During a conversation with Ultimate Guitar's David Slavković, Vio-lence guitarist Phil Demmel has once again addressed the online rumors about him joining the surviving members of Pantera - singer Phil Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown - alongside Zakk Wylde and Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante. Following is an excerpt from the discussion.

Demmel: "Man, I get asked that from time to time, and somebody asked me: 'You and Zakk would join Rex and Phil...' First of all - if you've got Zakk you definitely don't need me. And there are so many people that play the Dime stuff better than me that I would have to step down out of respect for everybody else because I know that somebody would be able to do it way better justice than I would. So I would respectfully decline the offer, for sure (laughs)."

Check out the complete interview here.

BPMD - the new juggernaut featuring Demmel and heavy metal icons Bobby Blitz (Overkill) on vocals, drummer Mike Portnoy (The Winery Dogs, Sons of Apollo), and bassist Mark Menghi - will release their upcoming full-length, American Made, on June 12 via Napalm Records.

It’s evident within the initial seconds of BPMD’s American Made, as the legendary Bobby Blitz chants the introductory lyrics to Ted Nugent’s “Wang Dang Sweet Poontang” in his signature skyscraper-high howl, that he and his equally iconic bandmates are here to have a damn good time. Featuring 10 unforgettable rock classics reimagined as heavy bangers, American Made is a party on wax. Tracks such as the raucous “Toys in the Attic” (Aerosmith) and rager-ready “Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers” (ZZ Top) prove that BPMD not only manages to capture the essence of each original track on the album, but skillfully transforms each classic into an unforgettable metallic anthem for a new age. The seasoned quartet flex their musical muscles on renowned classics such as “Saturday Night Special” (Lynyrd Skynyrd), “We’re an American Band” (Grand Funk Railroad) and “Walk Away” (James Gang), and introduce a whole new heavy generation to deeper cuts like blues standard “Evil” (Cactus/Willie Dixon) and “Never In My Life” (Mountain). Channeling nostalgia while maintaining a fresh attitude, American Made is a summer soundtrack for all ages.

Bassist Mark Menghi remarks on BPMD's origins: “Last summer, right after the Fourth of July, I was sitting in my backyard. I was listening to a bunch of ‘70s stuff and Lynyrd Skynyrd's ‘Saturday Night Special’ came on. I said, ‘Man, I would love to play that song,’ and my eight-year-old son turned to me and said, ‘You should do a record of all these songs, Dad.’ And I was like, ‘Hmmm? Yeah, why not!?!’”

After connecting over their mutual love for the classics and forming their current line-up, the members of BPMD traveled to drummer Mike Portnoy’s home studio in Pennsylvania and set up shop. Since the whole concept of the band was born the night Menghi was listening to “Saturday Night Special”, BPMD were determined to record the song for the album. Beyond that, each musician picked two ‘70s rock tracks and everyone had to learn them!

Menghi chose “Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers” in addition to “Saturday Night Special". Blitz’s choices were a little more obscure - “Never in My Life” replete with cowbell and a blazing repeated blues lick, and Cactus’ version of “Evil", a fiercely Zeppelin-like take on an old Willie Dixon song.  For his tracks, Demmel picked “D.O.A.” and had a blast channeling his inner Eddie Van Halen, and took a deep dive with “Tattoo Vampire". Recalling the days when Ted Nugent was more of a bad boy than a gunslinger, Portnoy picked “Wang Dang Sweet Poontang", in additon to “Toys In the Attic”.

Menghi, who also co-produced American Made, adds: “We didn't go into it trying to make everything metal, we just wanted to play the way we play and this is what you get... we’ve all been influenced by a wide variety of bands including Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Metallica. So, of course, we’re going to attack the songs a little harder than guys that didn’t grow up on heavy music.”

Blitz adds: "We made sure we did high-quality versions of these songs and gave them all a little twist. I think there’s a place for that in the music world today. There’s something really great about nostalgia, especially if it's reimagined.”

American Made was mixed and mastered by Mark Lewis, also known for his work with Metal Allegiance (featuring Mark Menghi), as well as artists such as DevilDriver, Trivium, and many others.

American Made will be available in the following formats:

- 1-CD Jewel Case
- 1-LP Gatefold Black
- 1-LP Gatefold Red/White/Blue Splatter (NPR Mailorder exclusive)
- American Made T-Shirt + Jewel Case Bundle (NPR Mailorder exclusive)
- American Made T-Shirt + Vinyl Black Bundle (NPR Mailorder exclusive / North America ONLY)
- American Made T-Shirt + Vinyl Red/White/Blue Splatter Bundle (NPR Mailorder exclusive / North America ONLY)
- Digital Album

Pre-order here.

American Made tracklisting:

"Wang Dang Sweet Poontang"
"Toys In The Attic"
"Evil"
"Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers"
"Saturday Night Special"
"Tattoo Vampire"
"D.O.A."
"Walk Away"
"Never In My Life"
"We're An American Band"

"Toys In The Attic" video:

"Toys In The Attic" drum playthrough video:

“Absolutely f*cking brilliant! God bless the real music krankers of America! Godspeed!" - Ted Nugent

”Turbocharged version of D.O.A. by BPMD. These guys are rocking!” - Michael Anthony (Chickenfoot, ex-Van Halen)