Five Albums That Changed My Life: Michael Olivieri of Leatherwolf

It's no secret that Noisecreep loves Leatherwolf. Back in 2009, around the time the site launched, we profiled the Orange County, Calif. band's stellar yet underrated Street Ready album. Leatherwolf is still going strong, with a live DVD in the works, but these days vocalist/guitarist Michael Olivieri is keeping busy outside of the heavy metal realm.

In late 2011, the vocalist released M.O.B., the debut album from his Michael Olivieri Band. Where Leatherwolf's songwriting incorporates everything from power metal to melodic hard rock, M.O.B. finds the singer going in a different direction.

Michael Olivieri Band specialize in an Americana style that owes a debt to the California country rock of the Eagles and the rootsy hooks of early Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Check out the group's video for "More Than I Do" below and stay tuned for our interview with Olivieri about the new band.

Since we're such huge fans of his, Noisecreep asked Olivieri to take part in our 'Five Albums That Changed My Life' series. As you'll see, his picks reflect his eclectic musical output.

Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975), Eagles (1976)

"Being the youngest of seven kids, Eagles were always being played in our house. My two older brothers, Dan and Mark, taught me how to play guitar with this record as the training wheels. I learned about harmony because of this record. Some of my earliest memories are the all day parties on Huntington Beach! Then as the sun set, the bonfires in the fire pits would light up the coastline for miles! Then it was time to breakout the guitars and play and sing every song on this album!"

Strangers in the Night, UFO (1979)

"Michael Schenker was my first guitar hero. I played this album over & over. It opened my eyes to a new sound. Into the rock era and out of the mellow sounds of the '70s."

The Song Remains the Same, Led Zeppelin (1976)

"When I was in high school, my friends and I would go to the midnight showing of the movie, The Song Remains the Same. It was in those moments that I knew what I wanted to do with my life. I hung up the baseball cleats (for a while anyway) and got me a '78 Gibson Les Paul Standard Tobacco Sunburst!"

Unleashed in the East, Judas Priest (1979)

"By this time, I was getting some guitar chops under my belt, and this album was the catalyst for that. I lived and breathed this record! If it wasn't for this metal classic, I would never have joined Leatherwolf."

Let Love Rule, Lenny Kravitz (1989)

"This record brought me back to my roots and came across very real and honest. I loved the rawness to it. I was starting to play a lot more piano at this time and this record inspired me to get a Wurlitzer. Which I still have and use live today."

More on Michael Olivieri Band can be found at www.michaelolivieriband.net. Pick up their M.O.B. album on iTunes today!