The Jersey Guys Podcast

Chicago-born guitarist Josh Ramos got an early musical start in life by playing in the church band before he ever hit double digits. Later in high school he formed and played in bands around the Chicago area. A year out of high school Josh formed LE MANS in 1983. This band recorded two albums, one on the Shrapnel Label and one with Columbia Records. It was during this time that Josh moved to the Bay Area of California and became associated with Neal Schon and his line of "Schon guitars". Josh joined THE STORM in 1991. The Storm recorded an album with Interscope Records and had a #3 hit with "I've Got A Lot To Learn About Love" and a #10 hit with "Show Me The Way", while giving tour support to Bryan Adams, Peter Frampton and Tom Cochran. The album was near gold and the band was established as one that could deliver radio friendly hit songs. The band received a Bay Area Music Award ("Bammie") for Best Debut Album and a BMI Award for airplay for "I've Got A Lot To Learn About Love". In January, 1997, Josh and Kevin Chalfant traveled to London, England to attend the "Frontiers Awards", and to accept awards for "Best Song" and "Best Album" for The Storm's second album "Eye of the Storm" (on the Music For Nations label). The album features songs like "Waiting For The World To Change", "Don't Give Up", "To Have And To Hold" and several others that possess the same quality and mass appeal as the first. Josh joined CA rockers Hardline for the 2nd album and recorded and played live with the band for almost 15 years. Beyond that Josh has been involved in other notable bands/projects such as Two Fires, China Blue, L.R.S. (Tommy LaVerdi, Josh Ramos, Michael Shotton) as well as releasing two solo albums and working with many great musicians along the way.*This podcast was conducted back in April of 2023 and presented on our YouTube channel but was never shared on the streaming platforms until now.

We all know who Ronnie James Dio is! This legendary metal singer had a stellar career with his time in Rainbow, Black Sabbath (and Heaven & Hell) as well as a solo artist. In this episode, Tom & Mark along with guest host TJ Coyne dive deep into our Top 20 songs of Ronnie's career! We talk about Ronnie's long career as well as each run down our Top 20 for all to enjoy... and debate! We'll post our choices on our Facebbok page and we encourage you join in and let us know your top Dio songs too! Enjoy!

Danny Vaughn is an American singer that has performed with Waysted, Tyketto and Vaughn and now performs and releases under his own name as well.Danny Vaughn is a product of Steiner education. At lower school, he was placed into a choir. “My first public performance was singing Pie Jesu in soprano. I remember the audience craning their necks to see who the little kid who sang the solo was. My best-loved experience, during those days, was singing in harmony. It stayed with me ever since.” His schooling taught Vaughn to read and enjoy classical music, though his teenage years were filled with a love for the pop classics, especially Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel: anything that provided harmonizing, folk-rock, edged with the baroque.After leaving school, Danny played in several local cover bands, many of them playing classic covers in rock-joints around Rockland County New York. “One day I got a message that the Welsh rock guitarist Paul Chapman (Skid Row, UFO) was looking for me. I brushed it aside, but my curiosity got the better of me and I called the number. I was invited to do an audition down in Florida, for Paul's new project: DOA, and recorded a demo with him that he took to the UK to shop with the record companies there. But that went by the wayside when Pete Way invited Paul to join Waysted instead. Of course they'd already found themselves a talented vocalist in Fin Muir. So that was that!” “But in 1985, they had a falling out with Fin and I was invited to learn a bunch of Waysted and UFO songs just days before a huge show at Ramat Gan football stadium, in Tel Aviv. I endured. It was my trial-by fire-audition for a band I continued to play with till 1987.” 1987 Vaughn formed Tyketto, a band he was in until 1994 when he was replaced by future Journey singer Steve Augeri. Tyketto split up in 1996, but have played mini-tours with Vaughn and other original members at various times since 2004. The reunited Tyketto also released two albums Dig In Deep (2012) and Reach (2016), The band has started a new chapter with a couple new members joining recently and 2023 will see the band return to live concert action.Danny talks about all that and more on episode #51 of podcast right here!

Neil Carter is an English musician who has worked in diverse genres throughout his career. Classically trained, he became a professional rock musician at the age of 17 and initially had his first "mainstream" experience with singer-songwriter Gilbert O'Sullivan. He subsequently played guitar and keyboard for the hard rock bands Wild Horses, UFO, and guitarist Gary Moore. He is credited for co-writing a number of Gary Moore's songs including the worldwide hit "Empty Rooms". At the age of 30 he left the rock world behind and developed a different career as both teacher of woodwind instruments (saxophone and clarinet) and as an ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) examiner. 2010 saw an unexpected return to rock with Gary Moore, playing festivals across Europe and a tour of Ukraine and Russia. Future tours and a Celtic rock album were to follow but this was curtailed by the death of Gary Moore in February 2011. On 30 April 2019, Neil would return to UFO for their 'Last Orders' tour, following the death of Paul Raymond. The tour began in June 2019 in Germany and continued into 2022 after being postponed from 2020 due to the COVID 19 pandemic. The future of UFO is to been determined but for now please enjoy our conversation with Neil Carter!

Sword is a Canadian heavy metal band from Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, Quebec, that was formed in 1981 and is still active to this day. To date, they have released three studio albums, one compilation and one live albumIn 1981, Rick (vocals) and Dan Hughes (drums) formed the band and they were joined by guitarist Mike Plant and bassist Mike Larocque in the first lineup of the band. They signed their first recording contract in 1984 with Aquarius Records and released two albums for the label in the late 1980s; the debut album Metalized in 1986 and its follow-up Sweet Dreams in 1988.They toured in the support slots for Motörhead and Alice Cooper, and the group also opened for Metallica on their Master of Puppets tour in 1986.Rick Hughes also went on to form Saints & Sinners and released a self-titled album with them in 1992, which is still revered by many hard rock fans worldwide.Throughout their career, Sword sold in excess of 180,000 albums and the band has been more active since 2011 when they reunited for a show and they have since played various festivals in Canada and Germany. In 2016, they released Live Hammersmith, recorded while they were on tour supporting Motörhead in 1987.Sword's third studio album (their first in 34 years!) titled III was released on November 25, 2022. So check out our interview with Rick Hughes to hear about all things Sword (as well as Saints & Sinners!).

