Daily Boom Holiday Tunes: Joe Satriani - 'Heavy Metal Christmas'

Exclusive Interview: Marq Torien of BulletBoys Dishes on Hair Nation Tour, His Solo Project and More

ICYMI a throwback!

When I mention BulletBoys most rock fans will immediately think of a hard-driving band that is known to all but blow the roof off of a venue while leaving absolutely everything that they had to give on the stage. That's a pretty accurate description of any performance that you'll happen to catch by Marq Torien (Vocals & lead guitar), Nick Rozz (Guitar), Chad MacDonald (Bass), and Phil Varone (Drums) these days. Not content to rest on nostalgia, BulletBoys have released a string of albums over the last thirty years that have shown off the band's musicality and ability to evolve with the times.

I was lucky enough to be able to spend a bit of time with the band's loving and gracious founder, Marq Torien this week and he was oozing with excitement and joy over everything that the BulletBoys are, and the things they have planned. Check it out below.

Cate Meighan: I have to admit, I was really excited to learn that BulletBoys would be doing the Hair Nation Tour this fall with Enuff Z'Nuff and Jack Russell's Great White. How thrilled are you?

Marq Torien: We're really ecstatic about it and we thank Live Nation for approaching us to do this. It's the three different bands (BulletBoys, Enuff Z' Nuff and Jack Russell's Great White) and we're all guys that are still putting out records. Jack's amazing and then Chip Z'Nuff and I have been friends forever so it's really cool. Out of the three, we are definitely the hardest band that will be playing on this tour so I think people will be counting on us to blow the roof off the place, and that's exactly what we'll do (laughing). We're kind of like the villains and we're okay with that, we're happy villains (laughing). Even though we're older we still know our place and really roll with that, it's part of the charm of the BulletBoys (laughing). People know what they're going to get with us, they know that we'll be out there just throwing down. We go out there and just blow the stage apart and the biggest gift for us is knowing that we can surprise and win people over based on that performance.

We're pluggin' away kind of like a Zamboni (laughing)! Just slow and steady and if you're going slow and steady, the race is already won. 

CM: You released From Out of the Skies earlier this year and I'm wondering how you feel about that record now that the dust has settled and it has been out for a while.

MT: I'm very grateful that it has done so well and that people are still gravitating towards the record. In all honesty and I'm trying to say this very graciously, I wish we would have had more support from the powers-that-be with this record. I don't know why that wasn't facilitated but it is what it is, and we are who we are. I'm just very happy that people have loved it and the fans have given it amazing accolades, but I wish more support had been there. The BulletBoys camp has worked very, very hard just to be out there on social media doing our part and the fans have been so very loving to us. Our fans and friends are just magical in the way that they've supported this record and I'm glad because we were really trying to do something special for them with this and I think they understood that. 

CM: It really is such a solid record, with so many good, deep songs on it.

MT: Oh, thank you so much. There was definitely a letdown on our side and even though I really do appreciate everything that is ever done for the band, I just wish somebody would have heard this thing the way that the fans have. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink and thankfully there are a lot of beautiful horses out there that came to drink with us at the troth. 

We've received accolades from artists that I revere very much in this business and then also from people that put on their hard hats and head out to work every day. Those are the people that I really want to touch. As a band, we took a risk with this music and people were touched by it. We live in a world where we almost expect everything to be heavy and the fact is, not everything should be. I think that I've crossed those bridges many times vocally and this time around I wanted to do something out of love. The result was a record that is more diverse and it shows off our musicality, so I'm really happy about it. 

CM: I know that you've said that you feel like your writing is more honest now, why do you think that is?

MT: I really think it's because of the people that I have around me. They are wonderful, magical musicians of different genres. I always wanted the BulletBoys to be able to grow musically and when you look at other bands like Aerosmith for example, they've been able to do different things and write different kinds of music. When they did "Janie's Got a Gun" it was completely out of the box for them, we had never heard anything like that from them before and it was a big hit. They took a lot of criticism at first but then also got a lot of love once people understood what they were trying to accomplish. Bigger bands have the freedom to grow musically but for some reason with bands in our genre, fans really like us to keep the same sound and for all of our stuff to sound kind of similar. You want to honor the fans, but at the same time, it can be difficult when as a musician you really need to grow. 

