When I told friends that I was interviewing in-demand drummer Matt Sorum, I kept getting the same response: "Find out what he's actually like." The stick master is best known for keeping the beat for the Cult, Guns N' Roses, and Velvet Revolver, but he shows his softer side on his second solo album, "Stratosphere," out February 25 under the moniker Matt Sorum's Fierce Joy. The follow-up to 2004's "Hollywood Zen" is a highly personal, orchestrated acoustic album. Sorum writes about the important things in life, like family and environmental and animal activism, and he nods to inspirations David Bowie and Nick Drake in two of my favorite tracks, "What Ziggy Says" and "Ode to Nick Drake."

Drummer Matt Sorum comes out from behind the drum kit on 'Stratosphere.'

Download.com chatted with the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer about "Stratosphere," his transition from drummer to frontman and from addict to activist, and his favorite mobile apps.

You released your first solo disc, "Hollywood Zen," a decade ago. How is "Stratosphere" different? I had never really done anything on my own, especially being in a band my whole life, so I was really in fear of going for it on my own, the first time around. But I think it's much more my album than the first album. I completely produced this album, myself, so it was a very gratifying, cathartic experience. I think I've come a long way as ... [Read more]

Ziggurat is an 8-bit-inspired survival game for iOS, set during an alien apocalypse. It's the project of Action Button Entertainment founder and director Tim Rogers, a Bay Area transplant recently nominated the Most Interesting Man at PAX Prime, and a regular contributor to geek-centric content farm Kotaku.

If the human won't come to the aliens, then the aliens must go to the mountain.

The story: Aliens have just wiped out humanity, and you are the last man standing. Literally standing: You're atop a ziggurat, above the clouds, armed with one BFG-like firearm, making a last stand. You shoot by tapping, charge by holding the lower portion of the screen, and fire when releasing. The longer you hold the charge, the more velocity, size, and explosive force the bullet will have. Rapid taps cause small bullets to piddle out, but that technique has its purpose, primarily when you're fending off multiple aliens in close quarters and quick succession. Aim by swiping right and left toward the bottom of the screen.

This iPad game is inspired by the 8-bit visuals of games of yore, and it's also supposed to feature a frenetic 8-bit (or "chiptune") soundtrack. However, I could never get the sound to come through on an iPad 4 running iOS 7. And before you ask, yes, I checked to ma... [Read more]