Rob Rock
MM:Venom is a totally amazing album, How are your feeling as release date approaches.
RR: Thank you, We appreciate it! I feel great about the album and I’m excited to see it released worldwide with a lot of attention being shown to the album. I look forward to what people will say about this CD.
MM:Whats the feedback from the Press been like so far.
RR:Feedback has been amazing and all very positive.
I find that the reviewers are really paying attention to many details about the songs and recordings.
MM:Your voice is amazing in fact phenomenal, how do you manage to still keep your voice so fresh and vibrant after all these years since you first appeared on the scene
RR:I think voice longevity is a matter of taking care of it. I’m not a drinker or a smoker and living in Florida also helps with all this humidity in the air. I really love what I do and I approach each song as if it will be around for a long time,so that helps me focus on quality and I really put in the work to make a great recording.
MM: Which songs are you most looking forward to performing live from "Venom"
RR:I look forward to singing many of them live, it’s always fun to sing new material and I love the challenge to perform the songs well. Empire of Lies, We Own the night, Domino Theory, Venom, Face the Enemy...I think they all will translate well on stage.
MM:Two songs from "Venom" you would have me listen to if I had never heard Impelliteri before.
RR: Empire of Lies and We Own the Night.
MM:What can fans expect from your live shows
RR:Hi energy loud music with shredding guitar and soaring vocals and non-stop drumming and thumping.
MM:How important were your formative years, and which singers influenced you growing up?
RR: I grew up on Styx, Kansas, Boston, etc and they all had strong singers and backing vocals. I started out as a drummer who sang backing vocals doing covers of these bands and I learned every note, every harmony, and even developed my vibrato from listening to such bands. I also loved much heavier bands like Priest, AC/DC, and Rainbow, but Lou Gramm of Foreigner and Ian Gillan from Deep Purple were big influences on my vocal. I always loved heavy guitars with strong vocal melody and harmony.
MM: Do you remember the first song you ever sung
RR:I was drumming and singing lead vocal to “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” by Elvin Bishop. I was a young teenager singing and drumming in my brothers band which had four lead singers in it.
MM:You have had an amazing career and long may it continue, what would you say has been your career highlight to date
RR:Career highlight....that’s a tough one...The most exciting, nervous, terrifying, confident, emotional, courageous moment had to be auditioning for M.A.R.S. Project: Driver.
I had to fly across the country for the first time to do it, I went in blind, no preparation, and I was in front of Ozzy’s drummer and bassist, and it was nerve wracking and surreal. A chance of a lifetime for a young guy performing in bars back East. When I got the gig, it was amazing and a major turning point in my career and life.
MM: Tell me what you have been listening to lately
RR: I just checked out the Sweet and Lynch Project and prior to that I was fully involved in the Impellitteri recordings and mixes.
MM:I know you guys love Japan, what for you is the best thing about the country
RR:The best thing about Japan is the super enthusiastic fans! They get so excited and really rock hard and it makes that grueling flight all worth it in the end.
MM:Three words to describe the new album
RR:Energetic, fast, and melodic.
MM:Final words for our Readers and your fans
RR:It’s been awhile since we delivered a new album....so...please go get it! Thank you for your support all these years. I really hope we can get some good touring dates and see you all soon on the road. I’m sure you will enjoy the new album Venom and I hope you spin it many times and get deep into the record, it will rock you! Love you all, Rob
