Interview: Charlie Daniels

Even at the age of 66, Charlie Daniels would rather be on the road entertaining his fans than anywhere else.

You might think that after nearly five decades in music and 30 years with the Charlie Daniels Band, he'd have a little trouble getting excited about a new tour. You'd be wrong.

"I don't have a problem doing that," Daniels says. "It's a lot of fun. I just thank God that I can make a living doing something I enjoy so much."

Daniels is currently out in support of a new album, "Redneck Fiddlin' Man." The title pretty much sums up everything you need to know about the country rocker, and the sound is everything his fans expect.

"It features a fiddle on all the cuts; it's pretty much a straight-ahead CDB album," Daniels says. "It's got a lot of uptempo stuff on it. Travis Tritt did a duet with me, and Garth Brooks sang harmony with me on a song. But most of it's just me and the band kind of beating it out."

What that means is an album that can appeal to country fans as well as rock and blues fans. Daniels is one of a handful of country artists who enjoys respect from fans of rock and other kinds of music.

"We don't really specialize in any one particular kind of music; we play some of all of it," Daniels says. "We don't claim to be one thing or another. We just claim to be the Charlie Daniels Band, playing Charlie Daniels Band music. Whatever it is, it is."

The new album features a couple of Daniels' classic country rockers like "Little Joe and Big Bill," "Southern Boy" (with Tritt) and "Rock This Joint." It's also got a couple of his famous jam songs ("Redneck Fiddlin' Man," "Crosstown Traffic"), a Cajun-flavored tune ("Fais Do Do") and a few moments that reflect on Sept. 11 ("Last Fallen Hero" and a fiddle rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner").

The song "Last Fallen Hero" and a previous Sept. 11 song "This Ain't No Rag, It's a Flag" have drawn criticism from some, but not from Daniels' fans. They've become two of his most popular songs in years.

"We appeal to the old boys that farm and work hard for a living," Daniels says. "They're kind of where we're at, and they seem to like those kinds of things, so I'm glad about it."

Daniels isn't shy about letting people know how he feels, and it isn't his first brush with controversy either. He aired some of his opinions on crime, drugs and politics in the 1989 song "Simple Man."

"It just depends on what I'm thinking about and what's on my mind," he says. "If something's strong on my mind, I'll write about it sometimes."

He's also begun posting his opinions on a section of his Web site called the Soapbox. Fans can read what Daniels thinks on a variety of subjects from political to personal.

"I've always been pretty opinionated, and one day I just thought: I'll just sit down and write something here," he says. "I did it, and it was pretty well received, so I decided I might do it on a regular basis."

His political opinions often earn him an inbox full of e-mail from both supporters and detractors.

"I get all kinds of responses," he says. "Some people don't like what I say, and some do. I think most of our people - the people we appeal to - agree."

But Daniels says he doesn't mind the people who disagree with him. That's just part of what makes America "the greatest country in the world."

"That's their right; they can certainly disagree," he says. "As long as they're intelligent about it. Some of them are just absolutely asinine. People write and say `you're a big, fat slob.' Well I may be, but I ain't the only one."

Political opinions aren't the only thing he airs, though. He's also talked about some intensely personal issues - including his battle with prostate cancer. He says he hopes to help others by providing some insight.

"That's a very common thing with men, especially up around my age, and even younger," he says. "I feel that they need to understand it's very important to stay on top of their PSA levels, because it can save your life. I think it's an important issue, and that's why I do it."

No matter what his opinions are, though, his legacy is his music - and there's more than 30 years of it with the Charlie Daniels Band alone. In his career, he's played with some of the luminaries of music, including a three album stint with Bob Dylan in the late 1960s. So, after all of that, is there anything else left for him to do?

"There's always a mountain to climb," Daniels says. "I'm still working on my first goal - to have every album platinum and every concert sold out. If I get that done, then I'll move on to something else."

And retirement? It's not an option for Daniels.

"What would I do?" he says. "Sit around the living room and play guitar? I might as well get paid for it."

Interview: Zakk Wylde

This year, Ozzfest begins and ends with guitarist Zakk Wylde.