Steve Mann was born and raised in London, England. After college he took up classical guitar, studying at the John Williams School in London he joined his first professional band Liar in 1977. They released two albums.He then formed Lionheart with Dennis Stratton (Iron Maiden) and Rocky Newton (MSG, etc.). Hailed by Sounds magazine as "the first NWOBHM Supergroup", Lionheart toured extensively before securing a record deal with CBS in 1984. At various times Lionheart counted amongst its ranks luminaries such as Frank Noon (Def Leppard), Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden), Les Binks (Judas Priest), Clive Edwards (UFO) and Phil Lanzon (Uriah Heep). In 1986 Steve joined Michael Schenker to form The McAuley Schenker Group and recorded two albums (Perfect Timing & Save Yourself). The former was recorded in 1986 at PUK Studios in Denmark with overdubs at Rudolf Schenker's Scorpion Sound Studio, and the record was produced by the late Andy Johns (Led Zeppelin). Frank Fillipetti took the production chair for Save Yourself, recording in LA. This album bore the hit single Anytime, a ballad penned by Mann and Robin McAuley and the track reached #6 on the US Billboard charts.While playing with Schenker he was guesting with The Sweet, becoming a permanent member after leaving MSG in 1991. Then around 1994 Mann guested with Eloy, a progressive rock band from Germany who achieved fame during the 1970's. His guest appearances for the band, both live and on record, continued till 2012. In 2016 he received a call from Michael Schenker asking if he was interested in forming a new version of the band called Michael Schenker Fest which was to include his 3 original singers, Gary Barden, Graham Bonnet (Rainbow) and Robin McAuley along with the rhythm section of Ted McKenna and Chris Glen (ex-Rainbow singer Doogie White would also join in 2017). Needless to say he jumped at the chance and the band has been on the road ever since.In 2016, Lionheart also had the opportunity to reunite with original members Dennis Stratton, Rocky Newton, Clive Edwards along with Lee Small on vocals. In 2017 the band went into my studio to record a new album called Second Nature, which was critically acclaimed, A 3rd Lionheart album was released in 2020 and titled The Reality of Miracles and Mann also joined forces with British singer Chris Ousey for the debut Ousey/Mann album Is Anybody Listening in 2022.Steve Mann continues to tour with Michael Schenker as well as writing for a new Lionheart and even his own solo album. Keep up to date with all his happenings at www.stevemann.net where you can link to all his social sites as well!

We all know of New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands like Saxon, Tygers of Pan Tang, Def Leppard and Heavy Pettin' but these bands all put out some seriously melodic arena rock & AOR-styled albums in the '80s. It was a sign of the times and even though some early hardcore fans of these bands may discount those albums that those bands released there is no denying there were some great, albeit slightly "fluffy", moments from these normally rough and tough NWOBHM bands. Tom & Mark dive into a number of these bands and those melodic, keyboard-heavy records that had those bands shooting for the USA arena rock landscape, so hear it all on episode# 47 and be sure to let us know your thoughts on bands that didn't make it into the discussion. Heck, we might need to do a part two to further discus this great phenomenon!

Guitarist ROB MATH has been playing since he's six years old and today he has a storied career that goes from his hometown Long Island NY beginnings to 80s US metal band LEATHERWOLF to 70s soft-rocker Peter Beckett and his band Player! Rob also handles guitar duties in the band SOUL SIGN along with bassist Bjorn Englen (Yngwie Malmsteen, Dio Disciples, etc.), Mark Boals (Yngwie Malmsteen, Ring of Fire, etc.) and drummer Mike Cancino (Lynch Mob). That band has their eye on releasing its debut album sometime in 2023 so be sure to keep an eye out for that one. Leatherwolf just released its latest album back in November of 2022 and we get the low down from Rob on the recording of the album with its latest incarnation, which has been a big part of since 2011. So check out this latest episode and keep up date with Leatherwolf at www.leatherwolfmetal.com and Rob's other activities at www.robmathmusic.com!

Robert Berry is an American singer, bassist and all-around multi-instrumentalist and record producer, best known for his work with Hush, 3 with Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer, Ambrosia, and Alliance. He was previously with The Greg Kihn Band, and as of 2022, he is with progressive band Six By Six, a super group composed of musicians Ian Crichton from Saga and Nigel Glockler of Saxon.Berry came into the spotlight in 1988, when he teamed with Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer (of Emerson, Lake & Palmer fame) and formed the band 3. Their only album, To the Power of Three saw the group gain some commercial success with the 1st single “Talkin' Bout” as it reached #9 on the Billboard rock charts that year. 3 disbanded in 1989 after a successful tour supporting the album. Berry also has contributed songs to a number of film soundtracks, including the Anthony Michael Hall film Out of Bounds. In 1999, Berry produced and performed on The Wheel of Time, an album billed as a soundtrack to the Robert Jordan fantasy series The Wheel of Time. He also works as a record producer and owns a state-of-the-art recording studio in northern CA.In 2015, Berry and Emerson signed with Frontiers Music and began working on a follow-up to To the Power of Three as 3.2. The project was shelved following Emerson's death in March 2016, but Berry would finish the project himself and release it in 2018 under the 3.2 moniker as The Rules Have Changed and then followed that up with “Third Impression” in 2021.Since then, Berry's focus has been on Six By Six as the band had world-wide success with their debut and are currently writing album #2 for release in 2023. Berry is also in the planning stages of a new Alliance album too so while we wait for those new records please enjoy Robert's conversation with The Jersey Guys!

In this episode Tom & Mark go over some of their favorite albums released in 2022. We had fun with this one and hope we can turn you onto something you may not have been aware of in the world of hard rock, heavy metal & AOR in this past year!

Toto is an American rock band formed in 1977 in Los Angeles, CA and are known for a musical style that combines elements of pop, rock, soul, funk, progressive rock, hard rock, R&B, blues, and jazz. Having released 14 studio albums and sold over 40 million records worldwide, the group has received several Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2009.David Paich and Jeff Porcaro had played together as session musicians on several albums and decided to form a band; David Hungate, Steve Lukather, Steve Porcaro, and Bobby Kimball were recruited before the release of the band's eponymous debut album in 1978. Led by the Top 5 single "Hold the Line", the album brought the band to mainstream attention but it was their fourth album Toto IV (1982) which brought them global attention. "Africa" topped the Billboard Hot 100, while "Rosanna" reached number 2, helping Toto become one of the best-selling music groups of their era.The Jersey Guys take a trip through the bands studio efforts and history so we hope you will enjoy this episode as much as we did making it for you!

