Want to send my best to all in the Oklahoma City area devastated by the recent tornado. Truly horrific to see what has happened in that area. Oklahoma has become a regular stop for me since I started hosting Rocklahoma back in 2007. I have been to Tulsa and OKC areas many many times for various events and everyone has always been so cool to me and I have had so many great times. My thoughts go out to everyone who are dealing with a huge loss of life and property in the Moore area. I have several friends in that area I have been trying to reach since everything happened but communications seem to me down understandably. I am flying into Tulsa tomorrow night and will once again be hosting Rocklahoma in Pryor this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It’s something I look forward to every year, but this year we will all be keeping those impacted in our thoughts. The festival will go on as scheduled and the area around it was not impacted by the storms. One of the things I do every year on stage during Rocklahoma is to auction off signed items from the bands to benefit local charities. Needless to say that will be even more important this weekend and we will all do our best to help how we can.

See you this weekend in Pryor for Rocklahoma 2013. Follow on Twitter @EddieTrunk for reports from the event, photos and much more. Enjoy the weekend, be safe, and help OK if you can by donating to the Red Cross.

Thanks to Josh and Keith from Buckcherry for dropping by the studio last night for my satellite show. Old friends and always great to see them. Truly one of the hardest working bands out there on the road today and always a kick ass show. Go see them if coming your way. Also thanks to Doug Aldrich of Whitesnake who called in from the UK where the band is touring with Journey. Said the gigs were going well and US shows are coming in July. Doug’s other band, Burning Rain, has their new album released today.

I’m headed to Oklahoma for this years Rocklahoma so this Friday and Monday radio shows are recorded and not live. The Q104 show this Friday will be all new and feature 2 songs from every artist or related songs in some way.

Love how many people are floored by the Winery Dogs stuff. When I suggested these guys get together I could not have dreamed of a better result. I am really excited that after decades in virtual obscurity here in the US, the amazing voice and playing of Richie Kotzen are finally being recognized. The US release is July 23rd and will have a different track than the Japanese import. Live shows to come later this year. Not being a musician myself the whole reason I got into music 30 years ago was to turn others on to great bands, songs, talents. Great to see so many loving this.

Really also loving the debut from Black Star Riders. It’s out in a couple weeks.

Exclusive video posted very soon here with me, Rob Halford and Richie Faulkner from the Epitaph screening.

Remember, All Access members of this site get access to a bunch of cool audio and interviews. Please click the banner to sign up. The small yearly fee helps us offset the costs of the site as well. Thanks.

NEW THAT METAL SHOW STARTS JUNE 1 11PM ET ON VH1 CLASSIC WITH JASON NEWSTED!

HERE ARE THE PREMIERE DATES AND GUESTS FOR THE NEW SEASON OF THAT METAL SHOW ON VH1 CLASSIC. IN ADDITION TO THE BELOW LISTED GUESTS THERE WILL ALSO BE MANY SURPRISE CAMEO GUESTS FROM BOTH NEW AND CLASSIC ARTISTS.

6/1: JASON NEWSTED W/ CARMINE APPICE ON DRUMS

6/8: COREY TAYLOR & JOSH RAND (STONE SOUR) W/ RICHIE KOTZEN ON GUITAR

6/15: REX BROWN (PANTERA/KILL DEVIL HILL) & SEBASTIAN BACH W/ VINNIE APPICE ON DRUMS

6/22: JAKE E LEE & RICK ALLEN (DEF LEPPARD) W/ VINNIE APPICE ON DRUMS

6/29: TODD LaTORRE & SCOTT ROCKENFIELD (QUEENSRYCHE) & DAVE MUSTAINE W/ CARMINE APPICE ON DRUMS

7/6: ROB ZOMBIE & JOHN 5, TOM KEIFER (CINDERELLA) W/ RICHIE KOTZEN ON GUITAR

7/13: SCOTT GORHAM & RICKY WARWICK (THIN LIZZY/BLACK STAR RIDERS) & NEIL FALLON (CLUTCH) W/ JAKE E LEE ON GUITAR

7/20: BUCK DHARMA (BOC) & STEVE WHITEMAN & BRIAN FORSYTHE (KIX) W/ JAKE E LEE ON GUITAR.

