Frank Pané — guitarist and founder of Sainted Sinners — joins Steve from Germany to talk about the band’s brand‑new album High on Fire. With members spread across Europe, Sainted Sinners channel the spirit of classic 70's-era hard rock, drawing on influences like Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and UFO.

High On Fire is their fifth album and their best yet. Its packed with soaring vocals, killer riffs, dynamic keyboards, and big harmonies, all wrapped into great songs. While their earlier albums laid a strong foundation, High on Fire raises the bar in both songwriting and production, showing a band that continues to evolve and push forward.

In this conversation, Frank shares insights into why it was over three years between albums, the making of the record, the influences that inspire him, what’s next for the band, and much more. Be sure to check out High on Fire at Bandcamp, saintedsinners.com, or wherever you stream music, follow Sainted Sinners on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Ft. Worth singer‑songwriter and guitarist Matt Gumley joins Steve on Another Cool Rock Podcast. Matt’s musical journey started early with piano lessons at age five, grew into Broadway and TV acting as a kid, and ultimately led him to his true passion: creating and performing his own music. A multi‑instrumentalist with serious guitar chops, his music straddles the line between country and rock but leans hard into the guitar‑driven side of things

We cover his path from the debut EP Six Degrees of Separation to his latest release Concrete Cowboy, a five‑song EPthat leaves you wanting a full album. Matt talks about his songwriting process, recording all the instruments himself, the power and connection of playing live, and what’s ahead in 2026.

You can find all of Matt's music including the EP Concrete Cowboy on all digital platforms, and connect with him at MattGumley.com on social media.

On this episode of Another Cool Rock Podcast, Steve welcomes Marc Hansen, lead singer and guitarist of Electric Mud - an award-winning San Diego band that blends classic rock, Americana, soul, and groove into a heartfelt, gritty and authentic sound. Their influences range from the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan to Otis Redding and Tom Petty.

Electric Mud have released three albums - Dangerous Promises, Highway Refugees, and Communication - and recently dropped two new tracks: “Moon Junkie” and “Heart Beats On,” the latter being a total earworm that will stick in your head after one listen. And they opened for the Rolling Stones last year.

Marc’s solo work is just as compelling. His new album Jack of Diamonds, released this past summer, leans into Americana and outlaw country with a soulful edge. It’s packed with personal, resonant songs like “Price to Pay,” which delivers a killer riff and a serious attitude.

In this conversation, Marc shares the band’s origin story in Staten Island, their hiatus and rebirth while he and his brother Matty (Electric Mud’s drummer) served in the U.S. Navy, and how those experiences shaped their music. Fittingly, the interview was recorded on Veteran’s Day — the same day Marc released “Time for Leaving,” a powerful new song inspired by his time in the military and the journey many veterans face.

It’s a rich, wide-ranging chat with a musician who’s lived the stories he sings. After you listen, head to ElectricMudOfficial.com, follow the band on Facebook and Instagram, and stream their music wherever you get your tunes.

This week on Another Cool Rock Podcast: Peter Argyropoulos and Adam Kury of Los Angeles-based rock band Sons of Silver. It's been a busy year for the band, January saw the release of their debut full-length album Runaway Emotions, followed by a lot of touring and channeling that momentum into a raw and resonant live album, 7 Cities, 7 Songs. Currently recording the next studio album Peter and Adam reflect on the origins of the band, being a self-contained, collaborative unit, the evolution of their songwriting and sound, going on the road with a toddler and recording the new album.

Check out SonsofSilver.com for news, music (including official bootlegs!), tour dates, and more; and at Instagram, @sonsofsilverband and Facebook: @sonsofsilver

Special thanks to Uptown Podcast

Its another "Should Have Been Huge" episode, with the spotlight on FREAK OF NATURE—a hard rock band that deserved far more attention than they got. Formed in the early ’90s by Mike Tramp, former frontman of White Lion, Freak of Nature marked a sharp turn from Tramp’s hair metal roots. While White Lion had big hits like “When the Children Cry,” Freak of Nature delivered a darker, heavier sound that reflected the shifting rock landscape of the era.

Their 1993 self-titled debut was raw, melodic, and aggressive, earning praise from KERRANG and prompting me to buy it sight unseen. Despite the strength of tracks like “Turn the Other Way,” “What Am I,” and “Rescue Me,” the band struggled for traction in the U.S., releasing both albums through London’s Music for Nations label. Their second record, Gathering of Freaks (1994), was heavier than the debut, with standout songs like like “Enemy” and “Candle,” and the epic title track.

In 1998, Freak of Nature released Outcasts, a compilation of B-sides and unreleased material. All three albums are now streaming, and if you’ve ever wondered what Mike Tramp did post–White Lion or just want to discover a killer early ’90s hard rock band that flew under the radar, Freak of Nature is well worth your time.

Author Tim Durling joins ACRP to talk about his two books about two favorite bands: SING ME AWAY: THE NIGHT RANGER ALBUM REVIEW and DOWN FOR THE COUNT: THE Y&T ALBUM REVIEW. Both books are terrific and must-reads for fans of both bands.

Tim talks about how and why he became an author, how he wrote both books, and why both Y&T and Night Ranger are amazing - and deserve more attention paid to their consistently awesome music. His books do just that, each featuring a panel of fans/objective experts to talk about everything good - and not so good - about every album, each song, album covers, record labels and so much more. We also talk about why both bands are just so good!

Tim is a life-long music enthusiast with an encyclopedic knowledge of his favorite bands and rock radio. He's also a podcaster, who's Tim's Vinyl Confessions is always interesting, and you'll find the show on every podcast platform.

You can find all of Tim's books online at Amazon (https://tinyurl.com/4db6hnud) and everywhere you buy books online.

Welcome to a new feature at ACRP, "Should've Been Huge," where we'll showcase a band or artist that should have been a household name, or at least a mid-level success.

The Churchills were a NYC-based powerpop band active 1997-2005, releasing four albums, Magnifique 400 in 1997, You Are Here in 2000, Big Ideas in 2002, and their last album, The Odds of Winning in 2005. They toured U.S., Europe, and Japan, with OK Go, The National and They Might Be Giants and their music was used in the Michael J. Fox sitcom Spin City, as well Scrubs, ER, The O.C., Third Watch, and MTV’s Juvies. And their song “Sometimes Your Best Isn’t Good Enough featured actor and future Golden Glone winner Oscar Isaac in the music video. Plus, Meadow Soprano wore their T-shirt in episodes of The Sopranos in seasons 2 & 3.

The Churchills should've been huge!