Decibel Geek Podcast

With the Mayan Calendar running out this week, the Decibel Geek Podcast just may have run it's course in 64 episodes; at least that's what Aaron Camaro seems to believe. It's up to Chris to talk Aaron off the ledge as they spin some of their favorite songs about Doomsday in this week's episode, Songs for the Apocalypse. We start things off on a true note of finality with a track off Dio's final studio album, the 2004-released Master of the Moon. Few could rival Ronnie James Dio when it comes to apocalyptic lyrics as is evidenced by more than one of his songs being featured in this week's episode. In 1969, amid political tensions and war casualties, many people were pondering their mortality and some were beginning to predict the end times. The Rolling Stones were no exception with their Let it Bleed album. Dripping with wonder and sincerity, Gimme Shelter is a standout track that is still as applicable in current times as it was so many decades ago. While the Stones version is a radio staple, Chris spins a great take on the track from Australian hard rockers Thunder on their 1995-released Their Finest Hour (and a bit) album. Aaron's pick of GWAR's Gor Gor is an interesting take on an apocalypse song; this one coming at the hands (er, jaws) of a Tyrannosaurus Rex that is unleashed on the land of the free in their 1992 album, America Must Be Destroyed. We return from the break with Chris' pick of a very obscure, but awesome, track by veteran Los Angeles hard rockers Warrior. Not to be mistaken with the pre-KISS Vinnie Vincent project of the same name, Warrior built a large following along the Sunset Strip through the 80's and 90's but never quite achieved the success they deserved. This was due in no small part to an ever-changing lineup that for all intents and purposes became the minor leagues for rock stars with members changing constantly and joining/quitting other well-known bands of the era. We spin a track from the Mark IX lineup of Warrior with Chris' pick of a straight up apocalyptic tune. Buckle in! Another artist that tends to get his point across from the dark side and certainly doesn't shy away from writing apocalyptic lyrics is Marilyn Manson. Aaron's choice of a final-day track from the 1998 Mechanical Animals album is as close as you can get to a love song about the apocalypse. One irritating factor about American radio is the fact that some non-American bands never get their just due in the USA. One of those bands is Accept. In America, Accept are considered a one-hit-wonder; known purely for the early 80's hit Balls to the Wall. What many Americans don't know, thanks to radio, is Accept's career goes back to the late 1960's and they have sold over 17 million albums worldwide. Chris' pick from their 2010's Blood of the Nations album is just more evidence of the greatness of Accept. Aaron's next pick of the title track from W.A.S.P.'s 1989 Headless Children album is enough to give everyone a case of the heebee jeebees. We segue from Blackie and co. to Dio's second appearance on this week's show with a 1984-released track that is prophetic and very much in place in this week's theme. Aaron's next pick of a very well-known Black Sabbath track may seem a bit strange for our show. On closer inspection of the lyrics, there's no way we could do this show and not include this track from their 1970-released Paranoid album. Truly metal! We close out the show (hopefully, not literally) with a time-sensitive track from Iron Maiden's 1984 album Powerslave. The Doomsday Clock became a big news story in 1984 with the cold war heating up and US & Russian political tensions. Bruce Dickenson and co. were aware of this and wrote a song that perfectly captured the paranoia that was sweeping the globe at the time. An interesting look back for sure. If you're still around after listening, please............. Buy Music! Dio Thunder GWAR Warrior Marilyn Manson Accept W.A.S.P. Black Sabbath Iron Maiden Contact Us! Rate, Review

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 Direct Download

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 Direct Download

Andrew Jacobs here, Of course you all know who the guy on the left is but I'm guessing that less than a handful of you know who the guy on the right is.  That guy is Joe Nelson, my childhood friend.  And trust me when I say that he's seen & done everything (except financially, of course) that Mr. Stanley has seen & done.  Check out the Live...Suburbia! podcast's two part interview with Mr. Nelson here & here (also available for download on iTunes).

