 'Motel California,' Ugly Kid Joe disbanded the following year. The members went on to other projects and bands with Larkin becoming the drummer in Godsmack and Crane doing a stint with Life of Agony as well as work with Medication and reuniting with Larkin for Another Animal. In this conversation, Crane reveals the emotions and motivations behind these projects and reflects on what he takes away from those experiences. After 15 years apart, the 1995 lineup of Ugly Kid Joe have released their new EP, 'Stairway to Hell.' Featuring a bold production from guitarist/production genius Dave Fortner, the album has all that one would expect from Ugly Kid Joe and more. We get Whit's thoughts on our impressions of the album and if he agrees or not. Aaron also gives a heartfelt testimonial to Whit on behalf of all Ugly Kid Joe fans before we wrap things up with a special preview of the upcoming single from 'Stairway to Hell.' We thank Whitfield Crane for giving us his time, attention, and reflections on a career that has rocked and shows no sign of stopping. 

After a week of reflecting on January - July of 1987, we round things off this week by discussing August - December and try to shoehorn in as many tunes and memories as we can.   August saw the release of two of the year's landmark albums in Michael Jackson's 'Bad' and Def Leppard's Hysteria.    MJ had not released an album since 1983's historic 'Thriller' release and the world's ears were ready for a followup. 'Bad', released on August 31st went on to produce five number one singles in the USA; a record which has not been broken.   Def Leppard's slickly-produced 'Hysteria' album had smash hit after smash hit and would go on to sell over 20 million units.   Other notable releases from August of 1987 included albums by Metallica, Twisted Sister, and Aerosmith.   September spawned album releases by rock legends such as Pink Floyd, Motorhead, Rush, The Ramones, and KISS. While not all of these releases would go on to be big sellers, some amazing songs were overlooked by the general public.    The big news story of Ocotober of 1987 was the rescue of Baby Jessica. After falling down a well in Midland, Texas two days prior, emergency crews are able to save the young child in front of a national television audience.   Motley Crue attempted to release 'You're All I Need' as a single from the Girls, Girls, Girls album on October 19th but were shunned by MTV and radio due to the graphic nature of the lyrics. We take a listen to hear what the uproar was about.   Notable releases of October 1987 included albums by Alice Cooper, MSG, Sepultura, and the multi-million selling 'Faith' album from George Michael after his split with Wham! (blech).   We finish things off with a discussion of the albums released in November and December including offerings from Black Sabbath, Anthrax, and two albums by Overkill. Also in this discussion we reflect on bands that were established in 1987 as well as those that called it quits before playing things out with a dreamy track from Dokken's 'Back for the Attack' album.  

1987 was a special time in the adolescence of a young Aaron Camaro and Chris Czynszak; being aged 13 and 11 respectively. This was an interesting time in American pop culture with tv shows like The Cosby Show and Cheers leading in the ratings while edgier upstart FOX Network was providing more reality-based programming that would go on to dominate the next decade. Popular movies in 1987 included Three Men and a Baby, Lethal Weapon, RoboCop, and Wall Street; which included one of the enduring quotes of the decade in "Greed, for lack of a better word, is good." We discuss all of that and spin some of our favorite music from January through July of 1987 in part 1 of this 2 part special. The "hair band" movement was in full force in 1987 as bands such as Def Leppard, Motley Crue, and Bon Jovi were ruling the charts and filling arenas. But a glimpse of a grittier future in rock was given with Guns N Roses landmark debut album, Appetite for Destruction. Taking the world by storm with a no-frills, attitude-filled song list, AFD ran counter to the image-based culture that was on top at the time; relying more on substance and swagger and becoming one of the premier live shows in all of music. We also touch on how hindsight is definitely 20/20 when it comes to looking back on songs/albums that were revered in those early days of puberty and how are outlook on them has either changed or stayed the same. Some things definitely have held up over the years while others certainly sound more like they are fixtures in this Cold War-era that we are remembering. There's lots of discussion, good tunes, and LOTS more music ahead in part 2. We hope you enjoy our trip back to 1987. 

