Chad Bowar: In the past 5 years you've had 12 books published . You also write for several other publications. Take us through a typical workday.
Martin Popoff: OK, hack through email, print off PayPal orders, maybe talk to Tim at our magazine ("Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles"), transcribe interviews using Dragon Naturally Speaking voice recognition software – saves time and typing but still a slow process. Wheel and deal. Write a few record reviews. Lunch at 11:20. Get some more heavy work done – bios, liner notes, writing a feature on a band – before my mind starts turning to mush around 1:30. Go mail stuff/check mail. Check stock on any gemm.com orders at one of my storage places a block away, maybe go to the bank, hit the gym around 3:00, get back for 4:30. Get some work done while the mind is flying on pheromones or whatever the hell the workout chemicals are, get called for dinner at 6:00.
Approximately how many different new metal CDs do you listen to/review in a year's time?
Nowhere near anymore, unless of course there’s a reviews book I’m grinding through – i.e. for "The Collector’s Guide To Heavy Metal," I probably did about 1000 new reviews, plus the maybe 100 I get to in a year.
How much of "Volume 2: The Eighties" is new material?
See above. Plus most of the old reviews I patched up, extended and re-graded, which actually took more time than writing them from scratch. Seriously, I totally cringe when I read those old reviews and even still, some of them are in an older, ahem, style, but I suppose that allows for variety.
Was it difficult finding some of the music to review? What resources did you have at your disposal?
I have buddies here in Toronto who have huge collections, as do I, with different focuses. Plus some net sources.
Who were the best and worst metal artists in the '80s?
Interesting question, as most ‘70s bands crapped out in the ‘80s. Best runs would be bands like Metallica, Accept, Maiden’s first four records. Weird, but turns out one of my favourite bands ever has to be Gillan. Every damn record is amazing, and I believe that includes one from ’79. But then they made a fake one later (‘90s) that blows. Worst? I wasn’t too fond of Rush in the ‘80s, but loved the first two or three which makes up for it.
How did the bonus CD come together?
Brian Slagel and Metal Blade Records were a huge part of metal in the ‘80s. In fact Brian, through work at Oz Records, helped kickstart metal by bringing over the NWOBHM in a big way. Then LA metal was sparked, quite significantly through his Metal Massacre comps, and then of course metal was big for the entire decade, with LA as its engine room. A Metal Blade sampler made so much poetic sense, I’m tearing up just thinking about our genius.
Was the '80s overall a better or worse decade for metal than the '90s, and why?
Way better – wall to wall huge sales. Starts with the NWOBHM, then two years of glam. MTV sure helped. Then we got Bay Area thrash which bounced around the country. Canada was big for thrash early on. Germany came on line quickly with all manner of metal. Gold, platinum, multi-platinum, since the day MTV went on air in August ’81 until they proclaimed hair metal dead (and all metal) with the peaking of grunge in ’91.
What reviews have you received the most criticism for so far, both for rating something too high and too low?
The Def Leppard, I get grief. Triumph. Not much for too high. I suppose pet bands like Love/Hate and recent Fozzy. Brilliant stuff, both.