Sometimes, things are better the second time around. Such was the case in the circumstances that led up to the making of this episode. Multi-platinum, award-winning producer/engineer Toby Wright has worked on so many amazing landmark rock and metal albums that a cursory glance of his discography is staggering. For Chris & Aaron, Toby literally helped build the soundtrack of their lives. So, it was no surprise that upon learning about his move to Nashville in 2011 that he was added to the Decibel Geek interview wish list. We're very proud this week to present to you our in-depth and engaging conversation with Toby Wright that touches on many notable albums from throughout his career. What you are hearing today is take 2. The reason for this is explained the  opening of the show. After everything we went through to bring this episode to you, we think you'll agree that Toby Wright is truly a great sport when it comes to being interviewed. Jar of Flies, the acoustic-based 1994 EP from Alice in Chains, was a pivotal release for the "Grunge" era as it proved that there was more to this new genre from the Pacific Northwest than overdriven, sludgy guitars and doom & gloom vocals. Toby Wright's involvement in this album, as well as its creation, was a very organic thing. In this discussion you will hear Toby's memories of how all parties involved went from zero preparation to writing, producing, and mixing a full EP in just 10 days. Jar of Flies has since gone on to sell over 4 million copies and remains one of the most relevant releases of the early 1990's. While not all of our listeners prefer the mid to late 1990's genre loosely known as nu-metal, there's no denying its impact on the ever-shifting tides of what's popular in the musical world. Toby Wright was right in the middle of this, love-it-or-hate-it, groundbreaking new style with his work with bands like Sevendust (Home, 1999) and Korn on their massively successful 1998 release Follow the Leader. Wright remembers being aware of what he wanted to do with Korn's sound right away. "Personally, I thought that the sound was a little sloppy. I was looking to make it bigger and fatter." Raising Korn's production level with a thicker, deeper sound, Wright's work paid huge dividends and Follow the Leader caused Korn to explode in popularity as it has gone on to sell over 14 millions copies. Some projects that Toby Wright was involved in have had some controversy from fan circles over the years and in this long-form discussion, you will get his take on some long-running rumors and speculation. In 2005, Ozzy Osbourne's camp released the Prince of Darkness box set. This package was intended to be all-encompassing of Osbourne's career and included studio tracks, live tracks, b-sides, demos, duets, and cover songs. Toby Wright was brought in to produce the new material for the box set. In this discussion, Wright remembers back on Ozzy's displeasure over the speed at which the basic tracks were prepared and the encounter with Sharon Osbourne that led to his dismissal from the project. Slayer's 1994 Divine Intervention album is discussed in this interview with Wright reflecting on Tom Araya's thought process in the lyrical composition as well as the painstaking process of mixing the album numerous times to make Slayer and American Records owner Rick Rubin happy. One longstanding question among Metallica fans is in regards to the bass sound, or absence thereof, on the ...And Justice for All album in 1988. Rumors have abounded over the years that then-new bass player Jason Newsted was enduring a rough hazing by guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich as the reason for the burying of Newsted's bass tracks. Toby sets the record straight on this rumor and also looks back on the grueling hours spent as an engineer on this album perfecting Ulrich's drum parts; "We actually walked out of the studio with about 45 seconds worth of recorded music per day. 6 months to do drums, my

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 Direct Download

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 Direct Download

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 Direct Download

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

New Business/Announcements: Aaron and Chris were guests on the most recent episode of The PWA Show. You can check it out here. Aaron was interviewed by Cassius Morris this week for his That Reporter Kid Speaks podcast. You'll hear about how the Decibel Geek podcast became what it is today. Check it out here. This Week's Show: When we first mulled over the idea of doing a Year in Review show about the Year 2000, we thought what most people our age thought; "Was there enough good music released that year for a full episode. Well, today we can proudly tell you that YES, there was a lot of good music released that year. Of course, most of the stuff that us Decibel Geeks dig the most was sorely lacking in exposure due to the rise of boy bands, pop divas, and nu-metal ruling the popular music charts. We dug deep into our archives, as well as many other nooks and crannies, to bring you some true diamonds in the rough. We are pretty confident that you'll definitely get turned on to some great new tunes/bands this week with Part 1 of our 2000 Year in Review. January was, of course, a pivotal month in history as everyone was calming their nerves after realizing that the world didn't actually come to an end on January 1st as had been predicted by more than a few wackos who had overhyped the Y2K paranoia that swept the nation at the end of 1999. Aaron spins a track from the deliciously-titled Regurgitation album by Tuff to start things off followed by a stalwart choice form AC/DC's February-released Stiff Upper Lip album. Chris spins an uptempo rocker from the Rollins Band that includes his then-new backing back and it's a barn burner for sure. Heading into March, we spin choices from Pantera, Enuff Z'nuff, Armored Saint, and Dio; all amazing bands that were overshadowed in the public view by NSYNC as they were busy selling 2.4 million copies of their new album in one week. Something ain't right when that happens.... April of 2000 brought us KISS announcing their Farwell Tour. What's that? They're still around 12 years later? Hmm, well we discuss what circumstances could have caused that while also discussing Ted Nugent ruffling some feathers from the stage during that same tour as he was the opening act. Ted, in the words of Aerosmith, please let the music do the talking. But, we digress. Also in April, Lars Ulrich became rock music's public enemy number one as he and his mates in Metallica filed suit against peer-to-peer service Napster and fired the opening salvo of a copyright-based civil war that is still raging today. We spin a track by the relatively unknown Samantha 7, who has a well known singer who had too many irons in the fire in 2000 and forced the S7 side project back on the shelf. You'll get a taste of what might have been this week. In May of 2000 Britney Spears was raking in dough and album sales through her style-over-substance based second LP, Oops!...I Did It Again as it sold 1.3 million copies in its debut week and 20 million over its lifetime. We lament the general public's poor taste by spinning tracks by Dynamite Hack, Orange Goblin, Bad Religion, and King's X; giving you a healthy dose of true musical substance to chew on. After the break we segue from May to June with a track that truly marked the return of a legend as Iron Maiden roared back with the return of Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith with Brave New World. While there was definite excitement among hardcore Iron Maiden fans, the album failed to reach the numbers of previous Dickinson-sung releases. June included a controversial release from Queens of the Stone Age and we spin a track that could double for a junkie's shopping list and includes backing vocals from a certain Metal God. Speaking of Metal Gods, Alice Cooper released Brutal Planet; an album that quite clearly was a stab at capitalizing on the nu-metal movement of the era with hit and miss results. Closing out Part 1 of this 2000 Year in Review is a track by NY hardcore band Madball and one of