Rob Rock (born June 29, 1959) is an American heavy metal singer who is best known as the longtime frontman of Impellitteri, a position he has held from 1987 to 1988, 1992 to 2000, and from 2008 to the present day. Rock has also released four studio albums as a solo artist, and performed with a number of other notable artists, including M.A.R.S., Joshua, Angelica, Axel Rudi Pell and Warrior to name a few. Rob Rock's early music career consisted of stints with several local cover bands as a drummer and vocalist including Tangram, The Robert Allen Band and Vice which also included future band mate, Chris Impellitteri. They released a demo and were together until 1985. In 1986, he joined musicians Tony MacAlpine (guitar), Tommy Aldridge (drums), and Rudy Sarzo (bass guitar) in a project called M.A.R.S. The group released a lone album entitled Project: Driver in 1986, which received much critical praise, but the next year each member went their separate ways. Rock then reunited with friend Chris Impellitteri and recorded the self-titled debut EP (1987) of the latter's band Impellitteri. However, he was also committed to another band named Joshua, so he could not continue with the band at the time. Rock recorded the Intense Defense album with Joshua, which was characterized by the editor of HM Magazine as being "probably the best melodic metal album in the universe." He also worked on other projects (Dennis Cameron's Angelica & Driver) which gave him knowledge of international musicians that would serve him well later. After leaving Joshua in 1988, Rock formed M.A.R.S. offshoot Driver with two other former Joshua members, bassist Emil Lech-Brando and keyboardist Greg Shultz, former Jag Panzer drummer Reynold 'Butch' Carlson, and guitarist Roy Z; Z, Carlson and Lech-Brando had previously played together in Gypsy Moreno. Driver would release a 5-song cassette-only EP in 1990 but broke up the following year when Rock got a call from Chris Impellitteri and decided to once again join his band. Rock would stay on as lead singer until 2000 during which time Impellitteri released five successful albums. In 2000, Rock decided to pursue his own solo career and parted ways with Impellitteri amicably. That same year, he released his first solo album called Rage of Creation. The album received critical praise and Rock has gone on, releasing three more albums (Eyes of Eternity, Holy Hell, Garden of Chaos). Rock's first solo disc 'Rage of Creation' was recorded at Joe Floyd's Silver Cloud studio. As a result of that collaboration, Floyd asked Rock if he would provide vocals for a revamped lineup of the legendary US metal band Warrior. They released 'The Code of Life' in 2001. It is arguably some of the heaviest music Rock has ever performed and received critical acclaim in Europe and Asia. Eventually, Rock would reform Driver with Roy Z and Reynold Carlson and release the Sons of Thunder album in 2008, which consisted of re-recordings of their 1990 EP along with other unreleased songs written at the time. A second Driver album, Countdown, was released in 2012. In May 2008 it was announced that Rock reunited once more with Impellitteri. Their new album, Wicked Maiden, was released in April 2009 and since then they have gone onto release two more studio albums along with the newly released “Wake The Beast-The Impellitteri Anthology”, which is a 3 CD set of the bands favorite tracks from throughout their career. The band will hopefully see a new studio release in 2023 and Rock has some other projects in the works as well so until those all see the light of day please have a listen to the brand new podcast interview with the legendary Rob Rock!

Killer Dwarfs is a Canadian hard rock band that formed in late 1981 in Oshawa, Ontario, and enjoyed success in their native Canada in the 1980s. The band is known for its offbeat sense of humour and was nominated for two Juno Awards during its career. Killer Dwarfs were sometimes compared to NWOBHM acts such as Iron Maiden and Saxon.Before The Killer Dwarfs formed, the band consisted of Darrell Millar, Bryce Trewin, and Ange Fodero in a group called Sphinx. After Sphinx, Russ Graham entered the picture and they became the Killer Dwarfs. The original line-up consisted of Russ Graham (vocals) and Darrell Millar (drums), along with Bryce Trewin (guitar) and Ange Fodero (bass).Trewin and Fodero left the band shortly afterward and were replaced by guitarist Mike Hall and bassist Ron Mayer. This line-up released the band's breakthrough 1986 album Stand Tall, followed by Big Deal in 1988 and Dirty Weapons in 1990. The band received much recognition in Canada and the United States during the 80's, and its videos were in regular rotation at MuchMusic & MTV. Gerry Finn replaced Hall in 1992, and the album Method to the Madness was released later that year.The band toured for several years but then parted ways. During the mid-to-late 1990s, the band members pursued other projects. Graham formed a band called Penny Black, and Hall and Finn both became members of the Canadian metal band Helix. Millar went on to drum for the southern rock band Laidlaw before forming his own Bon Scott era AC/DC tribute band Autobon, which went on to become Automan.ca, which provided Millar with a vehicle for recording original material. Mayer became a businessman and moved to the U.S. In 2001, however, the line-up of Graham, Millar, Hall and Mayer reunited to tour across North America. Recordings from these shows make up the live album Reunion of Scribes: Live 2001.'. The band again went on hiatus until 2013, when Graham, Millar, Finn and Mayer released the album Start @ One which had been previously recorded in 1993. Also in 2013.The band has been touring since then, playing high profile festival as well as club and casino gigs and are working on new material which will hopefully culminate in a new album sometime in 2023. Darrell Millar is also an author with two books currently under his resume and part two of his autobiography is due in 2023 as well.

