Skid Row have announced Justin Sargent as their new lead singer, ending a search the band says stretched across the world — and, in a twist both Noise11 and BraveWords highlight, landing on a vocalist from New Jersey, the same state where the band formed in 1986.

The appointment closes more than two years of uncertainty that followed Erik Grönwall's 2024 departure for health reasons, during which Halestorm's Lzzy Hale temporarily stepped in for live shows.

Guitarist Rachel Bolan told the outlets the connection was instant: "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." Dave 'Snake' Sabo said the moment Sargent walked in the door, the band "all kind of knew he was the guy."

Rather than debut with an original song, the band chose to introduce Sargent through a recording of The Who's 1971 'Won't Get Fooled Again', produced by Nick Raskulinecz, who also worked on the band's 2022 album 'The Gang's All Here'.

According to BraveWords, the cover was Sargent's own idea, and Sabo told SiriusXM's Trunk Nation that the song holds special value for the singer through his relationship with his father.

Drummer Rob Hammersmith called the recording a declaration of intent — "standing on the shoulders of these giants is the ultimate launchpad" — while Scotti Hill described the track as "an anthem of generations." A video directed by Dale 'Rage' Resteghini introduces the new lineup.

Sargent told Eddie Trunk on SiriusXM's Trunk Nation, as transcribed by BraveWords, that the announcement feels "surreal" after a couple of months of working together before anything became official.

He said the band deliberately spent time bonding first, making sure the chemistry was not a one-day anomaly. "I've been singing Skid Row songs for years, but never imagined I'd actually be joining the band!" he said in the quoted announcement statements carried by both Noise11 and BraveWords.

Noise11 also notes the band had partnered with music retailer Sweetwater earlier in the year to invite audition submissions worldwide, a process Sabo said drew "truly amazing singers" before Sargent's audition settled the question.

BraveWords reports the band has already announced its first concert dates with Sargent, including Welcome to Rockville in Daytona Beach on May 9, Sonic Temple in Columbus on May 14, and a Borgata show in Atlantic City on April 10, with more performances promised.

Sabo, in his Trunk Nation interview cited by BraveWords, pointed to "new material coming, tour dates, and so on and so forth" as the band moves forward. A limited, hand-signed seven-inch vinyl of the cover is being pressed — Noise11 reports only 500 copies worldwide — with pre-orders already open.

Sargent becomes the latest frontman in a line that has included Sebastian Bach, Johnny Solinger, Tony Harnell, ZP Theart and Erik Grönwall, now carrying a 40-year catalogue of songs like '18 And Life' and 'Slave To The Grind'.