I think that when you're an artist you sometimes have to be a little selfish with your creativity and do what makes your heart smile. Then you just hope that when people actually listen to the record in its entirety. they'll get it. I've never wanted the BulletBoys to just be known as a sex joint band that's constantly facilitating songs about sex. I mean, that's amazing and I love it (laughing), but at some point in time as an artist, you need more. That's not what I got into the business for- the drinking, drugs and sex, I got into it to write music that would move people. 

I also love Chad MacDonald and Nick Rozz with all of my heart. I can honestly say they are my brothers and family now. After almost nine years of performing together, there is a real comfort in being around them and trying new things with them as well. We've done a lot of touring together and we just have a lot of trust, which is such a beautiful thing.

CM: Growth as a band seems to play a recurring theme with you guys doesn't it?

MT: We have always taken steps to grow. On our second record, Freakshow, we were taking bolder steps and doing things a bit more out of the box, even by releasing "THC Groove" as our first single. Everyone else was doing ballads and we weren't going to just follow along instead, we wanted to push different buttons. Then by the time we hit the third record, it did feel a little like we were trying to chase the success of the first one and I just wasn't into it. My favorite song on that record was "Mine" and I really ended up wishing that we had done things more in that vein so when I reinvented the band years later it had to be different. The BulletBoys sound had to be consistent and familiar but I really needed to write songs that tread on different musical waters and into some new waters. I think that we have been able to really bring the band into the now, into 2018, and I really believe that's why we're still semi-relevant (laughing). 

The places that we play, people know what they're going to get, we're a plug and play type of band.  We don't have the budget to facilitate grandiose light shows. No frills, no tricks, there's no soundtracking it's all real vocals and real guitars. It might be a throwback to some in a way, but we see it as straight rock n' roll with a mix of some punk and hard rock. That's what we serve up and hopefully, it'll sound great or maybe it won't (laughing). You never know what's really going to happen when everything is live but there is always that same magical feeling that goes hand in hand with experience of a live show. We like to keep people on their toes too so you never know what we'll be wearing or saying or whatever else. Those things are part of the fun, both for us and for the fans I think. 

CM: I feel like the light shows and bells and whistles often seem to be there to distract from what is missing performance-wise.

MT: I see bands with all of the theatrics and the old footage of them from years gone by rolling on a screen behind them and it almost takes away from it, for me anyway. No disrespect to the bands that do these things and some of the fans love to see that footage, but for me, I just want to watch them play, stripped down and straight away. I think it moves me more as a musician to see an artist playing, mistakes and all. It pulls me in and makes me more interested in what they're doing. I want to watch the band interacting on stage and see the authenticity in the moment. 

It's one of the reasons why I like watching Foo Fighters. There's not a crazy light show or anything, it's about the individuals performing their music. I love to watch my friends in Eagles of Death Metal play because they just are who they really are. The facial expressions are electric and the sweat pouring off his brow is a real reaction to how hard he is performing. I like to go and see bands like that.

We've got some really great bands out there now like The Struts or of course the band of the moment, which is Greta VanFleet, playing their asses off. Rock and roll is definitely not dead, people are coming to shows all over the place. Venues are just packed with rock fans and I love that these bands are really into the performance that they're giving each time out. I love when people are focused on the entertainer rather than a rad light show. 

CM: Authenticity is also crucial for you, isn't it?

MT: Oh yes, things have to be a certain way. I'm kind of a perfectionist and I know I can go a little overboard so sometimes I have to let things go and let the universe take care of it (laughing). That's where I'm at these days, do the best that you can and take things to the highest level possible and then let it go and have some faith. 

CM: I know that you've always been into soul and funk, do they still influence your musical style?

MT: Oh yes absolutely. Even though I play in a rock band I've never really thought of myself as a metal singer. I'm not a Rob Halford, who I love with all my heart because he is just so magical, but I'm more of a soul singer who has real range. While I'm able to sing hard rock, I think I'm naturally more of a 70's style soul singer. I gravitate to soul and R&B music, and also a lot of hip-hop as of late. If I had to choose to listen to either a Kendrick Lamar or Marvin Gaye record then I would choose to listen to Marvin Gaye. I was raised on Motown and actually signed on with them as a young artist, so I'm actually part of the Motown family. That is just such a humbling thing to even say, that's how much I adore that kind of music.

I gravitate towards a lot of different things musically. I've always loved Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons and other American rock groups. I love the backstories of what these groups went through in order to become great and I find myself listening to a lot of what I grew up on these days, especially as I'm getting ready to step into the solo realm.

