BLACK STAR RIDERS: DEF LEPPARD's JOE ELLIOTT Pulls Out Of Producing Second Album
August 19, 2014
On August 18,Mike BrierleyofRock N' Loadconducted an interview withBLACK STAR RIDERSfrontmanRicky Warwickat the Picturedrome in Holmfirth, United Kingdom. You can now watch the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed byBLABBERMOUTH.NET).
On the departure of bassistMarco Mendozaand addition ofRobbie Crane(RATT,VINCE NEIL,LYNCH MOB):
Ricky: "Robbieis a phenomenal guy. He came out on the road with us the last week of the U.S. run just to hang out and play soundchecks and get the vibe. And he just fits right in. He's one of us - the same sense of humor. He's one of the gang. A smart guy, a really easy guy to get along with, and a hell of a bass player. And [he's] very excited to be a part ofBLACK STAR RIDERS. It's been seamless; it's just been perfect. He's come in and he knows the stuff inside out. And again, he's a completely different character thanMarco, but he's a big character, a big personality, asMarcois. So we've obviously lostMarco, but we've gainedRobbie."
On the progress of the songwriting sessions forBLACK STAR RIDERS' forthcoming second album:
Ricky: "It's pretty much together. It's like a jigsaw; we have all the pieces. We need to start putting them together, which is what we're doing over the next six weeks before we start. Some songs are totally finished, other bits still need a choris or what have you. But I'm very excited with the stuff that we've written; I think it's very strong. And I can't wait to get started to record it."
On the recent announcement thatDEF LEPPARDsingerJoe Elliottwas going to produce the nextBLACK STAR RIDERSalbum:
Ricky: "We haven't gotJoe Elliottproducing it. WedidhaveJoe Elliottproducing it, but he's not doing it anymore. Yeah,Joe's, unfortunately, had to pull out of doing the album, just due to the fact thatLEPPARDhave gone insane [with their schedule]. They're out withKISSand there's loads of stuff going on, so he, unfortunately, had to pull out. Both of us are very sorry! It's a real shame, 'cause it would have been great withJoe, 'cause he's such a friend and such a champion of the band. But he's gotta look after his boys, andDEF LEPPARD's obviously his priority. I would have done the same thing, had it been theBLACK STAR RIDERS. So it's just the way it worked out, but we have somebody else lined up who we're gonna announce very soon."
Marcowas a founding member ofBLACK STAR RIDERSalongside fellowTHIN LIZZYalumniRicky Warwick(guitar, vocals),Damon Johnson(guitar) andScott Gorham(guitar). The band's lineup is completed byJimmy DeGrasso(ALICE COOPER,MEGADETH,DAVID LEE ROTH,SUICIDAL TENDENCIES) on drums.
BLACK STAR RIDERS' sophomore album will be released in early 2015 viaNuclear Blast Entertainment.
The band's debut CD,"All Hell Breaks Loose", sold around 2,200 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The effort landed at position No. 5 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.
Source:
More results...
