Ronnie Romero: Raised On Heavy Radio, Michael Schenker Group and more...

Interview by Ken Morton - Photo by Vivian Ortega of So Finch Photography

Ronnie Romero has released Raised On Heavy Radio, a companion album of sorts to his first covers album, Raised On Radio This time out, Romero pays tribute to legendary artists from the metal world like Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Accept, Metallica, and more. Special guests on the album include Gus G. (Firewind, Ozzy Osbourne), Chris Caffery (Savatage, Spirits Of Fire), Roland Grapow (Masterplan, Helloween), and more.

Romero’s voice and prolific musical activity have brought him to the forefront of the hard rock/metal scene where he can be seen/heard with Lords of Black, The Ferrymen, Sunstorm, Rainbow, and the Michael Schenker Group. Through his work fronting these acts, it is no stretch to see how the artists covered on this album have influenced Romero and understand how his voice is well suited to give them a proper tribute.

Highwire Daze recently interviewed Ronnie Romero to find out more about the songs featured on Raised On Heavy Radio, his recent stateside tour with the Michael Schenker Group, his status with the legendary Rainbow, and more!

How did the idea of Raised On Heavy Radio come about and how easy or difficult was it to choose these songs?

It was a kind of obvious album after Raised On Radio. This idea came from Serafino

Perugino of Frontiers about making a couple of covers albums. At the beginning with Raised On Radio, we just did it to try out how people would react to a covers album – we know they are not very popular. (Laughs) Everybody does covers but it seems like they don’t like it when an artist does covers. That’s very strange. The thing was the first album was pretty successful in terms of how people really liked it, so we decided to do a second part. And obviously since on the first one, I left a lot of songs that I really wanted to do out of the track list, we tried to focus on the more heavy songs this time. And obviously it was really hard to pick all the songs, because there were too many songs that I really wanted to do – and you only have 11 songs to do. So, it was really hard, but at the end I think it was a good selection of classics, and the people will really enjoy it.

Let’s talk about a few of the songs on there. What was it like working with Gus G on the Ozzy cover of No More Tears?

March/April 2023

HIGHWIRE DAZE

Ah yeah, Gus is a great guy. We’re friends since many years. Probably 12 years ago we met in Spain. Normally when I go to Greece to where he lives, we met up. We’re good friends. One day, when I got this idea to get guest musicians related with the songs I want them to play, and we had No More Tears, Gus was an obvious choice to make a solo on this song. And he was really up to do it. And actually, he sent me a picture and a video of the recording of the solo – and he was using exactly the same gear he did for all of the Ozzy tours. So, it was really cool! He’s a great guy and I’m very happy to have him on the record.

You covered the Masterplan song Kind Hearted Light. Tell me how that came about working with Roland

Grapow of Masterplan.

I kept in contact with Roland – as you know he was the producer and sound engineer on the first Lords Of Black album. So, we are friends. And it was the same – I was thinking about doing this Masterplan song, and I asked Roland “could you record a solo on this song? It’s one of my favorite songs from Masterplan, and I would be very honored if you are on the record.” And he listened to the demo and was like, “ I will do all the guitars because I like the song and I like this version you did.” So, he ended up doing even the rhythm guitars and he was very happy to do it. Also he did a video, so we’re going to put a video up after the release. It’s kind of special, because he wrote the song, and he’s playing the song on the album.

Hallowed Be Thy Name – the Iron Maiden cover. What made you decide to do that song, and when was the first time you saw Iron Maiden live? That a tough question – I think it was in South America, probably in the early 2000’s – maybe even before. Honestly I never was a big fan of Iron Maiden (laughs). I remember when my schoolmates – they were into Iron Maiden and Metallica and all those bands that were very popular in the 90’s. Some of them were in Nirvana and Pearl Jam and all that stuff. When I started to sing in a band when I was 14-15 years old, every show and every rehearsal, we did an Iron Maiden song. It was like a must for people who were starting to play music. We need to play Deep Purple, we need to play Iron Maiden, we need to play Metallica. So I got familiarized with the song – especially this song – I remember I used to sing this song when I was 14 in a show. Then Andy the drummer in the (Ronnie Romero) band – he’s a big fan of Iron Maiden and Metallica – he came up with the idea that we should play this one. And I thought it would be good, because again, it’s a song that’s related to my childhood, so it was a perfect fit. It was a challenge also, because the vocal style is totally different and out of my vocal range and everything – but it was fun at the same time, and I think we did a good version.

You recently toured with the Michael Schenker Group with one of your stops being at the Saban Theater in Los Angeles. What was it like touring with Michael Schenker and what were some of the highlights for you?

It was pretty cool, because actually it was my first tour in the U.S. ever. I’d been there before many times rehearsing with Rainbow. I did a festival at Prog Power in Atlanta once with Lords Of Black, but I never had a chance to play a proper tour though the US. I really wanted to have the experience to travel coast to coast, and actually to meet the people there. You have all this feedback from social media, but it’s not the same to actually meet the people in their towns. It was fantastic! I was a little bit surprised about how people react better to the UFO songs instead of the Michael Schenker Group songs we normally play. Somebody told me it was probably because UFO was pretty popular there at that time in the U.S. But it was great. All the people were great in every town, at every show we did – it was fantastic! It was seven weeks and it happened really fast. “Really? We’re going back home tomorrow? I can’t believe it!” But it was great. And it was in L.A. on that day when I met Graham Bonnet for the first time. I didn’t know he was at the show. And then after the show, we were at the dressing room, and then he came. And I can’t believe this! He’s one of my favorite singers and he’s here and he’s telling me, “Aw, you did great.” I almost cried! That was probably my highlight, not only from that tour but for the year.

What is going on with your participation with Rainbow?

I couldn’t give you a proper answer. We were supposed to have a tour in 2020, but then the pandemic came, and they stopped everything. And since then, it’s been silence. Actually, the other day we were talking – James and the other guys – we were talking about it. We don’t know what’s going to happen. My feeling is like I don’t know if it’s going to happen again. Probably no – I would say 70 percent that it’s not going to happen – but you never know. It’s Ritchie Blackmore – one day he’s going to wake up with the idea to make more shows –and we will make it. But nothing so far…

How is your solo album of original material coming along?

Well actually yesterday we were double and triple checking the last mastering to deliver to Frontiers –and we’re very happy. In this album, I don’t want to have this typical Frontiers kind of sound on this record, so I wanted to do something different. I put Andy C the drummer on the production and the mixing and mastering. I was doing production also. It turned out really cool and I’m very happy. I’m very proud of the songs we wrote. Actually, it was the first time I was totally involved with the production – for me it was like a new experience. Normally I am the guy who gets the tracks, goes into the studio, learns the songs, records in the studio, and sends the tracks back. But for me it was a new, very cool experience to get involved with the songwriting – writing all the lyrics and writing all the vocal lines – and then go to the studio and work on the production and the mixing. I’m very proud of what we did. I think it’s going to be a great record and people are going to like it a lot. There’s a lot of different influences as you will see – but mostly of the Dio/Black Sabbath kind of era. I think it’s going to be great. https://www.instagram.com/ro_ck_nnie/

Do you have any messages for your fans out here in the States?

First of all, thank you for this wonderful, wonderful experience of being able to tour with Michael Schenker. I met a lot of people. I never imagined having a lot of fans in the U.S. But I remember many days people coming with a lot of records - Lords Of Black, Sunstorm, The Ferrymen – to sign. They were real fans following my career, and that was pretty cool, so I really appreciate that. Just waiting to come back and do another tour – either with Michael – maybe with Rainbow – why not?