Its been a wild start to the week for the Zombie camp
It’s been a very eventful 48 hours for Rob Zombie. Yesterday [Monday, January 29], Zombie announced a summer tour with Alice Cooper. Earlier today, longtime bassist Piggy D (a.k.a. Matt Montgomery) confirmed that he is leaving the band after nearly two decades.
“Dear friends, my time with [Rob] Zombie has come to an end,” Piggy D wrote on Instagram. “It was an honor to entertain you for the last 18 years. I look forward to the future and wish everyone the beast. Peace and love.”
Montgomery left the Rob Zombie’s band just over a year after guitarist John 5, who departed in October of 2022. John 5 joined rock icons Mötley Crüe on tour in place of founding guitarist Mick Mars. John 5 left Marilyn Manson’s band and linked up with Zombie in 2005, until his previously noted departure in 2022.
Just hours after Piggy D’s exit, Rob Zombie took to Instagram to confirm what fans had been speculating.
“After 18 years I am thrilled to announce that Blasko has returned! The original 4-string Zombie monster is back. Get ready for a crazy summer of mayhem.”
Rob “Blasko” Nicholson, now successfully managing the likes of Black Veil Brides, Zakk Wylde, Black Label Society, High On Fire, and Clutch, is also Ozzy Osbourne’s bassist. He appeared on Zombie’s first three solo albums before his departure in 2006. At Aftershock 2022 in Sacramento, California, Rob Zombie performed with original guitarist Mike Riggs. Riggs was with Zombie from 1997 until 2003. Now, both are back in the band in plenty of time for a new tour.
This summer, Rob Zombie and fellow shock rock icon Alice Cooper are mounting another Freaks on Parade Tour with special guests Ministry and Filter. The trek is scheduled to commence on August 20 at the Isleta Amphitheater in Albuquerque, New Mexico and wraps up on September 18 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
Rob Zombie’s last album was The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy, which arrived in 2021 through Nuclear Blast. It performed well commercially, peaking at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 and topping Billboard’s Top Rock and Top Hard Rock albums charts.