His band Black Label Society opens the main stage of the festival, then after a couple of hours to catch his breath and kick back a few beers, he'll join metal godfather Ozzy Osbourne to close the show. Wylde will be joined by Ozzy bassist Robert Trujillo in his double duty.

"Basically, we'll go out to open the main stage with Black Label and beat the living hell out of it," says Wylde. "Then, whatever's left, we'll come back with Ozzy and finish it off. Then we'll go backstage and have a few beers."

That take-no-prisoners attitude is what drives Wylde and Black Label Society, whose previous albums have included "Sonic Brew," "Stronger than Death" and "Alcohol-Fueled Brewtality Live." Their latest, "1919 Eternal," was released in March. The album is not only filled with attitude, but also shows respect for the band's roots.

It begins with the album's title. Originally called "Deathcore War Machine Eternal," Wylde says that title was nixed in the wake of Sept. 11. Instead, Wylde chose to honor his father, a World War II veteran, who was born in 1919.

Wylde says his father embodies the ideals of Black Label Society, which go much deeper than the alcohol-fueled angst of many of the band's songs.

"Thanks for instilling in me everything that you are - strength, determination, perseverance, family and honor," reads the dedication in the album cover. That, says Wylde, is what the band's attitude is all about.

"He's where it all began," Wylde says. "He was on the beach at Normandy on D-Day. He's 82 years old, and he still works five nights a week. He's pretty much the architect of Black Label."

Another man Wylde has a deep respect for is Ozzy, his partner in crime since the late 1980s. While Wylde enjoys singing, as well as the complete control he has over the Black Label Society product, he's not about to relinquish his position with Ozzy.

"You know your role," he says. "It's just like when you go back to your parents' house, you don't kick your feet up on the furniture. This is Ozzy's house."

Though Wylde focuses on different aspects of the music when playing with Ozzy, he has no problem making the switch from his own music to working with Osbourne.

"As far as I'm concerned, it all falls from the same tree," he says. "Have Ozzy sing on a Black Label record, and it's the new Ozzy album."

And is life with the Osbournes as crazy as the MTV series?

"Totally," Wylde says. "There's no acting there. They probably cut out some of the really insane stuff. He could have been a comedian if he hadn't decided to be the greatest frontman of all time."

Aside from his music, Wylde is also pursuing some acting work. He made his debut in last year's "Rock Star," though he admits his role as a guitar player in a rock band wasn't a real stretch.

"They said, `Zakk, just come down, play guitar all day, lift weights, drink beer and fire a 12-gauge shotgun," he says with a laugh. "And I said, `you're going to pay me for this?'"

He's been approached about appearing on the HBO prison drama "Oz." There's nothing definite yet, but Wylde says he'd be interested.

He's also looking into starting his own Black Label micro-brew, which he thinks will go over well with the band's fans. And he's about to begin breeding rottweillers.

Wylde makes it clear that these extracurricular activities will always be secondary to his music - and don't expect that to take a commercial turn any time soon, either.

"I'm really satisfied with what I'm doing," he says. "It's not like I'm selling 15 million copies, but I can make a living at what I'm doing - and I'm making the music I want to make."

When Ozzfest ends next week, Wylde will head out for a short headlining tour with Black Label Society. Beyond that, he says it depends on how Ozzy wants to play it.

"My wife just bought another house, so I'll probably be touring until I'm about 126. They'll just have to stuff me with new organs and send me back out," he jokes. "If Ozz wants to take a break, I'll keep touring with Black Label Society. If he wants to get going on another record, we'll do that. We'll just have to wait and see."

Interview: Mushroomhead

An odd band deserves an odd name. At least that's what Mushroomhead drummer and founding member Skinny thinks. He says fans all have their own unique interpretations of the name, and that's part of the band's mystique.

"That's one of those questions that's got a million different answers," Skinny says. "I always thought it was a cool name for a band. It has a lot of references and doesn't really pinpoint any. It was just one of those names we had, like if someone did something silly, you'd say `nice job, mushroomhead.' I just thought that it would make a great band name, so I used it."

The band, decked out in their trademark masks and makeup, is currently tearing up the second stage of Ozzfest with an odd blend of metal and art rock, laced with just a touch of hip-hop.

Even though Mushroomhead got started in 1992, their image often brings comparisons to one of today's biggest masked bands Slipknot. Skinny says that anyone who looks past the masks and listens to the music will realize there's no relation.