When we think back to those angst filled teenage years in the early 90's when we couldn't find a fake i.d. and we still had a curfew, some of our best memories are of spending Saturday nights hanging out at a friends house, eating day old pizza and watching the Headbangers Ball on MTV. While the show started back in 1985 with an ever-rotating host, the show came into our collective consciousness during the transition from Adam Curry to this week's guest, Riki Rachtman. While Curry did an admirable job hosting the Ball, the show took on a more adventurous and fun direction when Rachtman took the reins in 1990.  Riki Rachtman's profile in rock history goes back further, though, to his days as owner of The Cathouse; a famed L.A. nightspot that was frequented by rock stars of all sorts and the women that adored them. Rachtman's first on-camera appearance took place in 1988's Penelope Spheeris-directed The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years. In the movie, Rachtman is interviewed on location at the aforementioned Cathouse along with co-owner/roommate Taime Downe of Faster Pussycat.  Rachtman's friendship with Guns N Roses frontman Axl Rose led to an audition at MTV as Curry was on his way out as host of Headbangers Ball. His hosting duties would last for five years (1990-1995) until Headbangers Ball was abruptly canceled with no more than a phone call to Rachtman breaking the news. In the ensuing years since Headbangers Ball, Riki Racthman has stayed active in the entertainment industry; contributing his hosting talents to such outfits as World Championship Wrestling, Los Angeles radio station KLSX, several VH1 productions, and his NASCAR-themed racing show called Racing Rocks and is heard on over 120 stations across America. Riki was gracious enough to take some time to talk to Chris this week about the crazy days of The Cathouse, the story that led to getting the Headbangers Ball hosting gig, his memories of hosting the Ball and traveling the world, his response to critics that have accused him of pushing an agenda while on MTV, and his take on where the network (and music in general) is at today. Riki also gives us details about his current 3-country/11 state trek from Mexico through America through Canada and to Sturgis on motorcycles with his long-time friend Taime Downe. As of the date of this episode's recording, Riki and co. were in Washington state and you can track their progress in real-time by clicking this link or you can receive his updates on his Twitter page. We thank Riki Rachtman for taking the time to talk to us. We hope this episode brings back as many memories for you as it did for us.

We're pulling into the homestretch of KISSMAS in July and thought we'd end the month with a Geeky BANG! Before we get down to it we want to proudly announce that you can stream the Decibel Geek podcast every Friday night through Maximum Threshold Radio! These guys are spinning rock and metal 24 hours a day and were nice enough to let us Geeks take over their airwaves every Friday night at 7:00pm EST. We appreciate this opportunity and hope you will check out all of the other great programming they provide as well. This week's Geek of the Week is Victor Ruiz of the Mars Attacks podcast. Victor had the winning suggestion for this week's KISS-related show subject and we wanted to give a tip of the hat to him. Be sure to check out Mars Attacks for lots of great rock and metal discussion. To qualify for Geek of the Week, just join the facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/decibelgeek and leave us a comment. Simple as that! With 20 studio albums, numerous solo albums, and other projects to boot, it's logical to think that KISS must have a treasure trove of unreleased material. While we got some of that from the officially released box set, fans are still waiting for a bulk release of demos and unreleased nuggets (in good sound quality) from the band. There are, however, a lot of little-known gems floating around the bootleg collector market and that's what we wanted to focus on today. Special thanks to KISSFAQ for providing such in-depth information that aided in our research for this episode.  In this episode you will hear demos, unreleased tracks, and alternate takes from the Hottest Band in the Land as well as cases where songs were turned inside out from demos to wind up as officially released songs years (sometimes decades) later. We also will take a look as some songs that KISS recorded but didn't officially release and where those songs wound up. We've got many eras of KISS covered in this show including unreleased material from Destroyer, the roots of Rock and Roll Over gems Calling Dr. Love and Ladies Room, as well as a Zeppelin-inspired instrumental that didn't quite make the cut on Music from the Elder. You will also hear a 1985-penned Asylum demo that turned into a track on 2009's Sonic Boom. We also include a track that's gone through a number of permutations (that's a big word like 'gymnasium') and has been recorded by the Creatures of the Night era and Psycho Circus era lineups yet has (criminally) never been officially released on a KISS studio album. That's just the tip of the iceberg. You will hear numerous strange demos that, understandably, never qualified for official released. It's an interesting look at KISS' songwriting process over the years and how their approach has changed/stayed the same. We hope you enjoy the scraps of what we found on The Kutting Room Floor. Buy Music! Connect to Us! Subscribe on iTunes Join on Facebook Follow on Twitter E-mail 

