SKID ROW is… Justin Sargent, Scotti Hill, Dave Sabo, Rob Hammersmith & Rachel Bolan
METAL SLUDGE / October 29th 2026 – The wait is over… as Skid Row have officially named their new frontman and dropped their first music with their new vocalist!
Justin Sargent is the new voice of Skid Row, and he comes with a pretty heavy resume that details a history on Broadway as a leading man, and a vocal ability that has seemingly tackled and conquered music from Journey to Queen and everything in-between from clubs to theaters on both land and sea.
Sargent, 41, is an Illinois native who was raised in Florida with a deep history in live performance that started in High School and has taken him to some of the most pretigious stages in entertainment… now he will front one of New Jersey’s most recognized rock bands – Skid Row.
Rachel Bolan, Dave Sabo, Scotti Hill and Rob Hammersmith have been keeping their lips tight but one source tells Metal Sludge that the guys had picked Sargent as their new voice some months ago…
But… so it seems the band opted to wait it out a bit, spend time with their new singer and really get a feel for who he is before telling the world.
Now the new 5-piece line-up have dropped their first song sample with a cover of The Who classic “Won’t Get Fooled Again”.
Some fans have already made note and questioned… is there a hidden meaning coming from the band with their choice?
Regardless, the 6:25 track is extremely well produced and accompanied by a video of equal quality.
Now today… the rest of us get to meet Justin Sargent.
Sargent has a deep history in theater and made his Broadway debut back in 2011 in Rock of Ages, going on to appear in Bonnie & Clyde and Spider-Man Turn off the Dark.
What follows here, is a Bio as found on the Broadway World website….
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Justin Matthew Sargent was seen in NBC’s Jesus Christ Superstar Live. He has appeared on Broadway in Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark (Peter Parker), Rock of Ages (Drew), and Bonnie & Clyde.
Film/ TV: Delocated, Big Exit, Stormchaser, Law & Order: SVU, Winding Waters, Mr. Robot, Royal Pains, and It Could Be Worse.
Regional credits include: West Side Story (Tony), Love Actually, Pippin, The Rocky Horror Show, Forever Plaid, Jesus Christ Superstar, and High School Musical.
Justin has also performed across the country singing the music of QUEEN with a live symphony.
Justin is a graduate of the University of Central Florida (BFA Musical Theatre).
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An impressive list of professional credits as a world-class vocalist, who is now going to bring his pipes and dare way add, some good looks too boot, right to center stage with Skid Row.
With that… Skid Row are moving forward as confident as ever.
Our friends Down Under in Australia at Hear2Zen were early to the party with their detailed article on Skid Row picking Sargent as their new voice…. we have grabbed a few quotes from the guys themselves.
Hear2Zen writes: Sargent first caught the attention of the band last year. His powerful vocals, commanding stage presence, and natural connection to the music immediately stood out. What followed were months of conversations, rehearsals, and time spent together, ultimately confirming that the band had found not just a new singer, but a brother-in-arms.
“Honestly, for me, it felt like he had been here from the beginning as soon as he walked in the room. He was one of us. A lifer. Then he sang with so much power and conviction, it blew me away. It was amazing.”
– Rachel Bolan
“We were so fortunate to receive so many audition submissions from singers wanting to front the band. We wanna thank everyone for their time and effort. There are some truly amazing singers out there! But I think that the moment Justin walked in the door we all kind of knew he was the guy. Everything about him; his voice, his attitude, his demeanor, it all just fit. We can’t wait to hit the ground running and get back to doing what we love to do.”
– Snake Sabo
“I’ve been singing Skid Row songs for years, but never imagined I’d actually be joining the band! It’s an incredible honour to be part of something with such a legendary history. The chemistry and energy we’ve found together over the past several months has been amazing. I have tremendous respect for the band’s legacy, but I’m even more excited about what lies ahead. I can’t wait to get out there, connect with the fans, and give them everything I’ve got. Let’s go!”
— Justin Sargent
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Look for the band on tour in 2027 and we can assume, that more new music is likely.
The band have shared a message today on their social media, we will share it in full here…
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NEW BLOOD. SAME ATTITUDE.
After more than two years off searching the globe for their next frontman, they found him in the very state the band was born… NEW JERSEY!
WELCOME JUSTIN SARGENT TO SKID ROW!
The band has been holed up, making noise, and getting ready to begin the next chapter. And there’s no better way to kick the doors down than with their take on THE WHO’s legendary anthem “WON’T GET FOOLED AGAIN” along with a music video!
WATCH THE NEW VIDEO NOW on Youtube.
The single drops across all streaming platforms at midnight.
SKID ROW IS GETTING BACK ON STAGE!
First shows announced, with more dates coming soon at SkidRow.com
Sept 25 — French Lick, IN (French Lick Resort)
To everyone who stepped up and auditioned, the band sends much respect. There are some badass singers out there!
40 YEARS OF SKID ROW. THE NEXT CHAPTER STARTS NOW.
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Check out the HAIR METAL CHAOS ‘Extra’ episode of Breaking News with The Guru & Rachelle, as seen below.
We covered this big story within a few hours of it hitting the wire and you can see our live reaction along with more than 1,200 others who chimed in over the 2 hour podcast… and now the episode is ripping past 10,000 views in a few hours time… Thank You!
Make sure to check out the Hair Metal Guru on YouTube and Hair Metal Chaos ‘live‘ every Tuesday.
Stay tuned to Metal Sludge for more Breaking News, Updates and Features along with both New Interviews and Classic 20 Questions.
