It's always great to talk with John Bush, especially when his band Armored Saint drops a new album! Emotion Factory Reset dropped last week, and, as the kids would say, it's a banger!

He tells me about certain songs on the album. One that was very emotional and personal from a family point of view. I did ask him about a couple that seemed to be aimed at a particular person. He also spoke about the reason the album is fairly short, clocking in at about 48 minutes.

We talked about his career and if he'd change anything over the past 42 years. They have another monstrous tour coming up this fall with the guys from Metal Church. We discussed that and what else is coming up in 2026, including another gig where he will play his Anthrax era songs.

Thanks for listening!

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It was great to connect with the legendary Mikkey Dee. This guy has been the backbeat of bands from King Diamond to Don Dokken, to Motorhead, to the Scorpions. Now you can add his latest band, Lex Legion, to that list. Made up of guys he played with in King Diamond's band, Andy LaRocque, Pete Blakk, and Hal Patino, then throw in vocalist Nils K. Rue, and you've got a band that delivers heavy-hitting, old-school rock/metal.

The Motorhead Years

We talked about his time in Motorhead, which lasted 25 years. He said if Lemmy were still alive, he'd still be in that band. He compared it to a tight family unit. He also said Lem was the kind of guy to stick to his guns. "And as frustrating as that was sometimes, because he did not know everything best, you know? We were a total democracy in this band. We voted him down many times, me and Phil. I was maybe a little bit more involved with the business as well. You know, they, we all made decisions. That's, that's now where I'm trying to get, get out. But I'm actually interested in numbers and, and, you know, the business side of it. And they were just like more, oh, what the hell, you deal with it, kind of." Mikkey went on, "You know, and he, he made me look in a different angle about it. And, he was right, you know, a lot of times about this, not compromising the band or selling out. And, you know, I learned a lot from him there."

Lex Legion

The new self-titled album drops on June 12th. It's short, clocking in at around 35 minutes. Mikkey said they did that so the vinyl release wouldn't sound too compressed. It consists of 9 songs.

Mikkey said he enjoyed making this album. "A hundred percent, you know, because a lot of people, rightfully so, compare us now to the old Diamond Records that we did. But that's how we wrote music those days. And we continue writing this way. We are probably a nightmare for a more regular producer who will tear his or her hair off. Because why is this part over here? Why are you doing a double solo there? Or why do you have guitar harmonies after there?

And it doesn't make any sense. But that's how we wrote those days. And that's the whole point of this, you know. We continue doing this on this record. It's not just verse, chorus, verse, chorus, solo, verse, double chorus ending."

He did tell me that they're already working on the next record! "We're riffing away already. And as I said, I'll be very busy with Scorpions at least up till October. The last thing we do, as far as I know right now, is the residency in Vegas."

Playing With The Scorpions

Mikkey has been in the Scorpions for the better part of ten years now. They have an upcoming residency in Las Vegas coming up again this fall. "We love it. And we have so many friends in Vegas. And what a great city. Great people. Great venue." As far as the setlist for that band is concerned, he said it's close to last years celbration of the band's 60th anniversary. "But this year is an extension of last year's 60th anniversary show. And it's really, really good. I mean, we have a great 70s medley in there. And the set works really fine. Because I was asking the guys before we actually started this year, what are we going to take out? What are we going to add about rehearsal and stuff? And they said they want us to continue doing the 60th anniversary show. And it's great!"

The new Lex Legion record drops on June 12th. Go grab it!

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Pepper and Woody from C.O.C. came on to discuss their latest albums, Good God/Baad Man. It's an all-out guitar assault, and I recommend it!

I had to ask them about the Live Volume album, which was recorded on April 20th, 2001, at the local concert theater, Harpos.

We discuss the recording of the album. The initial process for the record began about 3 years ago. The boys were jamming guitars, drinking beers, and were off and running. Peper said they wanted to "cause a stink". LOL The guys said it was a fun record to make. Woody referred to it as easier than other albums. "We didn't have to answer to anyone", Pepper said.

We also talked about the tour they did with Metallica in 1997. When they played here at the Palace of Auburn Hills. At one of those shows, James Hetfield joined them on stage. Ted Nugent also joined Metallica on stage, as the guys recalled that too.

