Talkin' Rock With Meltdown Podcast

Believe it or not, the Van Halen 5150 album turns 40 at the end of March! To celebrate, the guys are dropping a deluxe version of it on March 27th.
According to the press release, The deluxe edition not only contains a remastered version of the album, but also more than 90 minutes of previously unreleased recordings from their August 27th, 1986 concert at the New Haven Veterans Memorial Coliseum in New Haven, Connecticut; a selection of rare seven-inch single edits; and extended 12-inch versions.
There's also a Blu-ray containing a high-definition upgrade of the video of that show, which was previously released as Live Without a Net, plus promo videos for “Dreams” and “Why Can’t This Be Love.”
The collection will also be available on vinyl and digitally.
Michael was cool enough to hop on to discuss this time period of the band, and lots more. Did he know Sammy Hagar before he joined VH? Did he feel like, at certain times, it was the brothers (Eddie and Alex) vs. him and Sammy? Did he have any input into bringing Sammy in? How do I get a Jack Daniels endorsement? These are the important questions Michael answered, and lots more.
You can see him, along with Sammy, when they play Pine Knob on June 19th, a day before his birthday.
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The Triumph machine is gearing up for a big return in 2026, and drummer Gil Moore was nice enough to come on the podcast and discuss where the band sits from a rehearsal, set list, and member point of view.
Of course, I had to ask Gil, a hockey fan, about the Winter Olympics and the fact that the United States and Canada could face off yet again for Gold. He's been busy getting Triumph back up and running, so he admitted that he hasn't seen a lot of it.
We did talk about rehearsals, the upcoming setlist, and production rehearsals. They'll be going down to Florida for their first productions run throughs. He told the dichotomy of bringing along Brent Fitz, Todd Kerns, and Phil X as well. He said that Phil and Rik Emmett get along very well and have mutual respect and the skills they bring.
To round out this episode, it's Rock N Roll Fantasy Camp founder, David Fishof. The camp is celebrating its 30 th anniversary this year, and bringing out a lot of rockers.
David has had the who's who of rockers at the camp over the years and has many stories to share. The guy knows everyone! It was fascinating to speak with him for the first time, hopefully not the last. He wants me to make an appearance at a camp...ya know, as a tambourine player. LOL
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The new BLS album drops on March 27th. Zakk talks about the title, Engines of Demolition (sort of). So far, only a couple of songs have dropped from the album: Name in Blood and Broken and Blind. Zakk does talk about the final song on the record, Ozzy's song.
We discussed Back to the Beginning, Pantera, and the possibility of new music, as well as yacht rock, Super Bowl predictions, and more. Oh, and a funny story about Ozzy and Mr. Crowley.
Des Rocs is a guitarist from the Queens, NY area. He's up next to talk about his upcoming tour and new album on the way. Heavily influenced by bands with a fuzzy guitar sound, he spoke to liking bands like the White Stripes and others, he says, do it right.
You can watch that interview here - https://wrif.com/2026/02/03/des-rocs-2/
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It was a pleasure to speak with Rod for the first time in my career. He celebrated his 50th year as a professional drummer this past September. We discuss that and his latest project, Voices of Extreme.
Before we got to those topics, Rod shared some great stories of touring with Rush and the legendary Neil Peart. He spoke about what an average day was like on that tour, his personality, and more. I also gave Rod a chance to plug his Wing Thing drum tool. From what I've heard, many touring drummers and drum techs use this tool.
Was Winger underrated as far as their musicianship? He answers that question, as well as a little behind-the-scenes into the making of their hit, Seventeen. IMO, their record PULL was their best record. Unfortunately, a thing called grunge hit, and that album never got its due.
It was a pleasure to speak with Rod....I hope you enjoy this.
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Mark Kendall is an original member of Great WHite, and soon you'll be able to learn much more about him. His autobiography is in the works and is set for a spring release if all goes well. Mark talks about that, remembering things he'd long forgotten, writing about his friend Jack Russell, and lots more.
We started off the conversation with a health update. Mark is fighting kidney cancer and is winning! We're pulling for him and know he's got this!
We also discuss new music that the band is working on. He says they have about 7 songs laid down on tape. There's no deadline on that, but it's great to hear they're working on stuff.
Amanda Lyberg is the lead singer of the Detroit band Eva Under Fire. Maybe you haven't heard of them, maybe you have. Chances are, you'll be hearing more about them in 2026 as they get set to tour with Five Finger Death Punch! We also discuss their new album, which is set to drop this year. They've switched management camps, and the Detroit grind is back.
Wishing the best to the EUF guys as it looks like 2026 is going to rock!
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