In this episode The Jersey Guys talk with professional rock photographer Frank White and veteran metal singer Alan Tecchio, who have just co-authored a brand new book titled JERSEY METAL – A History of the Garden State's Heavy Metal Scene – Volume One (1969-1986). In Jersey Metal, Frank and Alan team up to offer a unique, autobiographical perspective on NJ's Heavy Metal music history through photos, ads, interviews and band bios. Jersey Metal Volume One 1969 to 1986 covers the early years to the mid 1980's of the formation of Heavy Metal here in New Jersey and how it became such an important part of the music scene in the Garden State. The book covers the Metal scene when bands started out as cover bands that rose to worldwide successful acts to local cover Metal bands, Metal tribute bands, original local Metal bands, and Metal bands that toured throughout the state over the years. There is also respect paid to the venues these groups frequented, the radio stations, record companies, stores and the Jersey shore that all helped grow New Jersey's wild Heavy Metal scene. In Frank's words, “Jersey Metal is for all fans of the metal scene from the Garden State and beyond.” Adds Alan, “Putting this book together brought back so many great memories for me and Frank. It is our hope that the same reaction will trigger interest in the book from all the people (fans and artists alike) who were a part of NJ's Metal scene in one way or another. Even if someone was not directly a part of it, this book should still be an interesting look at a vibrant scene that spawned some amazing careers.”

Joshua is a Christian hard rock/AOR band that formed in 1980 and is centered on guitarist Joshua Perahia. Despite being based in Los Angeles, CA they are probably best known outside of the United States.The band's first release was entitled The Hand Is Quicker Than the Eye, which referred to Perahia's guitar skills and songwriting ability, was released by Enigma Records in 1983. The single "November Is Going Away" was the band's biggest hit, achieving No. 1 status in Japan. Perahia had a religious experience at a Hal Lindsey–lead Bible study in 1983, and converted to Protestant Christianity from his Greek Orthodox upbringing.Perahia put together a new band for his 2nd album, Surrender, which included singer Jeff Fenholt. Surrender was released in 1985. Lyrically, the album marked a change in the band's style to lyrics which were evangelical in nature. Rob Rock was involved with their third album on RCA Records, Intense Defense. In 1988, Intense Defense, which was recorded at Dierks Studios and produced initially by Eddie Kramer and then Dieter Dierks (Scorpions fame) was characterized by the editor of HM Magazine as being "probably the best AOR melodic metal album in the universe." It sold well worldwide, but not in the United States. In 1995, the group re-formed and they released one album under the name M Pire, Chapter One, though it was never released in the US. The band then expanded its name back to Joshua Perahia. The addition of Joshua's last name was to avoid confusion as so many bands were using the name Joshua at the time. The band lacked a permanent vocalist and hired Alex Ligertwood of Santana to fill the spot on the follow-up Something to Say in 2001. However, while in production, the band recruited Jerry Gabriel and re-recorded the vocals. As a result, the album (except four tracks) contains Gabriel's lead vocals, and Ligertwood's vocals are available on a re-release. One song, "The First and the Last", appeared in the Larry Buchanan–directed movie The Copper Scroll of Mary Magdalene in 2004.2012 saw the release of the band's latest work, entitled “Resurrection” and featured vocals from Mark Boals (Yngwie Malmsteen, Ring of Fire, Shining Black, etc.). While Joshua still writes music today for a possible future release he has shifted his focus to his son and their passion for vintage muscle cars and exotic cars as well. It's a passion that was ignited when Joshua was just 13 years old. The fact that Joshua still writes music means that fans can be hopeful of seeing a new recording in the future but for now please enjoy this episode of The Jersey Guys Podcast!

Jeff Martin is an American musician, singer and drummer who has sung for the bands Racer X, Bad Dog, Surgical Steel and St. Michael and has played drums for the bands Badlands, the Michael Schenker Group, Blindside Blues Band, Red Sea, St. Michael and The Electric Fence, a side project with Paul Gilbert and Russ Parrish (aka Satchel from Steel Panther). Jeff played drums om albums and tours for UFO, Paul Gilbert, George Lynch, and Dokken. He played drums in Surgical Steel before switching to lead vocals and was the drummer/lead vocalist for St. Michael, both Phoenix, AZ-based bands that at one time featured future Badlands cohort Greg Chaisson. Martin also released a solo album in 2006, The Fool, featuring the guitar talents of Paul Gilbert and Michael Schenker and has also sung backing vocals for Judas Priest and The Scream and he appeared in the 1985 movie Thunder Alley, starring Leif Garrett, with his band Surgical Steel. Badlands, of course, featured the talents of ex-Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Jake E. Lee and was signed to Atlantic Records. Jeff played drums of the bands 2nd and eventual 3rd releases while also touring on with them on the “Voodoo Highway” tour. Jeff has some of the best rock n' roll stories, many of which could have been compared to Spinal Tap! So check out episode# 38 for some of those great stories and his career!

Vain started out as a glam metal band from the San Francisco, CA area. After recording a demo, Davy Vain founded the band in 1986, adding Dylana Nova Scott (aka Jamie Scott), Danny West, Ashley Mitchell and drummer Tom Rickard to the lineup. They signed with Island Records in 1988, before releasing their debut album the following year, titled No Respect, which peaked at number 154 on the Billboard 200.Though they recorded a second album, Vain were released by Island in 1991, with West and Rickard departing the same year. Following the addition of both Shawn Rorie and former Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler, Vain renamed themselves Road Crew. However, they also disbanded in 1991. Vain reformed in 1993 and went through a number of lineup changes for the release of their next two studio albums. By 2005, Scott and West had returned to the band, while Rickard would rejoin them in 2009.To date, Vain have released seven studio albums; No Respect (1989); All Those Strangers (1991); Move On It (1993); Fade (1995); On The Line (2005); Enough Rope (2011), and Rolling With The Punches (2017) along with a Davy Vain solo album that featured the core of the Vain band also.Ashley Mitchell, the bassist on every Vain album, including that Davy Vain solo album, talks with The Jersey Guys for this episode and he shares some great stories about the bands history and what they are currently up so be sure to check this episode out!