After such a great response to our Lydia Criss conversation in week 1, KISSMAS in July shifts into a new gear with Chris and Aaron's favorite KISS Kover songs taking center stage. When researching covers of KISS songs, it quickly became apparent that KISS has influenced artists from just about every genre of music (we couldn't find any jazz KISS covers).  While there were, of course, plenty of examples of straight-ahead rock bands paying homage to the hottest band in the land; the covers from the worlds of disco, pop, folk, bluegrass, and death metal really surprised us.  We must give credit to the fine folks of KISSFAQ for providing such a great, deep discography of pretty much anything and everything KISS and related.  The tribute album section includes officially released product as well as 5 (and counting) tribute albums that were produced by KISSFAQ forum members. Now, THAT'S a devoted following!   Obviously, with so many cover songs existing, it would impossible to even include a fraction of them in this episode. So, with that said, Aaron and Chris ventured to celebrate KISSMAS in July by playing their favorite covers. A lot of digging went into these picks and we hope that you are turned onto some great stuff. If so, click one of the links below to hear more of these great KISS-inspired artists. Rock on! Axel Rudi Pell Sweet ZO2 Anthrax Double Virgo Skid Row Galactic Cowboys Kissettes Dinosaur Jr. Hair of the Dog Rodrigo Gonzalez

Welcome to KISSMAS in JULY here at Decibel Geek headquarters! We're always looking for new excuses to do KISS-themed material and doing a full month of KISS stuff in July just seemed like a logical choice.  We kick off the month-o-KISS with an in-depth conversation we recently had with Lydia Criss. Formerly the wife of original KISS catman Peter Criss, Lydia entered the KISS Army's consciousness in 1976 when she accepted the award for 'Beth' being the #1 single of 1976 at the People's Choice Awards. What was the reason for Lydia accepting the award? Listen to our discussion to find out. A few years ago, Lydia published a coffee table memoir of her life entitled Sealed with a KISS. Jam packed with tons of photos never before seen of KISS and Peter Criss from their earliest days as a struggling band rehearsing in a frigid loft in downtown Manhattan, their apex of popularity in being named the most popular band in America according to a Gallup poll, and beyond. The book also gives a rare glimpse into Lydia's personal life as the wife to a rising star in the music world. In this conversation, Lydia, Chris, and Aaron pick some of their favorite Peter Criss-sung songs and Lydia shares her memories of the stories behind the making of the songs including the drama that would arise between band members.  Peter Criss' 1978 KISS solo album included quite a few songs about the end of a relationship. This mirrored reality as it was around this time that Peter's marriage to Lydia was ending. Lydia recalls the experience of hearing these songs and the effect they had on her at a tumultuous time in her life. Also in this discussion are Lydia's memories of accepting KISS' People's Choice Award and the conversation with Gene Simmons that led to her accepting the award on the band's behalf. The story of how Beth came to be has been told from numerous different angles and Lydia tells her side of the story and it's probably something you haven't heard before.  While this conversation includes some great inside information from a person that was right in the middle of the rise of the Hottest Band in the Land, you will get WAY more great stuff like this if you purchase a copy of the 2nd printing of Sealed With a KISS. Included in this new printing are over 20 new photos as well more content including a listing of tons of gigs that Peter performed before joining KISS.  If you are a KISS fan and don't own this book, you are truly missing out. It's totally worth the money and you don't have to mortgage your house to afford it. Check it out! Read It Order Sealed With a KISS Listen to It KISS Store Peter Criss Store Connect to Us Subscribe/Rate/Review in iTunes Join the Facebook Fan Page Follow Us on Twitter Email Us