"We've been doing this for so long, and we've gotten comparisons all along," he says. "When we first started we were compared to Mr. Bungle and Gwar, then Manson, now Slipknot and Mudvayne, so we're used to it. People will be shallow, but the one thing I always tell people is don't judge the book by its cover. We're doing our own thing."

Skinny says Mushroomhead first donned the masks because they all belonged to other bands. They wanted to do something new and didn't want people to draw conclusions about what the music should sound like based on who the band members were.

"We put the masks on to hide our identities," he says. "If people didn't know who we were, it put more focus on the music."

Their brand of music is a little different from the current crop of heavy rock acts. Mushroomhead's major label debut "XX" provides new fans a retrospective of the band's 10-year career, pulling together some of their favorite songs from three independently-released albums. While it captures the energy of today's scene, there are also some strange twists and turns.

"We're strange dudes, man," says Skinny. "Ultimately, we don't want to sound like anyone. We want to sound like us. We purposely try to throw monkey wrenches in the machine all the time just to see what happens."

The eight-piece band's creative edge comes from a diverse membership, Skinny says. He thinks having a band twice the size of most other metal acts is a great advantage.

"Having a lot of members is what shapes (our music)," he says. "You get a lot of opinions, you get a lot of input, you get a lot of good ideas - sometimes too many good ideas. That's what makes us us - being able to syphon through all of the ideas and pick the good ones versus the bad ones."

While "XX" showcases diverse sounds, Mushroomhead's Ozzfest set puts the focus squarely on the heavier tunes.

"It's very high energy - screaming," Skinny says. "On Ozzfest, we only get 20 minutes, so we play the hard hitters and just knock 'em out."

He says the fan reaction at Ozzfest has been great so far, and they hope to land a larger slot on the tour next year - hopefully in support of an album of new material in June.

"Ozzfest is definitely a place where we need to be," Skinny says. "Our goals right now are to get in the studio over the winter, record the new record, get back out on the road and try to get on Ozzfest next year."

Review: In Flames, "Reroute to Remain"

Fans of In Flames may be a little surprised when the band unleashes its eighth studio album, "Reroute to Remain: Fourteen Songs of Conscious Madness," in the United States on Sept. 3.

In Flames, one of the innovators of extreme metal's Gothenburg sound, takes a slight turn on its newest release. The result is the band's most complex and mature album to date.

"Reroute to Remain" doesn't feature any individual songs quite as catchy as "Pinball Map" or "Satellites and Astronauts" from the band's breakthrough 2000 album "Clayman." But overall, their latest offering is much more satisfying than that release - and that's saying something.

Like all good metal, most of the songs on the album are built on solid guitar riffs. There's plenty of good old-fashioned heavy rock to be found. The title track is a Sabbath-inspired slugfest, while on "Drifter," the band thrashes like Metallica in their prime.

But In Flames' other influences also show during the course of the album. There's a hardcore punk feel to the opening riff of "System" and industrial influence invades several songs, especially in the vocal department.

Hanging over the whole album like a pall is a dark and brooding goth mood. Almost every song on the album has bleak moments of reflective melody that owe more to the Cure than to Slayer.

Most surprising may be the folk influence that shows up on "Dawn of a New Day" and especially "Metaphor." The violin work and arrangement on the latter gives it the feel of something you'd hear at a European country fair.

We also get to hear more of Anders Friden's voice on this album. While there are still enough insane snarls to satisfy the band's longtime fans, in the quieter moments, he lets his true voice shine through, and that's not a bad thing. It lends deeper emotion to songs like "Metaphor," and also makes for some nice harmonies in the heavier songs, putting the listener in mind of the art rock bands of the 1970s.

"Reroute to Remain" is a little different, but it's also better. In Flames has offered up its richest tapestry of sound to date - one woven with threads not found in the average extreme metal mix. Sometimes growth is good - in this case, very good.

Get "Reroute to Remain."

Interview: Jerry Dixon of Warrant

When it comes to 1980s "hair bands," few have suffered more barbs than Warrant.

The band that sold seven million albums in the late '80s and early '90s somehow became the punchline of a joke during the grunge era. Even today, magazines and television point to the band as one of the key factors in the end of rock's era of excess.

