Decibel Geek Podcast

It may not be well-known but, according to the National Eye Institute, May is Healthy Vision Month. We thought we would help spread the word and enjoy some good music at the same time. Here's what the National Eye Institute wants to tell you: "Millions of people living in the United States have undetected vision problems, eye diseases, and conditions. HVM is designed to elevate vision as a health priority for the Nation by promoting the importance of early detection and treatment, as well as the use of proper eye safety practices, in preventing vision loss and blindness. One of the most important things people can do to protect their vision is to schedule a comprehensive dilated eye exam. In this painless procedure, an eye care professional examines the eyes to look for common vision problems and eye diseases, many of which have no early warning signs. A comprehensive dilated eye exam can detect eye diseases and conditions in their early stages, before vision loss occurs. Early detection and treatment can help to save your sight." With that said, we thought we'd celebrate Healthy Vision Month by spinning some songs that refer, in the title, to sight/vision is some form. Here we go. After deciding on the title for this episode, Chris' first choice came very easily. From 1977's Draw the Line album, we kick things off with Aerosmith performing 'Sight for Sore Eyes.' Aaron starts his sight-related picks with a track from the oft-overlooked 1995 release from Dokken; Dysfunctional. This album marked the return of George Lynch. We spin the opening track, 'Inside Looking Out.' Electric Six Chris decided to do some digging in research for this episode. A nugget was found in the vast space that is youtube with his choice of the track 'Night Vision' off Electric Six's 2005 release Switzerland. Aaron's next pick is 'Eyes of a Strager.' Wait, before you think it's the well-known Queensryche track, think again. This great sing comes from the appropriately-titled Visual Lies album from Lizzy Borden and is a great addition to the show. We return from break one with a selection from Motley Crue's debut album Too Fast for Love. While filled with lots of great hook-y songs, Too Fast....sports one track that fits in with our vision-themed show as we spin 'Starry Eyes.' Up next is Aaron's choice of a bonus track from Ozzy Osbourne's iconic Blizzard of Oz release. Featuring some seering Randy Rhoads guitar work, 'You Lookin' at Me, Lookin' at You' is a testimony to the strength of material being created by the gone-too-soon guitarist and the Prince of Darkness. Chris keeps the Crazy Train on track as we segue into a double-dose of Ozzy with his choice of 'Looking for Tomorrow' from the classic Sabbath Bloody Sabbath album from 1973. One band that doesn't get nearly the amount of recognition it deserves is Turbonegro. We try to alleviate that problem with Aaron's choice of 'If You See Kaye' from their Party Animals album. We close out the show with Chris' choice of a KISS track that appeared on two different albums in the band's catalog with different personnel. 'See You in Your Dreams' was selected from Rock and Roll Over and features some powerful drumming from Peter Criss and a great solo from Ace Frehley. Playing things out this week is a fantastic cover of a sight-related classic that's all about focus. Aaron's choice of At Vance's version of 'Eye of the Tiger' is a motivating way to finish things off. Buy Music! Aerosmith Dokken Electric Six Lizzy Borden Motley Crue Ozzy Osbourne Black Sabbath Turbonegro KISS At Vance Contact Us! Rate, Review, and Subscribe in iTunes Join the Fan Page Follow on Twitter E-mail Us Comment Below Call us on the Hotline! (540) DBGeek - 1 or (540) 342-3351 Direct Download

One thing we've definitely learned in the 2 years that we've been doing this show is that there's a great big world out there beyond our United States. While America tends to latch onto trends for a few years and then throw those artists away like yesterday's garbage when the next one shows up; other parts of the world seem to have a long-lasting appreciation for good rock and metal music. With that said, this week we bring you the Big in Japan episode; an hour plus of music and discussion of artists that truly rock but have not attained the Stateside success that they deserve. We kick things off with, quite possibly, the most underrated band of all time; Cheap Trick. It's no secret that Japan was an important factor in breaking the Rockford-Illinois born and bred band via their hugely popular breakthrough album Live at Budokan. Aaron's choice of a competitive rocker from Heaven Tonight is a great way to start off the show. The Trews Chris' first choice is an extremely well-known band......if you live in Canada. When we solicited suggestions from listeners on our Facebook fan page, one band that came up numerous times was The Trews. With the large amount of Canadian listeners, we trusted their judgement and spin a track from their 2012 EP ....Thank You and I'm Sorry that exploits the good side of alcohol consumption. One of Aaron's favorite active rock bands today is Queens of the Stone Age. While they have certainly gained recognition in America in recent years due to the extra exposure from their ties to Dave Grohl, Europe caught on much earlier. We present a track from the fantastic Rated R album that helps expose what makes them one of the premier rock acts of today. One of the biggest crimes in the American music is the ignorance of the public to the sheer genius that is Ginger and The Wildhearts. If it wasn't for Aaron Camaro and a few choice rock podcasts, Chris would have never known about this amazing talent that gets wrongfully ignored on American soil. The Japanese bonus-track that Chris play from the 2009 !Chutzpah! album buries lead singles by many well-known rock acts. Ginger continues to not get his due but he gets it on this show. We return from the break with a very unorthodox choice by Aaron Camaro. You'd think that Chris would be the one to pick a song by Firehouse with his love for 80's and early 90's melodic rock. But Aaron did his homework this week and found a track off their 2003 Prime Time album that is deceptively heavy. Firehouse only had a couple peak years in America but are still a vital band in other parts of the world. This track shows you why. One of the highlights of our 1979 Year in Review episode was the inclusion RIOT. This band was woefully unrecognized over the years in America and were on the brink of imploding back in the late 70's before British deejay Neal Kay started playing their tracks and, unintentionally, made them a part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Chris' pick of a track from their Fire Down Under album features some searing riffs and powerful drumming. A highlight for the Decibel Geek Podcast was getting to chat with Ugly Kid Joe's Whitfield Crane. In this conversation, Aaron Camaro made a plea with Whit to bring UKJ to the States rather than playing so much outside the country. Unfortunately, it hasn't panned out. So, with that said, we hope to motivate you to contact your local concert promoter/radio station/venue to bring them to the States as we spin a track from their 2012 EP Stairway to Hell. One band that certainly got lost in the mix of the grunge transition was New York's Warrior Soul. Started on a bet from a promoter, singer Kory Clarke brought Warrior Soul to Geffen Records and have released 10 albums from 1990 through 2012. We check out a track from 1992's Salutations from the Ghetto Nation. After the second break, Chris brings TNT into the picture. Formed in 1982, the Norwegian band has released 12 studio albums and gone through numerous lineup changes

