Since releasing their classic debut album, Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich, in 1989, hard rock giants Warrant have gone on to sell more than 8 million albums.

And while songs like “Down Boys,” “Heaven,” “I Saw Red” and “Cherry Pie” have cemented their place in Eighties metal history, it’s their tight musicianship, inspired songwriting and perseverance that sets them apart.

Six years after the release of their last album, Rockaholic (the first to feature new frontman, Robert Mason), Warrant return with yet another slab of muscular hard rock, Louder Harder Faster, which was released May 12.

Produced by Jeff Pilson (Foreigner, ex-Dokken), the new album is full of the familiar rockers and signature ballads the band is known for. Warrant is Erik Turner (guitar), Jerry Dixon (bass), Joey Allen (guitar), Steven Sweet (drums) and Robert Mason (vocals).

I recently spoke with Dixon about Louder Harder Faster, gear and Warrant’s decision to record a rocking cover of Merle Haggard’s “I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink.”

If you had to describe Louder Harder Faster in one word, what would it be?
Raw. There’s not a lot of repair work on this album or fixing things with ProTools. We all just got in the room and captured the magic without worrying about it being completely perfect. Sometimes when you’re in the studio worrying about wave forms and where they are on a bridge you can actually do damage to a record. We just decided to just say, “Does it feel good? Yeah? Ok, let’s move on.”

Has Warrant’s songwriting process changed much over the years?
I like to think songs just go though you. Sometimes songs can come from just walking down the street, like the song “Big Sandy.” I remember I was going to Robert’s house to write another song when I went by this big empty wash that was called the Big Sandy Wash. It just cracked me up and I said, “There’s a song, right there.” So, you take things like that, get on to something and then try to finish it.

Read the rest of my
Interview with Jerry Dixon by Clicking Here!