As I record this podcast, the band is playing The Machine Shop on Tuesday, May 12th. They have a lot of shows coming up in support of the new album, including tons of U.K. gigs throughout the month of June.

A huge Thank You to Pep and Woody for calling in!

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Operation Mindcrime is considered a masterpiece by rock fans. Geoff dropped OMC 2 a few years back, and now the completion of the story with Operation Mindcrime 3, which came out Sunday.

I had a chance to catch up with him before he plays Saint Andrew's Hall in Detroit on May 9th.

What's it like to drop a new album nowadays? How many people had their hands in this project, helping him? He explained how he wrote the songs and how he let some of them marinate for months while he tweaked them to perfection.

I also asked him about hiring fairly unknowns to tour with him to bring this music to the fans. "We'', I like to surround myself with people that I like." He went on, "I never want to be in a situation where you're working with people because of contacts." I can understand that.

He also talked about touring and keeping his voice in top shape.

Enjoy!

Meltdown

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Richie Faulkner is back on Talkin' Rock! This time, he tells me about the latest Elegant Weapons album, Evolution. The new album dropped on April 24th, and it rocks!

We discuss some of the guests on it, as well as some particular guitars he used. By the way, if you listen to YouTube, Richie has written descriptions of each song. Pretty cool to hear about these tracks right from Richie himself.

We also chatted about the upcoming Judas Priest documentary, The Ballad Of Judas Priest. That's played at some film festivals here and there, with hopes to be released later this year. He said the band is working on new material as well.

Enjoy the conversation with Richie!

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What a thrill to meet the one and only Peter Criss! I'd never met or interviewed him before, and I found him great to talk with! His new solo album is out, and it's fantastic. The music covers the gamut of old rock n' roll, to the blues, to 50's rock, and much more. It's honestly one of the most diverse albums I've heard in a long time.

Peter talked to me about the album and the many players on it. This record has been in the works for some time, so it's great that it's out. We also discussed coming back to Detroit Rock City. He's been in town for a few days, taking in everything the city has to offer, including museums and more.

I can't say enough about how cool it was of Peter to come by the station. A special thank you to his wife GiGi, and my friends Photo Joe and Nick from Rock City Record Company, where Peter will be signing albums and more on April 24th/25th.

Spencer Charnas from Ice Nine Kills was also kind enough to come by the station a week ago. He was in town for Astronomicon and swung by to talk about that and lots more.

Being a huge horror movie fan, we did talk about that genre. One of their songs, Twisting the KNife is used in Scream 7. We also talked about his dad's 80s band, Grave Diggler. You need to hear about that, then punch them up on the internet.

Spencer told me about opening for Metallica, a possible paranormal sighting in Seattle, and more. I always enjoy talking with Spencer!

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Wow! For a non-award-winning podcast, I get some cool guests!

Gene Simmons was in Detroit for the grand opening of the Rock & Brews in Royal Oak. We discuss that, look back on KISS putting their make-up back on and playing Tiger Stadium 30 years ago this coming June, and some questions from local Detroit icons.

Rachel Bolan from Skid Row drops a solo album in June. There are lots of rocking guests on it. Rachel tells me about that, the search for the next singer of Skid Row, some KISS memories, and more BS from the rock world.

Johnny Franck, the brains behind Bilmuri, rounds out the podcast. He's a huge Ohio State guy, so of course, I had to bust his chops about the Michigan Wolverines winning the national championship. Speaking of collabs, there are plenty on his new record. We discuss that, and more.

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Two big rock stars, one non-award-winning podcast!

Maynard is up first, talking about Puscifer, the latest album Normal Isn't, the creative process, and more. He's spoken about being a self-doubter, which seems crazy, so I had to ask him if he gets stage fright. The answer might surprise you. What about seeing a show at the Sphere? Not so much, according to him.

He and his band play the historic Fox Theater on April 18th, with many more tour dates.

Then it's Canadian rock royalty in Rik Emmett. Unfortunately, I had technical issues, which I explain in the episode. That being said, we discussed the U.S.A. Olympic Gold hockey game, his book of poetry called Leaning Into it, and his relationship with former Triumph singer Phil X.

All told, I hope Rik accepts my apologies for the technical glitches.

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