METAL' MIKE CHLASCIAK: GUNS N' ROSES 'Is Capable Of Totally Turning Rock Around'

Michael O'Brien of Australia's The Metal Forge recently conducted an interview with guitarist "Metal" Mike Chlasciak (PAINMUSEUM, HALFORD, SEBASTIAN BACH). A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

On touring with GUNS N' ROSES for nearly a year:

"I think it has to do with us really liking what we do because it's our excitement. You've seen the fans and in L.A., L.A.'s seen everything so when we play our shows and the fans are so into it we get excited by it. We're kind of like a bunch of little kids who can't wait to go and play really! Sebastian's [Bach] like a 14 year old boy who never grew up. We just don't really know anything else. There's nothing else I would really want to do outside of it so for me it's just like this is how I keep going you know?"

"GUNS N' ROSES are one of the greatest bands of all time. They are a band that is capable of totally turning rock around. Even though now heavy metal and hard rock are really big they could be responsible for making things big. They have a huge dedicated fan base. The other thing that has blown me away about them is that the kids are so young you know? Most of these kids weren't even alive when 'Appetite for Destruction' came out!"

On the new SEBASTIAN BACH album "Angel Down":

"I guess lyrically the album is more about personal things, growth struggles and a lot of stuff about what's going on in the world with the wars and that kind of thing. The record sits in the perfect place because it will not alienate the fan base that Sebastian has. There's no like 'Here I Am' on it. It's a really strong record that's just modern enough without being LINKIN PARK and it's got enough chemistry, well you know we all grew up on the old stuff so when I play guitar I really play that kind of stuff. It's got some ballads, and some of the stuff is probably going to be the most metal stuff that he's done which makes me happy."

On the upcoming HALFORD album, tentatively titled "Halford IV":

"We started working on the new record but then it became clear that Rob wanted to stay with PRIEST for one more record that they are finishing. We're going to finish that record but it's going to come out after the PRIEST touring schedule is done which will be about a year and a half so the new record should be out in 2009 but it's going to be something where we do a record and then tour. I'd rather release a record with Rob and then go on tour than put a record in stores and have it sit there. I love making albums that I know people are going to listen to so when I play live people are going to know the songs. That's my payback you know."

Read the entire interview at www.themetalforge.com.