The Rock-Impellitteri Advocacy:   Before we touch on the new album, Kindly give us a brief rundown of the band's line-up in this album. 

Rob Rock:    The line-up for CRUNCH is the same except for the drums. This time we are using our touring drummer "Glen Sobel" for the drum tracks. Glen has played "live" with us for all the past few tours and the time has come to record with him and his awesome drumming technique. Glen did a fantastic job along with James Pulli on bass, Ed Roth on keyboards, Rob Rock vocals and Chris Impellitteri on guitars. 

TRIAd:   What does "Crunch" mean? 

RR:   CRUNCH, is a descriptive term, which describes our sound. It is also sometimes used as a setting on guitar amplifiers. 

TRIAd:   Rob, Give us a sneak preview of the new album "Crunch" 

RR:   CRUNCH is about 50% classic Impellitteri and 50% Impellitteri with new flavorings! The sound is darker and more modern yet it retains the core of Impellitteri's sound and songwriting. 

TRIAd:   Is the new album going to sound similar to any past Impellitteri albums? and How does the new album match up against the other albums? 

RR:     The new album sounds similar to the others, but in a different way! We have tuned down the instruments to get a heavier, darker sound. This album is about carrying on the Impellitteri tradition and adding some new interesting elements along the way. We've also broadened our songwriting style in a few songs. It matches up well yet ventures into some new areas too. 

TRIAd:   Did you have any additional musicians that played on the album? 

RR:    I'd say the only "additional musician" is the production efforts of Chris, who spent alot of extra time and effort trying to achieve a fresh perspective for the album. 

TRIAd:    Who did most of the writing on the new album? 

RR:    Chris wrote the music and I wrote the lyrics. We both have input on the melodies and Chris was very creative in the production of the album. Everyone has input in what they play and record and Chris oversees the whole production as the producer and engineer. 

TRIAd:   Describe the musical style of the album 

RR:   Classic Impellitteri (ala SS and Eye) with a new twist sonically. 

TRIAd:    Are there any songs on the album that you really like? 

RR:    There are always songs that stick out in a good way to my ear. I personally like all the songs but "Wasted Earth" and "Slay the Dragon" stand out for me. 

TRIAd:     Did Chris Impellitteri produce this album? 

RR:    Yes, Chris did a great job and spent alot of time on this record to achieve his vision. 

TRIAd:   Rob, one of the problems that the band need to address is the "availability" of the album in the market outside Japan. Did the company took some measures in having a worldwide distribution? 

RR:    We are searching for a distributor for the world outside Asia and hope to be able to get all of our records into the worldwide marketplace. Victor Entertainment handles Asia and we hope to secure a deal for other territories soon. 

TRIAd:    Thank you very much for taking time with this interview and Merry Christmas. Is there anything you want to say to The Rock-Impellitteri Advocacy readers? 

RR:    I think you all will like this new record! It's what you expect with a little extra to keep things interesting. Thanks for your support and I hope everyone has a great time for the holidays! 

TRIAd:   Thank you very much Rob. Merry Christmas. Happy New Year!