Had a great few days with Rob Halford & Richie Faulkner of Judas Priest. Rob called into my Q104 show last Friday (you can hear this on all affiliate stations this weekend and On Demand on this site for All Access site members), Rob & Richie were in studio on SiriusXM show Monday, and last night I hosted a screening of the Epitaph concert film in NYC. The screening was fun and it was cool to see a 2 hour plus set of classic Priest on the big screen with other metal fans. Rob & Richie were also there to help intro the film. As many have noticed, and as we discussed on air, Halford was in a wheelchair and has been having an issue with a nerve causing him great back pain. He was actually wheeled into my studio Monday through Times Sq by Richie! Imagine the site of the Metal God being wheeled through Times Sq! Rob had a great sense of humor about it even though he is in considerable pain at the moment. He is flying back to the UK today where he will have a procedure to correct the problem. Epitaph comes out on DVD May 28th. It truly is a great concert set and is 100% real and live, a true rarity for live concert DVDs. It is also the first release to include Faulkner who replaced KK Downing. Of course any Priest fan will always miss KK, who was a founding member of the band, but I must say Priest could not have found a better guy to fill the role. He does the KK stuff faithfully but also adds a little of his own flair as you will see on the DVD. It really is powerful stuff. Priest are well into a new album (which I kind of found out exclusively on my radio interview will likely be produced by the legendary Tom Allom) set to come out late this year or next year, followed by some live dates. Be sure to seek out my two interviews with the guys for more details. Also I will have an exclusive short video interview with them from the theater screening posted here soon.

Hope all the Mom’s had a nice Mothers Day yesterday. Spent the day with my family and it was a good one.

Had a great time hosting the Old Bridge Metal Militia metal benefit for Hurricane Sandy victims in NJ this past Saturday. What a trip down memory lane it was with so many old school metal fans and bands that turned up. The venue was sold out and everyone stayed through six hours of music and more. Lords Of Mercy, The Rods, Raven, Anvil, Twisted Sister and TT Quick all played 40 minute sets to great response. All donated the time to help the cause. A great vibe and spirit in the room and many special guests hung out as well. Snake from Skid Row even came down and jammed with TS on Under The Blade. Many cool auction items were given away as well to add extra dollars for the cause. It was amazing seeing these old photos on the screen the Militia had running of the old metal days of NJ with so many bands in the early 80′s. Even saw an old Megaforce Records Christmas card up there I totally forgot about with me and the staff back in the day. Great memories and great work by all who contributed to make it happen. Thanks to Jon & Marsha Z for having me as host. For me the highlight was seeing the TT Quick reunion. It had been so long since they played a set and with Mark now singing in Accept no clue if/when we get another show. But they should have been huge and still have it. Crushing set and Dave Di Pietro is one of the most underrated players ever. Just an awesome night for a great cause.

I’ll be live tonight at 6-10P ET / 3-7 Pacific with Rob Halford and Richie Faulkner of Judas Priest live in studio! They will be discussing the new Priest concert film Epitaph and I even have some copies to giveaway on DVD. Be sure to tune in and join to conversation at 866-315-2663 LIVE starting 6P sharp ET. The show can be heard on Sirius or XM channel 39 or vis the stream app (Hair Nation). You must have a subscription to hear Sirius or XM.

Halford called in to my FM show this past Friday night. Was great speaking with him and this show airs on all affiliates and online outlets this weekend. He discussed his work with Metallica, 5FDP, the future of Priest and of course the Epitaph DVD, which really is very cool. This show is free and can be heard on all my syndicated outlets and online outlets this weekend.

