Former MANOWAR guitarist “The Boss” Friedman has apologized for his disparaging comments about the band in a recent interview, explaining that it’s not his “style” to say “things like that.”
A founding member of MANOWAR, Ross recorded six albums with the band before leaving after 1988’s Kings Of Metal.
During an interview with Waste Some Time With Jason Green, Ross talked about the circumstances surrounding his exit from the group more than three decades ago, saying: “When a band gets big and the money hits, greed, avarice and evil takes place. A guy that I thought was my partner wasn’t,” he said, referring to MANOWAR leader and bassist Joey DeMaio. “So he wanted me [out]. He goes, ‘You’ve gotta go.’ I go, ‘Really? I’ve gotta go why? I’ve gotta go why? We’re equal partners, 50 percent. Why do I have to go? Why don’t you go?’ The whole thing is he was so — his antics and his bulls**t was so insane that I had it up to [my neck] with him. When you have it up to [your neck] with someone, you’ve just gotta go, ‘Get the f*ck outta here. I can’t take this anymore.’
“[It was] ego, greed, avarice, evil [that caused me to depart],” Ross continued. “When [Joey] met me, I had already four major albums. He had done zero. Joey DeMaio was nobody. When he met me, I had already done four. I had no will to fight him. If I were to fight him, I would have killed him. He’s just a f*cking pariah… You can’t live with that. My heart couldn’t take it. I can’t take evil. And I know people are gonna be… [It’s gonna be] hard [for them] to hear that, but I’m better off now. I really am.”
As for whether he would consider playing with the band again, he said: “Well, if the financial arrangements were right. But [Joey is] the kind of scumbag that would never have that… I’ll never say no, but you never know. I just called him a scumbag, so… It’s not gonna happen. He’s secure in the fact that MANOWAR are mediocre f*cking pieces of sh*t right now. What they’re putting out to the public [is] just terrible.”
After news started to make headlines, Ross issued a statement to Blabbermouth, writing: “I would like to apologize to MANOWAR, the fans and Joey for the insult. If anyone knows me, you know that’s not my style for saying things like that. I violated my own rule. Again, I am truly sorry.”
