METAL MIKE PIAZZA JAMMING WITH OVERKILL

In attempt to provide some off-season entertainment, MLB.com just ran a piece about legendary Mets catcher Metal Mike Piazza’s hard rocking roots. Sure, his love for metal, friendship with Ozzy axeslinger Zakk Wylde and occasional appearances on Eddie Trunk’s radio show have been well-documented enough, but who knew that Piazza has been bashing the drums since the age of 14 the way he bashes a Roger Clemens fastball?

Piazza took drum lessons from session-pro Gregg Bissonette (David Lee Roth, Joe Satriani, ELO, Santana), and lists his all-time favorites as “the hard-rock, ‘hair-band’ sound that had dominated the radio [in the late ’80s] — groups such as AC/DC and Van Halen” (whatever that means — gotta love sports writers attempts at music journalism). Says Metal Mike, “I like all hard rock, pretty much, everything from AC/DC to Zebra,” he says. “A lot of hard rock, some classic rock, some metal, some speed metal, some punk. But when I play, I try to play more musical songs, not just speed rock.”

Thanks to some YouTube scouring, I was able to dig up this live gem of Overkill performing “Elimination” at a small club in NYC, with Mike Piazza guesting on vocals and air guitar. Dude plays a mean fucking air guitar.

-VN

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