Volume 12 of our Radio Sucks Radio Show came a little early but that's okay. We've been saving this one for a while. Why? Well, it could be any number of reasons (ie. a guest cancelled, a scheduling issue, we wanted a week off) but it doesn't matter because we're still back this week to provide you with some great music that the schmucks from corporate radio are just not giving you. We start of with something brand new and Chris' pick of a track from the recently-released Motherland album by Pretty Maids. The inspiration to play this track comes from Chiaki of the Metal Moment podcast who spun a track from their previous album that got our attention. Pretty Maids is an outstanding band with a  large catalog of music that sadly doesn't get enough attention in the States. We hope to help change that with the opening track from their new album on Frontiers Records. Aaron kicks off his choices with a great pick from Helmet's 1992 Meantime album. A band that truly deserved to be bigger, Helmet were ahead of their time and stuck in a strange time in the musical landscape that was very transitional. Listening back to this hard-hitting track helps one to appreciate how innovative Page Hamilton and crew really were. It's no secret around the Decibel Geek offices that we love Russ Dwarf. After all, he was the first interview we conducted after Aaron joined the show and our Canadian writers have done a great job spreading the word about his endeavors. We tip our hat to our diminutive friend from the Great White North with a selection from his new Wireless EP that features acoustic takes on Killer Dwarfs classic. Another band that certainly didn't fit into their time period was Life Sex & Death (L.S.D.). Of course, any band fronted by a homeless person is probably not going to fit in to their scene. Led by the eccentric Stanley, Aaron's choice of a track from their Silent Majority album from 1992 showcases the quirky but talented band in a good light. We may not be able to pronounce the song title, but it's pretty clear that it rocks. We return from the first break with a track that was recorded when Poison had the Blues....Saraceno, that is. Crack a Smile was an album that was recorded with the gifted plaid-clad guitarist replacing a replacement of an original guitarist. After CC Deville imploded from drugs and Richie Kotzen was shown the door after "relations" with a band members girlfriend, the L.A.-based glam band recruited Saraceno to provide his technical expertise to their next record. Unfairly ignored for years due to being shelved after it's 1995 recording; the album finally got a proper release in 2000 to little fanfare as Deville had returned to the fold by then. We spin a track off this highly underrated album. Chris & Aaron usually see eye-to-eye on many of the artists featured on the Decibel Geek podcast but one artist that splits them down the middle is Gilby Clarke. Chris never liked him; Aaron does. Aaron tries to sway Chris' stance on Clarke with a track from his pre-GNR band Kill for Thrills. Will Chris change is his mind? Listen and see. Not much needs to be said when it comes to the greatness of Van Halen's 1978 self-titled debut. It was influential, intense, and revolutionary. Chris' choice of a rarely-spun-on-radio track features everything that makes this early VH-era amazing; great harmonies, incredible guitar playing, and total charisma in a singer. Dream big. If you asked many hard rock/metal fans what they thought of when they heard the name Weezer, you'd typically hear answers referring to sweaters, Buddy Holly, or living Beverly Hills. While the band is well-known for their ironic turns-of-phrases and poppy hooks, there's lots of harder edged stuff that many people don't know about. Aaron's track selection from their Maladroit album is a clear indication that Weezer is a band worth investigating. Some of our most popular shows, without question, revolve around Vinnie Vincent. Listeners can't see

When KISS decided to drop their trademark makeup in 1983, many fans from the band's 1970's glory years were perplexed when they saw a diminutive figure sitting next to Gene Simmons and loudly questioned, "Where's Ace?!" For the general music-buying public, the once Hottest Band in the Land had become a niche curiosity with dwindling popularity. Ever-changing lineups and forays into different genres had watered down the band and turned off many in their core audience. It stand to reason that many of KISS' old school fans weren't aware that Frehley himself had grown disenchanted with the group's direction and left the previous year. With KISS' unmasking in 1983, many fans started wondering what happened to their favorite Spaceman and what his musical plans would be for the future. Our guest this week was instrumental in what happened next. John Regan is commonly known amongst KISS fans as the bassist for Frehley's Comet but his resume tells a much bigger story. John was nice enough to talk to Chris & Aaron this week about his 30+ year career in the music industry, working with artists such as Ace Frehley, the Rolling Stones, and Peter Frampton. We start in 1980 with Regan's first meeting with Ace Frehley while collaborating on mutual friend "Crazy" Joe Renda's Variable Speed Band album that featured the quirky Frehley-penned single 'Eugene.' Regan shares how Renda and North Lake Sound Studios in White Plains, NY would continue to be crucial in the advancement of his musical career. In this long-form discussion Regan shares how he first started working with Peter Frampton in 1982 and the marathon 3 day cram-session to learn Frampton's entire live set. This would mark the beginning of a friendship and musical bond that would bring the two together numerous times over the next three decades. 1985-86 would see Regan working with legendary artists such as David Bowie and Mick Jagger. In this discussion you'll hear his recollections of recording with the two for their 1985 duet of 'Dancin' in the Street' as well as his memories of working with the Rolling Stones during the sessions for the Dirty Work album. A bit of recording and touring in 1984 with Frehley would lay the foundation that Regan would return to in 1987 as Megaforce Records picked up Frehley's Comet and backed the new lineup featuring Frehley, Regan, drummer Anton Fig, and gutiarist/vocalist Tod Howarth. John shares his memories of the recording process for the album and the difficulties that came up after Fig was given the full-time job as the drummer for David Letterman's band. Regan shares his memories of working with Jamie Oldaker as the legendary drummer took over the drum stool in the Comet. Some Comet fans throughout the years have expressed resentment that Oldaker didn't "fit" the Frehley sound and, in this discussion, you'll hear Regan's reaction to that criticism. Also in this long-form talk, Regan shares his thoughts on Eddie Trunk and his place in helping get Ace Frehley back into the public consciousness. "I don't think Ace would have got signed if it weren't for Eddie being the real force behind it."  Regan shares how Trunk was adamant about Frehley's potential and swayed Megaforce president Jon Zazula to give the former KISS axe-man a shot. He also shares, later in the interview, how he heard that Trunk has been telling Frehley that a Comet reunion would not be a good idea. Regan also tells us his opinion of Second Sighting and how he thinks the Live +4 album that was shoehorned in between it and the debut may have sabotaged the band's potential growth. John also notes that the absence of Eddie Kramer behind the board may have hindered the album's sound but how there are also some shining moments as well. 1989 saw Frehley release Trouble Walkin'. With Kramer back behind the board and Richie Scarlet replacing Tod Howarth on guitar, the album had a grittier feel than the earlier Comet material and also did not bear the Comet tag. Regan explains why