CM: So you need to tell me about your solo plans then- will it be more of a soul-infused sound?

MT: I'm very excited to do my own thing with my own twist and it'll ultimately be my solo project. I've never ever attempted to do one before and so I'm excited about it. I've already got some amazing people lined up to work with me and it's going to be very funky and danceable. That's actually what I've been working on right now and when it's ready, it's ready.

CM: Do you see yourself releasing a full record?

MT: I think this time I'm looking at doing singles'. I've written three BulletBoys records within the past eight years and so I think with this I'm going to step out of that box and do it differently. I'm really excited to do something on my own that will be different from what everyone has already heard me do. 

CM: Does this project feel really freeing for you?

MT: It's actually really scary (laughing), I'm terrified! The thing is I love a challenge and that's what this is, so it's good for me.

CM: What would you like to tell your fans that are counting down the days until the Hair Nation Tour?

MT: That I love them with all of my heart and I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart for being there as friends and as fans. I love them so bloody hard and I do this for them, as a band, we do this for them. I also want to tell people to try and lead with love. I know it's really hard and some days I don't want to do it either (laughing) but lead with love. Don't gossip because it kills peoples' hearts. If you have something mean to say, just don't do it and instead try to uplift the artists that are still around. I've had a lot of my friends die lately, good people that loved others and tried very hard to perform and make people happy. We're getting older now and we really are on borrowed time so if you love an artist, let them know it. Just love each other, you can never spread too much love in this world, especially now.

Check out the BulletBoys official site for the latest info on everything they have going on. Make sure you check out tour dates, VIP packages and more! Also, follow BulletBoys on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram for exclusive goodies!

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Metallica - 'One'

"Darkness
Imprisoning me
All that I see
Absolute horror
I cannot live
I cannot die
Trapped in myself
Body my holding cell
Landmine
Has taken my sight
Taken my speech
Taken my hearing
Taken my arms
Taken my legs
Taken my soul
Left me with life in hell "

1988 brought with it an onslaught of hair bands that took turns dominating the charts. If you weren't an actual fan then being able to distinguish between Whitesnake, Europe and Skid Row was probably damn near impossible. Each power group a lineup of hot men with better hair than most of the girls that I knew. Metallica had been toiling in the hard rock ranks for years but it was the final single off of their fourth album that was a total breakthrough.

"One", an anti-war song skyrocketed into MTV's heavy video rotation almost immediately with a video that alternated between scenes of a supposed war vet sent home to die and actual footage from the 1971 anti-war film Johnny Got His Gun. The strong lyrics along with the black and white visuals helped Metallica to win the very first Grammy in 1989 for a Best Metal Performance. 

This is one of those songs that always gives me chills and it's beyond words live. 

Exclusive Interview: Brian Vollmer of Helix on the 'Controlled Passion' Necessary for Longevity in Music

Since Covid-19 has brought gigs to a screeching halt we are flashing back to some of the best of the best content here at DailyBOOM.

Sometimes in this life, you have to take a risk. That's exactly what Helix founder/lead singer Brian Vollmer did way back in 1974. He walked away from that nine to five drudgery to chase a musical dream that just so happened to turn into his life's work. The faces in Helix may have changed over the years but Volmer and the current lineup, Chris Julke (lead guitars), Kaleb Duck(lead guitars), Daryl Gray(bass guitar), Greg Fritz Hinz (drums), are just as thrilled to be able to perform the classics live as they are to be creating new music.

I had a chance to catch up with Vollmer this week and appreciated his insight on the business side of making music as well the kind of "controlled passion" that it takes to persevere as an artist. Check it out below!

Cate Meighan: So how's life in London, Ontario Canada?

Brian Vollmer: Pretty good, my wife and I spend summers here and we'll play concerts across the country, with an occasional gig outside of Canada. Then our winters we spend in Fort Myers, FL and we love it there.

CM: I didn't realize that you spend part of the year in Florida. I know a lot of Helix fans wish that they could see you perform in the states.

BV: The problem with that is that the U.S. work permits are very restrictive. If we were to do a date anywhere in the states we need a work permit. If you slow track the permit then you have to apply for it four months in advance of the date and it's about $400. If you don't have the time to slow track it then add another grand for the permit, so it would be $1400 for the band and another $1400 for the road crew. Then we still need flights down, a car at the airport and so on. All of these things come with zero guarantees that we'll get in (to the country) and zero refund if we don't. So why should I go through mountains of paperwork, rolling the dice when I can play here in Canada (laughing)?