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 Direct Download

Only one person can say he is responsible for introducing Paul Stanley to Gene Simmons. This week, we hear his side of the story. Steve Coronel met Gene Simmons (then known as Gene Klein) on the first day of 7th grade at Joseph Pulitzer Middle School in 1963.In this episode you'll hear how a near fisticuffs began a musical and personal friendship that has lasted for well over four decades. Steve shares a treasure trove of early childhood stories about Simmons that are sure to entertain yet, also, surprise you. From their early bonding over popular music of the era to the inevitable stories of chasing after the opposite sex to the unveiling of the now-world-famous tongue, Coronel shares a candid side of our favorite Demon that is an inside look at the human being that predates the fame, fortune, and marketing ventures. In this in-depth discussion Coronel reflects on the initial tense meeting between Simmons and Stanley and their unique chemistry that would later rule the concert world. You'll also hear his memories of the writing process for future KISS songs 'She' and 'Goin' Blind' along with his not-so-pleasant memories of the dressed-up studio version of the former as it was recorded by Wicked Lester at Electric Lady Studios. Also included in this candid discussion is Coronel's take on the circumstances that led to his ouster from Wicked Lester and how it was possibly due in part to a somewhat heated conversation that he had with then-Stanley Eisen about his views on self-worth at the time and how it possibly fueled his future KISS character of the Starchild. Coronel also delves into his memories of often-not-discussed Wicked Lester band mates Brooke Ostrander and Tony Zarrella and looks back on a grueling showcase for Epic Records. Included in this in-depth discussion is a clip of a song entitled Frame Up that was recorded by Coronel's post-Wicked Lester band, Lover. To keep up with all things Steve Coronel, connect to him via his facebook page. We thank Steve for coming on the Decibel Geek podcast and sharing some wonderful stories. We hope you enjoy listening this conversation as much as we did conducting it. Direct Download Buy Music! KISS Connect to Us! Rate, Review, and Subscribe in iTunes Join the Fan Page Follow on Twitter E-mail Us Comment Below

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).  Direct Download 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 Comment Below

It's been quite a memorable week here at Decibel Geek headquarters. We had record numbers of downloads with the recent Bruce Kulick episode and have received a lot of great feedback on the show. Bruce is currently doing a Crazy Nights retrospective on his official site and it would behoove you to give it a look. Good insight into a very divisive album among the KISS Army. In other KISS-related news, our very own Wally Norton had his recent review of The Tour's stop in Toronto get a mention on KISS Online. There's also another great Toronto review posted by The Meister that you should check out as well. We'll put our horns down and get on with the business of this week's episode. As we announced last week, Aaron and Chris will be appearing in-person at the upcoming Nashville Comic & Horror Festival at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds on Saturday, October 6th. They will be recording all day long at their table and YOU can even be on the show. All details including guest list and prices are available at www.comiccitytn.com. This week's Geek of the Week is Jani Vare who had some great feedback on the Bruce Kulick episode. To be eligible to be a future Geek of the Week simply join our facebook fan page and add to the conversation. The only thing more enjoyable to a true Decibel Geek than listening to music is reading the stories behind the music. There have been some amazing books written about the genre of Rock as well as plenty of great bio/autobiographies that give a deep insight into the people that churn out that ear-splitting music that we love to hear. With that in mind, we present this week's topic; Library of Loud: Favorite Rock Books. Joining us for this discussion is someone that certainly knows a thing or two about Rock books; author Michael Toney. Mike recently released his own book; Tales from the Stage. This book is loaded with great interviews of numerous bands/artists that are right in the Decibel Geek wheelhouse including Ron Keel, Tracii Guns, Eddie Trunk, and the aforementioned Bruce Kulick. This is not standard fare as far as rock interviews go as Mike delves deeper with his questioning to probe out specific details about the lives of his interview subjects that are eye-opening, funny, and as is the case with WASP's Chris Holmes, utterly shocking. You'll look at your favorite rock stars with a whole different perspective after reading this book. We decided to do a round-robin style conversation about our favorite Rock books with each of us discussing three choices each as well as the most popular suggested pick by our listeners at the facebook fan page. In round one, Mike picks a relatively recent autobiography by a certain Spaceman from a different planet. Aaron picks an exhaustive document on England's biggest rock export of the 70's and Chris chooses an autobiography that is a serious look at the inner-workings of one of the biggest bands in history told from a members' persepctive. Round two sees Mike picking a memoir of a metal legend that's recent statements in the press have been equally as impactful as the thrash music that he's churned out for 30 years. Aaron's second choice is an in-depth look at the Hottest Band in the Land from the business side of things that includes so much detail it could easily be required reading in a college classroom. Chris rounds out round two with an inspiring book that chronicles that life of a concert promotion giant that ended in tragedy. Before we get into round three, Mike shares a contradictory take on the Mark St. John transition to Bruce Kulick in KISS during the 1984 Animalize tour. Aaron and Chris were truly surprised by this revelation. Is it the real story? What do you think? Our final round of picks includes Mike's pick of an autobiography that is as entertaining as it is informative and is, quite frankly, a miracle in its existence due to the tumultuous lifestyle of the book's namesake. Chris' final pick is, in his opinion, the ultimate document on K