But bassist and founding member Jerry Dixon says the band subscribes to the theory that there's no such thing as bad press. He says they don't take the taunts and jokes personally, and they're happy as long as people are talking about them.

"Somebody has to take the blame, but it's all good," says Dixon. "You've got to have a thick skin in this business to be around this long. You can't get bummed out over something like that."

Dixon admits that the band's current image likely stems from some of the moves they made early in their career. He points out the infamous boy band-like matching white suits from the "Heaven" video as a perfect example. He says they were hungry to succeed and willing to do just about anything.

"I think we made some stupid moves and bad decisions, maybe, in some of our videos," he says. "At that point, we were so young. You'd like to think you were in control of your career, but in reality, you're 19 years old. I mean, I couldn't even drink alcohol yet. We left ourselves wide open for a lot of that, but we did our best."

Despite the scorn thrown their way in recent years, Warrant has managed to survive into the new millennium. They pull into the Monroe Civic Center on Thursday on the Metal Edge Rock Fest tour with fellow '80s acts Dokken, Ratt, L.A. Guns and Firehouse. It's a tour that might have had ego problems back in the heyday of those bands, but Dixon says they've all grown up now.

"There's been a lot of camaraderie," says Dixon. "We're all grown up and past that. It's fun to fight with other bands when you're just coming out - lip off a little bit, get in some barroom fights. After a while, we realized we're just happy to be doing this, and you get respect for other bands that have been around as long as us."

Dixon says the shows are drawing good crowds, and he sees a renewed interest in Warrant's brand of music. He says it might have something to do with the times.

"I think there is so much heavy stuff going on in the world, and people remember our era of music as good times, good shows and just kind of a night out on the town," he says. "I think with all of the stuff going on, people just want to go out and have fun. They don't want to go to a show and hear things that are too heavy and too close to home."

Whatever the case, Dixon says the band is getting a huge response when they crank out hits like "Cherry Pie" and "Uncle Tom's Cabin." That's not to say they don't get a little tired of those songs.

"I hate when bands do interviews and say `we still love to play that song,'" Dixon says with a laugh. "It gets repetitious, but at the same time, it's a double-edged sword. You're so glad to have that song because if it wasn't for those songs like `Heaven,' we wouldn't be here."

But when the crowd explodes with the opening riff of "Down Boys" or "Cherry Pie," Dixon says it's all worth it.

"I think the crowd reaction to those songs is so much more intense that it balances the excitement out on stage for us," he says.

And for the fans that don't get enough of Dixon on stage, he also has his own soap. Each heart-shaped bar from Soap Grooves contains one of Dixon's guitar picks. He laughs as he talks about it.

"Somebody had contacted me from soapgrooves.com; it's a Web site that makes these crazy soaps with dollheads - kind of rock `n' roll stuff," he says. "I sent them some picks, and they sent this soap back. I thought it was hilarious, so I put it on my Web site. I thought if somebody wanted a pick, it would be a cool way to get a pick."

As for Warrant, they hope to get into the studio once this tour is over and work on a new album.

"I'd like to put out a good product and go out and hopefully just keep touring," he says. "There's hope that we can really be around for a long time. So we're just trying to keep the wheels on, keep everyone sane and straight and keep it going."

Interview: Max Cavalera

Soulfly's Max Cavalera has gone through quite a transformation over the past decade and a half.

The Brazilian-born vocalist and guitarist began his career in the mid-1980s in the thrash outfit Sepultura. By the time he split with them in 1996 to form his current band, he had fallen in love with the native instruments and sounds of his homeland and begun to integrate them into his music.

"In the beginning, Sepultura was a cheap imitation of Slayer and Venom," Cavalera says. "You can only do that so long before it becomes obvious that you're a follower. When Sepultura started finding our own sound, we became leaders. That's what I want to do with Soulfly. We don't want to follow anyone else's path."

Cavalera says Soulfly's tribal sound and spiritual themes are unique in the world of metal. His journey down the new path began when he bought a berimbau almost a decade ago in Brazil. The instrument, which resembles a bow-and-arrow with a coconut attached to it, became a regular part of his live performances.

