In a brand new exclusive interview conducted by Nightwatcher's House Of Rock with Mike DiMeo (RIOT, THE LIZARDS, MASTERPLAN) the vocalist discusses his current projects, CREATION'S END, TENPOINT and MIDAS FATE. During the exclusive conversation he also delves into the recording of rock and blues legend JOHNNY WINTER's new album Root', for which DiMeo was asked to contribute keyboard work to all tracks. Also discussed are the possibilities of him rejoining metal legends Riot for a reunion tour or album, working with guitarist Vinnie Moore (UFO) and much more.

DiMeo, regarded as one of the finest vocalists in the heavy rock scene, first came to prominence after joining the legendary New York City band Riot prior to the recording of 1994's Nightbreaker. He went on to record six studio albums and one live album with the group before departing to join Masterplan for the recording of MK II in 2006. DiMeo in August 2008 announced the formation of a new project called Tenpoint alongside Steve Seigerman (guitar), Chris Kozikowski (bass) and Doug Bohn (drums).

A short excerpt from the interview follows below :

Nightwatcher's House Of Rock: What's the current situation with Riot? Do you ever foresee a time when you might get back together with the band for another album or a tour?

DiMeo: "I speak to Mark Reale a lot still. He's still a really good friend of mine. I wouldn't be opposed to it. But I think they're sort of involved in this reunion thing still. I think they have a new album that will be coming out, and doing some touring, from what Mark told me. So if they can ride that wave of the reunion that would be great for them. Because that was a good lineup. A lot of people love the Thundersteel era, and people want to see it. I think Mark is going to see how far he can take that lineup. If they can tour and record, more power to them. I wish them the most success. I wouldn't be opposed to working with Mark again in the future. We talk about doing a project together, and maybe we will if we both have time."

Nightwatcher's House Of Rock: So it wouldn't necessarily need to be with Riot....

DiMeo: "I'm not opposed to it being Riot, but it wouldn't necessarily need to be that."

Nightwatcher's House Of Rock: What is your take on the state of metal and hard rock these days? Do you feel that the scene is getting healthier at all?

DiMeo: "I definitely do. I think there's a lot of great bands out there. One of the problems that we're facing is that the world economy is in such bad shape all over the world. The first thing people cut out of their budget is entertainment. People just don't go see bands as much. They'll put on YouTube instead. It's much cheaper for them to stay home."

Read the entire interview here.