Longtime ROB ZOMBIE bassist Piggy D. (real name – Matt Montgomery) has announced his departure from the band
Montgomery posted the following message to his Instagram earlier today (January 30): “Dear Friends. My time with ZOMBIE has come to an end. It was an honor to entertain you for the last 18 years.”
He added, “I look forward to the future and wish everyone the best. Peace & Love, Matt Montgomery aka Count D., Piggy D., Giggles”.
Rob Zombie would later update fans on the status of the bassist position in the band with a post on social media which reads: “After 18 years BLASKO has returned to the Zombie horde. Ge ready for mayhem this summer.”
In 2006, Piggy D. stepped into the role of bassist for ROB ZOMBIE, taking over from Rob “Blasko” Nicholson, who had departed to join Ozzy Osbourne‘s recording and touring band. Montgomery‘s debut performance with ZOMBIE‘s band occurred on May 24, 2006, during a memorable appearance on CBS’s “Late Night Show with David Letterman.”
His contributions to the Rob Zombie discography include playing bass on studio albums such as “Hellbilly Deluxe 2” (2010), “Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor” (2013), “The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser” (2016), and “The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy” (2021).
Beyond his work with Zombie, Piggy D. has collaborated with notable artists such as Alice Cooper, John 5, and Wednesday 13. Not only has he pursued a solo music career, but he is also an integral member of THE HAXANS, a musical project alongside NEW YEARS DAY singer Ash Costello.
In the fall of 2022, John 5, another guitarist in ROB ZOMBIE, left to join MÖTLEY CRÜE, subsequently replaced by returning guitarist Mike Riggs. Riggs, with a prior six-year stint in the ’90s and early 2000s with Zombie, contributed to albums like “Hellbilly Deluxe,” “American Made Music To Strip By,” “The Sinister Urge,” and “The Past, Present & Future.“
Following his departure in 2004, Riggs focused on his band SCUM OF THE EARTH, characterized by rhythmic, industrial-influenced, and hip-hop-minded alternative metal. John 5, who had been part of Zombie‘s creative journey for 16 years, co-wrote on studio albums since “Educated Horses” and composed the score for Zombie‘s 2013 film “The Lords Of Salem.”