"It's very primitive, very unique sounding," Cavalera says. "I started playing them and adding them to my music, and the next thing I knew it became a trademark."

The sound also stems from Cavalera's love of percussion and tribal drumbeats. For the band's three albums, he's recruited percussionists who have worked with jazz and reggae greats like Sergio Mendes and Bob Marley. The drums have also become a highlight of the live show, with a drum jam that often features guests from other bands Soulfly tours with. Currently, drummer Dave Lombardo, of legendary thrash band Slayer, joins the jam.

"If you've never seen Soulfly, you're going to be blown away at that moment of the show," Cavalera says. "There are no guitars; there are no vocals. We let the drums do the talking, and it's very powerful."

The current Soulfly tour with Slayer is in support of their latest album, simply titled "3." It blends the aggressive metal of their self-titled debut with the more melodic sounds of their second album "Primitive." Cavalera, who also makes his debut as a producer on "3," says the mix wasn't intentional, but he's happy with the way it turned out.

"That's just the chemistry of Soulfly," he says. "We decided to let those two things come together, so the mix of melodic and heavy goes hand-in-hand throughout the album. I think, in a way, that's the power of the Soulfly music. It's the chemistry we've found in the band."

But there are also some quieter moments on the album that have much more to do with Cavalera's spiritual journey and the music of his homeland than with metal. He says he listens to a variety of music and wants to offer a bit of that to his fans.

"There are things on a Soulfly album that you won't hear anywhere else," he says. "You won't hear it on a Limp Bizkit album; you won't hear it on a Papa Roach album. The world music, tribal music mixed with guitars is strictly Soulfly. I'm glad the fans understand and actually enjoy the tribal music, and I'm happy to be able to do it for them."

Arguably the moment that speaks loudest on this album, though, doesn't feature any music at all. Sandwiched between two of the most aggressive songs on the album is the track "9-11-01," Cavalera's tribute to the victims of last September's terrorist attacks. When other artists are trying to put their feelings into words, Cavalera, who has made his home in the United States for more than a decade, instead opted for 60 seconds of complete silence.

"I wanted to put the sorrow of the victims and their families in a way that no one has put it before," he says. "I saw many artists do shows and benefits or write songs about it. I decided to do the opposite - to not talk about it at all, but let the minute of silence be louder than a thousand words."

Though Cavalera is pleased with the new album, he considers his music a spiritual experience - one that can best be appreciated live.

"You've got to be there in body because there's something that happens," he says. "It's a mystic force that works through the music, and you have to physically be there and be touched by the music live. No other way will you feel Soulfly's impact."

From spirituality to perseverance, Soulfly's music carries a lot of messages, but Cavalera says the biggest one - and the one he most wants fans to understand - is strength.

"If you don't have strength, what can you do?" he says. "There's a spiritual strength behind Soulfly's music. It's the strength to keep up against all odds, no matter what. It's important to believe and have strength."

Interview: Jesse James Dupree

Hard rockers Jackyl are probably known just as much for their on-stage antics as for their music, but for frontman Jesse James Dupree, it's all in a day's work.

"If you don't (give the fans a show), they might as well sit home and listen to the record," Dupree says in his no-nonsense Southern drawl. "I've got to have the whole ball of wax. I want to see a man shot out of a cannon."

The self-proclaimed "Redneck Punk" from Kennesaw, Ga., has done his share of crazy things on stage. He regularly destroys stools with a chainsaw, sings from the back of a mechanical bull and fires off his shotgun microphone stand. He's even been known to take the stage clad in his cowboy boots, guitar and little else. But one performance stands out in his mind.

"We played an awards show in Atlanta, and they tried to tell us what we could and couldn't do," he says, his grin coming through the phone line. "We snuck about 40 chickens and roosters in and let them out on stage. They're flopping and flapping around everywhere at this black tie event. The Indigo Girls were there, and they were going crazy. I thought I was going to have to bare-knuckle fistfight one of them. That was messy."

Stunts like that aside, the band is also one of the hardest working when they're on the road. In 1999, they entered the "Guinness Book of World Records" by playing 100 shows in 50 days. After that, the band took a brief hiatus to focus on solo projects, but they reformed in 2001 and started writing new music. This summer they're out on the road as part of the Rock Never Stops tour with Tesla, Motley Crue singer Vince Neil and Skid Row.