Louis St. August of MASS was born in Medford, MA and his love for music all started at the very early age of four while watching The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show. From there on, the love for all music began from Motown to Heavy Metal! At the age of ten, his family moved to Revere, Massachusetts. Already playing the drums and singing, Louis recruited his new neighbor Gene D'Itria. Gene wanted to play the drums too but Louis said, “No, you're going to play guitar.” Heck, he needed a guitarist, right? So Gene took the confirmation money he had just received and bought himself an electric guitar; and so it began. Louis and Gene have now been performing and writing songs for over 40 years. At the age of 15, Louis left the drums and decided to become the frontman for his band called Axes in 1978. By 1981, the band added drummer Joey "Vee" Vadala and changed the name to MASS. Now having recorded over eight studio albums, and releasing singles and Christmas EP's on major labels such as A&M Records, RCA Records, Enigma Records, and Escape Music the band has officially sold over half a million records worldwide. Louis has also lent his voice to other projects and bands such as the "Liberty & Justice" project and has also appeared as a special guest singer on the band Boston's 2013 release, “Life, Love & Hope", singing on the opening track "Heaven and Earth". In 2012, Louis won the "Best Male Vocalist Of The Year" award presented by Limelight Magazine. Now having performed over a thousand shows all across America and having the opportunity to work with legendary producers such like Tom Allom (Judas Preist) Tony Platt (Led Zeppelin) and John Rollo (Joe Cocker), to name a few, it has been a lifelong dream come true for Louis. Since the early '80s, MASS has continued performing and releasing new music all along the way with their latest acclaimed release “When 2 Worlds Collide" on Escape Music (2018). MASS is in the beginning stages of creating new music that will hopefully see the light of day in the not too distant future but for now check out episode # 36 of The Jersey Guys Podcast with Louis St. August of MASS and check out www.massrocks.com to keep to date on the band's happenings!

Holy Soldier was a Christian hard rock/metal band from Los Angeles, CA.The band was originally formed in early 1985 by bassist Andy Robbins and guitarist Jamie Cramer. They gained a strong local following before signing to A&M Records in 1989. Holy Soldier was initially noted for their strong evangelical focus, although they regularly played to secular audiences. For a time they held one of the largest attendance records at Gazzarri's, a notable nightclub on the Hollywood circuit. In 1989 they signed to Myrrh Records, an imprint of Word/A&M, as that label's first hard rock act. Their self-titled debut, produced by David Zaffiro, was released in 1990 to critical acclaim and moderate commercial success. The band garnered two Dove Awards in 1991, in the hard rock song and album of the year categories. After heavy touring the band lost two members – lead vocalist Steven Patrick, and guitarist Michael Cutting.They replaced the departing members with Eric Wayne and Scott Soderstrom respectively while continuing to tour. Wayne exited when Steven Patrick returned in 1991, but would again rejoin the group in 1995. Two years later, the band followed up their debut with “Last Train”. While praised, it was not a commercial success. Although “Last Train” charted, peaking at the No. 10 slot on Billboard's CCM chart, the album did not meet the sales expectations of the label unfortunately.The band experienced personnel changes when Steven Patrick again departed. They again replaced him with Seattle-based vocalist Eric Wayne, who helped move the band into the current grunge sound seen in the marketplace at that time. Wayne's lower vocal register caused Holy Soldier to be compared in the alternative hard rock and grunge market with the likes of Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, Temple of the Dog, and Soundgarden. After Holy Soldier's reinvention and extensive touring, the band was signed to ForeFront Records in 1994. Once again recruiting the production skills of David Zaffiro, they released “Promise Man” in 1995 and it returned the band to critical acclaim within the Christian music circuit. Despite the success of “Promise Man”, In 1997, after a short hiatus, bassist Andy Robbins independently produced on his own boutique label (Spaceport Records) and a live retrospective album featuring both current frontman Eric Wayne and original vocalist Steven Patrick was released. After the release of “Encore”.In 2005, the original Holy Soldier lineup reunited briefly. But again, Steven Patrick's reunion with the band was extremely brief. The band played only a handful of shows and the rest was history. Jamie Cramer is currently working again with David Zaffiro and looking forward to releasing new music in 2023 so keep an eye out!

In this episode of The Jersey Guys Podcast we welcome back special co-host TJ Coyne as we each share our Top 25 albums of all time! Tom, Mark & TJ let everyone in on the albums that mean the most to them so take a listen and see what you think. Maybe some of ours will also be some of yours! In addition to each listing our Top 25, we also throw in some honorable mentions and then have a general discussion on some choices that may have surprised the hosts. It was a fun episode so be sure to check it out!

Ronnie Mancuso is not only a guitarist and songwriter for the band Beggars & Thieves but is also COO of the Bootlegger Italian Bistro, a staple on the Las Vegas scene for many years, the owner of a recording studio, a live concert venue and a writer of jingles and music for the Fox TV network amongst others. He's a man of many talents and endeavors without a doubt. Having wrote and recorded a total of four Beggars & Thieves albums (and one EP) to date with longtime bandmate and singer Louie Merlino, Ronnie has also toured with Jake E. Lee's Red Dragon Cartel and worked with former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley too, so episode # 33 is a good one packed with lots of great stories from Ronnie about his career and life.Mancuso is always writing songs so there may even be new Beggars & Thieves music on the horizon but for now check out episode 33 of The Jersey Guys Podcast!

Hittman are an American power & progressive metal band active from 1984 to 1994, and then from 2017 to the present. It was in 1985 that Dirk Kennedy answered an ad in "The Music Paper" and became the lead vocalist for the band. They went on to release two albums through SPV/Steamhammer and Roadracer Records, "Hittman" (1988) and "Vivas Machina" (1993). Both albums were critically acclaimed and the band was featured on the cover British magazine of Kerrang! (getting a near perfect KKKK 1/2) and other international rock magazines heralded them as the next great force in hard rock music. After the 1993/94 tour for "Vivas Machina" the band went on hiatus. Whilst never achieving mainstream success, the band has had a cult status over the last 25 years, especially in Germany, Japan and Greece. In 2020 Hittman released their 3rd album, "Destroy All Humans" on No Remorse Records. In 2009, there were talks for a Hittman reunion including an appearance at the 12th annual Keep It True Festival in Germany. The performance was canceled due to a non-specified family issue. Up until then, no other reunion of Hittman had ever taken place. On November 11, 2013, original bassist Mike Buccell was involved in a fatal accident, making a reunion of the primary lineup impossible. At that time, the band could not imagine moving forward without Buccell but then in 2017 the band announced an official reformation and the renewed and invigorated remaining original members came together to record material for a new album to coincide with their appearance at the Keep It True Festival. They have asserted that it sounds like the logical album to follow the debut from 1988. Dirk Kennedy also sang for Anthrax in its formative stages when they were merely a garage band. He was a freshman in high school and was friends with a schoolmate of Scott Ian's then girlfriend Marge Ginsberg. Persuaded to sing with the band after hearing him mimic Ronnie James Dio it lasted a few months although he was never a full “official” member of the band. Hittman eventually acquired the rights to their initial two releases and went into the studio to remaster their classic 1988 debut. Released on October 31, 2017 on No Remorse Records, the album contains a faithful re-master of the original recording and for the first time, the original 1985 (and much-bootlegged) demo that has been re-mixed and re-mastered also and included as a bonus on the release. Kennedy says the band are working on two new records of varying styles so hopefully we will see new music from Hittman in the very near future so in the meantime enjoy this episode with Dirk Kennedy!

