FRANKIE BANALI Discusses Difficulty Of Addressing Substance-Abuse Issues In Entertainment Industry

In a brand new interview with KNAC.COM, QUIET RIOT drummer Frankie Banali spoke about the importance of addressing mental health issues within his community of musicians and friends in the wake of the recent deaths of Chester Bennington and Chris Cornell. He said: "I think it's always important, you know? People are very critical of other people and I think it's important to really try to understand what is going on in a person's life before you criticize that person.

"Substance abuse is a huge problem in America, certainly the world, and it's a huge problem in the entertainment industry. And it just seems the substance abuse and depression go hand in hand. The difficulty is that because entertainers are so good at entertaining, a lot of times no one is aware that a problem exists. They may be aware that a substance abuse problem exists because that's usually more well-publicized and documented than mental health is.

"Most people don't want to put it out there that they have some mental health issues, but unfortunately, unless the people that are close to the people that are having these issues try to get that person to get help and to acknowledge the fact that they have those issues because there's no shame in it. Usually, disaster happens before anybody finds out that it wasn't just substance abuse but it was substance abuse that may have been fueled by or a by-product of depression. That's a very sad situation because it's kept so underground, and because it's such a taboo. Sometimes, some people actually think it's cool to have substance abuse issues. But it's certainly not cool to suffer from depression, and they hide that aspect of it. So, it makes it really, really difficult to address."

Asked if he has used his social media platforms to address his concerns about the issue, Banali said: "I have been vocal when a tragedy strikes. But, you know a lot of times you don't know who the individual is that is suffering from depression. So, it's really difficult to address and sometimes people get really turned off by somebody trying to address it because they think you're trying to preach about it. So, it's a double-edged sword and is a very, very slippery slope."

Frankie added that he did not know, and had never met, either Bennington or Cornell. "But, you know, this is something that's been going… this is not something new," he said. "Substance abuse and depression is nothing new, this has been going on and especially with Hollywood celebrities and musicians for probably as long as recorded history when it comes to entertainers. So this is nothing new, that's the sad part about it, that it's nothing new but nothing new has been done to try to try to alleviate the situation."

QUIET RIOT singer Kevin DuBrow died in November 2007 of an accidental cocaine overdose. He was 52 years old.

QUIET RIOT's new album, "Road Rage", was released on August 4 via Frontiers Music Srl.

Joining Banali, bassist Chuck Wright and guitarist Alex Grossi in QUIET RIOT's current lineup is vocalist James Durbin.