Without question, one of the more popular theme shows the Decibel Geek podcast has ever produced was our Bizzaro Covers episode which featured hard rock and metal bands performing non-hard rock and metal songs.  While original material is always a joy to listen to (unless it's being produced by Nickelback), a good cover song that puts a new spin or perspective on a song provokes emotion and can trigger the listener into liking something they normally wouldn't even care about. Before we dive right in to the music, there are a few things we need to pimp. Our Canadian correspondent Wally Norton recently scored a great interview with Coney Hatch singer Carl Dixon that was picked up by a few other web media outlets.  Also discussed are some wonderful comments from this week's Geek of the Week. To be qualify for Geek of the Week simply head over to our facebook fan page and click LIKE; simple as that.  Of course, if you want to go one step beyond and tell a friend or write a review in iTunes, your chances go up exponentially (who said payola is dead?).  To round off the news, we discuss a commentary that Decibel Geek podcast host Chris Czynszak wrote in response to the recent reveal of the price of KISS' new Monster book and the harsh reaction that has been echoed by about 99% of the KISS Army. Consider a second mortgage. We dug deep this week to bring you some gems that you may have not heard before. While there are a number of bands you've heard of, there's a couple oddball choices as well. All of the songs are certainly not what we typically play but we think you'll agree that they all benefit from a harder production. As the cheesy Autograph tune used to say, "Things go better with rock." Artists Included: Dungeon HIM W.A.S.P. Anthrax Metallica Vince Neil Cake Wednesday 13 L.A. Guns Foo Fighters

With so much going on in 1969 there was no way we were going to be able to squeeze all of it in to one episode and we're back this week to give you a second dose of the news, the music, and the personalities of the year of the rooster. We begin things on a dark note as we discuss the Manson family murders including murder of actress Sharon Tate and Charles Manson's obsession with the Beatles song Helter Skelter and his morbid perception of the lyrics. This leads into a taste of one of the standout tracks from the Yellow Submarine album. With the Beatles on their way out, a successor was on the rise in Led Zeppelin as Robert Plant and company  released I and II in 1969. We spin one of Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and segue into Jimmy Page's least favorite Zeppelin song but we dig it. 1969 saw the second and final album by the Jeff Beck Group released as Beck-Ola climbed to #15 on the charts on the strength of Jeff Beck's guitar playing and the growly pre-AOR vocals of a young Rod Stewart. Aaron picks his favorite track off the album and we give you a sample of that. As we discussed in Part 1 of our 1969 Year in Review, Detroit was a hotbed of activity in the rock and roll world that year and it's arguably the birthplace of punk and alternative music due to the emergence of The Stooges. Fronted by Iggy Pop, The Stooges were a stripped down noise machine that perfectly encompassed the alienation of youth in the blue-collar Midwest. While not a big seller (peaking at 106 on the Billboard charts), The Stooges debut album is widely considered the foundation for a slew of punk and garage bands the world over in the years following it. We take a listen to Iggy's ballad of submission. We return from the break to discuss an intimate little affair that included 350,000 people hanging out on a farm while musical legends entertained and promoters warned people to check the color of their acid. Woodstock was a three day history maker; with performances by Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Janis Joplin, CCR, and Santana among many others. Considered by many as the greatest musical festival of all time, it's a true snapshot of America in 1969 as it had ties to music, pop culture, and the ongoing conflict in Vietnam. Also in 1969 a group led by a couple of friends from Lincoln, Nebraska released a song that was quite prophetic that warned of the dangers of future advances in electronic and medical technology and how society would be affected in a negative way. While we love where technology is these days (we wouldn't be able to provide you with this podcast if it weren't), there are signposts out there that do make you wonder if these guys were onto something. You'll get to hear these thought provoking lyrics as we feature the majority of this interesting track. We started this episode off on a grim note with the Manson murders and we end it on one as well as we discuss the tragic events that occurred at the Altamont Speedway Free Festival. Billed by many as 'Woodstock West', the show was doomed before it even started with the Hell's Angels biker club being hired as security. With rampant drug use and a chaotic atmosphere, things spun out of control throughout the day; even causing the Grateful Dead (prime organizers of the festival) to decline to play their scheduled time slot. Things hit a boiling point while the Rolling Stones were onstage and you'll hear a clip of Mick Jagger trying to get the audience to relax. We play out on a hopeful note with a song from the Stones album Let it Bleed that tries to instill some hope in a crazy society.  1969 was not a year for the weak willed and it's certainly not one that will be easily forgotten. We hope these 2 episodes gave you a good perspective on it. See you next week! CONNECT WITH US!: Rate & Review us on iTunes Join the Facebook Fan Page Follow us on Twitter Leave a Comment Below

