Metal Express Radio's Mick Burgess caught up with THE RODS' David Feinstein - RONNIE JAMES DIO's counsin - at this year's Download Festival. Feinstein discusses how The Rods reunion came about, releasing the last recorded work by Dio himself, and discussion of an ELF reunion. Check it out via the audio player below.

The Rods

The Rods are currently on tour in Europe with DIO DISCIPLES. Remaining dates are as follows:

June

22 - Berlin, Germany - C Club
24 - Dessel, Belgium - Graspop
25 - Bochum, Germany - Matrix
27 - Vienna, Austria - Szene Wien
28 - Lucerne, Switzerland - Konzerthaus Schuur

One band that many veteran metal heads feel should have hit the big time was New York's The Rods.

Comprised of members David "Rock" Feinstein (guitar/lead vocals), Garry Bordonaro (bass/vocals), and Carl Canedy (drums/vocals), The Rods would go on to open arena shows for such renowned groups as IRON MAIDEN, TWISTED SISTER, JUDAS PRIEST, OZZY OSBOURNE, SCORPIONS, RAINBOW (Joe Lynn Turner era), and during the mid '80s, even had a then-unknown METALLICA opening a headlining tour for them.

Add to it the fact that Feinstein is the cousin of the late/great RONNIE JAMES DIO (both played together in ELF) and Canedy is an acclaimed metal producer (having worked on classic early releases by ANTHRAX, OVERKILL, etc.), and it makes it even more baffling why The Rods never got their due.

But this appears to changing quickly, as the trio has signed on with the Niji Entertainment Group, a label that was created by Ronnie James Dio and his wife/manager, Wendy Dio. The band's seventh release overall (and sixth release overall for Niji) is titled Vengeance, and will be released on May 24th. The release comes hot on the heels of Feinstein's recently-released solo album, Bitten By The Beast.

The first single off Vengeance will be 'The Code', which features vocals from none other than Ronnie James Dio (one of the very last songs that Ronnie ever recorded, before his untimely death in May of 2010).

As renowned bassist Rudy Sarzo remembers, "The Rods opened up for Ozzy during the 1981 Blizzard Of Oz tour. I was blown away by their no holds barred metal onslaught performance and became an instant fan!"

With a full US tour planned for the summer, fans will soon be able to experience the mighty metal of the Rods first hand themselves.

Vengeance tracklisting is as follows:

'Raise Some Hell'

'I Just Wanna Rock'

'Rebels Highway'

'Ride Free Or Die'

'The Code' (featuring Ronnie James Dio)

'Livin' Outside The Law'

'Let It Rip'

'Fight Fire With Fire'

'Madman'

'Running Wild'

'Vengeance'