The Jersey Guys Podcast is back with a brand new episode and this time we talk with guest Danny Martinez of C.I.T.A./Guild of Ages. Caught in the Act (aka C.I.T.A) and later Guild of Ages, is an interesting band to say the least. Born in the late 1980's on the Denver, CO music scene they finally released their debut album in 1995 to the delight of melodic rock fans worldwide. After a quickly following up with their second record they were forced to change their name for legal reasons and Guild of Ages is the name the band continued on under releasing several albums including the 2018 comeback “Rise”. The band sounded as good as ever on this record so we tracked down singer Danny Martinez and talked at length about the bands career and the possibility we will hear new music from them in the near future. This was great conversation with one of the more talented artists of the underground melodic rock scene, so check out episode 31 of The Jersey Guys Podcast now!

The Jersey Guys Podcast is back with its latest episode and this time we talk with vocalist extraordinaire Mark Boals! Mark Boals has performed on more than 40 albums during his career as a lead vocalist, along with doing various tours worldwide with such notable acts as Dokken, Ted Nugent, Yngwie J. Malmsteen, Uli Jon Roth, Royal Hunt and many more. He joined Savoy Brown in 1982-83, then in 1984 joined Ted Nugent's band and toured with Nuge throughout the U.S. and Europe. In 1985 he joined Yngwie Malmsteen's 'Rising Force' as lead singer and in early 1986 recorded his first album with Malmsteen entitled “Trilogy”. To date Mark Boals has recorded 3 solo albums, 4 studio albums and a live DVD with his own band, "Ring Of Fire", with other members Tony Macalpine, Virgil Donati, and Vitalij Kuprij. He has toured with the band “Dio Disciples” with former members of Ronnie James Dio's band and also participated in the Dokken album, ‘Broken Bones' performing background vocals with Don Dokken and he joined the band playing bass guitar and vocals for the tour. Mark was also a cast member of the Las Vegas show “Raiding The Rock Vault” which includes many rock stars performing a history of rock music from the 60's through the 80's and also has been part of another Vegas show named “Tenors of Rock”.Also be sure to check out his latest project named “Shining Black” (Frontiers Records) where he partners with Olaf Thorsen (Labyrinth, Vision Divine). Keep tabs on all things Mark Boals on his website www.markboalsofficial.com and we hope you enjoy episode # 30 of The Jersey Guys Podcast with Mark Boals!

The Jersey Guys Podcast is back with episode # 29 and this time we are joined by special guest Jerome Mazza (Angelica, Pinnacle Point, Steve Walsh and solo work).Jerome Mazza is a singer/songwriter born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. At the age of 8, Jerome taught himself how to play the guitar and sing after being influenced by guitarist and singer/songwriter, Mark Farner of the band Grand Funk Railroad. Playing guitar and singing through his teenage years, he joined his first band at age 19 and toured the east coast in various pop and rock bands. Jerome started to write songs at the age of 25 and was very influenced by the rock band, Kansas, whose music combined classical music with progressive rock.While honing his songwriting and his singing, he became a session vocalist including singing commercials in Los Angeles for major corporations such as Coors Beer, Pizza Hut, HBO and several publishing firms.In 1990 Jerome became the lead singer for the second album from the Christian metal band, Angelica, entitled “Walking In Faith”. The album ended up being the best-selling Angelica record. Still today, it's known as one of the best metal albums in Christian music.In 2015, Jerome recorded a self-titled solo album in a classic adult contemporary style that could be compared to everything from Josh Groban to Michael Bolton.In 2016, Jerome became the lead singer and one of the founding members (along with guitarist/songwriter/producer Torben Enevoldsen) of the band, Pinnacle Point.In 2017, Jerome contributed lead vocals to multiple tracks on Steve Walsh's (Kansas) fourth solo album entitled “Black Butterfly” which was released in November of that year. Jerome sings lead vocals on three songs (“Winds Of War”, “Now Until Forever”, “Mercy On Me”) and duets with Walsh on the single “Born In Fire”.In late 2018 Jerome released his new solo album “Outlaw Son” and it is a classic AOR album of the finest order, drawing comparisons to Journey and other great AOR acts.After listening to the podcast you can stay up date with the latest on Jerome Mazza at www.jeromemazza.com.

We are back with a brand new episode and today our special guest is Alex Salzman formerly of the great Westchester County New York band Tour De Force. This band once had a development deal with Geffen Records and a publishing deal with Warner Chappell Publishing, but in our view remains one of the greatest hard rock bands to never have that elusive major label release. Tour De Force wrote over 40 songs during their time and in this episode Tom & Mark take a trip down memory lane with Alex and talk about everything from the band's early days, their eventual album releases and right up to what Alex has going in his musical career today. We hope you enjoy this episode and to learn even more about Alex and see what he is doing since his days with Tour De Force, please visit his website at www.alexsalzman.com.

Here is the latest episode of The Jersey Guys Podcast! Today Tom & Mark discus the discography of the great Swedish band Treat. Starting with their debut in 1985 and continuing all the way up to their brand new album released earlier in 2022, we talk about all 10 studio records this great melodic rock band has produced. Much like their fellow countrymen in Europe, Treat went on an extended hiatus at one point but have been back releasing solid studio records since 2010's comeback “Coup de Grace”. This was a good discussion on a great band that may fly under the radar for some. So check it out and enjoy!

