Robin Black already knows his new album is an instant classic. The rest of the world just has to catch up with him.

Make that him, GGGarth Richardson and Bob Ezrin. In his neverending quest for world domination, the former Winnipeg hairdresser has teamed up two of the biggest and best producers in the biz. Richardson has helmed discs by everyone from Rage Against the Machine to The Melvins, while Ezrin's name should be familiar to anyone who's heard obscurities like Pink Floyd's The Wall, Alice Cooper's School's Out, or Kiss's Destroyer.

"We wanted this record to be the greatest record in the world, not just the best on Queen Street or Canada; we wanted it to be a big rock record. They weren't going to work on a pretty good record, they work on classic records, and that's what we had to do," Black says down the line from his motor home as his bandmates watch porn in the background.

The album, humbly titled Instant Classic, was released last month on EMI after 18 months of intense work at two studios.

"Ezrin and Garth pushed us hard," he admits. "We had to prove we were on par with Pink Floyd, Kiss and Alice Cooper. It wasn't easy.

"We gave up every other aspect of our lives except making this record. We lost girlfriends, jobs and friends."

Ezrin was particularly demanding. In addition to sending Black for training to beef up his voice, he gave the band songwriting assignments to prove they were serious -- and threatened to quit the project if they weren't completed to his satisfaction. At one point, the group had to write and record 10 new songs in three days. Another time, they had to learn 10 cover songs -- and write essays about what they learned from the songs.

"I wrote him a number of essays," Black laughs. "He yelled at me and challenged me. I think I got it the worst."

But it was all worth it, he says.

"Everybody knows we're a great live band," he says. "Now we're a monster band."

And they've got what he hopes will be a monster album: Another 11 tracks of the '70s-inspired glam-rock that been Black's stock in trade ever since his days fronting Winnipeg's Ballroom Zombies.

In 1998, he left the Zombies -- which evolved into The Harlots -- and headed for Toronto, aiming to strike gold with his new over-the-top outfit, dubbed the Intergalactic Rock Stars.

Since then, Black and co. have begun to learn that less can be more. They've dropped the cumbersome handle and scaled back their pyro-and-confetti stage show to focus attention on their music.

So far, it's working, says Black, who already has tours of Europe and Japan pencilled in his daybook, with America at the top of his to-do list.

"We're going great in Canada and the U.K., and Japan is going to fall like a bowl of rice, but America is the next thing and America is where you get paid.

"In two years time I'd like to talk about how we broke through in America, but if we don't, we're still going to be doing it. If this record doesn't sell three million like we want it to, the next one will. And if that one doesn't the next one will," Black vows.

"I'm in a van now with six stinky guys watching porn but I wouldn't trade it for anything. If people have a dream of something they want to accomplish, that's cool -- but don't just talk about it, do it. We wanted to make a big record and be known for our songwriting and now we've done that, and the next thing is Madison Square Garden."

On a somewhat smaller scale, Black will be back in his hometown this weekend for shows tomorrow and Saturday at his old stomping ground The Zoo. Pretty Train Crash open both nights and admission is $10 -- not a bad price for what Black promises.

"We have our best shows in Winnipeg because we love that stage and the people. We're going to get you drunk, get your panties wet and rock your s--t."