No stories are more entertaining and thought provoking than war stories. The rock and roll equivalent to this is road stories. Our guest this week is a treasure trove of experience in the annals of rock history; especially KISSTORY as former KISS guitar tech Tom Harper joins us for a discussion that is a great look behind the scenes that most music lovers never get to see. Tom is most commonly known among KISS fans as a guitar tech (Paul Stanley’s on the Dynasty tour) that was tasked with playing the bass track on the track Shandi from 1980’s Unmasked album. Before we get into what took place to lead Tom into replacing Gene Simmons on this poppy number, we go back to his roots. Our discussion starts in Connecticut in the early 1960’s and Tom’s indoctrination into the world of rock and roll as he witnesses the Beatles first appearance on the Ed Sullivan show. The tv appearance that launched a million wannabe rock stars nabbed Tom hook line and sinker as he quickly joined a band that already had 40 original songs and was playing talent shows and local bars at an age where he should have not been allowed admission. Tom shares stories of playing seedy clubs on the wrong side of New Haven, CT and witnessing bar brawls and stabbings while performing sets. In this discussion, Harper also remembers seeing legendary performers such as Cream and Jimi Hendrix as they made their way through Connecticut on their ascent to the top of the charts as well as the image of seeing Hendrix light his guitar on fire first-hand. In 1969 Tom’s musical interests shifted as he became seduced by the technical prog-rock sounds of YES and their dynamic bassist Chris Squire. The early 70’s saw Harper join a hard-rock act named BUX and he shares his experiences of recording an album for Capitol Records with promise and seeing that promise dashed when their manager meets an untimely demise. This situation leaves Harper without a band or a job in the middle of New York City. Through connections and a timely ad in the Village Voice, Harper winds up as an employee of SIR Rehearsal Studios in NYC. It would be through this job that his path would cross with the Hottest Band in the Land. Soon after beginning work for SIR, Tom finds out that producer Eddie Kramer is enlisting the company to provide various Marshall studio heads for the Ace Frehley 1978 KISS solo album. Harper shares his recollection of how he ingratiated himself into KISS circles by providing top-notch maintenance for Kramer and Frehley during the recording process. In this discussion, you’ll hear how Harper became friendly with KISS’ road crew and landed the job of being Paul Stanley’s guitar technician. You’ll hear about an awkward first meeting with the Starchild at the KISS Dynasty album cover shoot that made it clear that Harper would have to be on his toes while working for Stanley. Tom also shares his memories of then-KISS road manager Fritz Postlethwaite and his chainsaw named Arthur that he would use to bring order in hotels on the road. The KISS Dynasty tour of 1979 was a virtual city-on-wheels and in this discussion Harper shares how the pre-tour preparations and rehearsals had the crew on the brink of exhaustion. He also shares some interesting stories about some ill-fated laser effects that sounded great on paper but turned out to be a nightmare to execute. The tour rolled through America with 8 trucks and a flying rig for Gene Simmons that was state-of-the-art. Harper shares memories of the massive size of the show as well as some problems that happened along the way as ticket sales did not live up to expectations for the tour. Before we get to the Shandi discussion, we take a couple of interesting detours as Tom shares with us his memories of being the musical director for the Peter Criss Out of Control tour that wound up being cancelled due to poor album sales. A planned appearance on a famous late-night show was cancelled and the revelation takes us completely by surprise. Interest

Last week's look at the first half of 1979 showed quite a bit of variety inside the genre known as rock. The second half of the year would continue that trend. Some of rock's heavy hitters released albums in the second half of 1979. Some bands stayed the course and continued to churn out music that fit their sound and style while others attempted to capitalize on the radio success of disco and new wave. Radio stations jumped all over the disco craze in 1979, relentlessly pushing more pop-oriented songs to the top of the charts while rock and metal continued to commercially take a back seat. But the general public was ready for change as we evidenced in July when Disco Demolition Night at Chicago's Comiskey Park quickly went from light-hearted promotion to all-out riot due to the overwhelming turnout of disco-hating music fans ready to destroy albums by the Bee Gees, Donna Summer, and many others. We take a look at the list of big singles of 1979, talk about Disco Demolition and play musical choices from big albums released by AC/DC and a very different-sounding version of Rainbow. August of 1979 saw Led Zeppelin performing their final British shows (until 2007) in a 2 night stand in front of nearly 400,000 people. We head into our first break with a clip from the divisive and experimental sounding In Through the Out Door album. We head into September with the news that U2 heads into a local studio to begin their first recordings and Chris shares a funny story about an awkward fan interaction with Bono at a concert. Good rock and roll was coming from Canada in 1979 with bands like Helix & Trooper releasing albums. Aaron's choice of a track from Trooper involves using math to size up a girl's looks. Trust us, it'll make sense when you hear it. Also included in our discussion of September is Judas Priest's Unleashed in the East album, Cheap Trick using more orchestration on their Dream Police album, and the Eagles releasing another massive album that flew off record store shelves. October brought yet another release from Lemmy and co. as Motorhead brought forth the Bomber album. And they wouldn't be done as is mentioned later in the show. Also included from October is a bluesy selection from Whitesnake's Lovehunter album and a quick discussion about the arousing album cover. Before we get into November of 1979 Aaron reads off a list of the top television shows of the year and helps cement the theory that there really wasn't as much competition as their is now for viewers. That said, the unintentional cheesiness of some of the shows lends a charm to the nostalgia. November saw the release of The Soundhouse Tapes by an upstart band out of the UK known as Iron Maiden. This would mark only the beginning of a career that has spanned nearly 35 years. Also in November, Pink Floyd's concept album The Wall hits the scene and provides the soundtrack to a new generation of jilted teens. November also saw the release of Night in the Ruts by a very divided Aerosmith. Only featuring a partial contribution from guitarist Joe Perry, the album still manages to have a sizable selection of good material. We spin a track off this surprising album. December of 1979 started with tragedy as 11 people were killed in a stamped at Cincinnati's Riverfront Coliseum while trying to enter a Who concert. The band was not notified until after the show. In December, The Clash released their smash album London Calling. Featuring a hybrid of rock, punk, reggae, and ska music London Calling spoke to an entire generation of young kids and has reverberated for decades since. Check out a great article about the album HERE. We close things out with a relatively obscure band with a well-known guitarist. Electric Sun released Earthquake in December of 1979 and featured the guitar wizardry of former Scorpions member Uli Jon Roth. While Electric Sun didn't exactly set the world on fire, Roth's guitar work would go on to help inspire many 80's shredders such as Yngwie

