Hellyeah drummer Vinnie Paul says a lack of drive was behind the decision to sack Bob Zilla and Greg Tribbett.
Paul says guitarist Tribbett and bass player Zilla didn’t have the same drive as the rest of the band as they prepared to go into the studio to record upcoming new album Blood For Blood.
He tells Loudwire Nights: “We obviously had history together with Bob and Greg. When we got around to getting ready to go into the studio for this record we realised that they didn’t have the same focus, they didn’t have the same drive that we did. We weren’t going to be able to make the record we did if they were still a part of it. It’s kind of sad to say goodbye sometimes but sometimes to move forward you have to, and that’s what we did.”
The former Pantera man went on to describe replacements bass player Kyle Sanders as the “perfect fit” and hinted that touring guitarist Christian Brady could become a permanent member of the band.
He says: “It’s very exciting. We do have two guitarists, we have a touring guitarist out with us Chris B. If things continue to go the way they are, he’ll be a permanent guitarist. Kyle Sanders is just a perfect fit. He toured with us when he was in Bloodsimple and Monstro and we really didn’t want to go through an audition process seeing if we could find the next Billy Sheehan.
“We just felt like we needed a guy to fit right in with us. When we called Kyle, before we could even ask if he wanted it, he says I’m the guy. So that’s all we needed to hear. He fits in great, man. He’s a great visual player as well, in addition to a powerful bass player.”
Blood For Blood, Hellyeah’s fourth album, is released on Monday, June 9, and Paul believes it will be a “defining point” for the band.
