Rockpages.gr recently caught up with SCORPIONS drummer / KOTTAK frontman James Kottak to dicuss the new Kottak record, Rock & Roll Forever, and the Scorpions' current farewell tour. An excerpt is available below.

Q; James, after listening to Rock & Roll Forever and having followed your career for over 20 years I felt the album’s feeling represents to a great extent your way of living, doesn’t it?

Kottak: "Absolutely. Rock & Roll is like a lifestyle, it's a way of life, everything that I love, I like traveling, I like music, I like drums, guitars, I like it loud and it’s still going..."

Q: Isn’t a little risky to release this album at the same time as the new Scorpions album? Are you not afraid that maybe all the people will deal with Sting In The Tail and ignore Rock & Roll Forever?

Kottak: "We had agreed to release Rock & Roll Forever back in December before the announcement of the retirement. We were committed, we knew the new album was going out but we didn't know who is going to sing. We have to wait and tour later."

Q: Playing the guitar with your own band are you feeling maybe closer to the fans, than behind Scorpions’ drum kit on a big stage?

Kottak: "Yes and no, Scorpions fans are so crazy when I 'm playing the drums, I feel like I am there with them. I 'm there but you can't see me. With Kottak when we play live is really fun."

Q: How far is Athena from reaching a James Kottak’s drummer level?

Kottak: "She is a different kind of drummer, she is self-taught, she practices home a lot, playing a lot of videos, she never took courses, she has a different kind of drumming too. On the first album and on the second album, I played a little bit of drums and she has finally taken over completely. So it's not like a competition, she has her style like I have my style and Tommy Lee has his style. But I am the best!!! (Laughs)."

Click here for the complete interview.