We're back this week to discuss the first half of a very transitional year in music history. 1979 was a true crossroads for rock music fans; with the genre splitting into multiple sub-genres and another genre that ruled the world becoming passe. The "Year of the Child" kicked off with the Music for UNICEF concert featuring pop tarts such as ABBA, Donna Summer & the Bee Gees performing sets on January 9th. Any chance Chris & Aaron decided to spotlight any of those artists this week? If you said yes, welcome new listener. We cover January with a track by alt-rocker Joe Jackson that would go on to become one of the more well-known tracks from thrashers Anthrax. Also included for the first month of the year are clips from the debut album by Accept & a track from UFO that will leave you with palpitations. February saw the passing of Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious due to a heroin overdose the day after being released from prison. We listen to a clip of Sid of vocals for the Pistols from their Great Rock & Roll Swindle album. Also featured in February are tracks from Scorpions' Lovedrive album as well as a very Cheap Trick-like track from Angel's Sinful album. We return from the first break a news clip from the Three Mile Island nuclear power disaster that took place in March of 1979 set to the soundtrack of Van Halen's D.O.A. from their II album. Representing the third month of the year is a track from Motorhead's Overkill album that is more no-frills greatness from Lemmy and co. Spring of 1979 shows upbeat picks of song clips from Thin Lizzy's Black Rose album, Journey's Evolution, and New England's Paul Stanley-produced self-titled debut. Quite a month for melodic rock and roll. We head into May with KISS' sharpest left-turn to date with the release of the much poppier Dynasty album. Featuring the disco hit 'I Was Made for Lovin' You,' we spin a track from Gene Simmons that ponders the question on every narcissist's mind. Also included from May of '79 are overlooked tracks from Riot's Narita album & Ted Nugent's State of Shock. Since this is just part 1 of our 1979 Year in Review, we finish off the first half of the year in June with three very unique tracks. Paul McCartney will most likely be remembered for his gentle ballads and melodic numbers. But, the choice of track from his Back to the Egg album will give you a much edgier impression of Macca. Also included from June of 1979 is a track from the pre-KISS Bruce Kulick/Michael Bolton project known as Blackjack and a show closer that's definitely not obscure but still rocks plenty enough to get us amped up for part 2 next week. We hope you dig the music and, if you do........ Buy Music! Joe Jackson Generation X Accept UFO Angel Van Halen Motorhead  Journey Thin Lizzy New England KISS RIOT Ted Nugent Paul McCartney & Wings Blackjack The Knack Contact Us! Rate, Review, and Subscribe in iTunes Join the Fan Page Follow on Twitter E-mail Us Comment Below Call us on the Hotline! (540) DBGeek - 1 or (540) 342-3351 Direct Download

Here at the Decibel Geek podcast we like to make a point to keep the show at around an hour. There's no mysterious reason for this. We don't want to overload you in one episode and an hour seems to be a good median length of enjoyment. With that said, it can be a challenge for us in picking songs for an episode and a number of fantastic songs get purposely left on the drawing board due to their length. So, this week, we proudly give you The EPIC Episode! This week's show features all songs that are 6 minutes and longer in length from a nice variety of artists running the gamut from the roots of NWOBHM to mid-80's thrash to a controversial guitar legend that speaks best through his guitar. We start things off with our Geek of the Week. This week it's Tim James who left us an awesome voicemail on our hotline all the way from Australia! You can be eligible for Geek of the Week by joining the Facebook fan page or calling the voicemail hotline at (540) DBGeek-1. Mother Love Bone's what-might-have-been legend seems to grow more as the years move on and Chris' choice of the mashup of 'Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns' from their 1989 Shine EP is a prime example of the emotional relevence of the late Andrew Wood. For a fantastic view into Andrew's story, check out our friends at Legendary Rock Interviews' chat with his brother Kevin of the band Malkfunkshun. Good insight into a very troubled soul. Aaron's first song choice clocks in at over 7 minutes long and comes from the Grammy-nominated album Persistence of Time. Anthrax's 'Keep it in the Family' is a an 80's tour-de-force of thrash metal from a band most deserving of their spot in The Big 4. Anthrax has new material out in 2013 with the release of their new Anthems EP featuring covers of some great classic rock tunes. Look for a full review here on the site in the near future. Returning from the first break is Chris' choice of a song that legendary rock writer Martin Popoff listed at #17 on his Top 500 Heavy Metal Songs of All Time. 'Victim of Changes' from Judas Priest's sophomore Sad Wings of Destiny album features some of Rob Halfords most impressive vocals and truly fits the 'Epic' theme of this week. With all of the change taking place in the early 90's as grunge began to swallow up the hair-metal genre, a group of crazies from Texas released their Cowboys from Hell album; signifying the arrival of groove-metal to the national scene. Pantera's 'Cemetary Gates' is, essentially, a pissed-off power ballad. With a wide vocal range, vocalist Phil Anselmo spars with guitarist Dimebag Darrell towards the end of the song. This is the longest song in Pantera's catalog and Darrell's solo is considered an iconic piece of lead playing. If there's one band that knows a lot about epic songs, it's Rush. Although 2112 is certainly near the top of the heap when it comes to epic songs, Chris decides to give a spin to something more recent with his pick of 'Seven Cities of Gold' from 2012's Clockwork Angels album. Clocking in and over 7 minutes, the track features a thick guitar/bass mix, strong vocals from Geddy Lee, and the inevitable amazing drumming from Neil Peart. This song is helping to get Chris prepped for his upcoming experience seeing Rush in Nashville on May 1st. Closing out the show a pick that is person to Aaron Camaro. His choice of 'Fred Bear' from Ted Nugent's 1995 Spirit of the Wild album brings back memories of growing up in the northern woods of Wisconsin. While Ted Nugent is a very polarizing person when it comes to politics, this track proves that it's hard to argue with the amazing musicianship that he's churned out for over 40 years in the music industry. We really enjoyed getting the chance to share some longer, "epic", songs with you this week and hope that you found something new to enjoy. If you did..... Buy Music! Mother Love Bone Anthrax  Judas Priest Pantera Rush Ted Nugent Contact Us! Rate, Review, and Subscribe in iTunes Join the Fan Page Follo

