Rik Fox He was an early member of WASP (and gave the band its name) before teaming up with an unknown Yngwie Malmsteen, vocalist Ron Keel and drummer Mark Edwards to record the 1983 underground metal classic album, “Steeler.” Today, he’s the bassist for Freakshow alongside former members of Quiet Riot, WASP/Metal Church and Miss Crazy. Rik Fox joins us to discuss Freakshow’s new album, “So Shall it Be,” his early days witnessing the formation of KISS, his tenures in WASP and Steeler, and his...

Christian Shields He was corrupted by KISS at an early age (sound familiar?) and quickly became a student of the rock’n’roll hustle. Austin-based Christian Shields joins us to discuss his arena-ready rock, the art of self-promotion and how he landed the role of Jason McMaster in the upcoming music venue documentary, “Bloody & Bruised: The Untold Story of the Back Room.” Created and Produced by Jared Tuten

Paul Lidel His raunchy guitar riffs and high-voltage solos have powered Dirty Looks, Dangerous Toys, Broken Teeth, Adrenaline Factor and 99 Crimes. Paul Lidel joins us to discuss -- take a deep breath -- his latest project, Paul Lidel’s Scream Therapy; joining Dangerous Toys; the revamped Dirty Looks (with our own Jason McMaster on vocals); his time with Lizzy Borden; opening for KISS; and his audition with Ronnie James Dio. Look out! Created and Produced by Jared Tuten

George Lynch He shot to fame in the ‘80s as lead guitarist in Dokken where his wicked solos immediately placed him in an elite class of all-time greats. George Lynch cracks us up while discussing his latest Lynch Mob album, “Babylon,” auditioning for Ozzy, touring with Metallica, the hypothetical possibility of joining Judas Priest and how Kajagoogoo was an early inspiration. Created and Produced by Jared Tuten

Jason & Dave Riffs We revisit our original, two-man format and discuss Jason’s recent fly-out gigs with Watchtower (all the way to Germany!), Dangerous Toys and Dirty Looks. We also comment on new albums by the Rolling Stones, Buckcherry, Lower Class Brats, the Hangmen and Dave’s bargain-bin UFO obsession. Created and Produced by Jared Tuten

Frank Meyer Frank Meyer is a veteran punk-rock’n’roller whose credits include the Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs, Trading Aces and Spaghetti & Frank (a collab with Eddie Spaghetti of Supersuckers). He’s also an accomplished author and filmmaker whose newly released documentary, “Freestyle 101: Hip-Hop History,” is receiving rave reviews for its insightful exploration of freestyling, rap music and hip-hop culture. He also lands cameo appearances by heavy hitters Ice-T, Chuck D, B-Real, Fat Joe,...

Jarvis Leatherby He’s a founding member of traditional metal revivalists Night Demon and also plays in cult-status metal heroes, Cirith Ungol. Bassist Jarvis Leatherby joins us to discuss his music and wide-ranging business background, his Valen Halen connection, jamming with Uli Jon Roth and how 2 Live Crew and NWA got him hooked on music. Created and Produced by Jared Tuten

Wendy Dio She was married to legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio and also managed his career through lean times and massive success. Wendy Dio joins us to discuss the recent release of the DVD and Blu-Ray Deluxe editions of the critically-acclaimed documentary, “Dio: Dreamers Never Die.” We also discuss the new CD and LP box set release of Dio’s final four studio albums (1996-2004); the wild antics of Jimmy Bain and why Ronnie initially hated “Rainbow in the Dark.” Created and...

Tony Higbee He plays guitar in Tom Keifer’s band, but considers life itself to be his greatest Cinderella story. Tony Higbee joins us to discuss his small-town upbringing, his fight against cancer and how his move to Nashville and jobs in music retail led to gigs with Keifer and Brother Cane. Created and Produced by Jared Tuten

Riverboat Gamblers Known for their highwire live performances and frantically melodic punk rock, the Riverboat Gamblers have been wowing audiences for more than two decades. With the 20th anniversary reissue of their pivotal 2003 album, “Something to Crow About,” we ask vocalist Mike Wiebe and guitarist Fadi El-Assad to tell us what’s what. Created and Produced by Jared Tuten

Nikki Stringfield As a teenager, Nikki Stringfield was an admitted “goth nerd” who later moved from her native Texas to Los Angeles where she quickly joined the internationally popular tribute band, the Iron Maidens. Today, she divides her time between the Maidens, Heaven Below and her solo career, which is now in full swing with the recent release of her debut, full-length album, “Apocrypha.” (Photo credits: Adam Hendershott and David Castillo) Created and Produced by Jared Tuten

Tracii Guns Back for a second appearance on the Talk Louder Podcast, guitar hero Tracii Guns discusses his latest side band Blackbird Angels; their new album “Solsorte;” his approach to writing for multiple projects; why Danzig would have been a fun collaborator; and why you don’t want to hear “we’re out of ice” when partying with the band. Created and Produced by Jared Tuten

Gene Hoglan He started as a roadie for Slayer before making an indelible mark as the drummer on Dark Angel’s pivotal 1986 thrash album, “Darkness Descends.” Today, he’s known as the “Atomic Clock” and rightly considered one of the greatest drummers in metal thanks to his mind-blowing work with Death, Testament, Dethklok and others. He joins us to discuss his history, future, first concert (Queen with Thin Lizzy!), the influence of Watchtower and that time he developed double-kick drum...