Though Jackyl didn't release their first album until 1992, they're often grouped with the "hair bands" of the 1980s. Dupree describes Jackyl's music as "blue jean, blue collar" hard rock and doesn't understand why they're grouped with the glitzy '80s rockers.

"I spent the '80s playing in club bands, and I was playing '70s rock," he says. "I never connected with all the bands that had their heyday in the '80s."

Despite his reluctance to be grouped with those bands, he thinks the new tour is a good fit.

"We've always steered clear of packaging with anybody; we stayed out in left field and did our own thing," Dupree says. "It's kind of cool being in the middle of it, though. We're playing with Vince Neil - the guy sold 30 million records in Motley Crue, you've got to respect him. And Tesla is as far from a hair band as you can get. They're a straight up blue jean heavy rock band; they never wore eyeliner or puffed-up hair and neither did we."

Jackyl is probably best known for their 1992 hit "The Lumberjack," in which Dupree first broke out his signature instrument - the chainsaw.

"It's just a very definitive instrument," Dupree says. "It's loud, aggressive, abrasive, destructive, stanky - everything rock 'n' roll should be when it's done right. It's really a perfect fit."

Since then, every Jackyl album has featured a prominent chainsaw solo. But does he get tired of being known as the "chainsaw guy?" Not at all. It's just part of the package.

"If it was just that, it probably would bother me," Dupree says. "But there's another whole group of people who know me for going to jail about 10 times for getting naked, or the guy who has a goose gun for a mic stand or the guy that set the stage on fire at Woodstock '94 … I'm the guy that's in the band that doesn't mind showing their asses to entertain."

In late 2001, Jackyl racked up hits of another kind, when they posted the song "Open Invitation" to their Web site (www.jackyl.w1.com). The song, with its "I hate you, bin Laden" chant and blunt expression of the anger many people were feeling at the time, was downloaded 80,000 times in the first two weeks, causing the server to crash and costing the band about $10,000, says Dupree. But it's something Jackyl felt they had to do.

"We were in the middle of recording, and we wanted it to be a fun environment where we could crunch out some straight-up rock," Dupree says. "Then Sept. 11 happened. The only way we could vent was to record a song and put it out there."

That new album, which includes a song co-written by AC/DC's Brian Johnson, should be released later this year. AC/DC has been a big influence on Jackyl, and working with Johnson is like a dream come true for Dupree, who also traded vocals with the legendary screecher on the track "Locked and Loaded" from Jackyl's 1997 album "Cut the Crap."

"If you're a NASCAR fan, it'd be like Dale Earnhardt Jr. letting you take his car around the track for a couple of spins," Dupree says. "Brian Johnson is a perfect example of someone who has been very successful, but is still just a real guy. My friends will come over to the house, and he'll be there reading car magazines and having a beer. He's just a real, personable, down-to-earth guy."

Jackyl completed its obligation to Geffen Records with a "best of" album called "Choice Cuts" a few years ago, which leaves them free to shop their latest album to other labels. Dupree says they're looking for a company that really believes in the band.

The flamboyant frontman believes the future is bright for Jackyl. He thinks the world is ready for their brand of brash and cocky hard rock again. And if it's not, the band still has its hardcore fan base.

"We just want do what we do, and luckily, we've got such a supportive base - they've been incredible," he says. "I think the only thing that would end that is if I was to start rapping."

Interview: Ted Nugent

Some might say Ted Nugent is the walking, talking definition of dichotomy.

The outspoken - and often outrageous - rocker is just as at home screaming at the top of his lungs from the stage or sitting quietly beneath a forest canopy waiting on a trophy buck. He's a rock 'n' roll wildman who also touts sobriety and family values.

Nugent admits that some people might consider those things a contradiction, but for him, rock 'n' roll, family and hunting are all part of the ultimate life experience.

"My being, my gift of life, compels me to manage it for quality of life," Nugent says. "Clean, sober and at a higher level of awareness."

Outrageous
Nugent is currently rolling across the country on his annual summer tour and looking forward to the release of his new album "Craveman," due out on Spitfire this fall.

