HELLYEAH's MAXWELL On Split With Guitarist, Bassist: It Was A 'Toxic Situation' That 'Turned Into A Cancer'

HELLYEAH guitarist Tom Maxwell was interviewed on the Jacksonville, North Carolina radio station Rock 105.5 at this year's Carolina Rebellion festival, which was held May 3-4 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina. You can now watch the chat below.

As previously reported, HELLYEAH has recruited Christian Brady as its new touring guitarist following the recent departure of Greg Tribbett (MUDVAYNE).

A former member of MAGNA-FI and FRANKY PEREZ & THE TRUTH, Brady met HELLYEAH drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott in Las Vegas, where Christian has been living and playing in bands for a while.

HELLYEAH's fourth studio album, "Blood For Blood", will be released on June 10 via Eleven Seven Music. The CD was helmed by producer Kevin Churko at his The Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas, Nevada. Churko is the Canadian musician, sound engineer, songwriter and record producer who has previously worked with OZZY OSBOURNE, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH and IN THIS MOMENT, among other acts.

Prior to the recording of the new album, HELLYEAH parted ways with Tribbett and bassist Bob "Zilla" Kakaha (DAMAGEPLAN). Kakaha has since been replaced by Kyle Sanders, a former member of BLOODSIMPLE and the brother of MASTODON's Troy Sanders.

Still in the lineup are drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott, guitarist Tom Maxwell and singer Chad Gray.

Speaking to Rock 105.5 about the making of "Blood For Blood", Maxwell said: "It was great. It was very liberating. We went through some drama to make it. We parted ways with our other guitar player and our bass player, but it was a much-needed change. It was just a toxic situation and it turned into a cancer, so we had to cut it out."

Regarding HELLYEAH's latest additions, Maxwell said: "[Our new guitarist is] awesome. His name is Christian Brady; we call him Brady. He's a guitar player from [Las] Vegas that I met through Vinnie. I went and saw his band play a few times and got to known him, and he's just an incredible, incredible musician, he's a great guy, and he brings a lot of talent to the band. And our new bass player, Kyle Sanders, from BLOODSIMPLE, he's… same thing. He's a bro. We've been friends for well over ten years and he's just a beast of a talent."

He added: "We didn't wanna do an audition process; we knew who we wanted in Kyle. And I got to know Brady before I actually asked him. And he's so green, it's so funny. 'Cause he's, like, new to everything, it's like looking through it through his eyes is exciting, because he's just so new to all of it."

A press release describes "Blood For Blood" as a "welcome return to form" for the band, adding that it "sounds like a recharged HELLYEAH, taken up many notches."

HELLYEAH's other albums include 2009's "Stampede" and 2011's "Band Of Brothers".

MUDVAYNE has not released an album since 2009 while Gray and Tribbett have been working with HELLYEAH.

Interview:

Performance footage (May 10 at Rise Above Fest in Bangor, Maine):