Finally on the Priest front I will be hosting a screening of the Epitaph film tomorrow/Tues in NYC at Clearview Chelsea Cinema on 23rd St in NYC. This is open to the public and Richie and Rob will be there to intro the film on the big screen. Gave away some tix on Q104 show this past Friday. Starts 7:45, see you there.

New TMS premiere just a few weeks away, the new shows start airing June 1 on VH1 Classic. I’ll get you a complete premiere schedule very soon and will post it here.

Rocklahoma 2013 almost here! I leave for OK a week from Wed. Should be a great Memorial weekend with GnR, AIC, Cheap Trick, Ratt, Korn and many more. Honored to be hosting it once again this year.

Have a band or project you’d like to advertise on this site? Contact erik@eslmusicgroup for rates and packages to connect your product with the rock/metal audience.

Great to be back live on SiriusXM Monday. Had a great in depth chat with Stephen Pearcy of Ratt who’s new book looks really good. I just skimmed it and saw some great stories. Love doing live radio where I can really do in depth interviews like that. Hardest part of TMS is only having 6-7 minutes with these guys and not getting it all in. Ratt are active again with tour dates that also include this years Rocklahoma where I will see them and Juan is back in. Also working on new music. I truly feel this band is a little undervalued and many forget just how big they were in the 80′s on radio, MTV, etc. Hope they have another good run in them.

Huge response to The Winery Dogs stuff which is great to see. I am only involved with these guys in the sense that it was my idea to put them together and they are all friends, but purely as a fan it’s my album of the year so far. The album is out in Japan in a week or so, here in the US is a slightly different version in July. Tour dates TBA. So cool to see people finally discovering here in the US the amazing voice and playing of Kotzen too! I have the whole CD and can tell you it’s all amazing! Killer ballads too.

Excited to host the big NJ / Sandy benefit this Saturday with Twisted Sister, Anvil, Raven, TT Quick, The Rods and more. Going to be an epic old school night for a great cause! Don & Jim will be joining me also, so full on TMS hang as well. See you at Encore in Freehold this Saturday to benefit my home state and those still hurting from Sandy.

The new Priest Epitaph DVD is coming out. Halford will call in this Friday to discuss and also be in studio with Richie Faulkner Monday for the SiriusXM show. I’ll also be hosting the NYC theater premiere this Tuesday with Rob & Richie in attendance at Clearview in Chelsea NYC.

I leave for Tulsa 2 weeks from today. Rocklahoma is near…

Lot’s going on and still playing catch up from being away. Follow on Twitter @EddieTrunk

New TMS starts airing June 1!!

Good to be back home. Made it back from M3 last night. If you follow on Twitter or check my Twitter feed you will see many photos I just posted with more to come. It was a pretty crazy 2 weeks with Golden Gods, M3, and of course the new TMS tapings which are now done and start airing June 1. We will discuss it all and much more live tonight from 6-10P ET / 3-7 Pacific on SiriusXM channel 39 Trunk Nation (Hair Nation). Also Ratt singer Stephen Pearcy will drop by around 6:30P ET and we will take calls for him. Tons to catch up on over the next week, we will get into some of it tonight for sure! Way too many stories to type, and I suck at typing!

Less than 3 weeks away from this years Rocklahoma which I am thrilled to once again be hosting. See you all in Pryor very soon!

