The former Deep Purple icon plucked the singer out of relative obscurity to front his new-look Rainbow lineup last year ahead of two German Monsters Of Rock festivals in June, and an appearance at Birmingham's Genting Arena the same month.

And Romero, who also plays with his band Lords Of Black, says Blackmore's already had a huge influence on him. The vocalist tells Metal Shock Finland: "We had some jamming sessions and some new ideas for the songs. Ritchie is different from what the people think. It's very easy because Ritchie is a very nice guy and he's a legend - he knew everything about rock'n'roll.