TOMMY SKEOCH On TESLA’s Music After His Departure: ‘I Think It’s A Different Band, And Maybe Not For The Best’

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In a brand new interview with "The Classic Metal Show", former TESLA guitarist Tommy Skeoch was asked if he thinks people are now more aware of the "edge" that he brought to the band while he was a member of the Sacramento-based act, on and off, for two decades. "Absolutely. Oh, yeah," he responded (hear audio below). "To me, it's been apparent from the get-go, but even early on, on my Facebook pages, just everyone, all they ever say is, 'We still love TESLA, but it's just a different band. There's no balls there now.' And these are not my words, man. I wasn't gonna say anything, 'cause it's just not appropriate. But, yeah, I think it's a different band, and maybe not for the best. That's my opinion. Everyone has an opinion. If they wanna listen to some more loungey, more kind of pop, lighter music, they're doing that now. And if people like that, then go for it. I like to rock hard." Skeoch left TESLA in 2006 to receive treatment for substance-abuse issues. He has since been replaced by Dave Rude. In a 2011 interview with Noisecreep, TESLA singer Jeff Keith stated about Skeoch: "Look, everyone in TESLA has been through their own substance-abuse issues. But Tommy got in too deep again. So the band told him that the only way we would be able to make this work is if he was clean and sober. I felt like we couldn't ask him to do that if we weren't going to commit to it too. So I was the first one to say that I wouldn't drink, or do anything else, on the tour. The next thing you know, the other guys did the same thing. Troy [Luccketta, drums] has been clean and sober for over 20 years, so it wasn't even an issue for him... Tommy couldn't stay off the stuff he was doing. It broke my heart to see it, but we knew we had to replace him." Skeoch recently launched a new band called RESIST & BITE. He is joined in the group by are ex-LYNCH MOB lead vocalist Nathan Utz, guitarist Steve Stokes, drummer David Parks and bassist Brian Powell. Last year, Skeoch announced the formation of a new project called SKIN SUIT. That band, which also features vocalist Rob McManus, released its self-titled debut album this past March.