This week's episode was a long time coming as it's the result of a suggestion by one of our faithful listeners over a year ago. Dissecting and discussing the non Ozzy/Dio era of Black Sabbath was no easy task for Aaron and Chris as, quite honestly, it's a grouping of albums and songs that mostly went overlooked by them during their younger years. Joining them to discuss this lost period for the forefathers of heavy metal is Rob Kern from the From Out of Nowhere podcast. Rob is a self-proclaimed fanboy of the 1983 Born Again album and has strong feelings (positive and negative) about all of the material released after it by Tony Iommi & co. Going in chronological order, we begin with the aforementioned Born Again album from 1983. The only Black Sabbath album to feature former Deep Purple single Ian Gillan, this album was widely panned by critics but has become a cult favorite over the years. Opinions differ drastically among the hosts as they share facts about the controversial album cover, the over-the-top vocals from Gillan, and how the tour for the album factored into a major plot point for This is Spinal Tap. Rob's choice track from this album is Zero the Hero; a popular one among many fans of this album. 1986 saw Tony Iommi itching to go solo but the material he was crafting was forced to bear the Sabbath moniker due to pressures from Warner Brothers Records. Billed as Black Sabbath featuring Tony Iommi, Seventh Star sported a much more commercial sound as well as new vocalist Glenn Hughes. The only track that partially broke through the public consciousness was 'No Stranger to Love' due to it's appearance on MTV. Rob's choice of album opener 'In for the Kill' is the closest thing that old-school Sabbath fans could sink their teeth in. Following the recording of Seventh Star, a crazy amount of personnel issues crept up with band members playing musical chairs and issues on tour forcing Hughes out of the band and a short stint with future Badlands singer Ray Gillen. Enter Tony Martin. Tony Martin brought his full-throated voice to Black Sabbath for 1987's The Eternal Idol. Your hosts share some interesting stories about Gillen's exit, Eric Singer's short tenure, and a strange story about the making of the album cover. While not a retro-sounding tune, Aaron's choice of 'Glory Ride' is definitely one of the brighter spots on an otherwise forgotten album. Black Sabbath closed out the 1980's with Headless Cross. The album has been praised by Iommi; no small feat considering his dismissal of most material from these years. When we solicited suggestions of some of our listeners favorite material from this era, the title track from this album came up quite often; necessitating a quick spin of the song. The 1990's began on a strange note for Black Sabbath as they released the pseudo-concept album TYR. Featuring a number of songs relating to Norse mythology, the album has been bashed by many critics and largely ignored by fans. Chris makes a case for some redeeming qualities on the album as he spins the track 'Valhalla' featuring a huge guitar riff. 1994's Cross Purposes featured some stronger songwriting for the band; some would say from a guitar legend. It's been rumored that the track 'Evil Eye' was originally written by Eddie Van Halen but his appearance was scrapped due to record company politics and re-recorded by Iommi. It remains to be cleared up. One thing that is clear is the strength of Aaron's choice of 'Cardinal Sin' as a track to show off the album's highlights. We finish things off with 1995's Forbidden album. Produced by Ernie C. and featuring an appearance by rapper Ice-T on 'The Illusion of Power,' Forbidden is an album released at a strange time for a veteran band that had been through a lot. Some lively discussion of this album includes Rob's take on how comical the album cover appears; especially if you substitute flowers for a scythe. These Black Sabbath albums will never sit comfortably alongside Paranoid

