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 JROCK: Ok Ross I
guess the best place to start off is that most people know
you as the original Guitarist of legendary Metal act Manowar
from 1981 – 1988. What do you remember most from your
time with Manowar?
RTB: It was kind of original and unique. The
whole process of forming the band was fantastic. Just
those early shows, those first 6 albums, I mean they were
classic.
JROCK: How did you come to name
the band Manowar?
RTB: - The title Manowar came from Doc, our Equipment genius.
We were looking for names and we had a whole bunch of names
we were working on and he just goes "Why don't you just call
the band Manowar?" and Joey and I kind of just looked at
each other and go yeah!
JROCK: Why did you decide to
leave Manowar in 1988?
RTB: - Right to that one ha? Basically you know after
8 years and a lot of hard work in a relationship you just
have to move on. Joey and I had our differences and
that's that.
JROCK: Could you please tell the
readers of Chaotic Riffs Magazine the story of how you got
your nick name: Ross The Boss?
RTB: - Yeah interesting question because I got that name
from playing baseball when I was a kid and it kind of just
stuck. And then when I was in the Dictators our
manager said that we all needed to have some nick names,
cocky nick names and Ross The Boss kind of stuck, people use
it a lot
JROCK: While I understand that
you consider the new band Ross The Boss to be very much a
group effort...I must ask why then you decided to name the
band Ross The Boss?
RTB: - Well I didn't want to personally........I'm not big
on solo, I hate that, I wanted a band thing but the record
label all the way in Germany absolutely insisted on it.
They didn't even want Ross The Boss Band. So I said
"Well you know what? You're marketing the thing and you're
funding the money so I'll do what you say."
JROCK: In a way they're right
because I mean I listened to the band's music on your
MYSPACE site and to me it really sounds like a band effort,
and then when someone such as myself talks to you they say
Ross The Boss which oddly enough is also the band's name.
RTB: - Well you know something? After my long career
in music, I mean my first record came out in '75 with The
Dictators people just know me, people I've worked with and
all my fans just know me, it's almost become a brand name
and in starting a new band it's hard starting a new band so
yeah I see the point.
JROCK: The Dictators also
featured Mark Mendoza from Twisted Sister when you were in
the band right?
RTB: - Yes, Mark played on our second album.
JROCK: Your debut CD is titled
New Metal Leader...........What was the songwriting process
like for New Metal Leader?
RTB: - I pretty much wrote most of the music but it was a
band collaboration for sure.
JROCK: So all the songs on New
Metal leader were all specifically written for this album?
None of the songs were older material that you had, had for
a few years?
RTB: - No....Actually there was one song from my previous
band the Brain Surgeons but all the rest were new songs.
JROCK: What has been the reaction
to Ross The Boss, the band?
RTB: - The reaction has been very positive. There are
some people who have said things like "Well he’ll never even
come close to MANOWAR" but I'm not trying to be MANOWAR II.
Of course there are going to be similarities because that's
my style but I have no interest in re-writing that history.
JROCK: What do you remember most
about the recording sessions for New Metal Leader?
RTB: - We did the recordings at my friend's studio in
Germany. We went for the biggest natural sound we
could find and I think we achieved it. Great sounding
drums, strong songs. We had good metal songs for our
record, I didn't want a computer record.
JROCK: I understand that the band
has played one show so far in the U.S. since New Metal
Leader was released in 2008...I was curious if the band's
planning to do any more U.S. shows?
RTB: - Actually we did for shows in the U.S. We're
playing in Atlanta in September 2010 and then we're going to
do a whole tour around that.
JROCK: So the label you're on is
based out of Germany?
RTB: - Yeah AFM is a German label with subsidiaries.
JROCK: I understand that you're
getting ready to do some more shows in Germany as well as
begin work on the next album...Is that correct?
RTB: - Yeah in 2 weeks I go to Germany. Actually
February 6th I'll be flying over, depending on the Security
lines. When we're in Germany we'll do like a week's
worth of work. The songs are already written and we'll
start recording them and the tour of Germany and then we'll
take it from there.
JROCK: What would you say is the
biggest difference for you between being in Manowar and Ross
The Boss?
RTB: - The difference between my band and MANOWAR? I
think we're more of a Rock N Roll band.
JROCK: What do you think of the
music that Manowar made after you left the band?
RTB: - I haven't sat down and listen to a whole CD but yeah
I've heard some good stuff. The whole thing is
different now. It's a different sound. It's a
computer thing but it's very good.
JROCK: What would you say
separates Ross The Boss from all the other metal acts out
there today?
RTB: - I would say we have more a sense of melody and
choruses, I don't know...we're more old school. I
don't really keep up with a lot of the new groups because
I'm pretty busy messing with my own but we're melodic power
metal, we want to keep it true.
JROCK: How important of a role do
you believe the internet has played in helping to promote
Ross The Boss?
RTB: - Well the internet has it's good points and it has
it's bad points. The good points are obviously things
flow over the air very quickly, things develop quickly, the
music goes over MYSPACE and all that stuff. And the
bad thing about the internet is the thievery and the
stealing which is just out of control.
JROCK: In regards to the internet
I was curious if you're finding that more people are
discovering the band because of your previous work w/Manowar
or if maybe there are just as many people out there who know
nothing about your past and just discovering Ross The Boss
for the very, first time?
RTB: - That's a good question. People do definitely
know me from my past bands but I have to tell you
something....We did a whole tour in Greece and so I'm not so
sure that a lot of those people knew about my past.
JROCK: On the current tour have
you been playing in places that you never played before?
RTB: - Yeah, let's see we played Russia. We were the
first band to play 5 shows in a row in Greece. Nothing
compared to the next record we're going to do.
JROCK: In regards to the music
industry I have to ask how do you feel when it comes to
standard CDs VS. Digital music?
RTB: - I like the CDs, I mean I like the record, I like the
album. I like looking at the art work, I like looking
at that big thing. And then when they went to CD and
it got a little smaller but I do like the CD and the
complete package, you know the official package.
JROCK: As far as a musician
though do you make money faster off the digital music or off
of a standard CD?
RTB: - We're interested in CDs right now. Our label
does sell things on-line though so they're into that.
JROCK: Have you thought about
using any of your music to sell as Ring Tones for people to
purchase?
RTB: - We're going to get into that sooner or later.
We don't want to whore ourselves out there all that much
right now. We'll keep it true for a while.
JROCK: In
regards to your next album that you mentioned you're going
to start working on soon...Any idea when it might be
released?
RTB: - Maybe by this summer...But you never really know.
JROCK: Who are
the bands/musicians who had the greatest influence on you?
RTB: - My Guitar heroes growing up were for sure B.B. King,
Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Carlos Santana, Freddie
King, Tony Iommi, yeah those guys back there.
JROCK: Anything
else that you'd like to say to all the Ross The Boss fans
out there?
RTB: - Thank you for listening and staying loyal sll these
years to us, hope to see you real soon in 2010 and 2011,
stay true to metal, keep an open mind and have fun.
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