The Jersey Guys are back with a brand-new podcast for you and this time we tried something a bit different. If you have been following along with the podcast since we started, we have done episodes where we have had special guest interviews and we have had episodes where we've had discography discussions on bands, sometimes full discographies, and sometimes certain eras of a band. This time around we thought we would take a more “free-form” approach and pick a musician and discuss their career, the bands they were in and albums they played on and just have a general discussion on that musician.We think we came with a good one to start this idea off with and it is none other than the great British vocalist Tony Mills. Of course, if you know Tony Mills name then you know bands he was in bands like Shy and TNT and maybe even Siam, but Mills was an ace singer who was capable of many different styles and therefor was in demand in the hard rock and AOR world throughout the years. He sang on many albums and projects such as Serpentine, State of Rock, Crying Steel as well as having six solo albums to his credit and there was so much more.In this episode we touched on a lot of the work Tony Mills had done over the years, but we'd probably need a part two to cover it all so we touched on the major highlights. So, sit back and check out our discussion about the late, great singer Tony Mills!

We are back with a brand new episode of The Jersey Guys Podcast for you all and this time around we have special guest Rick Ventura formerly of Riot and currently of the new band Riot Act. Rick appeared on the classic Riot studio albums “Narita”, “Fire Down Under”, “Restless Breed”, “Born In America” as well as 1980's “Riot Live”.Joining us in the studio for this episode is special co-host Phil DiBenedetto, who was our very first guest on The Jersey Guys Podcast! Phil was of course the long-time owner of Zig Zag Records in Brooklyn, NY and he was the perfect co-host to bring Rick down memory lane and talk about those early days of Riot and the NY scene that they were both a part of.Nowadays, Rick & Riot Act just released its debut album “Closer To The Flame”, so we touch on that as well and get all the details of what their plans are for 2022 and beyond.So settle it and check this episode out. It was a real good one!

On this episode of The Jersey Guys Podcast Mark & Tom talk with guest Larry “L.A.” Greene from the cult classic band Fortune (and also Harlan Cage where he teamed up with ex-Fortune keyboard player Roger Scott Craig). Fortune has just released their new album “Level Ground” earlier this year to rave reviews and let's not forget their two other albums starting with the 1985 self-titled all-time AOR classic as well as 2019's comeback “II”. Larry talks about all the Fortune and Harlan Cage albums as well as his career as a soundtrack musician for film and TV where he's written songs and music for films such as “Top Gun” (Tom Cruise), “Mystic Pizza” (Julia Roberts) and “Over The Top” (Sylvester Stallone). All in all it was a great interview with this super-talented singer and songwriter, so we hope you enjoy this one!

A brand new episode is up and this week Tom and Mark talk with Anthony Corder of Tora Tora. The band debuted in 1989 with “Surprise Attack” and their MTV hit “Walkin' Shoes”. Their sophomore release “Wild America” was released in 1992 and, as with so many hard rock bands of the ‘80s, grunge took over and even though the band completed work on its 3rd album it would not see the light of day until 2011 when “Revolution Day” (FNA Records) would hit the shelves. The band would eventually regroup and ultimately release it's newest album titled “Bastards of Beale” in 2019. Currently the band has been putting some new music out via single releases with a new one due very soon as Anthony broke the news right here on episode 23 of The Jersey Guys Podcast! So sit back and check it out right here and on all your favorite podcast streaming apps!

In this episode of The Jersey Guys Podcast we talk with Mark Mangold, the man behind bands like Touch and Drive, She Said as well as projects like The Sign, Mystic Healer and others. Mark has a long history as a song-writer, keyboard player and more and Tom and Mark touch on all that and more. Did you know Mark played in Michael Bolton's band early on and co-wrote “I Found Someone” which was a huge hit for Cher? Mark talks about that as well as what is currently going on with the re-grouped Touch and his brand new project Keys and how he's been writing with and playing keyboards with House of Lords on their new, in-the-works album! We cover just about all things Mark Mangold in this episode so check it out!

In this episode we are joined again by Tom's son Tj in the studio and we discuss the first 9 albums in Iron Maiden's illustrious career. We star with 1980's debut and go up to 1992's "Fear of the Dark"!We will be covering the rest of the band's discography in the near future when Tj can join us again but for now enjoy this episode!

We're back with a brand new episode and this time we have very special guest Dave Bickler formerly of Survivor! Dave was of course the voice on the classic song “Eye of the Tiger” but he recorded on the first four Survivor albums and finally released his first solo album back in 2019 titled “Darklight” and it's a good one!Listen to The Jersey Guys talk with Dave about his early years before Survivor and then take us through his times with the band before finishing with some conversation about his solo album. It was a great episode and we hope you'll enjoy it!

We are back with a brand new episode of The Jersey Guys Podcast and this time we take you to the Great White North where we talk with guitarist Tim Brown of the Edmonton, Alberta New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal band Striker. The band has been making a name for themselves on metal scene since 2009 and now have seven albums under their belts with a new one on the way later in 2022. The band is headed out on a North American tour soon and Tim speaks with Tom and Mark about the new tour, new music and the history of the band!Check out the latest on the band at www.striker-metal.com

We are back with episode # 18 and today The Jersey Guys talk with Randy Jackson from the band Zebra!We start with the early Zebra days and work through the band's four studio albums and also touch on Randy's solo China Rain record from the early ‘90s and also talk about the The Sign project he was involved in with Mark Mangold and others. It was great trip through the history of the one and only Randy Jackson and Zebra!*just a small disclaimer as we did have a couple of small audio glitches with this episode but we worked them out as best as we could and hopefully you'll hardly notice.

We are back with another new episode of The Jersey Guys Podcast and this time Tom & Mark talk with Dennis Churchill-Dries of the bands White Sister & Tattoo Rodeo. We talk to Dennis about his long career starting as singer & bassist in White Sister (EMI-Enigma Records) and get all the background on that great band from the '80s. Then we talk about his days with Tattoo Rodeo (Atlantic Records) and and their two albums and tour with Bad Company & Damn Yankees in the '90s. Finally we talk about his 2015 solo album and what he is currently up to with the soon-to-released project 12:06 with Stan Cotey of Giraffe (Kevin Gilbert) fame.

