After years of dodging interviews, elusive Guns N’ Roses front-man Axl Rose finally broke his silence and appeared on last Friday’s edition of “That Metal Show”—and even more surprising, no journalists were hurt during the taping process. To watch some clips from the interview, head over to VH1 Classic now:
Could the once not-so-media-friendly, get-in-my-ring-bitch Axl be turning a new leaf? Maybe this is a sign of things to come? Like that GNR reunion that everyone hopes for?
Welp, before you get too excited, keep in mind that the TMS taping took place after a recent GNR show that, in true Axl fashion, started two hours late.
Many rock and heavy metal fans know Eddie Trunk today from his television shows on VH1 Classic and from SiriusXM radio shows. However, most people don’t know that the knowledgeable and affable personality was a key figure in helping make heavy music popular in America. He has mined his career and his memories with his newly released compendium of bands he feels are indispensable.
Before Eddie Trunk became the host of That Metal Showhe had a career in radio and the music business, promoting underground bands on his radio shows and later as an integral member of Megaforce/Atlantic Records. It was there that he helped launch the careers of ANTHRAX, OVERKILL, RAVEN, KING’S X and MANOWAR. He also helped start and rejuvenate the solo career of ACE FREHLEY of KISS and promoted countless bands of the classic hard rock, glam rock, New Wave of British Heavy metal and thrash genres. Later on he appeared on the short lived, but amazing Q104.3 Pure Rock and Metal station in New York in the mid 90′s and that catapulted him to further success in radio that ultimately led to him hosting several nationally syndicated and satellite rock shows currently. His website is actually a good source of news and insights into the industry. Not only is he an in-demand MC for metal and rock shows, he organized the classic NY Steel show after 9/11 and was also the host of RONNIE JAMES DIO’s funeral.
Trunk is extremely thorough with the biography of each group, listing classic lineups and albums and often making keen observations about their impact on music. All of the entries are lovingly written with the seriousness of a journalist and the heart of fanboy in some cases. He makes no bones about justifying his many opinions and he tries to always back them up with strong facts. Most of the major bands from the seventies, eighties and nineties are covered in full detail such as BLACK SABBATH, LED ZEPPELIN, THIN LIZZY, JUDAS PRIEST, ALICE COOPER, KISS, IRON MAIDEN, MOTORHEAD, VAN HALEN, AC/DC, RUSH, WHITESNAKE, OZZY, METALLICA, MEGADEATH, SLAYER, ANTHRAX, PANTERA, GUNS `N ROSES, MOTELY CRUE, POISON, BON JOVI and more. I recognize typing this that some of those names are no brainers that anyone would have and some of those names have never appeared before on Metal Army America at all! Critics bash some of the favorites he champions like his man-crush on UFO (historically important to some, others tire of hearing about them). He also didn’t play favorites with OVERKILL whom he is friends with personally, but only has a token entry. In addition the book is full of great lists, and trivia answers that are great conversation starters for your metal friends. There is also the phenomenal photography of bands and memorabilia by Ron Akiyama that is worth the price of the book alone. None other than the Metal God ROB HALFORD wrote the forward for the book and sang Eddie’s praises as a colleague and a friend.
If you are looking for modern era bands or any current underground genres you’ll need to go elsewhere as the newest band that came out and is featured is BLACK LABEL SOCIETY (whose entry to me is a bit suspect over some others). As Eddie often says about his TV and radio shows he loves many modern bands, but there are enough people covering other genres and the younger generation so he doesn’t need to. In fairness to him Eddie’s strength is he knows his territory, blankets it really well and scores points for not trying to be something he isn’t. If you have a friend, kid brother or sister discovering heavy music for the first time now, or your parents love rock and metal from 1968 to 2000 this is book would be the perfect gift for them.
Drummer Mike Portnoy (DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, TRANSATLANTIC, LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT) and comedian Don Jamieson (VH1 Classic’s “That Metal Show”) will appear together on this week’s edition of “Caffeine Bomb”.
Make sure you tune in at 7:00 p.m. EDT tonight, August 23, to 91.7 FM WHUS in Eastern Connecticut, or stream live at WHUS.org.
AVENGED SEVENFOLD, with Mike Portnoy on drums, is co-headlining this summer’s inaugural Uproar festival tour with DISTURBED and STONE SOUR.
“Caffeine Bomb” is hosted by Roger Lotring, a freelance music journalist whose work has appeared in the pages of Metal Hammer, Classic Rock, Metal Edge, Shock Wave, Zero and Burn!! magazines.
Roger is the co-author of “Full Metal Jackie Certified: The 50 Most Influential Heavy Metal Songs of the ’80s and the True Stories Behind Their Lyrics”. He is also the author of various CD liner notes, including the MÖTLEY CRÜE box set “Music to Crash Your Car To, Volume 2″.
91.7 WHUS is a commercial-free college and community-based radio station broadcasting from the University of Connecticut.
