Eddie Trunk has absorbed all things "metal" since 1976, when at the age of twelve he picked up his first KISS album, Destroyer, from the local record store (seemingly not a big deal, until one realizes that Ace Frehley himself attended Eddie's wedding many years later). Thus began a nonstop, passionate relationship between Trunk and his musical genre of choice.

As a young teen in the late seventies, Eddie continued listening to and learning about every metal/hard rock band he could find, including acts like Aerosmith, UFO, Rush and Black Sabbath. Like many of us today, he has a special place in his heart reserved for the days of metal past, and quickly admits that if he had a time machine to take him back to three past concerts, he'd love to see, "KISS in a club after releasing their first album, UFO during their 'Lights Out' tour and Van Halen in a club after releasing their first album."

It was Eddie's love for music that landed him his first radio intern job, while still in high school, at a local college station. "My home town in New Jersey has four colleges, none of which I attended except to use their radio studios," he says with an ironic tone. "I just started hanging out at the stations and helping them out, for free, and trying to get them to play metal. I finally got the chance to develop a metal show around 1983, and the syndicated show I do today from Q104 in New York City remains very similar."

Trunk didn't always pay the bills solely as a radio personality. Whether as a clerk at a record store, or an executive with Megaforce Records, he never strayed far from the music he loved -- but being behind the microphone seems to be his first love. "I was always passionate about music and did all kinds of things with it," Trunk states today, "but it wasn't until I got into the New York City market in 1994 that I made OK money. People started to take notice, and I thought maybe I could make a career doing what I love."

And what a career it has been thus far. Known by music fans and artists alike for hosting incredible and honest interviews, Guns and Roses frontman Axl Rose walked right into Trunk's studio -- unannounced -- in May of 2006 and gave his first legitimate interview in almost fifteen years. Other mortals must wonder if even an experienced interviewer like Eddie gets a little nervous when he meets rock royalty like Axl Rose or Paul Stanley. He admits, "Paul Stanley was always my favorite member of KISS, and for a long time he was the only artist I was actually a little star struck around. But that ended years ago. If you treat any celebrity as an equal, you can get much further and develop a mutual respect." He goes on to say, "I've been doing this for 26 years now, and the truth is that many of these guys are friends or people I know well. It gives me a comfort zone with the artist and usually results in a better interview for the listener or viewer." Certainly, much has changed since Eddie first met KISS at a Sam Goody music store around 1983, which he claims was his first live contact with a musical celebrity.

A while back, someone (a smart someone) at XM Radio decided that Eddie Trunk was a perfect match for their metal channel, The Boneyard, and convinced him to come aboard in July of 2004. Eddie left the channel in August of 2005, in the midst of a much-publicized disagreement with management, but returned in December of 2006 and hasn't looked back since. When asked about the size of the active music library of The Boneyard, Trunk simply states, "I have no idea... I never counted. I mix my own stuff every week from home, and because I have a live show, it allows me to work in songs that might not be at XM -- including new music as well."

Satellite radio metal fans may also be wondering if Trunk is truly able to play the songs he wants to play. His reply is, "I have 100% control over the show I do. That was the deal I made when I first started with XM -- to do my own show, call my own shots musically, and do interviews and talk as well if I want. These things are important to me, and I'm lucky to have the autonomy to do so. Sirius/XM respects what I do enough to leave me alone and let me do my thing. Eddie Trunk Live is a specialty show for The Boneyard, but it caters to that audience for sure."

When asked if he has ever added songs to the XM music library, Trunk says, "Over the years, sure... But now I just bring in my CDs and play selections from them. I'm only there four hours a week, so messing with the database is not my job. I worry about my show, and that's all I can control. I would love to do more for them one day, but that's up to Sirius/XM, not me."