After a heavy week of Dropping Names, we thought it would be a good idea to reflect on the past this week. Obviously, podcasting did not exist in the 1970's so please allow us to be silly this week as Decibel Geek presents Radio Revisited 1975! What would the Decibel Geek podcast have sounded like if it were a radio show in 1975? We take you to an alternate universe this week and give you a sample of what it would have sounded like had Aaron & Chris been decked out in bell bottoms & platform shoes while spinning deep cuts from great classic rock and early metal bands from the eight-track era. Starting things off on this rebroadcast from WDBG is a Aaron's choice of a track from an upcoming Australian band with an energetic guitarist and charismatic front man. AC/DC asks 'Can I Sit Next to You Girl?' from their T.N.T. album. Up next is Chris' choice of Thin Lizzy covering (and improving) a great Bob Seger track in 'Rosalie from their awesome new album entitled Fighting. This has been a big year for Alice Cooper as he steps into a solo career with Welcome to My Nightmare. Produced by Bob Ezrin and featuring new upstart guitarist Dick Wagner, Aaron's choice of album-close 'Escape' is a welcome addition to the airwaves. We head into the first break with 'Anything for My Baby' from the band that's trying to steal Alice's shock rock throne; KISS. This track off their 'Dressed to Kill' album shows that there's more to this group of face-painted monsters than a flashy stage show. Coming back to 2013 for a moment, we get a visit from friend of the show & co-host of the Dropping the Needle and Three Sides of the Coin shows, Mitch Lafon who is heading up an amazing crowd-funded benefit project designed to help celebrate the 40th anniversary of KISS. 'A World  With Heroes' features awesome cover songs spanning KISS' entire history performed by loads of Decibel Geek-approved artists. This project promises to be one (if not) the best KISS tribute album of all-time but it won't happen without your help! This is funded purely by your pledge and the money will go towards helping a cancer care hospice that has been a blessing for many families going through a very difficult time. Click HERE to see the artist roster and find out how you can help. We come back from the break with a heavy track by Ozzy Osbourne and his partners in Black Sabbath as they break out 'Hole in the Sky' from the awesome new album Sabotage. It's impossible to imagine this band without Ozzy. We're betting that doesn't change. One of the hottest trios going today is ZZ Top from Texas. Chris' choice of 'Nasty Dogs & Funky Kings' from their Fandango! album shows you just why. We return from our second break with another great band emerging from the deep south. Lynyrd Skynyrd have blasted their way out of Florida and are quickly gaining a foothold in the worldwide rock arena. Aaron's choice of 'On the Hunt' from their new Nuthin' Fancy album is a prime example of the swagger with which these southern rockers carry themselves. A band from overseas that is being sorely ignored in today's rock radio is the Welsh band Budgie. Their new album Bandolier from MCA Records is chock full of thick riffs and catchy melody lines. Chris shows off the album with the cut 'I Ain't No Mountain.' Aaron finishes his picks off with a heartfelt dedication to an ex-girlfriend that left a mark on his heart as he spins 'Miss Misery' off the recently-released Nazareth album, Hair of the Dog. A truly anti-romantic number. Closing out the show is Chris' pick from the first solo-album from former Amboy Dukes' guitarist Ted Nugent. An artist that prefers to let the music do the talking, 'Stormtrooping' providing a boot-stomping ending to this week's show. Buy Music! AC/DC Thin Lizzy Alice Cooper KISS Black Sabbath ZZ Top Lynyrd Skynyrd Budgie Nazareth Ted Nugent Contact Us! Rate, Review, and Subscribe in iTunes Join the Fan Page Follow on Twitter E-mail Us Comment Below

This week the Decibel Geek Podcast is here to kick ass and take names! Or is that drop names? Anyways there are many rock songs that have names in the title. Now I know that "Mandy" from Barry Manilow was the first thing to come to mind but that song fortunately didn't make Chris and AAron's playlist this time around. Instead they have chosen ten "Decibel Geek" approved tracks that are dropping names all over the place. Up first the godfathers of metal, Black Sabbath kick off the show with "Johnny Blade" from the 1978 Never Say Die album. This was the last studio album with Ozzy and an album that Ozzy would later refer to as "the worst piece of work I have ever been involved in". I am sure the heavy drug and alcohol abuse might have been part of the problem. Up next we have the band Johnny Rocket from Little Rock, Arkansas. AAron found this CD in a bin at Goodwill, and with a song entitled "Kiss, Clash and Johnny Cash" it certainly made this week's show. Three name drops in one song and gets our first KISS reference of the show! From Chicago, Illinois the band Bad City pull out another Kiss reference with "Call Paul Stanley" from their 2010 debut album Welcome to the Wasteland. Paul Stanley actually endorsed the band, calling their album "an absolute knockout and the best album I've heard in ages. A killer, cohesive album of great rock and bombastic production that has been sorely missing. Every track is a winner and Bad City raises the bar out of most band's reach. It's really that good". After starting off the show with Black Sabbath, we turn the tables and feature the Supersuckers (the self proclaimed greatest band in the world) and their song "OZZY" from their 1995 release, The Sacrilicious Sounds of the Supersuckers. Mixing a blend punk, grunge, country and rock these guys have recorded with Willie Nelson and opened for Motorhead and the Ramones. 1991 was the year that Florida based band Saigon Kick released their debut album. This was the year that grunge was starting to get it's foothold and you can hear some of that sound creeping in to many of the bands of the time. Saigon Kick were one of those bands that seemed to straddle the rock/grunge fence and can be heard on the track "Suzy". L.A. sleaze rockers Faster Pussycat get in on the action with "Mr. Lovedog" from 1992's Whipped album. Written as a eulogy for Andrew Wood, best known as lead singer of Mother Love Bone who had died of a heroin overdose in 1990. In retrospect, MLB's "Apple" album most likely would have been the first great Seattle Rock album of the 90's, and very likely that Andrew Wood would have been a bigger star that Kurt Cobain, and extremely likely none of us would have ever heard of Eddie Vedder. The Bulletboys released their second album Freakshow in 1991. On that album was a killer funky cover of a Tom Waits song, "Hang On St. Christopher". The song made it to #22 on the US mainstream rock charts. "Charlotte the Harlot" comes from the 1980 self titled debut album from Iron Maiden. Written by Dave Murray and is said to be based on a true story. The Charlotte character would reoccur over the years in 3 more Maiden Tunes (22 Acacia Avenue, Hooks In You & From Here to Eternity), known to Maidenheads as the Charlotte Saga.Written by Dave Murray and is said to be based on a true story. The Charlotte character would reoccur over the years in 3 more Maiden Tunes (22 Acacia Avenue, Hooks In You & From Here to Eternity), known to Maidenheads as the Charlotte Saga. After dropping the name of a Saint, Aerosmith are up next with a biblical name drop in the song "Adam's Apple". Off the 1975, Toys in the Attic album this track was written solely by Steven Tyler and produced by Jack Douglas. Closing out all this name dropping is southern rock band Drive By Truckers and their song "Ronnie & Neil" From the 2001 album Southern Rock Opera, Ronnie and Neil is a song about the musical feud between Lynyrd Skynyrd and Neil Young. "Rock stars today ain't hal