CM: It's important to mention these things so that the fans really understand how the business works and some of the major ways that it has changed over the years.

BV: Exactly and that's why I have a newsletter that I've been working on all year long. It gets sent out through a mail delivery service online and I've worked really hard personally to get people to sign up one at a time. I think that's a great way to do it because it gives me a personal connection with each fan and so I really don't mind if it takes a little bit longer to build up the readership, because I know that they're going to open the thing up when they see it in their box. We have a very high opening rate, this service tracks these things so we can actually see how many have been opened, and I believe going that extra mile really does matter to the fans.

CM: When Helix first started out back in the early 70's did you think that heavy metal would last for longer than a wave or two?

BV: I always thought that heavy metal would eventually turn into something similar to what blues became, a genre of music that a smaller fraction of people follows, but they follow it fervently.  The same thing did, in fact, happen with metal. There are certain metal labels around the world that are thriving and it's because of the fans.

Country fans are like that too, they're very loyal. Back in the days of Hank Williams, Johnny Cash and the like, their fans never forgot them and they would always come out and support them.  The same has happened with metal but we could use a little more radio support. The same goes for new music by classic rock artists, if you stick one song in there every once in a while people could care less. I think if you had a whole station or playlist with new material by old artists, then I think people would follow that. The fans are there for the new Robert Plant or the newest Great White, or whatever. It sounds like whimsical dreaming (laughing) but I believe that people really would listen.

CM: What keeps you out there performing after all these years?

BV: It's the music. I was always into music even as a kid I writing music, drawing pictures, taking photographs with my grandfather's camera- I did all that stuff. I still do those things but now I'm paid for it (laughing) and that's pretty cool, ya know? Life is full of decisions and I made the decision a long time ago to leave a job in 1974, one that I could now be retired from and sitting in a $500,000 house. That wasn't the life for me, I hated it so I sold my car and went on the road. I didn't have another new car for 26 years. It shows you how lucrative the music business is and I bought that car after gold and platinum albums, for god sakes!

I still just love the music and I even love the traveling. Some musicians hate that part and I think it's the most exciting thing in the world (laughing). I was a farm kid and so my parents really didn't have the money to go anywhere so for me, it's still a thrill. I like to point out to people that in any given 24 hour day we spend 8 hours sleeping, 8 hours working and 8 hours paying bills, painting the house or whatever. So since we spend a third of our lives working isn't it better to pick a job that you like? Most people don't! Most people end up picking jobs that they hate just to get two weeks of holidays a year. If you like your job then it's like a holiday every day. Not every day is fun, don't get me wrong, it's work and you have to have controlled passion when you do this job.

I think that's why a lot of musicians are prone to be up and down emotionally because they get off on that rush of playing, and then there are a whole bunch of days where you have to handle actual business which is a drag (laughing). Not every day is a big gig and a lot of people need that rush and then they're in it for the wrong reasons. You need to be in it to make music and you need to have a controlled passion because you're developing a craft. Your craft isn't fully made in two weeks, two months or even in two years, it takes a lifetime.

CM: What's up next for you and Helix?

BV: We have three more dates left for the summer and we're always working on new music. We have The Story of Helix coming out soon. I just keep putting out new material and hope that people will like and buy it (laughing). While no one is selling as many units these days I do think that people look at you in a different light if you're still putting out new material. They see you as more of an artist that way, rather than somebody up there just doing a milk run. If you record new material it might not hit right off the bat and that's okay. Maybe ten years down the line it'll get some attention, you just never know what's going to happen.

CM: Helix fans are so loyal, what would you like to say to them?

BV: Well thank you because the fans are our lifeblood. We need them to make it out here so it makes sense to take the time to connect with them in a real way. I once saw something on the internet about how to maintain a business with just 5,000 customers by adding details about your product as it grows and changes. I think the same goes for the band and that those little details matter. It really doesn't take that much to make music fans happy, they just like to feel included and so we really make a point of including them in all that we do.

Check out Planet Helix for absolutely everything- upcoming show dates, their newsletter and of course their music and merch! You can also connect with Helix on Facebook.