While we don't typically delve deep into thrash territory on the Decibel Geek podcast, 2 bands that came out of California in the early to mid 1980's (one formed out of necessity to battle it out with the other), are truly a part of rock royalty and are the subject of our interview/discussion this week.  Metallica's 1981 lineup that included James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Cliff Burton, and lead guitarist Dave Mustaine was a true force to be reckoned with but politics and substance abuse caused it to be short-lived with the band unceremoniously canning Mustaine while on the road. Determined to exact revenge, Mustaine formed Megadeth in Los Angeles in 1983 with bassist Dave Ellefson.  With both bands releasing platinum albums and performing for sold out audiences across the globe, the rivalry remained pretty evenly matched between the groups until Metallica saw mainstream success with 1991's Metallica (aka The Black Album) shooting the band into a new strata for metal music. One could argue, though, that Megadeth have put out material that rivals, and in some cases exceeds, Metallica's output throughout the 1990's and 2000's. This week we take a hard look and listen to the early days of both bands as we chat with rock photographer Bill Hale. Hale was a photographer for Metal Rendezvous magazine in the early 1980's and shot photos of rock legends including KISS, Riot, UFO, and Black Sabbath. He was witness to the ascent of Metallica, as is recounted in his excellent photo book Metallica: Club Dayz 1982-1984 and thus, was in good company to witness the formation and launch of Megadeth which is chronicled in his new book Megadeth: Another Time, A Different Place.  In our conversation you will hear Bill share his stories of what it was like knowing Lars Ulrich when he was just a struggling drummer trying to make contacts in the Los Angeles area. Hear about James Hetfield's early stage fright which caused Dave Mustaine to be the voice between songs for many of Metallica's early shows.  Hale also shares his opinion of what took place when Mustaine was fired from Metallica and the politics that seemed to surround the situation. Interesting stuff here! With a thirst for blood, Dave Mustaine formed Megadeth and Bill shares his memories of the earliest days of the band and the rivalry that exists to this day. We also get his thoughts on the sad losses of both Cliff Burton and Gar Samuelson (of whom the new Megadeth book is dedicated). Aaron, Chris, and Bill also spin some of their favorite tracks from Metallica & Megadeth's first three albums throughout the conversation. It's a fun long-form discussion with a person that caught music history through the lens of his camera and forged friendships with highly diverse personalities that still captivate rock and metal fans to this day. It's time for some Metal up your......ears.