Of course, metal master Eddie Trunk does much more than broadcast radio shows from the studios of Q104 and Sirius/XM. In late 2008, classic rock and metal fans were treated to the first episode of That Metal Show, which airs weekly on VH1 Classic. Though Eddie has been on staff with VH1 Classic since its inception in January of 2001, many of his admirers have long awaited a television show that allows a more candid look into Eddie's opinions on hard rock and metal. Alongside comedic sidekicks Jim Florentine and Don Jamieson, Trunk and That Metal Show has enjoyed two successful seasons thus far. Every episode seems to feature at least one guest that is bona fide rock royalty -- Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, Angus Young and Brian Johnson, Vinnie Paul, Lemmy Kilmister and Lita Ford are just a few musicians who have appeared on the show, each giving a very candid and entertaining interview.

With Florentine and Jamieson in tow, hijinks are guaranteed to ensue each and every taping of That Metal Show. During one hilarious segment, Eddie Trunk is unwittingly lured into a tattoo shop by Florentine, Jamieson and Mike Portnoy (drummer for Dream Theater). Despite the peer pressure hurled by such a raucous ensemble, Trunk manages to slink away from the shop with no permanent ink on his skin. On another episode, the three hosts enjoy interviewing several women for the position of "Box of Junk Girl." The chemistry among the three works very well, and according to Eddie, it was no surprise. "We're good friends, and they were frequent guests on my radio show. We're all the same age, all from New Jersey and all mostly into the same kind of music. When I pitched the idea for TMS, VH1 Classic didn't want a straight interview show. I introduced the network to Jim and Don, and showed them what the guys did as comics. We did a pilot and it took off." In response to the jokes and barbs tossed back and forth among the three, he adds, "We break balls but truly are friends -- long before we did That Metal Show together."

It's safe to assume that Mr. Trunk prefers working in radio over television, but you never know until you ask. Hell, he's a nice-looking fellow who seems quite personable on the small screen, and VH1 Classic has done well for years with Trunk as their go-to guy. So maybe he prefers the TV camera after all? However, when asked whether it is harder to perform in front of the camera versus the microphone, he explains the obvious, "Yes. There is no cosmetic element in radio. Nobody sees you, so it doesn't matter what you wear or look like. The elements of wardrobe and makeup are removed, as well as camera angles and lighting." Trunk then expands upon a point he mentioned earlier, "In radio, I have 100% control over what I say and play. With TV, you have producers involved and have to bend to work with others -- not a single vision like the radio is for me. That being said, I love doing TV and especially working with friends on That Metal Show. Whether or not you agree with what is said on the show, we try to be a voice for the rockers."

"Knowledge is power" may be the truest cliche ever spoken by human lips. While the concept of knowledge being valuable and powerful may be easy to understand on the surface, one probably has to remember the ancient, pre-internet era to fully appreciate these words of wisdom. There was no quick and easy way to find the name of the new Vice President of Indonesia; your parents' circa-1985 home computer offered no help. These dark days were a time when musical knowledge was gained from the reading of magazines, album liner notes and word of mouth. Eddie Trunk gained his musical knowledge doing just that, and is considered by many to be the best-informed metal/hard rock historian in the business today.

Time stands still for no man, however, and Eddie does have an impressive internet presence thanks to his personal website (www.EddieTrunk.com). Loaded with interviews, podcasts, a message board and even up-to-the-minute metal news, there's much to be found tucked in the pages of this incredible resource. And, because the site is so complete and such a labor of love, Trunk says very matter-of-factly, "EddieTrunk.com is the only 100% official place for me, and is the only site I'm active in. I don't do MySpace, Twitter or Facebook, because I don't have the time. I keep things focused just on my site. We just launched a 'member's side' there, and I'm very happy with the huge leap the site has taken over the past year."

EddieTrunk.com is a fitting online home for a man who has spent the vast majority of his life listening to, learning of and teaching the unique musical genre known as metal. "I am blessed to have been doing this business for 26 years and love what I do," he states without remorse. "It's a challenge, no doubt, to piece everything together and support a family on it, but it's what I do. The TV stuff has been awesome and I'm excited to see where it goes. My terrestrial show just added some affiliates, and I'm now reaching a new satellite audience with the Sirius folks on board from the merger. I sincerely thank everyone who connects in some way with what I do. It's a great time for me."

Eddie, we couldn't agree more.