One of the key figures in rock and roll history, Carmine Appice has joined forces with multi-instrumentalist and rising studio star Fernando Perdomo to form The Appice Perdomo Project (aka APP), whose debut album ENERGY OVERLOAD was released September 24, 2021 on Cleopatra Records. The album is an all-instrumental, rock-oriented tour de force with fusion influences also readily apparent. Carmine’s always-amazing drumming and Perdomo’s blazing guitar licks and riffs make Energy Overload a tour de force of sound, texture and non-stop heaviness. Carmine has pounded the skins for such iconic rockers like Ozzy Osbourne, Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart (Carmine & Rod co-wrote the hits Do Ya Think I’m Sexy and Young Turks) and he is a founding member of legendary 60s rock bands Vanilla Fudge (You Keep Me Hanging On was the band’s classic hit in 1967…it was featured prominently in Quentin Tarantino’s film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) and he’s a founding member of Cactus. Both the Fudge and Cactus still tour. His playing has also been a huge influence on drummers including Joey Kramer (Aerosmith), Neal Peart (Rush), Phil Collins (Genesis), Brian Taylor (Queen), John Bonham (Led Zeppelin) and countless others. He was inducted into the Classic Drummer Hall of Fame in 2013 and the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 2014. He remains on Rolling Stone Magazine’s 100 Greatest Drummers of All-Time list.
I had the honor to catch up with Carmine and do a little diGGin’ into this blazing new release “Energy Overload”. We dissect a few of the new tracks and learn about the entire process (at times I think we did some algebra?). We talk about the new way of working happened in his new studio with Fernando on this project- and how long it was (and how many songs in) before they actually met in person. Fascinating stuff! We also get into new Vanilla Fudge, with the oriGinal line-up and how Carmine was able to help Tim Bogert (RIP) be a part of it. This was one of thse conversations where I cannot tell you more about it than is actually in it. You have to get an earful of the whole thing to get youself in the know. Carmine is “A Piece” of rock and roll greatness. diGG