If you follow on Twitter you know that last Thursday I did indeed sit and talk with Gene Simmons to clear the air with him face to face about exactly what I have said about Kiss as a fan and what my feelings are, cutting out the insane and inaccurate accounts usually posted on the internet. Gene was cool enough to invite me in his booth to sit and chat for about 10 minutes and clear the air to some degree. I did not back down from my own personal thoughts about what the band is doing, just relayed them ACCURATELY to Gene since the 99% of positives from the last 30 years as a Kiss fan that I have said and done are of course NEVER acknowledged anywhere. As I have also stated MANY times I have NO issue with Tommy or Eric in the band. My issue is and always has been with the fact that they are not their own personalities and for me I choose not to see it. But the whole thing has become so silly and blown out of proportion by a hyper sensitive few that it felt good to sit with Gene man to man and explain this clearly (something I asked Paul to do the last time I ever spoke with him and never happened). Gene claimed he has no issue at all with me and is very happy doing what he is doing, and then in typical Gene fashion started quoting how good business is LOL. I explained to Gene if he has no issue he should come back on my shows where his fans want to see and hear him and have a respectful discussion. He said he would not rule it out and as has always been the case my door is open to all past and present members of the band. I honestly don’t know anyone who loves every single thing any band they ever loved has done, and I pride myself on giving my honest opinion when asked.I have no idea if anything will change but I’m glad I was able to sit with Gene, who I have known a long time and who also loves to speak his mind, and have a discussion. I may not be a fan of what the band currently does but respect their right to do it and Gene’s willingness to sit and chat like two adults.

Greetings from Maryland and the start of day 2 of the M3 Festival. Caught Kix and WASP last night here and both bands sounded strong. Full house and the weather is great. Music is about to start for the day and night here shortly so look forward to a long rockin day with many bands and friends. The TMS and radio support here is just amazing so thank you all!

Driving home to NJ tomorrow. Look forward to it after a couple weeks on the road. Live on SiriusXM channel 39 for Trunk Nation 6-10P ET Monday. MUCH to cover and catch up on from TMS, Golden Gods, M3 and more. Just an FYI M3 this year is not on TV, as many have asked about. Also on the radio show Monday Stephen Pearcy will be in studio with me aprox 6:30P ET.

Rocklahoma just around the corner and next up for me on the festival circuit. See you soon in OK!

Just heard the awful news a couple hours ago about the passing of Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman. Jeff had been battling an infection from a spider bite but it was announced liver failure took his life today. I interviewed and hung with Jeff several times and it was always a blast. I last saw him in Indio CA during the Big 4 show there when he jumped up with Slayer for a few songs. I then ran into him at a hotel bar we were both staying at and said a quick hello. That was the last time I saw him. We just interviewed Dave Lombardo in TMS the other day and talked about how important it is for both he and Jeff to get back in Slayer. Sad that will now never happen and needless to say we will do our best to edit that interview in some way to show it was shot a couple days before this tragic news. Condolences to the Slayer fans, band and family of Jeff. RIP.

Happy to announce the new season of That Metal Show is done! Had a great couple shows yesterday to wrap it all up with Corey Taylor and Josh Rand of Stone Sour, Dave Lombardo, Steve Vai, Rob Zombie, John 5 and Tom Keifer. These shows are all new with many new features and an all new set. It truly is TMS 2.0 and I think you guys will like it. The audiences and artists were all great and you will see it all when new shows kick off 6/1 11P ET on VH1 Classic. Much more to report when back live on SiriusXM this Monday at 6P ET on channel 39 and if you follow on Twitter @EddieTrunk tons of news and photos there too.

Saw Jason Newsted’s new band last night here at The Roxy. Really thick heavy stuff. Very promising and the most metal thing from Jason in a long time. Great to have him back. Even did “Whiplash”.

Last night here in LA tonight. The Golden Gods Awards happen tonight and I’ll be attending for a bit to check it out. The show is live in AXS TV. I’m not doing anything in the shiow itself, just hanging this year. Then tomorrow super early flight from LA directly to Baltimore where ths years M3 Festival goes down this weekend! Once again I’ll be there Friday night and Saturday as a guest host. Then finally home to NJ at some point Sunday after 2 weeks of non stop rock craziness!

Judas Priest is screening their new concert film Epitaph at the Clearview Theater Chelsea in NYC May 14th. Rob Halford and Richie Faulkner will be in attendance and I will host. This is open to the public so get your tickets now and also win them on my Q104 show along with the DVD May 10th. Also Rob & Richie will be in studio for my SiriusXM show live 5/10. More details soon.

Been a great run here in LA, can’t wait for you guys to see these all new TMS episodes starting 6/1!