In this latest episode of The Jersey Guys Podcast we talk with former lead singer of Leatherwolf, Michael Olivieri. We cover the beginnings of the band and go all the way through to current and also learn about Michael's solo career with the Michael Olivieri Band (M.O.B.) and what they are currently up to.We hope you enjoy this new episode so sit back and get ready for the story of Leatherwolf and the “Triple Axe Attack”!

The Jersey Guys are back with a brand new episode and this time we welcome back special in-studio guest Tj Coyne for a discussion of the Dennis DeYoung Styx era albums. Tj joins his father and co-host Tom as well as Mark for a round table discussion of this great band. We discuss the band's 13 studio albums with Dennis DeYoung starting with 1972's self-titled debut and work our way up to the 1999 release Brave New World.We hope you enjoy this episode so be sure to check it out on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, Google Podcasts, etc. and be sure to follow us here on Facebook and click subscribe on YouTube or your favorite streaming service so you can follow along on future episodes!

As a bonus episode, The Jersey Guys also do a discussion on the discography of Player and include Peter Beckett's 1991 solo album as well as the Think Out Loud albums with Steve Kipner, so be sure to check it out and don't forget to listen to our interview with Peter Beckett!And don't forget to check out the latest activity on Peter Beckett's Player and also the line of Yacht Rock Wines at the links below.https://player-theband.com/original-playerhttps://www.facebook.com/peterbeckett.playerhttps://www.yachtrockwines.com

Hey everyone, we are back with a brand new episode (well, actually two!) of The Jersey Guys Podcast and this time around we get a little yachty with the legendary Peter Beckett from the band Player. The Jersey Guys go all the way back with Peter to his early days before Player and talk about his long career as a singer, songwriter, guitar (and even bass) player with groups such as The Thoughts, Paladin, Skyband and of course Player, with their Billboard #1 hit “Baby Come Back”!We also talk about the whole yacht rock movement that Peter is a big part of and his latest venture, Yacht Rock Wines. So sit back, put on that captains hat, pour yourself a glass of wine and enjoy Peter Beckett's story.As a bonus episode, The Jersey Guys also do a discussion on the discography of Player and include Peter Beckett's 1991 solo album as well as his Think Out Loud albums with Steve Kipner, so be sure to check that out too!And don't forget to check out the latest activity on Peter Beckett's Player and also the line of Yacht Rock Wines at the links below.https://player-theband.com/original-playerhttps://www.facebook.com/peterbeckett.playerhttps://www.yachtrockwines.com

In this episode of The Jersey Guys Podcast we speak with VR & WildeStarr musician Dave Starr! Dave Starr is an original member of US power metal band Vicious Rumors. His 10 years in the band spawned their best albums and he was instrumental in getting singer Carl Albert and guitarist Mark McGee into VR. Dave talks to The Jersey Guys about his time in this legendary band and gives us some insight into his latest project WildeStarr, where he plays guitar and bass along with his wife and vocalist London Wilde and also opens up about his personal battle with Parkinson's disease and so much more.

On this episode, the first of 2022, we talk about the classic Black Sabbath Ozzy era and the Dio years with special guest (and Tom's son) Tj Coyne in the studio.We hope you enjoy this great breakdown of albums from a legendary heavy metal band!

In this episode of The Jersey Guys Podcast we speak with bassist John Macko of Fifth Angel. John joined the band in 1986 and is an integral part of the band. Fifth Angel released their latest album "The Third Secret" in 2018 and are working on a new album for release in 2022.John fills us in on all things Fifth Angel in this great episode! Check it out and be sure to visit the new website at www.thejerseyguyspodcast.com!

Hey everybody! It's been a little but but The Jersey Guys are back with a new episode. This time around we talk about the discography of the band Y & T. Yesterday & Today as they were known on their first two albums started out in Oakland, CA in 1974 and are still at it today. Legendary guitarist and singer Dave Meniketti is still waving the Y & T flag and doing it with all he's got and this band and their music are still kicking butt.Listen as Tom & Mark disect the 12 studio albums that the band has released and be sure to let us know your thoughts and how we ranked them!

In this episode of The Jersey Guys podcast we talk with special guest Adam Holland, the guitarist of the band Valentine. We talk about the band's early days on the Long Island (NY) scene as well as the band's whole career, which actually saw them signed to three major label deals along the way!We of course also talk about the brand new Valentine release "Demos from the Attic", an archival release on 20th Century Music and we discuss Adam's current gig as guitarist of the Steve Augeri Band and even touch on Adam's very own podcast venture titled "Band Forever", which is highly recommended!We hope everyone enjoys this one because Tom & Mark certainly did. Special thanks to Dave Tedder at Head First Entertainment.

On this episode of The Jersey Guys podcast Tom & Mark talk with special guest Kenny Dubman of the legandary New Jersey band Prophet. Not only has Kenny released three classic albums with Prophet but he's also an accomplished solo artists with two solo records under his belt and a brand new one on the way in early 2022! Kenny talks about all things solo and Prophet with Tom & Mark so check it out!

In this episode of The Jersey Guys podcast, Tom & Mark discuss the studio discography of the Canadian rock trio Triumph! We break down all 10 studio albums and share our thoughts as well as give our own personal rankings at the conclusion!

In this episode Tom & Mark talk with Ben Jackson, the original guitarist of the Florida band Crimson Glory. We talk about the bands albums including the first two legendary releases (the debut from 1986 and Transcendence from 1988) as well as talk about the time the band spent with Todd LaTorre before he joined Queensrcyhe. We also touch on Ben's solo bands/projects in the extensive and wide-ranging interview!

In this episode Mark & Tom talk with Charlie Calv the keyboardist of '70s rockers Angel. Charlie fills us in on the latest happenings with the band and we talk about the bands latest album "Risen" (2019) and also get the news on the new Angel album set for early 2022 release. We also go way to Charlie's early career and talk about his band Shotgun Symphony as well as a host of other projects that he has worked on over the years and we even get the lowdown on Charlie's venture into the record label industry with his label Deko Entertainment (www.dekoentertainment.com)!

In this epsiode Tom & Mark discuss the albums of the original Michael Schenker Group up to and including the McAuley Schenker Group. 7 legendary and awesome albums each with their own style and flair. At the end we both rank those albums too!