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Metallica - 'One'

"Darkness
Imprisoning me
All that I see
Absolute horror
I cannot live
I cannot die
Trapped in myself
Body my holding cell

Landmine
Has taken my sight
Taken my speech
Taken my hearing
Taken my arms
Taken my legs
Taken my soul
Left me with life in hell "

1988 brought with it an onslaught of hair bands that took turns dominating the charts. If you weren't an actual fan then being able to distinguish between Whitesnake, Europe and Skid Row was probably damn near impossible. Each power group a lineup of hot men with better hair than most of the girls that I knew. Metallica had been toiling in the hard rock ranks for years but it was the final single off of their fourth album that was a total breakthrough.

"One", an anti-war song skyrocketed into MTV's heavy video rotation almost immediately with a video that alternated between scenes of a supposed war vet sent home to die and actual footage from the 1971 anti-war film Johnny Got His Gun. The strong lyrics along with the black and white visuals helped Metallica to win the very first Grammy in 1989 for a Best Metal Performance. 

This is one of those songs that always gives me chills and it's beyond words live. 

Currently Booming: Heavy Metal Xmas Compilation

Currently Booming Podcast: My Rock & Roll Heaven (Aired 3-31-19)

My Rock & Roll Heaven airs each Sunday 5-7 pm EST on Boom Radio. It features all things rock- classics, lost hits, & everything that falls in between. Listen at DailyBOOM.net.

Boom Radio is your old school music authority & streams 24/7 with genre-based programs each evening.

Exclusive Interview: Stryper's Michael Sweet Details Solo Project with Joel Hoekstra, Todd LaTorre, a New Documentary & More

ICYMI

When you say the name Michael Sweet in rock circles it's always met with positivity. Some people may choose to hate on Stryper, the band that he co-founded way back in 1983, but they adore the frontman and with good reason. He's calm, gracious and as connected to himself as he is to those around him. Sweet's fellow musicians gush about his talent while hoping for an opportunity to work with him somewhere along the way, which says a lot about the kind of man that he is. 

I was fortunate enough to catch up with Sweet recently and he was excited to spill details on his new solo project, a Stryper documentary, and more!

Cate Meighan: It has been a while since we last spoke. How are you doing?

Michael Sweet:  I'm good! I've been busy, traveling a lot so I'm just trying to catch my breath now, but life is good.

CM: I read recently that you're back in the studio working on a new solo album. How's that going?

MS:  Well,  I went in about a month ago and I was there for about ten days. Then we did three local shows and I left for Japan with Stryper. Then, I went back into the studio for another four days when I returned. I'm a little tired but I prefer to stay busy and to do what I can when I can, because that day may come when I can't do these things. Whether it's voice loss or something physical or whatever.  The project that I do next could tank, I mean who knows (laughing). I just don't want to take what I do for granted and so I try to do as much as I can when I can. We don't know what tomorrow will bring so if I have opportunities that I feel good about to go and sing, record, or perform then I'm going to take them.

CM: How's the new album coming along?

MS:  It's really great. I always go into a project with expectations and sometimes I meet or surpass them, but sometimes I don't. Sometimes a song might be a little bit of a letdown and not what I had hoped for but with this album so far, everything is as I've expected and then some. Now granted, I don't have the lead vocals done yet so the pressure is on me. (laughing) I hope the lead vocals turn out how I hear them in my head and how I would like them to be, but you never know. You just don't know until you get in there and you start singing and you get it done.

So far though the songs all have incredible energy. I've got Will Hunt playing drums on it and John O'Boyle is playing bass. The rhythm section is phenomenal and the guitar tones are great. I'm going to have a different guest guitar player on every song, with a solo of course.  I've got Todd LaTorre of Queensryche joining me on a song and it's just turning out to be a really cool album. I think that it's going to surpass my last solo album and that did really well, but I think this one is going to be even better.

CM:  Todd really seems to be at the top of his game right now. The new Queensryche music is just fantastic.

MS:  Todd is a brilliant singer and he is really finding his place in that group. He stepped into a situation that would be high pressure for anyone and he is coming to the table and then some. I think that he is finding himself and becoming more comfortable in that situation and so he's just killing it, plus he's drumming as well! He's a great guy and such a hard worker that he deserves every bit of the success that he's finding. They don't make em' like that, guys like Todd are few and far between.

CM: The last time we spoke you were working on a project with Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake). Is that still in the works?