As with everything, the gonzo guitarist talks about his upcoming tour and the album with supreme self-confidence, often crossing the border into outright cockiness.

"It's sheer delirium," Nugent says of the road. "When you've got the caliber of musicians and support that I travel with, every night is a barbecue musical orgy. It's just so intense. You've got to be cut from a special bulletproof cloth to keep up with the energy my guys create."

The new album marks the return of a sound Nugent fans will be familiar with. It's raw, raunchy and angry, and the 53-year-old musician wouldn't have it any other way.

"I happen to be on a rhythm and blues jihad right now," he says with a chuckle. "I call it throbnoxious. The music is so throbnoxious. It's so rhythm and blues and so gutsy. It covers all bases from outrage and insanity to genuine spirituality. I couldn't be more proud of it. It's got 14 songs, and every one of them will rearrange your face."

Nugent credits bass player Marco Mendoza and drummer Tommy Clufetos with the power and intensity of the music. As for the attitude, that's all Nuge. One look at song titles like "Rawdogs and Warhogs," "My Baby Likes My Butter on Her Gritz" and "Sexpot" will tell Nugent fans all they need to know about the album.

The Motor City Madman says he's playing most of the songs from "Craveman" on this tour, but not to worry, he's also working in fan favorites.

One particular tune seems to have a lot of resonance during his performances. "Fred Bear," a tribute to bowhunting legend and Nugent mentor Fred Bear, brings the house down every night, the rocker says.

"The highlight of my life is 'Fred Bear,'" Nugent says. "We played it in the upper peninsula of Michigan the other night. I'm telling you, the man was there."

Nugent says the song has a mystical quality that engenders a feeling of brotherhood in the crowd.

"I have more hunters and fisherman per capita in my audience than any society on the planet," he says. "There is a blood-brotherhood campfire that ignites when I play that song that is just magical."

Outspoken
In the 1970s, Ted's testosterone-fueled anthems like "Cat Scratch Fever" and "Stranglehold" ruled the rock stages. In recent years, though, Nugent's become known just as much for his mouth as his music.

The guitarist, known affectionately by his fans as "Uncle Nuge," is a staunch political activist who also encourages his fans to get involved in government. He often closes concerts by urging people to write their congressmen.

The rocker is active in a wide variety of organizations from the National Rifle Association to Mothers Against Drunk Driving to the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program to his own Ted Nugent United Sportsmen of America. His work has earned him praise from conservative leaders like Tom Ridge and President Bush.

Among the causes Nugent champions is the fight against drug and alcohol abuse. No matter how wild he is on stage, Nugent says he's never taken drugs and never will.

"I've made it a crusade to let people know that you can't rock 'n' roll and have a fun life like Ted Nugent unless you're clean and sober - you'll hurt yourself," he says. "My idea of a party doesn't include puking and dying."

Nugent has even made it a goal to help other rockers overcome their addictions. He points out friends Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith and says he'd like to think he had a hand in helping them kick their habits. He's also taken on one of the most notorious musicians of today's scene, Kid Rock.

"I went down and jammed with Bob Ritchie, and the guy was chain-smoking like an idiot," Nugent says. "Here's a guy with an amazing voice - and Bob Seger was there, too - and these guys were chain smoking, two of the greatest voices out there. I put some pressure on them. I said 'Bob? Bob? What are you guys doing?'"

He also works to keep children off drugs through the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program, though his methods often raise eyebrows.

"I'm without question the most effective D.A.R.E. officer in the history of the program," Nugent brags. "When I confront children, they relate to me because of my attitude, my uppitiness and my street language."

That last part is what bothers some people, he says.

"I don't use the f-word with grade-schoolers, but I will use the phrase 'kiss my ass," Nugent says. "Some people will get all upset and say, 'ooh, he used the a-word.' Wait a minute, we're talking about saving kids. When was the last time the a-word killed a child? Let's get our priorities straight here. If you want kids to relate to you, you have to speak on their level."

Outdoors
But the two issues that are nearest and dearest to Ted Nugent are hunting and Second Amendment rights. The guitarist has become one of the nation's most prolific speakers on the subjects. He appears on radio and television talk shows, writes for a number of publications and has even written a pair of books - "God, Guns and Rock 'n' Roll" and a wild game cookbook "Kill It and Grill It."