Michael Bruce As a guitarist in the original Alice Cooper band, Michael Bruce co-wrote such timeless songs as “Eighteen,” “School’s Out,” “No More Mr. Nice Guy,” “Under My Wheels” and “Billion Dollar Babies.” He joins us to discuss the band’s earliest beginnings when Frank Zappa and Syd Barret were major influences before Bob Ezrin arrived to shape the classic Cooper sound. Created and Produced by Jared Tuten

Brian Slagel As founder and CEO of Metal Blade Records, Brian Slagel helped launch the careers of Metallica, Slayer, Ratt, Armored Saint, Lizzy Borden, Mercyful Fate and even the Goo Goo Dolls. He joins us to discuss his new book, “Swing of the Blade,” his ongoing passion for heavy metal, why he won’t sell out to a major corporation and the band that got away (hint: the guitarist wears a top hat). Created and Produced by Jared Tuten

Sean Kelly Canadian musician, author and instructor Sean Kelly was raised on ‘80s hard rock – and shamelessly never outgrew it! No wonder we love him! He joins us to discuss his latest book, “Don’t Call it Hair Metal: Art in the Excess of ‘80s Rock;” his audition to join the cast of Dee Snider’s “Rock & Roll Christmas Tale” (he got the gig!); the latest on his long-time band, Crash Kelly; plus mentions of his other credits, including Coney Hatch, Helix, Lee Aaron (“The Metal Queen”) and...

Tyler Heath He wears his love of ’80s hard rock on his white leather sleeve, but Tyler Heath’s musical palette is blended with a very broad brush. The Leather Duchess frontman joins us to discuss his various bands, his Revolt Vinyl Records label, the importance of visually compelling merch and how a Charlie Daniels Band concert put him on the path to bullet belts, leather gloves and the heyday of Hollywood hair metal. Created and Produced by Jared Tuten

Taime Downe His snarling tales of lipstick junkies and runaways put Faster Pussycat singer Taime Downe at the top of the sleaze-rock heap. He joins us to discuss new Faster Pussycat music, an in-the-works book, his cold-turkey sobriety and why his earliest trip to a recording studio was all about the “banging room.” Created and Produced by Jared Tuten

Greg Chaisson Bassist Greg Chaisson gained international attention as a member of Badlands -- featuring guitarist Jake E. Lee, singer Ray Gillen and drummer Eric Singer (and, later, Jeff Martin) -- but he’s also an accomplished singer/songwriter/producer whose latest project, Atomic Kings, recalls the best hard rock bands of the ‘70s – and adds its own, modern twist. He joins us to discuss Atomic Kings’ debut album, his time in Badlands, Surgical Steel, Steeler, Legs Diamond and Ratt (for a...

John Gallagher With the release of their 15th studio album, “All Hell’s Breaking Loose,” New Wave of British Heavy Metal legends Raven are back to bang some heads. Bassist/vocalist John Gallagher returns to the Talk Louder Podcast to discuss the new album, the pitfalls of major labels, his preference for a headset microphone and an early tour with opening act, Anthrax. Bonus: He also reveals his favorite Blue Oyster Cult album! Created and Produced by Jared Tuten

Brian Tatler As guitarist and founding member of Diamond Head, Brian Tatler was at the forefront of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. As such, he and his music had a massive influence on thrash-metal upstarts, Metallica and Megadeth. He joins us to discuss Diamond Head’s legacy, the importance of punk rock, opening for AC/DC on the last two shows of Bon Scott’s life and his current gig with Saxon. Created and Produced by Jared Tuten

“Pictures: ALIVE” What happens when two diehard KISS nerds combine their love of ’80s rock’n’roll, photography and graphic design? You get an eye-popping, full-color, 300-page book titled “Pictures: ALIVE.” Bursting with 400 high-quality, original concert photos, ticket stubs, concert ads and the camera-smuggling stories that go with them, “Pictures: ALIVE” finds photographer Steve Roney and art director Scott Davis walking us through big-city nights on Memory Lane where the hottest bands in...

Mark Tornillo He took a swing at the seemingly impossible pitch of replacing Udo Dirkschneider in Accept – and knocked it out of the park! Vocalist Mark Tornillo joins us to discuss his early days in TT Quick, his 14 years in Accept, the 2022 illness that temporarily brought our own Jason McMaster onboard as his replacement and the time Iron Maiden suddenly asked him to be their singer at an impromptu club gig. Created and Produced by Jared Tuten

Neal Smith He scared the bejesus out of polite society while shock rocking with Alice Cooper on a string of classic albums and songs, including “School’s Out,” “I’m Eighteen,” “No More Mr. Nice Guy,” “Under My Wheels” and many more. Today, at 75, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame drummer and multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Neal Smith finds his musical muse in the dusty lore of the Wild West. He joins us to discuss his latest album, “Killsmith Goes West,” that time he secretly carried three guns...

Jack Gibson of Exodus He’s the gut-punch in Exodus’ thrash-metal assault who also has a deep appreciation for Nashville’s killer country pickers. Bassist Jack Gibson joins us to discuss Exodus’ latest thrashterpiece, “Persona Non Grata,” wild times with Paul Baloff and meeting one of his heroes, Glen Campbell. Created and Produced by Jared Tuten