MS:  We were originally trying to put together a Michael Sweet/Joel Hoekstra album with a real classic rock kind of vibe to it. We were ready to move forward and had some meetings about it and to be honest we just weren't able to come to terms with a record company to release it. It's tricky when you need a certain amount of money to do what you need to do. There's a fine line because a lot of musicians go into it with the idea of going and making a record to just have fun. Now that I've got kids and grandkids and a mortgage to pay, I have to be a little more cautious with what I take on. This is what I do for a living, I don't work a 9 to 5 job, so it has to make sense financially and for Joel too because he is in a similar situation. So it's hard when the things that you creatively want to do just don't work out from a business standpoint. What I did was have Joel write a couple tracks that I'm writing lyrics for and those co-written songs will be on my new album. He'll be playing the guitar on those and they're basically all done. One is called "When Love is Hated" and the other is called "Never Alone" and they're killer tracks.

CM: Is there a tentative release date yet?

MS:  I'm still not sure. It's definitely going to be this year. We're talking about a summer release and I'm turning it all in by the end of April and so we're probably looking at a July or August release. It depends on how much set up we need with licensing deals worldwide and those kinds of things, but I would say hopefully July/August.

CM: The business has changed so much over the years and the way that artists make their money just isn't like it used to be. The money's not in record sales at all so you've got to be smart and strategic in order to keep working.

MS: Absolutely. I mean, there are things that I've done for free and I'll do more of those things when I have the time. There are times when I'm offered money to sing a song and then I'll have my agent calling with potential shows where I'll make double that and I'm looking at my bills and I have to choose wisely. It's really hard because you don't ever want the business to outweigh the love of what you do but at the same time, you have to think about the business as well because you've gotta pay your bills.

CM: It almost feels like you have to be very cut and dry with it.

MS:  You do, no question about it. I really try very hard to balance it and not let the money take my love for what I do, because man, I just really love doing it. If I was 18 years old I'd just go and do 100 projects for nothing because I love it so much.

CM: Where does your writing inspiration come from?

MS:  I've got something built inside of me that makes me always want to inspire people. Am I a guy that has it all together or that has all the answers (laughing)? Gosh no. I've got my issues and problems. I've got things that I have to work on and overcome, but I still can make someone smile or give them hope and encourage them. That's something that's built within me and I view it as a waste of time and effort for me to release an album that doesn't have that. What's the point? If people are going to be listening to this stuff for years to come then why not inspire them with a song rather than just singing about sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll?

That's just how I feel and so I get inspiration from life, I get it from the bible, my family and friends. There are so many things that inspire me and so with every album, I just want to help and encourage other people too. It's an important thing, it's every bit as important as the music itself and it's always the message behind the music. It's why we've (Stryper) been throwing out bibles forever. We never start preaching to people and telling them what they should or should not do. We just toss them out with the hopes that maybe they'll check it out. We try to steer people in a good direction, that's what it comes down to and at the end of the day, it's all about love. We're trying to give them hope, grace, and love, instead of hate and despair. If we can play a small little part in giving people what the world needs more of- and that's love, then we've done our jobs.

CM: Do those same gifts then flow back to you?

MS: Oh yeah, we see the stories and it's the old thing of you reap what you sow. We've sown a lot and we continue to reap a lot. We've seen how the lives of some people have been affected by what we do. We've met people who were suicidal or addicts and they've turned their lives around in a positive way. It's so awesome to hear that we've played even a small part in helping them and that lives on far beyond the music. The music is fun and amazing but the message is what changes and transforms lives.

CM: You're always so busy. How is the rest of this year shaping up for you?

MS:  I'll be splitting my time a lot but this summer I'm mostly on the road with Stryper. I think we start rehearsals May 2nd in Nashville and then we'll be touring into late-June. I'll be home for part of July and prepping for another project that I can't talk about (laughing). But I'll be recording vocals for that (laughing), it's just nuts. There's always something to do and if something falls through then I'll try and get some solo shows booked. I'm in that place, thank god, where I'm able to work and stay busy. So many of my peers are brilliant musicians, so successful and they just can't get anything going. Every project falls through and I've been there. I went through that from 1996-2000 where nothing seemed to work out and all I heard was 'no'. Then finally the doors started opening up again, Stryper started touring again and the last fourteen years have been a blur. I don't know where the years have gone.

CM: Do you have any regrets about that 'blur'?

MS:  My biggest regrets would be passing up opportunities with my family and friends. My attitude with the music is that I need to do it while I can, but that does come at a price sometimes. That's the stuff that I may look back on someday and be really brokenhearted about and regret. My son's birthday just passed and I was in Japan at the time. We're going to celebrate and make up for it, but those are the moments that can be a little hard to take. Then at the same time, there were years that I did have at home when I could or should have been out on the road. I left Stryper from 1992-2000 and I did some touring then but I got to spend a lot of time with my kids too. There are always pros and cons and I think it always comes with some built-in regret.