This week, the Decibel Geek podcast hits a milestone with Episode 50 and we are thrilled to celebrate it by sharing a recent in-person conversation we had with former KISS and current Grand Funk Railroad guitarist Bruce Kulick. When Chris was a 12 year old kid, he ventured to a record & comic shop in Nashville to purchase his first KISS albums. Leaving the store that day with cassette copies of Ace Frehley (1978), Dynasty (1979), and Crazy Nights (1987), he began a journey into the world of the Hottest Band in the Land. With Crazy Nights being the then-current release, he was immediately drawn to the fleet-fingered antics of lead guitarist Bruce Kulick. If you had told him back then that he would wind up interviewing Kulick years later, he would have never believed you. Bruce was in Nashville recently to play a festival show with his current band, the legendary Grand Funk Railroad, and was nice enough to let Aaron and Chris set up shop at his hotel for an in-depth discussion of his entire career. Providing the room to record was Bruce's friend and owner of Rebel Guitars; a custom, hand-crafted guitar company. Bruce was trying out his newest purchase at the interview, a sweet looking red-white-and-blue TeeVee that would be featured onstage later that night for the Grand Funk classic, 'We're an American Band.' We go all the way back to the mid-70's to discuss Bruce's time as the lead guitarist for the Andre True Connection. If you're not a connoisseur of vintage porn or disco music, then you probably aren't familiar with her but if you connect the dots, you'll see that she's an important part of 70's pop culture. Plus, this video of Bruce performing with Andrea is truly must-see TV. Bruce also shares some memories of touring the "chitlin circuit" with George McCrae as well as his time as the lead guitarist in the stage production for Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell album of which is brother, Bob, was also a member. In a recent appearance on Decibel Geek friend and fellow podcaster Matt Porter's KISS Room show, Kulick made mention to interviewer Frank Hagan of KISS Mask that he had heard about Ace Frehley making inquiries about a possible return to KISS and that his interest was rebuffed by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. This, in turn, set KISS message boards alight with speculation and accusations. We ask Bruce to clarify his remarks. Also included in this discussion are Bruce's thoughts on the circumstances that lead to the reunion, rumors about a reunion years prior that included Ace Frehley and Eric Carr, and his impressions of a recent KISS show that he attended in Irvine, CA. Midway through the show, we have a brief 4 minute segment to promote the upcoming Decibel Geek podcast live appearance at the Nashville Comic & Horror Festival on October 6th. Included in this segment are comments from festival organizer Marc Ballard with a listing of some of the special guests (including Ernie Hudson from Ghostbusters II, Airheads, and The Crow fame.) This will be the Decibel Geek Podcast's first remote recording appearance and we'd love to meet everyone that comes out. Don't miss it! (shilling....done). Back to the discussion, we get Bruce's recollections of KISS playing a Nashville show in 1994 to help celebrate Gibson Guitars 100th Anniversary and how the show different from many others. Other topics in the second half of the discussion include Kulick's take on why KISS is charging so much money for the upcoming Monster book and why it appears to completely ignore his era of the band as well as his memories of the awkward transition from Mark St. John to Bruce as permanent lead guitarist in the band. We play Name Association with Bruce and he shares initial impressions on Tommy Thayer, Eric Carr, Michael Bolton, Don Johnson, and many more and we also find out if he planned to visit Vinnie Vincent while he was in town. We close things out with some questions about the possibility of a Bruce Kulick autobiography, new Grand Funk