The boxes have arrived containing the sixth book of a project designed to put my interview archive in the public realm. And it’s 200 COPIES ONLY.

As I said in my letter to my much appreciated database of readers asking to vote which genres to do, it’s been bugging me forever that I’ve got this interview archive of all these interviews I’ve done that will never wind up in any of my books, and thus likely never see the light of day... unless I made books out of them, of course! And voters, thank you for all the input and picking a few or even saying you would take them all. It’s possibly these only go so far as these respondents.

Again, very important: if you have a pile of my books, don’t worry about overlap—this is material I haven’t used in my books, with minor exceptions, a quote here or there. I don’t want to give you material you already have from me.

So as a way to unlock this material, I’m compiling the raw transcripts, in Q&A form, with a little background info and historical context to each chat, into book form.

Popoff Archive – 6: American Power Metal is pretty darn entertaining, highlights being Manowar and a substantial chunk of Iced Earth history, along with a venture into the political mind of Jon Schaffer. There’s also some creepy King Diamond stuff (he’s in here because he’s been in Texas forever). Sadly, there’s also some Warrel Dane, since passed on, plus other members of Nevermore being pretty candid. And who doesn’t like to read some Yngwie Malmsteen—in because of his longtime Florida residence—going off?

In this edition, we have the following. I’ve included an excerpt from my lead-in explanation for each.

Jon Schaffer, Iced Earth, July 17, 1996
The metal community was really excited about these guys, although they’d already been operating quite a while, I suppose, below almost everybody’s radar. Jon’s a true metal warrior, so hails.

Joey DeMaio, Manowar, October 10, 1996
Good ol’ Joey was another one of my earliest interviews. A little nervous talking to him for the first time, what with all the oaths of fealty it felt like I would have to sprinkle in periodically.

Mark Briody, Jag Panzer, September 1998
Mark and the Jag Panzer guys could live forever on the reputation of the mighty Ample Destruction album, but that didn’t stop Colorado’s finest from reforming ten years later and picking up where they left off.

Warrel Dane, Sanctuary, Nevermore, December 17, 1998
The band’s classic third album, Dreaming Neon Black, was to be issued the following month.

Alan Tecchio, Dan Lorenzo, Hades, Non-Fiction, January 1999
Dan, guitarist and Alan, singer, are both very knowledgeable metalheads and this post-Non-Fiction act was a mainstay there at Metal Blade for a bit, putting out thoughtful US power metal records.

Joey DeMaio, Manowar, April 10, 1999
Live albums are always nice to discuss because it means you can essentially explore the catalogue; everything is fair game.

DC Cooper, Solo, Royal Hunt, December 20, 1999
Reminds me of Tony Harnell, really, in personality, disposition, ambition. Wow, this is some forgotten metal history showing up in these books.

Joey Vera, Armored Saint, Fates Warning, January 25, 2000
What to make of Armored Saint? Is it possible by not being thrash enough, they got left behind?

Steve Kachinsky, Steel Prophet, February 29, 2000
This chat was in celebration of the band’s tough and pro power metal feast Messiah, out on Nuclear Blast, for whom the band would issue five albums.

Glen Drover, Eidolon, King Diamond, July 10, 2000
Eidolon was their first band, before fame came calling with Megadeth, and quietly the guys built a catalogue of mystical and dark power metal records that shouldn’t be missed.

Shawn Drover, Eidolon, King Diamond, July 10, 2000
Very different career path from Glen, Shawn of course stayed on with Megadeth and became one of the most successful drummers in metal’s modern era.

Rob Rock, Solo, Impelliteri, July 24, 2000
Where does Rob Rock fit within the Dante’s Hell layers of power metal history? He’s not one of the grandfathers of the genre, nor is he exactly new.

Joey DeMaio, Manowar, August 15, 2000
That’s fine, Manowar can do what they want. And where they want. Which was almost exclusively Europe.

Jeff Loomis, Nevermore, September 18, 2000
Jeff always seemed to be a story almost as big as Nevermore’s, the new guitar wizard that amazed.

Yngwie Malmsteen, September 21, 2000
I look back on those days with fondness, because he was always a good interview.

Jon Schaffer, Iced Earth, June 10, 2001
Last chat with Jon before 9/11.

Eric Adams, Manowar, June 10, 2001
So closely related, Manowar and Dio, and if you buy that, Ronnie and Eric are the original voices of power metal, at least in America.

DC Cooper, Silent Force, December 15, 2001
That band issued an impressive four albums in the 2000s, with this chat prompted by the release of the second one, Infatuator.

Eric Adams, Manowar, May 7, 2002
Eric is every bit as good as DeMaio in terms of spreading the gospel, explaining the brand, representing this singular band.

Jon Schaffer, Iced Earth, October 11, 2002
Interesting to see that Jon is already thinking forward to The Glorious Burden.

King Diamond, Mercyful Fate, King Diamond, October 2003
Interesting guy, the good King. Not the most sociable guy on the road, but he kills it when it comes to phone interviews, being a) a natural explainer and b) a huge and enthusiastic music fan.

Yngwie Malmsteen, January 19, 2004
Gotta love the man’s enthusiasm for something even he’d have to admit—if he knew anything about it—would have to be classified as power metal.

Joey Vera, Armored Saint, Anthrax, Fates Warning, June 1, 2004
This chat with Joey celebrates the band’s ruff ‘n’ ready new DVD.

Chris Broderick, Jag Panzer, July 2, 2004
This chat took place a few months before the release of Jag Panzer’s eighth album, Casting the Stones, which would be the last for Broderick, who would continue on with his Nevermore duties and then famously do three studio albums with Megadeth.

Jon Schaffer, Iced Earth, Demons & Wizards, June 2005
Well, 35 years earlier there was In the Court of the Crimson King, and now we have the second (and last to date) Demons & Wizards album, Touched by the Crimson King.

Jim Sheppard, Nevermore, June 11, 2005
Nevermore were a favourite of our mag, getting lots of coverage any time a new record happened.

Yngwie Malmsteen, July 28, 2005
A big part of the fun of talking to Yngwie about yet another onslaught of elitist classical-soaked heavy metal, this time out, was to get him to recount the story of this one’s album title.

Warrel Dane, Nevermore, February 20, 2006
We weren’t supposed to be losing them from our own generation yet, and Warrel just always seemed so alive, rocking hard, writing great lyrics, talented singer.

Chris Petersen, Cellador, July 27, 2006
Up into 2006, I rarely did interviews with baby bands, but Brian Slagel’s a buddy, as are other folks at the label, so why not?

Stuart Lawrence, Agony Column, Ignitor, 2007
This isn’t quite Slough Feg and Hammers of Fortune terrain, but there’s something intriguing about Ignitor and Stuart’s links to the legendary Agony Column that had me eager to do this interview.

King Diamond, Mercyful Fate, King Diamond, July 2007
This chat is about Give Me Your Soul… Please, oddly, King’s last album to date now 11 years on.

Yngwie Malmsteen, September 29, 2008
Here’s Yngwie, out on the talk circuit explaining his 16th album, Perpetual Flame.

Troy Seele, Iced Earth, February 6, 2012
This was like me from another world.

Jon Schaffer, Iced Earth, February 6, 2012
We’re at the end of our journey, so I figure it’s time for me to get at least a little into politics with Jon, although see how I deftly stay neutral and let the man talk.

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Martin Popoff
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