Boston based thrash metal band MELIAH recently released The Deep And Dreamless Sleep on Screaming Ferret Wreckords and are currently on the road opening for METAL CHURCH. The tour is slated to run through January 31st. The trek of the tour will include both West Coast and East Coast shows, with a special stop at B.B.Kings in New York on January 28th. Also added to the B.B.Kings show is legendary thrash metal band OVERKILL.

Meliah Rage guitarist Jim Koury recently checked in from the road to speak with Boston writer Deb Rao with a special tour update from the Galaxy Theatre in Santa Ana, California.

Q: Meliah Rage recently kicked off their tour opening for Metal Church. How is the tour going?

Koury: "We just performed at the Galaxy Theatre in Santa Ana, California. It is an awesome place. It is this really old theatre. I haven't done too many shows in California, but this place is great. It is a really old school type theatre, and they are repainting it now. It has a nice big stage. The show was a lot of fun. This is the second show of the tour. We are pretty much getting the bugs worked out with the equipment."

Q: How would you describe your latest album,The Deep and Dreamless Sleep, on Screaming Ferret Records? Would you say it is more radio friendly?

Koury: "We have heard that before. But in my opinion, I think the Barely Human album is more radio friendly. I think there are a lot more catchier songs on the, Barely Human album. I think maybe it sounds more radio friendly, because the production is a lot better on The Deep and Dreamless Sleep. It took about six months to write the album, and actually get into the studio to record. We wanted to do something heavier than Barely Human. We pretty much went for a heavier direction. We are really happy with the way the album turned out, and we just did our best to write what was in our heart."

Q: Meliah Rage first burst on the Boston music scene in 1985. What inspired the band to get back together?

Koury: "Tony and I met in 1985, but the time we got everybody together, Mike, Stu, and Jessie, it was 1987 and the album came out in 1988. We were together with that line-up until 1990 - 1991. After the second record, we were dropped by Epic in 1991. The whole music scene was pretty much changing because of the Seattle grunge scene. A lot of the major labels dropped smaller bands. So we kind of disbanded, and back in 1994, Tony had met Paul Souza, our current singer, the three of us did a side project. We recorded and an album, and shot a video. So it was good working with Paul in that respect. In 1996, the whole metal industry was just dead. All the clubs in Boston were closing, there was no Metal going on. Back in 2000, record Companies started calling us, and said, 'If you want to put out an album, they would support us', so we called Paul, and that is how we did the Barely Human album."

Q: Do you see a resurgence of thrash metal taking place in the music industry today?

Koury: "Definitely, there are a lot of bands getting back together. The scene is getting a little more supportive by fans. Just the fact that Meliah Rage and Metal Church are back on the road says something."

Q: What are your thoughts on playing B.B.Kings with Overkill and Metal Church?

Koury: "We are definitely looking forward to that show. It is going to be a great line-up. It is a huge venue. I think a lot of the industry is going to support that show. I guess Joey Belladonna Band is going to be playing, as well. So there is going to be four National Acts on that one bill. Metal Church is also very excited about that."

Q: What was is it like performing on the same bill with Alice In Chains at Locobazooka at the Tweeter Center in Boston in August of 2006?

Koury: "It was one of the biggest venues that we have played in a long time. It was kind of a different fan base. We needed that exposure. We had just gotten Darren Lourie, our new bass player and that was his first show. He fits in the band perfectly. The rest of us just kind of needed that show to work out the bugs. Stu is back on drums. The band definitely missed his style of playing, we need him to come back, and just pound the crap out of the drums, the way he used to. Everything just seems to fit back together again."

Q; Were you heavily influenced by any of the major Boston bands, growing up in the 80's?

Koury: "I was a big Pantera fan, but by than I had already developed my style, so I kind of missed out picking up on Dimebag's influences. In which, I kind of regret, because he was so talented. I pretty much just did my guitar learning growing up with Joe Perry and Aerosmith, and Michael Schenker from the Scorpions."

(thanks: Deb Rao)