     In 1985 a flamboyant band called Brat appeared on Detroit rock scene and started playing all the clubs. They changed their name to Trash Brats in 1987, but remained flamboyant and kept playing the clubs. By 1989 they found themselves opening for bands like Pretty Boy Floyd and Bang Tango when those bands rolled through town riding the crest of a little Headbanger's Ball airplay. Finally in 1990 the Trash Brats released their first single, "Someday's Too Late," and guess what, it was a lot better than anything by Pretty Boy Floyd or Bang Tango.      The band released their first album in 1991, a self-titled cassette also known as the I-94 Recordings. It's a great combination of pop punk and hair metal (I don't really like that term but...). Very similar stuff was happening on the Sunset Strip in the nineties, this cool mix of glam metal and pop punk, more on that in future posts. The first song on the tape is called "Don't Wanna Dance" and it is better than a lot of the stuff the major labels were pumping out in 1991 and calling metal or hard rock. "Wider The View" is another great one. My favorite song on the cassette is probably "Suit of Armor."      The band upgraded (I guess) to CD in 1992 when they released their second album, The Joke's On You. The first song "Downtown Nowhere" is an instant classic, a cleverly constructed, fast-paced rock song. These guys might have had a ridiculous image but they sure took their songwriting seriously. "Leave the Key" is another gem, an example of the band straddling genres to produce great rock and roll, and you have to wait until the last song on the album to hear the best song, "Lil Childhood Dreams." The Joke's On You is good stuff, but the best songs simply foreshadow how great the next album was going to be.       It took awhile but in 1996 the band finally released another album, Out of the Closet, and it's their best work, seventies infused pop punk masquerading as sleaze rock. The first song "Eatin' Crow" is just plain awesome and the second song "Time Don't Wanna Tell" is even better, very catchy tunes with singalong choruses. "No Jangle Thrust" is a song title you'd expect to see on a Hanoi Rocks album and it sounds like them, just faster and heavier, it is maybe the best song on the record. This is inspired stuff. You can hear all the bands they love bleeding through. These songs celebrate rock and roll, with zero pretension.       On their fourth album, American Disaster, which appeared in 2001, the band decided to take things in a more punk direction. I could be wrong, but it seems like they were trying to fit in with some of the other underground bands that were getting attention at the time. Most of the cool seventies rock vibe that gave their punky hard rock its personality was gone. A song like "Imitation Generation" is good but kind of boring and generic to me, compared with their earlier work. And that was that, they haven't been heard from since.  You can download every song the band ever released legally and for free right here:  http://www.motorcityrock.com/bands/trash_brats/trash_brats_discography.html Have fun. There's lots of other cool stuff on that site as well. For example, check out the Almighty Strut.

That's right everyone it's time for another "Radio Sucks" episode of the Decibel Geek Podcast because as you know, radio sucks. So once again Chris and AAron put on the DJ hats and spin some great music that you probably will not hear on your radio dial. So just sit back, relax, open your ears real wide and say "give it to me straight Decibel Geek Podcast. I can take it!" Chris' pick of Heaven's Basement performing "I Am Electric" is a testament to how important you, the listener, are to this show as a suggestion from listener Devin Fox impressed us so much that it took the place of one of our previously picked songs. This is a great, energetic track from their debut album Filthy Empire that starts the show off right. Dig it! Up next is "Tomorrow Never Comes" from Saints of the Underground, the heavy metal super-group featuring members of Ratt, Warrant, Alice Cooper. From the 2008 release "Love the Sin, Hate the Sinner" this would be Jani Lane's last full length album release, he passed away on August 11th, 2011. Bruce Kulick released his BK3 album in 2010 and he utilized some "friends" as guest vocalists throughout the album. "Ain't Gonna Die" is one of those tracks that featured the vocal stylings of Gene Simmons. A great little rocker that you won't hear on your local radio station. Nu Metal band turned straight ahead rockers, Papa Roach are "Still Swinging" from their 2012 The Connection album. This may seem like an unorthodox pick for the Decibel Geek podcast but we think you'll agree that this group has definitely matured their sound since their earlier days. In 1993 Kerrang Magazine voted Earth vs. The Wildhearts, the debut album from The Wildhearts as the number #1 album of the year. A band with quite an interesting and unpredictable history, Chris and AAron spin "TV Tan" from their debut album. Also in 1993 producer Tom Werman (Motley Crue, Cheap Trick, Poison, Nugent, LA Guns, etc.) was at the helm for Pariah's To Mock a Killingbird" album. An amazing album featuring the tune "Love To Turn You On" but the band was dropped by Geffen records. Swiss band Shakra formed in the late 90's and have released 11 albums including 2013's Powerplay album. Turned on to the Decibel Geek Podcast from the Talking Metal podcast, "Back On Track" is the title track from their 2011 album on AFM Records Up next is 100 Watt Opera - "Servant" from their self titled 2005 album. This is a band that AAron recently discovered right in his backyard of Nashville. Veterans of the Nashville club circuit, 100 Watt Opera are an impressive group of Music City rockers that deserve your attention. Closing out the show this week, you wanted the best, you got the best! The hottest band in the world.....KISS! If your hungry and you need a meal you can always call for a little "Room Service" from their 1975 Dressed to Kill album. Buy Music Heaven's Basement Loudmouth Saints Of The Underground  Bruce Kulick Papa Roach The Wildhearts  Pariah Shakra 100 Watt Opera KISS  Contact Us! Rate, Review, and Subscribe in iTunes Join the Fan Page Follow on Twitter E-mail Us Comment Below Direct Download

