ANIMETAL USA - featuring singer Mike Vescera (OBSESSION/ex-LOUDNESS), bassist Rudy Sarzo (BLUE ÖYSTER CULT, ex-OZZY OSBOURNE, QUIET RIOT, WHITESNAKE, DIO), drummer Jon Dette (ex-SLAYER/TESTAMENT) filling in for Scott Travis (JUDAS PRIEST) and guitarist Chris Impellitteri (IMPELLITTERI) - will be appearing at Dean Guitars on January 21st at 1:45 p.m. for Dean's live webcast at NAMM. The location will be at Dean Guitars Hall B, Booth # 5466. You can also watch this on Deanguitars.com/webcast.

BraveWords.com's Carl Begai spoke with Mike Vescera about the project recently.

“When I was younger I wanted to be a member of KISS,” he laughs, “and now I’m at least getting to play dress-up for the stage.”

A second record that, if all goes well, will see Animetal USA hit the touring circuit outside Japan. The success of the debut pretty much guarantees the follow-up will go over a storm.

“They definitely want to build this up and into the rest of the world. There’s been some talk about us doing some international anime conventions in the States, France, South America, all over the place. We wouldn’t mind touring as long as it makes sense. We were thinking about doing some of the European metal festivals next year, but we decided to hold off and let this build a little bit more. We’re actually going in to start another record. The record company wants us to do headlining shows, so we really need the material to cover it.”

Read the entire interview at BraveWords.com.

Animetal USA's debut album was released last October and features the band covering Japanese anime theme songs - a spin on the original Animetal band launched in Japan by ANTHEM vocalist Eizo Sakamoto that was launched in 1996 and called it quits in 2006.

Animetal USA tracklisting:

'Space Battleship Yamato' from Space Battleship Yamato

'Gatchaman no Uta' from Science Ninja Team Gatchaman

'Mazinger Medley' from the Mazinger series

'Makafushigi Adventure' from Dragon Ball

'Zankokuna Tenshi no Thesis' from Neon Genesis Evangelion

'Ai o Torimodose!' from Fist of the North Star

'Ganbare Dokaben' from Dokaben

'Pegasus Fantasy' from Saint Seiya

'Ike! Tiger Mask' from Tiger Mask

'Kinnikuman Go Fight!' from Kinnikuman

'Yuke Yuke Hyuuma' from Kyojin no Hoshi

ANIMETALUSA - UCHUUSENKAN YAMATO from 921 Associates on Vimeo.