CM: Any other musical tricks up your sleeve right now?

MS: Well (laughing), we're doing a documentary that's not going to be so much about the band, but it's going to be about the people that the band has affected. It's really incredible and I think that it's going to be pretty powerful. We've already started work on that but we've got a long way to go with it. Then we're also going to start work on a new Stryper album at the end of this year into early next year. So there are plenty of things on the horizon and in the near future. It's going to be a great year.

Check out Michael's official site for updates on new music and dates. You can head over to Stryper's official site as well for tour dates, merch & more!

Currently Booming: Mojo Rocks with Mojo Moomey on Boom Radio!

The Best of Mojo Rocks with Mojo Moomey playing the best in hard rock & metal airs each Wednesday at 9pm EST on Boom Radio found exclusively at DailyBOOM.net. 

Boom Radio is your old school music authority & streams 24/7 with genre-based programs each evening.

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Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Metallica - 'One'

"Darkness
Imprisoning me
All that I see
Absolute horror
I cannot live
I cannot die
Trapped in myself
Body my holding cell

Landmine
Has taken my sight
Taken my speech
Taken my hearing
Taken my arms
Taken my legs
Taken my soul
Left me with life in hell "

1988 brought with it an onslaught of hair bands that took turns dominating the charts. If you weren't an actual fan then being able to distinguish between Whitesnake, Europe and Skid Row was probably damn near impossible. Each power group a lineup of hot men with better hair than most of the girls that I knew. Metallica had been toiling in the hard rock ranks for years but it was the final single off of their fourth album that was a total breakthrough.

"One", an anti-war song skyrocketed into MTV's heavy video rotation almost immediately with a video that alternated between scenes of a supposed war vet sent home to die and actual footage from the 1971 anti-war film Johnny Got His Gun. The strong lyrics along with the black and white visuals helped Metallica to win the very first Grammy in 1989 for a Best Metal Performance. 

This is one of those songs that always gives me chills and it's beyond words live. 

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Metallica - 'One'

Darkness
Imprisoning me
All that I see
Absolute horror
I cannot live
I cannot die
Trapped in myself
Body my holding cell

Landmine
Has taken my sight
Taken my speech
Taken my hearing
Taken my arms
Taken my legs
Taken my soul
Left me with life in hell 

1988 brought with it an onslaught of hair bands that took turns dominating the charts. If you weren't an actual fan then being able to distinguish between Whitesnake, Europe and Skid Row was probably damn near impossible. Each power group a lineup of hot men with better hair than most of the girls that I knew. Metallica had been toiling in the hard rock ranks for years but it was the final single off of their fourth album that was a total breakthrough.

"One", an anti-war song skyrocketed into MTV's heavy video rotation almost immediately with a video that alternated between scenes of a supposed war vet sent home to die and actual footage from the 1971 anti-war film Johnny Got His Gun. The strong lyrics along with the black and white visuals helped Metallica to win the very first Grammy in 1989 for a Best Metal Performance. 

This is one of those songs that always gives me chills and it's beyond words live. 

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Metallica - 'One'

Darkness
Imprisoning me
All that I see
Absolute horror
I cannot live
I cannot die
Trapped in myself
Body my holding cell

Landmine
Has taken my sight
Taken my speech
Taken my hearing
Taken my arms
Taken my legs
Taken my soul
Left me with life in hell 

1988 brought with it an onslaught of hair bands that took turns dominating the charts. If you weren't an actual fan then being able to distinguish between Whitesnake, Europe and Skid Row was probably damn near impossible. Each power group a lineup of hot men with better hair than most of the girls that I knew. Metallica had been toiling in the hard rock ranks for years but it was the final single off of their fourth album that was a total breakthrough.

"One", an anti-war song skyrocketed into MTV's heavy video rotation almost immediately with a video that alternated between scenes of a supposed war vet sent home to die and actual footage from the 1971 anti-war film Johnny Got His Gun. The strong lyrics along with the black and white visuals helped Metallica to win the very first Grammy in 1989 for a Best Metal Performance. 

This is one of those songs that always gives me chills and it's beyond words live. 

Currently Booming: Early 80's Metal Bands (1980-84)

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