But even in the hunting community, he has critics - people who don't like his straightforward and confrontational approach. Nugent says directly challenging anti-hunters, as he regularly does on talk shows, is the only way to get the message out.

"That's what the hunting community has always needed to do," he says. "Instead of backing down and saying, 'well, we catch and release,' we should be challenging people. We should be saying, 'No, no, no. Your tuna is dead. We kill our food. Get over it.'"

Nugent says taking the defensive in the face of anti-hunting attacks isn't going to help hunters.

"Never defend the sport; always promote it," he says. "When you see illegal and nasty behavior by our fellow sportsmen, either clean them up or throw them out. We've got to really be dedicated to upgrading this honorable hunting and fishing lifestyle imagery, so more people will join us in this environmental upgrade. That's all I really live for."

That and, of course, rock 'n' roll.

Interview: Doug Pinnick of King's X

Despite a string of critically acclaimed albums and an exceptionally dedicated fan base, progressive metal trio King's X has never managed to find mainstream success.

Bassist and vocalist Doug Pinnick says that's OK with him, though.

"It was disappointing in the past, but now I realize I've lived a life of dreams," said Pinnick. "We're still here, and we're still respected. Hopefully, we'll be here forever, and you can't say that about a lot of bands."

When King's X first hit the scene in 1988, they were very different from the bumper crop of hard rock acts that were climbing the charts. Their music was more complex, mingling elements of hard rock, funk, soul and R&B with smooth, Beatles-esque vocal harmonies. For Pinnick, who classifies himself as a "person who has always been on the outside," being different was nothing new.

When King's X formed, there weren't a lot of black musicians playing hard rock and metal.

"In my high school years, I lived in the ghetto with my mother, and people would say, `Why are you playing that white boy music?'" he said. "But I always had Jimi Hendrix and Sly and the Family Stone to tell me it was OK."

Then, a couple of years ago, Pinnick admitted his homosexuality in an interview. For a few fans, particularly those who were attracted to the Christian overtones in much of King's X's music, it was hard to take. But Pinnick said most fans stood by him.

"The Christian fans don't accept it, but they say they still love me - and I've gotten a few hate letters from gay-bashers," he said. "But an overwhelming majority - almost all - of the King's X fans have e-mailed me and said they don't care. They're just proud I can stand up for myself and be honest, which is what they've always expected from me."

Those fans are one thing that has kept King's X going through nine albums and nearly 15 years. Pinnick said while their fan base may be smaller than some other bands, it's very passionate about King's X's music.

"Our family of King's X fans aren't the average hard rockers," he said. "I think that's why they stay forever. It's almost like they're addicted to it."

The fans have responded well on the band's first two trips through the U.S. in support of their 2001 release "Manic Moonlight." In the King's X tradition, the album is a bit different from their previous releases. Searching for inspiration, they used drum loops and some electronic sounds for the first time. Pinnick said fans are divided on the new sound.

"They're split pretty much down the middle," he said. "They either hated it or loved it, and very adamantly, too. They let us know what they thought."

Though the band is known for mixing things up, Pinnick said it's not intentional.

"It seems that most of our albums are different from the last one, and I have no idea why that happens," he said. "We just play our music and pour our hearts into it."

Pinnick said "Manic Moonlight" is his favorite King's X album so far, largely because it was a new experience for him. After the songs were written, he put down his bass and vocal tracks and then went on tour with his side project Poundhound. That left the rest of the production to bandmates Ty Tabor and Jerry Gaskill. Pinnick says it's like being able to hear something completely new from his own band.

"I just love the songs," he said. "I like it because I disassociated myself from it a little."

More recognition may be on the way for the band. They recently learned they'll be hitting the road with guitar maestro Joe Satriani and fellow prog-rockers Dream Theater at the end of the summer. To many, the pairing seems a match made in heaven, but Pinnick said he doesn't see much similarity.

"I don't think we have anything in common with the other bands, except that we all like complex music. But everyone feels this is something we need to do together," he said. "It's going to be fun. We're only playing for half an hour, but we get to play first and try to win a few new fans."

Beyond that, King's X will continue to tour relentlessly and make new music.

"We will continue to do this until something stops us," Pinnick said.