Leppard, Pistol Men Unite

Last summer, when Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen returned to London from Southern California to care for his sick father, he decided to look up Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook and invite him to jam. "I've always really liked the way he played," says Collen. "Even in Def Leppard, we referenced him now and again."

The unlikely couple soon formed Man-Raze, along with bassist Simon Laffy, a former bandmate of Collen's from the early Eighties glam outfit Girl. The trio has just finished recording twelve tracks for their full-length debut, due this summer.

With the band members' diverse backgrounds, what does Man-Raze sound like? "It's a mix," says Collen, who also handles lead vocals. "We go from really hard rock, with obviously big guitars, to dub. I was always into the alternative stuff, a very big fan of the Police. And this is edgy -- a lot more aggressive than Def Leppard."

Man-Raze plan to tour Europe and the U.S. later this summer.