2013 marks the 40th year of existence for Hottest Band in the Land. So, it makes perfect sense for us to use episode 73 (as in, 1973) as a chance to time travel to numerous destinations that played a part in the overall history of KISS. Joining on this global KISS trek is author Chris Epting. Chris is the perfect guest for this conversation as he's written a number of travel-related books on different eras of pop culture as well as his recently-released e-book, 'All I Need to Know I Learned from KISS: Life Lessons from the Hottest Band in the Land.' This book is filled with stories of how being a KISS fan shaped Chris' life and affects him even today. If you are a hardcore KISS fan, this book is definitely for you as it will certainly elicit some familiar emotions. 1. 10 E. 23rd Street - The Loft The birthplace of KISS. This location is the spot where Paul, Gene, & Peter first auditioned Ace Frehley and the band took shape. The location is now next door to a comic book store that has an inventory that includes KISS comic books. Go figure. 2. 108 116 W. 43rd St. - Hotel Diplomat The location that allowed KISS to secure management as Bill Aucoin, Sean Delaney, & Eddie Kramer all witnessed this hungry, young band that wore lots of makeup and electrified the audience in this downtrodden ballroom. A great history of the Hotel Diplomat can be found HERE. 3. 47-03 Queens Blvd. - Coventry Site of some of the earliest KISS shows before they became a touring act. Coventry changed their name from 'Popcorn' just as KISS began their run playing the location. Footage of one of their Coventry performances is on the KISSOLOGY series of DVDs. A fantastic in-depth history can be found HERE 4. 4 Pennsylvania Plaza - Madison Square Garden The site where KISS' dream was realized. During the band's earliest years, while performing at dive bars all over the country to sparse crowds, the band would psyche themselves up by imagining that that night's venue was "the Garden." This is also the site of this week's guest Chris Epting's first concert in 1977. 5. Starwood Ampitheatre - July 21, 1990 The site of Chris Czynszak's first KISS concert, Starwood is no longer in existence but it provided a venue for many KISS tours during the 90's and early 2000's. 6. 1919 Alliant Energy Center Way, Madison, WI - Veterans Memorial Coliseum The site of Aaron Camaro's first KISS concert on the Revenge tour in 1992 on December 2, 1992. 7. 106 E. 86th Street - Park Avenue United Methodist Church The front door of this church in Manhattan was the inspiration for the door used on the Music from the Elder album cover. 8. 400 Linden Street, Cadillac, MI - Cadillac High School The site of the infamous KISS invasion of Cadillac! What a lot of us would give to time travel back! 9. 124 Broadway, Amityville, NY - The Daisy The site of KISS' foray into the makeup characters we know and love today. It's rumored that their first show at the venue, which was sparsely attended, featured the band covering 'Go Now' by The Moody Blues. 10. 126 E. 14th Street, NYC - Academy of Music/The Palladium A very KISStoric site as it was the venue that hosted the band's "coming out" party to a shocked group of industry onlookers as the band upstaged headliners Iggy Pop and Blue Oyster Cult. This venue was also the site of Eric Carr's debut performance with KISS in 1980. 11. 6230 Sunset, Hollywood - Aquarius Theatre  Site of tv taping for ABC's In Concert hosted by Dick Clark in 1974.  KISS' earliest television appearance. 12. 1032 N. Sycamore Avenue, LA, CA - The Record Plant Site of recording for parts of Paul Stanley (1978 solo album), Killers, and Creatures of the Night. 'Nuff said. 13. 1616 Butler Avenue, LA, CA - The Village Recorder Site of recording for Hotter than Hell & parts of Paul Stanley (1978 solo album). 14. 26101 Magic Mountain Parkway, Valencia, CA - Magic Mountain Now owned by Six Flags Corp, Magic Mountain was the shooting location of the infamous KISS Me

Ahhh yes, Valentines Day is here and love is in the air. This week Chris and AAron take us on board the tunnel of love as the Decibel Geek podcast serves up one "for the ladies." Now, before you all go running for the doors, I will assure you that you will not hear any Barbara Streisand, no Celine Dion, and definitely no Luther Vandross. These love songs are all Decibel Geek approved. So grab your sweetheart, open a bottle of wine, unwrap that new box of chocolates and remember "clothing is optional". Personally I can't think of a better way than to spend Cupid's special day with Chris and Aaron, your signifigant other and the Decibel Geek Podcast. Who better to get this love fest started than former Motley Crue vocalist, John Corabi. John recently released his new acoustic album and up first on the show is the beautiful "If I Had A Dime." This track was co-written by none-other than friend of the Decibel Geek podcast D.A. Karkos. Aaron takes us on a journey back to the early 90's with a power ballad tailor-made for the 80's with Tuff's I Hate Kissing You Goodbye from their What Goes Around Comes Around album. One thing we've definitely come to notice on the Decibel Geek podcast is that there's a very big world out there with lots of great music. One band that is sadly under-appreciated in the States is Thunder. We try to bring a little spotlight their way with a spin of 'Love Walked In' on this romantic day. Speaking of under-appreciated bands, Stateside Chicago natives Enuff Z'nuff are one of the unsung greats of the late 80's and early 90's rock scene. Unfairly lumped in with many generic "hair" bands, Donnie Vie and company have a long career of great melodic rock songwriting and Aaron's choice of How am I Supposed to Write a Love Song? is a prime example of their talent. While Poison took the world by storm in the mid 1980's after making the westward trek from Pennsylvania to Los Angeles, the band the helped give them their blueprint was not nearly acknowledged for their contribution. KIX's brief window of fame culminated with Chris' choice of one of the most well-structured power ballads of the 80's with Don't Close Your Eyes from the Blow My Fuse album. When Jizzy Pearl isn't blacked out in the redroom or writing one of his best selling books you might be surprised to know he can also lay down a pretty nice love song - "How'd I Get So Lonely" While Chris and Aaron don't typically spin anything that has a southern tinge to it, it doesn't mean that there isn't a bevy of great music from that region. While we typically solely focus on hard rock and heavy metal, this week seems like an appropriate time to introduce you to The Bluefields. Consisting of Dan Baird (Georgia Satellites), Warner Hodges (Jason & the Scorcers), and Joe Blanton (Royal Court of China), The Bluefields are the outgrowth of a group of well-experienced and supremely talented now-Nashville residents. Their 2012 album Pure has caused many in the rock and roll world to sit up and take notice. Thanks to listener Tim Harrigian for turning us on to this great band that is right in our back yard. You'll be hearing more from this group in the future! Certainly one of the most hauntingly beautiful songs to come from sleaze rockers LA Guns as they keep the love going with "The Ballad" from the oh so sensitive Waking the Dead album. It was a tough choice between this track and Hellraiser's Ball. The road is a lonely place for many a rock and roll band. With all those long after show parties, scantilly clad groupies and thousands of worshipping fans it must make you wish you were home. "Coming Home" from the Long Cold Winter Album has Tom and the boys in Cinderella capturing those lonely moments on the road. For you fellas that stuck it out through all of the mushy stuff we played for your better-halves today, we end the show with something just for you with Steel Panther's heartwarming rendition of Community Property from their Feel the Steel album. Thanks for